Dubai’s Billionaire Matchmaker: $350k To Find “The One”

Dubai dating is a different planet. In this episode, Matt sits down with Christiana Maxion, a high-net-worth matchmaker who works with wealthy men looking for a serious partner, and charges $65,000 to $350,000 to do it. 

They get into the brutal reality of “transactional” dating, where people say they want respect, while negotiating the relationship like a deal. Christiana explains why every relationship is transactional (money, emotions, sex, status, pick your currency), and why the real difference is the standard you hold and the environment you keep putting yourself in. 

Then it turns into pure business: how her offline matchmaking agency works (vetting, background checks, concierge dates, feedback loops), what “success” actually means, and how she’s scaling it with MAX, a “matchmaking app” built to stop people wasting their lives in DMs and get them to the first date faster. 

You’ll hear Matt & Christiana talk about:

• Why Dubai dating feels pay-to-play, and how to avoid ending up in the same loop. 
• The real reason men pay $65k–$350k for matchmaking (hint: it’s not romance, it’s time). 
• What her process actually looks like: vetting, alignment, concierge dates, and feedback. 
• “Delusional” requirements (and the fastest way to ruin your dating life). 
• How she built MAX: subscriptions, verification, compatibility matching, and auto-booked first dates. 
• The business model behind a matchmaking agency (and why referrals are the real growth engine). 
• Why she’s building separate matchmaking “portals” (expats, India, Muslim marriages) and expanding across the GCC. 

Timestamps:
0:00 – Dubai dating is “transactional” (and why) 
6:29 – “Every relationship is transactional” (standards vs expectations) 
7:38 – How she started “Dating in Dubai” and got fired for it 
9:26 – “I’m going to solve dating in Dubai” → launching matchmaking 
10:13 – Why she only represents men + the 40,000-women database 
11:03 – The pricing: $65k–$350k + what “success” means 
13:38 – The “delusional age range” problem (and why it fails) 
19:33 – MAX: paid subscriptions + passport/LinkedIn verification 
20:37 – Why swiping broke dating + how MAX gets you to a real date 
27:35 – App growth: UAE applications, active users, revenue 
30:09 – A real success story (and a brutal horror story) 
35:52 – What she’s building next (GCC expansion + new portals) 
37:10 – Where to find Christiana + MAX 

Follow Christiana Maxion
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christiana.maxion.matchmaker/
Website: https://christianamaxion.com
App: Maxion (available on the App Store)

Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe to Stripping Off with Matt Haycox and leave a ★★★★☆ review on Apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout – it really helps others find us!

Transcript

Why Dubai Dating Feels Transactional

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Every relationship is transactional, whether there's money involved or emotions involved, sexual activity involved. But I think it's just about the standards that you hold for yourself.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Christiana Maction. Have I said that right? Yes, you have to. Maction like action.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

I have got with me the global, but we're here in Dubai, the global high net worth matchmaker. Offline, online with technology as well. I'm looking forward to this conversation.

SPEAKER_02 0:32

I bet you are. You have some very uh funny questions off air, so let's get into it.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Oh, let's get into that. Obviously, we're going to talk matchmaking, we're going to talk business. I want to understand how you got into this, but but let's let's set the C with Dubai. We can we can dig into my uh we can dig into my funny questions that I never properly asked you. Never have I seen behavior from women like it is in Dubai. I mean, for me, there's there's this big dilemma here. And I I I'm gonna give you my version and then you you tell me what you think. I I think the there's a problem that has developed here in that girls come to Dubai, let's say, looking for guys with money. Guys with money in Dubai know girls have come looking for them, and they both pump each other up. This girl's prepared to go out with a guy because she wants a lunch paying. This girl needs two lunches and she's thinking, shit, that girl's having lunch, I better give her a kiss as well. She's giving a kiss, I better give her a blowjob. And for me, the the city is just so transactional, it's untrue. Now, like I said, as a guy, not a bad thing, but again, playing playing devil's advocate here, what I also can't be doing with is the girls moaning at how disrespected they are. Tell you what, don't fuck for a handbag, and then you won't, and then you don't need to feel disrespected.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

So that is Can I add something? You could add away. I've done too much talking.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

No, you're good. Every relationship is transactional, whether there's money involved or emotions involved, sexual activity involved. But I think it's just about the standards that you hold for yourself and also maybe the expectations of the other person, but really having your high standards and zero expectation.

