The Chris Voss Show - The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Matchmaking Magic: How Leslie Wardman Connects High-Achieving Singles

Episode Date: November 11, 2025

Matchmaking Magic: How Leslie Wardman Connects High-Achieving Singles Ambiancematchmaking.com About the Guest(s): Leslie Wardman is the founder and driving force behind Ambiance Matchmaking, a boutique firm dedicated to creating meaningful connections for accomplished professionals across the globe. With a career spanning over two decades, Leslie's expertise in matchmaking is underpinned by her deep understanding of human behavior and relationship dynamics. Her commitment to bridging cultural gaps has made Ambiance Matchmaking a leader in specialized matchmaking services, particularly for South Asian professionals. Her innovative approach and impressive track record of successful matches have earned her firm a spot among the top 10 matchmaking services in the world. Episode Summary: In this enlightening episode of The Chris Voss Show, Chris welcomes Leslie Wardman, the acclaimed founder of Ambiance Matchmaking, to discuss the intricacies of modern matchmaking and the dynamics of human relationships. Leslie shares her journey from navigating post-divorce life to establishing one of the world's premier matchmaking firms. With her extensive experience in the industry, she offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of dating and the significance of aligning values and cultural traditions in successful matchmaking. Throughout the episode, Leslie delves into the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age in dating, including the impact of dating apps and option overload. She emphasizes the importance of finding wholesome individuals and maintaining traditional values while navigating contemporary relationship dynamics. The conversation also explores the company's international expansion, including their presence in Dubai and other major cities, illustrating Ambiance Matchmaking's global reach and influence in the matchmaking industry. Key Takeaways: Leslie Wardman has helped thousands of people find meaningful connections through her personalized and hands-on approach to matchmaking. Ambiance Matchmaking has expanded globally, offering services in major cities like New York, Miami, and Dubai, focusing on aligning love with tradition. The rise of digital dating has transformed relationship dynamics, emphasizing the need for genuine connections amidst 'option overload.' Values alignment plays a crucial role in successful matchmaking, as evidenced by the low divorce rates among Leslie's matched couples. The podcast showcases Leslie's expertise in tailoring matchmaking services to individual needs, from young professionals to those restarting post-divorce. Notable Quotes: "I've interviewed more than 30,000 people in my career, and I look at that like getting a PhD every year." "We started in a certain place and we've just kept raising the bar as we go." "Women are very much becoming so independent and excelling, you know, becoming engineers and all that kind of stuff." "Typically, the American families that we work with, they're very family-oriented and respectful." "Back to my secret sauce and how important that is—out of all the marriages that we've gotten together, we've only had one or two divorces."

You wanted the best... You've got the best podcast. The hottest podcast in the world. The Chris Voss Show, the preeminent podcast with guests so smart you may experience serious brain bleed. The CEOs, authors, thought leaders, visionaries, and motivators. Get ready, get ready. Strap yourself in. Keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Because you're about to go on a moment. Monster Education Roller Coaster with your brain. Now, here's your host, Chris Voss. You wanted the best... You've got the best podcast. The hottest podcast in the world. In the world. The Chris Voss Show, the preeminent podcast, with guests so smart you may experience serious brain bleed.

The CEOs, authors, thought leaders, visionaries, and motivators. Get ready. Get ready. Wrap yourself in. Keep your hands, arms, and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Because you're about to go on a monster education rollercoaster with your brain. Now, here's your host, Chris Voss. Hey, folks, this Vaz, here from ThecrisVos Show.com.

Ladies, gentlemen, the early things that makes it official. We are on deck, on show, on live. And what we require from you is to listen to show intensely, take notes, because there will be a test after. and refer to the show of your family, friends, and relatives. Tell them to go to goodreads.com, Fortress, Chris Voss. LinkedIn.com, Fortress, Chris Voss. YouTube.com, Fortress, Chris Foss. Facebook.com, Foss, you just follow the damn show already and subscribe to it,

whatever else. Don't even pull the car over, folks. Opinions expressed by guests on the podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host or the Chris Foss show. Some guests of the show may be advertising on the podcast, but it's not an endorsement or review of any kind. Today, amazing, young lady on the show with us today. We're going to be talking about her passion. and her matchmaking businesses she's involved in in helping people be better and improve relationship dynamics.

Because, you know, I've seen a lot of your relationships and marriages out there, people. You need all the help you can get. That's why I'm still single. You guys, every time I get, you know, I should fall in love and get a wonderful woman in my life and all that stuff. I go hang out with you married folks. You guys ruin it every time. Anyway, I'm just teasing you, folks. You're not that bad.

