A woman has revealed the little-known side hustle that she says makes her an impressive US$300 (NZ$490) a day from the comfort of her own home.
However, the controversial occupation is not for the faint of heart - but those willing to take the risk could be handsomely rewarded.
Under the pseudonym 'Ellie Paige', the woman has built a small business by financially dominating men, referred to among the community as 'pay pigs'.
The sexual fetish of financial domination, or 'findom', is considered a variation of BDSM and sex work that can prove incredibly lucrative for 'findommes', or the dominant women.
As per the US Sun, Paige came across the community online when she started seeing posts related to the fetish on her Twitter timeline.
According to a deep-dive by the Independent, the premise of findom is that the men - or pay pigs - lavish the findomme with money and expensive gifts without the expectation of sexual favours in return. The arousal comes from the submissive nature of the transaction and the man surrendering his power, much like physical forms of BDSM. In the majority of cases, the dominatrix and the submissive never meet; the relationship is conducted entirely online.
Some findom relationships consist of one-off payments, the Independent reports, while others feature consistent transferrals of money. Some submissives may even share their passwords and bank account information with their findomme or allow her to devise his budgets.
As reported by Business Insider, Paige has now shared some tips and tricks of the trade to help prospective findommes get a start in the niche online world.
Firstly, those who wish to kickstart a career in findom should make a "verification video" to prove to paying clients that they aren't a catfish - a person who lures another into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona.
Some findommes will also use a watermark on their photos to prevent people from stealing their pictures, she added.
In their Twitter bio, a working findomme should have a link to their preferred method of payment, Paige advised - and a pseudonym is crucial.
She explained that her preferred method of practice is accepting "tribute fees" before progressing any relationships. The fee means the so-called pay pig has proved their financial commitment before the domme has even responded to his interest, serving as a simple litmus test to tell "who is there to waste your time".
Her account, @mistresselliep, features several scantily clad selfies, with other photos displaying her feet front and centre.
However, despite many findom relationships not requiring the exchange of content that is sexual or explicit in nature, Paige stressed that her earnings don't come without a cost.
She noted there are several risks associated with the lifestyle, predominantly that loved ones, colleagues, friends and family could come across the profile. A current or potential employer discovering the content also makes findom a risky business, she added.
"That's... a risk I have to take and I'll cross that bridge if I have to, but you need to be OK with that possibility," she said, as reported by Business Insider.
Findommes also need to be aware that the side hustle doesn't guarantee a consistent income and clients can be obsessive and threatening, with Paige admitting she has been sent unsolicited nude photos, threats and explicit content by pay pigs in the past. The other catch is that while the findomme typically only has a pseudonym to protect her identity, the pay pigs operate under total anonymity.
Additionally, the money doesn't come without some commitment to the role, with Paige acknowledging that on average, findommes delegate four hours a day to the profession - whether or not they earn any money that day. Day-to-day tasks include communicating with their pay pigs and creating content to boost their profiles.
There are also a lot of findommes already in business, Paige said, so those who want to take up the occupation as a side hustle or hobby should expect competition. New findommes may want to consider what attributes they offer that make them unique and work to highlight those qualities, she advised.
As per Business Insider, on a good day Paige makes around US$300 (NZ$490) from financially dominating her clients and, despite the risks, she recommends the profession for those who are confident, looking for an extra stream of income and are curious about the online community.
"I would encourage anyone to do it if they are interested, passionate about it, and want to put the time into it."