SPEAKER_01 2:12

I get that. Uh, and I think you know, ultimately everybody wants the best and the most, don't they? You know, a girl wants the best and the most, a guy wants the best and the most. But I guess, I guess for me, where it goes from, like I say, not being transactional and being genuine is where all other things are equal. So let's say in all things being equal, two identical guys, utterly identical in every way, of course the girl is going to take the one with money versus the one without money. All things being equal.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

Okay, I think that you are having um an experience that probably most men have in Dubai, but I can hand on my heart say that the most driven, ambitious, genuine people that I have met in the world have been living in this city.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Oh, absolutely. Listen, I I love Dubai. I say I do the PR for Dubai. It's just it's the most phenomenal, phenomenal place to be, but it's also for me the most unique dating environment.

Standards, Expectations, And Better Environments

SPEAKER_02 3:08

So I do see that, obviously. Like you've experienced it, so there's truth in that 1000%. But I also think that in Dubai, you can make Dubai whatever you want it to be. If you feel like you're stuck in that constant cycle of just seeing the same working girls everywhere, those same transactional relationships, pay-to-play girls, then I would suggest to you to get out of that environment and put yourself in a different environment. Every relationship is essentially a contract that you have with somebody, right? But you set the terms. You set the terms, the other person set the terms. Do you come to an agreement? And that can involve, like what we said, right? Pay to play, one night stands, long-term relationships. It's all about what standards you set for yourself.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

And how did you get into this business? I mean, you know, what's what what leads you to wake up one day and think I am gonna be the billionaire matchmaker?

SPEAKER_02 4:03

I know.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Were you a serial dater?

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Looking for billionaires.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

No, uh, that's not how I operate.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_02 4:15

I'm kidding, kidding. Okay, so no, I feel like I've lived eight different lives. I mean, I started my career as an athlete, went into finance, decided finance wasn't for me. So, and because of all my years as an athlete and coaching, I actually went into education. When I first moved to the UAE in 2016, I was a KG1 teacher. I was, I was, and I climbed like that corporate ladder of education quite quickly.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

And you say it was a relationship that brought you to the UAE.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

Yeah, it was, it was. And I'll tell you off air where we met, and you're gonna laugh.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

So anyway, um I got lost.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Nothing you're gonna tell everybody. No, no.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

So anyway, what ends up happening is I climbed the corporate ladder, became a national teacher, trainer, published author, leader in a school all before the age of 29. And then COVID happened, 2020, and I just had more time on my hands. Even when I was a school leader, I was teaching Pilates, I was teaching spin. Like I just need to do like a hundred things at once.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

And um because you want to keep busy or because you're hungry? Because you know you Oh, I'm hungry.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Like I had drive, like the person that I moved to the UAE with, extremely wealthy man. Um, we split and kind of like gave me a kick in my ass a bit because everything was taken away from me.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Why did you split?

SPEAKER_02 5:35

We weren't aligned. Really? I'll leave it at that.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

He went running after all these naughty Dubai girls. No, no, no, no. He's a good guy.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

And I actually thank him every day because I would have never left New York. Everything, my whole life, was in five miles of like my radius, right? So I would have never ever left New York, but I thank him every day for bringing me here because it changed my whole career, my whole trajectory, everything. But um, yeah, so what ended up happening is 2020. I'm home more, I have time on my hands. And I decided to start an Instagram account called Dating in Dubai. You would have loved it. Where I was documenting my experience dating here. Obviously, like the good, the bad, the ugly, but I love dating in this city.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Did the guys know that they uh that they were dating someone like this? It's like getting in a relationship with Taylor Swift. You know a song's gonna be written about you, don't you?

