Author: Pamela Lugten

  • Omiai Hack: Nearly 2 Million Users Compromised

    security on computer screen to illustrate omiai hack

    Global Love Report – June 2, 2021
    A review article by Pamela Stephanie


    Japan’s biggest dating app has been hacked. The Omiai hack occurred in April, according to Net Marketing Co, the company in charge of running the app.

    Omiai is one of Japan’s most popular app, with almost 2 million accounts. Women are able to create an account for free on the app. However, men have to pay for a monthly subscription of approximately $37 in order to access the app.

    One of the biggest concerns of the hack is that among the data in the servers are photographs of users’ identification, which ranges from drivers’ licenses to insurance cards.

    To read the full article on the Omiai Hack, please click here.

    Original article written by Bloomberg.


    (Image Source: Pexels, Pixabay)
  • Hesitant To Date Again? You’re Not Alone.

    couple with face masks to illustrate hesitant to date

    Global Love Report – June 2, 2020
    A review article by Pamela Stephanie


    People have largely adjusted to dating through Zoom or through the use of websites and dating apps. However, in the post-vaccination, and hopefully post-pandemic world, people have been hesitant to date.

    The transition from online dating to offline dating has been awkward for some. Others have found that being social is more difficult than before.

    But though the fear to date may be relevant and real, dating coach Damona Hoffman advised that people should just get back into things. Because you’re not alone in feeling this way and the best way to not be hesitant to date is to go for it. “You just have to start.”

    To read the full article, please click here.

    Original article written by Georgia Public Broadcasting.


    (Image source: Pexels, Samson Katt)
  • Creating a Successful Virtual Date for Your Client

    woman in front of laptop to illustrate successful virtual date

    Global Love Report – May 27, 2021
    Written by: Pamela Stephanie

    As a matchmaker, there are many ways you can help create a successful virtual date for your client. After all, first dates can be a daunting thing, even when it’s a virtual one. For some people, a virtual date may even be more intimidating than an in-person date. To help your matchmaking client with their first date jitters, here are a couple of tips on what they can do (with your help):


    1. Order flowers or a small gift for the date

    Some people like to bring flowers for their first date. Remind clients that just because their date will be virtual doesn’t mean that they can’t send their match flowers.

    On one of our series of webinars, matchmaker Beth Mandell mentioned that one of her clients actually sent his date a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates before his date. The client did this on his own initiative—with her help—and Mandell noted that she would suggest this to her other clients too.

    2. Hold a Mock Date to set the mood

    This can be as simple as helping a client set up their device before the date can take place. However, it can also include figuring out which room should be chosen to have the date. For example, if the living room is too noisy, perhaps a home office would be a better spot.

    Or maybe the lighting in the dining room is not very flattering or is too low, then a brightly lit bedroom may be a better choice. Ashley Campana mentioned that she helped her client choose the best lighting, even moving around the room to find the right spot.

    Campana added that not only is this a great way for her to connect with her client, it’s also a way to set her client up for a successful virtual date.

    3. Figure out what to do during the date

    While a client and their match may not be in the same room or even the same city, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be sharing the same experience. Eating a meal while on their first date can help them connect with each other. And to clients who are nervous about finding topics to break the ice, remind them that talking about what each of them are eating can be a conversation starter!

    Other things that they can do is to play a virtual board game, if they share the same interest. For clients who are confident of their cooking skills, they can try a joint-cooking date.


    The Webinar mentioned in this article is called, “How to Monetize Your Business in the Times of Corona”. To watch the full video, please click here.

    (Image Source: Pexels/Andrea Pacquadio)
  • Speed Dating in the Pandemic with a New Platform

    bell on table to illustrate speed dating platform

    Global Love Report – May 25, 2020
    A review article by Pamela


    Speed dating in the pandemic seems like an impossibility. However, that is not the case for Hugh Redmond, a matchmaker with 15 years of experience in the business.

    He is the owner of 2CONNECT, an agency that provides matchmaking and coaching, and that also arranges dating events. When every day activities had to change because of the pandemic, Redmond made sure that his company would still be able to run its speed dating events.

    By pairing up with a programmer from Belgium, his company created a platform for virtual speed dating. Each date is assigned to a room with a six minutes time limit. At the end of each day, each party is asked to rate the date before the next date will start with a new person.

    Thanks to this innovative idea of speed dating in the pandemic, he saw the traffic to his website increase by 200%. He mentioned that interest in his matchmaking and coaching services have greatly increased in the last six months.

    For more information, read the full article here.

    Original article written by RTE.


    (Image source: Pexels, Cottonbro)
  • Best Cities in the US for Singles

    city at night to illustrate best cities in the us for singles

    Global Love Report – May 26, 2020
    A review article by Pamela


    The answer to the question, “What are the best cities in the US for singles,” has been answered. At least, according to MyDatingAdviser.com.

    The website recently released the best and worst cities for singles in the US, according to their grading criteria. The cities are scored based on four different criteria: Population Attributes, Romance, Quality of Life and Affordability.

    They also look at different metrics to weigh in on each criterion. Some metrics include: marriage rate, cost of dinner for two, average salary, and others.

    The number one city for singles in the US is Lincoln, Nebraska. In second and third places are: New Haven, Connecticut and Buffalo, New York.

    So, what do these rankings mean for you, as a matchmaker?

    Matchmakers based in cities that have a smaller singles population yet rank well in romance, quality of life, and affordability ranks can use this as an opportunity to entice clients to look outside their city for their match(es).

    Clients who are initially reluctant to date outside of their own city may find that a more affordable city with better public transport or even one with a better marriage rate is better than one with a larger potential dating pool.

    Those who are already in cities with a sizeable singles population would generally not have any issues with finding matches for their clients. But they can also take this opportunity to draw clients in surrounding areas who are perhaps looking for a more specific match.

    For to view the complete list of best cities in the US for singles and the methodology used, read the full article here.

    Original article written by MyDatingAdviser.com


    (Image source: Unsplash, Ethan Hu)
  • New Dating Academy in the UK

    classroom

    Global Love Report – May 25, 2020
    A review article by Pamela


    A new Dating Academy in the UK, located in Basingstoke in Hampshire, is ready for new students. The facility’s director, Carrie Lorenz, founded the academy with the aim to help singletons work on themselves first in order to become successful in dating. Lorenz based her teaching on things that she learned herself while she was trying to date.

    Lorenz established the Dating Academy for the “everyday person” who is struggling to find love. She wished to make the knowledge she obtained accessible for people unable to afford one-on-one coaching.

    The Academy offers seminars and workshops on a number of topics such as communications and empowerment, as well as self-love and sexual confidence.

    Please read the Full Article for more information on the new Dating Academy in the UK.

    Original article written by the Basingstoke Gazette


    (Image source: Unsplash, M. Monk)