As a part of the Morning Lazziness series about strong women leaders who attained success with their incredible ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chi the Love Genie.
“If you want success, be unique”- Natalie Massenet
Chioma “Chi” Amaefule is a certified matchmaker and founder of ‘N.Y.A,’ a matchmaking company dedicated to people connecting, relationships, and dealing with heart-breaks as well.
She tends to believe in ‘Love is a beautiful gamble. We are all just playing our cards, shooting the dice, and hoping to hit the jackpot’; apart from, her heartbreak inspired her to help individuals going through the same phase from which she came through.
Chi encourages her clients to persuade their relationships or heartbreaks with a different and optimistic perspective so that its prospect to be successful could escalate. Undeniably, it is pretty thoughtful of her to establish this one-of-a-kind and beneficial business featured on Yahoo Finance and N.Y. Weekly.
Many thanks for doing this for us; please let our users know about yourself and NYA Love and Dating Services?
My name Chioma Amaefule better known as Chi, and I am the CEO and Founder of NYA Love and Dating Services LLC. I am also a Certified Matchmaker and Dating Specialist who enjoys working with singles all over the US ages 28-68 who are single, entanglement-free, and serious about their search to find true love.
My goal is to continue helping others navigate through the ups and downs of dating and relationships. I am determined to provide a matchmaking and dating service that continues to help her community thrive in the dating world.
“My vision is to create something beautiful for those in my community and restore hope to singles that have lost it in their dating & love life.”
I believe in a direct, straightforward, honest approach and have packages that are highly competitive in comparison to others in her industry. Nothing surprises me when it comes to matters of the heart. I have been nicknamed “The Love Genie” as I do my very best to make wishes come true. My hope is to continue changing the world one heart at a time. I also have her own YouTube channel where I discuss love, sex, and relationships called True Chats with Chi Love.
What are your plans for the future? How do you plan to grow this company?
My goal is to get people to focus more so on what is on the inside versus what is on the outside and introduce them to someone who can be the perfect fit for them that they may not have gotten to know otherwise.
My plan is to continue operating a company based on transparency, openness, honesty, and the willingness to help people find the love that they desire in their lives. My plan is to continue to expand my database and create as many happy couples that lead to happy marriages as possible!
What dating advice would you like to give millennials?
DATE WITH INTENTION. State your purpose when you are getting to know people that way; you can save yourself a lot of time if you realize that this person does not want the same things that you do. Make sure that whomever you are taking the time to get to know is communicative, consistent, and values who you are and what you value in relationships.
What makes your dating service different from other dating sites like Tinder, OkCupid & Bumble? How do you make it best among all?
I offer a more in-depth approach and ask questions that allow me to dig a little deeper than just stating your preferences. For instance, I want to know what your love languages are and some of your triggers in past relationships. I also would want to know the internal attributes of the person you are looking to date, meaning stuff that people can’t see on the outside, more so who they are on the inside as in their character, what they value in life, their morals, etc.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was in 5th grade, I was obsessed with this game called MASH where you would write four names on a piece of paper, and then you would choose a number and a color and find out who you would be marrying if you live in a mansion, apartment, shack, or house and it was a lot more fun for me than others.
I realized that I loved bringing people together for love. Also, I was always the go-to in middle school whenever I wanted to pass a love note in class, and in high school, I was the queen of relationships, LOL. I had many. At that time in my life, I was in love with dating so much that I wanted to date as many people as possible, learn about them, who they are, and what makes them smile.
Fast forward to college; I was giving more dating advice than I was homework assignments and was really good at it. People thanked me. It wasn’t until I saw the movie Hitch starring Will Smith and fell in love with the idea of helping others find love as well as navigate the ups and downs of dating & relationships, so thus NYA Love and Dating Services was born.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There was a gentleman that was interested in my services who went to my website and saw that I also cater to the LGBTQ community and decided not to work with me. I find it interesting that me being a matchmaker who services people to who they are and not their sexual identity was a reason not to work with someone. However, I say that to say as long as you are open, honest, and have your heart in the right place, I am more than willing to work with you.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?
This really isn’t a mistake as say, but a funny story that happened. I had a client who I was matching, and she legitimately asked me if I was able to share the package size of his member. I told her absolutely not and that there was not a way that I would know that information or be comfortable inquiring about that information.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
My mother motivates me to do everything that I do. Without her words of encouragement and support, I know I wouldn’t have had the courage to follow my dream and start this business.
I knew what I wanted to do and bring to this world, and I went for it. PERIOD. I encourage everyone to do the same.
My clients and reviews, whenever I have rough days, I read over my reviews, and I smile ear to ear, and it helps to remind me why I started in the first place.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path. Any advice for others?
Don’t be afraid to fail. As a business owner, there will always be ups and downs. Focus on the up’s and power through the down’s, and I am confident that you will find your way.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- Not everyone that thinks they are ready for love is- Consultations is done face to face via video chat. The reason being it’s important to see how people react to different questions that I ask them regarding their dating life. There have been times that it is evident that a person still needs to heal from a toxic relationship or a past trauma. In that case, I recommend therapy when I feel it’s something that can benefit them.
- You can’t help everyone. There are some people that have such a negative mindset based on their past experiences that they aren’t willing to open the doors of their heart to anyone else. Bad energy won’t get you anywhere, and there is nothing I can do to change their mindset. It is up to that individual.
- Self-care is just as important as helping others– I am an empath. I feel things really deeply, and in the beginning, I would get immersed in helping others and forget about boundaries. I would take phone calls from clients at 11 PM because they were nervous about their next date or feel triggered about something from their past. Two hours later, it’s 1 AM, and I don’t know where the time has gone and don’t end up getting enough sleep for myself. Now, I’ve done a much better job at taking time for myself in addition to implementing boundaries so that my clients and I are on the same page.
- Just because you give someone great advice doesn’t mean they are going to take it -Some people to seek advice when they already know the answer. When giving dating and love advice, I know that not everyone will be receptive. At the end of the day, I can only do my best to guide them, but people are going to do what they are going to do, and all I can do is wish them well.
- It’s better to lead with transparency than leave someone in the dark -I will always tell you if I feel your expectations are unrealistic. I will also tell you if I feel there are some changes you need to make in your dating life. My goal is to set you up for success and make your dating life easier. I refuse to sell dreams or smoke and mirrors.
Has there ever been a moment when you thought to yourself, “I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to get a “real” job? If so, how did you overcome it?
There have been moments, and I have my day’s however, there is nothing that gives me greater joy than putting two marriage-minded individuals together for the hope that they can find ever-lasting love. I stay focused. Reminding myself of this very fact helps keep me grounded.
Can you share with our readers how your self-care routine?
I started scheduling full-body massages for self-care. Full body massages are vital for me. I hold a lot of tension in my shoulders. Also, I have a gym membership because working out is a love/hate relationship I have, but I feel so much better when I am done with that. I also take walks around the neighborhood with my mother.
Your success mantra?
Be yourself so that others can fall in love with the person that you are—an authentic movement based on transparency, openness, and honesty.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
