Interview with a Pro-Domme
A Professional Domme, often called a Professional Dominatrix, is an individual who performs the role of a Dominant as a service in exchange for monetary compensation.
Credit: Madame Aza. Posted with consent from Madame Aza and model.
Whilst the sexual prowess (and power) of the feminine goes back as far as ancient Mesopotamia, the first records of professional dominatrices appear in 17th century England, dominating the British elite - from politicians to royalty. The trend only continued in popularity, and now we’ve seen the commercialization of this fetish in both film and TV. But the Professional Dominants of today aren’t Hollywood characters; they’re real people.
At Kynk 101, we believe that this type of work is just as valid as any other profession. For our second article in the Business of Kink series, we interviewed Madame Aza, a Pro Domme residing in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Becoming a Pro Domme
In 2013, Madame Aza was working in a studio as a webcam model (aka “cam model”), but the persona she presented at work was quite different from how she was in her personal life. As she tells us, "My camming persona was more girl next door, girlfriend experience, and more of a submissive. At the time I thought that would make me more money because that's all I knew. It felt like an act because in my personal life I'm more dominant." Madame Aza explained that she didn't know there was a name for her dominant approach until a coworker introduced her to the concept of a Dominatrix.
Over 9 million people in the United States lost their job in 2020 due to COVID-19, and Madame Aza was one of them. “I thought, this is a job that will still strive through the pandemic,” she explains, “I started honing my skills and taking classes now here I am.”
The overarching narrative across most countries is that those in the sex industry are all victims rather than free agents who possess their own autonomy. Like any other human being, people in the sex industry need to pay rent or a lease, go to college, buy groceries, or pay any number of bills.
Just as becoming a waitress or mechanic is about providing a service for compensation, so too is the work of being a Pro Domme. In Madame Aza’s words, “Pro Dommes are professionals who are giving a service to another person who wants to explore and/or dive deeper into specific fetishes/kinks.” She also emphasizes the distinction between this type of work and her personal life: "There is a difference between a dominatrix and a Pro Domme or Pro Dominatrix. One does it as a lifestyle and the other is providing a service."
Credit: Madame Aza. Posted with consent.
As with any job, there are aspects of her work that she especially enjoys: pet play, impact play, and feminisation. Notice how we didn’t mention sex? “One of the biggest misconceptions is that I have sex with my clients,” Madame Aza explains. “BDSM doesn't always involve sexual activities. My clients understand that but people who are not familiar with what I do definitely get that wrong.”
Working as a Pro Domme
If you're one of the millions of individuals who seeks out a Professional Dominant to get their kink fix, be prepared for a bit of paperwork. Madame Aza’s vetting process involves any interested client filling out a submissive application. The application also requires they also provide a photo ID and consent to a background check. Even then, Madame Aza has a friend attend in-person sessions, along with also sharing her location with her siblings. In the age of COVID-19, she also requires a 48-hour negative test before booking.
Vetting play partners in one’s personal life is a great way to mitigate risk, but as a Pro Domme it becomes vital. Madame Aza’s process is much more comprehensive than what the average person might do when considering a play partner, and with good reason.
Global statistics show that sex workers - particularly those of color, migrant sex workers, and transgender sex workers, have a 45% to 75% chance of experiencing sexual violence on the job. The United Nations compiled data from three sex worker advocacy organizations in 2004 and found that police violence included “assault, sexual harassment, public ‘gender searches’ in which police will strip search to view genitalia, and rape”.
Despite these statistics, professionals in the sex industry are often turned away or otherwise ineligible for any compensation funds or programs for rape victims.
Outside of these stark statistics, as with any job, some days can be more difficult than others. So how does Madame Aza get through the daily grind? It turns out getting into the Pro Domme role hasn’t really been much of a struggle: “I put on my Spotify playlist and it gets me in the mood.” As for the end of the day, she enjoys decompressing with her self care routine: a warm shower, her favourite tea, and some anime or a movie.
Although sex work may come with its own lengthy list of challenges and dangers, Madame Aza’s given us a glimpse into the day to day of this profession and reminded us that this kind of work is exactly that: work. We're proud to be a supporter of an industry as integral and earnest as any other.
We’d like to express our sincere gratitude to Madame Aza for taking time to respond to our inquiries with such thoughtful deliberation. For more on Madame Aza, visit her website or follow her on social media: Twitter: @MadameAza, Instagram: @Madame_Aza, and FetLife: Madame_Aza
