1983
Patty Brisben starts selling bedroom accessories for Fun Parties.
1984
Patty Brisben becomes one of Fun Parties’ top sales people.
1993
Fun Parties experiences financial difficulties leaving Patty, and 55 Consultants
below her, stranded.
Patty Brisben opens the doors to Slumber Parties out of the basement of her home.
1994
Slumber Parties moves to first warehouse - 800 square feet and does $1 million in
retail sales.
1995
Slumber Parties generates $1.2 million in retail sales.
1996
Slumber Parties moves into 2,600 square ft. combined warehouse and office space
and does $1.3 million in retail sales.
1997
Slumber Parties generates $1.4 million in retail sales.
1998
Slumber Parties generates $2.1 million in retail sales.
1999
Slumber Parties generates $3 million in retail sales.
2000
Pure Romance builds first Corporate Office and distribution center (at 10,000 sq.
ft.).
Patty's eldest son, Chris Cicchinelli comes aboard as Executive Vice President.
Pure Romance generates $5 million in retail sales.
Pure Romance is the first company of its kind to gain acceptance in efforts to launch
a national radio advertising campaign. The company advertises in conservative Southern
and Midwestern markets such as Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA and St. Louis, MO.
2001
FCC-regulated, Clear Channel allows the company to advertise on their stations nationwide.
National marketing campaign is released: 'We put the 'O' in Romance', while Brisben
and Cicchinelli begin executing aggressive 5-year grow strategy.
Pure Romance generates $9 million in retail sales.
2002
Pure Romance generates $20 million in retail sales.
2003
Slumber Parties begins to re-brand as Pure Romance.
2003
Pure Romance generates $26 million in retail sales.
2004
Pure Romance is recognized by FORBES magazine.
“Pure Romance” is born; company is officially re-launched under new name.
Pure Romance throws bachelorette parties to the stars - including Jessica Simpson.
Pure Romance launches its national College Tour.
Pure Romance generates $35 million in retail sales.
2005
Pure Romance officially launches its unique breast cancer program, entitled Sensuality,
Sexuality, Survival (SSS).
Pure Romance hosts party for Living With Fran for celebrity Fran Drescher.
Pure Romance moves to 47,000 sq. ft. Corporate Office and Warehouse in Loveland,
Ohio.
In November 2005, Pure Romance incorporates lingerie and sleepwear into product
line.
10,000th Consultant comes aboard in December, 2005.
Pure Romance financial reaches over $50 million in retail sales.
Chris Cicchinelli becomes first male President in Pure Romance's industry.
Patty Brisben appears on CNN’s “Paula Zahn Now” Show.
Pure Romance featured on VH-1’s “Celebrity Access”.
2006
Sneak peek of Pure Romance's new product packaging at the Silver Spoon's Golden
Globes Buffet in Los Angeles, CA.
Pure Romance sponsors Sex Week at Yale, with Patty Brisben giving two presentations.
Pure Romance is a title sponsor for Young Survival Coalition Conference in Denver,
CO.
Pure Romance throws bachelorette parties to the stars - including Nikki Cox/Molly
Sims.
Pure Romance launches the Patty Brisben Foundation, a non-profit organization serving
to strengthen, support and enhance the health services provided specifically for
women.
Patty Brisben appears as a guest for the ‘Hot Topic’ segment on “The View”.
Patty Brisben selected from over a hundred nominations as an Athena Award candidate.
Patty Brisben locally wins the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award.
Pure Romance selected by the Business Courier for the “Fast 55 Awards” (recognizing
the fastest growing, most successful businesses in Cincinnati).
Pure Romance generates over $60 million in retail sales.
Patty Brisben
CEO / Founder / Intimacy Expert
Patty Brisben is the CEO and founder of Pure Romance, the nation's fastest-growing woman-to-woman in-home direct sales company specializing in relationship enhancement products and intimacy education. Since founding Pure Romance in 1993, Patty's passion and leadership have pushed the company to a 250% increase in sales from three years ago.
In 1983, motivated by a desire to spend more time with her family, Patty got involved with an in-home party business selling relationship enhancement products and educating women on how to open the lines of communication with their partner to improve intimacy. Her experience there would ultimately serve as the foundation of Pure Romance.
By the time that company folded in the early-90s, Patty had become a star in the field who recognized a strong demand for these services. She had no formal business training, and no office, but had a group of 55 distributors who needed product and support. Recognizing the overwhelming demand in the marketplace, she created the company that would become Pure Romance. Since that time, Pure Romance has become a full-fledged educational and retail force, with thousands of nationwide consultants and sales of more than $50 million in the fiscal year of 2005.
Drawing from extensive research in the industry and through her warm and engaging personality, Patty has become a noted expert in the fields of intimacy and relationships. Her work has put her in the national spotlight, with appearances on CNN, Vh1 and numerous profiles in leading business publications, including Forbes and Entrepreneur.
Patty's passion and commitment to empowering women to pursue safe and healthy relationships has pushed Pure Romance to also become a resource for and champion of sexual health awareness. Under her direction Pure Romance has taken several proactive steps to raise the level of education on these issues including: participating in a college tour, creating a breast cancer survivor program (Sensuality, Sexuality, Survival) and collaborating on research studies with Indiana University (home of the Kinsey Institute). Additionally, Patty started the Patty Brisben Foundation.
Prior to her work at Pure Romance, Patty worked in the medical field. She has four children, including three sons and a daughter, each of whom holds prominent positions in her company including her son Chris Cicchinelli who acts as President of Pure Romance. Daughter, Lauren, is following in her footsteps and becoming one of Pure Romance's top consultants.
Chris Cicchinelli
President
Chris Cicchinelli is the president of Pure Romance, the nation's fastest-growing woman-to-woman in-home direct sales company specializing in relationship enhancement products and intimacy education. Since starting with Pure Romance seven years ago, Chris has been instrumental in helping his mother and founder of Pure Romance, Patty Brisben, turn the company into a multi-million dollar corporation.
Chris attended Mount Union College with a focus in business and marketing. Directly out of college, Chris began his career specializing in marketing and finance with the Maxium Group, a billion dollar franchising company. He began working with the company in 1998 in Atlanta and in the first 6 months was promoted to assistant district manager and moved to the company's $28 million region in Chicago. At the end of 1998, Chris moved back to Atlanta to run the new division of Maxium group, EverythingDecor.com. The website began with 10 employees and with Chris at the helm, the business quickly grew to over 62 employees; showcasing his superior management techniques. Not long after, Chris was offered a job with Casca Italio, an Italian-based custom flooring business and manufacturing center in St. Louis, Missouri.
After accepting the job, Chris headed home for a three-month hiatus to visit with family. Upon his arrival, his mother asked Chris to help her reconstruct her business and expand its market share. Without hesitation, Chris jumped in full force and offered his mother a hand. After helping Patty execute several successful business moves, including opening several new markets across the United States, Chris resigned from his former job and came aboard to work with Pure Romance as the Executive Vice President.
Since his arrival in 1999, the company has successfully launched from a mid-sized family operation into a multi-million dollar corporation. Under his command, the company increased sales more than 700 percent in one year to reach $8 million in 2001. By 2003 sales increased more than 1600 percent to $30 million. Chris and Patty originally set out with a five year plan and far surpassed all expectations after only three years. In August of 2005, Chris stepped up to become the first male president in this category, overseeing the marketing, finance and day-to-day activities of Pure Romance with sales surpassing $50 million.