Online dating sucks, it just really sucks. The Online Dating Laid Bear podcast follows the dating life of Brown Bear (BB), a short, 30-something trying to meet someone in today's Tinder world. Find out about Brown Bear's experiences in the dating game having never really embraced it before.
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In episode 4 I speak with Taly the brains behind Blink Date, a virtual blind speed dating app inspired by an experience at a blackout restaurant. We discuss the importance of people making connections with each other based on conversation that is free of looks-driven assumptions, which was the inspiration behind Blink Date as it sparked the thought of whether or not people would date a wider variety of people if they were able to make an emotional connection with someone before swiping left.
In episode 3 I speak with Charly Lester one of the world's leading dating industry experts. Her first business, The Dating Awards, is an international set of industry awards for online dating and matchmaking companies. Charly co-founded ‘Lumen‘, the dating app for over 50s and the fastest growing dating app in the world in 2019. She is the former Dating Editor for the Guardian and has appeared on BBC Newsnight. In 2015 she was an expert advisor to Lord Sugar in the final of The Apprentice.
In episode 2 I speak to Anika Lad otherwise known as Date Masi a young, vibrant, Event Management professional who wants to help you meet new people through fun, casual, activity-based singles events. The events are open to single Hindu & Sikh professionals in the UK wanting to meet new people for love or friendship. Date Masi's events are designed around fun interactive games and activities that will help you forget you're at a singles event.
In season 11, episode 1 I speak with Jeff Tinsley who has been building internet companies since the mid 90s. He is currently the CEO of RealMe, a company looking to protect and make people safer while they date online by giving members access to additional information with Reputation Profiles ultimately creating the first ever truly transparent dating experience. If people have more information about those they engage with then daters will be able to make smarter, more informed decisions.
Dear Delightful Dater, In episode 10 I speak with one of the co-founders of Box42, a company that creates date night boxes that can be ordered straight to your door. They create all manner of themed boxes with all sorts of goodies and games inside to keep you entertained for a full evening, and they’ve got all sorts of innovations and creations coming out all the time, it’s a really great inspiring story. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Loveable Love Is Blinders, In episode 9 I speak with the lovely and delightful Dina, one of the hosts of The LovePod, a dating, relationship, sex and reality TV podcast, where she interviews your favourite reality TV stars from Love is Blind, The Circle and more. If you are a fan of reality TV dating shows you don’t want miss this! Love Brown Bear x
Dear Magnificent Millennials, In episode 8 I chat with Naomi, author of The Millennial Dating Diaries, a really fun blog and worth a read particularly for any single millennials out there. As a single working woman in her late 20s, she has experienced all the ups and downs that come with modern day dating, which she’s more than happy to share with us. Strap yourself in for this one! Love Brown Bear x
Dear New Year Newbies, In episode 7 I speak with Anna and Rachael, the creators of Voicebar, an app that makes it easier to meet people by humanizing 21st century dating. The app does this by putting you in touch with a real person for a real conversation. They are able to learn what type of people you like better than any other dating app, because users give feedback after talking to their matches. Love Brown Bear x
Dear New Years Newbies, In episode 6 I speak with Erin and Jess again and the three of us have a debrief about a UK based virtual speed dating event we attended. Like in episode 1 of this season, where we debriefed after attending an LA based virtual speed dating event this discussion is rather lively and revealing and it’s really interesting listening to how the 3 of us had very different opinions at some points! Love Brown Bear x
Dear Delightful Daygamer, In episode 5 I speak with Kristian Kasanova who is a liberated nihilist on a mission to inspire men to ditch the dating apps and start creating powerful connections with women through classical face to face interactions. He helps men talk to women during the daytime in a socially calibrated way and encourages guys to have spontaneous conversations without relying on alcohol, dating apps or even a social circle. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Cuddly Creature, In episode 4 I speak with Spicy Mari who is is the CEO & Founder of The Spicy Life - a transformative dating and relationship training and development program. As a relationship expert, Spicy Mari has dedicated her life's work to encouraging singles and couples to communicate and connect more effectively by incorporating passion and adventure back into their interpersonal relationships. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Sexy Singleton, In episode 3 I speak with Dennis Kenney, a New York Celebrity Fashion Stylist and TV personality. He’s dressed countless Hollywood actresses, Broadway performers and ABC news correspondents for red carpet award shows, events and TV appearances. He also helps single people improve their wardrobes for better success in their dating lives. He gives great advice for singletons of all shapes and sizes as well as for all sorts of budgets. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Loveable Lonely Hearts, In episode 2 I speak with Tamerri Ater-Ntonni, also known as the Astrofashionista. She is a professional astrologer and modern mystic and in this episode we discuss how she uses her expertise in astrology to help people find a life partner or improve their dating lives. It’s a truly fascinating discussion and we talk in great depth and she even does a live reading of charts using me as an example to display her skills! Enjoy! Love Brown Bear x
