Executive Search Dating is The Dating Headhunter®. This means our clients are matched within our large database of local single professionals, AND with headhunts who we proactively find and carefully screen just for you. But how exactly does headhunting work?

Here’s how & why headhunting and “Cupid’s Strike Force” works:

Watch Video: http://youtu.be/KQI8LkRhSvg

Why do some singles get better results from dating than others?  While some singles date and date to no avail, others end up meeting not just one but a number of potential relationship partners. But why?

The answer is not so much who they ARE, but more about their DATING APPROACH. The reality is that what’s on the outside (physical appearance, sex appeal, charisma, etc.) is less important than what’s on the inside… here are 7 habits that will lead you to more success in your dating life:

1. Get serious: success in life (and dating) rarely happen by pure chance. Successful people prioritize important things, and that includes meeting someone special. Make time in your busy schedule for meeting new people.
2. Be proactive: break free from your comfort zone, and try some new ways to meet people. Visit a new neighborhood, try a new hot-spot, approach some new people and say ‘hi’, hire a matchmaker. The more new people you meet, the more comfortable you’ll feel doing it, and the higher the chances of meeting someone you click with.
3. Be reliable: if you make plans with someone, avoid cancelling or changing plans last minute. First impressions matter in life, and in dating. Being true to your word is an important and effective first step in dating.
4. Be on time: letting your date wait alone at a restaurant or lounge will likely scuttle any chances of a second date. Be on time, and if its a busy or new place, arrive a bit early to ensure you are there when your date arrives.  If you are running late, call or text your date or the venue to let them know.
5. Be focused: put your phone away and focus on the person you’re with. You may think that receiving calls and texts sends the message that you are important. In fact, it sends the message that you are not polite nor serious.
6. Be engaged: come prepared with some fun stories and topics to discuss, and aim to spend as much time actively listening as talking. Having an enjoyable first date is the best way to get to a second date and beyond.
7. Follow up and follow through: if the first date is going well, arrange the second date right then and there. Regardless of how the first date has gone, a thank you call, message or note is a common courtesy that never goes out of style. Even if you didn’t click with them, they may know someone who’s perfect for you!

Executive Search Dating President Paddi Rice provides some valuable dating advice for relationship-minded singles. Paddi’s expert advice includes the importance of being yourself on a date, and keeping things positive. Focusing on having fun on a first date increases the chances of having a second date, which is typically more relaxed and a much better time to really get to know someone.

Watch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9bEG8mvKEs

Dating (when you are busy) can sometimes feel like a chore. Worse yet, it can seem frustrating and hard.

But what if there were a “Great Formula” that could virtually guarantee dating success? Well, as luck would have it, there is. And its a lot more simple than you think. And here it is:

Step 1: Proactively meet as many new people as possible.

Step 2: Arrange to meet up with someone you’re interested in face-to-face. Remember, meeting people in person is far better than an online profile or via social media.

Step 3: Be positive and have fun on your date. In the world of dating, fun works.

Step 4: Follow up and ask for a second date. Remember, a second or third date is a much better time to really connect with someone.

Executive Search Dating President Paddi Rice appeared on CTV Morning Live last week to provide some creative and inexpensive spring dating ideas for Vancouver singles. Paddi also explains why spring is called the “Matchmaking Season”!

Watch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S90wq2eyRk

ESD President Paddi Rice appears on Global BC News Hour to provide his insight into how singles can and should manage the touchy subject of debt in the context of a relationship. Paddi’s advice to singles is that the issue shouldn’t come up on a first or second date with someone you’ve met, but it is something that couples should discuss prior to marriage.

Watch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvahJXme5TI

Does social media make dating easier or harder? And, what are the new ‘rules’ of dating in today’s hyper-connected social media world?

Here’s our take: social media can be a great way to be and feel more connected in the world, but when it comes to meeting someone special, many of the ‘classic’ rules still apply.

Here are our social media dating do’s and don’ts:

DO: using a variety of methods to communicate with someone you’ve met is perfectly acceptable in today’s world. Although an old fashioned phone call is still a good bet, texting, messaging, or connecting in any way you both feel comfortable with is fine.

DON’T: messaging works best with someone you’ve already met and connected with in person. Avoid endless text or message exchanges with someone until you’ve met them in person and feel a good connection. Sending too many messages or texts prior to meeting someone can also raise a flag that you may not be ‘serious’.

DO: stay connected. Connecting with new people is generally a good thing, via Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn or wherever. Social media may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a fact in today’s world. You may not be a big social media user yourself, but don’t hold it against someone who is, and vice versa.

DON’T: in the world of dating, privacy matters. Unless you’ve discussed it with your date, resist the urge to post private details of your date on social media. Dating works best when it’s one-on-one, and not all things in life need to be shared with the world.

DO: take your time. Not everything is today’s world needs to happen at the speed of light. Getting to know someone takes time, and happens best when you are meeting and doing things together in the real world.