From Teacher To Matchmaker

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Oh my gosh. Well, it's actually quite funny because it did gain some popularity. But before it like really, really blew up, I was working for a school at that time and I actually got fired from the school.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 6:36

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was a school leader running a staff of 55. They found out about the account and they asked me to leave. And I was like, wow, okay. And I mean, I stayed on my visa, still had salary for like six months, and I kind of had this time to think like, what am I going to do? And I've always been a solution seeker. So I said, I'm gonna solve dating in Dubai. And that's when I launched my matchmaking agency.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

Was there much competition at the time?

SPEAKER_02 7:02

I was the first public Western matchmaker. Now there are so many hoes popping up.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

But yeah, the thing is. Who makes them a hoe when you were queen? What's it was what's the difference in the service?

SPEAKER_02 7:13

Look at me. No, and just like all of like the success that we have, the caliber of clients that we have, the amazing, incredible database, the team I have behind me, we're just yeah, a cut above the rest.

How Elite Matchmaking Works

SPEAKER_01 7:26

So, as a matchmaker then, and and and with your agency, you know, you told me before we came off uh came on there that you only act for men. Yes, uh, but you have about 40,000 women globally on the database.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Every day.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

So what what are the rules then? Yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

So with matchmaking, like the men that come to us, what they want to do is they want to expedite the whole process of finding a partner. Maybe they're in the same shoes as you, right? Well, this happens all the time. That's why they come to us, right? They're meeting the wrong women, they're meeting women who aren't vetted or verified. They want to know that they have alignment with somebody and set those expectations before spending any time to go on a date with them or to get to know them. So it's all about expediting that process. So we interview women, we vet them, make sure that they are aligned with your values and your expectations. And then what we do as well is like the whole concierge of it. We set up the date, we manage the communication, we manage the feedback afterwards. And what our clients are really buying with us is time. And in this time, we give you unlimited matchmaking opportunities to meet your partner.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

But yeah, are you are you only acting for someone who genuinely wants to get a life partner?

SPEAKER_02 8:41

So most of our clients, yes. That's what they're searching for because it is a hefty price tag, right? So our prices range from 65,000 US dollars all the way up to 350,000. So these men are dedicated and invested in finding a true partner.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

So talk me, talk me through the process. I've heard about you. I walk in, I say, I've only got a small budget, I can only spend 65k.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Yeah, get out of here. No get out of here.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

What what do I get for what do I get for my 65k? You sit me down, talk to me.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Let's role play.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Hello, Christiana. I'm Matt. I've seen about you online. I've just wired 65k to your.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

No, no, no, you don't wire it to me yet.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

So we can do that too if you want.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

Um, no, step one is we get to know you, right? So you apply to be a client because we can only take on a certain number of clients per quarter because obviously it's an offline agency, it's manual personalized service. So we can only service a certain number of clients. So, with that being said, Discovery Call, we learn about you. What are you looking for? What's your lifestyle like? What are your goals? What do you deem as success when hiring a matchmaker? Can we help you? Because we have over a 95% success rate. So we only want to be able to know that we can help you, or else it's wasted time between the both of us.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

And you say 95% success rate. What constitutes success a long-term relationship?

SPEAKER_02 10:00

Exactly. So each of our clients has different goals: some marriage, some more children, some long-term relationship. We have some clients who are recently divorced and have never dated before. And they just maybe are really high profile or extremely high net worth, that they only want to date qualified and vetted women, right? So each client basically sets their success. And then we review that at the end of their contract with us.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

And all, well, I was gonna say, are all your clients high net worth? But I guess unless they've cashed in an inheritance than they're then they have to be to be able to pay the fee, right?

