Peta Emery, a heavily tattooed powerlifter, left her role as an RAF engineer after earning £10,000 in her first month on a subscription-based adult content platform. She now earns up to six figures per month, describing the move as the best decision of her life.
From RAF engineer to online entrepreneur
Emery, known online as @power_midget, initially joined the site during the COVID-19 lockdown to clear credit card debt and pay off her car. Within weeks, she had made more than expected and decided to leave the military permanently. She now balances national powerlifting competitions with her online business, amassing over 460,000 Instagram followers.
“It was during Covid and we were working from home. I had some credit card debt, I wanted to pay off my car, and I was like, ‘F*ck it, I’ll just try it,’” Emery said. “I ended up making 10 grand in my first month, so I quit my job.”
Earnings and industry changes
Her average monthly income now sits at around £100,000, with peak months even higher. However, Emery noted that the industry has shifted since the early pandemic boom. “With new laws coming in, like ID verification, it’s swayed people and the whole Covid boom has dropped off now,” she said. She also criticized management agencies for undermining the authentic connection that fans seek, warning that some creators use deceptive practices like having someone else chat with subscribers.
Military life wasn't the right fit
Despite her military background, Emery said forces life never suited her. “It’s just not me. I don’t want to say I have an issue with authority, but if something doesn’t make sense to me, I’m very much questioning why we’re doing something a certain way,” she explained. She joined the RAF after a drunken conversation with an ex-boyfriend, initially training as an avionics technician.
“The military is very much, ‘we’ve always done it this way, so we’ll continue to do it this way.’ I enjoyed parts of the job, but there was a lot of it where I was just like, ‘this is dumb, this doesn’t make sense,’” she added.
Powerlifting and viral moments
During lockdown, Emery invested in home gym equipment, going into debt due to price surges. She now competes nationally in powerlifting. Fans often request content like sweaty socks, gym shorts, and dominatrix-style looks. One of her biggest viral moments came from a casual video: “I had a video of me go viral where I was literally just dressed in joggers and a big baggy T-shirt, very Adam Sandler, no makeup, and it just went crazy.”
Spontaneity as a key to success
Emery attributes her success to adaptability and spontaneity. “Being adaptable is important in this industry because if you’re not, you’ll get left behind and miss out on opportunities. I do everything on a whim. I wing a lot of sh*t in my life, and it usually works out for me. I’ve always said I don’t want to be on my deathbed thinking, ‘oh, I wish I’d done that.’”
