Sexuality has historically been considered a taboo. Society’s taught us that sex isn’t a topic that can be talked about freely. Don’t you think it’s kind of ironic considering just how prominently it’s projected in the media? Excitingly enough, this seems to be the era of breaking stigmas, and leading the revolution are two shameless, bold, and unapologetic women.
Amy Baldwin and April Lampert, hosts of the podcast Shameless Sex, are two multi-hyphenate women. They’re sex and relationship experts and coaches, podcast hosts, award winners, entrepreneurs, and authors. There’s nothing they can’t do. They’re changing the world by empowering people to leave behind shame and take control of their own intimate lives.
To continue normalizing this conversation for college girls and any young adults discovering themselves, Her Campus at FSU had the opportunity to talk to Baldwin — and her adorable dog — about her and Lampert’s careers, sex education, healing from trauma, and sex and relationships.
I can count on one hand the number of people I know in the sex education field, and let me spoil it for you: it’s zero. That’s why I started the interview by asking Baldwin about her journey entering this career. “I had so many questions about my own body, my sexuality, and little understanding about it. So I went to community college, took a class on a human sexuality class there, and loved every minute of it,” said Baldwin.
She continued by sharing how this led to her transferring schools, graduating with a major in psychology and a minor in human sexuality, and later opening a sex shop with her mom after being inspired by a class field trip.
It was while running the mother-daughter business that Baldwin’s co-host and long-time friend, Lampert, began her career journey with a position as the store’s manager. After years of growing their careers, the two are currently coaching clients, representing different brands, and owning companies.
In November 2023, Baldwin and Lampert published their first book Shameless Sex, written in a fun and educational “choose-your-own-adventure” format. I was curious as to why it was important for them to write this book since they already have a podcast where they speak about these topics. Baldwin expressed, “The difference is that the book is tailored for all people. It’s not meant to replace a therapist or coach, but it gives [people] empowering choices and gets them to think more critically.”
While talking about the book, Baldwin and I discussed sexual education in schools. Considering schools still lack quality sex education, I asked her what information she considered important to be taught in all schools. She responded, “Consent and communication, which would fall under the umbrella of conversation[s] about pleasure.”
Baldwin did reveal that it wasn’t always easy to be as bold and shameless as she is now. “20 years ago, I wasn’t able to be as open as I am now. It’s something I had to learn in practice. For most people, it’s not an overnight process, but a rewarding and freeing one. [I] keep practicing those skills in the podcast,” she shared.
This led me to ask which episode from the podcast Baldwin would recommend to young adults, to which she immediately had an answer. “I always recommend episode 126 since it changed my own life. We had sexologist Jaiya as a guest, and she introduced the ‘Erotic Blueprint,’” she revealed. The Erotic Blueprint is the sexual version of the five love languages. “It illustrates how you show and feel arousal, which help[s] you understand yourself and your partner better,” Baldwin said.
While many see college as a time to explore, some people have had bad experiences with past relationships. To those who are scared of intimacy, I wondered what advice Baldwin could give. “We address many forms of work [that] you can do in the first two chapters of our book because people form trauma or deep shame due to past experiences. Be slow and patient with yourself. Maybe write it out [or] vent to a friend when you’re freaking out. While it can be painful, it’s an opportunity to learn more about what triggers you and begin your healing process,” she informed. “You have to be honest with yourself.”
It’s common knowledge that hookup culture flourishes on college campuses. Society makes us believe that if we’re not partaking in it, then we’re not making the most out of college. “Oh yeah. There’s a lot of [the] ‘If I don’t do it now, I’ll regret it later’ mindset,” Baldwin said. I asked Baldwin what she would say to those students who have a fear of being left behind even when they don’t feel comfortable having sex yet. She said, “You have to honor your truth and work with where you’re at now. Even if you never want to have sex, that’s normal too.” She added, “I was way wilder and sweatier in my late 20s and early 30s. College isn’t the only time you have; there’s so much more after [it].”
Both Amy Baldwin and April Lampert are inspiring and empowering others in the complex and scary world of sex and relationships through their Shameless Sex podcast and the work they do overall. They aren’t afraid to embrace their authenticity and are encouraging their listeners to do the same. Baldwin shared that “when someone tells us that we inspire them to feel safe again or for the first time, that’s the most rewarding thing.”
If you want to listen to the Shameless Sex podcast, check it out here!
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