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Yeah, exactly. And um, after that discovery call, and if we think we can help you, we invite you for a preliminary match session, which is basically where we put together a presentation of current women we have in the database. This is before even signing a full-time membership. Because we want to make sure that we have the right women for you. We don't want to take you on as a client if we can't find you success. But also it's a way for us to kind of vet you too. Like how well do we work together?

SPEAKER_01 10:58

And why would I not have been a fit? Why might why may I not have got past this first call?

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Mm-hmm. Um, I've spoken to clients before where their age range is completely delusional, where um they are Well, what tell me the most delusional age range you've said? Yeah, I had a guy who's 55 and he said, I won't date anybody over the age of 23. And I was like, We are not the right agency for you. First of all, women who are in their early 20s have millions and millions of options. They are flaky, they're the worst to set up on dates, I'll tell you that much, because they're being hit on all the time, especially the types of women that these men are probably looking for. So that's that's a hard search, number one. And then number two, it's like, when how am I going to say this to somebody? Hey, we have a 55-year-old man who doesn't want to have any kids and you're 23 years old. You want to go out with him? That's not gonna be a successful match for us.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

And how many dates? So for that 65k, how many times how many dates can I go on?

SPEAKER_02 11:53

Yeah, so it's unlimited. So what our clients do is they buy time with us. So 65, a typical contract, so five months. And within that five months, you can say yes or no to as many women as you like, and you can go on as many dates or as few dates as you want to. We have some clients that go on one date and then that's their partner, and that's the best type of client.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

And do you have any rules? Like, for example, you have to tell the girls that you are dating, you are doing other dates or no, no, no. We tend to no sex before dessert.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

Exactly. So any date that's planned through me and my agency, there is no sex involved on any date that we plan. And that's just to be compliant with UAE and just rules across and just to keep it clean, you know? You just want to see do you have a genuine connection without muddying the waters?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

So that's the guy side then. The girl said, How how do you recruit your girls? And and do you do you go through a process with them in the same way you do with the guys? You vet them.

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Yes, exactly. So women can sign up for free to join our database. And because it's like I am featuring over like 200 media mentions, they hear me on the radio, see me on covers and magazines, they will apply to be part of the database. Maybe they're fed up with like the dating app world, maybe they just want to take a different route because they know that the men who are signing up for our services are serious and are serious about finding a partner because they've made that financial commitment. So um also I have six other matchmakers in our team. We're global, we're stationed in different parts of the world. I just run this half of the world. And uh yeah, so with us together, gosh, the agency has been around for over 12 years. So we have built that database, and I've built the database Middle East, Europe, UK from scratch over the past few years. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

And when you say from scratch, when what's been I know you've got all these media mentions as well, but do you do you advertise as you know? Do you advertise? Do you have a website with Google ads and stuff?

SPEAKER_02 13:47

And you know, we don't use any advertising. Um, our company is uh sync.com, but obviously everyone comes in through Christiana Maxion because they know me, but um has excellent SEO. So uh that I know that they've been working on that. For me personally, I just think being the face of my brand, that's how people know me, reach out. They know me as the Dubai matchmaker, the billionaire matchmaker, and that catches attention.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

But let's talk about the billionaire matchmaker. I mean, how how worried about the financial motivations of the girls are you? I mean, obviously they know they're coming in to matchmate with a wealthy guy, but you know, where do we draw that line between someone who wants to be looked after by a lovely guy and someone who's akin to a prostitute?

SPEAKER_02 14:29

Yeah, no, for sure. And like that's where our job comes in because we do lots of interviews. We do interviews, we do vetting, we do background checks, we do lots of things and make to make sure that both parties are aligned or that this is the right person to present to our clients.

Building A Matchmaking App That Books Dates

SPEAKER_01 14:45

And you say it's uh not just high net worth on there. So does that mean that your pool of girls, all of them aren't on there because some only want to do high net worth dating, for example, or is everybody on there?

