Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/681012
who's who women in business 21 W hen you need a tax accountant or lawyer, you call a respected professional. Why settle for less when you need help finding a life partner? Professional matchmaker Lianne Tregobov has made it her business to connect singles of all ages to their perfect match for more than two decades, and the owner of Camelot Introductions has produced more than her share of happy ever afters. "I have had thousands of people matched over the last 22 years, and I still get the biggest smile on my face when my clients report back letting us know that they hit the love jackpot through us," Tregobov says. "People entrust me with their hearts. There are absolutely phenomenal people out there and they are utilizing a professional service to help them meet their goals." For the record, Camelot Introductions is not a dating service. Tregobov works with singles who are serious about seeking a monogamous relationship, and she says personal matchmaking is far superior to online dating sites. "My clients are all real — I've met them all personally. I've done an indepth interview," she says. "You can be sure the person you're meeting has been prescreened, and has undergone a criminal background check. You can also be sure they're looking for a serious relationship and that they're ready to commit." There are many other advantages to having a personal matchmaker. Often, people have a history of choosing the wrong type of partner, and they tend to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Tregobov helps them break self-defeating patterns and steers them to someone who is truly right for them. "Sometimes they are surprised at the person who ultimately becomes their successful match," she says. "We have to unwind some of the habits that some people have. We will only match people with those that we think they have long-term potential with." Traditional matchmaking has become so popular that some clients want her to match up their friends as well. "I have a physician who met her husband through me and she has referred 24 people to me. She met an amazing guy," she says. "She is well respected — she has actually delivered Camelot babies." Tregobov says there's a certain age group who are "beyond the bar and before the legion," who have exhausted their friends' blind-dating options, but Camelot Introductions works with clients who are in their late 20s up to their 80s and beyond. Tregobov is always ready to welcome more men, particularly those over age 40, and she has been remarkably successful at matching widows and widowers. "We had a 91-year-old fellow get married through us because love has no expiration date," she says, adding marriage is like "insurance on your heart," because life expectancy is greater when you have a partner. Life in general is better with a partner, too, and Tregobov loves to see successful matches continuing their life journey together. As a Licensed Marriage Commissioner, she often performs clients' weddings as a gift to the couple. Along with experience and professionalism, Tregobov brings another important quality to the process — intuition. "It is a gift. I am so fortunate — and so are my happily matched clients — that I am able to incorporate my intuition with what I do for a living." ❚ Online Dating has Fizzled TRADITIONAL MATCHMAKING MAKES A COMEBACK To learn more, visit www.camelotintroductions.com or call 204-888-1529. Lianne Tregobov, owner of Camelot Introductions Clients entrust professional matchmaker Lianne Tregobov with their hearts. Photo by Darcy Finley