Dating can be daunting. Some people go for the same type of partners time and again, ignoring red flags and gravitating toward drama. It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it shouldn’t be that way.

On this episode of Divorce, Healthy!, dating coach Bela Gandhi discusses her successful career in matchmaking. Although it started as somewhat of a party trick, Bela’s ability to successfully match those around her eventually led to her passion. In 2009, she started the Smart Dating Academy, a coaching and consulting company that teaches people how to find the happiest and best loves of their lives.

“[We] help people stop doing the same thing over and over again, which is picking partners that aren't good for them, and instead, start picking partners that are going to make them happy, and be a real partner in their life and make life easy and fun,” Bela says.

Bela also discusses the current marriage rate in the U.S., which is the lowest level on record. She attributes this record low rate to people waiting longer to get married.

“I think now, with women being in school in record numbers, even outpacing men in schools and in the professional world, we're more equivalent in so many ways. So people want to put that education to good use, climb that ladder a bit, and marriage is something that people are choosing to do later,” she explains.

Despite the low marriage rate, people are still choosing to “partner up.” After 12 years of business, Bela has not had a single divorce among her clients. Looking at childhood environments and individual desire, Bela has discovered a successful algorithm for matching people.

Tune in to this episode of Divorce! Healthy with Ashley-Nicole Russell, Collaborative Attorney serving Beaufort, Raleigh, and Greenville, NC.

💡 Featured Guests 💡

Name: Bela Gandhi

What she does: Bela Gandhi is the founder of Smart Dating Academy, a coaching and consulting company that teaches people how to find the happiest and best loves of their lives.

Words of wisdom: “My mission is to put more love into this world.”

Connect: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

🗝️ Key Points 🗝️

Top takeaways from this Divorce, Healthy! episode

★ Smart Dating Academy helps people find love and avoid making the same mistakes again. Dating can be difficult and isolating. Bela’s company helps determine clients’ true wants and needs, helping them avoid red flags and find lifelong partners.

★ Set yourself up for success. Seeking help from the Smart Dating Academy can prevent divorce later on, as it pairs people based on their upbringings and deepest needs among other points of interest.

★ Social expectations of marriage have changed but the desire for love remains. Now, more than ever, people are prioritizing themselves and putting marriage on the back burner. This has led to record low marriage rates but has not slowed down people’s desire to partner up and find love.

⚡ Episode