42-year-old single woman was frustrated with dating apps—so came up with unique idea to find a match on her way to work
Finding the right partner might not be easy for everyone. At the same time, navigating dating apps and modern dating concepts could prove to be difficult as well. A 42-year-old woman had been looking for love, too. However, she was increasingly disappointed with dating apps and was ready to give up. The woman, Lisa Catalano, was creating a website, MarryLisa.com, for herself as a joke after all her struggles. But then she decided to launch it. Lisa also came up with an idea to promote her website on her daily commute, per PEOPLE.
The woman from the San Francisco Bay Area was using the website as a creative outlet at first. "Every time I would get frustrated with how the dating scene in general was, I would spend another five, 10 minutes just typing away on my computer, making the website, just kind of as a little creative outlet." But after a few months since Lisa started working on the site in June, she decided to launch it for real. The woman also realized that she would have to promote the website. Otherwise, there would be no point in making it. "I can have this website, but if nobody's looking at it, what good is it going to do? So I started thinking, 'Okay, well, how can I promote this?'" As Lisa hoped to find someone in the Bay Area, she came up with the idea that billboards would be the best way to promote the site.
She put up hoardings around the area with her face and her website URL on them. "I wanted something that was just very simple, to the point and a little bit eye-catching." Lisa then listed out things about herself: profile, non-negotiables and preferences, favorite things, the reason behind launching the website and more. Potential partners could fill out a simple application form on the site to be considered as a match for the woman. "I want somebody who is looking for a committed, monogamous relationship who would like to try for a family. I'm looking for someone who leads a healthy lifestyle." She ended up receiving around 1,800 applications through her website after going live on September 2, per the outlet.
On her website, Lisa shared that she focused on school and career throughout her 20s and early 30s. The woman was also engaged in her 30s after a long-term relationship. Unfortunately, her fiancé was terminally ill for four years before he passed away late in 2023. She wanted to find love again, but dating apps weren't really working for her. "I do think the apps can work, really, but in my case, I'm just not getting the results. It's a very strange process to try to get back into dating when you've been in a relationship for so long," she told the outlet.
People online have had mixed reactions to the woman's idea for finding love. "It's almost like a 50/50 split on this. People either love the idea or they hate it. They either think what I'm doing is incredible and inspiring and brave, or they think that I'm just the worst person on earth and there's no in between." She went on, "I never thought that I could actually be this strong in this type of situation. And for as much hate as I'm getting right now, I'm also getting a lot of love and a lot of encouragement and support and I'm so grateful for that."