IAM1418 – Founder Leverages Her Skill of Intuition and Understanding to Help People Find Love

It all began when April Davis, Founder of LUMA – Luxury Matchmaking, realized she needed to take her skill of intuition and understanding people to the next level. If there was one thing she knew more than anything – it was how to help people find love. April founded LUMA – Luxury Matchmaking in 2010 and takes her background as a Certified Life Coach to help singles in over 22 states find the one they can spend the rest of their lives with.

• CEO Story: The first couple that was set up by April was when she was only 16 years old working in a cafe. Years later got her MBA in business. With existing competition around, April gathered all the positive propositions from her competition and used them in her company. She is a certified life coach as well, making it more legit to deal, refer, and transact with them, especially since their niche is in the luxury side managing the top executives and the like who don’t have time to search around the net or elsewhere.
• Business Service: Interview their clients about their wants and interests, especially values – understanding what's really important to them. Plan a date for the couple depending on their preference.
• Secret Sauce: A boutique agency, special and personalized. Limited to 15-20 clients per matchmaker. Automated processing. Huge 25,000 members in the network.
• CEO Hack: Searching on Google, YouTube & Listening on Audible and AirPods
• CEO Nugget: Understand your numbers & EOS
• CEO Defined: Responsibility

Website: www.lumasearch.com
Facebook: LUMAsearch
Instagram: luma_matchmaking
LinkedIn: aprilmdavis
Twitter: LUMA_search

Episode Link: https://iamceo.co/2018/10/05/iam079-founder-leverages-her-skill-of-intuition-understanding-to-help-people-find-love

Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE

Transcription

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today! 

Please Note: Our team is using the AI CEO Hacks: Exemplary AI and Otter.ai to support our podcast transcription. While we know it's improving there may be some inaccuracies, we are updating and improving them. Please contact us if you notice any issues, you can also test out Exemplary AI here. 

00:02 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:27 – Gresham Harkless

Hello, Hello, Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have April Davis of Luma Luxury Matchmaking. April, it's awesome to have you on the show.

00:37 – April Davis

Thanks for having me today.

00:38 – Gresham Harkless

No problem. I appreciate you for being here. What I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about April so you can learn about all the awesome things that she's doing. It all began when April Davis, founder of Luma Luxury Matchmaking, realized she needed to take her skill of intuition and understanding people to the next level. If there was one thing she knew more than anything, it was how to help people find love. April founded Luma Luxury Matchmaking in 2010 and takes her background as a certified life coach to help singles in over 22 states find the one they can spend the rest of their lives with. April, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

[restrict paid=”true”]

01:12 – April Davis

I am. Thanks.

01:13 – Gresham Harkless

No problem. No problem. And the first question I have is just if we could learn a little bit more about you, your background, and what led you to start your business. What's your CEO story?

01:21- April Davis

Well, I have been a matchmaker for almost forever. The first couple I ever set up was when I was 16 years old. I was working in a little cafe, and I helped, you know, put two people together. There was a patron that would come in all the time, and one of the ladies I worked with, I knew that he was interested in her and vice versa. So I kind of helped nudge them together. And then. Yeah, well, several years later, I ended up getting my MBA in business and working in process improvement. And I had a lot of single friends that would tell me stories about how difficult it was for them to meet people. And so I started looking around and looking into the different avenues that people had for meeting.

You know, of course, there's online dating, which has its own set of issues and everything there is. There are other types of services. So I met with all the services, and I kind of tried to grab the different pieces that I liked from all of them and created the model that we have today. And so we work essentially as an extension of our clients to help Them to find that person who they're looking for. And, you know, the number one way to meet someone is still through someone else. And so I've made it into our business. Our clients are typically busy professionals and executives who don't have a lot of time to deal with online dating, and they don't want to meet someone at a bar. Some of them are young and just looking for their first marriage and to have kids and everything.

And then others are divorced after. You know, a lot of times people are divorced after 20 or 30 years of marriage, and they're looking for that next step and next phase in their life, and they want to find that person to spend it with. And so they'll use our services to find that kind of person. And we're also certified life coaches as well. So we use our coaching background to help our clients put their best foot forward. Because it's not just about going out on a bunch of dates. It's about putting your best foot forward in order to attract the kind of person that you want ultimately.

03:12 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And especially with that life coach extension and having that background, I'm sure you're able to, of course, ask the right questions, but also to make sure that you're making the perfect match for those people who are looking for their special someone. So I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper and hear a little bit more about how you guys are helping serve the clients that you work with. Could you take us through, like, exactly how that goes?

