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Wednesday 27 May 2015

Light a Fire with Your Date: Go Camping

So, you've been out with your new sweetheart several times. You've done the dinner date, been to concerts in the park and even backyard barbecues with each of your besties.  By now, you know she takes her coffee sans milk and that he's not fond of shellfish. Yet, you find yourself wondering if this person could be "the one." How do you know she is right for you?

It's time to test your true colors in a potentially make or break activity that is cleverly disguised as camping.

Go Camping as a Date
As the saying goes, you don’t really know people until have to rough it with them. Hitting the mountains with a tent, backpack and sleeping bag strips a relationship down to the bare essentials and can be a good indicator of the success of a future relationship. Both parties are out of their usual environment and forced to work together towards a common goal (such as erecting a tent or even finding firewood). How do the two of you react to stress? Or do you laugh off your mistakes and just enjoy the scenery?

Here are a few tips when planning a camping date with your honey:

PLAN TOGETHER
A first trip (and the planning of it) is symbolic of things to come. How do you want to set the tone? Mutually agree upon the camping destination and activities. If you’re into mountain climbing and she’s not, maybe you’ll want to consider a rafting trip. I also recommend more than just an overnight adventure. It's easy to put up with certain conditions overnight but more than one tends to shine a spotlight on our quirks.

IMAGINE WORSE CASE SCENARIOS
What if you get stung by a bee? Sprain an ankle on the mountain? Unexpected incidents can only be expected when camping, but they can also be stressors on a budding romance. Have band-aids on hand and a Plan B for rain.

SENSE OF ROMANCE
No matter how you camp, you will be alone with your honey for an extended period of time. Use the time to get to know one another. Share childhood stories or dreams about the future. Debate the best way to make an ice cream sundae. Smile. Handhold while climbing the trail. Let Mother Nature fuel your passion for each other.

BRING ON THE BEDHEAD
Be prepared to see your sexy companion in ways you have never seen them before. Without curling irons, makeup or a long hot shower, will they still be sexy after an all-day climb? Since perfumes and smelly creams can attract unwanted attention from certain critters, be prepared to welcome the intimacies of camping -- for better or worse. Bedhead, marches in the wood to do your business and the fine art of brushing your teeth by the creek are just a few of the highlights. Embrace it. Enjoy it.

Something to keep in mind. It's emotional intimacy, being able to share your truest, deepest and most vulnerable self with your significant other when makes us feel loved. Skip judgments and focus on how you connect, how comfortable you are being yourself around them and how often you laugh together.

A relationship is like any other long-term investment: it requires a great deal of time, effort and devotions. Couples can come and go, but real relationships are those that can survive whatever life throws at them. They go through it together and come out closer than before.




Wednesday 20 May 2015

Be the CEO of Your Dating Life


You know what you want in a car or the dimensions of a TV. You have zeroed in on your favorite toothpaste and only purchase your favorite dark roast bean for your morning cup of Joe.  You know what makes you comfortable at home and efficient while at work.

For many, dating is the one area where people flounder when it comes to reaching beyond their comfort zone. A lot of people are unhappy with their dating life.  In a world that is obsessed with having the world at our fingertips, the dating scene has morphed to keep up with the ever-changing technological shifts and it is no where near maximizing efficiency.

Rather than waiting to see if Mr./Miss Right would give them a ring, people are taking matters into their own smart phones. They are able to research a potential date via Google, view social media or dating profiles and weed out those who don’t meet their basic criteria.

If it sounds more like HR sifting through job applications, that's because it is. The dating landscape has mutated. People are no longer waiting for fate or serendipity to step up to the plate but are being proactive about their dating life. Singles are taking a CEO to their dating life business — investing time and money to bump up the efficiency number without taking them out of a comfort zone.


