I had lost my previous job, and my new job paid about half what I'd been earning. That's not what makes this story unique. I'm just one of a few million Americans who are in the same boat. What makes this story somewhat unique is what I ended up doing about it.
It all started as I was sitting in front of my computer looking for a part-time job to supplement my meager income. I had hit a few job sites and was working on a list of places where I might apply. Then, as I so often do when I'm practicing avoidance, I began surfing the porn sites and thinking about what story I would write next for the Literotica website.
It may have been a confluence of ideas, a moment of serendipity, or a touch of insanity. Whatever it was that caused me to do it, I soon had a pile of brand new business cards that I had made. They read:
G-STRING BUTLERS, INC.
Ready to Serve Your Every Need
Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx after 5pm
Email: wannabyour@xxx.com
It had been one of my recurring fantasies β being someone's servant. Instead of writing about it, I decided, why not try to make it come true?
Over the next two weeks, I started handing out business cards. I thought of it as my marketing strategy. Every evening after I got off work, I would go to a different bar. I would strike up a conversation with someone. Then, by way of introducing myself, I would hand them a business card.
The business cards proved to be great icebreakers. Frequently, I'd get a laugh. Then the person would ask about the business. I would tell them that I was the owner; that I had three employees. Then I would make up stories about some of the jobs we had done. The stories would be outrageous of course, and they would elicit all sorts of reactions. But I invariably would have the listener's undivided attention.
What started out as a difficult marketing plan, (I'm not a natural when it comes to small talk) soon became great fun. I would find myself dreaming up all sorts of stories about the services G-String had provided, and then I would embellish the tales based on what I guessed the listener's interests might be. I would also find a way to include two facts about my business: first, that there was almost no type of service my company wouldn't provide, and second, that we were trustworthy servants and never revealed the names of our clients.
I was having a good time handing out these cards, but truthfully I never really expected to get any business. If I had been marketing a topless female cleaning service, it might have been one thing. But who's going to trust a man who wears g-strings?
Then, one day, I arrived home to find an email waiting for me:
Daniel,
I'm having a get-together later this week and may have need of your services. If you are available, could you stop by this Thursday about 7pm? We can make arrangements at that time.
Directions to my home are attached.
Sincerely,