I quit finance at 54 to go full-time with my matchmaking side hustle. I love having a career where being older is an asset.

Cassindy Chao now works as a full-time matchmaker.

Courtesy of Cassindy Chao

• Cassindy Chao worked in finance, including at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, but felt she never thrived.
• She started matchmaking as a side hustle while working in corporate restructuring.
• Chao finds that her age and life experience are valuable assets in the matchmaking industry.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cassindy Chao, 57, a matchmaker based in the Bay Area.