Business and Bubbles about high class escort

On November 9th, online magazine Business and Bubbles published an article about girlboss and entrepreneur Marike, in which she talks about her high class escortservice. They also published several articles in which questions are asked to the escorts. The escorts answer questions about several aspects of working as a high class escort. The article was published in Dutch but below you can find a summary in English.

De articles published by Business and Bubbles with questions to the high class escorts can be found here (in Dutch):
Ask an escort: How did your environment respond to your work?
Summary: Most escorts choose to tell their best friends about working as a high class escort and it rarely causes problems. Often, it comes as little surprise to the friends in question and they fully support the escort in her choice. Having said that, most escorts do not tell their parents about working as a high class escort. They are afraid to be judged and feel awkward discussing their sexlife with their parents.
Ask an escort: What influence does your work has on your lovelife?
Summary: In general, the escorts feel their experiences as an escort are a positive influence on their confidence, which makes them more attractive to many men. Their clients are true gentlemen, who enjoy spoiling them and treat the escorts with the utmost respect. This might set the bar high for other suitors but not to worry, most escorts also enjoy a more casual setting.
Ask an escort: Special requests?
Summary: Needless to say, an escort is usually rather openminded and will not shy away from trying new things, both inside as well as outside the bedroom. But in general, clients do not have very strange special requests. The preferred service remains the Girlfriend Experience, a romantic and intimate experience.
Ask an escort: How do you set your boundaries?
Summary: Luckily, most clients are respectful gentlemen who do not need a reminder of the boundaries. But in the unfortunate event a client is pushing the boundaries of the escort, she will first kindly remind him of those. If this does not result in an immediate change, she will firmly set and discuss her boundary. An escort will not allow her client to cross her boundaries, such as (oral) sex without a condom.
Ask an escort: Do you have to be a good lover?
Summary: There is no accounting for taste, who is to decide what defines 'a good lover'? The escorts believe it's about having the ability to sense someone's needs, being open to new experiences and being confident. In addition to that, a client will expect the escort to be an active lover and not just wait for him to do all the work.
Ask an escort: Is this your dream job?
Summary: Despite the fact that the escorts love and very much enjoy their work as a high class escort, they usually do not think it is a dream job. The most common reasons for this are the fact that they have to keep it a secret to others and the limitations in terms of duration of working as a high class escort. It is not a career you can do for the rest of your life.
Ask an escort: Are there men who just want to talk?
Summary: Having a Companionship Only booking is very rare, almost all bookings include at least some form of eroticism, even if it is just a kiss or oral sex. All of the escorts agree sharing conversations with their clients is of great importants to both the escort and the client.
Ask an escort: Do you adjust yourself or do you have special tricks?
Summary: As a high class escort, it is important to find a balance between adjusting yourself to the client and situation, and being yourself. See it as being the best version of yourself, highlighting the points you believe the client likes the most, and hiding the things the client does not connect with.

#GIRLBOSSTALKS: Marike runs a high class escortservice

Tough business, with a soft side. Everybody has heard about the term escort service. To most people, it's a mysterious world. But what's really behind it? How do you become manager of such a luxury escortservice? Marike founded Society Service in 2006, which has turned about to be the most prominent Dutch high class escortservice. She often feels like she is running a travel agency when setting up the bookings. We asked Marike how she got the idea and how she's doing.

How did you get the idea to found an escortservice?

“During my studies Business Administration at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam I met an other student with the idea to set up a luxury escortservice. As a glamour model she had the contacts in terms of potential escorts, but she was lacking business skills and knowledge. We decided to combine our talents and founded Society Service in march 2006. A year later I did a buy out and proceeded alone. I made this choice because we did not share the same opinion on how to run our company, which clients and bookings to accept."

What do you do in a day? What is your work like?

“The majority of my work is behind the computer. Answering the telephone and email, setting up bookings and making arrangements for them. From tickets to restaurant reservations, sometimes it's like I'm running a travel agency. Of course, administrative tasks are important, just like regularly updating the website. In addition to that, I meet with new ladies who apply to work as a high class escort. The ladies I work with are photographed annually and follow several trainings throughout the year. Setting all this up is rather time consuming. Then, there are the requests for press publications, and the occasional lecture I provide. That's the most of it really."

