“Thinking realistically is the easiest and fastest way to mediocrity. Thinking the impossible is what changes the world. Be a part of that change.”
Name: Thomas Edwards Jr.
Age: 25
Occupation: Dating and Lifestyle Strategist
Did you go to college? Where? I went to college at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, PA.
What did you study? Digital Design (B.S.)
Where do you work? I am the Founder of The Professional Wingman, LLC (TPW)
Where are you from?
I’m the only family member born and raised in Boston. My family is from Jamaica.
Why did you pick this career?
In many ways, this career picked me. I feel as though this was my calling and as passionate as I am about personal development and helping people find success in life, how could I possibly pass this up? I’m very blessed to have this opportunity to make a major difference in people’s lives.
What are your future plans for your career?
I want TPW to be the name you think of when it comes to improving your dating skills and social lifestyles, not just across the country but around the world. I’d like to travel and share my story with other people in hopes of inspiring them to make a change that will bring them the success they’ve always wanted in their lives.
How did you get involved in this career?
It all started when I put up a blog talking about my life. Many of those blog posts included stories of my dating, fitness plans and social excursions. Many people liked the stories so I focused on just dating and lifestyle. After a while, people would write in and ask for advice. Not knowing much else but my own story, I’d give them the best advice I could – which always happened to be on the money. One day, I mentored a guy coming off a divorce and helped him restart his life. At the end of his email, it said, “you should charge for this. Your advice is Grade A professional stuff. Thank you!” That’s when I knew I was on to something. It wasn’t until I went out with a buddy and he asked me to be his wingman for a woman he thought was hot when it all came together.
How did you prepare yourself for this career?
The only thing I needed was the confidence to tell the world what I wanted to do and be ready for the praise and ridicule. In the end, my true preparation came from my life experiences.
And if you just happened to land in this career what made you stay?
The look of my clients’ faces as they succeed in their endeavor. If the world had more happy people then maybe we’d live in a more positive, peaceful world. When I say “happy,” I mean truly happy. If you can be happy with the people and friends around you, your love life, social life, financial life and health then everything will fall into place. Seems like a tough feat but it all starts with yourself. Someone once told me you cannot be truly happy until you are happy with yourself and it’s true.
What are the downsides to this profession?
I think I have the best job in the world. There are no downsides to what I do. There are a few difficulties but those don’t count. There is nothing to complain about my job.
What is a typical workday for you?
There is no such thing as a typical workday for me. One day, it could involve spending about seven hours answering emails, handling phone calls, working on promotional content, video editing and interacting with people across social media platforms. Another day could just be going out to meet with new potential clients or current clients in different areas around the city. If there is one thing that IS consistent with my day, it’s when I get home. When the night is over, I take notes from the entire day and prepare for the next one.
How might this job be a stepping stone to other professions?
This job requires confidence, the ability to instruct a variety of people, focus, the know-how of handling adversity (for both you and your client), personality and of course the ability to engage and attract a wide array of people. These intangible skills can really propel you into whatever field you’d like.
What is the single-most important piece of advice you can offer a person pursuing this career?
If you’d like to be a dating coach and you really think you have something different to bring to the table, just do it. All you need to start out with is an unflappable belief in yourself. As long as your advice and content are good, then you don’t have to convince anyone why you should be a dating coach. The proof will always be in your work. So start doing it!
What steps do you recommend to someone who is planning to pursue this career?
Read. Find out what problems people are having. Create a solution that you can offer and have a plan of how you’ll be able to help people. After that, read some more. Reading is so important because people’s problems change over time and you have to not only keep up but also find what solutions are out there. Read enough and you’ll find opportunities to set your product apart from the rest.
What professional or community volunteer organizations are you currently a member of?
I try to contribute as much as I can to the entrepreneur community. I am a member of DartBoston, a community of under-30 Boston entrepreneurs. And I also help young people create, develop their own “brand” based on their true passions.
Contact:
Website: The Professional Wingman
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theprofessionalwingman
Twitter: http://twitter.com/URwingman
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/prowingman
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