Prime Match - with All the Details!

Welcome to PRIME MATCH

Wow!  You look great!  What an impressive presence! 

I am an older athlete, too.

I am CREATING something new, so I am reaching out to folks who might have a similar mindset, to help initiate and create it.  I am looking for FOUNDERS. 

And, in your case, to also possibly participate in the event later on.

PRIME MATCH:

·      Is a week-long curated, immersive, in-person experience for older (57yo-72yo) highly-achieved athletic singles, centered around kindness and authenticity for the purpose of finding partnership. 

·      It consists of creative and engaging activities, workshops, meals, meals with a twist, conversations, collaborative projects,  and playful social experiments that reveal personality, values, emotional style, creativity, leadership, humor, generosity, resilience, communication patterns, relationship patterns and compatibility in real world contexts. 

·      The curated experiences of the first 5 days focus primarily on romantic partner potential.

·      The curated experiences of the last 2 days expand outward into other forms of meaningful partnership and connection, potentially including, but not limited to:

o    training buddies,

o    accountability partners,

o    dance partners,

o    travel partners,

o    theater and music event friends,

o    retreat co-hosts,

o    community builders,

o    art/hobby/craft/building partners, co-creators, performers, and artistic collaborators of all kinds,

o    writing buddies,

o    song-writing buddies,

o    new music band members,

o    new theater collaborating-builders,

o    business partnerships,

o    business bartering,

o    Y Combinator teams, and

o    simply new friends who like talking together and doing things together!  

·      The central idea is simple: people discover compatibility more accurately through in-person, shared lived experience than through profiles, first-date “interviews”, or elimination-style dating formats.  Prime Match is intentionally designed to feel radically different from current reality TV dating culture. No public rejection.  No humiliating exits.  No “you lost”.  No cattiness as entertainment.  The emphasis, for Prime Match, is dignity, vitality, curiosity, agency, consent, warmth, authentic communications and having fun! 

·      Prime Match is not-for-profit so

o   it is inexpensive, so it is very accessible for people to participate in.

o   I don’t need to hold any information back. Spreading the word and helping others to do something similar is one of the central goals.  I don’t need to hold information for ransom.

Let’s develop this!!

·      I am looking for FOUNDERS – builders who see potential and want to help develop the vision.

·      Prime Match FOUNDERS can be:  Builders, creatives, planners, brainstormers, videographers, lawyers, tech experts, social media experts, kind-teachers-of-tech-to-oldsters, visionaries, office/business/data organizers, and anyone who feels that helping to give birth to this idea will be a significant part of their life’s meaningful work. 

·      Let me know if you have an interest in potentially being a FOUNDER or feel free to share this message to anyone who you think might be interested in being a FOUNDER.  If you are interested but are not able to make this commitment at this time, I am still interested in hearing from you.  Let me know if you have any ideas which you think would fit with this mission and goal.  All brainstorming is welcome. And let me know the part of your story, relevant to this project, that you are motivated to share. 

·      The first CALL TO ACTION, is an initial FOUNDERS meeting in Bethesda Maryland, (which is a suburb north of Washington DC), for several days of in-person planning.  One of the core values of Prime Match is coming together, in-person, and not remotely.  I want this value to start from the beginning, with the first Founder’s Meetings being in person.  (Being realistic, there will be a lot of remote communication, in general, over time, but I think that the spirit of Prime Match being “live” is important to implement, when possible, especially in the beginning.)

I can’t do this alone. I can dream of it alone. I can write out my ideas alone and even write this letter alone. But in order to make it three-dimensionally manifest, in person, in this world, I need to have a group of FOUNDERS who can all get together in-person, and figure out the details and logistics necessary to make it work in a way that it can become successful beyond our imagining.

Finding people who are interested in creating this with me, and organizing us into a functioning FOUNDER’s group is my first call to action. This group does not have to be athletic. They do not have to be “old”. They can be anyone who wants to volunteer their time and skills and effort to make this project work and enrich the lives of people now, and in generations to come. I think that the sweet spot number would be somewhere between 6 and 10 FOUNDERS. And I think that the timing for this should be as soon as possible.

TO DO at the Founders Meeting:

·      The list of things to figure out and decide is huge! Details to come later.

