Destiny Dingle: Connecting Entrepreneurs with The Match Lab’s Digital Growth Solutions

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business

I started The Match Lab to address a hugely common problem for women online service providers which is client acquisition. The Match Lab was born during a time of uncertainty and anxiety around finding and landing clients for myself. I was struggling to do so and it made me want to see how many other women like me were struggling with the same thing, and the results were overwhelming. I asked myself "How the hell can I find and land clients easily without all this stress that comes with it?" This is a question most service providers ask themselves but can't really come up with a answer. That's because the answer is so innovative and so "out-of-the-box" that most people wouldn't think of it! And while laying in bed scrolling through Tik Tok, just like a lightbulb that switched on, the idea of "matchmaking but professionally" came out of nowhere. Everything after was a domino effect. 

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Who are your customers?

This platform is solely for women online service providers in the marketing, operations/admin, legal, writing, tech, consulting, coaching, design and finance fields. While the fields we serve right now may be limited, we plan to soon open The Match Lab up to more!

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What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Prior to The Match Lab, I started my entrepreneurial journey as a VA and then transitioned to an Online Business Manager (which I still am). But prior to even that, I worked in the operations field for a media company. 

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What made you take the leap to start your own business?

The forever 9-5 just wasn't my jam. Like most women entrepreneurs, I wanted to escape the traditional corporate life we're sold. I wanted to escape the constant routine of waking up early to commute, being stuck in an office for 8 hours then have to deal with the rush hour commute home. I'd have no time to live other aspects of my life, no energy to do anything else and I knew I could do more than what I was doing at my job. I was capable of a bigger impact so I decided to chase it. 

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Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Nope! I actually wanted to be a veterinarian all my life (still kind of do in the far reach of my mind). But entrepreneurship has been so beautiful (and ugly) so much fun (and hard) but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I say that to say, I could always do something with animals in mind later in life. 

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What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

Shall we talk about marketing again haha? If you ask me, unless you are a professional (and sometimes even when you are), marketing will always be one of the hardest. For me, I knew The Match Lab could ultimately sell itself, but getting it in front of more people (i.e more visibility) was the hardest part. So, with limited funds to invest in paid ad campaigns, I did it manually with cold outreach. It was a lot of work but worth every bit of it. 

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What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

Having the idea and getting it developed. I don't think an idea like this is common so the chance of someone else starting it anytime soon would be kind of slim. But it's also a business based solely on a tech platform, something I was not familiar with. So, I had to configure and set up the tech by myself. It was fun and challenging but ultimately rewarding in the end. It taught me if I want something bad enough, nothing is ever too hard. 

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Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

At the time I write this, besides the pre-launch nothing yet. But stay tuned!

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What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

This business is going to be a game changing disrupter in the women service provider industry. I know that because I believe in this more than I ever have anything else. No matter how hard things have gotten (and trust me they have), my faith that this will be big has never waivered. With that being said, I plan to turn this ultimately into an empire on day, with an entire team, inclusive of more fields and features and with THOUSANDS of members. I know, that's a big dream, but nothing amazing or memorable has ever gotten there without dreaming big and being bold. I'm going to do just that.

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What is your top productivity tip?

When your body starts to tell you that you need to step away from your laptop, then step away from your laptop! Take a few hours or a few days, whatever you need. I used to work myself past my limits and think I was being more productive but that was never true. When I started listening to my body, I'd take the time I'd need and come back with more drive, passion and momentum than I would of had if I kept going. 

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On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

Is it weird to say the same answer above haha? Productivity and burnout go hand in hand. 

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What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

I built a business (or at this point 2) that did not require anything more from me than a laptop and some internet. I did that purposefully so I can take work with me while I see the world. That may not be what work life balance looks like for some women, but it is for me. Being able to be on vacation and enjoy my day, but come back at night right before bed and check on things for 30 minutes or so? Yeah, that's the dream.

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What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

My only regret is not finding out about Entreprenista earlier in my entrepreneurial journey than I did. This community has literally been everything to me and my business. I wouldn't trade this community for the world. 

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What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?

I say this 100% without an shame, Tik Tok! I use that app for anything from recipes to business tips, news to trends, office decor set up to dog training videos. It's my favorite search engine. 

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What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

As an operations girly and certified project manager, I can't survive without my project management software. My entire brain lives on that thing. It keeps me organized, accountable and doesn't let anything slip through the cracks. 

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What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Utilize the hell out of this platform! I've gained clients, members for The Match Lab, and genuine friends via this platform. I've gotten advice and tips I couldn't find anywhere and have heard so many inspiring stories that keep me going. Not to mention these women are some of the nicest you will ever meet. Don't join the community and then let crickets take over. Engage, engage, engage! Every event go to and just. be. yourself. I promise you the benefits you will get are unmatched. 

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