With the popularity surrounding online dating these days, it’s hard to think about dating any other way. However, I love a good old set up. Not that I’m currently dating, BUT when I was, my favorite types of dates came from set ups. One thing I never did during my dating heyday was work with a matchmaker. It’s not that it never crossed my mind, but it just never happened. If you were to ask my mom, when I was dating up a storm, she always joked about (or maybe she was serious?!) those ‘arranged marriages’ circa the ‘olden days,’ but honestly, I would have jumped on the matchmaker bandwagon in half a heart beat. This brings me to today’s interviewee, Brooke Wise, 38, Founder of Wise Matchmaking. This girl left Wharton, NYU Stern, and Wall Street in the wings in the pursuit of connecting people, and she’s one of the best in the industry. Keep on reading for her story, and if you’re based in NYC or South Florida and you’re on the market, you might want to consider becoming one of Wise Matchmaking’s next success stories.
How long has Wise Matchmaking been around?
Wise Matchmaking has been around for over six years.
What were you doing before Wise Matchmaking?
Before Wise Matchmaking, my career was in Finance. I worked at two investment banks doing equity institutional sales and then I moved to the hedge fund world to do marketing and investor relations for a fund.
You went to Wharton, NYU Stern, and have worked on Wall Street – all before starting your company – wow! What made you want to start this company?
My passion has always been connecting people. When I worked in Finance, I was on the people-facing side of the business, rarely in the corner crunching numbers. I interacted and connected with investors, analysts, hedge fund managers, portfolio managers, CEO’s…and etc and etc. I know people and I am a good listener. Matchmaking allows me to use my skills to connect people in the most fulfilling way.
What is your favorite thing about running your own business? Most rewarding? Most challenging?
My favorite thing about running my own business is that it is extremely rewarding to start your own company from nothing and see it grow and positively impact people’s lives. When a client thanks you for introducing them to their spouse and tells you that they owe their happiness to you—that’s what it is all about.
The biggest challenges are that you cannot fully shut things off at the end of the day and put an out of office reply and leave it to its own devices.
Walk us through a day in your life.
Every day is different and unpredictable, but I try and keep a routine. In the mornings, I have my coffee and eat an early breakfast with my family. After the girls are off to school and my husband has gone to work, I get in some form of physical activity and begin to respond to all the emails in my inbox. I then often have lunches with clients, prospective clients or contacts who are sources for quality singles for our clients. My afternoons are filled with calls with clients, getting feedback on dates, speaking with matches for clients and strategizing about set-ups..with whom and why…and then doing it! My inbox is jammed with emails with phone numbers and the logistics behind the dates as well. I have to organize my inbox quite a bit! Dinner time is when I shut my phone off and spend quality time with my husband and children. Then, I am picking up at 9 PM for calls…until I cannot talk anymore!
What advice would you give someone wanting to start their own company?
It will never be the best time..there will always be a reason as to why you can’t do it now…I started Wise Matchmaking from the comforts of a large hedge fund office to a tiny desk in the bedroom of my apartment. However, I knew that if I didn’t try it then, I would never do it. Do not fear failure.
Best first date story you’ve heard from one of your clients?
That really is a tough question because we hear many good first date stories…we have had clients plan lavish dates…even private flights or chopper to the Hamptons…but the best first dates are ones where we hear that the conversation just flows so naturally, they can’t keep their eyes off one another, the chemistry and the click is just undeniable, they do not want the night to end and can’t wait until the next date! And then that amazing first date leads to that being the last first date 🙂
Any plans to expand outside of NYC and South Florida? Or other plans for future with your company?
New York and South Florida keep us very busy. We do work with bicoastal clients or clients in other cities—but they have strong ties to Manhattan.
Motto/Quote you always try to live by?
“Get yourself tired. There’s a lot of good waiting for you on the other side of tired.” Andre Agassi
Follow Brooke on Facebook and Twitter.
Thanks, Brooke!
Check out past interviews here, and if you or someone you know might be a great fit for this series, be sure to email me and let me know why. Would love to hear from you!