·      A key first step is to create a first draft of the Basic Foundational Principles (BFP) of Prime Match (PM).  Two of these BFP’s will be kindness and no substance use.  Kindness must always be at the center of these principles.  Another foundation for the week of the actual event is no substance use during any of the official activities or the locations of any of the official activities.  No alcohol, smoking, pot, or recreational drugs of any kinds.  The hard work of putting this together deserves the full engagement of the participants.  There are no restrictions outside of the curated activities. Let’s start there, with kindness and clarity, and build a revolutionary new way for likeminded people to meet others.

·      I think that it would be valuable for us to engage in some of the participant activities, as our own Beta group, to see what does and does not work. What I have developed the most, so far, are scheduling and activity possibilities – my ideas are extensive.  Earlier, when I was the mom to much younger children, I was dubbed the “Fun Captain”!  I am good at gathering people for fun, connection, and participatory engaging activities!  Now, let’s do it now with a very different demographic, with a very different goal. ☺️

·      I have completed a draft of the Application Form for future participants.  It is very long and extensive. I want only high-quality people involved in this.  Given how few participants we can accommodate for each one-week event, and how high the interest is in other dating shows (10’s of thousands for each season, of many of the shows) I think that we can be discerning and vet for an extremely high-quality level of participants.  That application document can be and should be edited by all Founders, as all decisions should be discussed with the Founders.

How I Came to Reach Out to You:

The qualities for a great Prime Match FOUNDER are quite invisible online, so the best that I can figure out about how to connect people who, might potentially, be interested in being a FOUNDER and developing this idea, is to see who, online, is living the life of a bold, joyful, older athlete who is doing a great job of keeping their body strong and vital!

I got online and there you were! 

An athletic manifestation is often connected with a mind and spirit which are also still strong and vital, and who have the capacity to contribute!  Welcome.  🙂

And a person with strong and vital body/mind/spirit also often have friends and gym mates who are of a like personhood – please share this with anyone who you think might be interested in becoming a FOUNDER and is available SOON.  OR anyone who might be interested in being a PARTICIPANT,  LATER on when the actual event happens!

PARTICIPANTS:

·      Single and sincerely looking for a life partner

·      Highly athletically achieved, with a healthy lifestyle

·      Age: 57 to 72.

·      An equal number of men and women.  Minimum: 6 men and 6 women.  Maximum: 12 men and 12 women.  12 to 24 participants, in total, for each event.  (We will keep a waitlist in case any of the accepted participants become unable to attend or unexpectedly need to leave before the end of the week.  However, we will also have plans ready to also be able to run all planned activities with fewer people and also with an uneven number of men and women.)

·      The participants fill out an extensive application form and a committee of FOUNDERS (and perhaps other helpers, as needed) will select the men and women most appropriate for this event and they will be sent formal invitations.  Those invited, will have a given amount of time to accept and confirm their invitation.  Invitations will continue to be sent until the desired number of participants are confirmed, with several people on a waitlist. 

EVENT:

·      A week-long curated and videoed event. (The details of which will be figured out in the Founder’s meeting.)

·      MAIN ACTIVITY SCHEDULING:  In general, there are special curated activities throughout each of the 7 days that we are together – Sunday afternoon through Saturday afternoon.  The week includes a wide variety of thoughtfully created group activities.  Some special activities will occur during each of the meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), with the main activities being outside of the meals  (before breakfast, between meals, and after dinner.)   The first 5 days of activities have a focus on romantic connections, and the final 2 days opens up to connections of all kinds. 

·      DAYS 1-5

§  Activities which help to reveal your authentic selves, personality, life goals, desires and interests, as potential romantic connections are explored.

·      DAYS 6-7

§  The activities of the final 2 days are then focused on exploring a wide myriad of other life-enriching connections such as potential:

o    training buddies,

o    accountability partners,

o    dance partners,

o    travel partners,

o    adventure companions,

o    retreat co-hosts,

o    community builders,

o    art/hobby/craft/building partners, co-creators, performers, and artistic collaborators of all kinds,

o    writing collaborators, partners and mutual editors

o    song-writing buddies,

o    new music band members,

o    business partnerships,

o    business bartering,

o    Y Combinator teams, and

o    simply new friends who like talking together and doing things together!  

