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What is the difference between online and offline dating?
Online dating is like going to a state fair – so many different sights, sounds, flavors and everyone is there to have a good time. It’s hard to decide what to do first – ride the rollercoaster, visit a food truck, or go see the fortune teller (or for some, the freak show).
As young adults this can be a thrill. Entering wide-eyed and curious, wondering how the night will end – with a sweet kiss on the Ferris wheel or getting sick after too many funnel cakes. Anyone can go online, create a profile and say what they want, without a filter. For more mature people the idea of going online for dates is a total nightmare filled with too much neon and glitter and (literally) running into people who are just as overwhelmed and unfocused as you. Fun for many, but this experience is not for everyone.
Offline dating -- defined as working with a personal matchmaker -- is like attending a private, invitation-only dinner party. The vibe is sexy and smooth; conversation flows easily with the other attendees. Most of the other invited people are like you (why do you think you got that invite anyway?). You’ll meet others who share a similar lifestyle and have alike experiences in the real world. Dinner parties aren’t quite therapeutic, but they can often renew your sense of how many options are out there.
Matchmakers can also provide coaching. Sometimes you’ll walk away with a new close (soon to be “closer”) friend, and other times you will have just enjoyed the atmosphere and mingling with others who share your life experience/intelligence/stability level. Hiring amatchmaker is like having a best friend who knows a TON of qualified single people and who manages your dating life FOR you. It’s like working with a personal trainer or a financial planner to get better results from your workout or your portfolio; but in the case of matchmaking the results are quality dates and ultimately a fulfilling, long-term relationship.
As single mature adults, we make our own choices. Both online and offline dating have their pros and cons. We certainly don’t want to say online dating doesn’t “work.” Many close friends and colleagues of ours (even in our industry) have tried it, and experienced great success. From our perspective, the success doesn’t come without a few bumps and bruises. In our experience, we have found offline dating to be less shocking and a more efficient way of meeting others with similar goals.
We are matchmakers, so of course we have lots of great things to say about offline dating, but we don’t knock online dating. If you are single and you want to meet someone, the first step is getting out there, however you choose to go about it. Whatever you decide, be proactive, and don’t hesitate!
Happy dating!XO, Kim and Meghann.
Mixology Executive Director Meghann Novinskie began her career as a matchmaker and dating expert in San Francisco at an international matchmaking agency where she was able to put her studies in psychology and obsession with sex and relationships to good use bringing together compatible singles. Meghann was recognized as one of the best matchmakers in the country, and it wasn’t long before she captured the notice of her colleague Kim Rosenberg, whom she met at a matchmaking conference in Las Vegas. When Kim formed the LGBT matchmaking agency, Mixology-Matchmaking with a Twist, she knew Meghann needed to be a part of it.
Kim Rosenberg, Founder and President of Mixology, once pursued a semi-professional soccer career where she learned the value of teamwork and being goal-oriented before she decided to use her leadership, understanding of people and psychology training to become a matchmaker. She founded Mixology in 2009 with the aim of filling a void in the LGBT singles community.
Soon after becoming business partners, Meghann and Kim started their personal relationship, proving that the saying doesn’t hold true, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Kim is the nurturer while Meghann is the straight shooter with their clients. Kim, who lives part time in Washington D.C., part time in LA, loves the outdoors, being tan, working out, and spoiling her girlfriend. Meghann, who lives in Los Angeles, has traveled the globe extensively, claims to be an athlete and boasts she is the most adaptable person on the planet.
Meghann and Kim enjoy traveling the country to see their clients. They are proud to say they have managed to live and work together without killing one another and continue to thrive in their long-distance relationship.
Mixology has offices, in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles with clients in six additional cities. Learn more about them at www.ReadyToMix.com .
