Despite her fame, Damayo had difficulty getting paid on time by some fly-by-night producers. This led her to come to the conclusion that she had to look out for her own business affairs.

She then quit, got married, had a child, started publishing magazines and running Web sites - all sex oriented She started publishing her own men's magazine, Oriental Dolls, (now known as Asian Hotties), which soon became one of the top Asian-themed lines in the country.

Now with access to a global public audience, she continued to expand the market for Asian adult films. In 1999, Damayo began doing movie production.

In 2003, "Mimi" came out of retirement, and appeared in the adult film Happy Ending.

In May 2005, Damayo began work in her first bit role in a mainstream comedy, Come Again.

In December 2006, "Mimi" returned to adult films with great fanfare after her failed run on the Republican ticket for Governor of the State of Nevada.

In 2006, she begin a polical career, she filed as a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state of Nevada, under her birth name, Melody Damayo. She was criticized for running for such a position, given her past profession. She faced four other Republican candidates in the primary and was defeated. After her loss in the primaries, she joined the Libertarian Party.