SPEAKER_02 14:56

So the way that I did it, because Maxion is solely mine, right? And I decided to launch it, I decided to digitize the services, is that anybody can apply to be a Maction member. The way that we screen people in order for acceptance, this is different than other apps where anybody can be on it or it's freemium. Ours is not freemium. You have to buy a subscription, but a much different price than the offline. Our subscriptions start at$399 Durham per month. It's like$100 a month.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

What'd you get for that?

SPEAKER_02 15:24

So that's one month of a membership at this point.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

Full access.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

Yeah, yeah. So what ends up happening is anybody can apply to be a Maction member. We screen you, you have to be passport verify. We look at your LinkedIn, you want to see your professional timeline. So one of our slogans that I came up with, because I'm a marketing genius, is uh ditch the working girls for a woman with a career.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

All the guys love that. And then for the girls I came up with, um, drop the F boy for a man with a plan. Because the tech, what it does is once you're a Maction member, um, obviously you create a profile, we send you compatible connections daily. We send you, okay, instead of you swiping from incompatible and then just looking at someone's picture and going X, X, X, X, X, we actually look into personal values, life goals, and we send you compatible connections. Up to you whether or not you want to say yes, maybe pass.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

And then once it's a yes, yes on both sides, our tech actually plans, books, and confirms the first date.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

And are you sending this if you're sending me girls in the app, are you doing that manually or is that some kind of AI?

SPEAKER_02 16:31

I'll go. Yeah, yeah. I'll go involved in there. And but what people love about the app is that it cuts through all of that wasted time and messaging. Also, like on dating apps, too. Like people have become disposable in the sense that they just live inside your phone, right? Somebody could say one wrong thing in a message and like, ugh, on to the next one. I have 50 other people like to swipe today. Where with Maxin, right? Let's say it's a yes, yes between you and I, mutual connection. You put in your availability, I put in my availability, and then it actually plans our first date. And then yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

And how many would you typically send a day or a month?

SPEAKER_02 17:08

So right now we are sending one a day. We want to change dating app behaviors where you're swiping through a thousand people.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

Well, I think the problem uh I mean, not just in dating, but I mean in anything, you know, we think choice is a good thing. And and I guess maybe from a consumer perspective it is, but from from the business perspective, you know, there there becomes a limit of of choice where it's good to have that amount of choice, but once you go past that, it's almost like you know, decision paralysis. And you know yourself, you walk into the smoothie shop and there's 45 smoothies on the wall, and you just keep looking and don't know. You're like, just give me five and I'll pick one. Exactly. Five, ten, whatever the number is. There's a perfect number of just enough choice, but without kind of giving you brain fog.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

Exactly, exactly. And it's great because also with the app, we help kind of like get you to that first date in the sense of like six hours before the date, we remind you what you have in common with that person. Four hours before, we tell you, give you recommendations for ordering at the restaurant. Two hours before we get you there with our partnership with Yango, then an hour before we give you like a connection question to kind of like break the ice. And then uh the feedback collected after the date, this feeds into the compatibility engines that we have in order to perfect that process.

SPEAKER_01 18:23

Tell me about the app because we brought a bit of technology into this uh old school business, haven't we?

SPEAKER_02 18:29

Yeah, so the offline agency is such a personalized, curated experience, it's very hands-on.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

And that's four years old, something like that.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

Yes, correct, correct. But the global uh agency that I'm a part of is over 12 years, I think 13 years now running.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

So just explain that to me.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Yeah, I will. Like the demand for it, because my prices used to be 10,000 Durham for three dates.

