Blaine Anderson has built a nearly $1 million business helping young men find love—something that is elusive for many at a time when much of life is lived on computers and smartphones.
Anderson, 33, runs Dating By Blaine, selling a course ($1,295) that teaches customers the ropes of creating a dating profile after a first date and a course on texting the people they date ($149).
“I sort of fell into it,” says Anderson. “I always have been really fascinated by dating and relationships.” She found she was sought-after for advice by her guy friends, whose dating profiles often benefited from her edits.
Blaine Anderson helps young men learn the rules of dating in a digital world.
Anderson, who previously worked in the travel industry in New York City, never thought of teaching dating as a career path—though she had dated for 15 years on six continents. Then she lost her job during the pandemic, and she became unemployed overnight. “I was living in San Francisco at that point,” she recalls. “I moved back in with my parents.” Suddenly, creating a course made sense. “Course-based businesses are very scalable,” she says.
With world travel looking like it would be slow to come back, her boyfriend—now her husband—gave her the push: “You should just go all-in on this. You have nothing to lose.”
That was in 2020. She had soon set to work building her first dating-based masterclass and spreading the word through Instagram and TikTok.
Many of the men who purchase the masterclass think they have to behave as an “alpha male,” to get dates—whether that is by being rich, having a certain body type or seeming very confident, according to Anderson. Many are engineers or in similar fields where they spend a lot of time behind a screen and may not have much time to develop their social skills.
What she has found is that once women trust a man, they are generally attracted to men who are “high status,” but that their definitions of “high status” vary.
“You need to communicate a trajectory,” says Anderson. “She needs to know you’re going places. If you’re unemployed, you need to communicate why you’re unemployed and how you will not be unemployed when you’re together.”
Ultimately, she says, “You need to be confident and know how to market yourself. That’s different from acting the way you think a woman wants you to act.”
As for the men, she says, “They all want someone they are excited about. Someone excited to be with them. Someone they find attractive.”
Even when men know what qualities they want, she teaches them that not every woman will be for them. “That’s one less woman you have to worry about getting to know,” she tells them.
Anderson’s solo business picked up traction quickly. In 2020, she brought in just over $22,000. By 2021, it was $491,000. With 2022 winding down, she had brought in $931,000 as of December 13. She relies on the help of a virtual assistant.
Anderson believes her decision to specialize has helped the business thrive. “I like to stay in my niche and know my audience really well,” she says. “There are more dating coaches for women. Women are more open to asking for help. I don’t think men are as open.” She intends to change that, one student at a time.
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Elaine Pofeldt