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Robert Johnson/Business Insider1 of 17
by Robert Johnson
Early last year in Williston there had been too much attention focused on the local gentlemen's clubs for any strippers to talk with me about what they earned, but apparently that's changed.
John Eligon from The New York Times just visited the North Dakota boomtown and one visiting dancer says she often earns more than $1,000 a night. That may be a conservative estimate as word last year was dancers were making two to three times that amount, but club owners were concerned with IRS attention and prohibited employees from speaking to the press.
With nearly two men for every woman, tension and opportunity often run high. Eligon tells the story of a local 22-year-old woman bar patron offered $7,000 for a few hours of nude cocktail service. The five guys making the offer just wanted to spice up their mixed martial arts viewing, anything to cut the monotony, lack of women, and long hours in the fields.
Back in New York last year Williston resident Kelsey Nehring contacted me offering insight into what working at one of the strip clubs, and her life, was like. She sent most of the following pictures...
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND2 of 17
"Life is not all smiles and strippers," Kelsey says.
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND3 of 17
And for the guys, it's a lot of dancing alone at the local bars.
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND4 of 17
She said she starts every day with these three things.
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND5 of 17
And listens to a lot of '60s and '70s music!
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND6 of 17
She calls this her restoration area - where she turns a shop hand into a "hot, drink-slinger ;)"
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND7 of 17
"As you can see," she says, "I have a shoe fetish"
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND8 of 17
Her truck, "the purple people eater!"
See Also: The Williston Boomtown Girls Could Make the Best Reality Show Ever
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND9 of 17
A twenty minute drive to work is spent "chain-smoking" and listening to music.
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND10 of 17
At the club she first needs to stock the bar from this conex container in back - the interior is devoted to hold as many guests as possible with little room for storage.
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND11 of 17
At the club Kelsey narrates: "This is the dressing room at the club. It gets pretty crowded when there are 13 girls in here getting ready."
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND12 of 17
"This is the lap dance room. On average there is 2 dances per room. Sorry for the blurry pic. As you can see I am getting tickled by one of the bouncers."
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND13 of 17
"This is the bar when I open at 3:00. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to get it all set up. I'm usually there til close at 2:00 am. "
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND14 of 17
"The best thing about North Dakota is you can still smoke in the bars! At least in my opinion, as I am a smoker."
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND15 of 17
"This is my church key. I thought it was fitting for the environment :)"
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND16 of 17
"This is one of my bouncers. Things can sometimes get out of hand and I'm glad they are on my side!"
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Kelsey Nehring/Williston ND17 of 17Next: The Funniest Photos You'll See Today
"Angela. She is one of the dancers and one of the best I've seen at using the pole."
Related: Check Out What Woman-Free Life Is Like Outside the Club
