Welcome! Today I’m talking to a cuddly broad from Portland, Oregon, who is the owner of Cuddle Up To Me, a professional cuddling service. She is Samantha Hess and has become an expert on the subject of cuddling. In the past two years, Samantha has done over 300 interviews, written a book, opened a 3500 sq. ft. retail space, and hired her first three employees. She recently designed and ran the world’s first cuddling convention and directs the only hands-on certification program to standardize and legitimize the profession. Let’s cuddle up to Samantha and learn more about her interesting profession!
Here’s what Samantha has to say about her journey as a professional cuddler:
She married her high school sweetheart and then became single again at age 28. “I would pay someone for a good hug,” she thought. Her first steps to making her dream a reality were to purchase a web domain and create a website. She hired a lawyer and then passed out business cards and flyers. Within one month, she was featured in a magazine article. Samantha views her business as a therapy and not something sexual or romantic. “We all go through moments in life when we feel unloved, unappreciated, and invisible; we have to have somewhere to go.” There is sneakiness between the very few competitors in the snuggling business! Samantha explains! Samantha says if she had to do something differently, she would have gone more with her gut instinct and intuition rather than listen to business experts. Samantha shares her personal story of growing up in an abusive household with a drug and alcohol-addicted parent. She freely gave affection but then married someone who felt the opposite. Listen to her story! In addition to Samantha’s family issues, she went through a time of obesity, then lost significant weight, obtained her degree in fitness, and then became a personal trainer. She has also been in eight car accidents and suffers from chronic back pain. When she posted job openings for employees for her new retail location, she received over 6000 applications! She narrowed the list to 30 people whom she interviewed. It was a tedious process to make sure she hired the right people. Her certification program costs less than $1000 and reveals her secrets and techniques. It teaches anyone how they can open and operate their own cuddling business. Samantha’s career highlight is her work with a special ALS-diagnosed client who has become a regular. She knows she makes a positive difference in Adam’s life. Samantha also shares what keeps her going each day, her favorite business hack, and what she has on her professional bucket list before 2016 rolls around. Samantha says, “I’m not in this to make a billion dollars. I don’t care about the money. I care about changing peoples’ lives and making a difference for someone.”Resources:
