This week’s Matchmaker Says is all about the talented and beautiful Lisa Yanni! Last week, Lisa was featured in The Evening Tribune in an article authored by Jason Jordan, focused on unconventional careers. Like many of our matchmakers Lisa came to us from several (seemingly) unrelated fields–teaching and IT recruitment.
In Jordan’s words: “Tawkify doesn’t have a mandated formula for its matchmakers to follow, but there are a few good general principles they follow.” Yanni elaborates:
“They do choose people from similar backgrounds. Some people have a more analytical perspective towards matchmaking, and others from recruiting backgrounds,” she said.
Several weeks ago Heartalytics editor, Valerie, interviewed Tawkify Director of Operations, Julia Armet, to get the scoop on what she looks for when hiring. She highlighted the following qualities as essential: persistence, accountability, skilled in communication, compassionate, nurturing, and creative.” I think most would agree these qualities are also essential to the effectiveness of a teacher.
Yanni shares her perspective:
“I think you need to have empathy and a high emotional intelligence,” she said. “It’s a very emotional business. It’s someone’s love-life and it’s easy for clients to become frustrated when they haven’t found the one.”
“You’re basically hired to be like a best friend, but also a leader who can take charge for people who haven’t had success on their own and point them in the right direction,” Yanni explained.
Matchmaker Lisa Yanni with her fiancé.
Both Yanni and Director of Tawkify Operations, Armet, agree that there are challenges that come with the job. A specific hardship Yanni struggles with is the necessity of making judgements about attractiveness. She describes her mixed feelings about it below:
“Sometimes I feel like it’s in opposition to my more feminist side, but I also have to be objective,” she said. “People who fall in love are usually equals in physical looks, so there is a level of objectivity to it.”
Jordan explains further: “There are a number of obstacles matchmakers help their clients overcome. Most people have very high standards, or may let some attributes overshadow others that produce proven results.”
In Yanni’s words:
“I work with a lot of high power women, and a lot of them want to date someone in their league, so they will want an executive. They have specific taste, and that’s why they go to a matchmaker to find what they want.”
“There are some people who are out of touch with the reality they may need to compromise a bit,” she said. “Sure, we want everything we want, but maybe 80 percent might be a sweet spot, and cause you to change the way you think.”
Related: Diana, author of the Love Gates series, discusses the downfalls of operating your love life with a strict list in Heartalytics article, Delist Your Love Life.
Jordan’s interview with Yanni also highlights an integral benefit to working with a Matchmaker; which is, even if you don’t find love, you may just rediscover… your confidence, your mojo, heck–maybe you’ll rediscover yourself. In Yanni’s words:
“Just getting out there and going on dates can be a big step for somebody, and if they don’t find love, they carry the things they learned into their own dating life.”
It seems completely appropriate to end this one as we normally do:
DATE ON brave singletons!
Love,
The Matchmakers
