Hometown: Apple Valley, Minnesota.
When did you start doing Onlyfans?
I arrived very early to Onlyfans. I started in 2017 and did it for a year while living in Minnesota, but I made less than $10,000 in one year. It wasn't until I relaunched in 2020 that things started to improve and I now make seven figures a year.
What did you do at work before Only Fans?
I've modeled since I was a teenager for local companies and traveled for photo shoots, in addition to jobs I've had everywhere from Raising Cane's to Ulta to a tanning salon. My family had no money and my parents were very strict with me. They said, “If you want to do something, you have to pay for it yourself.”
In 2018, I left college to move to Los Angeles to model. I sold my car, sold all my clothes on Depop, and moved in with my cousin, who was doing his residency in Cedars. He had worked at Bank of America back home, but couldn't get a job in Los Angeles as a teller, so I started working at Sephora making minimum wage while trying to do photo shoots and grow my Instagram.
At one point, I struck a brand deal with Ignite. [energy drink] for about $2,000 a month to publish and that was the most I had ever made. That's what started my online career.
First big splurge after the success of Onlyfans?
My own apartment. I rent a two-bedroom apartment with three bathrooms on the edge of Beverly Hills. [$6,000 a month]. Three bathrooms is a lot, but I wanted to splurge after living in such a crowded apartment with my cousin. I didn't realize how much I love interior design until I had the money to buy furniture. I'm saving for a house though.
What kind of house?
I love Beverly Hills, but my ideal home is not a huge mansion. I want a cabin with a huge yard because I have a dog and I want more dogs. I also want to grow my own food. My family in Minnesota are big farmers.
What type of car do you have?
When I started making real money with Only Fans, I bought a 2020 BMW 3 Series. Recently, I traded it in for a 2023 BMW X3.
Where do you go shopping?
I go to Erewhon a lot. I'm a bit basic, but the quality of the food, especially the produce, is really good. I really started to understand this whole organic thing when I moved to Los Angeles.
Favorite small business to support in Los Angeles?
Tomo Coffee in Sawtelle. It's close to my office and I'll just walk there. They have this special coffee with condensed milk at the bottom that is my favorite. [$6.50].
Where do you like to go out to eat?
My friends and I are big food lovers. For a relaxed cocktail hour, I love Fleur Room, a newer spot from Tao Group Hospitality. Honestly I don't go out much anymore except during the day.
Decorating the interior of Desiree Schlotz's home. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A sample of Desiree Schlotz's shoe collection. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
A Louis Vuitton fashion coffee table book in the home of Desiree Schlotz.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
What do you do to exercise?
I probably work out three or four times a week. I have a coach, I'm going to [the gym] RPT in Beverly Hills [$200 a session]. I'm also going to the equinox [$250 a month]and recently I just got a membership in Heimat [$350 a month]. Heimat is a little far from me and there is only one location, but the gym is amazing. It's so luxurious, almost too luxurious.
What do you waste on?
Travel. My accountant told me, “You know, that's something you should probably relax about.” I paid to travel all over the world, especially with Celestial Swim, my swimsuit brand. We rent a villa in Tulum [Mexico] for a group of girl models and influencers and I gave them bikinis and made content for the brand. [$12,000].
Recently, I started creating travel content, so I started partnering with hotels and traveling for free in exchange for creating content. It has forced me to delve into that creative aspect of photography, which I always wanted to do but never had the time because I was trying to survive.
Desiree Schlotz.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
When it comes to beauty, how do you spend your money?
I love the treatments. Since I started making money, I started putting a lot of money into my skin and my face. My face is my brand and I am also the face of my swimsuit brand, so it is both an investment and a pleasure.
I go to iGlow Med Spa in Beverly Hills. I recently started getting Botox and it has been the best thing I have ever done in my life. [$3,000 a visit].
I was going to get facials at the place Haley Bieber and the Kardashians went to called Artisan of Skin, and they really changed my skin. I was battling some acne so we did some chemical peel treatments. [$1,500 per treatment]. Now I only go to them monthly and they maintain my skin. [$500 per facial].
What is something you would never splurge on?
A really absurdly expensive car, like a Bentley. I could use all that money to do something else.
What unexpected thing have you splurged on recently?
My Halloween costume. I dressed like a Na'vi from Avatar. [$3,000 for body makeup and wig install].
Did you finance your swimsuit business yourself?
Yes. It was great to be able to contribute money to something I was really passionate about, but it was also very risky. [more than $200,000 invested]. She knew Celestial Swim would take off in a few years. It's not something that's going to happen overnight. I had to accept that. I remember writing in my diary, “I'm going to be a millionaire, I'm going to be a CEO.” To actually see that come true is crazy and still mind-blowing to me.
Carly Sutherland Lawrence.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
