The cuddling business is booming. Case in point: Professional cuddler Samantha Hess’s one-woman operation is expanding and she's looking to add a few more cuddlers to her staff. Interested?
Last year, 29-year-old Hess launched Cuddle Up to Me, a Portland, Oregon-based company that sells nuzzling sessions. Hess is currently based out of her home and travels to see clients. Since she can only handle about five jobs per day, she's been putting prospective customers on a waiting list that usually averages two to three weeks. Since no one should have to wait that long for a proper cuddle, Hess will soon be opening a brick and mortar snuggle store.
“The only reason I don’t have a shop yet is because I haven’t had the time to look for a space,” Hess tells Yahoo Shine. Her plan is to have a location up and running in March and to hire six cuddlers to assist her.
So what exactly are the qualifications for becoming an expert embracer? “I have to find someone who can portray an image of unconditional love,” Hess explains. Her patrons run the physical gamut – some are attractive, some are obese, others are battling illnesses like Lou Gehrig’s disease or cancer – so having the ability to provide wholehearted acceptance of a human being is job requirement number one, she says.
Unfortunately, listing “lovable” as a characteristic on your job application won't guarantee you a position. “It’s tough because there’s not a resume that I can look at and say, This is the person,'" admits Hess.
News of her job openings was only announced a few days ago, but she’s already received about 300 emails and Facebook requests from those hoping to be hired (though she hasn't quite figured out a base salary for future employees yet). While it might sound like a cake job to some, Hess insists that her recruits will go through 40 hours of training to learn the intricacies of her specific spooning practice. Because sessions are entirely platonic, learning the nuances and moves of cuddling while staying firmly planted in the friend zone isn't all that simple.
Still want to apply? Hess’s e-book “Touch: The Power of Human Connection,” in which she dishes the secret to her spooning success, comes out this Valentine’s Day. You might wan to scan it for tips on acing that interview. Or you can just grab a loved one and practice, practice, practice ...
