Lara Asprey founded exclusive dating agency, Asprey Introductions, in 2014 which has since crowned her as the most sought after connector amongst aristocracy and London’s elite bachelors and bachelorettes. Her business ventures have given her the opportunity to write a book, film a television series and expand her agency worldwide. The Sybarite sat down with Lara to discuss what makes Asprey Introductions different and her insights into the secrets of a successful relationship.

Tell me a little about yourself and how your career has taken you into the matchmaking business.

I decided to set up a matchmaking business at a time when I wasn’t single myself but a lot of my friends were. They were absolutely gorgeous and I found myself questioning why on earth they hadn’t yet met someone. Their general feedback tended to be that online dating and dating apps were incredibly time consuming and overwhelming. So, I decided to help them out and I set up by business that was then called ‘The Sloane Arranger’! We try to match people with the same interests in the same social circles – at the end of the day you have to match on more levels than money. The business took off from the get go and I haven’t looked back! We now have offices all over the world, dedicated teams and matchmaking scouts and, as of last year, a TV series – The Ultimate Matchmaker – that followed us around on our everyday business!

And how did you find the process of filming The Ultimate Matchmaker?

You underestimate the amount of time that a series is in development for. It took 18 months in total, in which time I had gone away, had a baby and come back! But after that, the filming starts and ends very quickly. It is definitely an intense process, however, the team and I had such a blast! The people that we sent on dates in the series had an amazing time too – they went to private islands and castles!

What does Asprey Introductions do differently to other elite matchmaking services?

What we really focus on is our network. It is curated not only through my network but also my matchmakers’ networks. They are truly exceptional networks of people with the best careers, the best universities and the best backgrounds – the sort of network that can’t be tapped into from a list. The exclusivity of our networks is why we have been so successful. Our matchmaking services also work in a 360 capacity. In addition to matchmaking we offer personal styling, photography and coaching – always trying to boost a client’s confidence and make them the best version of themselves.

How do you think social media is changing the world of dating?

I think social media is driving us to draw a lot of comparisons between ourselves and other people. Through Facebook and Instagram you are suddenly connected to a lot more people that you don’t know. In terms of dating this has had an effect because we are more open to meeting strangers than ever before. Dating apps work in a similar way where we are now faced with a lot more people to interact with – spending a lot of time meeting a lot of people who you don’t necessarily want to meet.

In your opinion, what is the key to a good relationship?

There are so many things that go into a good relationship! It sounds cliché but it does often come down to good communication. Sometimes tensions can be so built up simply because people aren’t talking anymore. Also, we need to escape the “next best thing” syndrome. A good relationship takes time and work to build foundations and trust – we need to start thinking more introspectively and question ourselves as well as our partner to stimulate healthy relationship development.

What’s your best dating success story?

We’ve had so many success stories that I couldn’t choose one! I think success in a relationship can be defined in lots of different ways nowadays – it’s not so black and white anymore. We’ve had couples who have gotten engaged and married and other clients who have achieved a second date. Success is relative and individual. So, success to me is a happy and confident client!