Meet Gina Parrish | Content Creator & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gina Parrish and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gina, what principle do you value most?
One thing that has always been at the core of Make a Date of It is authenticity. We’re not relationship experts. We’re not marriage counselors. We just want to have fun in our own relationship and grow together as a couple–and we want to help other couples do the same. It can be difficult to find a balance, though, especially on our website and on social media, in what to share and what not to share. We post photos of us having fun together and ideas for how other couples can have fun together too. That doesn’t mean our lives are perfect or that we have the perfect relationship. At the same time, we don’t feel obligated to share our nitty-gritty life details with strangers. Authenticity has its challenges, but we strive to be realistic and remain focused on our message to get out and have fun with the person you love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
A few years ago my husband and I started Make a Date of It (makeadateofit.com), a website that helps couples find new date ideas. Since then we’ve expanded to add both travel and gift ideas for couples.

A few things set us apart from other similar sites. First, we have content for both men and women, and most of the time it’s neutral. Most other dating sites target only women and use lots of cutesy images and language, which sends the message that it’s up to women to maintain healthy relationships. We believe that relationships work two ways and that both men and women could use more resources to plan date nights or weekend getaways.

When we first got started, there was a steep learning curve. There are so many elements to starting a business. Between obtaining the proper licenses and registrations, designing the website, logo, and branded content, getting people to the website, and actually monetizing the website to make money, it took us a long time and a lot of effort.

But one thing we’ve learned is that these things take time and patience. As long as you like what you’re creating, and think others will benefit from it too, it’s worth the effort.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Matthew and I live near Vail, CO, so there’s no end of fun things to do at almost any time of year. We particularly enjoy spending time outdoors, so we would recommend skiing or snowshoeing in the winter and spring. If you came in the summer or fall, we’d recommend biking or hiking up on the mountain instead. There are a ton of farmer’s markets, concerts, and festivals throughout the year, many of them free to attend, so next we would tell you to check the schedule of local events. Other fun things to do would be to tour the alpine gardens, play in the creek, or take a scenic drive to a historic mountain town like Minturn, Red Cliff, or Leadville.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I could not have done any of this without my husband, Matthew. He has always been supportive and willing to get out and try new things with me.

Website: makeadateofit.com

Instagram: instagram.com/makeadateofit

Facebook: facebook.com/makeadateofit