Whirlwind week!

Monday and Tuesday of this week consisted of over 20 interviews of women who had submitted their info to meet our VIPs. These screenings give me a good read on any “standouts” who might make an exceptional match for any client of ours who has given me the authority to search everywhere for his match. Each week I get hundreds of submissions from women who are single, searching, and want to apply to meet a VIP. We hold regular castings to interview the ones we feel might have that “it” factor.

This week we met such impressive, candid, intelligent, and really “have their sh*t together” sort of women. Unfortunately we can’t represent everyone we meet but are currently in the process of selecting a few gems who are excellent matches for our current clients. The other lovely women, who graciously took time from their busy lives to meet Aimi and I, who are not a match for someone at this exact moment will remain in the Linx database. We encourage everyone who is not a match right now to check back in a couple of months. This is about “inventory” – supply and demand.

Today I’ve received a ton of “thank you” emails from the various candidates we met.  They really made me feel good about what we accomplished and I would like to share some of the excerpts here:

You guys have great energy and I giggled all the way home:)

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share and converse with you.

It was truly a pleasure! You ladies are very classy and truly know your stuff!

Sometimes dating can be difficult, stressful, and even depressing…I really appreciate your insight and perspective, thanks for sharing some of your tips.

Today I did a photo shoot with celebrity photographer Justin Coit who shot my Vanity Fair photo shoot back in August 2012. Justin is extremely talented and mostly does celebs in LA (including a lot of work with Rachel Zoe)…so getting him (with his assistant of choice named Pepe) to fly up to the Silicon Valley for the day is beyond lucky.  Check out Justin’s blog entry about the Linx shoot for Vanity Fair…http://justincoit.com/vanity-fair

The story is for a European magazine called MYSELF which is a Condé Nast publication. A journalist named Anne Philippi who is a former writer for Rolling Stone and GQ flew up from LA a few weeks ago to spend after afternoon at Linx getting to know me and the unique cottage industry of matchmaking in Silicon Valley.

From the shoot today…this is my hubbie’s shot he got quickly in between Justin’s. Peplum dress Ted Baker and semi precious necklace from Bella Rosa in Los Gatos. Pepe next to me with light diffuser. Priceless.

My morning started bright and early with hair and makeup at my house.  Today, my hair stylist, Jaye, added temporary extensions for the shoot which was fun….extra hair is heavy to “carry around” on your head all day!  Makeup was in a similar elegant style to VF thanks to Bianca. I headed to downtown Palo Alto to Cafe Epi (had never been) on University where I did a quick change of clothes (according to what Justin suggested I wear for the first look) and followed his guidance. Thank goodness celebrity stylist, Hasti Khashfia, pulled together some great looks for me with less than 8 hours notice by me. Hasti styled me for VF and works regularly with Randi Zuckerberg.

We spent over two hours on University Avenue getting shots of me walking, fake talking on the mobile, fake typing on the computer, and sipping a nonfat cap (while drooling over the yummy colorful macaroons he bought for the shoot.) In the middle of some shots, his assistant Pepe squealed all of a sudden. He had been so quiet up until that point. I inquired what happened?! Get this…apparently some elderly man had walked by and pinched Pepe’s derriere while Pepe was holding a photography umbrella to diffuse the strong outdoor light! Who honestly knew SUCH scandalous behavior happened in the broad daylight in Palo Alto, on University Avenue, outside a cafe…from a man in his late 70’s no less! Wowza! I guess Pepe was flattered? 😉

Afterwards we followed my husband around town in our separate cars trying to locate some great views of the Silicon Valley for a second round of afternoon shots and we decided the Stanford Dish would be best. We all took an hour break and then reconvened there.  Pepe met me at the base of the Dish and literally was my sherpa, carrying a garment bag and tote up the massive hill to the second location that Justin had found. What a gentleman! Picture me schlepping up the vertical climb in sneaks with my extensions and outfit on and Pepe hunched over with my crap.

Breathless, we arrived at the top of the peak and the guys found the optimal light and angle for a new series of gorgeous photos. It’s a little challenging, let me tell you, having to do a clothing change in broad daylight with strangers trekking up the dish with googly eyes wondering “what” is going on. I owned it and just rolled with it not caring if a teenage boy with his mom saw my exposed bra or awkward facial expression of a hee hee hee yeah this is me in nature changing into a dress here right now so turn your head thanks. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gots to do…right?!

