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14th August 2023
03:49pm BST
Age 14, Sebrena Verlice decided she wanted to be just like her mum when she grew up - a stripper.
The 23-year-old's mum, Sherry, a former exotic dancer, had given her some of her old costumes to try on and her mind was made up.
After just two days of practice on the pole Sebrena took to the stage, and three years later now earns a minimum of £100,000 a year.
After perfecting her skills using YouTube, the dancer now works 10-to-25 hours a week doing pole dances, private shows and lap dances.
Despite making enough money to buy a two-bedroom apartment, a fully paid-off Volkswagen Passat and £15,000 worth of cosmetic surgery - including a BBL, dermal fillers and laser hair removal - Sebrena says it's not easy.
While "sometimes you can have people throwing hundreds of dollars at you", she had also come home with just $100 from a shift, and had to deal with odd requests.
Sebrena, from Tampa Bay, Florida, said "Some people grow up and want to become an astronaut - but I remember passing by clubs in the car and thinking - ‘I’m going to be a dancer!’
“Growing up, I always perceived it as a completely acceptable and enjoyable profession, given the positive outlook my family had towards it."
Sebrena said while the movies often show stripping as easy money, not every night pays the same.
“The harsh reality is there are days I can go home with $10,000 - but there are days where I can go home with $100 (£78).
“Sometimes you can’t even sell one dance - sometimes you can have people throwing hundreds of dollars at you for the bare minimum.
“People seem to think we get paid hourly - but the majority of us pay a hefty fee to work daily and only make money from what we sell or tips.”
Sebrena’s mum, Sherry, 47, became a dancer in 1994, age 18, and worked in clubs around Pennsylvania until August 1998, two years before Sebrena was born.
A car crash left her with life-changing injuries which forced her to quit. It took her a year just to learn to walk again after the accident.
By this time, she decided to settle down and start a family.
She told Sebrena “so many cool stories” as she grew up - mentioning all the celebrities she’d meet and the money she’d made - and then gave her some hand-me-down costumes.
Sebrena thought they were cool and “couldn’t wait to show them off”.
When she turned 20, Sebrena moved to Florida and found a job as a manager at clothing store, Zumiez.
But, feeling like she was only just able to scrape by, she decided to pursue her dream of exotic dancing.
She bought a pole, a pair of pleaser heels and two dancer outfits.
After practicing on the pole for two days straight - she decided to drive to her first club and ask for an audition.
“I drove to Clearwater, sat in my car and worked up the nerve to go into the club and ask for an hour-long audition,” she said.
“They had me do my paperwork and told me my audition would be my first day.
“I made $300 (£236), worked for two hours - and then left. I was mortified. “
The harsh reality is, sometimes you can make a lot of money and sometimes you can make no money. It can be like pulling teeth.”
Sebrena compared her body, her confidence and the way she walked in heels to the other women in the club.
She didn’t feel like she could talk to customers as well as everyone else - and was told "people could tell she was new” by the men she danced for.
But she decided to learn everything she could about giving lap dances, selling rooms and perfecting her on-stage dancing - by watching videos on YouTube.
Sebrena said: “Instead of giving up I made myself learn everything I could… fast forward three years and here we are!”
But Sebrena doesn’t think the industry is for everyone.
She also believes not everyone would be able to deal with the strange requests she receives from punters.
“I’ve whipped men in champagne rooms for hours,” she said.
“I’ve used my heels to crush male genitalia before.
“It’s also important going into this that you’re aware people can - and do - overstep your boundaries at any time. A man once ran up to me, put his finger in my behind and then ran back out the door.
“Sometimes you can’t prevent it, unfortunately.”
Sebrena says she mostly finds stripping an empowering job - and says it works well for her.
“My journey has taught me the importance of breaking free from preconceived ideas. It has been a stepping stone in my personal growth - and I’ve developed skills in communication and self-assurance.”
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