A Dating Coach’s Best Advice For Finding True Love If You’re An Entrepreneur

As a dating coach, giving advice for finding true love isn’t a one-size-fits-all mission. Far from being an obstacle, that reality is one of the most energizing traits of my work.

Clients come in all shapes and sizes, span decades in age, and have vastly different personalities, talents, lifestyles and careers. And yet, they are all seeking one common thing: advice for finding true love.

How, where and with whom they find that love is where the guidance of a dating coach comes in. Everyone is wonderfully unique and deserves a well-matched relationship that brings out and supports the unique qualities of both partners.

The entrepreneur is an example of a unique client profile that can benefit from a dating coach’s advice for finding true love.

The “cautionary tale” of entrepreneurs is that they usually don’t make the easiest romantic partners. They are, by their very “non-job” job description, married to the idea they are working to manifest. They assume risks that most of the world can’t or won’t, and their work days often have no beginning and no end.

The positive spin is that, at the heart of the entrepreneur is someone who sees a need and seeks to meet it. This trailblazer doesn’t allow her/his creativity and curiosity to hide behind fear or status quo. S/he is out there making things happen instead of waiting and hoping for things to happen.

"Entrepreneurship is the mindset that allows you to see opportunity everywhere. It could be a business idea, but it could also be seeing the possibilities in the people that can help you grow that business. This ability to see many options in every situation is critically important; there will be unending challenges that will test your hustle." – Preeti Sriratana, co-founder and COO of Sweeten

The most common roadblock for the entrepreneur seeking love is one of distribution and balance of time. When you are “it” in a startup endeavor, you have to be “all in.” And yet, you still have to live...and hopefully love. Adding a relationship to the mix means you will have to learn to be “all in” without driving your partner out.

If you are an entrepreneur, my advice for finding true love falls under this umbrella:

Understand how your choices and lifestyle affect your partner. And ensure your partner feels #1 in your life -- or at least equally important to your entrepreneurial endeavor.

My work as a dating coach isn’t just to steer you in the direction of desirable candidates. It’s to match your qualities as an entrepreneur to someone whose life can equally flourish in the context of your unique lifestyle.

Here is some advice for finding true love, tailored to the unique calling of the entrepreneur.

·        Make the pursuit of love a goal and discipline.

Dating likely isn’t at the top of your to-do list. And yet, that probably doesn’t keep your yearning for a relationship from nudging you. The good news is, you can still stay in your entrepreneurial mindset and pursue love.

Schedule one night every week or two to go out with friends and meet people of the opposite sex. The key for you will be to treat it with the same respect you would give to an important business meeting. Be on time. Dress for the occasion. Be on your A-game. That means no canceling, no excuses and no distractions.

·        Be honest and up front.

It’s important that you put all your cards on the table early in a relationship. You have limited time for love, so it’s important to know what you want in a relationship and be able to express it.

This isn’t about scaring away a potential partner, but about being transparent. Any chance at lasting love will depend on both of you being on the same page, even if you have different needs.

·        Find someone who shares your passion.

You don’t need to be matched to someone who knows and loves the very thing you are working on. But it’s important to be with someone who is similarly passionate.

It’s also important to be with someone who believes in what you are doing...and believes in you. Knowing that your significant other believes you have what it takes is extremely fortifying to a relationship.

Just be sure that you are reciprocating that same passion and confidence toward your partner.

·        Find someone who shares your values.

As an entrepreneur, you know that time is a valuable -- and limited -- commodity. And your life is driven by optimizing it. When it comes to finding true love, your strategy for allocating your time is critical. Your partner is much more likely to support your work commitments if you demonstrate integrity and balance in both work and love.

·        Make your partner feel important.

This point is paramount when you’re searching for true love. Your partner is going to be vulnerable to feeling second-best in your relationship, and that feeling can erode a relationship.

Think of your relationship as an account. You are constantly making deposits and withdrawals. Obviously it’s important to make more deposits than withdrawals, especially if you know there are going to be unexpected “costs” that come up.

Another piece of advice for finding true love and keeping it is to learn your partner’s Love Language and use that as a compass. You can actually take the 5 Love Languages Quiz together as a way to better understand one another’s needs.

·        Plan, schedule and keep regular date nights.

Because your business hours are pretty much 24/7, it can easily become second nature to assume those closest to you “just understand.” But sitting alone in a nice restaurant or canceling on friends at the last minute so “the entrepreneur” can “do business” gets old.

In order to keep that love account with a healthy positive balance, it’s important to give your partner regular things to anticipate and depend on. And that means no phones, no distractions, no impromptu meetings...and no cancellations.

Date nights are for building and nourishing your relationship. They’re also a wonderful opportunity for your partner to be on the receiving end of all that creativity you use in your business.

·        Understand (and meet) your partner’s needs.

When I give advice for finding true love, my commitment is to set both partners up for relationship success.

For the entrepreneur, it can be easy to slip into the mindset of “everyone needs to understand me.” But it is equally essential for you to understand your partner and what s/he needs.

If you’re not giving equal value to your partner’s feelings and needs, your relationship may end up being a “learning experience” instead of lasting love.

No matter who my client is, or what s/he does for a living, there is one piece of advice for finding true love that applies to everyone:

Be aware and constantly communicate!

Learning about another person is the exciting, joyful part of dating. That ease of listening with compassion and real interest is what forges genuine care for the other person. It also bridges the heart and mind to create a vision of all the possibilities….

And believing in possibilities is what being an entrepreneur is all about.

This article originally appeared on the Motivated to Marry blog.