If you are in need of good girlfriends to keep you honest about the problems in your dating life, and you don’t have one already, you should get to know our ESSENCE Fest Empower U speakers, Tana Gilmore and Kelli Fisher.
The North Carolina-based matchmaking duo started out as close friends who supported each other during their hectic times as leading business executives. Soon, they realized that not only was their advice extremely sound, their life experiences made others seek their opinions to keep their own personal lives on track, as well. After shaking off their doubts, the successful businesswomen decided to leave their cushy corporate lifestyles to follow their passion of enhancing the lives of others.
Now, the Certified Life Coaching duo have authored a book, “Relationship DUOvers,” appeared as speakers in various cities all over the nation and have turned their passion into paying jobs by making their friendship into the brand, The Matchmaking Duo.
As contributors to our lifestyle section, ESSENCE readers love them because their specialty lies in the art of the juggle. Many ESSENCE readers struggle to balance their personal lives and career goals, but luckily these two are here to offer advice. Through their own experiences, Fisher and Gilmore have mastered teaching others how to “have it all” in love, life and their careers.
Kelli (pictured right) is a hopeful romantic. Her lifecoaching is based in the belief that, “A life without love is simply incomplete.” When she’s not empowering others to use their hearts in everything they do, she enjoys a good game of tennis and sipping on a hot cup of chai tea.
Tana’s (pictured left) teaching principles are founded in the institution of marriage. The self-described “advocate for love” enjoys spending time talking to couples who have been married for more than 50 years. Once, a couple told her that it’s just as important to like the person you are married to as it is to love them. Now, she teaches that to every married couple she encounters.
In July, they will be sharing their expertise on the ESSENCE Fest Empower U stage.
For encouraging and helping women to be their best selves in love and life, we want to salute The Matchmaking Duo by selecting them as our #WomenEmpowermentWednesday pick. With women like these, life is a bit more manageable in the good times and bad. We can’t wait to have them on the ESSENCE Fest stage this July.
For now, watch them in action, here and follow them on Twitter.
Want to see The Matchmaking Duo and all of our esteemed speakers at ESSENCE Fest 2015? Sign up to see them, Deepak Chopra, Iyanla Vanzant and many more give the best advice you’ve ever heard. We’ll see you there!