Anyway, guys, we have on the show with us today, Leslie Wardman. And her company is called Ambience Matchmaking. We're going to get into it. And she has a passion for matchmaking that began with her keen interest in human behavior and relationship dynamics. She has a dedicated her career to building a boutique matchmaking firm that goes beyond algorithms, offering a highly personalized and hands-on approach for accomplished professionals across the U.S. internationally. Well, that leaves me out. Her work is...

You're not on the planet. I'm not accomplished, and I'm not highly educated or whatever. I flunk second grade. Her work has brought thousands of successful matches together and positioned ambious matchmaking as a leader in the history, particularly in the specialized matchmaking for South Asian professionals. She has pioneered bridging cultural gaps, ensuring that love and tradition harmoniously aligned in the matchmaking process.

Welcome to the show, Leslie. How are you? I'm doing well, thank you. And I know you are too. I'm trying if I can learn how to speak when I'm reading people's bios. So let's give us your dot com, so where can people find you on the interwebs. On the ounce matchmaking.com. So give us a 30,000 over you guys, what you're doing over there and party and all that stuff. We work with pretty much, I mean, I know we flaunt education and stuff, but

like some of our most successful clients like high school or college dropouts, you know, But, yeah, major Ivy Leaguers, typically top 3%. I mean, we started in a certain place and we've just kept raising the bar as we go. We've been very blessed. And I feel like the universe is kind of rolled at the red carpet, you know, to go in certain directions. But I've done coincidentally that number you threw out. I've interviewed more than 30,000 people in my career. And I look at that, like getting a PhD every year, considering like you ask them how,

they got to where they're going and how they got to launch this like amazing business monday interviewed a girl out of a northern california just she's like just like barely 40 and she just sold her dot com for like a you know just it's fun just how they got there and stuff so uh sometimes uh i mean i remember back when i was like in the music business and kind of like being envious of all these people that were so successful and uh just going how did they do it and always seemed like there was some luck involved and timing and all that. And I don't know. I feel very lucky and good with timing because we got in,

you know, like 25 years ago before the entourage, you know, and, oh, God, we were there before dating naps and when they, when they showed up on the scene and then especially a Patty Stanger, that show on Netflix. I hadn't seen it and everybody's like, you got to see this show. So a millionaire matchmaker.

Oh, oh. I think I remember seeing her. Wasn't she burn out? What was it called? Paddy's what? No, it was called Millionaire Matchmaker. Oh, Millionaire Matchmaker. Yeah.

Yeah, I think I remember that. I remember when Match.com came on the scene. I'm going to taking a girl out, and I learned you had to find the new girl who just joined Match or else you would get lost in all the DMs she would get. And what you would do, you'd have to be one of the first a mess. messenger as soon as she went on, try and get a date with her. And then there was a gal he took out, and she really liked me. We had a really amazing date. I mean, just to prove that it was amazing, there was a bit of making out going on there at the end. And so I was like, okay, she's

really into me, you know? And for some reason, I got her number. I don't know why. Because you made out. Well, I don't know why. It was, you know, I had masteredmatch.com. It's still new. And so I, the next day or two, I was like, hey, I think I want to ask her out then. And so I sent her a message on match. And I never heard back. I'm like a machine. So I go, okay, if I don't hear back, she's not interested, that's cool. Next.

And three or four months later, I heard back from her. And she goes, hey, man, I just saw your message. She goes, I'm sorry. I did have a great day with you. I want to go out with you again. And I'm like, well, what happened? you know and she's like Chris I'm getting 400 freaking messages a day your message just got fucking buried yeah and I realized the danger of of option overload at that point and you learn

that in sales you know if in sales I don't give people 10 options you give them to choose this or that if you get 10 options you'll and it really became apparent that was what was going on to that and even now is amazing you know what like you just i forgot about that tier because it's set to walk down memory lane but remember in our like green room chat i was talking about how for the first time in history the majority of the population are single and covid did not help that you know it's kind of made a distance and people even in in my very personalized company like people are traveling and you know, it can be a Root's Cube, but then that did a number on people because it started making dating seem like fast food or something. So the neurons got trained to just like

not take anything too seriously. Once in time, but for all that, you know, what ended up happening? Like you met somebody in the cheese section maybe of the grocery store and it was special, you know, and all that got taken away. And then you got to factor in. Also, we're at an awkward phase evolutionary wise because women are very much becoming so independent and excelling and like you know becoming engineers and all the kind of stuff you keep mispronouncing masculine what will prompt you to just start this business what was the final thing that made you go i'm sick of this and fixing it well it wasn't in like that at all actually i was coming out of the um i was coming out of an almost 20 year marriage and i was like just going oh my god i don't