·      EACH MEAL: In addition to making sure that our meals are good, there will be a special non-food aspect of each meal designed to help people to get to know each other better and thus more likely to connect. For some of the meals, overt games or challenges will be involved.  For other meals, people will naturally show some of their lifestyle choices given the nature of the meal.  One example might be a meal that has a very wide variety of buffet options, including some highly unusual foods, in addition to the usual offerings.   We create a multitude of easy opportunities for participants to see unusual and real things in each other, and get curious about each other!  Most meals will likely be in a home, but some may be at a unique restaurant (a restaurant with a vision and in which we can craft some of our goal and vision), or at a farmers’ market, or any number of other possibilities where we can experience something vital.  Like all activities, participants can also opt out of meals as well, and, like all activities, watching is one form of full participation. 

·      BETWEEN MEALS: Each time period between the meals, and before breakfast and after dinner, are our MAIN activity times of curated experiences in which we show up authentically

o   engaging our competencies, capacities, skills,

o   expressing our personalities, and

o   learning about each other.

·      There is always free choice to opt out of any activity or any part of any activity for any reason – it is great to be an adult!  (But there is a motivation to participate as much as possible because the rewards can be life-changing!)

WHAT MAKES PRIME MATCH NEW AND SPECIAL:

·      Low cost – this is non-profit-driven project.  The goal is to create Prime Match to be self-sustaining, and accessible to the largest possible audience.  The costs are simply the normal costs of being away from home and traveling. Ultimately, there will also need to be some sliding scale suggested donations to cover the costs of the host and the planners/creators, in order to make it sustainable.

·      Video Vision – not profit-driven, but rather to share the power and delight of this new way that people are connecting with each other, as well to show an example of vital older people who are engaging dynamically in life, as a model and inspiration for others.

·      DEEP Activities – Immersive shared experiences designed to engage our authenticity and to get to know each of our more real selves.

·      NO “’cuts” or “eliminations” – all participants are there for the entire week.  (FOUNDERS can discuss what to do when a person drops out before the end.  I propose inviting a new person from the waiting list as long as there is enough time left for them to come into the culture.  Perhaps with at least 4 days remaining or even just with 3 days remaining.)

·      Kindness – is the cornerstone of the Basic Foundational Principles (BFP) of Prime Match (PM).

·      NO alcohol, drugs or smoking during the event week – when engaged with the program.

·      NO sex during event week.  – no sex with outside partners (this is by its nature a singles event), and no sex with a fellow participant (please engage in the event fully, to the end, before partnering-up.)

PM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OLDER ATHLETES and then FOR OTHERS:

·      Prime Match (PM) has the potential to become a new social norm for older single athletes, and beyond.  It can be applicable to a wide variety of people, as well.

·      It is respectful and kind – in its core principles.

·      It requires absolute minimal cost for both hosts and participants – it is not a profit-driven project.

·      It has the potential to greatly lower one of the most significant problems in our modern disjointed society – loneliness.

·      I am starting with older significantly achieved athletes because older people are among the loneliest.  And older athletes still have the physical capacity to do something very active about it, given the right tool – and I believe that Prime Match can be the right tool for many. 

PM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND, AND TRANSFORM THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ANY WHO WANT TO DEVELOP IT, IN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR NICHE:

·      It has the potential to expand well beyond older athletically-achieved singles.

·      To operate under the Prime Match name, the basic principles must stay intact, even as it is applied to a wide variety of participant groups.   In order to use the Prime Match name, kindness must be a core principle of the event.  Outside events must comply with the full list of Prime Match characteristics, defined by The Prime Match Manifesto AKA the Basic Foundational Principles (BFP) – to be run as a Prime Match event, under the Prime Match label.

·      The Prime Match Manifesto AKA the Basic Foundational Principles (BFP) will be created in 2026 by the group of FOUNDERS, and can be updated as needs arise.  What defines a Prime Match event will be crafted by the FOUNDERS. 

