Helloo and welcome back to another week of Juno’s Musings! You’re here, and I’m pumped about that.
I’ve touched on a few topics so far, including why I like (and sometimes dislike) about what I do, some ways to make it safer, the legalities of the industry (in Canada mainly), and where we intimacy providers typically work. This may have shed some light on questions about some aspects of being an intimacy provider… But what’s the day to day like?
Answer: Always different!
This is something I really love about doing this work.
I’m a bit of an adventurous, “antsy” person, who likes diversity in her days, new challenges, and just, well… The opposite of monotony.
While I can see the value in having routines, and I do definitely have my little morning rituals that keep me balanced, too rote of a life feels mundane to me. The excitement I get out of what I do now is in part the entrepreneurial self-employed life, but also part of the nature of this specific work.
So yes, the days all look quite different from one another, but in general, what kinds of things do I get up to?
The obvious: Client bookings
Some days I have a few clients, some days I have none! Being self-employed, there are ebbs and flows with how busy I am. In my personal experience, the number of clients I see in a day has greatly varied, depending on my work structure.
When I first began in this industry in my early twenties, I was independent, but treating this more of a side-hustle hobby than a serious gig. I would see a handful of clients a week, usually not more than one every day or two. That worked well for me then.
Five years into starting, I had a stint at an agency. No longer working self-employed, I would go in for shifts. There was a booking agent who screened the clients, and the agency ran advertisements as well as just generally had a reputation that drew in regulars. So I had no off-shift admin work; I would show up to the condo for the day, and usually see between three and six clients.
Personally, six was my max. My booker at the agency knew not to schedule more than that for me, and even still I always took a day or two off after a busy shift to “recover”. Six was a lot for me, and while I left with a nice stack of cash, my body was tired.
I’ve chatted with other providers who have agency experience, and learned that some people see even a fair bit more than this. I personally can’t imagine seeing ten clients in a day, but if your body can keep up with that, all the power to you.
Nowadays, I’m back to the “indy” (independent) work life. So there’s a lot of admin behind-the-scenes work to be done (more on that soon). But I also see far fewer clients in a day than I did when I was working at the agency.
I’ve been working in the industry for nearly eight years. I’ve not only grown my skills at being with clients, both the bedroom techniques and my abilities to connect with people; I’ve also developed better business skills. My social media has grown, I’ve got a pretty bomb website (in my personal opinion), I know where to post ads…
All of this has, I’m super duper grateful to report, allowed me to now have higher rates for my services than when I started. Because of this, I don’t feel the pressure to see as many clients per week as I did when my rates were not so high.
About once or twice a week I rent out an incall space (for my clients to come to me), where I see a few people each day. The rest of the week, I’m open to booking outcalls, either going to clients’ hotels or homes for our date. While it varies, I’d say I average about a client a day. Sometimes that looks like two or three in one day, then a couple days off, sometimes it is a client a day for a few days in a row. I do really prefer working more days than not but allowing for less per day, as I’m able to be more genuine and present with clients when I’m not over-socialised.
That’s my naturally more introverted-self talking; this may not be your experience, but I need some recharge time between getting intimate and vulnerable with people.
So the number of clients in a day and the times I see them is quite diverse. But this is honestly such a small part of what I do. Yes, this is the only part where I’m making my income, but there’s a lot of pieces involved to make these bookings happen.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Establishing your business
While I do feel I provide an authentic version of myself to clients, the reality is that this is my work, and I’m running a business.
Whether you’re a self-employed independent worker like myself or you see clients through an agency type of working model, it’s still important to build a personal brand.
This I see as a big part of marketing; which qualities do I want to be highlighting to determine how I want to portray myself and my services? It is also, in my opinion, a way to determine and establish your boundaries.
