Learning - Four Lessons Every Beginner Should Know

            I slept in late the next day, relaxed all day and then went to my new job around 7pm. I arrived, excited and nervous. The night before, I had no idea what was going to happen. Now I felt I had to make the same amount, or more. After all, I now knew what I was in for, more or less. But getting from $0 to $600 still felt impossible. I was nervous, and knew I had a lot to learn still.

            Pimps

            The night goes about the same. I talk to everyone. Standing by the bar are a few young men. I go talk to one of them, see if he wants a dance. He's very flirty, and complements me on everything and anything. Asks me if he could get my number, we could go out for coffee sometime. I politely decline and walk away once I know it's not going anywhere. The manager comes up to me not long after and says, as politely as he can, that I should avoid "black men", especially young ones. I thank him, not knowing why. Later I learn that it is because they are most likely pimps. Thinking back, I realise now that's exactly who they were.

            Towels

            At another table two middle aged men are sitting and watching the show. I go over to them and they ask me to sit down with them. I oblige. As I'm sitting down, one of the men gestures at the chair and asks if I have a towel to sit on. I say, slightly confused, that I do not. Again, the manager later tells me that I should bring a towel with me so that I can sit on it at the tables. That way I don't get anything from the chairs on me, seeing as I am wearing a thong. Makes sense. I went and bought a purple bandana from the dollar store the next day.

            Schedule vs. Freelance

            As mentioned earlier, I had been asked when I first registered if I was on schedule or freelance. At the time, I had no idea what this meant. When a girl is "on schedule" it means she needs to be at the club for a certain time and cannot leave before a certain time. So, basically like being on shift at any other job. Generally, the night shifts are 6pm-1am or 7pm-2am. You are also required to do at least 3 stage shows throughout the night. At the end of your shift, you are paid by the club (the amount depends on the club), and your floor fee is covered. Freelance means you can come and go whenever you want. You are only required to do 1 stage show, however you are not paid by the club and you owe the club money at the end of the night. The amount depends again. I've seen it be anywhere from $30 to $90. Of course, these fees differ between clubs.

            Licenses

            Before starting at any club, you should find out what the laws are in that area. I know that the rules in Canada and the US are very different. For example, in many areas of the states, women are not allowed to get naked, only topless. Also, there are regulations on the outfits they can wear. When I was starting dancing in August, I was trying to research any of these rules in Ontario, but everything I found was for the States. Not useful. In Canada, or at least in Ontario, there are no limits to what you can wear in the strip clubs. You could walk around naked if you want to (but it's not recommended…). Anyway, the only main thing to look out for are licenses. Some regions you can work, you need a license. In downtown Toronto and some of the GTA region, you need to be licensed. This can be done by going to the police station, with government issued ID (I believe it's two pieces, with photos). The fee in Toronto is around $350 for the year, but it changes regularly. In Niagara Falls, the fee is $120.           

            By the end of my first night, I had earned almost $700. I bought a $500 Honda Civic, that was as old as I was, the next day. Certainly not glamorous but it had 4 wheels and got me from point A to point B. My first car. I was thrilled.