https://bellamag.co/7-bella-bosses-we-admire-5/
Andrea McGinty
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Business/Brand/Company: 33 Thousand Dates
Title: Dating Entrepreneur
Website: www.33000dates.com
MY BUSINESS: Dating! I think I have one of the best jobs in the world at 33 Thousand Dates. It’s a combination of using my skill set with over 20 years as a dating expert and a love of helping singles find the “one.” I’m not a dating app—I help successful singles in their 30’s to 60’s navigate the world of online dating, writing dating profile bios, vetting their photos, selecting the correct dating sites for them, provide ongoing coaching and in general, help with everything online dating profile related! For a great shot at online dating, a great online profile writer is essential!
IN THE BEGINNING: I never in a million years imagined this would be my career! However, in my 20’s, 5 weeks before my wedding my fiancée called it off—basically dumped me. So, after the tears dried I started dating again—-and how did you meet people in the pre-internet dating era? Your friends! I figured out very quickly whiling living in a big city (Chicago), that we all tend to hang out in small tight-knit circles and my friends were pretty clueless with fixups. But I was good at fixing up friends—from high school to college. So, I thought to myself, there has to be a better way to date in a metro area in your 20’s. What if there was a place you could go to that was like an executive recruiter, except for your love life? Hence, I founded It’s Just Lunch in 1991 and it was a success. A few years ago, with over 600 employees and 110 locations worldwide, I sold the company to a private equity group. But I wasn’t done! Dating was still my passion and I saw opportunity all over with online dating. With over 100 million singles in the US, what a market. The only issue was that here were smart, single men and women who while great at their careers, had no idea how to conquer internet dating. This began 33 Thousand Dates. I do all the work; they have all the fun!
MOST REWARDING: My first marriage occurred in the first 6 months of starting 33 Thousand Dates. I was invited and I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see this darling, shy woman in her gown. I’ve worked with over 33,000 clients in my career and have had over 4,200 marriages. I get so excited each time a client calls/texts me with news like “I think I’m in love and don’t need you anymore”!
SECRET TO MY SUCCESS:
I am not going to use that well known P word. It’s something more as I truly like my clients and over the 3 months that I coach them they become like family, like a good friend. We talk weekly so I get such insight into their life, personality and needs. I like helping people. I just like people in general. And I’ve met some of the most amazing people in my career that in finance/accounting (my major) would have never afforded me. I’m lucky….and happy.