IT’S NOT THE BIKINI: 9 STEPS TO THRIVE IN THE NEW ECONOMY
First it was the red and white polka dot bikini, then the
Hawaiian Tropic bikini, then the hot pink bikini. After that it was a change of shoes - silver glitter
platforms, gold metallic pumps, white strappy stilettos, thigh-high black
leather boots. Then it was the
hair-up-dos, down-dos, ponytails, and pigtails. I would watch as dancers
frantically and desperately changed their bikinis, heels, and hairstyles,
hoping the next ensemble would get them another lap dance.
Watching the mayhem as women crammed into the tiny,
smoke-filled dressing room trying to look better, I knew that a better bikini,
different shoes, or glossier lipstick was not what would make them money. What they needed was an attitude
adjustment. Why am I giving you a lesson in strip club hustling 101? Maybe you
haven't heard? I used to be
a stripper.
All customers - even strip club customers - want to give
their money to people who are confident, having a good time, and making the
customer feel good about themselves. They do not want to do business with
someone who is desperate, pushy, and not having fun. On slow nights like these,
I knew, even back then, it was not the bikini. The nights I made the most money were the nights I was
having fun, making jokes, and laughing with, and sometimes at, the
customers. It had nothing to do
with what I was wearing (or not wearing).
In today’s economy, even though things are slow, there is still
money to be made, but you have to change the way you do business. From my experiences as a stripper, I
learned some valuable economic lessons.
Let me share a few.
9 Steps to Thrive in the New
Economy
1. Be Content
The recession is a time that forces us to "Choose
Better Less,” meaning to decide what's really important to us and let the rest
go. While we all need enough to
survive, excess can be a deep, ensnaring trap. During the Great Depression,
families struggled to meet their basic needs but developed strong work ethics
and enjoyed simple pleasures like huddling around the radio while listening to
FDR’s Fireside Chats. There was an appreciation of the simple things that we
have long since forgotten. I am
not saying depressions or recessions are a desirable thing—they are not;
however, should we find ourselves in one, like a slow night at the club, we can
fight and mutter to ourselves about it, or we can change what is in our
control, which is our attitude and our gratitude.
2. Focus on Believing in Your Vision
I danced for nine years on straight commission. Every shift
I worked I was bombarded by loud music, smoky clubs, and obnoxious and rude
customers. Optimism was my key to
success. Don't allow
yourself and your mind to be controlled by negative thoughts and beliefs. If you really want something, you must
be willing to believe it is worth pursuing. If you don't believe it can or should or will happen, why
would anyone else? Being
optimistic is the only logical approach to seeing your vision manifest. Negativity is like water on a
fire. If you only have one spark,
you'd better fan that flame and not douse it.
3. Ask For It - Over and Over
Don’t assume there is no money to be made in this
economy. Most often at the club,
it was the seemingly least-likely candidates who would spend money on
dances. There is
money to be made, but you have to ask for it and ask for it repeatedly. You have to let your customers know
that doing business with you is worth their money, and the only way to close a
sale is to ask for the business.
4. Hang Out In The Moment
Most situations are not emergencies, and if they are, all
the more reason to be calm and effective.
To the best of your ability, be unattached and let it all go. Focusing
on the outcome only distracts from the process. Changing bikinis did nothing to increase a dancer’s sales,
and, in fact, only enhanced the behavior of self-focused energy. Being relaxed means hanging out in the
moment. It may be raw, real, and
vulnerable, but put yourself out there and take risks.
5. Stop Freaking Out
Forget about what you can't change. You can't change it, so don't focus on
it! What you think
about and focus on, visually and mentally, that energy comes back to you. Find
any way you can to ground yourself. Go for a walk, do some yoga, take a nap,
call a friend, help out a neighbor, teach your dog a new trick, take a pole
dancing class. Have fun, have a
drink, loosen up!!!!! The less you freak out, the more in control you will be.
6. Avoid The Unemployment Couch
No matter what club I worked at,
there was always an “unemployment couch.” This was where the dancers who were
not busy with customers would hang out.
Chain smoking, cross-legged, with sour looks on their faces, they would
gossip about the customers and other dancers, and complain about how crappy the
money was that night. If you are
gainfully employed, under-employed, or unemployed, avoid this couch. Negativity
feeds on negativity.
7. Send Out A Boomerang
While other girls were on the
“unemployment couch,” on slow nights I would often sit with customers just to
chat, get to know them better, and save myself from sheer boredom. Over the years these customers would
come back again and again to see me.
There were many nights they saved me from going home broke. This is why creating new business
relationships now is more important than ever. Investing time and energy into building relationships is
like sending out a boomerang. It will eventually come back to you. Invest in relationships now, and when
the economy swings, you will have all your players in place.
8. Give Your Customers A “Texas Tease”
Each hour on the hour, one of the
clubs where I worked had a “Texas Tease, “ a free 45-second lap-dance. This
dance got the energy in the club moving, got customers thinking about buying a
dance, or gave them a reason to keeping coming back. It’s time to give your customers a “Texas Tease.”
Give them a freebie, whether it’s
a service, advice, an idea, or a steep discount. What you give to others will come back to you, so don't be
afraid to put a little fun in your "dance.” Your customers and potential customers will appreciate it,
and you will reap the long-term benefits.
9. We Are All In This
Together
I have worked at a lot of clubs
and one thing remains true. Dancers can be incredibly mean. From breaking a glass across someone’s
face, to bitch slapping another dancer with a platinum blonde wig, to stealing
another dancer’s street clothes, I have seen it all. These catfights only led the women away from their one goal:
make the most money possible.
We are all in this together. Even those who had nothing to do with
the mistakes Wall Street made have been affected. It’s the simple rules of Karma. To get ourselves out of this
financial crisis we all need to help each other out, not take away from each
other. Help others in their
endeavors, refer people to others, think abundance, rather than scarcity.
The next time you find yourself
worrying about what you should change about yourself or your business, remember—it’s
not about you. Get out of the
dressing room, get on that dance floor, and show your customers a good
time!
Incorporating these mindsets will
be the difference between thriving or bombing in this tough economy. It's a jungle out there. Are you alive? Are you ready? Or are you too busy changing your
bikini?
You can learn more about Erika Lyremark, Professional Ass Kicker, radio host, and author at DailyWhip.com and her blog Wisdom from
the Whip. She is also soon releasing her first book, “Think Like A
Stripper - How To Make It In Any Economy”.
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