An Entrepreneurial Heart

Christine Hart, BA Communications Studies, has had a number of successful business ventures.Christine Hart, BA Communications Studies '98, is not afraid of taking risks. She has launched a film and television casting agency, managed a speed-dating business, and is now a dating coach and communications consultant. It is safe to say that her daring and varied entrepreneurial path has been a successful one.

Two days after graduating, Christine packed her bags and moved to Toronto. While attending night courses at George Brown College, she recognized the need for a more stylized film and television casting facility in Toronto. She quickly decided to take over a 3000sqft. loft space and within a few months transformed it into a beautiful casting facility with a more theatrical approach. It soon became the most successful casting facility in the city, setting an industry standard for others to follow. Central Studios has been the host to many star actors, producers and directors and also doubled as an Art Gallery and event facility for Toronto artists.

After 3 years of operating her business full-time, she was approached by a buyer. Seeing it as a sign to try a new challenge, she sold Central Studies and moved back to her roots in Calgary. She was intrigued by all the changes her home-city was experiencing and wanted to be part of that growth. Besides, she really missed the mountains.

Once back in Calgary, Christine began researching the trend of speed-dating, which she was surprised to find had not yet surfaced in the city. Six Minute Dates was launched soon after, hosting fun events for singles and resulting in over 60 marriages through the service. She was co-founder, president, and CEO of the company from 2002-2007 before selling and moving on to her next venture--YourDateCoach Inc.

"My motivation to start YourDateCoach Inc. can really be traced back to my natural curiosity of how men and women communicate," explains Christine. "Through owning and operating Six Minutes Dates Inc. I had the opportunity to speak with thousands of singles. I have read every dating book under the sun. People started to ask to meet with me one-to-one and that is when I discovered there is an entire "Date Coaching" industry outside of Canada."

Christine has become quite the expert. She has written numerous articles on the topic of dating and is frequently called upon be the media to provide insight.

Her counsel is provided through one-on-one interaction with clients as well as group courses that she teaches. The coaching services range from helping a client re-write their online profile to pre-date advice. As Christine notes, "I have received excellent feedback and people have experienced some real breakthroughs from my coaching, so it is a very rewarding career."  

So what's next for this energetic and ambitious professional? Firstly, Christine plans to do a lot more public speaking on all sorts of topics in the Dating & Relationships field. She will also be finishing her first book, offering more coaching programs and weekend workshops, and pursuing opportunities as a communications consultant in both profit and non-profit industries.

She attributes her degree in Communications Studies as a starting point to her success, leaving her open to many different communications-related avenues. "I didn't feel pressure to enter one area of work so having this type of degree allowed me to explore a bit after I graduated. I've found it to be an excellent foundation for my entrepreneurial path." That, and a lot of heart.

By Chelsey Hiller
May 6, 2008