03:31 – April Davis

Yeah. So we'll meet with our clients and we interview them and we go through what are, you know, their hobbies, their interests, but most importantly, their values. And we want to really understand what's important to them because that's ultimately something that is never going to change. You know, people can see around. We'll change, you know, our hair color or different. You can change your eye color. Women can change their height depending on the shoes they're wearing. There are some things that our, you know, ultimately our values are the most important. So if your religion is very important to you, you want any one of you, somebody else that is of the same religion, you know, not. Probably not someone that's an atheist.

That could be an issue, especially if you're looking at having kids together at some point. And so just things like that we'll try to align on and we meet with everyone, we see what they look like in person. You know, it's not. It's not just, you know, whatever pictures someone submits that could Be really old or not even them. You know, there' kinds of things. So we're kind of like an executive recruiter, but for people's love lives. And then we. So we'll select, we'll interview on average about 40 to 50 people per client. So it's kind of like we're going on those first dates for our clients and then we select who we're going to set our client off with.

We plan the dates and everything too. So all they have to do is show up and have fun. And the dates are curated for the couple. So if there are some, you know, a couple that are really into the outdoors and hiking, they could go on a hike or paddle boarding or doing something that's fun and active on their feet, or if they just want something that's more casual. We've had clients just go for an ice cream cone and go for a walk. I've also had clients that have literally flown to New York City and gone to the Met Opera. So it just really is around the type of people that were matching.

05:18 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. And that's pretty awesome. And as you mentioned, I know that you have like those busy professionals that you touched on, and they have so many things that they're doing that they don't necessarily have the time to kind of do all those things that you guys can kind of take off their plate so they can continue doing the awesome things that they're doing with their job and their work and everything like that. So I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And this is kind of like your differentiator or what you feel kind of makes you unique or your organization unique.

05:41 – April Davis

Well, there's a couple of things. I mean, we are a boutique agency, so it's very special and personalized. You know, you're not just a number with us. Each matchmaker is limited to only taking on about 15 to 20 clients at a time. So you're, you're really. You're not a number. All of our match, all of our clients have their matchmaker's cell phone number. You know, it's just highly personalized in that way. Then another thing is we have. I'm very well. My background is in process improvement. So I'm all about automation and using technology when applicable when it's helpful. And in some ways it is, invest in that. We have a huge database.

We have over 25,000 members in our network that we have to choose from when we're looking for the right person for our clients. That's what gives our clients the ability to be in the driver's seat. They're the ones that are selecting who they would like to meet. Whereas with online dating, you just are swiping, and hopefully the person that you want to meet will swipe back to you. When you're working with us, we, you know, when somebody. When we call someone and say, hey, we have a client that we think you should meet, those people are really excited to hear that. And they. They want to go out with our clients. So it just kind of gives people their opportunities in that way, you know.

And then I think the other third big differentiator with us is that we're all life coaches, and so we're not just throwing people on a bunch of dates. You know, we really help our clients. I've literally taken clients shopping, helped them pick out, you know, what eyeglasses to or clothes or. And then oftentimes, though, it's just talking to them about different things. You know, we're not therapists, but we can help them with a lot of different areas. So I've had clients or, you know, not even just helping them. You know, it could be just helping the date move along. I got. I just got a date that I had really good feedback about both people, and they liked each other. She was worried that he made some kind of comment.

She took it as he was not looking for marriage, and that's what she was looking for. And it's just the opposite, actually. You know, that's why he hired us. He's definitely looking for marriage. And I kind of had to help nudge them back together and explain to her, like, no, actually, that was not what he meant, that he. This is what he really meant. And then, you know, that way, now they're going on a second date where she wasn't. She wasn't sure that she wanted to go out with him again after that. So kind of being that intermediary whether it's being a coach or just helping nudge them to the finish line.

08:07 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And those are all, you know, great differentiators or forms of secret sauce. And I like the aspect that you talked about in the very beginning, how it's kind of like you're getting introduced by some of your best friends or somebody that actually knows you. You guys kind of have that extension. Having that boutique feel also sounds like it provides that opportunity for somebody, not just a random person to try to connect you with somebody else, but somebody who actually knows you, and wants to see the best for you. Yeah.

08:31 – April Davis

When Your friends are hooking you up with someone, they have great intentions and. But oftentimes they'll set you up with someone they think is great, maybe great for them, not necessarily.

08:41 – Gresham Harkless

Right.

08:42 – April Davis

And the other thing is they just, a lot of times are like, okay, who do I know that's single? And they just, oh, yeah, the only other single. They just throw people together. It's not necessary.

