What’s it like as ‘house mom’ at Bourbon Street strip clubs?

Amid the neon glow of Bourbon Street and the swell of club music, there’s a hidden pulse helping run New Orleans’ nightlife industry, particularly inside the strip clubs that have long been a fixture of French Quarter culture.

While the industry has its front-facing figures like club promoters, bouncers and bartenders, there's a more intricate network beyond the surface.

Flower Lam, a Westbank native, was working as a nail technician eight years ago when she was first introduced by a Bourbon Street dancer to the inconspicuous yet thriving ecosystem.

Lam was long revered as the house mom inside the walls of Rick’s Saloon, a role that required her to help feed, support and even give makeovers to the club’s dancers until the venue shut down in 2018.

But she arrived back on the scene in 20