Algemeen Dagblad Rotterdam about business woman Marike
On October 29th 2015, newspaper Algemeen Dagblad Rotterdam published an article in rubric "the mirror" about Rotterdam business woman Marike, owner of the largest high-class escortagency in The Netherlands. The original publication was made in Dutch but a short translation can be found below.
Looking into the mirror: Marike van der Velden "I am not running a hobby club"
Every week we ask a fellow Rotterdam habitant to look into the mirror. Today: the Rotterdam Marike van der Velden, owner of the largest high-class escortagency of The Netherlands. About sex as dinner, becoming president and her friendsL "They don't care about what I do."
What do you see when looking into the mirror?
,,A young lady who has is having fun with life. I am caring and have a sense of humor, but I am also professional. Strict but righteous.”
Every week we ask a fellow Rotterdam habitant to look into the mirror. Today: the Rotterdam Marike van der Velden, owner of the largest high-class escortagency of The Netherlands. About sex as dinner, becoming president and her friendsL "They don't care about what I do."
What do you see when looking into the mirror?
,,A young lady who has is having fun with life. I am caring and have a sense of humor, but I am also professional. Strict but righteous.”
Is it important to be professional in the escort industry?
,,Don't think I'm just answering phones all day while sipping on some champagne. I am running a company, not a hobby club. And am currently working with 40 escorts. You have to see it as job placement, a sort of employment agency. It takes hard work. I often have ladies at work in the middle of the night, who I need to call when time is up. Sometimes I have to set my alarm 3 or 4 times in a night. This is called "end calling". Clear agreements are an important part of doing business.”
What kind of women work for an escortagency?
,,People often think ladies who work here are either abused or damaged during their youth, but often it's a conscious and happy choice. They make a lot of money in a short period of time and enjoy sex. I work with a lot of students, over 21, who are flexible and can easily join clients on a business trip. The ladies must look great and wear the right size, not have any tattoos or piercings. When they start working with me, all sorts of trainings are offered about safe sex, defensibility, etiquette, styling, erotic massage, tantra and sensual dancing.”
,,Don't think I'm just answering phones all day while sipping on some champagne. I am running a company, not a hobby club. And am currently working with 40 escorts. You have to see it as job placement, a sort of employment agency. It takes hard work. I often have ladies at work in the middle of the night, who I need to call when time is up. Sometimes I have to set my alarm 3 or 4 times in a night. This is called "end calling". Clear agreements are an important part of doing business.”
What kind of women work for an escortagency?
,,People often think ladies who work here are either abused or damaged during their youth, but often it's a conscious and happy choice. They make a lot of money in a short period of time and enjoy sex. I work with a lot of students, over 21, who are flexible and can easily join clients on a business trip. The ladies must look great and wear the right size, not have any tattoos or piercings. When they start working with me, all sorts of trainings are offered about safe sex, defensibility, etiquette, styling, erotic massage, tantra and sensual dancing.”
I am sure clients always request a lady who's 20 to 30 years younger right?
,,No, not really, most choose lady in her late twenties but there are more requests for ladies over 35 than under 25. Men who book an high class escort want to her to be able to carry a decent conversation. I often use the snackbar versus michelin star restaurant metaphor you go to a snackbar because you are hungry but go to a michelin star restaurant to take your time for fine dining. Our clients are the latter and they enjoy a lady with some life experience. Some ladies have been working with me for years. For just sex, you go elsewhere. It's wining and dining, seducing and being seduced. When a gentleman wants to have sex immediately, he's rejected as a client for future bookings. The hotels the ladies visit must be 4 or more stars. It's about classy and stylish”
,,No, not really, most choose lady in her late twenties but there are more requests for ladies over 35 than under 25. Men who book an high class escort want to her to be able to carry a decent conversation. I often use the snackbar versus michelin star restaurant metaphor you go to a snackbar because you are hungry but go to a michelin star restaurant to take your time for fine dining. Our clients are the latter and they enjoy a lady with some life experience. Some ladies have been working with me for years. For just sex, you go elsewhere. It's wining and dining, seducing and being seduced. When a gentleman wants to have sex immediately, he's rejected as a client for future bookings. The hotels the ladies visit must be 4 or more stars. It's about classy and stylish”
And only rich men?
,,Rates start at 700 euro's for 2 hours. Some men save up for a year, most clients are more than capable of affording our rates."
What did you want to become when you where younger?