Justin is such a great photographer and director because he makes the experience painless and guides you. It is effortless and becomes much easier to get through because of his skill, direction, eagle eye, creativity, humor, and professionalism. One of Justin’s pictures unreleased till now from the VF shoot in August. Look at my stunning girlfriend Renee in black and the legs on the gorgeous guest next to her!Another Justin Coit pic from the VF party. My husband looks too cute! And my pic Justin took from the VF shoot in August….love the richness of all the colors. Dress is Ted Baker styled by Hasti Kashfia

Tomorrow we have more footage we need to get for another media piece with ABC News 7. I have arranged for my client George to have a coffee date in the morning with a lovely Danish woman who has graciously agreed to participate in this piece. After that wraps, I need to catch up on emails big time….being away from the office doing media projects makes the emails pile up on one another.  Friday I have a new VIP coming on board, which is fantastic. If the weather permits, I think we’ll do our meeting over lunch al fresco.

My days are literally never alike and there are always a wide range of emotions as well. From one couple that is elated at meeting one another reporting back with rave reviews for feedback, to not so great news like breakups. I really feel my clients’ pain when they go through hard times and sometimes end their Linx relationships. I think breakups are definitely one of “the” most difficult aspects of my job that I never look forward to – especially as I am always rooting on the sidelines as their biggest fans when they are coupled up.  It’s kind of like I am breaking up with them if that makes sense. We’ve so invested in this process together.

Now I can’t wait to kick my feet up for the night and just spend time with my husband and son (pup) whom I feel like I’ve been neglecting this week. We call it parachuting in and out of the home life. This week I’ve been so tethered to work that I have been parachuted out of my family time for a lot of it but luckily for me have parachuted back in…at least for tonight to catch up on those nearest and dearest to my heart.

Follow me on Twitter @linxdating

This Week in Perspective

Holy moly….it has been non-stop here…been a little delinquent in my regular blogging. The phone is ringing off the hook, we’ve seen tons of clients and prospects at the office this week, and heard some great news about some of our couples…getting engaged in the near future and others… the faint sound of wedding bells in the distance with the wedding date set!

I‘ve had the pleasure of meeting some total dynamo new clients this week and prospects who are soon to be new clients. One prospect brought a lovely bottle of wine sharing that she felt she was arriving to “my house” and thus a little hostess gift. Sweet, thoughtful, and kind….

The energy around here is enthusiast, vibrant, and super positive. Linx clients are feeling energized and it seems like readier than ever to find love this summer. We are experiencing a high volume of women applying for memberships and have instated a wait list as such for new premium female clientele for a few months so we can focus on our current client base. The good news is lots of uber desirable men are knocking on our doors. A surge in quite attractive, mid  to late 40’s, very successful, and divorcees seem to be a current trend. That demographic makes a great new member at Linx for us! His blueprint is that of family and marriage. He’s been there before and desires that again! Getting ready for a new client appointment. Gluten free maple cookies on a silver tray. Heels off, running around the office. R & B streaming today.

The Silicon Valley remains a hot spot (despite lots talking about an exodus of people/companies heading from the Valley to San Francisco for living/positioning company headquarters there very reminiscence of the dot com boom) and I am contacted nearly every single day by production companies in LA to discuss my own TV show. I’m not saying never. I’m not saying yes either.

Is the Silicon Valley becoming the new Hollywood 3.0? Look at what the talented Randi Zuckerberg is doing with her production company Zuckerberg Media. Do you think Hollywood should infiltrate Silicon Valley? What becomes too much at a certain point?

I always learn so much from my clients. Sometimes I hear really depressing stories about my clients lives, other times stories that are completely inspiring. In one day it can go from a meeting starting with clients eyes welling up in tears speaking about their past, to another meeting filled with excitement and jitters about finding a new love.

My days are spent doing a lot of listening and trying to always be as empathetic as I can. It helps having gone through “crap” in my time and working a lot to further enhance my emotional intelligence. From commitment phobes, to cheaters, to plain mean jerks…I’ve experienced a lot in my many relationships prior to my marriage.  Of course, there have been some truly amazing good, genuine guys I’ve called boyfriends in between the occasional naughty black sheep. Relating to my clients and in many cases having been in “their shoes” makes this process much more understandable for me and comfortable for my clients. They like that I “get them” and that the Linx process is approachable and relatable.

