Co-Chief Happiness Partner/CEO
Greater Los Angeles Area
- Current
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- Chief Happiness Officer/CEO at Happier Couples
- Executive Producer at UV Entertainment
- Past
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- Partner at Richards & Ullman
- President at Greater Relations Worldwide
- President at Internet Hollyworlds
- Founder/CEO at Great Expectations (video dating)
- Education
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- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Southern California
- Recommended
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9 people have recommended Jeff - Connections
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124
connections
- Industry
- Online Media
- Websites
Jeff Ullman’s Summary
First half of my adult work life: Help singles in search of a life partner, co-created & exec produce 3 television shows; author two books; raise million$ for charities; co-create & manage numerous online ventures.
Now....it's conventional to look for a mate online. But...back in 1975? Then, it seemed to some that people who joined Great Expectations video dating, were thought by some others as romantically-challenged (In other words: Do not touch them with a 10-foot pole.) We were the pioneers of new courtship rituals; the ones who placed a greater priority on actually living life with the one we loved. We were okay with letting others complain about their frustration with spending too many personal resources looking for the right person. The silly logic of the frustrated was: "No one of quality who sincerely desires a quality relationship would meet THAT way," Oh yeah? Tell that to the 50,000 couples who met & married through my several creations: Great Expectations and Greater Relations Worldwide; Co-creator: Love Connections (12 seasons) and Taildaters (4 seasons); Author (The Singles Almanac; 12 Secrets for Helping Find Love & Commitment; The Workaholic's Lost Love Life).
I was honored to work with fine co-workers, franchisees, and vendors who helped make so many peoples' lives so romantically enriched.
Transitional portion of my adult work life: Many dot com (and some dot.gone) companies.
1. Design and develop glamorous Hollywood, CA residences updated from Hollywood's Golden Years, with 21st Century style and technology.
2. Help couples stay happily in love: www.HappierCouples.com (3Q 09); and
3. Co-Creator and Co-Executive Producer of even more television game and reality lifestyle shows.
In a summary: In the 20th Century I helped more singles meet and marry than anyone. In the 21st Century with my Co-Chief Happiness Officer wife, will help more couples live happier ever after...
Jeff Ullman’s Specialties:
Direct marketing
Public relations
Viral marketing
Raising money
Direct marketing and sales
Franchising
Writing (written 3 books)
Public speaking (100s of TV and radio shows)
Charitable fundraiser
Crisis management
Network marketing
Jeff Ullman’s Experience
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Chief Happiness Officer/CEO
Happier Couples
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
2008 — Present (1 year )
HappierCouples
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Executive Producer
UV Entertainment
(Media Production industry)
January 1995 — Present (14 years 11 months)
Create and produce reality television programs ('Love Connection', 'Taildaters', and others in development at networks). "Ghost" EP-ed three other network shows.
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Partner
Richards & Ullman
(Real Estate industry)
March 2006 — May 2008 (2 years 3 months)
The only 'good' thing to come from this entrepreneurial venture was the brutal lesson that comes from trusting a partner with ulterior motives, and not trusting my or my wife's instincts. While I have thick skin, the toll upon my family has been horrific. Let's just say that, on our way to developing a social networking website, my partner misrepresented facts. Instead of helping others better their lives, this partner bettered hers and her family. How I ended up pouring money into real estate is no longer a mystery. Fortunately, other investments that I had carefully conceived and nurtured, offset a chunk of losses. (Making lemonade out of lemons.)
I continue to mentor young entrepreneurs with an eye to blue sky profits; the brain to cooperate; muscles to slave away; and heart to help others. My requirements include that they have no intention of settling for anything less than doing (financially) well by doing (societaly) good...and, the right thing. -
President
Greater Relations Worldwide
(Individual & Family Services industry)
2000 — 2003 (3 years )
Right idea: wrong time in the development of the Internet. This was the first offline/online business to marry the two vastly different business models.
Let's just say that my original $250,000 investment was increased to over $3,000,000 because I did not want my original investors to see their trust in me go unrequited. I wanted to succeed more because of their belief in me, than for my own net worth.
However, the forces of being "neither fish nor foul" during the transition years of free online dating (look and meet for free) to paid subscriptions (people still lie . . . .a lot, but still meet . . . a lot), caused our innovative services to turn out differently than expected.
We paid all bills, satisfied all contracts, and lived to fight another day.
My opinion of entrepreneurs and corporate types: If you have not given your all AND failed, you do not yet know the true meaning of insight. And, you do not genuinely know who your real friends are.... -
President
Internet Hollyworlds
(Marketing and Advertising industry)
1997 — 1998 (1 year )
Investor and interim-president of leading edge online marketing company that specialized in creating VRML (faux 3D) entertainment games for motion picture studios and Fortune 100 companies. Won multiple industry awards. Successful exit by selling to outside investors led by founder.
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Founder/CEO
Great Expectations (video dating)
(Consumer Services industry)
December 1975 — January 1997 (21 years 2 months)
Created, served as CEO, and primary international media spokesperson for 'Great Expectations', which we built into the world's largest introduction service for singles (aka, 'video dating'). We were the 'King Kong of Dating' BEFORE online dating took off...actually, I sold the company at the top of the market to Advanta (Nasdaq: ADVNA) who mis-managed it so badlly that they gave it back to the franchisees (probably a $100M loss in operating and initial capital). A sad case of 'Corporate America' totally misunderstanding 'Entrepreneurial America'. To this date, the franchisees thank Advanta for being such terrible managers...why? Because these men and women got richer.
Jeff Ullman’s Education
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University of California, Berkeley
AB , Journalism , 1971 — 1972
Created Free Speech Messages (controversial PSAs) which were the first in the country. Co-created public access television stations throughout the country.
- Activities and Societies:
- More continuation from my USC days.
I went to Cal to test my personal integrity: Was in 'The Movement' for ego...OR....because I genuinely meant what I espoused?
I learned it was the latter.
'nuff said on this.
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University of Southern California
Urban Studies/Journalism 1968 — 1971
- Activities and Societies:
- President of my fraternity and president of all sophomores. What a great time to be alive! I helped create many cultural, political, media, and community groups; many which are robust today. Each tried to fix a problem(s). My strategy: strategize, create, organize, launch, build, and implement; then let other people change the organization with new times.
Additional Information
Jeff Ullman’s Websites:
Jeff Ullman’s Interests:
People with something provoking and provocative to communicate, and the integrity and skills to put it into action. Want a gratuitous, meaningLESS compliment? Seek it elsewhere. Want an honest OPINION? Ask. But always, let's be kind and look for the best in one another... Beyond that: riding horses, running marathons, playing with the corks from my delicious wine, breaking big, hard blocks of dark chocolate with any heavy instrument, sneaking into a second movie with my wife after paying full-price for the first and buying some stranger anything they want at the snack counter, flipping through my collection of old photos and remembering, smiling and talking with complete strangers, engaging life, trying hard to understand why anyone believes so resolutely in logic, science and proof in their world, yet joyously and completely gives up all of their thinking and deductive processes to belive in a personal god who has feelings of concern for what they do...
Jeff Ullman’s Groups:
Why would I join a group who would have me?
(Okay, Young Presidents Organization [YPO], World Presidents Organization [WPO], Water Buffalo Club (men's charity group), countless community groups).
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M2W - Marketing to Women
Jeff Ullman’s Honors:
My family is my greatest honor, award and reward.
Jeff Ullman’s Contact Settings
Interested In:
- new ventures
- expertise requests
- business deals
- reference requests
- getting back in touch
