have been a
matchmaker for
Elite Connections
for the last 20 years. I have had a lot of clients try online dating. I have heard the stories about people being deceitful, inauthentic, lying about who they are -- their age, their photos, what they do for a living, marital status, commitment level -- the list goes on and on. As you navigate dating online, don’t always believe everything you hear and see.
You have to be a bit of a detective and do your homework. Never give away too much detailed information upfront. Remember, these "matches" could be anyone with a criminal history, so you need to be safe and cautious when letting strangers, no matter how perfect they seem, into your life. It is a good idea to have a call and possibly a virtual chat before setting up a date to make sure they look like their photos and you feel comfortable meeting in person. It could also be good to get a last name and Google search them as you can find a lot about a person on Google. There are also criminal databases that you can look people up with their name and birth year. When you do meet in person, make sure it is a place you are comfortable with and around a lot of people. Do not go on a hike or picnic in a desolated area in the beginning. Be careful and cautious and let someone know where you are, just in case.
We as matchmakers do all the upfront screening for our clients. They can be confident that anyone they are meeting is authentic and has been vetted by our company. We make sure everything lines up with their job, where they live, their criminal history, divorce history and recent photos. We meet and interview everyone and make appropriate matches based on each person, their preferences and who we feel would be a good fit for them. We have a great success rate because people that come to us are serious about finding the right person. They are investing in a company like ours and are taking the process quite seriously to find a quality introduction. We feel like we are setting up our friends together.
Of course, even meeting through a matchmaker people need to be careful and cautious. Intentions are not always visible right off the bat, even if everything else seems to line up. Just like when meeting through a friend, you need to get to know someone pretty well before letting them fully into your life. For first dates, we always suggest a lunch or dinner date at a place that makes you feel comfortable. After the dates we always get feedback from both people and relay that feedback, which can be so helpful to not have to wonder what they thought about you. Maybe you did something to turn them off, so it is so nice to be able to help people with information that they would not normally get without my help. Then, they either continue to date or we make another match until we find them the right one.
So, as you navigate meeting new people, I would always
suggest to be open minded but careful. Try something new and
different outside of your comfort zone, because if you are doing the same old thing, nothing will ever change. Say yes to trying new things. If someone invites you to something, then go, because you never know where you could meet new people. Enjoy life, have fun and live every day to the fullest. Surround yourself with good people that lift you up and be the best person possible.
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