The joy of missing out – how Jomo London co-founder Olivia Bentley is changing the conversation around sex and self-care
Once known for her time on British reality TV show Made In Chelsea, Olivia Bentley has since carved out an inspiring new path as the co-founder of Jomo London, a brand dedicated to promoting sexual wellbeing and self-acceptance. With a passion for challenging taboos and opening up honest conversations, we speak to Liv about her journey from reality TV to entrepreneurship, the mission behind Jomo London, and why she believes physical pleasure and mental balance go hand-in-hand….
You became a household name through Made In Chelsea but looking back, how did that experience shape your confidence and your work ethic?
It was such a unique experience to have so much of my life filmed and shared. At times it was hard, but it built my confidence in a big way – you quickly learn to back yourself and not rely too much on outside opinions. It also instilled a strong work ethic, because opportunities don’t just come from being seen, but from what you do with that platform afterwards.
What did the show teach you about yourself – and what made you decide to pivot from reality TV into entrepreneurship?
It made me realise that I actually quite liked helping people. When I originally went onto Made In Chelsea, my goal was to promote my photography but after speaking openly about my struggles with hair loss, the feedback I got was amazing, and just made me feel really good getting messages from young people saying how much I had helped them, and helped boost their confidence.
Can you tell us a bit about Jomo London, and the kind of products you sell?
Jomo London was created during Covid, off the back of a conversation I had with a friend about faking orgasms. That friend then quickly became my business partner and we essentially created a lube for ourselves, as there wasn’t anything out there that we liked. We now sell two lubes – the CBD Arousal Oil and the Intimate Serum – both having a hero ingredient, one being CBD and the other being L’Arginine, which helps enhance your orgasm. We also sell the MOJO Vibrator.
What inspired you to set up your business?
My business partner [Bella Campbell] and I realised there was a massive gap in the market when it came to female pleasure, so we wanted to create something sexy and luxurious, but also with wellness benefits.
What unique challenges and opportunities have you experienced since starting Jomo London, and how has your perspective shaped the way you run your business?
Starting Jomo has been a massive learning curve and my background is certainly not business! My business partner is a celebrity make-up artist so neither one of us really knew what we were doing – we kind of winged it along the way but in saying that, I’m glad we did it the way we did, because we’ve learnt so much and as testing as it has been, we’ve had a lot of fun doing it.
How do you approach educating customers about sexual wellness, while keeping the conversation comfortable and stigma-free?
It’s quite a hard one because sex is such a personal, intimate thing. I mean, I’m very open in the way I speak about it but I think that’s because I’ve got the family and friends I have. But obviously, not everyone’s quite like that so there is a fine line between being educational without shoving things in your face. I think we live in such a sexually saturated world. It can be quite hard.
How closely is sexual health linked with mental health – and should we all be talking about this more?
I don’t think people quite appreciate how closely linked sexual health and mental health are. Our whole premise at Jomo London is about slowing down. It’s not about sex but it’s about the joy of missing out, so that means purely just taking time for yourself and doing what makes you feel good. I think there’s an instant shame put on a person during sex or if you’re trying to be intimate when someone is having an issue – a man can’t get it up or a woman doesn’t feel aroused – when in fact it’s very much in our own heads a lot of the time.
How do you see your work contributing to broader conversations about sexual health and body positivity – particularly for women?
I personally would love the narrative surrounding sex to slightly change. As it stands, with things like OnlyFans and porn, younger people are subjected to so much and I think it puts so much pressure – especially on women – to have to look a certain way, behave a certain way, do all sorts of things that actually, when it comes down to it, women shouldn’t be doing.
What are the most common misconceptions that people have about sexual wellness, and how do you address them in your work?
I think one common misconception is that sexual wellness is about sex itself, when it’s actually about overall physical, emotional, and relationship health. We sort of address this by promoting open, judgment-free conversations and educating with a focus on communicating consent and things like self-awareness, and self-discovery.
What are your best tips for making intimacy more fun and adventurous?
Keep an open mind and communicate often. Try new things together – whether that’s exploring a new product, setting the mood differently, or simply asking new questions about what feels good. Curiosity and communication are what keep intimacy exciting.
Your previous work as a photographer explored the synergies between the female form and nature – do you still feel that there is a profound connection between the two?
Definitely. I’ve always felt there’s a really natural connection between the female form and nature – both are strong, fluid and constantly evolving. That idea still inspires a lot of what I do today, especially around body confidence and self-expression.
Finally, the one question we ask everyone! What is your favourite luxury?
Anything self-care – massages, lymphatic drainage, facials (and even a little bit of Botox!).
