IamA Grad Student who paid for school as a Stripper AMA!

Assuming you started your masters last fall in 2015, that would mean you applied for the program and finished your undergrad in 2014? How did you finish a bachelor's degree by the time you were 18 or 19?

Began community college at 16. Transferred to uni at 18. Graduated at 20 with a bachelors. Began masters summer 16. Any more questions?

When did you go to high school? More interested in how you accomplished this in this short of a time frame more than trying to catch you up.

I started younger than most as I skipped a grade in elementary. Finished HS in 2012.

It's pretty clear from everything that she's written so far that she misspoke in the title, she's an undergraduate working on a bachelors degree in biology.

Academic credentials for those asking: Associates in Social Sciences Bachelors of Science in Biology Masters of Science in Biology (in progress)

Getting the associates made it impossible to get the full ride I would have received had I entered university straight out of high school, instead I got a small scholarship for being a transfer student.

I'm 25 and have not been to many strip clubs but the one I went to most recently seemed to not only allow, but openly encourage you to touch the girls. It didn't seem like a super shady place but "my" dancer repeatedly placed my hands on her T&A. At one point even seemed to dare me to...insert a finger... (Which I did not do) Nothing further happened but in your experience, is this common?

Depends on the girl, I don't mind touching T&A if the club allows it but a word of advice if someone wants you to put your finger in a hole for $25/song DO NOT PUT YOUR FINGER IN THAT HOLE

I'm a girl and I've been to strip clubs with my boyfriend several times. I feel like I always get more attention than him and I have always wondered if I am just imagining this or if you guys prefer dancing for girls? How often do you see girls come in and how often have you danced for them?

Often female customers come in and are absolute attention sucking bitches (remember as a stripper I pay to work so when a girl comes in and starts flirting with a millionaire at the bar you'll see some girls in 10 inch heels seeing red). Or there are girls that come in and act like every stripper that approaches them is trying to steal their man. That being said when a female customer comes in and displays good behavior tipping, friendly, not jealous, and is participating in the fun-ness of the evening (also a bonus if she's wearing pants - long story but don't wear a dress and go commando at a strip club if you don't want to get kicked out) WE LOVE YOU GUYS!! It makes are day when girls come in and are cool - its also nice becuase we sometimes are judged by the "normal people" so having a girl come in and be a pleasure to be around is awesome. Also there is a strategy when approaching a couple, you always have to win the female at the table over. Its an unwritten rule. The girl that talks to your SO first generally will not get your money. Also, my guesstimate is about 40% of strippers are lesbians, sorry to ruin the fantasy boys.

Was it hard to get into stripping with an emoticon face, or is that a popular fetish?

very popular fetish ;-)

Is there really no sex in the champagne?

And have you thought about branching off to webcaming?

Depending on the club/girl yes and no. With me never. I drew really hard lines of what I've been willing to do in the strip club and sex for money is just not one of them. Some girls are full service sex workers and they do have sex in the champagne room. For me I don't see the benefit of being a hooker in the club - once you put a dollar amount on satisfying the customer you loose the oppurtunity to get them for more money. I had a regular that spent around $75K in a month and I never slept with him - other girls did and he didn't spend any more money on them, he liked to chase me and see if the next thousand would get my panties off, it never did. So it really depends on the girl - that being said a lot of people spend a lot of money in strip clubs so if you're getting sex in champagne room that girl has probably seen a lot of milage so be careful boys and girls ;-)

As for camming - not really something I'd want to do, I like the anonymity of stripping that isn't offered when you cam or do porn. I do have friends that do it and love it but just not for me.

see if the next thousand would get my panties off

I wish I was dead

please refer to /r/suicidewatch

Are you telling me you earned $75k in a month? What in the holiest of fucks.

No, the customer spent that on me and several other girls. The customer would do $1000/hr in a champagne room. That was paid to the club via credit card. I walked with $700 per hour, 10% of that money is taken by the club for a credit card charge, 10% tipped to manager, 10% tipped to DJ.