DON’T: mistake Facebook ‘friending’ for a real world connections. Both have value, but to really connect with someone, and to know if they are right for you romantically, you need to meet and get to know them in person. Putting more focus on real world connections, not just virtual connections, will ultimately increase your chances of finding your special someone.

Here’s one question we matchmakers are often asked: what is the “secret” to a successful relationship?

And, how do you know when you have met “The One”… is it possible (or even advisable) to look for certain “clues” on a date?

There is a two part answer:

• You won’t know on a first or second date whether someone is truly “right” for you.
• But, there are certain “dating signs” that you can send off which might derail a budding romance.

Here are 7 secrets to a successful relationship, and the “dating signs” to look for on your date:

1. Being attentive: paying attention to the person you’re with, and being focused on them, is a quality most successful couples share. If you or you date is constantly distracted and seems to be elsewhere, it may be a sign they’re not ‘relationship ready’.
2. Being communicative: good and open communication is a hallmark of most successful relationships. This doesn’t mean that your date (or you) needs to be talking all the time, but as time goes on you should feel as though you are able to openly communicate about many things both big and small.
3. Being complementary: sincere complements show you care and that you’re paying attention to your partner. Simple complements are fine, but sincerity is a must.
4. Being thoughtful: making an effort is an important hallmark of good relationships, and a great dating habit as well. If you’ve enjoyed spending time with someone, send them a note or let them know how they made you feel.
5. Being true to your word: we’re all busy, but forever cancelling plans is never welcome, and can harm relationships. Unless an emergency has happened, do whatever it takes to be true to your word. If you say you’ll call someone, call them.
6. Being flexible: part of a successful relationship is understanding the delicate art of give and take.  Making an effort to do things your partner enjoys, and they you, can be a fun way to break your normal routine. Coming across as very inflexible, on the other hand, can send an unintended warning sign to your date.
7. Being a good listener: understand before you seek to be understood. Good advice in life, and a quality that successful couples share. On a date, be sure you are spending at least as much time (actively) listening as you are talking.

Attention singles: winter hibernation is over, and the spring “Matchmaking Season” has arrived!

What does this mean? It means virtually every single person in the city is looking to lose their lonesome winter blues – and meet someone new. There is simply NO better time of the year to kick start your love life.

But what to do once you have met someone new? Here are spring’s BEST dating ideas for under $30:

1. Cherry Blossom romance: take your date for a springtime stroll amongst Vancouver’s 40,000 cherry trees. Queen Elizabeth Park or the UBC endowment lands provide an ideal setting to let your love ‘blossom’!
2. Culture crawl or bike: bike around the seawall and explore Vancouver’s renowned outdoor public art scene. Highlights include Douglas Copeland’s ‘Digital Orca’, and ‘A-maze-ing Laughter’ by Yue Minjun. For a full listing, visit the ‘Public Art Registry’ online.
3. Grazing and gazing at the Gallery Café: enjoy a coffee and desert at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s excellent café. Afterwards take a seat on the gallery steps for the city’s best people watching perch.
4. For the love of Irish: paint some shamrocks on your cheeks and hit the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade downtown. Or try some green beer and Irish music at one of the many low cost activities at Celtic Fest (March 9th – 17th).
5. Score on game night: for hockey loving couples, try The Hub Restaurant and Lounge in Yaletown on Vancouver Canuck game nights. They offer lots of special game related give-aways and freebies if your favourite player scores.
6. Tuesday night treats: take your date for a late afternoon stroll along Kits Beach, gelato or coffee in hand. Afterwards watch your favourite ‘date night’ movie at Fifth Avenue Cinema’s ‘cheap ticket Tuesdays.’
7. Spring sunset: pack your sweaters, some snacks and warm beverages for two and watch one of Vancouver’s famous sunsets at Sunset Beach or English Bay.

Matchmakers will tell you this about successful relationships: communication means more than immediate chemistry. Ideally, you want both, but finding someone with whom you can communicate openly with SIGNIFICANTLY increases the chances of a successful match.

And, above all else, AVOID these four “relationship killing” communication traits (Source: John Gottman, PH.D.):

1. Criticism: complaints are fine. Criticism is more global — it attacks the person, not their behavior. They didn’t take out the garbage, not because they forgot, but because they’re a bad person.
2. Contempt: “…name-calling, eye-rolling, sneering, mockery, and hostile humor. In whatever form, contempt – the worst of the four horsemen – is poisonous to a relationship because it conveys disgust. It’s virtually impossible to resolve a problem when your partner is getting the message that you’re disgusted with him or her.”
3. Defensiveness: “…defensiveness is really a way of blaming your partner. You’re saying, in effect, ‘The problem isn’t me, it’s you.’ Defensiveness just escalates the conflict, which is why it’s so deadly.”
4. Stonewalling: tuning out. Disengaging. This doesn’t just remove the person from the conflict, it ends up removing them, emotionally, from the relationship.