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

“Pretty much in the same position as right now. I very much enjoy my work and there's not much I would like to change. It is very important to me to maintain most of the contact with clients and escorts, to enable a relationship based on trust. And it's great fun of course.”

Which experience changed your life?

“Many things have, both in a positive as in a negative way. That's part of life and I try to learn from each and every experience. Some things might seem not so great at the beginning, but eventually can turn around into something positive. It can take years before I realize what the effect of certain things has been. What certainly made a big difference would be the publication of my book Escort Bijbel. It offers a peak into the world I live in and being very open has been very profitable."

What would you really like to learn?

“So much, from big to small things. For instance, I've been taking piano lessons after a long time of not playing at all, and I'm currently working on a piece that is very difficult, but I really want to learn how to play it. When it comes to the greater lessons of life I would love to learn to be a bit more patience. I am very used to getting my way whenever I really make an effort. But every now and then it's better to sit and wait, be patient. My partner is excellent at this and I admire him for this.”

How do you relax after a hectic day of work?

“Cooking a nice meal, playing my piano, watching a movie curled up on my couch with a glass of wine. Nothing special really. In addition to that, a busy day at work will energize me, not make me tired. I achieve well under stress and am good at making decisions. It's the boring days, doing administrative tasks that bore me and make me want to sleep.”

What is your work-life balance currently like and how would you like it to be?

“Society Service is open daily from 10.00 AM to midnight. Bookings often finish very late in the night. During bookings, I am reachable and at work. But being "at work" does not mean I have to effectively work all those hours. I can plan my work as I please and from any place in the world with mobile and internet service. Some days, I work 12 hours, other days just a few hours. I can easily adjust this to my needs at that specific moment, so I can maintain a balance between work and private. Since founding Society Service, I do not believe there has been one day during which I did not work at all. I am not sure it is something I would want either. Not being in control might cause some stress. Also, I feel responsible and feel I need to be ready for the escorts of Society Service at any time."

What is succes to you?

“Being satisfied with what you have and how you lead your life. You can make a million euro's, but if you desire a lifestyle requiring two million, the one million does not mean a whole lot. To me, success is being able to have the lifestyle I desire and can pay for. I do not need a lot of luxury and am very pleased with my current situation. My biggest success is being able to do whatever I want, when I want and where I want. I travel all over the world and have a lot of freedom. Being able to afford this with work I enjoy, is success to me.”

Do you feel you need to work harder as a woman, to make it in business?

“No. In fact; by under appreciating your talents by the fact that you are a woman, is in my opinion, an insult to yourself. When you feel you need to work harder just because you are a woman, it says more about how confident you are about your skills then how others feel about you.”

Which characteristics make you good at what you do?

“I am not afraid to be disliked. In my work, it is very important to be clear and consequent, a deal is a deal. Being unclear can result in people pushing boundaries, or even crossing them. In many professions, that will not be a big deal, flexibility might even be very smart. But when a client and escort spend time together, there should be no question about what the boundaries are. The escort can offer the client a pleasant experience within these boundaries, to his and her enjoyment. But it is up to me to set the boundaries and communicate these clearly. This involves saying "no" often, and this results in people disliking you. It also resulted in zero escalations during bookings so far.”

What are you most proud off?

“Creating the biggest high class escortservice of The Netherlands in ten years, and managing it with pleasure.”

If you didn't do what you currently do, what would you prefer to do?

“As a kid, I wanted to be the first female prime minister, but I no longer have any political ambitions. I can not imagine I would be happy working for someone else. I would always want to be a freelancer or entrepreneur, but perhaps in a completely different industry. I often see opportunities, and believe my talents as an entrepreneur are not limited to the industry I am currently in.”

Are you different as a person in private from work?

"I am very professional during work, specially towards clients. I feel keeping a certain distance is important. Of course that's not what I'm like in private, that's when I am much more nice, relaxed and sweet."