So, tell me what youre looking for in a girl, says Jane Carstens, her eyes lighting up with a genuine eagerness that puts me at ease. Once you tell me what youre looking for in a partner, thats when all of the magic starts.
The magic is starting on a comfy couch in the office of Matchmaker for Hire, Carstens business and passion that finds love for hundreds of single men and women in Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary. She started Matchmaker for Hire in 2009, but has played cupid for 13 years.
Ive always had a knack for understanding people, Carstens says. Before matchmaking, she did recruitment work for companies like IBM and PricewaterhouseCoopers. I love it and every day is a different day. Theres nothing better than getting that call about how great of a date it was or theyre getting married or a babys being born it gives me goosebumps when I hear about that.
Recently, she was told how well a date went by Vancouver Real Housewife Mary Zilba, who Carstens hooked up with fellow reality TV personality and philanthropist Brett Wilson of the Dragons Den.
Once Mary told me what she was looking for, I already had him in mind when I was taking the elevator down from her apartment, she says, shrugging her shoulders. We set them up on a lunch date and it was an instant hit.
But whether its high-profile or low-profile, Carstens can find a match for anyone more than 80 per cent of Matchmaker for Hires dates lead to a second meeting. Clients include men and women in their 30s and their 70s, from all types of backgrounds. Equally as flexible, her services range depending on the clients needs and expectations. She will even create customized ads to scout out the right person for you.
Young professionals are starting to see the value in this type of dating, of getting specific quit wasting time, she says. If you just cut to the chase and put some effort into it, it dramatically increases the odds of finding the right fit.
The process begins with an interview, and from there, Carstens and her team of love liaisons start looking through the database for matches. After that, they talk to both parties and arrange a time and place for the first meeting. If their arrows miss the mark on the first date, the team gathers feedback and returns to the drawing board.
My interview today is much more like a guided conversation, opening it up to answers about myself that I wasnt even aware of. You can almost see Carstens calculating the type of person Im most compatible with.
I guess Im a real estate agent for singles. When you want to buy a house, you dont want to see every house for sale you want your agent to take you to the ones that are a fit, she says clapping her hands for added emphasis. The team will also provide valuable coaching if the client needs it.
Some of our clients were married for 30 years and havent dated for 25 years they dont even know what to wear.
So what does she tell people who are tired of the dating scene.
Never stop trying just try something different. Go to a different coffee shop, try to step outside of the box of your routine, network outside your normal group of people.
