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Expert Advice on Relationships, Health & Personal Well Being
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 02, 2011
Wednesday Feb 02, 2011
Maria Avgitidis, whis a matchmaker and dating coach in New York City joins the show. She discusses the dating scene in New York and its culture, dating ideas and how social media is affecting how we date today.
Note: Refer to audio player below to listen to this episode.
Maria Avgitidis, or "The Date Coach", provides solutions in dating and relationships. As a fourth generation matchmaker, and founder of Agape Match, a full scale matchmaking firm based in NYC, Maria is an astute observer of how various personality types interact with each other. Together these skills allow her to find and nurture romantic relationships for her clients, and often help improve their platonic relationships as well. More information can be found out about Maria at MariaTheDateCoach.com and Agapematch.com.
Maria Avgitidis discusses the following on this eHealth Radio Episode
- How did you become a matchmaker?
- What does Agape mean in Agape Match? [your matchmaking firm]
- What is the hardest part about dating in NYC?
- How has social media affected the way we date?
- Valentine's Day is coming up... Do you celebrate even if you've only gone on 1 or 2 dates?
- Favorite Date Ideas in NYC
- Don't Miss Special Conclusion Tip...
Web Sites:
MariaTheDateCoach.com
AgapeMatch.com
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again for your guide or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Sunday Jan 02, 2011
Sunday Jan 02, 2011
Dr. Dale Koppel the author of "THE INTELLIGENT WOMAN'S GUIDE TO ONLINE DATING: And She Lived Happily Ever After." joined the show. Dr Dale teaches workshops on online dating as well as coaches women one-on-one. Her book is based on her own online dating experiences as well as her expertise in the field of psychology.
Note: Refer to audio player below to listen to this episode.
Just three months shy of the big Six-O, Dale Koppel, PhD, found herself suddenly single. Her seemingly perfect marriage of 25 years was over. Her husband had left her, for a man. Twelve days later, ignoring her girlfriends who thought she was moving too fast, she joined an online dating service. As she made her way through thousands of profiles and met hundreds - yes, hundreds - of men, she learned how to make the most of online dating, achieve her goals, and come out on top. She developed skills and created strategies that really worked. And she had the best time. She met her Mr. Right, and this past June she married him. She decided to share her secrets of success with other women and wrote THE INTELLIGENT WOMAN'S GUIDE TO ONLINE DATING: And She Lived Happily Ever After, available on Amazon.com and at TheIntelligentWomansGuide.com.
Dr. Koppel holds degrees in education, psychology, and journalism. Her stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the country. She wrote Women Are The Superior Sex and Why Women Worry for Globe Communications. She teaches online dating workshops and is an online dating coach in Massachusetts and Florida.
Eric Michaels: Why do women seem to have such a hard time meeting Mr. Right online?
Dr. Koppel: It mostly is because they wait for Mr. Right to come to them. They don't take the initiative, they don't do the searches themselves and they just sit there and wait. It's sort of the old fashioned - waiting for a knight in shining armour to knock on your door - it doesn't work that way. The women have to be in charge, take control and do what they need to do and meet the man they are looking for and not wait on random men to look at their profile and contact them. The women must do the contacting.
Eric Michaels: What's your best advice when it comes to writing profiles?
Dr. Koppel: Well, even though they say that men just look at the pictures, I sometimes joke about it and say a woman could say she is an ax murderer but if she is blond and beautiful she will get lots of dates but that's not exactly true. When I was online I really wanted to meet a man who cared about what I wrote in my profile so I think women have to pay close attention to writing their profile. The most important thing, even though these profiles says to tell us about yourself, men for whatever reason, you would know better than I, want to read more about themselves than about the women...I recommend to women not to write so much about who they are...
Eric Michaels: What kept you sane during the three years you were doing online dating?
Dr. Koppel: I think what kept me sane was my sense of humor, positive outlook which with my personality traits and I think they are very important. You can get really bogged down in it if you don't keep upbeat and optimistic. And I also think and keep repeating this, when you feel like you are in control, then you can hold onto your sanity. I had a mantra and my mantra was one word and that was - NEXT - and that kept me sane too...
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Want the entire audio version of this eHealth Radio Episode? Dr. Dale Koppel discusses & answers:
- What's the biggest frustration about online dating?
- Do you think there are viable alternatives to online dating?
- Conclusion Tip...
