For 15 years, Connie Hewitson has been helping singles take a closer look at themselves before they start looking for someone else.

Hewitson is the founder of Lady Hitch, a dating and relationship consulting business she launched in 2011. Her approach goes beyond helping someone find a date. She works with clients on how they present themselves, what they are looking for in a relationship, where they might meet compatible people, and whether they are genuinely ready to start dating.

“I always say, are you physically, mentally, emotionally, and legally available?” Hewitson said.

Hewitson came to the business after working in the hotel industry. She had previously considered starting a dating service or an image consulting company and eventually realized she could combine elements of both into a business serving singles.

As part of her early research, Hewitson immersed herself in online dating, going on what she describes as 123 dates in 30 days. The experience gave her a firsthand look at dating profiles, expectations, and some of the challenges singles encounter when trying to meet someone new.

Her business was originally called Designing Lives. The Lady Hitch name came later at a networking event when Hewitson explained what she did and someone compared her to the professional dating consultant played by Will Smith in the movie Hitch.

“I said, ‘Yes, I’m Lady Hitch,’” Hewitson recalled.

Over the years, the business has evolved. Hewitson initially offered image and wardrobe consulting and spent about two years doing matchmaking. She eventually moved away from matchmaking and concentrated on coaching singles and helping them prepare to enter the dating world.

Her style is intentionally straightforward. Hewitson describes it as “no BS” and “no sugarcoating.” She is skeptical of dating programs that promise a particular list of techniques will produce the same results for everyone. “Certain things aren’t going to work on every single man,” Hewitson said.

Instead, she focuses on the individual. That can mean looking at how someone presents themselves, discussing what they want from a relationship, or identifying attitudes from previous relationships that could interfere with a new one.

“You can’t move forward into any relationship bringing all of your old thoughts,” she said.

Hewitson also helps clients with online dating profiles. She believes a good profile should do more than provide basic facts. It should give prospective dates some sense of the person behind the photograph.

She recalled working with a chiropractor whose profile contained plenty of information but little personality. Hewitson suggested adding humor with a line saying, “I’m a chiropractor, but don’t expect an adjustment on our first date.”

“I want the personality to come through,” Hewitson said.

Authenticity is particularly important in an online dating environment where Hewitson says outdated photographs, filters, and inaccurate ages can create problems before two people ever meet. She encourages clients to present a current and realistic version of themselves rather than creating an image they will have difficulty matching in person. “We all have great qualities about us,” Hewitson said. “We just need to enhance them. Bring them out.”

While dating apps are one avenue for meeting people, Hewitson also encourages clients to get away from their screens. One of the concepts she emphasizes is what she calls “strategic placement.” The idea is to think about the type of person someone hopes to meet and then spend time in places where that person might naturally be found. “Place yourself where you want to meet the type of person that you want to meet,” Hewitson said.

That also means choosing places that fit a person’s own lifestyle and interests. “You want to be in your element,” she said.

When Hewitson started Lady Hitch, much of her business was geared toward baby boomers. While that generation remains a natural market for her services, she said she now sees opportunities to work with younger clients as well, particularly people in their 30s who have established careers and lives but may need help determining what they want from dating.

Her philosophy is that clients do not need to reinvent themselves to become attractive to someone else. Instead, the job is to identify their existing strengths and learn how to communicate them.

After 15 years, Hewitson continues to bring that philosophy to Lady Hitch, combining dating advice, image consulting concepts, and practical coaching with a direct style that avoids promises of a magic formula for finding a relationship.

For singles trying to navigate dating apps, changing expectations, and the challenge of meeting people in person, Hewitson’s advice comes back to preparation, authenticity, and putting yourself in the right places to make a connection.