My girlfriend has been stripping for the past 5 years now, the biggest thing she is worried about is when applying for a job once she has finished school - her work experience on her resume won't look good. Even though the skills she has learned are phenomenal: Social skills, being able to work 12 hours on her feet, interacting with people from all over the world and getting them to spend a lot of money just to name a few

Is that something you are concerned about at all?

I keep pretty busy with extracurriculars and school activities. I also have a lot of experience in my field both paid and nonpaid. Right now I explain the resume gap by saying I'm focusing on my Masters. I totally agree that the skills you learn stripping are super valuable in the work place. So no that's not a major worry for me.

Are there customers who want to do drugs in the VIP room and if so, how do you handle them?

It really depends on the club and how strict they are about drug enforcement. I've worked at a seedy place where there's been lots of deals and open cocaine usage - some guys would actually try to pay for dances with blow. In a place like that where the general rule is tip the bouncer if he sees you instead of following any law. I usually say "instead of offering me a line how about you take the line off my ass and pay $10 a line". Usually that works. The club I work at mostly now always has a plain clothes cop in the building and police officers come in multiple times a night - if that happened there I would tell the customer to put it away. Most everyone in the industry is cognizant that people will be doing some kind of substance especially during a night out and [we] really don't want to draw attention to our place of business so the most anyone will do is ask the customer not to openly use in the club.

Come in the club and try to sell to staff.....that's a different story...

Has stripping altered your attitude towards, men, love or sex?

Yes, I've also done a lot of "growing up" in the strip club since I started dancing just after I turned 19. I'm not sure if my opinions have changed as a result of stripping or new experiences or a little bit of both. I think seeing people come into the club in a variety of relational states has allowed me to be much more open minding and less judgmental. I also learned to cut myself some slack and not take things so seriously in regards to men and sex. In regards to love, when I find that I will do my damnedest to keep that person in my life. I've learned that there's a difference between sex, connection, and love.

if i may ask, when looking at how strip clubs are portrayed in films, being the bottom of the barrel, what made you change your views and opinions compared to what is shown on tv?

When I started I was waitressing to pay the bills and my restaurant was really slow that time of year, I had to fix my car and make a tuition payment money ran out very quickly. So I started to pay for those things and give myself a little financial boost. When I got more comfortable with the environment I started to realize there are a lot of reasons people dance (one of my best friends at the club I'm at now is a single mom and she is able to be with her kid all day while working 3 nights a week when he's with a babysitter and is asleep). Also theres a group of feminist strippers that are moderately prominient on social media Lux ATL and Jacq the Stripper are two of them that really inspired me. In short a lot of people are the bottom of the barrel but a lot of them strip because its the best option for them and they kick ass.

Also if you think strippers are dumb have you ever met a strip club DJ? (old joke but still makes me laugh)

Do you dance at topless clubs, full nude clubs, or a combination of both?

I prefer to dance topless, I did a short stint at a full nude club in Chicago and found that the prices were RIDICULOUSLY LOW ($350 for an hour of private dancing - me walking with $270 after tip out) that made it not worth the nudity. Most clubs that are full nude also don't serve alcohol so you get an either underage or sober crowd which is just a little rough to work with.

Thanks for the reply. It's funny you mentioned Chicago. I was there a few times for work several months ago, so naturally I googlemapped what strip clubs were around. I didn't go to any because it was hard to tell if any were worth going to. You don't have to suggest any by name if you don't want to, but it would be nice to know for the next time I am in town.

VIP's downtown (pasties and no contact lap dances) and Scores (topless) are the two big names in town

Have you been to south Florida?? You could bank over there.

I'll be headed out there sometime this year for sure - I have some friends that have done very well out there.

What is the money like? What do you think about while you dance? Did you take classes before starting this job?

The money ranges, this week I've gone home one night with $1 after I paid the club (for 7 hours of work) and another night I left with well over $2000. So it depends on the day, the girl, the city, the club etc. Most strippers (unless they have a drug problem, a shopping problem, or a pimp problem) are pretty comfortable financially.

