Flash Back Interviews. - Eden Blackman

Eden Blackman Dating Expert Interview 

Interview By: LiamPaddy

Firstly, for our reader’s sake could you provide us a bit of background information about yourself and what it is exactly that you do? 

I’m Eden Blackman, the founder of the world’s 1^st fully verified online dating site  HYPERLINK "http://www.WouldLikeToMeet.me" www.WouldLikeToMeet.me Nice to meet you!

What made you want to become a dating matchmaker? Was it something you always felt good at or was it something you just fell into? 

I was online dating only 2 years ago, was shocked and disappointed in the amount of fake profiles used, using pictures that weren't of the real person behind the profile I'd looked at or misleading in the sense that upon meeting up with a person I'd seen on a dating site, it was clear the images being used online were 10 years plus old! So disappointed with what the industry was working to, I decided to set up my own site to give online dating the kick up the backside it needed.

People believe their relationships never work for many different reasons, yet what 3 important things would you say you need to make a relationship work? 

Honesty, trust, and transparency are vital. That’s why we worked very hard when developing and running wouldliketomeet.me to ensure that these core values are at the heart of the site. When building a relationship, it’s important to start as you mean to go on.

You've got your own dating website WouldLikeToMeet.me. How did that come about?

In 2011, I was working as a radio plugger. My client’s included mega-stars such as Taio Cruz, Michael Jackson, Chase & Status, David Guetta, Jennifer Lopez and Kanye West. It was then that I realized that, despite all of the success I’d achieved in my career, there was one part of his life that I’d neglected… Love!

Looking around, I realized that I wasn’t alone in this. There were lots of people in the same situational as me, professional people who, having risen up the career ladder, were now struggling to find a romantic relationship with someone who they truly connected with. Many of my friends had settled down, many people my age had got married, I started thinking more open-mindedly about where I could look to find love. As it turned out, the answer was right in front of me. Online dating!

In the past, online dating has been stigmatized as a dangerous or ‘frowned-upon’ way to date. Catfishes, fake profiles and apprehension have deterred people from signing up but not anymore! Having experienced the pitfalls of the online dating world, I founded WouldLikeToMeet.me - a dating site with a difference. It’s safe!  I saw the pitfalls of other sites and used my experience to set up precautions to protect our users. E.g. webcam authorizations which were put in place to ensure accurate user profiles. This meant that we could exclude fake or misleading profiles from the site and ensure that only ‘honest’ dates are listed on the site. I’m really proud of it.

What's been your biggest achievement? 

With Would Like to Meet? Probably being invited on This Morning to discuss online dating within the first 6 months of launch. Personal? Taking my Dad to see his beloved Portsmouth FC play in (and lift!) the FA Cup!

Have you ever had someone ask for relationship advice/tips etc. when you’re out with friends & family? 

Yes, occasionally as they all know about my website. It's normal ‘How do I meet ‘the one’?’ or ‘why am I still single!’

If you had a movie based on your life, who would you love to play the role of you? 

If it were based on me from my 20’s then maybe Luke Perry (at that time gracing our screens in 90210) as apparently we had an uncanny likeness.  I will state for the record I had the sideburns first!

WouldLikeToMeet.me be been classed as one of the best dating sites of all, so what makes your dating site differently to all the others? 

Thanks! At WLTM, we hand verify each member before their profile is published to ensure every picture anyone sees on our website is genuine and accurate. A poll we commissioned told us 64% of the online dating community’s biggest fear of online dating was 'fake profiles’.

How old were you when you realised you loved helping others? 

On the dating site, it was a couple of years ago like I say, having experienced the pitfalls of online dating I thought each date was being shortchanged so had to do something about it. 

As you love to help others gain their dream date, if you could go on a dream date yourself with one celebrity who would it be and why? 

I’ve always had a thing for Sienna Miller…she seems a fun person to hang out with, with no illusions of grandeur. And let’s face it, she’s very cute.

The slogan to your site is catchy, 'No Fakes just Dates' how did you come up with that exactly? 

I won’t lie, it was a friend who came up with that, and it perfectly encapsulated what we’re about it so we asked for her permission to use it. I think I still owe her lunch for it too!

What's been the most random thing anyone has given you?(for example a fan/ a pleased client etc.)

One Valentine’s Day gift my girlfriend at the time gave me a pair of oven gloves! Not the most romantic gift but to be fair something I’d been saying I needed and still use.

Where do you see your career heading within the next 12 months? 

I want to break WouldLikeToMeet.me into the top 5 dating websites in the UK, then plan to expand globally. My goal is for WLTM to not only be the best in the world but the best FOR the world.

What do you hope to achieve from your dating site? 

Long happy marriages and some babies. Our first WLTM baby will give me an amazing buzz.

Would you change anything and do something different about your career?

I’d have started WLTM sooner!

What advice would you give to someone attempting to become a dating expert themselves? 

Advice and listen. You learn more from others experiences and tales than you will try to learn about life from a book.

What advice would you give to someone who's looking for love? 

Be calm, don’t rush blindly into dating, and don’t keep asking yourself ‘why am I single?’

What are the 3 positives about being a dating expert? 

Being asked for advice is a real honor, exchanging ideas and experiences, and seeing success in your field.

Thank you for your time. I wish nothing but the best with you and your career especially with the dating website, I've noticed it's gained a lot of publicity and recommended by many individuals so I hope it continues to go through strength to strength.

Thanks very much for the opportunity