Money
Fees, taxes, tracking and keeping what you make.
Easy cash in good months becomes a lifestyle that needs the job forever; pay yourself a fixed salary from a good month's floor, and move the rest into the exit.
Your real number is what you walk out with after the house fee, tip-outs, club cuts, card haircuts and fines, divided by hours; gross is a story.
Track every dollar in and out, set aside 25 to 35 percent of net as you earn it, pay quarterly, deduct what is for work, and hire a tax pro who knows cash.
Split every night's net into four envelopes before you sleep: tax (25 to 35 percent), next shift's fees, savings, and spending; the fourth pile is your pay.
Keep six weeks of living costs plus fees in an account you do not touch; a broken leg, a dead summer or a club closing can stop your income overnight.