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Thread: Auditioning today

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    Featured Member Tourdefranzia's Avatar
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    Default Auditioning today

    I've got my outfits and shoes, my makeup is on and I'm just waiting for my ride to come pick me up. I think I look pretty good, but going back to the clubs after the age of 40 is a pretty stressful situation.

    I get it that the money isn't what it used to be, and I'm cool with that. I figure that if I can pull down $400 a week with just 3 shifts, I'll be head and shoulders above my old administrative assistant job.

    I think I'll stick with day shift for now. That's were us "mature" ladies usually do the best anyway, if I remember correctly. Wish me luck!

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    Moderator charlie61's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Good luck!!!!

    As a semi-depressing side note, remember that dancers have to make lots more money than their straight-job counterparts because we have to pay high independent contractor taxes, pay for our own health insurance, no paid vacation/sick days, etc. etc. So if you're only making $400/week, then be sure to calculate whether that's truly "worth it" when it comes to your bottom line. Many dancers make small-town cash and are happy with that because they prefer the scheduling and freedom that comes with dancing. But it's just something to keep in mind!

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    God/dess shanna dior's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Good luck at your audition! I'm not an older dancer but I still love my day shifts - lots of money comes into the club during the day!

    Before you set goals for yourself, work a shift or two and see what your club is like. $400 for 3 shifts is pennies in a lot of areas, and like Charlie said, you have a lot of expenses that bring that $400 down.

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    Featured Member Tourdefranzia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Wow! am I tired!

    The shift went well, but I felt pretty worn out by the end of the day. I made around $150 and most of that was from the stage. I did get 3 dances, but the club was really slow. Maybe it was the thunder storms this afternoon? Who knows...
    I also know that day shift is built on regulars, so it will take me a while before I'll start to see any real money on days. I was probably on stage 15+ times today, and will definitely be feeling the muscle soreness in the morning.

    I'm hoping that once I get back in shape again and have the stamina, I'll be earning more. For now, I'll just have to take it easy as I get back into this level of activity from riding a desk for the past 5 years.

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    God/dess arielbriel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    I agree that $400/week is not enough. Night shift is not an option once you get your feet wet?

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    Featured Member Tourdefranzia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Quote Originally Posted by arielbriel View Post
    I agree that $400/week is not enough. Night shift is not an option once you get your feet wet?
    Really? I was under the impression that the easy money days were long gone and it was really hard to make more than $200 a shift as a clean dancer. Maybe this is just my region and not true for all areas.

    I may give a night shift a try once I'm feeling more confident. I look really good for a woman in her mid-40's, but I have a feeling nights may be too much of a hit on my ego around all the 18-21 year old dancers. Heck, I've got a kid who is a sophomore in college! These girls could be his class mates. LOL!

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    Moderator charlie61's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Quote Originally Posted by Tourdefranzia View Post
    Really? I was under the impression that the easy money days were long gone and it was really hard to make more than $200 a shift as a clean dancer. Maybe this is just my region and not true for all areas.
    Well, it kind of depends on your tax situation. If you aren't putting that money in the bank, and you're paying for everything in cash, and you don't plan on buying anything big (car, tuition, Roth IRA investments, etc.) that's tracked by the government, then you can probably get away with the tax thing.

    But otherwise, if you make $100, something like $35 of that (depending on your state, how much you claim, etc.) goes towards taxes. So if you make $400/week, then $140 of that goes to taxes, leaving you with $260 to pay rent, groceries, health insurance, sick/vacation days, etc. And trust me, when you're busting your ass to make that little money - which you are...going on stage 15 times and doing dances to make $150 in 8 hours qualifies as busting your ass - that money is horribly painful to give up. Which means lots of girls don't. Which puts you in a risky tax situation.

    You're the only one who knows if it's worth it or not.

    Sure, there are girls out there who make $100-$200/shift and are okay with that. But that kind of money isn't really going to get you anywhere, life-wise. Girls who are pulling in one or two bones a night are hopefully augmenting their money with either a part-time job, or augmenting their resumes by volunteering and doing internships to make sure they aren't leaving enormous gaps on their resumes. You'll want to get out of this job someday, so you need a backup plan for what you'll tell employers. Women who are serious about stripping (as a stepping stone to a happy/fulfilled/prosperous life) either travel to areas with more money, work in clubs with more money, or move to cities with better money.

    I'm no big-time Vegas stripper. So my advice is pretty realistic. It's not like I expect you to pull down $1k every night you work. But if you're working in a club that has that low of earning potential, I personally would either get a straight job and augment it with stripper money, or quit stripping altogether.

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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    $400/week is only a little bit more than the national minimum wage without any benefits or security. if your kids already in college and you are serious about making and saving dancing money then you should move or travel to places where you can make a lot more than $200/shift.

    I think there are a lot of good looking strippers in their early to mid 40s. but ive never seen one in their 50s. so your plan is not sustainable for more than a few years.

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    God/dess whirlerz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Good Luck to you! Keep me posted!


    MANY MEN WANTED TO LAY ME DOWN, BUT FEW WANTED TO LIFT ME UP

    -Eartha Kitt

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    Moderator charlie61's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Not to mention...the sheer effort it takes to make $150/night at a low-earning-potential club means that you probably won't muster up the energy to work more than three nights a week...

    Sorry for turning this into such a depressing thread! Just being realistic to try to help.

    It seems the smarter thing to do would be to get a straight job and supplement that with under-the-table stripping money. Not that I'm advising you do that, of cooourse. But I'm just saying...a straight job = no resume gap, taxes paid for by employer (lessens your risk of being audited), insurance, paid vacations/sick days, 401k opportunities, etc.

    Again, just suggesting this just in case the $150/night club is your only option. Make sex work work for you!

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    God/dess arielbriel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    I think the OP is just thinking in her head that this is ALL she can make (400/week) because she is older than she was when she first started dancing. I really feel this just is not the case and once you brush up, you can definitely make more than that. You just have to believe in yourself.

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    Featured Member Tourdefranzia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Quote Originally Posted by charlotte. View Post
    $400/week is only a little bit more than the national minimum wage without any benefits or security. if your kids already in college and you are serious about making and saving dancing money then you should move or travel to places where you can make a lot more than $200/shift.

    I think there are a lot of good looking strippers in their early to mid 40s. but ive never seen one in their 50s. so your plan is not sustainable for more than a few years.
    I'm only working 16 hours a week, so this is more like $25/hr. I don't have the experience or the sheepskin (MBA) to get into a straight job that would pay that kind of money. Also, dancing isn't my only source of income, thank goodness! I work as an extra for local film studios a couple times a month, I write SEO rich content for websites and sometimes professionally manage garage/estate sales.

    I recently got a job that used my college degree as a human resources manager. It paid really well ($32K/yr) and had some nice bennies, but it SUCKED! I had to be the meanie that cut people off from the potential of workman's comp claims while pretending to be their friend to their face. People who had legit claims on workmen's comp were tossed off because I found a technicality or loophole in the claim.

    Ladies, if you ever work for a company that has a human resources department, know that they are NOT your friends. At least stripping is an honest living.

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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    Quote Originally Posted by Tourdefranzia View Post
    I'm only working 16 hours a week, so this is more like $25/hr. I don't have the experience or the sheepskin (MBA) to get into a straight job that would pay that kind of money. Also, dancing isn't my only source of income, thank goodness! I work as an extra for local film studios a couple times a month, I write SEO rich content for websites and sometimes professionally manage garage/estate sales.

    I recently got a job that used my college degree as a human resources manager. It paid really well ($32K/yr) and had some nice bennies, but it SUCKED! I had to be the meanie that cut people off from the potential of workman's comp claims while pretending to be their friend to their face. People who had legit claims on workmen's comp were tossed off because I found a technicality or loophole in the claim.

    Ladies, if you ever work for a company that has a human resources department, know that they are NOT your friends. At least stripping is an honest living.
    Good for you, sweetie! Seriously. I'm glad to hear that you have the film studios thing (both for the resume credit and because it's just good to have other things going on in your life).

    Thank you for not taking offense to our words of warning...like I said, we're just making sure you're aware of the common pitfalls so you don't get stuck!

    Happy dancing!

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  21. #14
    Featured Member Tourdefranzia's Avatar
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    Default Re: Auditioning today

    No offense taken, I promise!

    I know how crushing burn out can be, so having a back up plan is necessary. I'm also married, and my husband makes pretty good money as a project manager.

    I'm dancing now not because I *need* the money, but because I know that time is running out to pursue this job. I'd also really like to get my students loans paid back some time before I start collecting social security checks, LOL!

    The first time I stripped professionally, I was in a very tight spot financially. I took stupid risks based on financial need. This time I'm going to have fun and get more out of the job than just subsistence living. I'm also sure that I'll be very angry the first time I have a negative $$ shift. I know it happens sometimes, but now I don't have to worry about how I'm going to buy food or pay rent if it does happen in the future.

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