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again for your guide or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Friday Dec 31, 2010
Friday Dec 31, 2010
Dating and Relationship Coach for Women Over 40 Bobbi Palmer joins the show. She defines dating like a grownup, specific things that women can do to attract good men who are good for them and more.
Note: Refer to audio player below to listen to this episode.
Bobbi Palmer resides in Long Beach, California. Her company is Date Like a Grownup. If you're a single woman over 40, scared you'll be alone forever and losing hope of ever finding that special man, Bobbi will help you find hope and then teach you how to find him. Bobbi is not just a dating coach; she is a dating success story. She was married for the first time at age 47, and enjoys a loving and fun relationship with her spectacular husband, Larry.
As a coach, Bobbi compassionately and expertly shares her successes – and mistakes – in her 6-step Find Hope and Find Him Program. (That's what worked for her.) As one of her clients said "talking to Bobbi is like talking to a girlfriend who has her act together when it comes to men….She has the insight and empathy that can only come from someone who has been there.” Bobbi was selected as one of the 101 Women Bloggers to Watch in 2010 by WE Magazine for Women. She is the Official Love Guide for Selfgrowth.com, the #1 Self Improvement site on the Internet. Bobbi is a speaker, author and blogger and event producer. She offers 1-1 private and group coaching, live workshops and singles' events. Her eBook The 7 Secrets to Finally Finding Love After 40: Confessions of the World's Worst Dater. You can email Bobbi at bobbip@datelikeagrownup.com or call 562.608.8685. She invites you to read her blog and pick up your complimentary gifts at DateLikeaGrownup.com/ehealth. In addtion participate in our community at DateLikeaGrownUp.com/blog.
Abbreviated Transcript of Interview with Bobbi Palmer
Eric Michaels: Your company is called Date Like a Grownup. How would you define dating like a grownup?
Bobbi Palmer: Dating like a grown up has a few elements. It is having confidence and trust in yourself. Having awareness of what you bring to a relationship and knowing that you are enough; also having an awareness of where you might be able to improve yourself to get what you're looking for -- in a mate and in a lifestyle with that mate. Trusting your judgment, making good choices, knowing what you want and focusing on finding a man who will add that to your life. Being realistic and not expecting or waiting for that perfect man. It's looking for a good man; a man who makes you happy and wants to share a great life with you. It is also a balance between your heart and head. Get past the emotions, manage the rejection…grab that grownup girl and make sure you include her in your decisions. Confidence, good choices, balance head and heart = dating like a grownup and with grace – make it look effortless and elegant…you're not trying so hard and you're being yourself.
Eric Michaels: What do you find to be the biggest obstacles for women when they’re dating?
Bobbi Palmer: From my experience it is self esteem. I work with women in their 40s all the way to 70s – it's surprising how many women still judge themselves based on their experiences from long ago. They don't know how fabulous they are! When I coach my 1st step is "Who Am I? Falling in Love With Myself." I help my clients take a fresh look at themselves and begin to see the truth about who they are. It's often eye-opening and life-changing. They think they know what men want …based on when they were 30, mature men – men of life experiences, aren't those guys anymore. Beliefs based on decisions and experiences when they were 18 or 25. This creates obstacles and patterns they don’t even see that stand in the way. Beliefs: All men are jerks, liars, superficial – they aren't. I have to have a man who is at least 3 inches taller. I refuse to date a man who doesn’t get along with his Mother..ect.
Eric Michaels: Is there something you recommend women do to prepare for dating?
Bobbi Palmer: My First commandment: Know and love thyself - self esteem and awareness. Know what you want in a man and a relationship. Be sure to get past your laundry list of adjectives and dig deep. Know your audience. Understand and appreciate men. Know how to communicate based on our differences...
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Want the entire audio version of this eHealth Radio Episode? Bobbi Palmer discusses & answers:
- How can women learn to enjoy dating rather than dreading it?
- What are specific things that women can do to attract good men who are good for them?
- Conclusion Tip...
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again for your guide or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Saturday Dec 11, 2010
Saturday Dec 11, 2010
Note: Refer to audio player below to listen to this episode.
Julie Spira started her career as a radio show host and voice-over announcer at WAAL in Binghamton, NY where she was the first female announcer at the FM rock station. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Television-Radio from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. Spira served as a top executive for several leading-edge Internet and communications companies; and today, as a super successful cyber-dating expert, she shares her stories to empower singles on the Internet dating scene. She is a gifted mentor and sits on the board of several charitable organizations in Los Angeles. She is the author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online (Morgan James Publishing, February, 2009) and hosts the radio show, “Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert.”
