If you are a successful, busy person, you know how much energy, time and effort are required to accomplish your career goals. If you are a reasonably good parent, you know how much patience, nurturing and planning go into caring for your children and/or pets.
Even if you are superhuman or independently wealthy, your car won’t service itself. The groceries don’t magically appear in the pantry. Armed with good intentions and your own Roomba, your home doesn’t automatically clean and
maintain itself. Most of us don’t align our own teeth, roof our own houses or chase birds out of the chimney. And even if we were capable of doing any of
those things, would we have the time or desire to do them with the speed,
efficiency or precision of a true professional in the field?
Maybe it’s time you went back to the future…can you find modern love in a
traditional, old style way? Throughout the ages, and still in many cultures today, people have relied on
proven methods for finding their soul mates. Churches and Synagogues have
had unofficially (and even sometimes officially) ordained matchmakers looking
out for their parishioners and aspiring to find just the right matches to bring
love, commitment and steadfastness to people within their communities.
In many cultures, even today, young people rely heavily on parents or “elders”
to help “make a match”. The attitude is that, a lifetime of experience coupled
with knowledge of standards and expectations are worthwhile qualifications in
choosing the “right one”. Maybe it’s time you met Carrie Daichman. She’s part relationship guru,
part comforting best friend and part enthusiastic dynamo. Carrie, one of
about 1200 certified matchmakers nationwide, has been at the helm of It
Takes 2 for over a decade. She’s developed a client base of over three thousand
people in that time. Prior to that, she worked nationally for a well known
dating service. After five years with the “other guys” she ventured out on her
own and has never looked back. Below are excerpts from our recent interview with Carrie:

SPL: There is a plethora of dating website out there—we see them advertised
all the time. With the wide range of choices and anonymity these sites afford, I
would imagine they are serious competition for your business.

CD: Oh, not at all. The websites have served an important function, to an extent.
They have provided people an opportunity to “shop” for a partner without
pressure or commitment. But, people who have done that sort of chatting and
/or meeting for awhile can become weary of the process. Screening is minimal
—members are disenchanted to find that people are not always honest with their
ages, profiles or appearance. It is common that the online photos are really not
representative of the website member. Also, it can be disheartening to return home
from a date with someone you’ve met through a site and find that they are back
on the site looking for their next match. Too much information can be a bad thing.

SPL: When ads in the personals sections of magazines and newspapers began gaining momentum a decade or more ago, one of the mental roadblocks for a lot of people, women especially, was, “how do you really know what you are getting?” People are usually not very good at unbiased
self assessment.

CD: True, a lot of people need an impartial, fair-minded
approach to really help them focus in on their true qualities,
both strengths and weaknesses. And, by understanding
themselves, what they are looking for in a relationship can
become clearer.

SPL: What are people looking for in relationships?

CD: People want fidelity. They want to be valued. They
want to know that, in the end, the life that they have lived
has been worthwhile. They want to make a positive difference
in the life of someone else and have someone do the same
for them. We want to be wanted and to be validated. It’s
all very basic, when you get down to it.

SPL: Why hire a matchmaker? Isn’t that like waving a white
flag and saying “I give up! I’ve failed!”

CD: On the contrary, the message is not about failure. It is
about acknowledging that the business of life is time consuming
and demanding. We hire professionals for all types
of things—lawn care, tax preparation, home improvements,
car repairs, medical diagnosis, etcetera. The list goes on
and on. I’m sure you know what I mean. Enlisting the help
of a professional matchmaker is like bringing in a business
partner to help with an all important aspect of your life.
Once a client walks through my door, I’ve generally found
that they are “ready” to be in a relationship.

SPL: What types of activities does a matchmaker do?

CD: I interview people, screen candidates and discover
all the important aspects to finding a compatible match.
I have accurate photos and background checks. My
years of experience, my credentials and my track record
with satisfied clients allow me to bring a focus to matching
people and partners that many people have been
unable to achieve on their own. Once two candidates
meet, they give me feedback and we decide what the
next step will be. I always say that the goal of a first
date is to decide whether there will be a second date.

SPL: Do people ask for your feedback on aspects of themselves?
Specifically, I can imagine you might be asked for your
opinion on whether they should change something about themselves
before a first meeting?

CD: (laughing) Well, as you might imagine, the people who
ask me what they might change about themselves seem to be
the ones who need the least amount of change and of course,
vice versa.

SPL: Carrie, you’ve really opened my eyes to the professionalism
of your business. It is not as intimidating as I
would have originally thought. I can see how you have the
ability to immediately put a potential client right at ease.
Although we didn’t know each other before this interview,
we have zeroed in on our common ground as busy working
women and moms on the go. I feel like we are old friends.
Thank you for spending this time with me. By the way, I
have one more nagging question for you: What if you can’t
find a match for someone?

CD: True, some matches can take a little longer than others.
But it is my absolute belief that “every pot has its lid!”
What a fitting way to “cap off” this interview.

Contact Carrie Daichman:
It Takes 2
4050 Innslake Drive, Suite 110 • Glen Allen, VA 23060
804-967-9911 (phone) • 804-967-9366 (fax)
434-977- 9911 (Charlottesville)
MeetRight1@aol.com (email )
www.ittakes2online.com (web)