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Thread: Quitting my day job

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    Featured Member rareaspasia's Avatar
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    Default Quitting my day job

    After dancing part time for six months, I'm pretty sure it's time to take the plunge. I did some hardcore number crunching (based on my averages and on worst case scenarios) and realized that even with paying more for health insurance, I am actually losing money by not doing this as my full time job. Like, a LOT of money. I average in a night what I make in a week at my day job. My monthly expenses are fairly low so I could be dancing three days a week at my current club, maybe four, not get burned out, and at the very least be able to pay my bills comfortably. A little better than the very least and I'll be able to get a new (used) car by the end of the year and fund my escape strategy, my grad degree, within a reasonable amount of time, and if I hit South Florida or the Keys periodically I'll be doing very well indeed.

    Odd. When I first started dancing I thought I would never leave my day job, but there are just too many benefits to not do it. As long as I keep my goals in mind and keep the same attitude I've had since the start (treat it like the job that it is, keep my eyes on the future, avoid drama, and save save save) I really do believe that I'm making a solid decision. Am I crazy?

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Obviously this is just my 2 cents and you should do what works best for you. But I think quitting your day job would be the worst thing you could do right now.

    You make the money that you do mainly because you don't have to dance. And because you don't need to dance to put a roof over your head and pay for basic life necessities, you don't have the underlying air of desperation that most full-time dancers do. Customers can smell the "I really need this money" vibe from a mile away--and when they do, they can be downright cruel.

    Before any veteran dancers jump on me, I said *most*, not all. There are a select few who truly love dancing and have ridiculous sales skills and can bank on it even in hard times. But IMHO those dancers are a minority (and usually have years of experience under their belts), and after 6 months you are still new to the industry. Which is another reason for your great earning potential right now...you haven't been at this long enough to really get burnt out and/or jaded. And having another source of income to rely on (even if it seems measly in comparison to what you make dancing) is what's helping you to make that great dancing money and avoid burnout!

    Right now, you never have to walk into the club thinking "if I don't make $__ I won't be able to pay my rent" or "I've got to make $__ tonight". Because you have another job, there's no such pressure. Because there's no pressure, you've always got the upper hand when dealing with customers, you'll be less agitated and stressed, you're free to walk away from problem customers or anyone who makes you feel bad...you don't need to put up with any bullshit because you don't need their money. Believe is or not, that is a great feeling.

    You are in a fantastic place right now: a day job to pay the necessities, and lots of extra cash on the side from a job where you're having fun. Enjoy it.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    The best advice about money and dancing I got from a guy friend was: "If your going to strip why would you even want a job? What a total waste of time."

    It wasn't that sad old statement "Why don't you work five or seven days a week if you make so much money?"

    To me working the club five nights a week defeats the purpose of being a stripper. You become a stripper so that you DON'T have to work five days a week! Some people choose to and some want to fund an expense or pay off a debt. Either one works.

    As for those dancers who have a career and family and insurance that may be a different story unless the numbers in stripping make more sense.

    Sorsi yes and no but you are correct veterans with mad sales skill know how to work the down times.

    "And because you don't need to dance to put a roof over your head"

    This I disagree with. She is going to make the same money whether she quits her day job or not. Security is nice the big pay offs come when you start taking risks. In fact she'll probably have more energy to concentrate on sales in the club.

    "you're free to walk away from problem customers or anyone who makes you feel bad...you don't need to put up with any bullshit because you don't need their money."

    This is the story of my dancer life on a regular basis, and I don't have a job to back myself up on this.

    I haven't held a normal job in many years, and I have never worked as a full time dancer.

    It's not how much you make it's how much you save, and how you pay your bills.

    @rareaspasia Do what feels right for you! Keep in mind that some job sectors have moratoriums on hiring right now so if that is a concern for you - yes wait to quit your day job.




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    Featured Member rareaspasia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    All good points from both ends and I really do believe that this is the right decision for me. Like I said, I have an exit strategy (Graduate degree! So exciting!) and very specific goals (eliminate very small credit card debt, find a new used car to get me through school, things like that).

    What also makes a big difference is that I have extremely low expenses for my area and access to cities where the money is still very good. I don't have and don't want kids, my car is paid off, my rent is low and includes power and internet access, basically after rent all I have is my cell phone, my car insurance, my super cheap gym member ship, and my cats. And I never eat out and rarely go out to clubs or bars. All I do when I'm not at the gym is read with my cats and cook dinner for my boyfriend, lol.

