Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Courtney Quinlan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I came up with a plan to start my Matchmaking business in 2008, right before the recession of 2009. This was a huge risk, and many people close to me told me I should just get a safe job with guaranteed stability. However, I knew that if I didn’t take the risk to follow my dreams at that time, I most likely never would. I was 25 years young with no one to support but myself, and I knew that the biggest risk in life was not taking one so I chose to follow my dream and start my Matchmaking service.
I am so glad that I didn’t listen to those around me who had advised me that starting a business in the middle of a recession was a horrible idea. Had I done so, I never would have built the Matchmaking empire I have been blessed to have built.

Courtney, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Midwestern native, born and raised in Omaha, NE. I am a wife and a mother of two boys (7 and 9 y/o). I am the CEO and head matchmaker at Midwest Matchmaking, a business I started in 2009. Midwest Matchmaking is the Midwest’s largest boutique Matchmaking Service. We assist busy, selective singles connect with the kind of people who they are not getting exposure to on their own. The end goal for all of our clients is a serious long-term relationship, so we only help those with that being their goal.
We meet and screen all potential clients face to face to make sure they are who they say they are, that they are safe, stable and serious about dating. We essentially do all the behind the scenes work to get compatible singles on dates, provide feedback, advice, coaching, etc. We help singles get the exposure that they are not getting to meet other quality singles.
What sets us apart from other matchmaking services is that we don’t do blind dating (we show our clients photos and profiles of their matches) and ultimately give them the final say if they want to meet someone. We also do not sell packages based on a number of dates. Our packages are based on time, which ultimately gives our clients the opportunity to meet a lot more potential options leading to higher chances of success!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I would recommend hiring employees who are good at the things you are not so good at. For instance, I am not very tech savvy, but I have an amazing Social Media Manager, who is! Without her, I would have not clue about the latest trends on social media and would be missing out on a huge audience to market to. I also recommend keeping the work environment fun! My team works very hard on a daily basis, but I try to do little things reguarly to keep the work environment fun and rewarding to those who work with me. Whether it’s a quick happy hour, bringing in some sweets, or an impromptu team lunch, I think it’s important to show my team that I appreciate them and that we have some time to bond together outside of the office.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

In 2009, I was 25 years young with not so good credit. I knew that my chances of getting a loan from a bank were slim to none. Instead, I created a business plan and began looking for investors. I was lucky enough to have a friend who believed in me and my vision. He loaned me enough capital to get an office, build a website, hire an employee, and to begin marketing my business. I agreed to pay him back in full along with interest. I worked my tail off and accomplished that goal in less than 5 years. To this day I am very grateful that this person had faith in me because had he not, I would not be where I am today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.midwestmatchmaking.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwest_matchmaking/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MidwestMatchmaking/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/midwest-matchmaking/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Midwest_Match
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfmxMPuj9YmV9OGXjDLS_6Q?view_as=public