When it comes to being a matchmaker, I often get asked: “Gina, how do you make your matches?”
And well, since I only work with men as the “client,”—I can be a fierce mama bear when it comes to looking out for their best interest which can be a fine line to navigate. Because I also, in good conscience, want to look out for the women in my database even though technically they aren’t my client. Successful Matchmaking is a combination of many things: Integrity, a keen eye, intuition, hustle, resilience, and then luck. It’s deplorable that anyone (and I mean anyone) can call themselves a Matchmaker. Those who do it because they think they can make a quick buck off of someone looking for love–will not stay in business for long. There are no shortcuts or bargains when it comes to working with a highly skilled Matchmaker.
When I first started my business in 2008–it was common for men who wanted a break on the price to ask if they could work with me for six months of Matchmaking instead of a year. And because I didn’t know better back then, I would do it. Not anymore. Now when someone asks for a six-month time frame, I say–ok, but it’ll be double the price. Why? Because a shorter time frame means I have to work twice as fast, to find him the right match. As I said, there are no shortcuts when it comes to making the right match for someone.
Therefore, “How do you make your matches?” can be a complicated question to answer and really depends on which Matchmaker you ask. I can only answer the question from my perspective and experience. So here goes.
Step One:
Before I even agree to work with someone as a client, I have to get a clear understanding of the type of woman they want to meet. I have to make sure that they are sincerely looking for a real relationship, are emotionally available, and truly ready when the right one shows up.
Too many people think they are in the right place, but the majority aren’t. And I can spot it right away in just a few conversations or feedback on photos—what they share with me in terms of qualities they seek in a partner, can be quite revealing.
Step Two:
If it is the right fit and I agree to work with someone, the hunt begins! I have a team ready to jump in right along with me when needed. We are always given pretty specific directives, and it’s up to us to think out of the box and scour every nook and cranny to find her. Initially, though, I will always start by setting them up with women from my database. This is so important to my process because the more feedback I get from both people, the better I get to know them through the eyes of their dates.
Step Three:
As a starting point, I create a specific, unique strategy based on the exact type of woman the client wants to meet. For example—if he wants someone very into fitness, we get creative. First brainstorming search terms to locate, places she might go, friends, she might have, and from there, we spend hours and hours of research online. I find doing online research is a MUCH better use of time to find and access people, especially if one is looking for someone particular. Let’s say he wants tall model types who aren’t models but have professional careers. In this case, we focus on education first, work second, and hold our breath, hoping that she also meets the physical requirements.
So, after this highly time-intensive search, bingo we find several that seem to fit all of the requirements.
Then what…
STEP FOUR:
I get them to fill out a profile and from there weed through and narrow them down.
Then I dive deeper. Will he like her education? Will he like her career? Will there be common interests on both sides? Is he what she’s looking for in a partner?
If I feel these two people would be attracted to each other and share common goals and interests, I give it the green light. He sees her profile, they both agree to meet.
Step Five:
We set up the date along with all of the details. And their job is to show up and see if chemistry kicks in.
And me? Well, I go to bed looking forward to waking up to happy text messages telling me that all of our hard work paid off and that they would love to see each other again!