Blog: Kerrie Schneider

I used to cringe when people said it's impossible to find true love in metro Detroit versus in a bigger city.  Why?  Because at that time I was single and refused to drink the Kool-Aid.  Remember the Law of Attraction: You will likely attract what you put out there and by thinking positively, you can bring about positive results.  

Yes, people are leaving Michigan for greener pastures. Yes, we are vehicle-bound, not simply walking everywhere and making it easier to find true love on the way to grab dinner with a friend.  Yes, our community has a preponderance of married couples and older folks, shrinking the pool of available singles in a certain age range.  But this simply makes the big D and surrounding areas less date-friendly, not impossible to date and fall in love.

There's a flurry of entrepreneurs choosing Detroit or Ann Arbor for their startups because there's talent, cheap leases, and the typical Motor City belief in the ability to be reborn. Since the 1960s, Detroit has nurtured a kind of we-can-do-it bootstrapping mentality that all of us have deep in our bones and it still very much exists today.  This glass half-full mindset is crucial for success in and out of the workplace.  Positivity breeds positivity, whether in a business environment or a romantic setting.

We are in a new economy, but nonetheless creating new opportunities, so there's plenty of room for people to blossom.  Just as in everything else, if you create opportunities for yourself, there will be opportunities available to you.  If you sit back and take a reactive approach, possibilities will pass you by and soon become someone else's budding reality.
 
Some people say that there is a brain drain effect, where many of our great talents have fled Michigan, negatively affecting the dating scene.  While a lot of good talent did fly the coop when the automakers took a hit, there's new talent and singles too, in places and business models we never anticipated.  

We are all creatures of habit, but this isn't necessarily an advantage in business or romance if we hope to spread our wings and soar outside of our usual network.  Sometimes you have to venture into unfamiliar territory if you wish to gain more personal or brand exposure and open new doors for opportunity.  If it means visiting a new city or working out at the gym a few miles outside of your beaten path, do so.
 
While many companies folded in the recent recession, many did not – in fact many flourished.  And those that survived face a wide, open landscape of possibility for growth.  The key was their perseverance and preparedness.  The same is true for finding love.  

The rules of dating are a lot like having a good business sense.  Focus on the variables you can control – rather than those you cannot.  Keep a healthy mindset, be assertive, be prepared and you are sure to have a leg up on your competition – in both the workplace and your love life.