YOUNG PROFESSIONAL. When it comes to choosing a path in life, I often opted for the scenic route. From childhood, I was known to be quietly and plagued by curiousity. A little too eccentric to be deemed conventional, yet too conventional to be deemed eccentric. for A high school dropout who went on to graduate Suma Cum Laude with a Masters degree. I have worked with the elderly in assisted living, shined shoes as a cobbler’s apprentice, and even had a stint as a (admitedly awful) dominatrix. Living in a humble studio apartment in Brooklyn when I began my mainstream career. it wasn’t long before restlessness and disillusion compounded with a drive to step out of my comfort zone. Despite my spirited nature, I struggled with social anxiety. Sex work was my solution to pushing my limits, gaining social experiene while painting a more colorful routine.

PRICE OF AGENCY. I intentionally began my FSSW career working nightshifts at a Manhattan agency. Initially, I was quite adverse to independent SW. With little to no experience and already working a 40 hour corporate job, the idea of managing marketing, screening, and scheduling felt daunting. The agency operated out of a hotel right near my office. I’d swing home, head to the hotel for the night then leave with enough time to grab a free bagel from the continental breakfast and walk to my 9-5. I had no problem giving a cut to the agency. Having a more experienced agency handle all the legwork was worth every penny. Free to pick my own shifts, I just needed to show up, do my thing, and leave at the end. And for a while, that is exactly what I did. Enthralled by the dichotomy of two worlds, I reveled in balancing SW and my coporate career. I loved that short walk to the office, blending in a sea of business casual, the only one aware of the wad of cash in my bag. Even after gaining some experience, I had no desire to take on the endevor of independent work.

VICE GRIP. The Friday of Labor Day weekend, less than a year at the agency, I got arrested in a vice sting (No, the ironic timing was not lost on me). From the initial bust to court date, my first/only arrest was traumatizing to say the least. (Hands down worst appointment ever!) The debacle made me realize just how much I had entrusted others. Offloading administrative duties to an agency was no longer worth tbe cost. Wary to trust an agency and reluctant to go solo, I took a sabaticle. I completed the mandatory 10 theraopy sessions volunteering with an advocacy group and working with a therapist to overcome the scared-straight approach used by the vice squad. SW became a form of civil disobedience and I refused to be bullied into the wrong side of history.

[UNEXPECTED] UNION. There are different types of agencies. I had no desire to try the oucall agencies where a driver takes you around for hours. I tried one incall agency but their “line-up” structure didn’t suit me, neither did sitting around a common room with a roster of colleagues between bookings. I preferred not knowing anyone’s business. The agency I ultimatey worked for had reserved hotel rooms they’d staff with a revolving cast of girls. This is how I met who was to become my best friend, roommate, and duo partner, Mia. She worked days and we’d try to request getting each other’s room. She was the only other girl who kept room cleaner than me. Plus she was fun to chat with as we passed like ships in the night (and sometimes morning). She had more experience in the business and was the porson who sort of ushered me into indoendence. My firts non-agency bookings were duos she arranged. Even though we are now on opposite coasts, she remains one of my closest friends.

VALUE OF AGENCY. Once you get out of an agency, it is difficult to go back. The parts that spawned the most reluctancy turned out to be the parts I enjoyed the most. Having control over my online presence and ability to tailor to specific needs of those who see me has immensely raised the quality of my services. Utilizing past customer service and theatre experience, my encounters became more individualized and satisying for everyone. There on the east side, I maintained a meticulously curated incall apartment (and clientelle) for a few years, earning a slot among NYC’s reputable providers.

[SELF] PROMOTION. Keep in mind, this whole time I still grinding away in my corporate career. When opportunities outside sex work presented themselves, I opted to take the leap, closing up shop as a provider to focus on my mainstream career and other life adventures. Two+ years later, on the opposite coast, having achieved advancement in my mainstream career, I am eager to mimic that accelerated professional growth with the resurrection of my independent, moonlit position. Armed with the energy and excitement of a triumphant return, join me in celebrating new beginings and happy endings.

---