know um what to do like i don't know how to be single it'll take me 10 lifetimes to learn how to be single because it was like we were always together you know your identity yeah it was insane 24 7 and then um i don't know i remember journaling and kind of meditating and maybe praying and then like two weeks later i was flipping through a magazine and i saw this article big article It was like lots of bling and it was talking about singles and I was like, what is this? And this is like 2000 and, yeah, I was like way back like, but a match launched in 98. And so then this was like the beginning of matchmaking in Western civilization. Of course, it's been around the Eastern culture and hence I work with South Asians.

It's, you know, just second nature. But I called them up because I was just like, you know, what is this, you know, this company that you have? I had no clue. And we just start talking. I'm friends with the girl still. And she's like, just come on down and talk to us. You know,

because we totally clicked. And I get down there. We're hanging out, having fun. And then I end up going home. And then the owner of the company called me. And we were chatting it up. And next thing,

you know, they hired me. I did not know they were even hiring, but they hired me out of like 350 people that had applied for this position that I was clueless about. And I was so happy because it was, right up my alley, you know, just networking and getting to the bottom of people and who they are

and stuff. So kind of hit the ground running and, you know, I've no looking back and ended up going independent. Of course, the company had some restructure and they wanted to keep me on, but I decided to go independent and started slowly. And I was actually a business partner with my daughter for the majority of that time, but she ended up going in another direction recently. She married a guy from Argentina and now she's helping him with his business and stuff. So anyway, yeah, my mom was a matchmaker too. So I got to like factor that in.

She wasn't like, you know, full throttle like I am. Oh, my gosh. You know, but no, she did some matchmaking in her days, you know, the hair salon and stuff like that. I rarely get a Gen Z clients. 30s is our target market. And honestly, the ones that we work with, they've been so busy getting their education on and their corporate game on.

And all of a sudden, they're like, you know what? It might be family time. And they haven't been out there doing that. How do you guys help singles navigate through your service and try and find, you know, potentially the love of the life or all that stuff? We got really busy during COVID. I know it did a number on people. And it was really weird seeing these like super busy executives just locked in their place

looking like they're, you know, wanting to jump out the window or something. It's pretty weird. But typically, yeah, this is always the way it is. Since I've been in a business so long, SEO shines on us. So we get leads constantly that just every day come into our computer and have a cool look at it to see if they look like what we call ambience material. Yeah, I mean, you know, they have to be wholesome. No, I would love to match you.

Are you kidding? You're like the target, the guy that's never been married and stuff. I would love to get you married and just to elaborate a little, like when you're raised. It's like getting programmed like the computer. So if you see a mom and dad navigate. gate through, you know, challenges or anything, and they do it in a wholesome way without throwing things. And, you know, you're going to pick up on that. And it's going to transfer. And I feel so bad for people that were raised in that family and they, like, want to save somebody. They fall for

somebody that is, you know, one-dimensional. They don't do the big dive before they decide to get into a marriage. And next thing, you know, they're coming home from a business trip and there's like a party. And, you know, like, you just got to be so careful. You know, there's so many layers to the biggest decision of your life. And I really enjoy taking people in and helping them navigate in that way. And I do factor in all those things. And it's unfortunate what's happened to civilization in this country with the family because the people we work with, they're typically from that. Would you call it ideal family? Yeah, the, I mean, nuclear family, I don't know. Yeah, yeah. But I got to say people from South

Asia, they're like, they so honor their mom and dad still, you know, they're just so family-oriented and they're so respectful. And typically the American families that we work with are as well. But out in the real world, my friends and, you know, I mean, it's a whole different story. And I don't know, it's a whole another show too. But yeah, it really helps. Like if somebody's been raised, I always ask, that's like the first thing, my secret song. Yeah, you and me. So how do you find wholesome people? I see in your website. You've got an application process, profiles, interviews, feedback, neat dates. Do you do any of that old VCR video recordings? You ever see those? Those are always fun to watch. You are so old school. So you line people up on these days. You try and find wholesome people.

How's that working out so far, I guess? Or give me some more data on what goes on when you find your organization. It's kind of supposed to be a show about that. No, that's okay. I mean, I'm glad. I feel like Yeah, no, I feel like it's been a nice chat, and I definitely gotten to know you better. But regarding that, back to my secret sauce and how important that is, out of all the marriages that we've gotten together, we've only had one or two divorces. Really? Wow. Yeah. So you get it really aligning people. What is the key to that?