Boundaries are physical yes, such as what services you will or will not provide. But they are also social and emotional. For instance, while most workers choose a professional alter ego name for discretion, the amount of personal details you share about yourself is up to you. This could be things like where you grew up, what you took in school, where else you work, your pet’s name, etc. They could also be which characteristics of yourself you want to share, and which parts you want to remain personal.
When I began working, I had established quite an alternative identity from my true self. This was in part for discretion (ie I didn’t say my real school program), but also in part because I thought I shouldn’t be “me”. I thought that the real me, such as my often flustered silly quirkiness, wasn’t desirable in the way an intimacy provider should be. With my dark hair, piercings, and many tattoos, I chose the alter ego I thought went with my appearance: “your rebelious girl next door”.
I was providing, and still do mainly provide, the girlfriend experience, so I figured this was implied in “girl next door”, but better matching my physical traits.
This, was not me.
I’m really not that rebellious, particularly in terms of the services I am most comfortable providing, and therefore the ones I provide best.
People would contact me seeking services catering to domination play or other kinks. That’s totally cool if that’s what you want, and I’m down to try lots of things, but those aren’t where I’m naturally drawn and at my best.
So I wasn't getting my ideal clients, and my clients weren’t getting their ideal provider.
In the beginning of being face-out (showing my face and tattoos online), I took photos with very stern, sultry faces. You know, rebelious girl vibes.
When I started to see that maybe my marketing was indeed important to who I attracted, I experimented with less eyeliner and more smiles. I started drawing in the types of client experiences I was looking for. Don’t get me wrong, I’m down to get a lil freaky on occasion, but I most genuinely enjoy more sensual intimate time. And you know what happens when I’m more authentically enjoying an experience? The experience I provide is more authentic for my client. Win win!
While it was fun to have more of an alter ego in the beginning, especially allowing myself distance from my work persona and personal life, I’ve found bringing in my natural qualities beneficial. You know what’s wild? Turns out, it’s easier to be you than anyone else!
So building a personal brand: this depends on your comfort levels in yourself and the industry. It may take time to figure out what works best for you, the balance of the true you and your work identity; don’t be afraid to let yourself evolve through your journey. Yes, start out with some thought put into it, but know that if you stay in this industry for any length of time, you’ll likely switch things up. I mean, that’s just life, really.
Another part of developing your business is determining your rates and services. I like to think of the services you provide as your boundaries. It’s good to start out in this industry with some reflections of not only what you like and dislike in your personal life, but also what you’re comfortable or not comfortable with doing for money.
I have two types of packages: my “girlfriend” and my “naughty girl”. As I just mentioned, the girlfriend comes easier to me, so I have a minimum hourly rate for that. While I enjoy more naughty experiences, they are more tiring on my body (and sometimes involve more cleanup time) so I have an increased hourly rate for those services. Some people have one base rate, with optional “extras” aka more money for more services not included in the base package.
In determining how much you will charge for what, you also have to determine your restrictions. These are services you don’t offer. I’m sure it differs how strict people are with their boundaries. I used to sometimes do my “restrictions” with regulars I felt really comfortable with. Now, no matter how great they may be, my two restrictions I have I don’t budge on. I’ve always felt emotionally yuck when I’ve crossed my lines, so in my current work, I make sure to respect them. When I respect myself and what I’ve determined is best for me, my work is much healthier and more sustainable.
Once you know how you’re going to market yourself and what services you will provide, it’s time to get out there!
Setting up your marketing plan includes advertisements, social media, and ideally a website.
As I’ve touched on in other videos, it’s valuable to your safety to screen clients. In order to do this, getting them to prove themselves to you, you need to be able to prove yourself to them. A website, I think, is a generally straightforward and cost-effective way of looking like a real professional.
There are many website platforms available that let you host a site for free or limited cost. For a bit extra, you can purchase a domain name and have a custom email to match (ie mine is hello@junosadventures). It is a bit time consuming to create these (ok I’ve definitely put dozens of hours over the years into building and editing mine!), but I think it’s quite beneficial. Even if you were to make it one single landing page that you just keep scrolling down for all the info, I think that would be better than nothing.