Dear Phenomenal Fanatics, It’s the season 10 opener and what an episode I have in store for YOU! So the other week I did an LA based virtual speed dating event with Jess aka The Greater Dater and Erin the host of the awesome You’re Such A Catch podcast and this episode is all about our debrief of that speed dating event. It’s totally unfiltered and you will get to hear first hand just exactly what we thought of the event! Love Brown Bear x
Dear Enchanted Individual, In episode 10 listen to the second part of the discussion I had with John Gray, author of 'Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus'. We pick up immediately where we left in PART 1 by continuing the discussion based around the themes in his sequel book, 'Beyond Mars And Venus'. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Lucky Listeners, In episode 9 I speak with none other than John Gray, the author of the well known relationship book, 'Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus'. USA Today listed his book as one of the top 10 most influential books of the last quarter century. In hardcover, it was the #1 best selling book of the 1990s. In this episode we discuss the sequel, 'Beyond Mars and Venus', which has been updated to help people gain the relationship skills for today’s complex world. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Beautiful Being, In episode 8 I speak Michelle Apples founder of Miss Apples Matchmaking agency. We chat about her background, which includes her work in numerous industries doing many different jobs. Ultimately though she fell into a job hosting events and international travel for single people and during this time she discovered her passion for getting to know people on a deeper level, which inspired her to start her own matchmaking company. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Comparable Companions, In episode 7 I speak with Radha Patel the founder of Single to Shaadi, a matchmaking service for South Asian singles. After noticing how nowadays many people want to get married but the current climate of ‘swiping’ is hindering people’s chances of finding real connections and forming deep relationships she set up Single to Shaadi. She works directly with YOU to ultimately find a match that you’re happy with. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Dreamy Dwellers, In episode 6 I chat with Kellie Dobson who appeared on episode 2 of the channel 4 dating program Five Guys A Week. She's a fiercely independent salon owner from Burnley just a lovely lovely person and was really willing to share every last detail of being on the show. It was really interesting chatting to her about her experiences as well as finding out about the finer details of putting a TV show like that together. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Personable Persons, In episode 5 I speak with the matchmaking millennial Sarah, a San Diego local trying to help and coach single millennials in the same area. Her company, KEEN Dating Co. provides loads of different services such as date coaching, social events as well as a personalised matchmaking service. She’s super passionate about bringing people together and helping millennials. In this conversation you’ll get tons of advice and tips to improve your dating life. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Attentive Attender, In episode 4 I speak to the wonderful lady behind the Instagram account 1YearOfSingle. In this episode we chat about the inspiration and motivation behind setting up the account, which is the account of a witty single mom that shares advice on love and life and why after breakups, she stays more than 1YearOfSingle. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Awesome Attender, In episode 3 I chat with Christine Chang, an LA based author and photographer. She is the author of the best selling book Show Up and her purpose is to help successful, independent, career driven women in their dating life as well as their relationships. She also has her own podcast as well. In this episode we chat about how to break destructive patterns so that you can have a better dating life and experience more fulfilling and healthier relationships. Love Brown Bear x
Dear Luscious Listener, Regular listeners of the show will remember The Damselindatingdistress from Season 7 where she shared some rather eye catching anecdotes, however in this episode we change direction as she talks about her recent experience of attending a virtual online speed dating event. The account and deconstruction of the event is rather detailed and no stone is left unturned! Love Brown Bear x
Dear Lovely Listener, In the season 9 opener I speak with Dorinda Barker, CEO of NXTconnection, an online dating profile coach. In this episode Dorinda offers loads of great advice on how you can improve your online dating profile to get better matches. There’s tons of great advice, tips and suggestions, which you can use pretty much immediately to improve your profile and start seeing better results straight away. Love Brown Bear x
In episode 10 aka The SEASON FINALE (can I get a woop woop!) I aim to help my listeners out there even more by putting together the best bits of advice from my awesome guests throughout this season on the topic of what their best first date idea is. There are some great suggestions for you to listen to ranging from park dates to burritos dressed in saran rap (totally random right?), as well as some just generally awesome advice. Either way, I hope this helps. Brown Bear x
In episode 9 I chat to Chelsey Sterling who is a dating and relationship coach based out in Denver, Colorado. In this episode Chelsey shares a couple of dating stories of hers and we chat about the important role that balance plays in dating and relationships. She has a lot of experience to draw from and she shares her insight and perspective on the compromises and adjustments one has to make when navigating dating and relationships.
