New York matchmaker Rachel Russo revealed her secrets to Single in Sydney’s Sarah
SHE charges up to up to $130k to find men a woman in NYC, yet is single and considering having a baby on her own. Single in Sydney found out more from matchmaker Rachel Russo
JOURNALIST Sarah Swain has been single (but dating) for longer than she cares to remember. That’s because it’s tough out there, as any single will tell you.
So to bring hope to others across the city, she’s sharing her no-holds-barred adventures on the Sydney single scene every week.
SECRETS OF A NEW YORK MATCHMAKER
New York matchmaker Rachel Russo has spent 13 years pairing up the city’s singles and boasts she has a “has a PhD in men”.
The qualified therapist is director of matchmaking at Lisa Clampitt Matchmaking and runs her own company, Rachel Russo Relationships.
She’s had six of her couples marry, got countless others together — and even celebrated babies born to her clients.
The 33 year old revealed all at her Fifth Ave Manhattan office.
1. She is mostly hired by men
“Most of my matchmaking clients are men in their 50s who have never been married,” she said. “I think in other places (than New York) you don’t see that as much — you see people being divorced at 50.”
“A lot of clients have tried online dating — some are too discreet for it. You hear success stories, but people are frustrated, they don’t have time and they don’t want to deal with people who are not serious.”
2. It’s expensive
While Russo doesn’t exactly dub herself a millionaire matchmaker, like the US TV show of the same name, with her prices running up to AU$130,000 for six months, you’d have to be pretty loaded to drop that kind of money.
“They live in Manhattan, they’re pretty wealthy,” she said.
3. New Yorkers have too many options
Russo puts New York’s notorious reputation for being a hard place to date down to multiple factors.
“People are really driven here with their careers and they’re really seeking a level of perfection,” she said.
“There’s a lot of wealth here and with wealth comes expectation ... ‘even though I’m a 55 year old man I should be able to date a 25 year old supermodel that went to Harvard University’.
“Because it’s such a big city, there are a lot of options — and that means people don’t take any option seriously.
“They see one thing wrong about a person they don’t like ... they won’t even meet. They don’t get each other a chance.
“And there’s many more beautiful single women that want relationships, so the men are spoiled. They feel like they don’t have to try that hard.
“Coupled with the fact New Yorkers are just obsessed with their careers ... they’re super busy, they don’t have the time and they don’t keep the momentum going.”
4. She’s single
Russo, who’s a dead ringer for Frozen singer Idina Menzel, doesn’t have a partner — and she’s even considering getting a sperm donor.
“By the end of the year I would like to be engaged and if not I’m considering getting a sperm donor. I really want to have a child,” she confessed.
“I see so may women desperate — their clock is ticking, and for me it’s a blessing I’m in this field, I say ‘I do not wanna be that woman’.”
While she has access to many men, she’s careful not to mix business with pleasure.
“I’ve never dated a client, but my last ex-boyfriend was a former client,” she said.
5. Women appear on PowerPoint presentations
It’s mostly men who hire Russo, and her and her team then set about looking for suitable female dates.
They have 2000 women on their database (most don’t pay to be) and they also hunt for suitable candidates on Facebook, LinkedIn and around the city. Then she shows the men potential girlfriends on a PowerPoint presentation.
“It’s pretty fun. They can say no but usually they say yes if they’re attracted by the photo,” she said.
6. Yes, she’s had hopeless cases
“We’re selective about who we take on,” said Russo. “Every now and then there’s someone you can’t make happy. There’s been a couple we’ve given refunds to.”
7. She has some good love tips for finding love in NYC — or Australia
“You have to be proactive, be realistic about what you’re looking for,” she said.
“Every single guy (or girl) is going to have some kind of flaws. You have to decide these are my three most important things and stop seeking the man on the horse and chariot to rescue you.”
“In order to stand out in this market, I’m not saying you don’t have to be smart, but you do have to play up your looks, be in the best shape you can be, dress fashionably, look feminine if you’re a woman.
“As a matchmaker I hear a lot of things guys like — they like longer hair, they like a woman who’s wearing a dress, just simple things.
“And usually, in New York, men like to date 10-15 years younger.”
Details: RachelRusso.com
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