Vancouver Magazine writer Masaji Takei hits the streets with ‘Cupids Strike Force’ and experiences first hand Executive Search Dating’s ‘Dating Headhunters’ in action.

Manhunt

Singles in search of partners are trying a new approach: the sidewalk ambush by proxy.

By Masaji Takei

RECENTLY SPOTTED at Burrard and Dunsmuir a five-foot-ten beauty, with dark auburn hair and grey eyes, approaching a man in a business suit. It's lunch hour. "Hi" she said. "I just wanted to say that you're a very attractive man. Are you single?" Embarrassed, he beat a hasty retreat. The straight, single male is known to be an elusive creature in Vancouver, but has it come to this? Attractive women resorting to full frontal attacks in broad daylight?

Unfazed, she turned and smiled at stunning woman in a well-tailored cashmere coat and heels. "This is going is going to sound weird, but you're gorgeous. "Are you single?" She's not. "Do you have any single friends as cute as you are?" Intrigued, the woman stops to talk.

Meet the ultimate wingwoman: Mary MacPherson, 28, model, actress, D], and Senior Matching Agent for Executive Search Dating (ESD). She's out here chasing down "hot professionals " for her clients to date. As your wing, she goes above and beyond the call of duty, freeing you from leading your own missions. While you're at your desk, busy being a busy professional, she's out aquiring targets.

Across town at ESD headquarters in the Waterfall Building on West Second, Jane Purcell, in her Irish lilt, calls references for your potential matches. Raven-haired Eva Yekutieli books a table for drinks and light snacks at Feenie's. Jessica Dunlop is minding the front, greeting prospects for their intake interviews. Posting key metrics on a whiteboard is the operation's sole male, the lean, 41-year-old Paddi Rice, founder and president of ESD.

ESD's street-level headhunting approach is unique; a business-inspired solution to the business of dating (not surprising, given Rice's MBA, from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland). Instead of just matching people within their pool of 300 clients, Rice's "cupids" recruit prime first-date candidates from anywhere that single professionals can be found. Why limit the possibilities? As Rice says, "Dating is a numbers game."

And the numbers aren't kind to women. Although ESD has roughly equal numbers of male and female clients, most dating services have substantially more women than men.

Women past their mid-40s face a ratio of eight to one. "Men are getting over-dated," say Rice. "I heard about a guy at another service who's going on his twenty-third date this month."

Back at Burrard and Dunsmuir, a taxi pulls up to the curb. Out step two women with matching orange jackets and black peaked hats and clipboards. Ziara Diaz, 28, is a petite, exuberant Latina from Chile. Zena Driver, 26, could pass for Greek, Italian, or Jewish; she's actually Persian, a Zoroastrian. Together they're knows as the "Z-team." Ziara spent five years, selling everything from tours to art, on cruise ships. Zena, a recent transplant from Toronto, is an actor when she's not chasing down hotties for ESD members.

Within moments they have setup an A-frame ESD sign and Zena is a lock-step with a young man headed north on Burrard. Zaira is off in the other direction, another prospect caught in her tractor beam. A block later Zena is still walking with her man. Zaira comes back to the corner gushing about hers. "He was so gorgeous. Just blew my mind."

Mary, working plainclothes, comes by just as Zaira steps up to a Eurasian woman in a skirt suit. "I had my eye on her," say Mary. "She's cute." She makes a move toward a man waiting at the light, then stops. "Ah, a wedding ring. Sometimes when I spot that wedding ring, it's really sad. Crushing."

The ring isn't the only think they watch for. They avoid people rolling luggage, visitors from out of town. "We also tend to pass on smokers," say Zaira, "unless they're really, really, really hot." Adds Mary; "So many of our clients are looking for tall guys, but some of my clients' tastes run to heavier, balder guys. So I'll keep that in the back of my mind when I go out. And some are particular about facial hair and the way it's groomed."

No matter what the physical cues or how they factor into each cupid's attractiveness algorithm, they're looking for basic interpersonal skills. Friendliness. "Approachable, not grumpy," says Mary. "Likely if they're a grump, they'll be a bad date."

Zena breaks off from talking to a man who's not traditionally handsome. "You can't tell until you talk with someone." she says. "They might have magnificant energy. Suddenly they become beautiful to you." "Sweet," "relaxed," "friendly," "confident" and "outgoing" top female clients' wish lists, along with "gregarious," "sassy" and "funny."

And the reason the Cupids' services are in demand? Why do singles need a proxy in this town? "The nunber one thing that we hear from women in Vancouver," says Mary, "is that guys don't approach women."

Ironically, the Cupids, except for Mary, are themselves single. "Why is it that when we're on our own, we can't do the same for ourselves?" Zaira laments. "When you're doing it for yourself, it's definitely not as easy," agrees Zena. Cupids are bound by a non-compete agreement; no dating clients. Even if they can't forward their own interests, though, the experience is invaluable. "It's opened my eyes to how many great people are out there," says Zena. "I wouldn't approach people before on my own. But I'm starting to overcome that shyness."

As for Mary, who's not married but in a relationship, "I think I'd have a hard time if I was single," she says. "There are a lot of attractive guys pouring out their hearts, sharing what they're looking for and how hard it is out there. If I were single, I'm sure I'd break all our rules" VM