Abbreviated Transcript of Interview with Julie Spira
Eric Michaels: Why did you write the Perils of Cyber-dating?
Julie Spira: I thought about writing this years and years ago and I never did. I was an early adopter of the Internet and I had so many stories that I wanted to share that went back to 1994, when I created my first online dating profile. Since that time I had a lot of success as I went on 250 dates but on the downside I met a guy that I married and divorced, so I really wanted to teach other singles how to spot the red flags and also encourage them to have a sense of humor about the process.
Eric Michaels: What is an irresistible online dating profile?
Julie Spira: I view online dating and looking for love online similar as you create your rock star resume & looking for your dream job so it needs a catchy screen name and great photos to capture attention in a split second. It is really crowded in the digital playing field so if you have a catchy screen name and a great photo just to start with so when a man or woman is scanning through thousands of thousands of photos it will grab their attention just like a great headline in a newspaper.
Eric Michaels: What are common mistakes that men make in online dating?
Julie Spira: Men make a lot of mistakes. You would be surprised. The biggest mistake they make and don't realize it is they will scan and pick out fifty women that are brand new that they really like and they will create this introduction about themselves and they will copy and paste it to all fifty people like they are gunshotting it. And as a results this woman sees this email in her inbox and it says nothing about her it refers to nothing about her profile and she really feels he never read her profile. So, we don't want to feel like we are being spammed by men and they are just waiting to see who responds first...
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Want the entire version of this eHealth Radio Episode?Julie Spira discusses & answers: - What mistakes do women make in online dating? - Why do singles need help with a dating coach? - And a Special Tip...
Contacting Julie Spira:
Site: CyberDatingExpert.com
Twitter: @JulieSpira
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Sunday Dec 05, 2010
Sunday Dec 05, 2010
Attorney & Author Lisa D. Wright joined the show on eHealth Radio. She discusses her dating advice from her life experiences.
Note: Refer to the audio player below to listen to this show.
Attorney Lisa D. Wright was born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan area. From 1986 - 1989 she attended Kentucky State University (KSU), pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting - Cum Laude with Business Departmental Honors at the age of 20. After KSU she worked as a Bank Examiner in Michigan before returning to graduate school.
From August 1996 - December 1999, she attended Duke University's School of Law and Fuqua School of Business to complete the Juris Doctorate (JD) and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) dual degree program in three and a half years.
In January 2000, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia to work in corporate America at as a marketing analyst and then as a corporate bankruptcy consultant. In February 2001, she took the Georgia Bar examination for the first time and was notified in May 2001 that she passed. She then decided to actively pursue a legal career. In May 2002, she opened the Law Office of Lisa D. Wright, LLC. Attorney Wright has represented clients with family law, criminal law, consumer law, and business law issues.
Oh No He Didn't! is Attorney Wright's first book. Attorney Lisa D. Wright is living in Atlanta, is single, is dating, and is looking forward to writing her next book.
Please visit her website at LisaDWright.com or email her at attorney@lisadwright.com. You may also follow Attorney Wright on Twitter at AttorneyWright.
Partial Transcript of eHealth Radio's Interview with Attorney Lisa D. Wright
Eric Michaels: What an eye catching title for your book - what inspired you to write it?
Lisa D. Wright: There are several things that inspired me, men that I spoke with about my outrageous dating experiences actually were the ones that got me to write Oh No He Didn't! Whether it was men that I knew or men that I had just met, they were asking questions about different stories and articles being done on dating in Atlanta and they said oh, this is hilarious, you should write a book and so shortly there after I started researching the process of actually going about the process of writing a book and publishing it. I started working on the concept of the book, I started thinking that I actually date different than most because of being a litigating attorney so this led me to providing not only personal advice but legal advice as well. This book provides dating advice for women that can't afford to hire an attorney...and it also provides dating advice for men that need to hear the strait forward advice of what to do and what not to do on a date from someone other than their male friends.
Eric Michaels: Would you be willing to share briefly 1 of those 15 outrageous dating experiences mentioned in your book?