In episode 8 I chat with Coach T Anthony, who’s an online dating coach that coaches people from all over the world. In our conversation we chat about some rather amusing dating anecdotes, one of which shows that even the coach needs coaching from time to time! He also shares some details about the exact type of coaching he offers as well as offering tons of great advice for those wanting to take on the online dating world.
In episode 7 I chat with the woman behind the awesome @dudsofdating apps Instagram account. The account illustrates the inappropriate messages that people are sending on online dating apps, and as we discuss how the line between banter and playful teasing, and sexual harassment is being crossed more often than not, and a lot of people are being made to feel incredibly uncomfortable and distraught in the process. During the discussion she provides plenty of context to go with the content.
In episode 6 I chat with Jessica Barndt owner of Greater Dater, a company where people can outsource their dating life. She helps with a range of things such as tips to improve your dating profile or you can do private coaching with her as well if you want even deeper help. She tells us how she started her business, from the beginning when it was a side hustle on top of her full time job, to now being a successful business that properly kicked off when quarantine hit and her work at an ad agency stopped.
In episode 5 I chat with the lovely Rebekah Manley, author of the soon to be published book titled 'Alexandra and the Awful, Awkward, No Fun, Truly Bad Dates!', which is a picture book parody for adults. After sharing some personal dating stories of hers and some experiences in the dating game she chats about her experiences as a writer from a young age to the present day, as well as what inspired her to write her humorous take on dating stories.
In episode 4 I speak with Niloufar Lamakan who is the genius behind the Instagram account fabulousinmy60s. As the name suggests she is single and in her 60s but has the vibrancy and energy of someone much younger. After chatting about some of her experiences in the dating game, which the salsa lovers out there might like in particular, we then chat about her unique idea for her book, which will be about the adventures of the main character, Fanny Fabulous... need I say anymore!?
In episode 3 I speak to the lovely Yana Vitoshkina who runs Freya Dating a professional matchmaking service based in Odessa in the Ukraine. The service helps you meet single women in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Moldova. We discuss in depth Yana’s business and how she helps people find someone, and she explains what cultural differences occur with singles in the Ukraine compared to other parts of the world.
In episode 2 I’m delighted to speak to the lovely Celina Bond who is a dating and relationship coach for men. In this episode Celina shares her many insights into the world of dating and relationships, particularly how communication and emotional intelligence are significant aspects and just some of the keys required for successful modern day dating, love, relationships and for forming meaningful connections that go beyond the superficial.
In the season opener I chat with Katie Boyle, who is an Irish comedian currently residing in New York city. We chat about her experiences in the New York dating scene, which includes dating whilst meeting people when working as a bar tender, as well as a story about a guy she hooked up with where she got more than she bargained for when things were beginning to get hot and heavy in the bedroom...
In this final, very special episode of season 7, daters who are struggling with being a social distancing singleton (including myself!) can listen to advice from the wonderful speakers, bloggers and podcasters that have been on the show this season. This episode is a collection of all of that advice given throughout this season so it’s all in one nice, easy, convenient location for you to listen from.
In episode 9 I chat with the delightful Mei who writes the lovely and entertaining Dating in your 20s blog. We chat about a dating experience of hers from a girls night out when things went from weird to bizarre when they met a couple of guys who were sat at the table next to them. We also chat about her as an Aussie and what she thought about the dating scene when she was living in London. We finish off by chatting about what inspired her to start her blog as well as what the prospects for the future are.
On episode 8 I’m delighted to bring to you the oh so lovely Erin Ramsey the host of the fabulous You’re Such a Catch podcast. In this episode we discuss her difficult divorce and why it wasn’t the worst thing in the world to happen to her. We also chat about her experiences as a Los Angeles based singleton negotiating dating during a pandemic including what happened when she quarantined with someone after just a few dates.
Welcome to episode 7 season 7! Today I speak to Soph Blackman who is the writer of the fantastic online magazine VavaViolet, which is full to the brim with sex and relationship advice and much much more that the modern woman loves. The magazine was founded by her as she wanted to created a space for intelligent, feisty and creative women to get inspired. We chat about her own personal dating story and discuss all things dating from apps to first message ideas to the best date ideas.