08:52 – Gresham Harkless

Right, right. That makes perfect sense. So it's great that you guys have the experience to be able to do that. So now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And a CEO hack could be an app or a book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

09:08 – April Davis

I think the biggest thing and the biggest realization that I've had in a CEO is just the information that is out there if you want it. People ask me all the time, oh, how did you do this? How did you do that? Google, YouTube, whatever it is. And one concern, one major concern I had when I left corporate America and went to this company on my own was I was worried about knowing what was going on in the world. You know, I thought, oh, I'm going to be on this island, not going to know what people are talking about. And with the help of the app of Audible, I've been able to, I know, way more, like, push myself way more.

And I've learned so much more because I have a book or a library in my phone with over 100 books in there, and I've invested in it, and I make my team listen to those books as well. So they're growing and learning more as well. And even my clients, I'll find different books that they can listen to and recommend to them. That has helped them. So I hear people say that all the time listening to podcasts or books, they learn a lot from that. But I think that's. To me, that's been the biggest. I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have audiobooks. And then now I use Audible. Like, I used to go to the library and borrow them, but now I can just buy them through Audible. So I'm a huge fan.

10:33 – Gresham Harkless

I think you're absolutely right. Where there's so much information and kind of resources you can get at your fingertips, it's just a matter of you making the effort in order to do that. So I think the two great CEO hacks. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO Nugget. And this is like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice and, or something you might tell your younger business self. So do you have a CEO nugget that you provide to us?

10:56 – April Davis

Well, I understand why so many businesses fail. I forget what this statistic is nowadays. It's because people don't understand their numbers. And if you're not a numbers person, you can't just say, oh, I'm just not a numbers person, or rely too heavily on your accountant to figure that out for you. You have to figure it out. You have to learn about it. If you don't know, then go and learn. That's something that being in this role, I've become a jack of all trades and that I have had to learn a lot about a lot of different things. My background, I have the background of a number.

So I was fortunate in being able to dig into the data and figure out things. I think reading EOS is a, it's an operating system for businesses and there are a lot of books around it. So I would Google it, read all the books around EOs learn as much as you can about it, and then apply it to your company. So you have metrics. So everybody has a number, everyone on your team, everything has the number and it should be measured. And then you should have to report around that and scorecards and different things and higher financials.

Because if you don't, if you don't know where you're going, you don't understand your numbers, then you're not going to get there. So I think the biggest bit of advice that just blows me away is how some of these people that are trying to run businesses, they just, they don't, they don't know their metrics and understand why so many businesses fail. Because if you don't know them, then you're lost.

12:23 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, it's huge. And I mean, not knowing your numbers allows you the opportunity. Well, when you know your numbers, you're. You're given the opportunity to be able to forecast certain things, to figure out what decisions you're going to make or don't make. But a lot of times when you don't have that data or information or you're not paying attention to it, which is even, you know, not it, which is even worse, you can definitely hit a lot of roadblocks and pitfalls. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. So we're having a lot of different CEOs on this show. So I wanted to ask You. What does being a CEO mean to you?

12:53 – April Davis

I think the biggest thing that comes to mind for me is responsibility because I'm so. Because I've taken on this company and I've taken on all these clients and employees and stuff, I. I have to be. I'm responsible. You know, there's a lot of people that are counting on me to keep balls rolling and keep things going and keep. Feel like I have a lot of plates that I'm spinning, and I have to keep them all going along because there are literally families that are depending on me. Kids is depending on me because my employees have kids and all these clients of ours. So I think that's a big thing as being dependable and responsible for so much. So that's what I'm thinking about. I guess that's the first thing that comes around to my mind just having a lot of responsibilities.

13:41 – Gresham Harkless

I love that. Yeah. And especially if you have people who are dependent on you to make sure that you're doing a lot of the things and make sure the ball is rolling, then that is definitely a great definition of what it means to be a CEO. So, April, I appreciate you so much for taking some time out of your schedule. What I wanted to do was kind of pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and our listeners know and how best people can get ahold of you.

14:03 – April Davis

Yeah. In order for people to get a hold of us if they are looking to just join our database and be considered as a match to one of our clients, or if you want to be proactive and have us find your special person, you can just go to our website@lumasearch.com it's l u m a search s e an r c h.com and that stands for luxury matchmaking. And you can just go to that website, fill out the form, or you can. You can give us a call and talk to one of the matchmakers and see if we can help you, and see what we can do for you.

14:35 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome, Awesome. Well, I truly appreciate you, April, for all the work that you're doing and helping your employees. But also all these people find love that's near and dear, obviously, to everybody's heart. So I appreciate you for the time that you took, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day. Of course.

14:49 – April Davis

Thank you. Thank you for your time. I appreciate the opportunity. All right, you take care.

14:53 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

[/restrict]