What do I think about - if I think I can get a lot of money out of the customer I'll be paying very close attention to how he reacts to what I do and try to guess what will make him spend. If I know that the guy is only going to buy one dance or just wants me to (pardon my crudity) jack him off with my thigh I'll either be looking around for my next customer, or thinking about grocery shopping, that I need to feed the dog when I get home, that my feet hurt, anything to pass the time. Champagne rooms are the hardest to keep your mental state sane (tiny room, drunk dude making the moves, while having no way to keep track of the time other than counting songs) and I mostly try to keep track of how many songs I've been in the room (there are approximately 20 songs in one hour). The longest stint in a champagne room I've done was 5 hours and I'm pretty sure my brain was jello after that.

Not sure if you're talking about school or like dance classes. I started stripping my Junior year of college. I had no pole dance classes until after I started stripping. (also if you think my job is easy go take a pole dancing class and come back with your thoughts)

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First question: I haven't had this exact experience yet, but generally strip clubs are anonymous zones - for you to know I was there you would have to admit you were there, which if its a professor that generally isn't going to happen. I think it would really depend on the person's attitude, I'd probably acknowledge them, say hi and then let them enjoy their night. No reason to make a situation more complicated or awkward. That being said I did have an EMT who dropped patients off at a hospital I worked at run into me and it was awkward because he kept coming in to the club and then asked me out over a sick patient at the hospital...not cool and very awkward but I think he's just a creep anyways lol

Second question: First night stripping is no fun. I made $117 (which was the best thing in the world at the time). I was shaking and nervous, the girls were mean and caddy, I looked like a baby giraffe on stage. I was too scared of everything to take the manager up on the free shot so I was sober and terrified. My first every lap dance was a $10 floor dance and the customer tried to stick his finger in my butthole - this made me panic and run away without collecting my money. In short the first night is the worst but you learn to laugh at yourself, grow thick skin, and not look like an idiot pretty quickly.

I can't stop laughing at the "finger in the butthole" line, classic lol.

I'm still laughing about it and tell the story a few times a week

I looked like a baby giraffe on stage.

You only made $117 that night? Butthole-surfer obviously enjoyed your performance.
Now with more Cringe™

I did not dance for "butthole-surfer" again lol a more seasoned professional took on that task. gag.

All righty, I'm for bed I'll answer more in the morning :-) Keep asking questions ya'll are awesome

How old was the oldest person you've given a lap dance to?

Did people jizz in there pants when you're lapdancing them?

Mid eighties - it was pretty difficult because I was worried with how frail his body was that I might hurt him.

Second question - yes. My dance instantly becomes an air dance if they can't keep it together after that. Most "strip club pros" who come in specifically to do that will wear basket ball shorts and wear a condom...they come prepared.

Did a pimp ever tried to get control of you ? Does a lot of stripper are under a pimp ? Thanks for the AMA

Nope. I've seen pimps in the club but I've never been their target. At the lower end clubs you see more girls who have a pimp and its really upsetting to see girls get dropped off looking homeless by a guy in a Mercedes that their pussy paid for. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth every time I see it or hear about it.

Hi! Thank you for this AMA! Have you ever felt disgusted or dirty because of stripping?

My job is gross! I am doing super strenuous activity (pole dancing is HARD work) plus I grind on strangers for money....who knows where they've been. Also you inevitably end up rolling on the stage or floor. After work showers are the BEST things ever. It's not uncommon for me to be dripping sweat on a busy Saturday night.

If you're talking about psychologically - no. If someone is making me feel that way I simply end the dance, because they're an asshole. There are plenty of people who will pay me for my time without behaving like a dick. I have only ever ended three lap dances and two of them were because the guy was being an ass. So I guess my answer to that question is no one should make you feel disgusted or dirty no matter what your job is.

The most "violated" I've felt as a stripper was when a customer wanted to lick my arm pit....ugh so unpleasant.

I have only ever ended three lap dances and two of them were because the guy was being an ass.

What was the reason for the third one?

Guy pulled his dick out

What is your makeup/hair routine like? Thanks for the the AMA!