,,The first female president of The Netherlands. Really, the boss of The Netherlands. After high school I visited a university who offered Political Sciences. But it wasn't my cup of tea. I choose Business Administration at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. At 21 I started this escortservice together with an other student, who I bought out a few years later.”
,,Rates start at 700 euro's for 2 hours. Some men save up for a year, most clients are more than capable of affording our rates."
What did you want to become when you where younger?
,,The first female president of The Netherlands. Really, the boss of The Netherlands. After high school I visited a university who offered Political Sciences. But it wasn't my cup of tea. I choose Business Administration at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. At 21 I started this escortservice together with an other student, who I bought out a few years later.”
What did your parents think of you doing this?
,,I have very intelligent and openminded parents, but of course they where a bit worried at first. But now they are used to it. My friends also don't really care about what I do.”
Why the sex industry?
,,I didn't choose the sex industry, I choose entrepreneurship and it just happened to be this industry. If I would have had a genius plan for a cooky factory, that's what I would be doing right now.”
You never have to deal with aggression?
,,On a daily basis, I receive about 10 pictures of penissen Or emails with bizar fantasies. And don't forget about the page long emails from people telling me I am a terrible person according to them. It doesn't make me loose a moment of sleep. Luckily nothing ever went wrong with the ladies. They are under clear instructions not to do anything against their will. Anything can be discussed, as long as there's mutual respect. Sometimes a client is drunk, I then ask the lady to leave immediately. Boundaries must be respected.”
What does your boyfriend think of this?
,,I was already doing this when we met and he has no objection.”
Do you do this job for yourself as well?
,,No, I just coordinate.”
Do you have any ambitions?
,,I would love to evolve the Virgin Experience. Gentlemen from 21 years old are offered their first sexual experiences. You can not imagine how many men have a wrong image of sexuality. They only watch porn and think that's how it's done. This can make them very insecure and it can create boundaries. They have never touched a woman and have no idea how that's done. Our ladies are trained for these clients. I sometimes receive letters afterwards of these clients, telling me the experience has made them much more confident and they have been able to approach girls since or are even dating. I would love to set up a gigolo- or virgin experience for women, because they are dealing with the same.”
Are you happy with what you see in the mirror?
,,Business is going well and I do not want to expand. That would come at the expense of the quality. Right now, I now all the ladies and I can therefore make a great match between client and lady. In addition, I would also like to keep some sort of a social life. You can always want more, bigger house, car, etc but it's also about job satisfaction. I used to be more ambitious, but my goals have changed. I take things easy and would love for things to stay the way they are right now.”
,,I have very intelligent and openminded parents, but of course they where a bit worried at first. But now they are used to it. My friends also don't really care about what I do.”
Why the sex industry?
,,I didn't choose the sex industry, I choose entrepreneurship and it just happened to be this industry. If I would have had a genius plan for a cooky factory, that's what I would be doing right now.”
You never have to deal with aggression?
,,On a daily basis, I receive about 10 pictures of penissen Or emails with bizar fantasies. And don't forget about the page long emails from people telling me I am a terrible person according to them. It doesn't make me loose a moment of sleep. Luckily nothing ever went wrong with the ladies. They are under clear instructions not to do anything against their will. Anything can be discussed, as long as there's mutual respect. Sometimes a client is drunk, I then ask the lady to leave immediately. Boundaries must be respected.”
What does your boyfriend think of this?
,,I was already doing this when we met and he has no objection.”
Do you do this job for yourself as well?
,,No, I just coordinate.”
Do you have any ambitions?
,,I would love to evolve the Virgin Experience. Gentlemen from 21 years old are offered their first sexual experiences. You can not imagine how many men have a wrong image of sexuality. They only watch porn and think that's how it's done. This can make them very insecure and it can create boundaries. They have never touched a woman and have no idea how that's done. Our ladies are trained for these clients. I sometimes receive letters afterwards of these clients, telling me the experience has made them much more confident and they have been able to approach girls since or are even dating. I would love to set up a gigolo- or virgin experience for women, because they are dealing with the same.”
Are you happy with what you see in the mirror?
,,Business is going well and I do not want to expand. That would come at the expense of the quality. Right now, I now all the ladies and I can therefore make a great match between client and lady. In addition, I would also like to keep some sort of a social life. You can always want more, bigger house, car, etc but it's also about job satisfaction. I used to be more ambitious, but my goals have changed. I take things easy and would love for things to stay the way they are right now.”
