Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Soletti.
Hi Amber, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was single, living in NYC, and working in the beauty industry in marketing and product development for Aveda Corporation and all of the men at the company I was working at were either married or gay. I’d gone to a couple of singles events, but they were only based on age and—for the most part—seemed to bring out very socially awkward and unappealing singles. I was 5’10” and really wanted to date someone tall, someone with the same political and social views, etc. I quickly realized the bar for singles events was super low and got the idea to offer themed singles events based on people’s dating deal-breakers: physical preferences, professions, interests, hobbies, lifestyles, and more.
My original goal with the company was to subsidize my income and dating life. Fast-forward to today, and Intellectual Blonde offers themed events in multiple cities (Houston, Austin, and NYC), which have been the catalyst for countless relationships, marriages, first dates, and hookups. I actually met my husband and baby daddy through one of my own events. He’s 6’6,” and I met him at our “Size Matters” Speed Dating event in 2012.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a single, dating at my own events, and consistently remaining single posed its challenges. I’d have other participants ask me, “if you are attending all of these events and still not able to meet someone, what hope is there for me?” I’d tell them to always keep an open mind. You may be at a singles event, give the crowd a once over, not see anyone you’re initially attracted to, and completely shut off or even leave. In reality, you should be talking to everyone. Men and women. You never know who you are going to meet at an event. Could be your next BFF, roommate, employer, or maybe even the person that is going to introduce you to your match. Also, don’t give up or get discouraged. Different people come out for each event, and it truly is a numbers game. The more people you meet, the more likely you are to meet “the one.” It can seem overwhelming, but just remember timing is everything, and all it takes is one.
COVID was another huge obstacle. My husband and I both work in the event space, and pretty much overnight we lost both of our incomes as events were pretty much over indefinitely. That was a rough year and a half, almost two years, but I’m happy to say fast-forward to March 2023, and events are back and bigger than ever.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In addition to being a successful entrepreneur and branding/marketing expert, through my company Intellectual Blonde, I’m also a dating and relationship guru known for producing some of the hottest events in NY and Texas. “Rescue Me” Firefighter Singles Parties that have been a draw for the Real Housewives of New York, Mob Wives (Drita and Carla), as well as the True Divas, my team and I produce themed events that have led to countless marriages, relationships, first dates, hook-ups and more. Silent Disco parties, Rooftop Soirées, New Year’s Eve, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and everything in between, we’ve got you covered. My business and events have been featured by The New York Times, Howard Stern, Entertainment Tonight, Dateline NBC, CNN, and more.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My dad James Soletti is the one who encouraged me to move to NYC. Without his encouragement and push I may not have ever took the leap. Jonathan Liss launched my career in the beauty industry by landing me my first internship. Without him, I wouldn’t have even had the initial opportunity that led me to NYC. My first boss and mentor, Shane Wolf, taught me how to never create a “me too” brand or product. To always do something with a strong point of difference which is really what set my events apart from everything else on the market and led to all of the press attention. And my first business partner Carmine Di Re. Without him, I most likely would have never even gotten into the event space. I owe them all to helping me get to where I am today!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.IntellectualBlonde.com
- Instagram: @IntellectualBlondeEvents.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intellectualblondeevents/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/authwall?trk=gf&trkInfo=AQEUujNNvbb3vQAAAYa8uiBA4UMfu4-auCafK7vm6KAcz_P4pi4nD8Ki79pvUj9ORoyLeXC02Sb8hTLy2ZN11TrU5DpnDYFxTHHLX01Qq2R00MYM5zSbgb_bVR6vNRJQLzkUFDE=&original_referer=&sessionRedirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fintellectual-blonde-branding-%26-communications%3Ftrk%3Dprof-exp-company-name
Image Credits
Intellectual Blonde LLC
