A Prostitute's Guide to Success: My Life, Struggles and Successes

The influx of technology into Silicon Valley brought unaccustomed luxuries to many residents, along with a craving for fast money and sex. As a young single mother, Tanisha Nicole Billops worked in this flashy setting for years. But at age twenty-seven, she found herself in financial ruin, contemplating suicide. What went so wrong so quickly?

This honest personal account goes deep into the author’s past, starting with her beloved grandparents’ story, and depicts her experiences coming of age as an African American woman in San Jose.

Billops had to grow up quickly in a world that wouldn’t cut her any breaks. A professional model at the age of fourteen, she dealt with depression and used promiscuity as a way to fit in. As she made her way in the alluring culture of Silicon Valley’s rich and famous, she spent time as an exotic dancer, a prostitute, and a girlfriend of NFL players.

In this powerful memoir, Billops relates her struggles with poverty, racism, and other obstacles with the brutal honesty of someone who dealt with the challenges head on. The self-acceptance and success she ultimately found along her bumpy journey will inspire readers who are facing adversity to carry on.

Tanisha Nicole Billops was raised in San Jose, California, where she lived with her mother, brother, and grandparents. From her grandmother she learned the value of education, and she holds both a bachelor of arts in human development and certification in education.