SPEAKER_01 18:56

Oh, yeah? Yeah. I wish I knew you about that.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

Not anymore, Matt. And then like the demand for it just proved to me that people were searching for an alternative as to what was on the market. So I had to keep increasing my prices. I think I got up to like 25,000 Durham for like three dates because I was just like, oh my gosh, like I just, it's me all alone. Then I was reached out to by a couple global agencies, but the one that I decided to go with to kind of join forces with is called Sync. And the reason why I decided to join forces with them is because they wrote me a message and they said, Have you ever considered joining a team? And I was like, huh. And I liked the approach that they had with it. I got on with all the girls. I actually just came back from Italy. It's seven of us stationed around the world. This is the first time we all were meeting in person and we had a whole retreat out in Italy. It was so much fun.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

And let's let's just talk about this from a business perspective. I mean, I'm guessing, uh, so tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming the reason you go as part of this network is because you share a liquidity pool of girls.

SPEAKER_02 20:01

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

So this is like, I guess for people listening to this, you know, this will be like um, well, I guess like any any online dating site back in the UK, like uh like poker sites, etc., it's all very well setting up a front end. Yeah, but unless you've got people to play with, there's exactly there's no business there. So you know, so you generate some of your own own girls here in Dubai or maybe wherever else. Yeah, but let's just I'm making up numbers, you've got three or four thousand, but you plug it, you plug into the pool, and that gives you that gives you the ability to be more impressive to your clients because you can feature in a in a database of 40,000.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Yeah, and also like the advantage of joining with Sync is that they had been around for over a decade at that point, and they already had systems in place. Where when I first started, like I didn't go to matchmaking school or anything like that, I've just been a natural connector my whole life. And joining with them, having these systems in place and having a team to bounce ideas off of and to really just get things in place in order to be a better matchmaker for clients, because also that's also when I started entering like the high net worth space, and that's when our memberships change into unlimited matchmaking memberships, our clientele change, but also like the advantage for having me join sync is that they got access to this half of the world because it was mainly US and the Americas centered. So having me join opened their door to this half of the world, and then also to all of the wealth that has just been an influx, especially into this area and to the GCC. So it's been an amazing relationship to have with them and just to grow more.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Do you ever do things like, for example, I'm a client here in Dubai? Yeah, I travel internationally, and then like for example, I'm doing business in Budapest.

SPEAKER_02 21:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

And I know exactly what you're gonna say. Get me, you know, get me a couple of dates in Budapest because I got, you know, may as well meet someone while I'm while I'm lonely on business.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Most of our clients, uh, because of just the nature of their businesses, they're Are always jet setting, they're always traveling, which is why we offer global matchmaking. And yeah, that's like the advantage of our uh company as well. Okay.

unknown 22:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Let's flip back to the tech. Where did the tech come from?

SPEAKER_02 22:13

So, what ended up happening with the tech is like what I was saying before is that with the offline agency, you can only service a certain number of clients per quarter, where the tech was a way for us to scale, but also to reach a much wider audience of accomplished professionals, successful individuals. Not everybody has to be high net worth on it, but it's a way for me, because what I really want to do is to change the behaviors that people have on these traditional dating apps. So I don't say we're a dating app, I say we're a matchmaking app. Because what I've done is basically digitize the services that our clients love. So marrying like compatibility and concierge in order to deliver this matchmaking app that actually expedites the whole process of meeting in person.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

And is this the app specific to your part of the business or is this globally for everybody?

SPEAKER_02 23:03

This is mine. And it's uh centralized in Dubai right now. We just launched five months ago and we just broke into five-figure revenue last month. Last month, you hear me? Last month. And it's like insane to think about the growth that we had in such a small, tiny market. It's just Dubai.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

How long did it take to build the app?

SPEAKER_02 23:21

You want to know? So it was just an idea in my head at the end of 22.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:29

Um, 23 was when I was enlisting people to or trying to find people to build the prototype. Built it wrong three different times. But then we really started building the product in at the end of August of 2023, which is insane to think it's been less than a year and we already have this amazing success. And then we launched on the App Store, debuted on the App Store December 4th, 2024. But then we publicly launched, because we did beta testing and everything, February 4th, 2024. So we're only five months, five and a half months live. We have over 3,500 UAE applications. We have 1400 monthly active users, and we just broke into five-figure revenue last month.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

Amazing.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

So we're so excited.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

And you think there's um a plan to roll that out with the rest of the people in the um what's it what's it called again?

