AT&T 28 Days is all about putting a special spotlight on African Americans who are impacting their communities in a major way. From politician and activist Andrew Young to R&B singer Monica, the campaign has chosen innovators to talk about what inspires them to go above and beyond in their line of work. Paul Brunson is among those being celebrated for their excellence.
Brunson was first introduced to the public eye on the OWN show “Lovetown.” Additionally, for six years, Brunson has built The Paul C. Brunson Agency into a matchmaking firm that has transformed the industry. His policy of taking on any client seeking a committed relationship, regardless of their heritage, size, height, or wealth, has allowed Black romance seekers who are likely to be denied service at other agencies, a chance.
Not only is Brunson’s firm helping to desegregate the matchmaking field, but he and his team have also pioneered a new and efficient approach to dating. The firm implements a 30-minute meet-up that allows the client to judge their date based on the level of physical attraction and effective communication. This method helps eliminate wasting time on an unnecessary first date.
Outside of being a game-changer in his field, Brunson is committed to repairing communities. Unlike other matchmaking firms, his goal is not to simply create marriages, but to create strong families. He is not only a trailblazer, but a caring businessman with a goal and vision that will benefit the masses.
Brunson spoke to rolling out and let us in on his greatest dating advice, his new ABC docuseries, and why he’s nothing like Hitch.
What’s your involvement in the AT&T 28 days program and why did you agree to get involved?
I’m an influencer with the program. I have a good friend who’s in the program, so I was already familiar with it, and it was something I highly respected. This year, when I saw all the other participants who would be in it — from Monica to Andrew Young — it’s a pretty serious group of pioneers. The fact that they thought I could be a part of that group, it was an honor.
What is your best childhood memory of Black History Month?
My best memory is the fact that I never viewed it as a month. I went to a predominantly White high school, and February was the only time I felt we explored topics around Black culture, and it was very superficial. but because of my parents and aunt, who’s a public school teacher in Baltimore, we talked about it 365. So the fact that I realized Black history wasn’t just a month, but much larger than that, is probably my best memory.
How has working with Oprah Winfrey changed your life?
The fact that every time I’m interviewed, I get asked that question. I worked with her 4 years ago and it’s still a top question. It just shows how influential she is. She may possibly be one of the top three influential people living today. Since working with her, I’ve built on of the largest matchmaking companies in the world, and I think a lot of that had to do with getting my early start with her. So, it’s an incredible opportunity that I had. I’m glad I took her up on it, because at the time I started working with Oprah, a lot of people in media and in Hollywood thought her career was over. the OWN network wasn’t doing well and people thought she had made a mistake leaving her talk show. A lot of people had written her off. The fact that I had people telling me i should not do the show with her is now laughable.
Has your approached changed?
I’ve become more confident in my approach. I went from a business career to becoming a professional matchmaking. At that time, people would joke, “He’s a matchmaker? Is he Hitch?” It was a joke. I was the first full-time Black matchmaker ever and I’m entering an industry where some people think you don’t need a certain skill set. So there was a probably a lot of self-doubt i had at that time. from working with Oprah, all that self-doubt went away. Here was someone who i though was one of the smartest, sophisticated people on the planet, and she was saying “Paul, what you’re doing i great work, and you need to own your truth and do it to the best of your ability.” Having someone like Oprah tell you that and bring you onto her projects just made me more confident.
What is it that the perfect gives you to work with?
The perfect client is an approachable client who listens and not just hears.
How do you gain your clients’ trust?
You begin to gain it before you even take them on. So trust is gained through your interactions on social media, or your response when someone is inquiring about service with you. What I’ve learned about trust with our clients is as long as we’re delivering what we say we’re going to deliver, we can gain that trust.
What three tips would you give someone about a good lasting impression on a date?
1) You have to come looking phenomenal. Social media and photo filters really does people a disservice. If you show up looking worse than your photo, you will see it on the other person’s face.
2) You want to listen. You want to make sure the other person knows that what they’re saying to you, you not only hear, but you are using to inform what you do with what you say. That’s important because we want to know that we matter
3) If you have studied this person and done your homework and you truly listened to them, then you can very quickly pick up on what their values are. And if you begin to talk and frame what you say with those values, I’m going to walk about feeling like we had a strong connection. That’s a quick way to build rapport with someone.
What dating rule do you think women should drop?
I’m not big on rules, but what I see happening a lot withing the last 6 or 7 years is women lowering their standards and settling. That’s incorrect. I believe women, as well as men, should have the highest standards possible. The higher your standards, the higher the quality of life you’ll have.
What are your thoughts on online dating?
It’s cool. But it’s somewhat of a misnomer. You don’t date online. It’s just online meeting, online introductions. If we changed the title, it would be better received. we have online accounts set up for our clients. I advise online websites and dating apps.
What are your plans to expand your business this year?
Our job is to just get better at what we’re doing. Our mission is we want to create strong families, because I think strong families make for a strong community. So, that’s the focus.
Do you have any projects you’re working on currently?
Yeah. I’m Jamaican, so I have at least 6 projects going on. [Laughs]. I haven’t personally had a client in a year and a half, so at the agency, we have a staff of 12 people. My wife and Chase Sanders runs the agency and allows me to do other stuff. So, my biggest project is a docuseries I’m hosting on ABC this holiday season. I’ve got a project with Devon Franklin and Sony, who have picked up my life rights last. year. They just finished the manuscript and they’re going into casing for a movie about me, which is crazy. There’s also a big technology project I’m working on to increase social capital for multi-cultural entrepreneurs.
Will the film be anything like Hitch?
No, it won’t. Hitch was a dating coach. A dating coach is different from a matchmaker. A dating coach is like, just a regular person in the army, but a matchmaker is like a green beret or a ranger.
