Beau Monde magazine about businesswoman and escort mediator Marike

On June 4th 2024, Beau Monde published an article about our owner Marike in the "Beau Business" section. In this section, a cool businesswoman who has her affairs in order is interviewed every month. Marike talks about her work as an escort mediator and shares a glimpse into her private life. You can view the original article below in Dutch, as well as on the Beau Monde website. For your convenience, an English translation has been added as well.

Power woman Marike is CEO of an escort agency: 'I am a matchmaker'

Marike van der Velden (40) is CEO of Society Service, a high-end escort agency with international clients: "It could be an average Joe who has saved up for it, but also an American movie star." She also has famous ladies in her database. "They are in high demand." In an interview with Beau Monde, she opens up about her special job.

"I'm not really a glam-girl: I feel most comfortable in jeans and sneakers. But in my work I always look stylish and neat. Because I think that's how it should be, but also because I don't want to mislead people: now that I'm forty, it's less of an issue, but I started Society Service when I was 21. Back then I had to make it clear every now and then that I only manage things and therefore can't be booked. Yes, I've definitely received those e-mails, from men who invited me and started arguing about my rejection: 'But why not?' I always explained that providing that personal service is not in my job description. Of course, there is nothing wrong with providing sexual services, but that is simply not my passion. The interesting thing about my company is that I had to reinvent the wheel - how do you successfully run an escort agency? - myself. There is no training or blueprint for this.

As a child, I wanted to be prime minister, but when I was looking around at political science as a study direction, I was shocked: these are all people I don't like. Such know-it-alls and so stuffy... Business administration at Erasmus University seemed interesting to me. After my bachelor's degree and before the master's degree, I was a bit unsure... Should I do accountancy and control? Or human resources? Something with marketing? None of it really appealed to me. So I decided to do an internship at a competitive intelligence consultancy in Paris. That's where I mainly learned that I am not a good employee: I got bored quickly and found the business operations inefficient. With my youthful recklessness, I decided to 'just' set up a company myself. No idea in what, until I spoke to a fellow student who wanted to start an escort agency. Oh well, why not, I thought. What could go wrong? Besides, we didn't have to make a big investment, because all we needed were our computers and phones. And a website. We found a fellow student with design skills who thought it would be exciting to build our website for next to nothing. No, I didn't have to cross a threshold to do this work, although I did realize that running an escort agency would reduce my chances on the job market. In the beginning, I did consultancy on the side: if it didn't work out, I could still fill the gap on my resume. But I soon had to make a choice, because it didn't click professionally with my partner: do I stop or do I buy her out and continue on my own? Well, the rest is history..."

Unique company

"My company was and still is unique in the Netherlands: we offer stylish, erotic experiences, where both the client and the escort must have an optimal time. Clients tell me their wishes and I find the perfect escort lady or gigolo for them. In that sense, I am a matchmaker. We have about 45 ladies and 15 gentlemen in the database, and sometimes also a transsexual escort. Clients come from all walks of life: it can be an average Joe who has to save up for a nice evening, but I also regularly match American film stars, world-famous businessmen or famous athletes with escorts who work for me as freelancers. No, you will understand that I absolutely do not mention any names. Never. Discretion is essential in my industry. This method does not suit everyone: there are clients - think of international royalty - who prefer to book their ladies through an intermediary. But that is not an option with us, because it is at the expense of the safety of the ladies or gentlemen. I want to know who the escorts meet and why.

I see more and more often that couples book an escort or gigolo for an exciting adventure. Especially if they have been together for a long time and share that fantasy. And yes, single women also book a gigolo more and more easily for a romantic and exciting evening. Because they want to feel like a woman again after a divorce. Or because they want to relax optimally. Booking a gigolo is really the ultimate form of self-love."

Not just about sex

"Men or women who call just for sex, don't get it. It's such a shame when a woman first asks me if her gigolo has a big dick. As if that's all that matters. The social, intellectual and emotional aspect should be at least as important as the sexual. Think of eating and talking extensively, drinking nice cocktails somewhere or maybe doing something fun. All escorts are open to eroticism, of course. But that should be a logical consequence of the evening, not the only goal. They are also not fulltime escorts or gigolos; they often study and do this on the side. Or they have one or two dates a month in addition to their regular job, for the excitement and nice extra income. These can be 'normal' women, but I also have well-known Dutch ladies in my file. They are asked about that a lot, men find that very interesting. And no, in the nineteen years that I have been doing this work, a name has never come out. Precisely because of the personal contact that I have with the client. There is mutual respect, and that makes it pleasant for the escorts to work. And for me too.

Unfortunately, that respect is sometimes lacking among service providers I want to do business with: out of twenty potential credit card companies, nineteen said no. It shouldn't be necessary for this to cause so much headache, and for me to be discriminated against - because that's what it is, I'm being excluded - because of the outdated image that sticks to my niche. What I do is legal, I have all the permits and I pay my taxes properly. My company is like any other. And I'm just an entrepreneur, and yes, a successful one."

Advice

"Almost twenty years ago, I mainly wanted to be the biggest. I dreamed of buying my own house, with a car in front and a piano in it. Three years later, I had achieved that goal. Of course, I was proud when I first stepped into my Rotterdam apartment, but achieving your goals also makes you think: what now? Do I really want to earn even more money, or do I want to enjoy my work more every day? I chose the latter, by outsourcing things that I don't like so much - such as certain administrative tasks. It gave me the self-confidence as an entrepreneur to be stricter with clients and to stick to my guns: as the owner of an escort agency, I have certain standards and values. And I am very comfortable saying no if something goes beyond my boundaries or those of my escorts. I want to give that advice to other female entrepreneurs: know what your vision is and dare to stay true to it. Sometimes you need a thick skin and a 'fuck it' mentality. That helps a lot to achieve your business goals - despite criticism or opposition."

Money talks

"My partner sometimes laughs when I don't buy grass-fed butter at the supermarket because it's on sale next week. I get that from my parents, who are super frugal. I'd rather wave my bonus card at Albert Heijn than my credit card in the P.C. Hooftstraat. I don't really like shopping, because I already have a cupboard full of designer items from Chanel and Louis Vuitton, among others. But I've given a lot away. What am I supposed to do with it all? A Burberry bag isn't really my style. I only bought it because everyone else had it, while I could make someone else much happier with it. So that's what I did. I still buy basics, like jeans that need replacing, and sometimes a nice colorful dress from my friend Tessa Koops. I like investing, also in real estate, and in principle I could stop working. But that's not an option, I like my job too much for that. I like the fact that my boyfriend is also a millionaire. We can both keep our own pants up and that makes our relationship very equal. There is a financial balance.

For me, holidays do not have to be over the top: how much fun do I get from those extra expenses? I often choose a fairly modest hotel, because I hardly spend any time there. I prefer to spend it on special experiences, such as a sightseeing flight with a private plane in Vietnam. And our African safari was a private tour with a chef, guide and assistant. That costs a bit, but that experience was so great, it was worth every euro."