Here are just a few other areas where your inner CEO should take over and decide the direction of your love life:

1) Interview More Than One Candidate
If you were interviewing candidates for a position within your company, you wouldn't pick the first person who walked through the door with a resume, would you? The more potential partners you meet, the greater your chances of finding the ideal one.

2) It's All About the Branding
You are the product. How would you position or present yourself to your target demo (single)? What about your look, style, posture or even attitude? What you put out there is what you get back. Negative thoughts produce negative results. Know what you have to offer and that you are a hot ticket. Talk about your positive aspects and keep a positive outlook. You are the product. Sell yourself well.

3) Network to Further Your Goals
Networking is something we all have to do at one time or another. Whether it is a cocktail party or a chamber meeting, you know that the connections may start there but carry forward.  Dating, like business, has a way of starting in the most unusual places. If you are looking to extend your dating network, every encounter becomes the starting point for something amazing.

4) Build Trust, Solidify Relationships
In order to win and maintain clients, businesses must build up trust. It comes in stages and there are steps to building it. What's your motivation behind the relationship? Where do you want to go? Same with dating, building trust creates a strong foundation for future developments.

5) Address Problems Promptly
Little issues have the tendency to become really big ones. Businesses do well by resolving issues quickly. As in dating, confronting problems head on saves headache in the long run.

6) Pick a Complimentary Partner
Magic happens when you and someone with complimentary strengths join forces. The two of you are able to accomplish more then the two of you could do separately.

In the end, you are looking for the perfect match.  While the other party may not be perfect, they are the perfect match for you.

Wednesday 13 May 2015

How Successful People Can Be More Successful at Dating

It's the old story replicated in Hollywood movies, self-help books and on dating profiles: the attractive, smart, witty, funny, successful business person who has been unlucky in love.
It's a story we are all familiar with and may even be the starring role in the current remake.

How can these successful professionals use their skills to get a promotion in their love life? Here are a few ways:

1) Be Proactive
In the business world, top sales personal and managers don't wait for the right person to walk through the door. They seek out opportunities to mix, mingle, negotiate and sign on the dotted line.

Put yourself out there. Find ways to interact with people in your daily life such as at the coffee shop or waiting in line at the grocery store. Each encounter furthers your social skills and opens you up to the possibility of what could happen.

2) Be Willing to Take the Calculated Risk
There are no guarantees in the office and some decisions come with a certain amount of risk. There is risk of failure, ridicule etc. But it is part of the working landscape and helps us become better employees, and better people, in the process.

Take a risk. Show your vulnerability when connecting with a possible partner. Let them see the softer side. Reveal your dreams, hopes and grand ideas.

3) Polish Your First Impression
Make a fantastic first impression like you would during the interview process. Be positive. Smile.

4) Network. Network. Network.
Okay, so the person across the table from you may not be your dream guy or gal. Such is life. But they may be the middle person to The One. Nurture your connections and they will return the favor.

5) Ask for Resources
You ask for raises, promotions, additional help and more input on the job. Communicate with those around you about what it is you are looking for in a potential mate or, to the point, that you are even looking. We all need a little help from our friends.

Resources:



Wednesday 6 May 2015

Listening is the Easiest Way to Impress Your Date

How often do you practice your "elevator pitch" for the upcoming networking event? How many times have you rehearsed what you should say on a first date? Or what you are going to say if they ask about work (family, hobbies)?

We all do it. It's our way of handling the expected -- nerves! Most of us approach a date thinking of what it is we want to tell the other person. Our personal "elevator pitch" that highlights our successes, accomplishments and what makes us a great catch. Rather than a conversation, the back and forth exchange starts to sound like a retelling of our relationship resumes. Not really talking, just getting out what has to be said.

The easiest way to turn the date around is with three simple words: Listen.  Reflect.  Respond.

Listen to what your date has to say. Think about what was just mentioned. Respond with a question that furthers the conversation or add your RELATED story.

Men and woman are more impressed with a potential partner who talks WITH as opposed to one who talks AT them.