In this episode I speak to the lovely Chelsea Black writer of an awesome blog on dating tips, slips with plenty of lip. The story she shares can be described as one of randomness, and she discusses what she learnt from that encounter. Whether you’re an internet dater or just interested in dating, Chelsea is someone anyone can learn a lot from as she shares a lot of advice that will not only help people who are looking to improve their dating life but people who are looking to improve their lives period.
In episode 5 of season 7 I chat to Sarah who is one of the hosts of the awesome Dating Kinda Sucks podcast. Unfortunately her co-host Adam wasn’t available at the time cos it was errr too early. We chat about a rather creepy dating story of hers where things become too intense too quickly. We also chat about her journey in the dating community which has gone from top blogger to enjoyable to listen to podcaster.
In this episode I chat with the delightful Damsel in Dating Distress. She shares the story that actually pushed her into the blogosphere. It’s a bit of a car crash story that continually unravels so strap yourself in for the ride. If you've experienced gaslighting before her story will certainly resonate with you. It’s well worth a listen and something that many of us out there have experienced so I think you will be able to certainly sympathise with what she went through.
In this episode I speak to the wonderful Erika Ettin who is the founder of A Little Nudge a company that can help you with all things dating from profile creation to match selection all the way up to message writing and date planning. Before chatting about the specifics of her company and the like she shares a rather amusing dating story where the interpretation of playful banter is very different from both sides and leads to some rather cringeworthy awkwardness.
In this episode I chat with the UK’s top Celebrity Dating expert and Dating Coach, James Preece. James is the sort of coach who will help you master the secrets of dating, confidence, flirting, body language and attraction. He can also show you THE best online dating sites and dating agencies and is just generally a source of tons of knowledge and advice that he can share. After we chat about one of his own amusing dating anecdotes we chat in depth about the specifics of the work he does.
In episode 1 I chat with Natalie who is the writer of the really informative Baggage Reclaim blog. If you’re someone who wants to overcome your past so that you can raise your self-worth, break depleting habits like people pleasing, unfulfilling relationships, poor boundaries, being self-critical, or being triggered in certain situations then she could be just the person you need to talk to. After sharing her rather amusing dating story we chat about the specifics of her work as well.
It's the Season 6 finale!!! Yes that’s right this is episode 10 of Season 6, can you believe it, I certainly can’t! In this episode Emma and I have a debrief over the epic season we’ve just had where we discuss highlights from each episode. It’s a really fun discussion reminiscing over the awesome guests we’ve had and at the end I give my top three highlights from the series.
In episode 9 I chat with Glen, who is the writer of the awesome blog called A Dating Dad. We chat about his previous experience of a long term relationship where he was married with kids, to then discussing how that relationship ended and forced him to get back in the dating game. Not one to be kept down for too long Glen has thrown himself into the dating world so we chat about firstly how he was able to do this as well as what he thinks following his experiences over the last couple of years.
In episode 8 I chat with the Relationship Expert and Dating Coach Madeleine Mason Roantree about the specifics of her work as a coach of people at all stages of a relationship, her involvement with a matchmaking company as well as her findings from interviewing a bunch of different people who are in stable and successful relationships. It makes for really interesting listening and you’ll learn a lot. She’s been in the game a long time and she knows her stuff and it was great of her to share her knowledge.
In episode 7 I chat with the well known Celebrity Psychologist and Dating Coach Jo Hemmings. She shares her incredible insights and expertise on the world of dating. We chat about a range of topics from dating scammers to her giving advice for those who are struggling with being single during these social distancing times.
In this episode I chat with the lovely Lucy, writer of the quite frankly awesome Lucy Goes Dating blog. Let me tell you this blog is one of the most consistently funny blogs I’ve ever read, it’s very no nonsense and incredibly well written, I reckon after reading one or two posts you will become addicted just like I did! In this episode we chat about her experiences in the dating game, which includes a very bizarre blind date and we also talk about her blog and just exactly how that exploded.
In this episode I chat with my buddy John all the way from a much sunnier Los Angeles. John is one of the coolest and down to earth guys you could ever wish to meet and in this episode we chat about some more of his experiences in the dating game, the dating culture in Los Angeles as well as all things apps.
In episode 4 I chat with Alice, the writer of the lovely Alice in Wonder blog. We chat about her experiences in the dating game, which includes one about a guy who was being ever so slightly economical with the truth when it came to a certain detail about him. We also chat about her blog as well as what she’s planning on doing in the near future.
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