·      I envision a free exchange of ideas as more people become involved in the development and expansion of Prime Match.  That is possible because of the non-profit nature of Prime Match and the format of it which is inherently low cost.  I don’t have to worry about someone “stealing” my ideas – sharing and spreading ideas is the point!  I want this idea to become widely used and engaged.  Please, do “steal” my ideas and enrich your lives – which will in turn enrich our society.  I envision sharing programs, communications, and educational pieces which will help teach and guide others to be leaders and hosts - in a free and freely distributed exchange of experiences, that we can use to learn from each other.   This training of hosts can be done either in person or online, but the primary format, of an actual Prime Match event, is exclusively, and will always be, in-person for the participants. More in-person activities is what many people need more of in our modern life.

AMANDA’S PRIME MATCH IS LOW COST and NOT-FOR-PROFIT:

·      I have had the experience many times of getting promised information online – that free seminar – that free protocol – and it never actually comes.  That is because they cannot give anything of real value, for free, because they are selling something.  All that I have envisioned, learned, and developed, WILL ABSOLUTELY be shared.  It will be more than just promised; it will be given. Just pop on FaceBook and other places where we come to post on social media, and Prime Match information will be able to be found on your timeframe.  Because Prime Match is NOT driven by a profit motive.  Now, in this time of my life – that of an older person – I am looking to engage what I have learned into creations of meaningful work.  We all need meaningful work in our lives and this is part of mine.  It warms me to think that my meaningful work just might enhance the lives of others as well – with this in mind I am extremely interested in making this happen!!  The more affordable it is to do, the more I will be able to enhance other’s lives with my ideas – my ideas which came from living intently into my life!

·      HOW can it be inherently low cost? The participants and founders are paying their own way.  Logistically, this shares some features of an expanded pop-up event as well as some features of a wedding event.
Analogy: there is no significant expense with hosting a pop-up event. Hosting a pop-up event involves an idea and communicating it.  For example, the communication might be to meet in front of the Lincoln Memorial at 2pm on a particular Tuesday, ready to dance the Macarena.  200 people come and dance and then disperse.  Prime Match is similar to that, but a very expanded and more complex and curated version of that.  The Prime Match idea is that of a week of people gathered together for a purpose. The procedure involves a long intake form and then invitations to the people who are invited for the week.  Folks come and spend the week together engaged in the programs and then disperse.  They provide for their own transportation, lodging and some of their own food. The events are generally a combination of self-paid (a meal out, a climbing wall event, the theatre out) and home-spun (a conscious communications workshop, a nature walk, a craft, a movie in) and a combination of self-paid then home-spun (the thrift store/fashion show event, a sub-group getting groceries then hosting a meal for the entire group). 

I am eager for gatherings which are deep, authentic, and playful.  I am not finding this, in general, around me.  So, I am creating a format to create this. 

Prime Match is a connection revolution ready to be born. Become a FOUNDER and help shape the philosophical and cultural foundations of this movement. 

Please consider joining me as a Prime Match FOUNDER this Fall of 2026, and then possibly as Prime Match participant this coming Winter/Spring.  Share this information with anyone you think might be interested and might be a good match.

Amanda Buxbaum, MS, CNS, LDN
Founder, Prime Match
Licensed Nutritionist • Natural OCB Pro Bodybuilder • Builder of Human-Centered Experiences

buxbaumfive@gmail.com

301-943-6952

I earned my OCB pro card in Women’s Physique, in the open age division, in my first show ever (The Conquer in Baltimore May of 2024), at age 63, 10 months after joining a gym.  I was one of seven bodybuilders on the poster advertising that event for the following year, 2025.

We can do this.  We can live a good life.  Together.  Supporting each other.  We have a lot to share!

PS.  I was just advised for it to be a Facebook GROUP, rather than a page, in order to keep it a private group.  I will do that.  I could also use some guidance on how to run a Facebook Group!  Thanks!!

PSS.  It was such a long time between my first though of this and now, that a company is now using the name Prime Match for their dating services.  What I am developing is separate from this and completely different in its nature.  An additional task of the first Founders’s meeting is to come up with a new name. 

PSSS.  A note relative to all Founders meetings and all Prime Match events:  To honor the purpose of these gatherings, we ask everyone to keep the focus on the shared experience of creating a new Prime Match , rather than on your individual professional work or offerings – nothing, please, beyond your named niche (professional, athletic or personal), along with your name and interest in Prime Match, during our introductions. Afterwards, during informal mingling, you’re welcome to share more about yourself and your professional offerings.