Like having a website, social media can help legitimise you, especially once you have an engaged following.
X, formerly known as Twitter, is like the LinkedIn of the intimacy industry. Other platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are definitely used, but from what I’ve seen, X is where it’s at. So get on there, get active, and stay active. I took a week off recently and dropped so far in the algorithm… It’s definitely worth scheduling some posts when you’re away.
More on social media soon!
A last piece to your marketing is creating ads. If you have a great social media presence, some clients will likely find you that way. But for me, and I believe many of my colleagues, a primary way of bringing in new visitors is through advertisements.
In countries where being an intimacy provider is illegal as well as countries following the Nordic Model (check out “Being an intimacy provider: Should it be legal?” for more details on these), such as my home country Canada, you are not technically allowed to advertise. And by “technically”... I mean legally.
In Canada, there are a few advertisement sites that are based out of other countries. There are also private forums, primarily focused on clients being able to review providers, but also often including a space for providers to advertise.
Either way, if you’re advertising your services, you’re technicallyyy breaking the law. I’ve never heard of an individual provider being charged for this, but I just want you to know so you can make an informed decision.
Ok! So we’re all set up and ready to rumble! Now what?
Marketing and promotion
Juno we just talked about setting up marketing platforms! I know I have to have a website and social media and ads!
Yes, sweet thing, but that was only the beginning.
To me, staying active on social media feels like a never ending battle. Some weeks, I love it; some weeks, it is the bane of my existence.
It’s important to build and maintain a presence online, so that new people can find you, and your regulars can be “reminded” that they should see yo cute lil ass.
I’ve noticed selfies often do really well on social media. Snapping a cute pic in the mirror before a booking to post online will definitely always be a good idea. But I do believe, if you are trying to market yourself as a high end provider, you need some high end images of yourself.
Regularly getting professional photos is also great for developing and refreshing your website, as well as keeping your profiles on advertisement sites relevant and enticing. They can, of course, also be posted to social media.
So mirror selfies and photoshoots are definitely something to keep on your to do list.
I find social media one of the big administrative time consumers. Asides from doing photoshoots, taking selfies, and scheduling content, it’s important to be active and engaged to stay up in the algorithm. But you don’t have to do it alone!
This was something that really surprised me about this industry - how supportive everyone is of one another.
If we like, comment, and share one another’s posts, we all get boosted in the ominous mysteriousness of the always evolving algorithm. So post your stuff, but then get looking at and engaging with others’ too. Then post some more, engage some more, post again, go do your scrolling… It never ends.
In terms of your advertisements and website, I find it valuable to be updating them somewhat regularly, at least every few months.
Switch up your bio on your ad profiles, try different ways of describing yourself. Add some of those fresh photoshoot products, particularly changing the main one that people see when they are scrolling through the directory. Some sites provide analytics for things like photo performance, some don’t. Either way, trial and error to figure out the best way to represent yourself can be useful.
I mentioned the option of advertising on review boards. Whether or not you choose to promote your services through them formally, it could be beneficial to have a profile on the one(s) in your region. I don’t do this regularly, but from time to time I’ll log in and check if anything has been said about me, chiming in a little thank you if there has been.
The more times you get noticed, the more possibilities of booking visitors.
Schedule management
So we’ve developed our business strategy and we’ve ventured out into the world to start making ourselves known… What happens when they start to come?!
I’ve mentioned quite a few times by now how I greatly encourage screening clients.
For me, that involves either a selfie holding photo ID or a message through LinkedIn, occasionally a reference from another established provider. I also take a $50/hour deposit to hold the spot, that’s less essential, up to you. I mean screening is also up to you. But I yes, really support it being part of your usual practice.
Once clients have been screened, they get scheduled into my calendar. So long as they’re respectful visit number one, they can book visit number two and so on, usually without further deposits.