SPEAKER_02 24:19

CCC.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

No, I was gonna say skin sync. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

So this is solely mine, what I created. I love working with Sync and having that offline uh agency and still working uh with clients every now and then. But um, I love Maction because it's a real way to create a connection for people on such a wider scale. Because I mean, Dubai, express cities can feel lonely. Like most of us move here on a job visa where we don't move here with close friends, we don't move here with close family, and you kind of fall into this thing that I like to call proximity settling, where you're friends with people that you work with, friends with people that live in your neighborhood, that go to your gym, instead of maybe people that you're truly compatible with. So, what I see for the future of Maxion is that we make Expat Cities a less lonely place.

SPEAKER_01 25:07

I like it. Yeah, you've got some good sound bites, haven't you? We're gonna make some good reels out of this.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

I'm a professional.

Success Stories, Horror Stories, And The Future

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Tell me, what do you consider your if you had to pick one of your biggest success stories? Is there one that really springs to mind?

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Yeah, there are so many. Okay, about matchmaking, right? Okay, matchmaking. So one of my favorite success stories is actually a man in his 60s. Man in his 60s came to us right at the end of 2023. And he was just saying, he's like, listen, I have been married two times. He's like, I am looking for my third wife. He's like, no, meaning like married and divorced. And he's like, he's like, I want love again. He's like, I have older children. I would love to be with somebody who also has older children. We're in the same boat. And I remember taking taking him on and being like, gosh, this guy is so incredibly nice. I really want to find him the right partner. We set him up because it was holiday time. Set him up on a first day, January 4th of 2024. Four has to be like my number. So actually, two is all my number. But um old is the girl? 48.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:12

Normal. Yeah, normal age gap. And they're still together today.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 26:17

Yeah. We actually we went to lunch with them. Me and my dad went to lunch with them when he was last in town. So, yeah, it's like super success stories. Like, those are the best. Like they just like hit it off right away and love.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Tell me a horror story.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Oh, so many. No, I'm kidding. No, in the beginning of my matchmaking career, like when I was like figuring out the business. And you know, you're on your own, you're a solopreneur, and you kind of take you take on business, maybe you shouldn't take on, right? I had one client, I won't give too much detail about him, but he was a guy who was in his 50s, okay?

SPEAKER_01 26:52

We'll we'll tag it, we'll tag him in the comments. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 26:56

In his 50s, and he wanted to date women in their 20s.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

Okay. But at least this one was like 29. Okay. I was like, okay. But so he had gone on a date with somebody. Remember, this was like the three-date package. I had said probably 25 around that time. And he had gone on first date. And this person who I put him on a date with, I personally knew, like as a friend. She gives me the feedback afterwards, and she's like, he's not ready for a relationship. And I was like, Oh, tell me why. It's like, oh, well, he was talking about um drugs and prostitution on the first day, like his own experiences. And she's like a super classy lady who owns her own businesses. And she was like, No, not for me, right? And I was like, fair enough, no problem. He had another date lined up two days later.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

You give him that feedback though.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

So then this is what happened. Before he went on a date with the second person, I spoke to him and I was like, hey, so this is the feedback. I would recommend not speaking about those things on a first date. Like, get to know the person, ask them questions about themselves to see if you align in any other ways to do it.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

See if they mentioned drugs and hoes first, and then you can go on.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

