aisley Lick is an avid herbalist, a devoted mother, and a fiercely independent entrepreneur in a business traditionally dominated by men. Most exotic dancers are beholden to managers who control their bookings and incomes. "Paisley," who performs with partner "Deva" as the Lick Sisters, declared independence from this one-sided tradition by taking their act online. She cybersurfs up to five hours a day, hosting forums for fans, promoting performances, and staying in touch with booking agents. In addition to free soft-core pictures, the Lick Sisters website includes provocative political content and a paid admission area with more explicit images. Paisley boasts that the site has also saved a bundle on Federal Express bills. Now when customers place special orders online, she simply uploads their requests and charges their credit cards.

Paisley, 26, is completely self-taught in online technology and promotion. She's proud of her business success. "We're not typical computer geeks," she said, "but the minute I got on the Internet, I saw the possibilities. I couldn't stand flipping through the World Wide Web and not having a site up. It drove me crazy until I did it myself."