Nicole Daedone is an American writer and business executive. She founded and became the CEO of OneTaste in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Early life and education

Nicole Daedone was born in Los Gatos, California, ^[1] she holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies^{[ clarification needed]} from San Francisco State University. ^{[2] [3]} She studied with teachers of yoga and Buddhist meditation, and with Ray Vetterlein, who was in turn inspired by Morehouse, a community of which Daedone was a member. ^{[4] [5]} Former students of Baranco set up their own practices and groups, among them The Welcomed Consensus. She lived at The Welcomed Consensus, a community formed by former Morehouse students for two years. Morehouse and the Welcomed Consensus, regarded themselves as "the elite connoisseurs of exquisite gourmet sex." ^[5] "The Welcomed Consensus had no desire to be mainstream. But Daedone had bigger ideas" according to Ken Blackman, a member of Welcome Consensus and later Onetaste. ^[5]

Career

Daedone published her first book, Slow Sex, in 2012. Since 2022, she published a number of books on a range of topics. Daedone draws parallels between slow sex and the Slow Food movement associated with chef Alice Waters. ^[6] With sex as with food, she says, people can overindulge without getting nourishment, or go from one extreme of consuming mindlessly to the other extreme of self-denial. ^[7] The principles of her philosophy are in her book, Eros Sutras, Volume 1: Principles which has become an Amazon.com best seller in women's spirituality. ^[8]

OneTaste

OneTaste was cofounded in San Francisco by Nicole Daedone and Robert Kandell. Daedone stated that a Buddhist monk introduced her to orgasmic meditation before she started OneTaste, though she did not name the monk nor the lineage the monk studied under. ^[9] OneTaste trademarked the "orgasmic meditation" (OM) procedure delivered through the company's classes.^{[ citation needed]}

OneTaste originally operated two communal-style "urban retreat" centers, one in San Francisco's Soma District and another in Lower Manhattan. ^[10] OneTaste then expanded to Los Angeles and London. ^[11] The company produced media, workshops, weekend retreats, and a coach training program. In 2014, OneTaste was listed as an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company. ^[12]

Investigations

In 2015, a former employee received a six-figure settlement for sexual assault and harassment. ^[13] OneTaste was then investigated by the FBI for prostitution, sex trafficking, and violations of labor law. ^[14] The company made $12 million in revenue in 2017. ^[13] In 2018, OneTaste closed all of their U.S. locations and stopped hosting in-person classes. ^[11]

In June 2023, Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz were indicted on charges of conspiracy for forced labor. ^[15] Daedone, who was the company’s chief executive officer, was charged by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York. Rachel Cherwitz, OneTaste’s former head of sales, was also charged. According to the government, Daedone and Cherwitz claimed to be able to help those recover from past sexual trauma or abuse but instead manipulated their victims into debt. ^{[15] [16]}

Former members of the organization testifying about their experience at OneTaste said it "resembled a kind of prostitution ring" where managers frequently ordered staffers to engage in sexual relations with customers. ^[13] According to NBC News, the company’s staffers sometimes were told "to engage in sexual acts they found uncomfortable or repulsive as a requirement to obtain 'freedom' and 'enlightenment' and demonstrate their commitment to OneTaste and Daedone", the indictment claims, and "resistance … was not tolerated". ^[17] Meanwhile, according to the indictment, OneTaste didn’t pay promised wages and commissions to members-turned-workers. ^[17]

Arrest and indictment

Daedone was charged with engaging in a years long conspiracy to manipulate victims of past sexual trauma and abuse into providing forced labor. ^[18] Former OneTaste sales chief Rachel Cherwitz was arrested in northern California on June 21, 2023. ^[19] Both were indicted on a forced labor conspiracy charge. ^[20] As of February 2024 ^[update], a federal judge in Brooklyn has tentatively set a trial date for January 2025. ^[21]

In the media

Daedone is the focus of the 2022 Netflix documentary Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste. ^[22]

Publications

• Slow Sex: the Art and Craft of the Female Orgasm. New York: Grand Central Publishing. 2012. ISBN  978-0-446-56718-3. OCLC  858900850.
• The Eros Sutras. Vol. 1: Principles. Great Work Publishing. 2023. ISBN  978-1-961064-00-3. OCLC  1390560063.
• The Eros Sutras. Vol. 2: Tumescence. Great Work Publishing. 2023. ISBN  978-1-961064-02-7.
• The Eros Sutras. Vol. 3: Orgasmic Meditation. Great Work Publishing. 2023. ISBN  978-1-961064-16-4.
• Erotic Justice: Making Social Change from Love. Great Work Publishing. 2023. ISBN  978-1-961064-07-2.
• From Guards to Guardians: Rebuilding Prisons from the Ground Up. Great Work Publishing. 2023. ISBN  978-1-961064-15-7. OCLC  1396699143.
• Play: A Path to Genius. Great Work Publishing. 2023. ISBN  978-1-961064-10-2. OCLC  1407314448.
• The Eros Sutras. Vol. 4: Relationship. Great Work Publishing. 2024. ISBN  978-1-961064-24-9.

References