Lisa D. Wright: Sure! The first experience in the book is "Oh No He Didn't" send me a Facebook request and he was a convicted bank robber. Before I got on Facebook my sister kept saying you should get on Facebook, you should get on Facebook, it may help you promote your business. The initial name I had on the profile was Attorney Lisa D. Wright so the gentleman knew I was an attorney. He pretended to be someone who I knew from that past from hanging out, partying and undergrad. Some of his later post started mentioning that he later was running and I started running and doing some 5K's in the summer. So I mentioned maybe we could go run a race together and you could run your first 5K. Then I began to say that I really don't know you, I'm not sure what the real connection is from looking at Facebook post. The more I talked to him I said you aren't the same person I thought you were from the past that I knew back from undergrad so we had a few more conversations. I was later going to Detroit where the gentleman resides and he mentioned if I needed a ride to the race he could have his friends pick me up. First of all I wouldn't have you pick me up because I don't know you...
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Want the entire version of this eHealth Radio Episode?
Lisa D. Wright discusses & answers:
- African American women are not in the midst of a “dating crisis.” However, that is not what the national media wants everyone to believe. - touch on this if you would. - Oh No He Didn't! To the Rescue Campaign... - What is a good first date situation - what to do or where to go? - And a Special Tip...
Connecting with Lisa D Wright: LisaDWright.com
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Saturday Dec 04, 2010
Saturday Dec 04, 2010
Partial Transcript of Interview with Jamie McDaniel of got dates?
Eric Michaels: You offer coaching to those who need help and advise in dating...what is your coaching approach?
Jamie McDaniel: My coaching approach for each client is actually different. The reason being is because everybody that is coming through who is actually having a coaching session literally they are unique but there story is not. Ironically everytime we get a new client in we have to find out how long have they been single, what they are currently doing to get out, their daily schedule, how they go about meeting singles, what they have tried, their likes, their interest, their last relationship - it's always nice to have their history within their relationships and to know what they want for their future. Every person that is coming in, if you look at this like personal training, we find out what's not working and we put together a program that is going to work in their best interest.
Eric Michaels: If I see a good looking woman out... let's say at the mall...what would be my approach in grabbing her attention or introducing myself?
Jamie McDaniel: Everything starts with "HELLO"! You can never go wrong with "HELLO"! But if you want to have a conversation with her, you need to speak her language. Basically, women like to talk about themselves, it doesn't matter what you say, or how you say it - the best way to put this is - more so about complimenting them. If you see that they have pretty ear rings on compliment her - that's a great conversation piece. Number one, we are going to tell you where we got them from or we wil say, Oh, this old thing? It really catches them off guard. A lot of time when a woman is in the mall and a guy approaches them we are already expecting what they might say. When you throw something out that they don't expect you've thrown their thought process off so they are always going to come back with - thank you & nine times out of ten we're going to tell you where we got it from and that starts the conversation right there.
Eric Michaels: What is your take on pick up lines.....use them, carefully use them or can 'em?
Jamie McDaniel: "Can 'em"! They are so predictable. They are literally so predictable! So many guys are - it's something that's been going on since the bars have opened - the pick up line, the pick up line! There is not one in this day and age that we haven't heard. The reason being is because technology has launched all of those. Girls go now to the internet surfing to know what guys think, surfing from one site to another and then you come to the one with the pick up lines...when you've hear it so many times it gets old and I still go back to...
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Want the entire version of this eHealth Radio Episode?
Jamie McDaniel discusses & answers: - How would one of your potential clients know that a dating coach would work for them? - Would you approach coaching a divorced middle aged gentleman differently than say a early 20 year old? - And a Special Tip on the dating/single scene...
Connecting with got dates? HaveMoreDates.com
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Thursday Dec 02, 2010
Thursday Dec 02, 2010
Partial Transcript of Interview with Dana Kazne of MoonIt.com
Eric Michaels: Tell us what Moonit.com is all about? Dana Kanze: Our mission at MoonIt is better relationships through astrology. We help people make sense of their personal and professional relationships by providing them with relationship compatibility readings and daily relationship horoscope alerts based on birth date analysis. Eric Michaels: So what was the inspiration behind the creating of MoonIt.com? Dana Kanze: My co-founders and I at MoonIt have always had a passion for astrology but we found that the information provided online was rather inaccurate or over generalized or not very entertaining so we set out to provide users with tangible advice that they could take away with them to improve their relationships and make sense of them every day. Eric Michaels: Would someone need to believe in the dynamics or be into astrology to become a part of this? Dana Kanze: Well that is an interesting question. We find that our users are those who are grappling with relationship issues. Whether they believe in astrology or not they are really looking for answers from any source out there and we happen to be a useful tool in their tool kit - that's how we think of ourselves. As they seek out all different types of resources to make sense of their past relationships or breakups or feel out a current relationship we are there for them and are able to provide for them with answers in the form of these relationship compatibility assessments which are 200 - 300 words long and they have a quantitative component of 1 - 100 percent that tells you of your compatibility on a quantitative percentage scale. There is also a qualitative version of it that tells you what to look out for, what to appreciate more about your relationship and what's in store for you in someone else. What we find after a user tries us and this offering, and the relationship compatibility assessment resonates with them, they are likely to feel that we are a trusted source for information and they are likely to sign up for daily horoscope alerts that let them know what's in store for that relationship every day.--------------
Want the entire version of this eHealth Radio Episode?
