That was Rachel’s only rule for meeting her Match.com date, Alan Miegel back in 2005. 

“Our first date was a Red Sox game,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to be late, but I didn’t get cash for parking.” Once that minor crisis was solved, fate stepped in with its own plot twist: torrential rain. With 30,000 people trying to take cover from the downpour, Alan and Rachel took refuge under a shared umbrella for two hours, talking six inches away from each other. 

Date number two brought a different kind of emergency.

Alan received a disturbing phone call. “There’s a cricket in my apartment.” He “reassured” her, “You live in the middle of downtown Boston. That’s not a cricket.” He sprang into action, going to her apartment and saving the day. “I killed the bug,” he says. Romance, Boston-style.

That date led to two years of dating in Boston before they moved to Danville in 2010, where they lived for three years. After buying a home in Alamo, they purchased a home in Round Hill in September. Now their days are quieter with no ballgames, street noise, but with the occasional cricket. 

“I love how quiet it is,” says Alan. “The neighbors are super friendly.” Their daughter likes to pet neighbor’s dogs through the fence, Walter and Tucker. They also appreciate the warm welcome when they come into the neighborhood with friendly waves.

Recently, they finished work on their new house, completing the master closet and garage. “We’re putting in a pool this summer,” Alan says that news has been enthusiastically approved by Rachel and their two kids, Abby (9) and Jack (12).

Abby and Jack love sports of all sorts. “Abby loves basketball, softball, and golf,” says Alan. Jack also likes baseball and golf.” Abby also enjoys riding her bike, while Jack has graduated to an e-bike, which is lots of fun for him. 

This family of four also enjoys the constant companionship of their two dogs. Sammy, 16, is their senior Miniature Dachshund. He struggles with his eyesight and hearing but does love to sleep all day long! They also have Molly, a 6-year-old Miniature Dachshund. 

Between school, sports, and carpools, life is busy. “We don’t buy a lot of things,” Alan says. “We invest in experiences.” Recent family trips include London, with Dubai and Thailand coming up next. Those are the memories that stick. 

They are also diehard Patriots fans and were thrilled to cheer them on for this year’s Super Bowl.

When Alan isn’t shuttling kids or planning international vacations, he’s running BetterComp, a company he founded in 2019, originally out of the pool house at their previous home. Today, the home office doubles as company headquarters and a virtual Zoom background. Last July, BetterComp raised $33 million in Series A funding, with several Round Hill residents among its investors.

Built through the pandemic, the company now employs more than 100 people and helps organizations answer one critical question: “How much should we pay our employees?” Using data analysis and market insights, BetterComp helps companies strike the perfect balance. If you pay too little, you lose talent. Pay too much, you lose margin. 

“We help companies get it right,” Alan explains. Their client list includes major names like Accenture, Target, and Nvidia.

How did Alan decide to start his own business? After losing his mother to ALS (and being laid off seven months later), Alan took a bold leap that was inspired by his mother. “She always told me I had good ideas,” he says. “I started the company with funds she left behind.” 

Rachel brings her own expertise to the workforce, running the wellness program at AAA in Walnut Creek. She holds a master’s degree in health communication from Emerson College. Alan earned his economics degree from Charity College and his MBA from Northwestern. He’s been in the tech industry for 25 years now. 

When not working, Rachel is an avid tennis player, while Alan splits his free time between golf and tennis.

One fun fact about the Miguel family? “My grandfather on my mom’s side discovered plutonium,” says Eric. “He worked on the Manhattan Project.” Eric’s father was a doctor, and his mother was an artist. You could say that he has entrepreneurial roots.

The Miegels are living their best lives here in Round Hill. From Match.com to a match for life, the best love stories are unscripted. Torrential downpours, umbrellas, and annoying insects prove that sometimes the messy, unexpected moments are exactly what make life (and love) worth it.