In this episode of Founders Future, with host Zach Young, we’re joined by Michele Burghardt, certified matchmaker and founder of L&M Matchmaking, to explore her journey from decades in self-help, hypnotherapy, and coaching to building a highly personalized matchmaking service for singles later in life. After navigating divorce and dating in her 60s herself, Michele recognized a major gap in the dating world for men over 60 and women over 50—one that dating apps and surface-level connections simply weren’t designed to serve.

Michele shares how her St. Louis–based matchmaking process blends deep values alignment, lifestyle compatibility, and intentional coaching to help clients build meaningful, lasting relationships. The conversation dives into why chemistry often grows from compatibility, how fear and vulnerability shape dating later in life, and why having a trusted guide removes much of the emotional risk from the process. It’s an honest, thoughtful look at love, connection, and why it’s never too late to build something beautiful.