Dana Kanze discusses & answers: - How the "Matchmaker" game integrated with friends on Facebook works. - Unique membership features of Moonit? - And a Special Tip...Bonus: To get your relationship compatibility, go to www.moonit.com or text LOVE to 97124 to sign up for relationship horoscope alerts!
Connecting with MoonIt: MoonIt.com Facebook Fan Page - MoonIt Twitter.com/MoonTweets
Save this to your iPod/mp3 player or the desktop on your computer and listen to it again for your relationship guide or simply subscribe to this feed and never miss another episode on eHealth Radio - powered by EDrugStore.md. Refer to audio player and links below.
Note: The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the show host or it's owners.
Monday Nov 29, 2010
Monday Nov 29, 2010
Colby Brin joined eHealth Radio to talk about him being the co-founder and director of DateMySingleKid.com, the innovative online dating website which allows FabOverFifty (FOF) moms to play matchmaker for their adult children. Unlike other dating sites, whose members interact and make their own matches, DateMySingleKid.com connects FOF moms and engages them in conversation to determine if there’s a prospective match between their children. Once the moms feel comfortable about a potential fit, they turn the reigns over to their kids. Under Colby’s direction, the site blends old world tradition with today’s modern technology and has quickly become an overnight sensation. Nearly 1,000 moms from around the world have posted their kids’ profiles since it launched on July 6, 2010.
Colby advises website management and has expanded the site to appeal to an international audience, from countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands. Italy, the UK and Columbia. He has played an integral role in updating the site’s technology, appearance and resources, such as increasing browsing capabilities so moms can easily search kid’s profiles. Colby also acts as a liaison for matchmaking parents, offering advice and tips to help facilitate the best matches. As a client of the site, he’s gone on dates his mother has helped arrange. This aids his site research and development as well as enhances his perspective on dating, matchmaking and relationships.
Through his professional and personal relationship with DateMySingleKid.com, Colby has inadvertently become a relationship expert in his own right, offering advice on love, dating and relationships to new and older generations of men and women. He has recently appeared on programs including Today Show, Gayle King Radio Show, and WPIX to discuss the site and relationship matters.
Colby co-founded DateMySingleKid.com with his mother, Geri Brin, as a subsite to FabOverFifty.com, which celebrates the dynamic generation of baby boomer women. An interactive space, FOF invites its members to promote their passion projects and businesses and share their wisdom and fab faves on everything from restaurants to nail salons, local gourmet treats to trainers. It also features original and well-researched content on a spectrum of subjects relevant to their lives, from health and beauty to finances and fashion.
Colby is about to earn a Master’s degree in Sports Media from New York University. He has also worked in finance and non-profit arenas and was a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers for several years. Colby was born and raised in Manhattan and currently resides in Brooklyn with his Russian Blue cat, Brady.
eHealth Radio Partial Transcript with Colby Brin
Eric Michaels: Tell us about the site you started DateMySingleKid.com?
Colby Brin: Well my Mom actually started a web site for women over fifty called FabOverFifty.com. It's a beauty, lifestyle, health, nutrition and networking site for women. My mom, for pretty much the last ten years whenever she meets women her age ask if they have a single daughter that she could fix me up with and when she was starting this web site she noticed that a lot of other women on the web site had similar interest in matchmaking for their kids so she thought since they were already doing an offline why not off a feature to do dating online and that was when DateMySingleKid.com was born. So that's a section of the site and I guess I was kind of the inspiration for it and now I've become the director of it and also the poster child.
Eric Michaels: Why do you think mom is a great matchmaker?
Colby Brin: I think that mom's know you very well. They raised you and I know at least my mom is also one of my best friends so she knows me very well. She is also a little older and a little wiser so I am more inclined to look for people or women that I really want not necessarily looking long term relationship potential so she is better at finding what I need. She might fix me up with people who I wouldn't otherwise go out with. Also my friends set me up so every bit helps its just like adding mom into the mix of helping me cast a wider net and you add all that together and it broadens the chance of finding that special person.
