We’re looking forward to introducing you to Michele the “Matchmaker” Fields. Check out our conversation below.
Michele the “Matchmaker”, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
For 36 years I have stood up for my clients. When someone new calls for Bon Jour Matchmaking, the two most important criteria are that they fit what my current clients are looking for and that they understand and agree with my philosophy and structure. Over the years I’ve turned down thousands and thousands of dollars because integrity is most important to me!
I ask preliminary questions to gauge whether potential clients are serious about seeking a relationship and not just dating. Whether they agree with my philosophy and whether they can adhere to the structure of Bon Jour. Additionally, I ask many questions to see whether they fit what my current clients have set forth as their preferences.
Consequently, at least half or more of the time I decline to work with callers who do not fit the above. At least half of that time, rather than thanking me for not lying to them and scamming them out of their money, they become nasty, write a bad review and can be scary threatening. I just had that happen recently and it went on for 2 weeks ONLY because I declined to work with someone!
The other half of the time people thank me for being honest and not taking advantage of them. They express that is why they called me to begin with in that they’ve spoken with other services that were all about the money.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am all about making people happy and making sure the seed of a relationship started in Bon Jour Matchmaking grows and flourishes!
All my life I’ve set people up hoping to find love for them. I know what it feels like to be disappointed over and over. To get excited about someone new, only to find they are not who they claim to be, the chemistry fades and/or they cheat. That is why I have constructed my service so that I know what is happening on both sides of the relationship so neither jumps to the wrong conclusions or misreads the signs. You can ask your friends what they think is going on and they are only guessing. You can ask me, and I can tell you exactly, based on the feedback I am getting from both sides! It has happened over and over in 36 years that the lack of communication almost tanked relationships until I stepped in and clarified the situation. So many marriages have come from that coaching.
I owe the success of Bon Jour Matchmaking from how discriminating I am at which new clients I represent, the tons of information on each client including pictures and the coaching. The structure is also a huge part of why clients are successful!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My father, my brother and my uncle were all entrepreneurs. I learned mostly from my father, watching his day-to-day interactions and frustrations in his business. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see my business, however my mother did. I think she was surprised because it was, at that time 1989, not the norm. She mentioned many times that she thought my father would be so tickled by this matchmaking service.
I also learned from my mother, although she worked at DuPont in the legal department, but often came home exhausted and frustrated by her interactions with her bosses.
I mostly learned what not to do in business from all of them. And in 36 years I’ve tweaked things repeatedly to make them more successful, client friendly and give the most informative profiles of clients possible without overstepping personal boundaries.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been many times when I’ve almost given up. I am going to be brutally honest…when I started this business I thought people would be appreciative, kind, grateful. Unfortunately, for the most part, I have not found that to be the case.
Because I am in this business because it is to the core who I am, a Matchmaker, I continue. I have NOT made millions of dollars because I want my service to be accessible and it doesn’t work for everyone, even though it is structured in the clients’ favor. I have only been invited to one wedding and it was the very first couple in 1990! Most of the female clients who have gotten married through my service lie to people about how they met their spouse! It is such a slap in the face because I grow partially from referrals. I’ve had some women get very nasty when I’ve asked them to tell the truth when people ask how they met their husband!
I’ve been sad and shocked at how unappreciative people have been…yet I continue to serve them in hopes of achieving their goal. When I’ve at times cried to friends about how clients have treated me, they say, well they are paying for a service. Well, they pay their hairdresser, their manicurist, etc. for their services, yet they give them holiday cards and gifts. I have never been given a holiday card or gift from a client in 36 years!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
INTEGRITY, HIGH ETHICS
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
YES! I am to my core a Matchmaker. I always wondered why so many of my romantic relationships didn’t work out. What was the lesson? Why was I going through them? Here it is…so that I have such a vast amount of experience to draw from to assist my clients who are making the same mistakes, or who don’t understand what is happening. I frequently share anecdotal stories from my past which help clients through their trials and tribulations.
But those come from years of experience, not only my own, but from the hundreds of clients I’ve represented since 1989.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://bonjourms.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-fields-1625934a/
