Lori Cheek is the founder Cheek’d, an online dating service that combines a human encounter with online courting. The original purpose for Cheek’d was to reverse engineer the online dating experience by establishing a personal connection before committing to an online courtship.
The concept behind the Cheek’d site is to break the ice when meeting someone you might be interested in dating. The Cheek’d card offers a light-hearted pickup line and a link to your online profile. If interested, you can contact the recipient using the Cheek’d website.
I earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Kentucky. In 2008, I founded Cheek’d. In addition, I was working for some furniture-related organization, eventually promoted to a senior account manager position. I am still the company’s CEO until this day. In addition, I have a personal website, from which I let people talk about engagements.
One evening, I had the notion when we went out with a friend. He wrote something on the back of his business card before giving it to an attractive woman, “is there anything you want for dinner?”. Social media was in its infancy when online profiles started to become popular.
I invested $120,000 of my own money to start the business, expressing my belief that my friends’ method of online dating profiles could be successful. Most of the funds went towards marketing and designing business cards. I gained subscribers from almost every state in the United States and 28 other countries in only three years. There were 4,500 members who were active, and only 1,125 were paying members consistently.
As a result, I earned only $56,000 over three years from my monthly membership. I ran the business full-time, and I could barely afford a bed. This was because of the business’s constant oversight across multiple time zones. I had the need for an investor to assist me in resolving technical challenges with the website and injecting more needed funds to scale.
I also faced a lawsuit over the rights to the card concept, which I eventually won. Since that time, Cheek’d rebranded to Cheekd and launched an app to replace the old cheek’d cards. By the use of cross-platform low-energy Bluetooth technologies, cheekd supports hyperlocal interaction.
The program brings people together in real-time rather than virtual time. The innovative Bluetooth technologies of cheekd ensure that you will ‘Never Miss a Connection.’ You will be notified by your device if someone within 30 feet of you is matching your criteria.
I went to the Shark Tank show seeking a $100,000 investment in exchange for 10% stake in cheeks. I gave each shark a unique Cheekd card. Some sharks liked the business but did not want to invest in it. I left the show without securing a deal.
To a young Lori Cheek, there is no book or business plan that can really prepare you for starting and making a business. The faster you get in the trenches and start learning the real lessons a business will teach you. By doing so, you will be on your way to success.
Within 72 hours of my episode being aired, the company’s website had over 100,000 hits. Most of the visitors left email addresses, and about half of those emails came from prospective investors. Cheekd is still doing exceptionally well for itself since I have hired a Chief Technology Officer. To add to that, I published my low-energy Bluetooth solution. The Cheekd app puts a big focus on safety for its users. It provides four plans: six months at $40, three months at $25, and one month at $10.
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