MyTopMatchMaker clients benefit from Karen Stein’s extensive background as a casting director and talent agency owner. She brings an uncanny ability to match the perfect talent to the perfect role. Karen studied under Mimi, the founder of MyTopMatchMaker, absorbing the company’s combined experience of 33 years of matchmaking. Karen immediately felt her true calling come to fruition. Her clients enjoy her unique, intuitive perception of pairing partners for long- lasting, healthy relationships. She makes it easy for her clients to feel comfortable and confident in a collaborative relationship between matchmaker and client. Karen is in the business of matchmaking, but in your course to finding a new partner, she’ll make you feel like family. At your free consultation with Karen, you will find yourself participating in a fun, fact-finding, and educational session. Karen takes on clients that pass her honesty and safety screening process. After all, to find the perfect match, you want your matchmaker doing all the hard work for you! Karen is no shrinking violet, her passion for matchmaking shines through day in and day out, perpetually considering partners for her clients. Time and time again she has been the conduit to true romance blossoming between newly-kindled, kindred spirits. Karen can’t wait to hear from you! To book your free consultation with Karen Stein, call 602-616-0026. The Sizzle Factor Karen’s magical intuition at work and her strength as a matchmaker has always been to look for what will make that spark light up between two strangers. Your character, your passion, and ambitions, as for your hobbies…well, hobbies are nice…but I’m always on the hunt for the elixir of spice!” Karen firmly believes unearthing a client’s history gives her the fuel to feed those potential sparks and why she has had such as a long career as a matchmaker. Guaranteed Handcrafted introductions without use of computer software. Accurate, verified profiles, screened and qualified by MyTopMatchmaker. Pre-Date Planning • Dating etiquette education • Instantaneous talking points • Expert analysis • Premier advice • Personal service Concierge • Dining recommendations for the first date • Event recommendations for second date Feedback Share your feelings with us! Enjoy your open line of communication with your matchmaker. Local Enjoy meeting quality singles in your community. Karen Stein, Matchmaker Have Karen find your perfect match. BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION NOW BY MENTIONING THIS AD MyTopMatchmaker.com 602-616-0026 SINGLE ? Meet Arizona’s Top Matchmaker Page 34 February 2016 Resort romance pro tells all By Michelle Donati-Grayman “All you need is love” may ring true for some, but a little romance certainly helps keep the love going strong. Recent surveys show that nearly half of all men – and nearly one in four women – consider themselves romantically challenged. In honor of Valentine’s Day, AAA Arizona sat down with Sarah Escobedo, director of romance for the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, a AAA Four Diamond property, to gain insight into what it’s like to help guests create romantic memories and to learn a few tips for rekindling the love at home. AAA : Is “Director of Romance” your official title? That seems a lot to live up to on and off the job. SE : Yes, it is in both respects! Romance is such an integral part of the resort’s history, and we are known across the world as one of the best getaway spots for couples, so the title seems fitting. On a personal note, my own love story started here, as my husband and I met while we were both working here. Our story is further proof that romance blossoms here, and the Royal Palms will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. AAA : What prepared you for this position? SE : I’ve held various roles on the property, but I’ve always been focused on anticipating our guests’ needs and exceeding their expectations. Every position I’ve held has helped prepare me for my current role, as the team culture is focused on creating memorable experiences for our guests. Every staff member takes this expectation very seriously, so every interaction is focused on helping guests create lifelong memories of their visit to Royal Palms. AAA : Your role is unique in the hotel industry. Why do you think this is? SE : Romance is at the heart of the resort’s roots. The original mansion was built in 1929 as the winter home of Delos Willard Cooke and his wife, Florence. Everything about the home, from the architectural Spanish design to the expansive gardens and landscaping, all were constructed for Florence. I guess you could say it was their love story. That love is still felt today, as guests around the world come here to unwind and reconnect in this breathtaking, yet intimate environment. My role is to help guests find unique and meaningful ways to celebrate their own love story during their visit. AAA : Tell us about a typical day; what kind of requests do you handle? SE : Anything and everything, big and small. Sometimes, it’s as simple as ordering flowers for the room or scheduling couples’ spa treatments. Other times, I’m assisting with special celebration details, such as marriage proposals or anniversaries. I find that most people want to be romantic, but they aren’t sure what to do. That’s where I come in. I help suggest ideas and make arrangements that are personal and meaningful. It’s extremely rewarding to be a part of helping create memories that last a lifetime. AAA : What’s the most interesting story you can share? SE : As a world-class wedding destination, I’ve witnessed and helped plan many weddings over the years. All of them are beautiful. However, one sticks out in my mind. A returning guest asked for my assistance in planning his marriage proposal. She of course said yes, and soon afterward they were off to an intimate dinner at Via Cappello, one of the most romantic retreats on the property. Instead of dinner, however, she was greeted by her closest family and friends and all the makings of an intimate ceremony. The couple was married that evening. AAA : What tips can you offer couples who want to be more romantic? SE : Romance doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. A handwritten love note goes a long way to express your feelings. The key is to make it personal and heartfelt. A personal gift or gesture means so much more and will be remembered long afterwards.

