Caressa saw an opening to fuse technology and practicality with an eye on success—for the gentlemen’s club industry—as the end result.
It wasn’t quite a nature-nurture dynamic that brought Caressa to Pole Position.
More like nurture-opportunity.
Caressa, who was raised to be open-minded and “think outside the box”, was invited to join a burgeoning software startup by its president and her friend, Todd.
So Caressa joined Indywork, parent company to the Pole Position app, in November 2018.
“I was interested in expanding my career into technology,” says Caressa, who immediately started working on the app and whose professional move marked her first step into the gentlemen’s club industry. “The more I was told about the vision, the Pole Position app and the benefits to both the clubs and the entertainers, I was intrigued. I could see there was a need for this technology and that it truly improved both sides of the industry. That, combined with the long-term vision of the company made me excited to become part of the team.”
ED Magazine spoke with Caressa to glean information about the app that lured her into the industry and also touched on what gets her jamming.
ED: For those who are unfamiliar with Pole Position, how would you describe the company and what it does in just a few sentences?
CARESSA: Pole Position is a professional platform for clubs and entertainers to connect on availability of bookings (time slots entertainers can choose to dance at a particular club), recruiting, marketing, and more.
From a club perspective, they can invite entertainers from across the country and have a better idea of how many entertainers want to come in on any given day/night. It provides the clubs with more tools and framework for running their side of the business.
From the entertainer side, they can market themselves to clubs across the country, find tutorial videos that help them increase their revenue and more. Being that most entertainers are in business for themselves, this also means that their identity is their business and now we provide them with tools for absolute success. The dancers can now run their business efficiently and effectively. We supply them with as many tools and framework as possible to do this successfully.
ED: What have been some of your impressions of the clubs you’ve visited, compared to the expectations you may have had?
CARESSA: Being new to this industry, I didn’t really know what to expect. I have been to many clubs in many states at this point and have learned that no two clubs are the same. Each club has a unique culture, ambiance, and feel.
ED: This was your first Expo—what was that experience like for you?
CARESSA: Professionally, it was like drinking from a firehose. We had a lot of interest in who we were and what we did, and we were grateful for the opportunity to be able to talk to everyone. I was so happy to meet club owners, managers, and dancers to tell them about Pole Position. So far, the feedback has all been really positive. I also enjoyed the show overall; the speakers were great and the events were a lot of fun. I cannot wait to go back next year.
ED: Do you think that Pole Position has the chance to change the way this industry operates, especially as it relates to “house” dancers in clubs?
CARESSA: Absolutely! Pole Position is the missing puzzle piece that has been needed in this industry. It offers scaffolding and tools to create a more professional environment for the clubs and the entertainers. Almost every industry out there has adapted to the changing times, except this industry. Having an app connect dancers and clubs seems so obvious right now, but surprisingly no one has taken this charge. We believe that because we are not owned or financed by the clubs, we are also not dancers (but we genuinely care about professionalism and success for both sides), This gives us the unique position that we have been able to develop a truly independent app that will bring both parties together in a new way. I really am excited about the opportunity to advance this industry. The app has so many amazing features right now that it is an easy decision for clubs and dancers to be a part of our community. In addition, there are so many other features that we are working on that will only make the experience better. Stay tuned.
Professionally, it was like drinking from a firehose. — Caressa says of attending EXPO 2019
ED: As this article is being done in conjunction with StripJointsMusic, if you were to ever receive (or even give) a lapdance, what song would you choose to play during the dance? And why that song specifically?
CARESSA: The first song that comes to mind is “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard. My closest friend in college was extremely conservative, but every time that song came on (regardless of where we were) she would get a minx smile and start dancing in a provocative manner around anyone close to her. Based on those memories, that song represents to me any woman being able to feel sexy in the moment.
ED: If you could see any concert or lineup of artists, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
CARESSA: There are so many choices for this answer. I love old soulful music so I would say:
· Chris Stapleton because his voice is so raw and amazing.
· Elton John because he is a legend
· Aretha Franklin, also a legend and even better if she was in a lineup with Marvin Gaye and Al Green.
· Guns N’ Roses because that was my first tape ever purchased.
Where were you born/raised: Denver
Current Company: IndyWork
Years employed at the company: One year in November
Favorite recording artist: I do love Beyoncé, she is fierce, strong, beautiful, independent, positive and talented.
Favorite industry pro: Being pretty new to this industry I don’t know many “pros,” the girls I know are from social media. My favorite industry pro from this perspective is Carmen from @rackstoriches.
Favorite part of EXPO: I enjoyed the Opening Night Kick-Off Party
Favorite part of your job: Getting to meet new people in new cities
Work pet peeve: GLITTER! GLITTER! GLITTER!
So what tunes does this techie like to get down to? Don’t miss Caressa’s personalized Spotify playlist right here!
