The first question I asked Wendy Tse, Founder and Head Matchmaker of Society W, was, how did someone who clearly never needed any help getting a date end up starting her own matchmaking and date coaching business?
Wendy’s reply was as unexpected as it was spot-on. She said, “Everyone needs help in those areas.” As she explained why, I realized how much truth there was in her statement. We’ve all been guilty of turning to friends, family members, colleagues and whoever else was available at the time, to push us in the right direction. We sought recommendations and introductions in hopes of meeting ‘THE ONE’.
Call it whatever you may, but that’s matchmaking. This goes to show that at some point in our lives, we were all open to the idea of matchmaking as long as it did not involve paying a fee for services rendered. This is what Wendy referred to as the Asian stigma.
So how was Society W conceived?
It started as early as when Wendy was a teenager who found herself having a knack for understanding the emotional states of her friends and what they needed to say or do to find success with their love interest.
Described as a unique talent, Wendy nurtured her matchmaker instincts with lots of self-study till the time came for her to get ‘a real job’ in banking and finance. Although the money was great, Wendy enjoyed the relationships and emotional connections with clients more than collecting her paycheck.
Discontented dealing with just finances, Wendy sought her parents’ blessings to pursue psychology at Columbia University. There she found herself genuinely enjoying everything she was taught in class. And this was also when Wendy was exposed to the niche matchmaking industry in New York City.
When she got back to Singapore, the best thing Wendy did was not to rush into starting the business. With the help of her older sister, Wendy took baby steps to test the local market while working a full-time banking job. It was not long before referrals started streaming in and the inevitable happened; Wendy pursued her calling and Society W came into existence in 2011.
Society W’s approach towards matchmaking
Thanks to Wendy’s hard work, Society W runs on many important principles, which include reliability, integrity, likeability and initiative. It is not a matchmaking company which depends on algorithms to do the job.
Wendy prides herself in taking a very informed approach when it comes to meeting clients’ requirements. For example, clients who sign up for an Elite package are offered personal coaching sessions in which they’re helped with conversational skills, revamping their online dating profiles and more, depending on their needs.
What’s even more impressive is that Society W turns away people whose expectations they fear cannot be met. This level of integrity is something Wendy feels is crucial in her line of work because it involves trust. As she aptly puts, ‘Clients must trust me to do what I’m good at. This is my profession.’ However, she does admit that no matter how good she is at being a matchmaker, Wendy is not a magician. She cannot guarantee that two suitable candidates can have a life-long commitment between them.
Single woes
As with most professions, Wendy faces her fair share of challenges, especially clients with unrealistic expectations or too much emotional baggage. To deal with such situations, Wendy gives suggestions to help improve their shortcomings, like counseling and keeping an open mind. She believes that with enough support and education, singles can find matches and increase their level of eligibility.
Wendy also shared with me that Singaporeans with big social lives stood a significantly higher chance of finding themselves a life partner, as opposed to those who much rather stay home, read a book and watch the news.
According to Wendy, there’s a large pool of eligible people on this tiny island who are not seen or heard of because they do not regularly mingle at parties like other Singaporeans. And for that group, she suggests they join suitable clubs or classes to meet their match.
Society W’s motto
Wendy believes that if you let life happen to you, nothing will happen for you. Hence her motto is to ‘get out there and start filling your life with activities you are passionate about and people you love.’
Wendy hopes to debunk that matchmaking is only for singles who are:
- Desperate
- Socially awkward
- Old & unattractive
- Female, mega successful & aggressive
- Having unrealistic expectations
Want to find your match? Do it with Society W. Log on tohttp://www.societyw.com.