    Even at my club in Cocoa the money is not what it used to be according to some women that have been there for years but I will be comfortable even if my average drops significantly and even if I have to add in a car payment. The odds of me being desperate to pay my rent are very low. I'm a good hustler and I am one of the better looking girls at my club, which sounds awful and vain but I really do live at the gym and take care of myself in a way that I've noticed a lot of the girls don't. The magic combination. Plus the busy tourist season in Florida is coming up in a few months. Even my boss at my day job thinks this is a good decision.

    I won't be leaving the day job for at least six more weeks so I have time to really line things up to make the transition. I'm actually really looking forward to it, having more free time to spend with my boyfriend of over four years (who also thinks this is the right decision and is the rare guy that seriously does not care about me doing this) practice my instruments and study for the GRE so I can get into the school I want and get some good scholarships.

    It's a risk, but it will be worth it.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Woah... the saying "don't quit your day job" has become a colloquilism for a reason. Why do you want to come here? There is no money here right now. Maybe in the Keys in tourist season but I would really really re consider your decision if you are basing it on the plan of coming to Mia to make bank. Unless you are a hooker. You're not a hooker are you?
    XoXo Gia
    Danielle Fishell (the Dish): "If the Super-Star thing doesn't work out, Gia makes a great stripper name"

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    Featured Member rareaspasia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    No, not a hooker, I don't do any extras. And I'm definitely not basing the decision just on south Florida! But during certain times of the year (and I was thinking of the keys for the season more than Miami or Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa) it would be a nice little bump. And oddly enough my boss at my day job (a coffee shop, I'm hanging out and using our wifi right now) just told me to let her know if I want to come back ever.

    Hey, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but like I said, it's worth the risk for me. It really is.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Well at least you can go back if you ever need the stablilty. The keys can be good but I am losing faith in there ever being money here again for clean dancers. Sorry if I was being nasty I'm suffering burn out and haven't even been working!
    XoXo Gia
    Danielle Fishell (the Dish): "If the Super-Star thing doesn't work out, Gia makes a great stripper name"

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    Featured Member rareaspasia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Ah, and I realized just now that I probably should have mentioned before that my day job is not a cushy office job by any means, it's a coffee shop and while I do like it a lot I've been here almost six years, there is no chance of advancement. It's not worth it.

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    Banned Melonie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    "If your going to strip why would you even want a job? What a total waste of time."
    I probably should have mentioned before that my day job is not a cushy office job by any means, it's a coffee shop and while I do like it a lot I've been here almost six years, there is no chance of advancement
    While there is still a whole bunch of '''conventional wisdom''' that continues to recommend hanging on to a day job for the benefits, or buying a house as a good investment, or investing time and money in a non-technical college degree, in point of fact the economic paradigms of the US economy are in the process of changing. For example, it is extremely probable that the costs to an employer of providing health benefits for the employee will soon become additional taxable income for the employee - which will cancel out a significant portion of the 'employer provided health insurance' cost benefit !

    But beyond that, there is one immutable law of economics and that is the 'time value of money'. Money earned and saved / invested 'early in the game' is worth far more than money earned in the 'late innings' ... for the obvious reason that saved / invested money earns and compounds interest and/or dividends. And there are extremely few professions where it is possible to earn a high amount of money 'early in the game' as exotic dancing !

    If exotic dancing is viewed as a 'serious profession', it bears many things in common with professional sports players. Like professional athletes, exotic dancers experience their peak earnings potential during their 20's ... but that earnings potential ( or the ability to continue for physical / psychological reasons ) usually fades away during the 30's. As such, if a girl approaches dancing as a 'serious profession', lives well within her means, and saves / invests as much money as possible, she is likely to be far ahead of her 'straight job' counterpart 10 years later. And IMHO at least, any girl who already dances part time but 'wastes' additional hours every week at a dead-end 'straight job' is already experiencing the vast majority of the negatives of dancing without enjoying the positives !

    PS if you form an LLC as a 'serious professional' dancer, you can deduct the cost of health insurance coverage that the LLC provides for you ... as opposed to having to pay higher future income taxes on account of employer provided health insurance at a 'straight job' !

