This episode is different.

No product launches. No tech talk. Just Wayne, a camera, and something that founders and creators don’t say out loud often enough.

After 22 years building E-Stim Systems, Wayne still has moments where his brain constructs a perfect, logical argument for why everything is about to fall apart. A competitor appears. A troll hits. The orders go quiet. And the spiral starts.

In this episode Wayne talks honestly about what triggers it, what the spiral actually feels like, the coping mechanisms that work (and the ones that sort of do), a near-miss that almost ended the business, and why — after 22 years — there are still 34 new product ideas in the notebook.

This is about male mental health, running a small business, and why the spiral is lying.

In this episode:

• The 3am panic — what it actually feels like
• Competitors, trolls, Reddit 
• Why E-Stim Systems will never compete on price
• The cash fear — coming very close to the end
• Plan A through F and when planning becomes its own problem
• The Trading Standards story — the spiral is lying
• The little black book and why writing things down works
• A friend Wayne lost, and why he’s still thinking about it
• Why a single good review can break the whole spiral
• “We don’t have the sole right to create e-stim”

If any of this resonated, Wayne would genuinely love to hear from you.

Find E-Stim Systems on social media @estimsystems or visit https://estim.store

I Make Sex Toys is also on Facebook — search I Make Sex Toys Podcast.

If you’re going through something harder than a bad business day, please talk to someone.

Samaritans (UK): 116 123 — free, confidential, 24 hours a day.

Or reach out to Wayne directly on social media. The offer stands.

https://imakesextoys.me/season-2/the-3am-spiral

Links

• E-Stim Systems: https://estim.store
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@estimsystems
• Instagram / X / Threads: @estimsystems
• Facebook: facebook.com/estimsystemsltd
• Podcast: imakesextoys.buzzsprout.com
• Samaritans: samaritans.org | 116 123

Drop us a message, we cannot reply directly but it would be great to hear from you

"I Make Sex Toys" is the personal podcast of Wayne Allen, the Director of E-Stim Systems. We have been creating ElectroStimulation Technology since 2004, Find out what really happens behind the doors of a specialist sex toy company.

Please Note the content of these podcasts are not designed to be Explicit or Erotic but we may discuss adult topics and therefore these podcasts are not suitable for children or those of a nervous disposition. You have been warned.

If you are interested in E-Stim Systems the company, or any of our products, have a look at https://estim.store