Love guru Shares her Secrets

Discover the secrets to unlocking your own love story with Ideal Introductions Director and Redcliffe local Linda Prescott. Linda’s expertise over the past 30 years as a matchmaker has directly transformed thousands of lives and redefined the way we think about dating and relationships – and now she’s sharing her knowledge with our readers.

Navigating the unspoken rules of dating:

Dating is definitely a journey with a set of unwritten rules, vital for success. As a Matchmaker, I’ve witnessed on thousands of occasions how these rules (or guidelines as we call them in our Dating Guides) can be the difference between making it to that second date or not… Firstly, clear and honest communication is essential. From arranging a date to sharing your feelings, transparency and openness all play a major part of gaining trust, which then leads to connection. Respecting each other’s time by being punctual and demonstrating genuine interest by asking questions of each other are also key….

Linda talks to Courier Mail about looking for love in a lockdown

COURIER MAIL, QWEEKEND.COM.AU April 11-12, 2020. By Leanne Edmistone.

It’s all about chat, video and voice calls, as the quest for true love continues while quarantine measures are in place.

One of my favourite memes at the moment goes a little like this:
Me: I think I’m ready to start dating again.
Universe: Oh really? (Releases global pandemic preventing all physical interaction.)
Me: Well played, well played.

With the country in virtual lockdown and gatherings limited to two people in an attempt to limit the devastation of coronavirus, you’d think dating would be the last thing on anyone’s mind. Not so. Apparently, now is the perfect time to embark on the search for that special someone, especially with all the extra time we’ve got on our hands – though the actual execution might take a little more innovation and creativity than usual.

Ideal Introductions managing director Linda Prescott says 2020 was a “crazy busy” year, even before the pandemic hit, with many people determined this would be the year they’d meet their special someone. “In times of uncertainty or crisis, people really crave a secure partnership. The (2007) Global Financial Crisis was our busiest year. The landscape of how we are dating is going to continue to change, as is how we interact, but everyone still wants love,” says Prescott, a 27-year veteran of the matchmaking industry.

“Being locked down and feeling vulnerable, and having no one to give you a cuddle or just say “It’s going to be OK”, is a bit scary. This makes people realise what’s really important. When we come out the other end of his pandemic, we are going to be so busy, it’s not even funny.

Get It’s resident Love Expert Linda Prescott and Kathleen Loxton partner-up to uncover the true tales of Gold’s Coasts very own Dirty Johns.

Let’s face it, getting back out into the dating world after spending some time solo can feel scary. Even just the thought of sitting at dinner with a new stranger might make you cringe slightly. Why wouldn’t you? You’re probably thinking, “What if he doesn’t find mums attractive?”, “What if the kids don’t like him?” Okay, stop there. Before you get ahead of yourself, it’s important to know that, yes, Love does happen again.

Deborah’s Story
Looking to meet a life partner, Deborah Cox, 52, tried online dating tools but found they weren’t working and she “wasn’t getting any younger”, she turned to matchmaking.

“Yes, I had doubts in the beginning,” Deborah reveals, “But my matchmaker was always a phone call away. I was given lots of advice along the way and I had some great dates with lovely guys.”
When Ideal Introductions matched Deborah with Brian, now 53, she said she knew quite early on that he was special.

“Brian walked me to my car after our first date on the Friday, which he scored huge brownie points for. We arranged to meet again on the Sunday for breakfast which flowed into the afternoon again,” Deborah recalls. From that first date in 2011 that started at GOMA, the couple were married in 2013. And the beautiful part? Deborah’s two sons gave her away at the wedding.
”The rest is history. We have six kids between us so we now have a huge family with two grandkids as well. My matchmaker even came to our wedding ceremony.”

My Tips on Finding Love the Second Time Around

Be proactive about meeting people
While you don’t want to become obsessed in your search for a partner, you do have to make sure you are doing things that increase your chances of meeting someone. Just like you would put in an effort to land your dream job. Think about it, it’s the person you’re going to potentially spend your life with – now, that definitely requires some thought if you’re going to have a happy and fulfilled life.

Get the rest of the tips on Get It…

Get It’s resident Love Expert Linda Prescott and Kathleen Loxton partner-up to uncover the true tales of Gold’s Coasts very own Dirty Johns.

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