Along with regularly texting and emailing clients to schedule sessions, I also need to schedule the spaces I work out of. If the clients are coming to me (aka incall), I need a place for us to have our date.
Sometimes I go on tour, which involves scheduling clients, work spaces, and flights. I’m personally big into travel and planning, so I love touring, but it is definitely more admin work so maybe not ideal if you’re not into the organising things type of life.
Managing finances
I’m into budgets. I’m quite organised in terms of tracking my income, my expenses, and my take home in cash versus electronic payments. Being self-employed, I can claim work expenses, so I’m well versed in Google Drive folder usage to keep track of things like accommodations, flights, and supplies.
Because yes, I do pay taxes.
Everyone has their own thoughts and morals about paying taxes in the country they call home. I think they’re important. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the government totally uses them properly, but I still think they’re important. In Canada, kids get free education, our health care is pretty decent, people clear the roads of snow in the winter so I don’t have to… We need to pay for all of this.
This past year, I went from being a sole proprietor to the owner of an incorporated business (aka Juno Ray Inc is a legit Canadian company). This was mainly so I could open a business bank account. I’d had a couple instances of needing to return client deposits, which when sending through my personal account, provided my real legal name. Now with a “Juno Ray Inc” account, that’s who the money is sent from.
I’m not entirely sure if this will be a positive or negative thing for my taxes next year. My accountant said positive, but now I’ve heard some people say negative… Maybe I’ll do an episode on this in the future!
Maintaining appearances and genuine wellness
We’ve covered being with clients and the online behind the scenes stuff. But there’s still more!
Physical and mental health as well as appearance are other aspects.
For me, based on the number of clients I typically see in a month, the health care situation in Canada (ie my tests are covered), and my personal comfort, I get my “intimate health” testing every four to six weeks. This may not always be this necessary, but if I were to test positive for something, I’d have to tell everyone since my last clean test; so I’d rather do it the fewer clients in between as possible. Just to be safe ya know.
I also am regularly stocking up on supplies. The big one is condoms of course, also things like client body and mouthwash, lube, and sometimes fun things like new lingerie and toys. Birth control is another thing for many people; I recently had to get my IUD changed, which was not only a very un-fun experience, but also cost a pretty penny. Same with my HPV shot a couple weeks ago.
Mental health is worth investing in too. I’d like to think I’d go to therapy no matter what I did for work, but I will say this line of work can be helpful to decompress with professionals about. But yeah, I’d really say that about any job or general life.
Similarly, taking time to connect with others in the industry can be a great investment. I’ve said it before, but the solidarity I’ve experienced in this community has greatly improved not just my work experience, but my overall happiness in life. You’re not getting paid to do this and it may never bring you money (unless you set up some duos), but I totally vouch for professional networking time. Aka decompression hangs and mental wellness fun.
A last note is maintaining appearances.
I’ll admit I don’t spend as much money or time on this as I sometimes feel I should. I do dye my hair and generally have my nails done, though I do these myself at home partially to save money, more so to avoid small talk. But physical appearance maintenance comes in varying degrees, depending on your budget, comfort, and personal preferences.
Honestly I don’t think I’d do facials, moisturise, scrub my feet, etc. as much as I do if I wasn’t an intimacy provider.
So in terms of finances and scheduling, plan accordingly.
Bye bye for now!
I think that’s all I have to say about what a general time in the life of Juno looks like! That’s how being an intimacy provider looks for me, but I definitely know there are variations.
Oh sometimes doing online or texting sessions with a client, that’s another thing… Wuups. There’s definitely more.
Honestly it’s quite diverse! And that’s a thing I love about it.
If there’s something I’ve missed (which I’m certain there is), I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, as I’m sure others would too. The more we can share our experiences, the more we can mutually support one another to grow, personally and professionally. Let’s all feel the best we can while doing this work, and make some fucking bank while we’re at it.
Sending you so much love you sexy badass you.
Juno
xox
Comments