Lifestyle & Compatibility

Networking Mixer in Silicon Valley | 02/10/24

Dear Friends,

We're thrilled to extend an exclusive invitation to you for an evening of creating new personal connections at our first-ever event collaboration with the innovative matchmaking company, DateSpot! 

Details:

🗓️ Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024

⏰ Time: 5:00 - 8:00 PM

📍 Location: Park James Hotel

Experience:

  • Wine-tasting booths from local wineries

  • Founder/CEO of Linx Dating, Amy Andersen, dubbed “The Cupid of Silicon Valley” will have a table at event. Come say hi, learn more about Linx matchmaking, and ask Amy anything dating/relationship related!

  • Play the guest quiz to easily get to know people and have a chance to win a weekend stay at Park James Hotel

  • Matchmaking consultation & profile photo review with DateSpot's Founder (Carla)

  • A professional quality great photo to update your potential Date Spot profile done onsite by a photographer

Discounts:

  • $9 cocktail specials (including a delightful mocktail for non-drinkers)

  • Enjoy a 10% discount on dinner reservations that night (show your ticket)

  • Stay overnight for a special $199 room rate (book here)

Ticket Details:

Tickets are available here.

Secure your ticket now for this fantastic evening of mingling and fun in Silicon Valley!

XO,

Cupid

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Why Do Some People Struggle With Love While Others Make It Look Easy?

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By Amy Andersen, Founder and CEO of Linx Dating

When it comes to love, some people just seem to have all the luck. They effortlessly attract partners who adore them, enjoy long-lasting relationships, and end up happily ever after. So, what's their secret? Is it a matter of fate, or is there something more to it?

You’ll notice that most of the “lucky ones” maintain a positive attitude; they have a strong sense of self-worth and radiate positivity, making them extra attractive. As they say, “attitude is everything” and it really does make all the difference. If you believe you deserve love, are lovable and that love is looking for you, chances are you’ll end up putting yourself into new situations and meeting more people with more openness.  

How would you ever know you’re lucky if you didn’t take any risk? “Lucky ones” are not afraid to get uncomfortable, so they’re more likely to approach an attractive stranger or agree to a blind date. This curiosity fast-tracks social skills and makes it easier for them to know when they’ve met someone special. Like a positive attitude, the adventurous spirit is also something extremely attractive to others.

You’re more likely to end up lucky in love if you have a clear picture of what that loving relationship looks like. Lucky people tend to have a clear idea of what they want in a partner and relationship—and can communicate openly about it. They’re aware of their values, goals, and priorities, and don’t compromise. They aren’t afraid to walk away from a relationship that does not align with their vision of the future.  

Lastly, lucky people tend to have a healthy relationship with themselves. They have a strong sense of identity and purpose outside of their relationships, which helps them maintain their own identity and a healthy balance between their personal and romantic lives. This healthy sense of self allows them to approach their relationships with a greater sense of self-awareness and emotional maturity, which can lead to more fulfilling connections.

Of course, there is an element of luck in love, but I believe we can create our own luck. Certain traits like a positive attitude, willingness to take risks, and a strong relationship with self can help us find the right person. 

Matchmaker FAQs

By Amy Andersen, Founder and CEO of Linx Dating

As a professional Matchmaker, you regularly get questions that few other jobs would prompt. Since the nature of matchmaking involves closer relationships and an understanding of a client's EQ, the day-to-day for a matchmaker will often look different than a standard office job. To celebrate National Matchmaker Day (August 31st), I have outlined the most commonly asked questions I receive as a Matchmaker and CEO of Linx Dating.

1. Have you always set people up? 

I wasn’t one of those ones who was always setting people up but I have always loved people.  I saw a great opportunity and went for it. Frankly, when I saw the opportunity in front of me, I could not believe no one had done it before.

2. How did you get into the field? 

I saw a market opportunity (demand) that was consistent with my existing network (supply) and I built from there. I have also always been a people person so it was a natural fit to go into matchmaking as I work with an incredibly diverse group of clients. 

3. What’s the hardest thing about being a matchmaker? 

This is a very emotional business - so rewarding, at times, but also high pressure as people are depending on me. Someone who hasn’t been married and who wants a baby is a high pressure situation for me. This is also a service business which means that I can also get treated very poorly sometimes, which stinks. 

4. What’s a typical day look like for a matchmaker? 

I start my morning with a giant cup of hot coffee and make my son breakfast! After school drop off, I get on my email. If there are so many emails, it’s already stressing me out, it’s a good reason to go for a walk or a run. On my walks, I always catch up with clients. On my runs, I crank all sorts of music from Guns N Roses,  Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Crash Test Dummies, Motley Crue, Chaka Khan, or Michael Jackson. Literally, my musical tastes are all across the board, LOL. I get home, prep a to go salad for the office, get ready. I always do myself up even if I am not meeting a client because when I put make-up on and wear something nice, I feel better no matter what. I head to the office, respond to emails ad then either do an in-person meeting with a client, or prospect, or meet on Zoom. I spend my afternoons working on match ideas for clients and often checking in with people in my database to see if they are presently single and good candidates for my clients. Come 5pm, I am heading home to prep dinner and spend quality time with my family. After my son is in bed, it’s work time again till 10pm or so. Normally I then take a bath to unwind, watch a show, and go to bed myself!

5. Do matchmakers use astrology? 

Not really….I certainly do not. It’s fun to talk about but we’d better be using more than that if we want any kind of competitive edge.

6. Are some matchmakers generational matchmakers? 

Sure. There are examples of this, just like there are in other family  businesses. It can be as informal as shared dinner table talk over many years, or as formal as a child taking over the family business.