Make up 20 mins - brows, highlighter, lips, eyeshadow Extensions clip ins that I curl every other day

20 and in grad school already? Jesus Christ when did you start college?

combination of classes taken in summer, course work overloads, and credit earned in high school (my HS had a program with a local community college where they basically dumped us there for a bunch of credits). So yes, I'm a baby with a lot of school under my belt.

Where will your career take you after graduate school? Are you getting into academia, consulting?

Either academia/research or medicine depending how the doctorate application gods favor me.

Is it worth it? I have a friend that did that and she said no

It really depends on the person. For me it absolutely is and I actually enjoy it (most of the time). I've had friends that have tried it and didn't have the same experience and they generally quit after a few weeks.

Very much depends on your own personal experience, if you let people being assholes roll off your back or if it bothers you, also it depends on how dancing makes you feel. For me it is a huge confidence booster and has taught me how to socially interact with a wide variety of people. But I know girls that it had the opposite effect for. So really just depends on the person - for me, absolutely worth it and I love my job.

Favourite song to work too?

Oh my so many good ones..... Gods and Monsters by Lana Del Rey always makes me feel like a dramatic little vixen There's a remix of Over the Love by Florence and the Machine that's really sexy Down With the Sickness by Disturbed is my Friday/Saturday night go to that is guaranteed to have every guy singing along and also stands out in a myriad of pop/hiphop/EDM music so it get's a very good reaction Beast by Mia Martina Back to Black either the Amy Winehouse or Beyonce version

There's so many songs but usually it just depends on the mood and energy of the crowd. Sometimes the DJ will surprise me with music and those can be some of the best stage sets (or the worst - as the DJ who was tipped $20 to never play Ariana Grande for me again).

I'm also a dancer and I'm totally gonna try your songs.

My faves are Dawn Penn's You Don't Love Me, Lana Del Rey's Body Electric, and all Portishead and Massive Attack tracks.

good choices, you're a badass

Were you surprised that your username wasn't taken yet?

yes

How is easy is it to spot a first timer at a club? Have you danced for one? (Basically asking what not to do when attending a club for the first time)

What's the funniest/interesting story you have about a private dance?

Most likely they'll tell you. "This is my first lap dance". I dance for one at least once a week and it's generally pretty fun because they're more nervous than you are and are (generally) VERY respectful.

I had a customer get a $1000/hr champagne room so he could rub my back and talk to me about his cat. It was great.

How can you tell if a guy has money or not?

race, age, shoes, watch

(generally)

Don't know why you're being downvoted that sounds exactly right.

Truth of the matter. In the strip club people generally behave in a herd.

Did you ever have someone you know or someone from school see you there?

If so, how did it feel and do they act different towards you after that?

Already answered - copy and pasted for ya

I haven't had this exact experience yet, but generally strip clubs are anonymous zones - for you to know I was there you would have to admit you were there, which if its a professor that generally isn't going to happen. I think it would really depend on the person's attitude, I'd probably acknowledge them, say hi and then let them enjoy their night. No reason to make a situation more complicated or awkward. That being said I did have an EMT who dropped patients off at a hospital I worked at run into me and it was awkward because he kept coming in to the club and then asked me out over a sick patient at the hospital...not cool and very awkward but I think he's just a creep anyways lol

So many comments but no up votes? This is a great AMA and I hope it gets bigger

thank you, it's been interesting to see what people are asking

In your opinion, is the average age of the strip-club-visiting populace slowly growing older?

tl;dr: There will always be an 18-year old kid who goes as soon as he or she can, but on average, the people willing to pay for porn (not watch, but pay for) are usually married or divorced men over 30. The few times I've been to a strip club, the same held true, possibly even a bit older. My question is about the rate-of-replacement from newer generations of people willing to pay for these things, kind of like a birth ratio for new-strip-club-goers. I've heard that in porn, the demographic is slowly drifting older, and wondering if it is the same for stripping, because porn has become so common it's basically lost its value.

