When I first became a professional companion, I really didn’t know zip about this business. I had about as much knowledge about it as the average layperson, which is to say, I had some very, very inaccurate ideas about how it all worked.
Escorting in the US: The Wild Wild West
One thing I noticed was that the escort agencies in the US (especially in Louisiana) are, by and large…I’m not sure how to say this nicely…a little…unpolished? Seriously. Google “escort agencies in New Orleans” and then compare that to, say, “Models Escort Agency” (“High Class Escorts in Sydney”) and “Select Sydney Escorts” (“A Discreet Personal Service Just for You”), both located in Sydney, Australia. Big difference. Apparently, in places where escort agencies aren’t shady operations but legit businesses that must produce a quality experience in order to compete, they put a little more effort into the image they project to prospective clients.
See, I didn’t even realize independent escorts existed. I figured everyone worked for escort agencies, and that was that. So, I googled around, found an escort agency in New Orleans, contacted the manager, and started working.
My Humble Beginnings: Escort Agency Work
I have to say, I wasn’t cut out for escort agency work. I really, really don’t like sitting around waiting for someone to call me to let me know that I’m expected to be somewhere, dressed to impress and ready for fun in 30 minutes. And I definitely didn’t enjoy forking over a large portion of my pay to a “manager” whose entire job description consisted of answering the phone.
After a few weeks with the escort agency, my patience was reaching its limit. While chatting with my friend MinxyLydia, an independent escort in London, I lamented the lack of control I had over the situation. I remember she said something along the lines of, “Well, why don’t you just go independent? Then you have total control, and you don’t have to give any money to anyone.”
At this point, I’d discovered that not all providers are associated with escort agencies, but the only “independent escorts” I knew of were charging next-to-nothing on Backpage, and I knew I did NOT want to go down that road. “Um…I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the situation here isn’t quite the same as it is over there (in the UK),” I said.
What a cocky little know-it-all I was.
Things are, of course, different in the UK (Lydia wrote a great piece on this topic last year). But what I didn’t know is that there are tons of independent escorts out there working for themselves, choosing their own clientele and deciding when they will work and what they will do with the money they receive…even in the US!!
“I need to be with an agency,” I told Lydia. “I need the protection they offer me. How else am I gonna know if I’m about to meet up with a psycho?”
That, my friends, is why most women in the US choose to work for an agency. Most providers in the US are so afraid of predators, and spend so much time tiptoeing around laws they don’t understand, that they assume they’re safer if someone else is in charge.
DIY Escorting: Going Independent
But that’s not the case. Sure, it’s a lot more work to do your own screening, advertising, correspondence, etc., but ultimately, it’s worth it. I mean, when most of the “agencies” in the US are simply some average Joe answering a phone and saying, “Yeah, this guy doesn’t sound like a Bad Guy. Anyway, it’s not like my safety is at risk…”
…then ya know, I’m willing to put in the added effort it takes to run my own show.
Interesting post ( as always!).. How about some new pictures? ;-)
How about you you look through my blog? ;)
From August 7th
From August 4th
Or…ya know…we could get together and take a few of our own…
:)
My personal favorite of the pictures on the blog is the one on the booking page.. ;-)…
Yes I would love a tete-a-tete.. If blog conversations are so much I am sure in person will be “funner”.. Just need to find a excuse to come down to NOLA
Thanks, that’s one of my favorites, too!
Well, when you get a chance to come down to NOLA (or before), feel free to email me at nolacourtesan@gmail.com :)
Yes. It is indeed different down under. I think they have cheap brothels sydney that are favorable for both agencies and independents. But it is more inclined to agencies.
I respect prostitutes for what I feel they represent: strong willed, business savvy women who take charge of their sexuality and use the mastery of their sexuality for financial advancement
You never said HOW
Exactly how do I start as an independent? I’ve been searching. It seems at least the agencies already have a starting point. I can make at least a little bit of money while trying to figure it out. Im so fed up with the search & research on getting started & actually making a profit. HOW? Please? Can you tell me the agency you started with. Even trying to pick a good agency is a headache. They are very unpolished. I do not wish to divide the profits either for my work but ~ but what profit if there is none. HELP. HOW?
I don’t teach people how to get into the escorting business–that’s something we all should figure out for ourselves. I do provide quite a bit of information about how to play safe, but I don’t think there really is a step-by-step list of instructions on how to become an escort. You just have to do your research (start reading industry-related websites, books, forums, etc.) and figure it out. And what works for me might not work for you. Getting started might take a while, and It’s difficult to make sense of it all at first, but that’s to be expected. If it were easy-breezy and totally obvious, everybody would be doing it, right?
Oh, and I forgot to answer your other question, sorry! The agency I started out with (and was only with for a very, very short period of time) is now defunct. It was basically just a guy who had a phone and a website and a list of girls he would call when a client contacted him. He also had a day job, though, and I think “running” an “agency” just became too much trouble after a while, and he left the business.