7. Are there niche specialty matchmakers? 

Yep. It’s s function of market supply and demand.   A matchmaker is only as good as his or her network, and that could be a niche - geographic, religious, ethnic, age, or whatever. I’d say the most common two niches would be matchmaking, focusing on a particular faith or heritage. 

For instance, there are many matchmakers focusing solely on Jewish matches or matchmakers focusing solely on Indian matchmaking. I’ve been binging on Netflix’s Indian Matchmaker with “Sima from Mumbai.” 

8. What’s the craziest thing anyone has ever told you they want in a match? 

One of my former clients shared his musts include “all-natural body parts,” “love celebrating New Year’s Eve,” and “be okay with a shower with two heads on opposite walls.” On a sweeter note, he expected his dream girl to be “really close with at least one family member” (his own relationship with his two sisters is “one of my biggest areas of happiness,” he writes) and “be someone who constantly says ‘I believe in you’ to their children.” But she also has to “allow me to indulge in a luxury sports car filled with premium gasoline.” 

That Certain Someone

Getting back into the dating game? Silicon Valley’s undisputed Cupid, Amy Andersen, discusses the baseline for making a real love connection.

By Michael McCarthy, Modern Luxury’s Silicon Valley Magazine, July 2022

Photo by Annie Barnett

Amy Andersen is a big believer in total honesty. It’s a job requirement. As the founder of Linx Dating (linxdating.com, amy@ linxdating.com), she’s the linchpin for countless love matches in Silicon Valley. “It’s very healthy to do an honest assessment of oneself and take the necessary action to make room for finding a great partner,” she says about the self-candor she preaches with clients. As we gear up for summer and perhaps begin a new love-life chapter, Andersen offers some advice about finding those who make our lives complete, heart and soul. 

Dating is tricky. There’s physical chemistry, of course, but how do people build on non-physical chemistry to create stronger relationships? 

Focus on the emotional and intellectual [parts of a relationship]. This will come from engaging around shared experiences and anything you both love to do—whether that’s watching a movie or TV show together, live sports or music, walking or hiking, a meal out or at home, travel or reading. I think humor, in particular, is powerful. It lightens the mood and is, in some ways, the greatest example of empathy when you can share a laugh. All of these things can lead to increased and better communication, enjoyment, comfort, and vulnerability—and a deeper connection. I also recommend studying The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It can give you tremendous insight on what a partner most appreciates, whether that’s gifts, words of affirmation, touch, time spent together or acts of service. 

The most successful people learn to evolve emotionally, intellectually and socially. How do we assess ourselves in relation to the dating game?

I suggest clients take the opportunity to focus on themselves; if they’re in a good place, they’ll attract others who are in a good place. They should take stock of their physical and mental health—what could improve? How can they eliminate any unnecessary negativity and toxic stress from their lives? Remember, all of this starts from being in a healthy place in your life, putting in the hard work, and then inviting that person in at the right time.   This can be anything from fitness, nutrition and sleep. The older I get, the more I work to remove any negativity in my life. I don’t hang around toxic people or gossipy types and do a lot to keep myself balanced emotionally, mentally and physically. Keeping an open mind is critical. If people are in a good place and are open to new experiences, they will be receptive to new ways to connect with a partner. One piece of simple advice is never to refuse an invitation to a party, event or perhaps a friend’s dinner gathering. Always say yes. You never know who you’ll meet. By saying yes instead of no, you’re putting yourself out there, expanding your social network and opening up new opportunities and conversations. I’m all about diversification of one’s routine and creating optionality. 

What about clients who are trying to remake themselves as they enter the dating world? 

I see this more often when someone is going through a divorce or breakup and wants to feel empowered and look gorgeous from the inside and out. That said, I see some younger clients definitely getting regular Botox to ease crows feet and lines on the forehead. No matter where we go in the world, across cultures, there’s always going to be a perceived value in youthfulness. For some clients who want to have a refreshed appearance, it can be as simple as a visit to a medspa for a consultation— someone like Dr. Stephen Ronan of Blackhawk Plastic Surgery + MedSpa (blackhawkplasticsurgery.com)—for injectables like Botox or fi ller, or learning how a cuttingedge laser treatment can help resurface the face and neck. And, yes, hair transplantation for guys too. Noninvasive procedures like Coolsculpting also are incredible to help smooth stubborn parts of the body and boost confi dence in so many ways.


Is it me, or is summer dating easier because of the endless options for fun? 

You are not wrong. We are particularly blessed in the Bay Area with so many beautiful attractions and great music, food and wine. I always tell my clients that their dates— especially in the early stages—should be light, easy and breezy. Stay away from heavy topics and grilling your date like it’s an interrogation. Make the dates fun, and go flirt. Most importantly, give your date a chance. Remember, a lot of people come into first dates with nerves and, therefore, it’s really important to go out two or three times and then decide if it makes sense to keep exploring or graciously close the loop and move on.

This is your life in Silicon Valley

Do you love HBO’s Silicon Valley? Do you like reading about the latest technology trends? Then you’ll love this show, “This is Your Life In Silicon Valley.” Think of us as the real world/explain-it-how-it-is podcast for anyone with a Silicon Valley fetish. The Bay Area, San Francisco, and California in general are undergoing massive political and social change. Insiders, and Valley apologists liken the Silicon Valley to Rome during the Renaissance. This podcast examines life in the Valley by interviewing some of its most prominent insiders – both apologists and skeptics. We discuss the cultural quirks of living here, what to legitimately fear, what to feel excited about, and what is just plain weird. 😉

I am interviewed as an expert on matchmaking in the Bay Area, and explain why dating people in San Francisco may not be the best idea in the world. In this episode, I also dive into the nitty gritty — speaking specifically about who I would pair Mark Zuckerberg with if he were single.