But what ended up happening? So I bring some, they actually got on. So the second person he goes on a date with, he really got on with. He doesn't live in this country, but he has a base here. He asked her to fly to where he was. And the this man has money, and I get get a call from the girl, and she's like, Hey, uh, can I talk to you about so and so? I was like, Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. Tell me what's going on. Um, yeah, she goes, Does like, does this guy really have money? And I was like, Oh, what what are you talking about? She's like, Yeah, he asked me to buy my own ticket to go see him. Now, remember, this girl is 29 years old. This man is like early 50s, right? So I was like, That's that's just rude. Like, that's if somebody's inviting you, they should be paying for it. So I give him a phone call. I'm like, hey, I spoke to so and so, blah, blah, blah. And he's like, Oh, well, I want to make sure she's not after me for my money. And I told him, I was like, honey, you are 52 years old and she's 29. If you don't know it's pay-to-play, I don't know how I can help you moving forward. I was like, that's like the dumbest thing ever. Or like when guys like hide like their wealth on a first date, it's not I'm not saying be so flashy about it, but also don't lie about what you've created. Like, I don't know, I just find it weird.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

So, from a business model perspective, I was just thinking this a minute ago, obviously, the more successful you are at doing your job, I guess technically, the more you then limit your income opportunities there. As in like I guess with the app, right? Well, no, so I'm talking I'm talking physical people, right? So offline. Because I guess your dream client is someone who just dates for the rest of his life and has to keep paying you 350, 350, 350. So I was gonna ask you if you've got any upsells or cross-sells or what could you develop in the business model so that you know you could be successful in delivering someone a dream relationship, but uh but still you know find a way to keep getting paid.

SPEAKER_02 30:02

Well, you know what's great is that what's amazing about our job as matchmakers is that when you do match somebody and they're with that partner, they tell five of their friends.

SPEAKER_01 30:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:14

And that's what like a lot of our business.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

Ultimate referral scheme.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

Yeah, a lot of our business comes in through referrals. Like I remember back uh earlier this year, we had uh a group of guys join as business partners. Like that they're all business partners and they came in as clients because one of them had a success and the other one, and then the other one's like just so funny. So it's like they're all were like dating at the same time, which was kind of funny.

SPEAKER_01 30:41

Multiple of them.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

My goodness, they all have different requirements. You can see how much you're gonna communicate. But no, yeah, they all had different requirements, so that was uh better for us.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

So what's the future?

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Oh my gosh. Well, uh, what I love about Maction is that we can create love on a wider scale. Yes, we just started in Dubai with expat connections. We're building our Indian connections portal. We're then gonna localize the product for Muslim marriages because I don't know if you know this or not, but the divorce rate amongst Muslim marriages in the UAE is higher than in the USA.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:18

So there's something broken in the chain, and I can't wait to figure out what it is in order to actually facilitate long-lasting marriages.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

And you keep all these pools segregated. So, for example, the Muslim client base won't mix with the whatever the expat client base.

SPEAKER_02 31:34

Yes, because what I learned as a matchmaker is that there are certain cultures that can only marry within their culture. So, in order to actually give them the right compatible partners to create those separate portals. And then what I plan to do is expand across the GCC, when I was saying before, making expat cities a little less lonely. And then yeah, really dominate this region because it is the new land of opportunity. And there's no other app that's homegrown that is catering to this region that is really like looking to outsource their love life. Like that's like our tagline. Outsource your love life, elevate your connections because we uh cut out all of that, not effort, but yeah, all of that effort and energy in between and just facilitating those in-person connections.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

And listen, Christiana, it's been a pleasure having you here. It's been good fun banter and some interesting stories. Uh, we're gonna put obviously all the links in the uh in the description in the videos, but just give yourself a little a little shout out for the best place to come and find you.

SPEAKER_02 32:32

Yeah, so if you're looking for matchmaking, find me ChristianaMaction.com. And for the app, please, please, please apply. It is called Maction M A X I O N, the matchmaking app, and we're on the app store.

SPEAKER_01 32:43

And don't forget, you promised to fast trap my application.

SPEAKER_02 32:46

Yeah, so we will approve you.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Thanks again.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Thank you.