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Wow, Melonie, you summed it up perfectly. And thank you for the info on health care, that is the one thing that I've been needing more information on. I factored it in based on some research but that makes me even more confident than I was before.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    I say go for it... you only live once right? I mean, if you only have yourself to support and have low bills every month then why not. Plus, I always live by the philosophy that whatever decision you feel is right at the time is the best decision you can make and it's better to take a risk then regret not taking one at all. Plenty of people support themselves solely on a dancing income, so you can too.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    You know how long it took me to figure out what you are figuring out now? YEARS! I kept holding onto a regular job so I wouldn't have gaps in my resume. At some point though if you are serious about this business you have to start working it like you are serious about it. I'd suggest trying it, but be sure to have a back up plan in case things don't go as you expected.
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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    I danced for a month or so before I quit my day job. It was ultimately the right decision, even though I was VERY nervous about quitting it and my bf told me it would be a bad idea.

    I was working as a line cook in a chain restaurant and (at least now a couple months later) make more in one decent night than I made in a whole week at my restaurant job.

    Working there mornings and dancing at night was completely exhausting me, physically and mentally. Now I can focus more on just one thing and hone my hustle.

    I dance three nights a week, and I keep track of the money I bring home, after the night's transportation, food, house fee, and tip-outs. I calculate hourly averages every week to make sure that on average I am making more per hour dancing than I did cooking.

    And I mean, a coffee shop? Those jobs are extremely easy to get back into, and if there's no chance of advancement you're not missing much. Since you've got no kids and such low living expenses what have ya got to lose?

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    I thought at first that you were talking about having an office job, to which i didn't think you should quit. However, with a coffee shop, it's a little different.

    Personally, I have a part time job. I like it, I get a discount on clothes I like, and it helps keep me sane. I also am scheduled about 3 days a week on average. I'm trying to be promoted there, but i doubt it'll happen.... completion is fierce, and there's only one position you can go into if you don't have a Bachelors degree.

    How often do you work at the coffee shop?

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Best of luck! I took the plunge in June 2000 and haven't looked back since!!
    Rebecca Avalon







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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Wow, Melonie, you summed it up perfectly. And thank you for the info on health care, that is the one thing that I've been needing more information on. I factored it in based on some research but that makes me even more confident than I was before
    Well, it's not hard for me to recommend this line of action because I experienced it myself. After high school, I spent the time and money to obtain a degree, and then began working a 'straight job' as a respiratory therapist. All of my friends and family respected my 'straight job', but in point of fact I really wasn't going anywhere in terms of promotion / pay raise possibilities. And this was on top of the fact that I was required to work holidays, that I was exposing myself to AIDS patients / TB patients / antibiotic resistant hospital super-germs ( today called MERSA ) etc. I actually contracted TB myself from one of my hospital patients, and had to undergo 6 months worth of heavy duty antibiotic therapy as a result ( which was my first wake-up call that the health care profession wasn't all that it was supposed to be LOL !)

    After working as a respiratory therapist for several years, my marriage ( to a would-be guitar hero who chose to spend money on important things like amplifiers and guitars rather than silly unimportant things like utility bills and rent ) went in the dumper. As a consequence I was stuck with a ton of his credit card bills which would have taken me 10 years worth of scrimping and saving to pay down on my respiratory therapist pay. At about the same time a new strip club opened up, and since I was newly divorced and in need of quick cash I decided to try it. After working a couple of nights for a couple of weeks ... and earning more than I would have from my 'straight job' in a month ... I decided to quit my 'straight job' altogether and make a serious effort as a 'professional' exotic dancer. Six months later all of my 'inherited' debts were paid off, and I began to actually save money. Six months after that, I had enough savings built up so that I could start investing my earnings.

    At any rate, after about 14 years of 'full time' dancing ... actually 4 nights a week three weeks per month on the average ... and 14 years worth of living on the 'cheap' and saving / investing as much as I could ... I reached the stage where I was able to totally retire from dancing ! I now am able to live on the passive dividend / interest / trading profits income generated by my savings and investments without any other source of income. However, in retrospect, I kick myself because if I had started dancing / saving / investing several years earlier instead of spending those several years obtaining a degree and working at a 'straight job', the amount of passive dividend / interest / trading profits income I would have available today would provide for a 'luxurious' retirement rather than a merely 'adequate' retirement LOL ! Of course, being able to retire 20 years earlier than Social Security allows does provide a certain amount of personal satisfaction too !

