Anisa Hassan, 50, has a thriving background in journalism. She was scouted by the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) – now Mediacorp – for the role of producer and presenter, and she later became one of the 10 main characters to launch Channel NewsAsia.
Despite her success, 2003 was the year she chose to step away from “the lights, the cameras, the action” at Channel NewsAsia.
She then dipped her foot into the matchmaking industry in 2004, bringing the American dating brand ‘It’s Just Lunch’ to Singapore.
When the brand ended her tenure in 2017, she founded Date High Flyers International (DHF), which offers personalized matchmaking services serving a niche market: professionals, business owners and individuals high net worth individuals (HNWIs) intending to get married.
Never imagined herself walking this path, she considers herself an accidental entrepreneur.
I am looking for growth and opportunities to grow. Entrepreneurship was the furthest from my mind. I don’t come from a business background, and I don’t think I have the business acumen to build or start a business.
– Anisa Hassan, CEO and Founder of Date High Flyers International
Personalized dating for a select number of people
The rise of dating apps has led many singles to assume that matchmakers are outdated and they may have to pay a premium.
Anisa admits that independent dating has worked on many levels. However, she points out that there are individuals who lack the time to appreciate the value of time, effort and attention that matchmakers can provide them.
It can make it difficult to check a resume after it doesn’t know someone’s background, true intentions, and goals. The matchmaker removes that guesswork. Plus, there are types of dating where individuals can be obscured if we don’t step in to get attention or stay away.
Paying the most for a luxury matchmaking service means increased transparency and a higher degree of compatibility that is only possible because the man in the middle is always in the interests of both parties.
– Anisa Hassan, CEO and Founder of Date High Flyers International
She added that she doesn’t have a specific matchmaking relationship. Instead, it all starts with a private conversation and the intention to serve if the requirements are within her reach. She is adamant about providing personalized service, thus extending her time and energy only to a select group of individuals.
DHF comes in two types: Luxe and Black Label members. Luxe is a local membership where customers are matched with others based in Singapore. The member accounts here are run by Anisa’s team of trained matchmakers.
Meanwhile, Black Label is run directly by Anisa and is limited to 50 customers, usually men between the ages of 40 and 60. This membership unlocks matches from within the local database. and international. She personally also hunts down other candidates for them and provides her clients with personalized coaching on the best way to navigate the dating world.
While dealing with the wealthy involves dealing with a multitude of privacy issues, DHF ensures that all personal information remains in the private domain. They never reveal their last name, residential address, place of work, ensuring their customer information is not easily found.
Anisa’s clients include professionals, including doctors, lawyers, bankers, academics and senior management company executives. About 40% are businessmen and there are others including political and public figures, as well as members of the royal family.
Half of these customers were referred by other customers, business partners and friends.
According to Anisa, she works on a retention basis, usually from six months to a year, and prices range from S$1,000 to S$5,500 a month.
A multi-step process to finding love
The selection process is a rigorous one. Once a person is registered with DHF, the team arranges a pre-screening process with the prospect over the phone or via Zoom.
We asked them a series of questions to determine their common goals, educational background, and career. We will also consider their parameters with which they want us to work.
If their requests are reasonable and we can accommodate them, then only then will we offer a face-to-face interview with the potential customer. During the interview, a potential client can expect a more in-depth interview where details like family history, relationship history, and ideal partner are fully discussed.
– Anisa Hassan, CEO and Founder of Date High Flyers International
The first intro is then exclusively arranged by DHF as it involves logistical arrangements, pre-day training, and post-day feedback. The couples can then arrange the meeting on their own.
Complement her services with technology
Over the past two decades in the industry, Anisa and her team have paired more than 1,000 couples who have either moved on to marriage or are still in a long-term relationship. The overall success rate is between 60 and 85%.
Going forward, Anisa says that DHF will continue to be a personalized matchmaking service as she sees it as filling a niche in the industry. The human side of the business also makes every success story more meaningful and meaningful to her and the team.
Since then, she has entered the digital space with her own app, ‘Let’s Joompa’. It caters specifically to Muslim singles in Southeast Asia and makes her business more “mass-market-friendly”. Since launching the soft version in Malaysia in 2019, the app has attracted over 15,000 downloads to date.
As a matchmaker and entrepreneur, I have to constantly grow and develop with the times. I intend to systematize what I have learned as a matchmaker over the past two decades and create a safe, ethical and effective online platform. I plan to build on this foundation to help achieve my lifelong mission of creating a million marriages worldwide.
– Anisa Hassan, CEO and Founder of Date High Flyers International
Featured image credit: High Flyers Day
