The Scoop: H4M is actually a leading gay and lesbian matchmaking business based in Austin, Texas. Since 2012, this boutique firm happens to be an ally to LGBTQ singles searching for love. Head matchmaker Tammy Shaklee has worked difficult to create traditional matchmaking and dating coaching services offered to LGBTQ singles nationally. Thanks to the woman inclusive and collaborative heart, H4M features successfully acquired the hearts of a huge selection of significant daters.

After the woman divorce proceedings, Tammy Shaklee transferred to Austin, Texas, to help make a fresh begin. She got a leadership situation in Make-A-Wish base and dedicated to living the woman finest life. She thought she’d satisfy males and go on dates naturally, but a two-year matchmaking dry enchantment demonstrated if not.

Tammy failed to like to submit her personal data on a dating internet site, therefore she made a decision to seek a far more private and personalized solution. She retained a specialist matchmaker, and this performed the secret to success. Tammy along with her second spouse found through an arranged big date, and so they cannot be more happy now.

Decades later on, Tammy attempted to send among her unmarried friends on the matchmaker and discovered that this service membership was actually for directly singles merely. Her friend was a gay guy, so he cannot make use of the exact same resource Tammy performed discover really love.

“I found myself surprised by that,” she informed us. “used to do some investigating and noticed that none for the matchmakers in the region took on gay men as consumers. Therefore, I decided to begin a matchmaking company on their behalf.”

H4M began as a niche matchmaking service for gay men, it has actually since broadened to feature lesbian singles, bifree local sex chatual singles, transgender singles, and queer singles. Tammy has reached off to the LGBTQ area and learned about their matchmaking requirements by conducting focus teams, private interviews, and personal discussions.

Today, Tammy is a knowledgeable direct ally and matchmaker making use of contacts and knowledge to suit consumers in fantastic partnerships.

“We lead with love,” Tammy stated. “Our matchmakers result from varied backgrounds, but every one of us thinks that really love is actually love.”

an Inclusive Take on conventional Matchmaking Services

H4M matchmakers tend to be centered on providing an excellent online dating experience, and therefore takes lots of careful work. They very carefully display new clients in two separate phone/Skype phone calls to make sure their unique matchmaking method is the best fit. Tammy mentioned she looks for clients which understand what they want and generally are ready to take a relationship. H4M’s process was designed to help people find a committed and enjoying companion.

H4M presently has 100 productive consumers from coast to coast. The youngest client is 23, additionally the oldest customer is 77, but the majority come into their particular 30s, 40s, and 50s. The matchmakers serve the entire LGBTQ range, and additionally they greet assortment within their positions. Tammy mentioned the conventional customer is actually well-educated, relationship-minded, and sick and tired of internet dating. They want to try new things, and H4M is actually a reliable partner through the matchmaking process.

The matchmakers are traditionalists, so that they don’t reveal clients any images of their possible fits. They don’t give attention to shallow characteristics. Alternatively, they look for typical goals, lifestyles, and passions given that foundation for an introduction. It can take a small amount of expertise and a lot of intuition, but H4M’s group provides numerous years of experience setting it up right.

“The matchmaking could be the most difficult part, but it’s by far the most fun aswell,” Tammy stated. “It’s so rewarding after the day whenever you make a great match.”

H4M arranges both first and second dates because of their clients, as well as require comments as you go along to allow them to fine-tune their own fits and also make all of them a positive experience.

Lots of Tammy’s customers break through recommendations from either a former customer or other matchmaker. Tammy stated she actually is constantly happy to deal with the woman colleagues in matchmaking industry to ensure clients get the best feasible knowledge. The woman collaborative nature provides enabled the woman to cultivate the woman company and help love stories for singles of all of the orientations.

“Really don’t view it as a tournament. There are plenty of singles to visit around,” Tammy mentioned. “Needs all singles to own a confident experience, so I regularly talk with additional matchmakers observe what we should is capable of doing to greatly help one another.”

The Team of Straight Allies Coaches Clients

Feedback is a huge element of H4M’s matchmaking procedure. The matchmakers make post-date opinions phone calls following basic and 2nd times to determine how the introductions moved and exactly how your client is actually feeling.

These matchmaking and relationship professionals offer unlimited coaching through the entire matchmaking experience simply because they believe it’s important to guide singles while adding them to possible matches. They want to emotionally and emotionally get ready their customers to bump it out associated with park on every day.

The ultimate aim would be to teach customers how to become profitable daters with or without having the assistance of a matchmaker. That way, capable hold those classes with them as they navigate the dating scene themselves.

“We coach all of our consumers to achieve success first-date companions,” Tammy described. “Many of our consumers believe it is refreshing. They want to have some one they are able to count on to enable them to present their utmost selves.”



H4M matchmakers can lend knowledge on from what concerns to inquire about on a primary go out to developing a foundation of rely upon an union. Capable address the mental concerns and insecurities experienced by LGBTQ singles and supply practical approaches to enable them to move forward.

Tammy informed us that while LGBTQ singles have some special matchmaking issues, there is also a large amount in common with direct singles in terms of love.

“just what my personal consumers require is the same thing everyone is interested in,” she said. “Whether you’re right or gay, you would like that special someone to be in everything. The internet dating sector can provide everybody else if we educate and prepare our selves become a lot more comprehensive.”

Having an optimistic Impact on some people’s Lives

H4M is a boutique organization on a goal adjust life one match at the same time, and also the matchmakers attempt by playing their clients and taking every introduction seriously. They do not merely toss darts from the wall and combine upwards dates at random. They very carefully organize basic dates (and second dates, as well) to match the choices and goals of each and every person.

Over the years, H4M’s curated matchmaking procedure provides yielded great results, additionally the group provides several positive reviews their credit score rating.

“i can not let you know how pleased I am that you’re around and achieving this for people,” mentioned a 50-year-old customer just who lives in Austin. “I don’t head to taverns, I really don’t go surfing, I’m not very social actually, and that I like my personal job. Thank you for those introductions.”

“he or she is everything I could consider an excellent match,” praised a Colorado bachelor. “Even if situations aren’t effective around for all of us, I’m totally in love with H4M.”

An old customer from San Antonio said dealing with the matchmakers and happening dates driven him to shed 90 lbs. “i am really thankful that i did so it,” the 33-year-old individual mentioned. “personally i think a whole lot much better. Now I am prepared.”

Whether or not they’re improving an individual’s confidence or assisting two begin an existence with each other, the matchmakers go the extra mile with their customers and get a vested curiosity about watching all of them succeed. “Our reviews tend to be physical — you can view the real difference inside their faces,” Tammy mentioned. “we actually understand and worry about the clients, therefore love to hear the matchmaking knowledge features led to a relationship or an innovative new perspective on internet dating.”

H4M Will Continue to help LGBTQ Singles

When Tammy discovered gay singles in Austin, Texas, did not have use of alike online dating services as direct singles, she took activity to fill that void and make certain those voices were represented into the matchmaking world. Today she’s widened her procedure to serve the LGBTQ neighborhood everywhere.

H4M has made countless winning suits, and it’s really simply starting. Tammy is now raising her community of bisexual and transgender singles, and she informed all of us she is excited to know their particular tales and help all of them over come their online dating difficulties.

Going back six decades, this rainbow matchmaking business is a buddy, mentor, and wingman to lgbt singles that are intent on discovering really love, and Tammy has not lost sight of the need for that objective.

“We accept men and women across the spectrum,” Tammy mentioned. “It takes a lot of education, understanding, and no wisdom to inquire of the best questions and take singles for who they are.”