Page 35 February 2016 GIRL NEXT DOOR Editor’s Note: The headline of this story is a quote from author and publisher Darren Hardy, one of Kindra’s clients. By Kindra Hall Last week, my 3-year-old daughter chased a boy around the playground until she threw up. She ran so hard and so fast that her body gave up before her will allowed her to quit. I wasn’t there to witness the event, but I knew exactly what it looked like. Me. Though I never ran until I puked, I chased boys with similar determination. It started with Pat Carlson in kindergarten. I invited him to my birthday party. He came and gave me a Serendipity brand book about a pony named Nitter Pitter. I took it as an expression of his love for me. For the rest of kindergarten I chased Pat around, acting like a horse – assuming, from his book choice, we had a shared equestrian interest. I would whinny in approval of his dark eyes and long lashes. I would nudge him with my nose while we practiced standing in line. I would hoof at the ground and shake my mane in an effort to seduce him. And while others may have encouraged a more subtle approach, bold was always my style. Even at 5, I never wanted to be left wondering, “Could I have done more?” It wasn’t until I overheard Pat muttering something about cooties while I drank from my Dixie cup of milk – like it was a trough – when I realized he didn’t love me back and had moved on…to Curt. I never questioned my approach before that day. But as I put my daughter’s messy clothes in the washer, I recalled a recent conversation with a single girlfriend of mine. We were discussing whether or not she should text a guy back after a great first date. “No!” she blurted. “Why not?” I insisted. “I’ve got to play this cool, play it safe,” she said. “I don’t want to get all wrapped up in something if it’s not going to go anywhere.” I was so confused. Getting “wrapped up” was the best part. Yeah, it could all unravel quickly – but the hope, the potential! Wasn’t that worth it? Was it worth it? I thought about the emotional roller coaster I rode from the moment I was tall enough to get on it. The all-in-chase-them-’til-you-puke approach was a wild ride of highs and heartbreaks. Was it worth it? If I had to do it again, would I run as hard? Or would I play it a little less bold? And would I encourage my daughter to play it a little cooler? I woke up the next morning to an unexpected email. From Jake. Jake: the boy I loved the entire, innocent summer of 1997. We came together in Advanced Algebra 2 while sending notes back and forth via our TI85 calculators. He was tall with light brown, floppy hair and big brown eyes. He was the nicest boy I had ever met and smelled better than I knew boys could. He was the best way to use my newly acquired driver’s license and we spent the entire magical summer watching movies and going to summer bonfires with our friends. I’d go to his house, where he cut his sandwiches in triangles and always made one for me with too much mustard. I went to his baseball games and hung out with his younger sister when he wasn’t around. He came to visit me at the Drive-In restaurant where I wore a poodle skirt and my hair would turn curly because of the humidity. It was one of my favorite summers. But sadly, fall came and before either of us had turned 17, it was over. Over until…the spring of my senior year when I decided it should stop being over. True to form, I worked hard to convince Jake we were meant to be together. I put notes in his locker and brought him sandwiches with extra mustard after baseball practice. I called until his sister automatically answered the phone, “Jake’s not here.” I tried to convince him he should take me to prom, but he had made other plans. He started dating a girl from Calculus. And since my math career ended after Algebra, there was nothing I could do to stop the love letters they were no doubt sending each other via TI85 calculators. We didn’t go to prom and never rekindled what we had, but after high school we stayed friends and kept in touch. And now I had an email waiting. “Kindra, Whilst purging paper, I ran across a notable one from last century. See attached. It shall be spared from the shredder. Thought you might get a kick out of it. Hope all is well. – Jake” I looked at the attachment – a scanned handwritten note from me, written that senior year when I was running as fast as I could to catch him. “Jake, I came to your house, but you are never here. I’m going to the Drive- In now; call me if I don’t see you.” Reading the note written in my high school handwriting, I had a moment of clarity. The majority of our relationships will, by nature, be short lived but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get all wrapped up – that we shouldn’t chase them with everything we’ve got. A decade, another century later, a note a bold girl wrote to a sweet boy was still tucked safely away in a box storing important memories. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I have a bold girl. She knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid to chase it. And while there’s a lot less heartache in playing it cool, I say, “Run baby. Run.” Don’t just follow dreams, chase them with aggressive pursuit