Dating Love and Marriage

This is a show about business. Not a place you’d typically turn
to for dating advice. But on this edition of Out to Lunch we’re
talking about the business of dating, love, and marriage.


For past generations – your parents or grandparents - charting a
life course seemed to be a lot simpler. Especially for a woman.
You graduated from high school, you got married to your high
school sweetheart or a guy you met in college, and everybody
lived happily ever after.


Then we hit the 1970’s, and 50% of marriages ended in divorce.


Today in the United States, people are waiting longer to get
married. Or opting not to tie the knot at all. Since 1973,
marriage rates in the US have declined nearly 60%.


Other statistics tell us that people are finding it harder to
make meaningful connections. More young people than ever report
feeling alone, disconnected, and clinically depressed.  


And all this comes at a time when a staggering array of apps and
online dating sites are promising to pair people up for
everything from one-night stands, to casual relationships to
forever partnerships.


What’s not working? And how do we fix it?


We could look forward, to the next generation of technology and
ask AI to find us love and happiness. Or we could look back.
And rather than having to check a box that says, “I’m not a
robot,” how about sitting down face to face with an actual human
being who is a dating specialist?


Yes, there is such a job. It’s called a
Matchmaker. Admittedly there aren’t many of them. Ann Parnes
is one of the very few.


Ann Parnes is founder of Match Made in NOLA, a traditional
matchmaking service that is, as its name implies, based in New
Orleans but has expanded to Baton Rouge and does business like a
real old-fashioned matchmaker – by carefully curating potential
partners and introducing them to one another.


Ann began her career as an attorney and spent several years
prosecuting criminals, until 2014, when she felt a calling taking
her in a different direction and became a certified life coach.


From there she began to sense what she says was a real calling
and a recognition that she had a gift for bringing people
together, so in 2017 she opened Match Made in NOLA. And now her
services have expanded to include Baton Rouge.


most people who are dating and looking for a partner are younger.
They’ve grown up with Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, OK Cupid, Christian
Mingle, J-Date, Match.com and the list goes on. There are even
specialty dating apps like “Dig – the dog lovers dating app.”


So, let’s start with the obvious question. Is someone who turns
to an old-fashioned matchmaker burned out on dating apps? Or is a
typical client someone different who can’t bring themselves to
use a dating app and hasn’t had any success meeting anyone at The
Chimes or Chelseas?


Could matchmaking be for you? On this special dating love and
marriage edition of Out to Lunch, Ann explains the art and
science of dating to Stephanie.


If you're looking for a great place for a date in Baton Rouge you
can't beat Mansurs on the Boulevard. We've been meeting there
every week for years on Out to Lunch and we're all still happily
working together! And if you're looking for even more of an
insight into Ann's life you can check her out on It's New Orleans
Happy Hour.


 


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