Yes, the strip club industry has been down for the last several years. There was a high in pre-2008 and it's gone down since then. If a club is more of a party club where you have a younger crowd throwing stage tips music video style that would be the exception. One stripper wrote (not sure which book it was in or I'd quote her) you make 80% of your money off of 20% of customers. Also a lot more girls are getting into the industry so theres more girls and less money to go around.

Would you reccomend stripping as a way to get through uni financially?

Financially yes. If you can keep your head on straight and just make money (staying out of drugs, excessive drinking, and prostitution) go for it. Without disclosing how much I make I can say most likely when I'm done with my very expensive education I'll still make less money than I did as a stripper. It can take the financial burden of college off and it is great for balancing school work because you make your own schedule (you can work as much or as little as you want in most clubs). That being said there are a lot of lifestyle factors that make the job difficult that are worth considering before you start stripping. But you can alway try it and quit.

Awesome, thanks for the advice!

Absolutely! Feel free to ask any more questions or let me know if you decide to give it a try

Normally I wouldn't have any questions, just a general jealousy that I don't know you better..but here's one t hat occurred to me: Why the hell do you have to have a business license to be a stripper? I've never heard of that before.

Some counties/cities do it some don't. Phoenix did it before they hosted the Super Bowl because they had an influx of traveling dancers and could charge each one $25 (I think that was the price, don't murder me internet if I can't remember) it was an extra bit of revenue for the city.

So I assume your school is unaware of your job? If so, are you afraid of this secret getting out and possibly affecting your relationships with instructors/faculty?

Yes school is unaware. If it did I would hope that my professionalism/work ethic/established relationships would matter more than the fact that I spend my weekends getting topless for money.

I haven't been to strip clubs much since 2000. Have things changed with the internet? All the strippers dancing now would have grown up with hardcore porn a click away. Do you think girls are more sexual now than the older generation?

I had a friend in the 99-01 era that was a pretty smart, financially successful stripper.

She had a set of regulars that she scheduled for different nights, and which time of the night, she had a recruiting strategy for finding the most lucrative customers (old or unattractive customers wearing nice clothes/shoes and by themselves. Avoid frat parties), it was as planned out as any sales campaign. She made a lot of money, I would guess almost $200,000 a year. She really worked hard for it though, keeping all the regular customers happy. She never slept with any of them; it was the kiss of death for cash flow she said, and she was happily married also.

How much planning like this do you do?

I think a lot of girls feel the pressure to do more for less since porn has become so accessible plus a lot of men seem to be under the impression that clubs are brothels so there is a lot of pressure from the one time customer who wants to spend a moderate amount of money.

I completely agree with everything you said about your friend - I put in a similar amount of planning and strategy. Haven't gotten a steady flow of regulars in my new spot but she sounds very savvy and spot on.

Is the club possibly owned by an illegal organization? (Mob, Mafia)

If it is I don't want to know about it.

In what area are you pursuing a degree?

biology

Are you working on getting a minor degree?

I'm getting a masters in biology - I don't have a minor field of study. In undergrad I had a sociology minor with a degree in biology

I think that answers your question :-)

What's a typical night look like for you on the job?

Also you strip in my city. What college do you attend?

Also gonna keep where I go to school as my little secret...shhhh...

Typical night begins between 7pm and 9pm - I get ready at home because getting hair and makeup done in the dressing room takes entirely too long. Once I get dressed out (depending on the club in either lingerie or gowns) I check in with the house mom and am approved to go on the floor, I then let the DJ know I'm ready to go. I do a stage set and then start to talk to customers. Depending on the night I could get bought off for a private chunk of time (usually in hour increments) or be hustling lap dances which takes a lot more energy. Mostly its a lot of flirting and repeating the same set of conversations over and over, you have to quickly decide which "girl" will appeal to the customer the most.

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115

thick

are you nuts?

haha I think you answered this more appropriately than I would have hesayswhat and I'm just gonna leave it at that

115lb = 52.5kg. At 5'3", she's pretty slim really.

I have a very fit, natural body. It keeps the lights on haha