    However, in fairness, I must also point out that the 'serious professional dancer' approach absolutely requires iron willed financial discipline to work. Over the years I have seen countless dancers 'squander' their high earnings potential on expensive trinkets, fancy cars, expensive vacations etc. instead of saving and investing. As a result, many of these girls eventually find themselves well into their 30's, with their dancer earnings potential declining, but with no 'nest egg' saved up and with no college degree / resume' expanding 'straight job' experience to open doors for them in the 'straight job' world. This is NOT a good place to find oneself, particularly during a recession ! However, had they simply controlled their spending and concentrated on saving and investing their high earnings while that high dancer earnings potential was still available, today they would have a plate-ful of options available ... from outright retirement to going back to college to starting their own business.


    PS if you structure things the right way, your LLC can also purchase or lease a new vehicle while 'writing off' a good portion of the costs involved !

    ~
    Last edited by Melonie; 07-20-2009 at 07:51 PM.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Quote Originally Posted by Gia2608 View Post
    Well at least you can go back if you ever need the stablilty. The keys can be good but I am losing faith in there ever being money here again for clean dancers. Sorry if I was being nasty I'm suffering burn out and haven't even been working!
    You said what I was going to say! South FL has shit for money so dont come here to work expecting to make anything. Expect to be hassled all night for extras (and I mean hard core extras...BJ's for $20...full sex in the CR) and be told "it's not worth it" if all you are willing to do is dance. Expect to have to be ninja stripper to keep from being licked,fingered and worse all night. And leave with a cpl hundred on a good night.

    Key West (which is the only part of the keys to work in. Theres one shitty little club in Islamorada..IF its still there..and it isnt worth even considering) used to be really good. I started going to KW to work in 2000. It was easy amazing money.And actually FUN!Not so much anymore. I havent been there in months..mostly due to the fact that all my traveling stripper friends either quit stripping or moved away. And hotels are too expensive to be worth going if you dont have at LEAST one other girl to split expenses with.

    I havent danced in 6 months. It just got to be WAY too much trouble for WAY too little money. I got tired of being sexually (and sometimes otherwise) assaulted all night just to leave with $150 if fI was lucky most nights. Not to mention reaching my burning point of watching most of the other girls hooking in the club.

    Your day job is easy enough to get back (or get another like it). So I say try just dancing for awhile. If it works, it works...if not,you can go back to the way you are doing things now. You really have nothing to lose by trying so why not.

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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Do what makes YOU happy Like you said, if you ever need to go back to the coffee shop to work, you can. Enough said.

    Wish you the best
    XoXo


    "The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." Mark Twain


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  21. #19
    Featured Member rareaspasia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Quitting my day job

    Quote Originally Posted by callista View Post
    I thought at first that you were talking about having an office job, to which i didn't think you should quit. However, with a coffee shop, it's a little different.

    Personally, I have a part time job. I like it, I get a discount on clothes I like, and it helps keep me sane. I also am scheduled about 3 days a week on average. I'm trying to be promoted there, but i doubt it'll happen.... completion is fierce, and there's only one position you can go into if you don't have a Bachelors degree.

    How often do you work at the coffee shop?
    I'm a supervisor; I used to work at my shop five days a week, full time, and made enough to get by but not to get ahead. Now I usually work anywhere from twenty to thirty-five hours, four days a week. My preference is twenty and it's also what I have to work to have health insurance through them. I can't work there and dance on the same day because it's a forty five minute drive to my club so basically I get stuck trying to dance whenever I can fit it in. I don't always have the freedom to pick my club days and I feel like I'm losing out because so much of my time and energy are being sucked into the coffee shop.

    By juggling both jobs I'm not getting anywhere near where I could be if I just danced, both financially and personally. All I have is a lot more money, and money is nice but I could be making a lot more and have enough free time to pursue my interests and grow as a person.

    I do have another month and a half to two months before I actually quit which is actually perfect. I'll be able to get some things lined up (health care, possible accountant, down payment for a new car that I don't need but am planning ahead for since my car has 90,000 on it and I must have reliable transportation to make this work) and will be able to get through the summer without having to worry about anything, and then in September the tourist season will be hitting and I can go for the gold.

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