It’s not every day you get to go behind the scenes with two Independent Escorts, but here Danni Schmidt sits down with Suki Lee to discuss shifts in thinking, semi-retirement and building a fulfilling life.

 

Suki and I meet on a sunny evening in Glasgow in late May. She is sitting on my couch, hands wrapped around a cup of tea, with an expectant look on her face. Upon offering Suki a gold-coloured fidget spinner, she exclaims: “This could be a sex toy!” She rolls it over her hand and gives me a mischievous look. “You could roll this over your breasts!” I raise my eyebrows at her. “You could indeed. Okay, let’s start.” I put my phone down between us and press ‘record’.

DANNI SCHMIDT: Hi Suki. Thanks for doing this interview with me.

SUKI LEE: Thanks for having me, Danni.

DS: You recently announced a semi-retirement on Twitter. Why or how have you come to this decision?

SL: I’ve just been re-evaluating a lot of things in my life and I decided to move away from London after living in the south of England for a decade. I just want a slower pace of life and to change up the way I work to create a more balanced lifestyle.

DS: Were there any deciding factors in this decision, anything big that happened that led up to you deciding this?

SL: Well, last year was quite a busy year for me and I was touring a lot – every month – and I was just burnt out from travelling and touring on my own, and the mental exhaustion of that. So I decided that I wanted to slow down this year anyway. And then when I was thinking about moving, I just thought maybe this kind of ties into the whole re-evaluating the way I work.

DS: What does it mean when you say you want to prioritise quality bookings? How would you describe a good booking?

SL: When I’m thinking about prioritising quality over quantity, I want to take, I guess, my favourite clients, although I don’t like to say I have favourites.

DS: We all have favourites, it’s fine.

SL: I’ve reached a point where I’m really lucky that I have quite a few regulars who I look forward to seeing. And I know that they respect my time and we have healthy boundaries. I just want to prioritise seeing those regulars rather than being available to everyone. In terms of a favourite booking, obviously a duo with you, Danni, is always going to be a favourite booking.

DS: It’s good that we have one already booked in!

SL: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I love bookings with you, my other friends and with couples.

DS: Mm, couple bookings.

SL: The more, the merrier.

DS: Yeah, couple bookings are so fun. It’s such a compliment as well, when somebody invites you in. Like, an already established couple, they want you to spend time with them.

SL: Yeah, I think it requires a certain amount of trust.

DS: I feel like it can be quite special as well, because you would hope that they have done this before and that they’re both equally as invested in you.

SL: Yeah, like the couple bookings I’ve had, both partners have been really enthusiastic about it.

DS: That’s good.

SL: It’s been a great experience.

DS: What are the benefits for you about slowing down and being more selective with who you’re seeing?

SL: I think the main thing is that it means I can really prioritise who I spend my energy on and I don’t have to worry about advertising or doing loads of admin or whether I’m going to be busy on a certain tour. I will just have my regulars who I see every month and that gives me a lot of peace of mind and frees up my headspace to focus on civvie work and creative projects.

DS: You’ve put a lot of work in your website already, and in your ads, so you would hope that clients see that that means that you’re serious about this and that you’re a legitimate provider.

SL: Yeah, I think the way that I present myself helps to filter the kind of clients that would be compatible with me.

DS: Yeah, you’re super professional in your comms as well.

SL: Thank you.

DS: How do you imagine a semi-retirement will impact your life? How might next year look different to this year or last year?

SL: I guess sex work will be a smaller part of my life, but more fulfilling. I want to focus on my civvie work more so I can diversify my career portfolio, so to speak. I think that feels like it’s the right direction for me, long term.

DS: It’s more exciting as well when you work less and then you do get a booking, there’s more anticipation for it. Whereas if you’re touring every month and you do multiple tours every month, it’s easy to get burned out with travelling as well.

SL: Yeah, definitely. It can feel like you’re just a hamster on a wheel. I really want it to be a positive experience and not something that I feel is an endurance test.

DS: Especially when you rely on public transport, a lot of the time your energy is spent on trying to get to the booking on time. Trains are not reliable and that can be really stressful.

SL: Yeah, so much travel chaos.

DS: Would you consider an exclusive relationship, or maybe not an exclusive but a sort of sugar daddy, sugar baby relationship in the future?

SL: I have quite a few regulars at the moment so I definitely wouldn’t consider an exclusive arrangement but I would be open to a possible monthly arrangement with my existing regulars if they wanted to progress to that level. It gives you a lot of security and peace of mind just knowing that you’re going to be meeting that person on a regular basis and you don’t have to worry so much financially.

DS: You can also build up more intimacy over time when you know somebody over a year or two years – the relationship is just different. There’s more ease and peace of mind when you go into the booking.

SL: Yeah, you just build that trust, and each time you meet you’re building on your existing connection. The better you know someone, the better the experience.

DS: Yeah, for both parties, right? Not just for you, but also for the client. Sometimes people really start to open up when they know you a bit better.

SL: Yeah, that familiarity makes people more comfortable.

DS: Okay, those are all my questions. Is there anything you would like to add?

SL: I’d like to address any admirers who’ve been longing to meet me and urge them to reach out and arrange a date before the end of 2024. Don’t miss your chance!

DS: Yes, gentlemen, if you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to submit a booking request, act fast! That moment is now! Thank you, Suki. I wish you all the best with your semi-retirement, and hopefully there will still be many more duos for us to come.

You heard it here first, catch Suki while you still can. Extra points if you invite Danni too.