One of our new Linx members wrote me something today after our client interview, “thanks so much for taking the time to get a good read on me. Your powers of perception leave me in awe.”

We have a very busy next week with a sold out casting screening women for our clients and a photo-shoot taking place for a European magazine (equivalent of Elle). The photog is flying up from LA on Weds so if you happen to be around University Avenue in Palo Alto, I will be there somewhere with him getting shots of quintessential Silicon Valley. Lol. Never a dull moment in the world of Silicon Valley’s matchmaker.

Silicon Valley Dating | Startups Silicon Valley on Bravo

If you live in the Bay Area and are involved in the tech or entrepreneur lifestyle, chances are you’ve been glued to Bravo’s new show produced by Randi Zuckerberg called Start-Ups Silicon Valley. Like anything in life, there are the haters and there are those who love it. I’m enjoying it, particularly as it is bringing some fun and lightheartedness to the Valley.

Tonight was Episode three and the reality cast exposed audiences to a level deeper with the grittiness of start-ups and the emotional pangs of being a founder (for some broke, frustrated, sleep deprived, annoyed, loveless, etc.)  In true reality tv fashion, the show also does a great job at exposing the personal lives of each member (all are single and there is a lot of cross-pollination of cast members. Think hot tubbing, partying together, boozing, hook-ups, jealousy, temper tantrums, etc.)

The female cast members are strong willed, outspoken, and sometimes very unfiltered! These characters (Hermoine Way, Kim Taylor, Sarah Austin) also do a good job showing young females audience views that women can go into tech, be start-up founders, and create a lucrative roadmap for all women out there. Silicon Valley needs a show featuring some founders in their 30’s and 40’s who’ve really been through multiple cycles, failures, and triumphs. I was shocked to read everyone expect Ben Way and Kim are under 30.

The Valley is so small, I often see acquaintances on the show and in tonight’s episode a patron of my Linx Dating “Link & Drink” networking event. Tonight was Ethan Anderson who was giving professional advice to Kim Taylor at a cafe in the city. I was thinking “hey I recognize that guy, oh yeah, I recruited him to be at one of my events.” (he attended back in 2010 at The Rosewood Hotel).  Yes, I do recruit people for my events where I will email them, invite them, and hope the show up. In fact, one super handsome guy I recruited (founder type) attended one of my last events and ended up meeting his now wife from my event! Pat on my back, thank you….

Tonight had cast member Dwight Crow chat with Kim Taylor in Palo Alto over wine (that she ordered). Dwight, honey boo boo, you gotta order the drinks next time. Don’t let a girl order drinks for you/her). 

Dwight, like so many tenacious founders lives and works out of his tiny Mountain View apartment trying to build his company. He’s cute, quirky, and clearly very smart- yet he doesn’t have a penny to his name. Does this matter when it comes to finding the love of your life? How important is it to find a guy with a nest egg or if there is no nest egg, with a decent salary? I’d be curious to get your honest thoughts? Dating an entrepreneur is one of the most challenging types to fall for- I know as I am one and I married one! That said, being one the wild ride of being an entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley has been the best decision I have ever made professionally. One could argue starting with nothing and building together can make a couple strong right? Send me your thoughts….

Tonight, Sarah Austin uses a terms I’ve never heard before called “date cheating.” She ends up splashing this hottie Jay she has one date with a cocktail when out with friends (yet in his mind it had been an uber casual evening and they were just “hanging out”) when she discovered he has been out with her quasi-rival Hermoine Way that night before for a “real” date.

First of all, I always thought that the purpose of dating is that you aren’t committed to one person till you go exclusive? Being single is about having freedom to date whoever and whenever, right?

My advice if you really like someone is to have a few more people in your back pocket. It makes dating so much easier versus weighing everything on that ONE person. A girls gotta get out there and kiss a lot of frogs. She also has to be busy, have a life, and not put all her freegin’ eggs into one basket.

And on that note, the featured song is Ru Paul “Supermodel.” Work it girl….

Two minutes after posting this and tweeting this my post was favorites by KimTaylor. Love how quick people respond with Twitter, FB, you name it!

Kim Taylor (@kimmytaylor) favorited one of your Tweets!