Is it values alignment? That's huge because of all of that that we've just talked about and where they are in life. their energy and their values and like in the i do like a member of my business partner my daughter uh she's like what age category do you want to focus on the most and i said 30s and she's like why and i said because they've gotten their education they've gotten their you know corporate game on now they want to find somebody and they don't have the baggage and divorce and all that kind of stuff it just makes my selfishly my life easier not to say that i i love also working with divorcees because i know I'm going to help them keep them from kissing frogs and stuff, you know, try to help

them because it's like landing on another planet out there, you know, getting on Match.com after a divorce where one-fourth of the profiles are fraudulent, you know? It's like taking a walk in East LA after dark or something. It's scary. That's one of the features we have in my Facebook group. I filter hard for fake profiles. So we're like the only dating Facebook group that we filter hard for profiles. We also filter hard for married, Polly.

swingers, any of those people that aren't really singles. Yeah, everybody's got a perfect body. It's just ridiculous. Well, first of all, even though I'm from here in a fourth generation, my first office I opened was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Oh, there you go. Second office was Oklahoma City. Third office was Chicago.

Fourth office was the coast. I rolled up and down the coast, San Francisco, L.A., Orange County, and San Diego. And then we went to New York Times. There's crazy New York Times. did an article on us randomly. This is a thing, I'm telling you, it's weird, but that was right when COVID was just coming out.

And I was getting ready to move there and open our office, but it happened. So we got Miami now, New York City, Austin. And then Dubai and we're international. We've got voted on top 10, yeah. We've got voted top 10 in the world, matchmakers. That is awesome.

Are you guys in Dubai? There's a lot of money going on over there. Yeah, we're getting We just popped it up and now it's like, yeah, it's a lot of people and they're really beautiful and they're kind of like all these amazing women and yeah, it's incredible. More women are really applying. And you're talking about men and like the things that happen. When I first started doing this, like women would get really sentimental around the holidays like where we're coming into right now. But then slowly but surely, like it seems like the men are starting to exude their sentimental, you know, side and they seem to be coming to us more before.

holidays. It's kind of interesting. We're launching the podcast, free launching it. Tell us what the name is if you got it. Date smart. But I'm going to rename it. Date smart. Oh, date smart. Yeah. My daughter actually started it. I started the dating app. And now we've got like a million people on the waiting list. So that's going to be coming out shortly. Are you in China too? We do have not only South Asian, but East Asian. And we're getting ready to do the Jewish community as well.

I'm Jewish on my mom's side. I have a bunch of friends who do Jew date, I think it is, or Jew? Jay Date. Jay Date. That's it. I'm sorry, that's cute. You got to watch, nobody wants this. That show is so funny.

But, yeah, it's Jay Date. And a lot of people have gotten married on there. And Jewish men make my husbands. Yeah. Yeah. So tell us, it gives us a final pitch as we go out. All right. Well, on Beyondsmatchmaking.com.

And this story. I mean, you think our socials are on there and you can find all you know everything's there blogging i mean i don't really not big and self-promoting i kind of pay somebody to do that but uh there you go yeah here we are hire leslie and she'll help you find love and marriage or whatever you want love a lot of people are afraid of marriage these days only if they're starting families in their 30s but yeah a lot people just like a life partner you know yeah that's how i am yeah in fact i'm at the age where i'm like we're life partners but uh you keep your house and i'll keep mine oh like three to and

them. A lot of people say that. No, there's nothing wrong with that. A lot of people are saying that as well. Yeah. It's, you know, part of it is, is when you reach certain age, both men and women are so ingrained in their patterns. And, you know, women are nesters. And I don't put the toilet seat down because I'm going to. Oh, my gosh. No, just kidding. So, uh, you're like, we're never representing him. He's on the blacklist now. Anyway, great discussion. And, uh, I'm sure dating and everything will be fine from here and now. We solved all the problems.

Everyone's getting married after this show. We'd listen to him. Even if you're already married, you're going to get a second one. Don't adulterate our perfectly wholesome conversation. Now you know. We'll fix it. All right.

Well, thank you very much. Don't. No, you have no idea. He's sweet. Horrible. It's all right. You love it. You know you are.

Well, thank you very much for coming the show. We really appreciate it. My pleasure. Thanks for us for doing. you go to Goodyearance.com, Fortress,chast, Christvost, LinkedIn.com for Chess Grisvost. Chrisvost won the TikTok and all this crazy place. They don't. Be good at each other. Stay safe. We'll see you next time.