Lessons from the Hustle: What My Clients Taught Me About Business and Beyond

When I started The Only Consultant, I knew I wanted to serve people who were overlooked by traditional finance. The ones who didn’t fit the mold, who were building their income in unconventional ways. While I’m technically an accountant by trade I have a creative soul, and I genuinely understand how confusing tax can be because I cried during tax class in college.  

Six years later, the sex work community has become one of the most insightful, empowering, and wisest clients' bases I’ve ever served. 

From creators to dancers to dominatrices to in-person providers, each group has taught me something new about money, business, and the psychology of self-worth. 

It’s changed how I run my company and how I live my life. 

Dancers: Boundaries, Sales, and Self-Respect 

Dancers taught me about boundaries. And I don’t just mean emotional ones. I mean time, money, energy, and self-respect. 

In my early days, I didn’t charge for consultations. I thought being nice meant being available. 

Then one dancer said, 

“You need to be making money for your time and expertise.” 

That line changed everything for me. 

I started charging calls and taking deposits.  

And then there’s the sales side. Dancers are some of the most advanced in-person salespeople I’ve ever met. They’re intuitive, strategic, and emotionally intelligent. The way they read a room, negotiate via energy, and close a sale is pure psychology. These are skills that translate into any industry, whether that be software or real estate. 

Dancers also taught me about aura. I’ll never forget being in Vegas, watching my clients command a casino floor like it was a stage. They walked with a magnetic, graceful, and powerful presence. It reminded me that confidence is contagious, and energy sells more than words ever will. 

Creators: Funnels, Abundance, and Main Character Energy 

Creators are the masterminds of modern marketing. 

Before working with them, I had never thought deeply about sales funnels. I had no idea about the journey from curiosity to conversion. Now, I’ve watched clients build six-figure systems out of short-form videos and link-in-bio strategies that would make corporate marketers jealous. 

They taught me that abundance is possible and it can happen fast. I’ve seen clients go from$2,000.00 a month to $80,000.00 a month from a viral cycle. Watching that kind of growth opened up my eyes to the income potential of the internet and the new definitions of financial freedom. 

Additionally, creators showed me what it means to take up space, unapologetically. To become the “main character” in your own story and own it publicly. That confidence translates everywhere. 

Kink and BDSM: Safe Spaces, Healing, and Energy 

Before working with kink and BDSM clients, I knew almost nothing about the community beyond pop culture stereotypes. Think Fifty Shades of Grey. 

Then I went to Fetish Con and everything I thought I knew shifted. 

I learned about subspace and Dom space, the energetic exchange that happens in power dynamics, consent, and communication. It’s not just sexual. It’s psychological, emotional, and even spiritual. 

Kink taught me about safe spaces. Which I aim to cultivate for my clients when they work with me. Kink also taught me about deep consent and intentional healing. It’s not just play, for many it’s therapy. It’s reclaiming autonomy, releasing trauma, and transforming pain into power. 

I walked away, understanding that there’s a kind of wisdom in that world. It’s about communication, trust, and emotional responsibility. 

In-Person Work: Discretion and Duality 

I work with high-end escorts and in-person providers of all kinds. The biggest lesson from them is discretion. 

In accounting, a data breach would mean a very bad day. In their world, it could mean danger. It made me hyper-aware of security, safety, and the ethical responsibility of handling someone’s most personal information. 

These clients live with extreme privacy. They’re often quiet, intentional, and incredibly 

organized. It’s the perfect example of how real professionalism isn’t just about suits or titles, it’s also about control and trust. 

Sex Work in General: What This Work Really Teaches 

Over time, I’ve seen every layer of this world, both light and dark. I’ve seen the hustle, the brilliance, the risk, and unfortunately, the reality of trafficking too. That’s why my team at Prisma Tax Group takes mandatory annual training to identify and report trafficking red flags. It’s something we take seriously. 

Beyond that, sex work has taught me about crafting personas. The balance between who you are and what you show. Every professional does this to some degree, but sex workers do it masterfully. It’s like branding, boundaries, and business psychology rolled into one. I’ve also learned more about men than any book could ever teach me. Understanding male psychology, the unspoken currents that influence markets, money, and desire gave me a front-row seat into how society functions. 

And finally, it’s taught me about femininity. 

Not the surface-level kind, like heels and lipstick. But the deep energetic kind; softness, creation, intuition, and magnetism. The kind of power that doesn’t need to shout to be felt. 

Touching the Divine 

Sex work, at its core, touches something sacred. It’s an energy exchange. Manifestation. Alchemy. Many of my clients are the most intentional manifestors I know. They’re able to monetize attention, confidence, and presence in ways that defy traditional business logic. 

Final Thoughts 

After six years in this space, I can honestly say that I’m better at it. My business is stronger, my boundaries are sharper, and my perspective is wider. To my clients and community, thank you. Thank you for trusting me with your stories, your numbers, and your brilliance. You’ve changed how I see money, success, and femininity forever. 

My work isn’t just about taxes, it’s understanding humanity.  

In this episode of Cash, Content, and Chaos, Katherine gets real about the lessons she’s learned from working with sex workers who have built their businesses from the ground up. Her clients, from creators to dancers to dominatrixes, taught her what boundaries, business, and abundance look like in business and in real life.  She breaks down how she’s applied the lesson inside her own tax accounting firm and personal life. Whether you’re in the creator economy, running a freelance business, or just trying to get your financial life together, this episode will challenge what you think you know about success, professionalism, and personal power.