A third of all single people have an online profile, so it’s no surprise that cottage industries are springing up from the pheromonal ether. One inevitable trend is the proliferation of dating consultants. For as much as $1,500, these self-appointed experts offer everything from profile critiques to whole-hog outsourcing, whereby they write or rewrite ads, shoot and upload photos, send flirty e-mails to prospective matches, make date plans, and do everything short of showing up to dinner. Laurie Davis, founder of Upper West Side consulting firm eFlirtExpert and author of the new book Love @ First Click: The Ultimate Guide to Online Dating, has critiqued and rewritten nearly a thousand dating profiles since launching her company four years ago. Click below for a look at how she picked apart two starry-eyed locals’ online personas.
Janeen Broome
28, Executive Assistant, Harlem
Matt Haze
30, Comedian, Weehawken, New Jersey
Photographs courtesy of Janeen Broome and Matt Haze