Do you prefer big spoon or little spoon? It doesn’t matter to professional cuddler, Samantha Hess. At just 30 years old, Hess has created a niche employment opportunity–for $60 an hour, she will intimately snuggle with all types of strangers. Essentially her service brings her customers one-on-one cuddle time without any of the complications of a relationship. The idea for this fledgling business came to her back in 2012 when she saw the viral campaign for “Free Hugs.” As the campaign caught on, a savvy entrepreneur stood next to the freebie offer with a sign that simply read “Deluxe Hugs, $2.” In the end, the guy charging two bucks for hugs got more action than the first guy. Hess took this idea and applied it to the basic desire to be loved and accepted–regardless of your relationship status. Hess said she loves each of her clients with “human grace,” and her “clients know that I don’t judge them at all; I just accept people.”
Cuddle Up to Me was started in 2013 and just a short month later her business was featured in a local newspaper on the “Best of Portland” list. From there, her story spread like wildfire, was <a” href=”http://www.cuddleuptome.com/media-press/” target=”_blank”>picked up by over 40 television station (including USA Today and CBS News) and just like that, her business took off. Professional cuddling is Hess’ only job, but she says makes more than enough to support herself and her lifestyle. Next up for Hess is to open her first retail shop, create a national cuddling certification (it takes 40 hours of training to earn!) and, on a much larger scale, to change the Western culture’s view on platonic touch. “I call my service a ‘massage for the mind. It’s meant to rejuvenate you and make you feel that openness and happiness in your brain by resetting your system from top to bottom.”