Eric Michaels: What would you tell a kid who was reluctant to have their mom set them up?
Colby Brin: I get that question a lot. I would say there is no harm and nothing to lose. Some may be embarrassed to go out with someone that their mom set them up with or for their mom to put them out there. I think times have really changed - there is quote regular online dating and people are a lot more liberal how they meet people or people are very busy and don't have time to meet people...
Sunday Nov 28, 2010
Sunday Nov 28, 2010
Partial Transcript of Interview with Bob Bentz
Eric Michaels: As I recall the 900# days, tell me how that differs from today's dating options?
Bob Bentz: Well the 900# dating solution was made popular through newspapers throughout the country and in that case people would read the classified section of the newspaper and I guy looking like Eric would say, - Oh! She sounds kinda cute, I think I would like to check her out. So you would dial into the 900# listen to her message and if her message appealed to you, you could leave a personal message for her in her voice mailbox. So that's how it worked back then. Of course along came the Internet which was suddenly able to give us something the phone was not able to give us and that is a very important part and that's a picture of a person. So the Internet was able to give us something else. Now today a lot of dating has moved to text message dating through mobile phones. If I Iook back at the industry over the last 20 years - all three solutions are still active, certainly the 900# and the credit card phone phase service is a legacy industry and is used by those 50+. The Internet is going to appeal to all ages but most commonly the 25-54 age range which is our core users there and when it comes to text message dating that to date has been an under 30 type thing - an 18-30 year old product.
Eric Michaels: What would be some advantages of mobile dating as opposed to online dating or would you consider them one in the same?
Bob Bentz: Well mobile dating by its nature, you are able to do it anywhere! So if it's Friday afternoon and you are waiting for the bus to pick you up on your way home, you can easily get on your mobile phone and start texting with somebody and then perhaps arrange a meeting once you are comfortable with that person. So that's the beauty of mobile dating is that it can be done anywhere whereas online dating at this point is mostly when you are at home - hopefully not at work - but when you are at home and on your home computer whereas mobile can be done anywhere. Now that's going to change in the future. In the future you are going to be able to do the same thing on your mobile phone with your smart-phone as you are able to do with your online solution but it's just that the screen is a lot smaller and that makes it a little more difficult to navigate the many profiles and the many pictures that you would have on your online solution. Today there is 25% of the sub-phone-users have smart-phones and as that number grows you are going to see more and more of the online and mobile dating becoming much more similar than it is today.
Eric Michaels: Do people still turn to the newspaper for finding the love of their life?
Bob Bentz: Thankfully they still do...thankfully for our business they still do. The alternative newspapers, the city newspapers like that have held up a lot better than have the daily newspapers. In other countries like the UK for instance where the daily newspaper market is still much stronger than it is in the United States and Canada - the voice personals in the newspaper are holding up a lot more and are still a big part of the dating scene in the UK. In the United States, it is clearly a legacy product and we are advocating now to our media customers that they all move to the online solution which we are offering at MatchLink.com and WebFriends.com.
Saturday Nov 27, 2010
Saturday Nov 27, 2010
CEO and Founder of eFlirtExpert.com - Laurie Davis joined eHealth Radio.
Since Laurie Davis was a tween, she has been intrigued by online communications. To her parent’s dismay, she grew up in chat rooms and on Instant Messenger. Then, 10 years ago, she wrote her first online dating profile. Through trial and error, she learned what to always do … and what to never do. No advice existed, so she learned through experience. Then, she encouraged her friends to join various dating sites. Since she was a first adopter, she quickly became their virtual life jacket in the sea of online dating and developed a passion for helping singles with the online written word.
Now, she fuses her personal experience with her professional background in marketing to help singles date online and transition their digital selves offline for meaningful in-person experiences. She assists men and women of all sexual orientations and ages by strategizing their 2.0 life to create dating opportunities and make the ultimate virtual first impression. What truly makes Laurie special is the amount of personal attention she gives each client. Laurie meets individually with each lost fish and listens to his or her special needs, concerns and questions.
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Partial Transcript of Interview with Laurie Davis
Eric Michaels: What's currently the newest obstacle that you see online daters facing?
Laurie Davis: The biggest problem that I see is that singles are using technology as a crutch rather than - you meet online, and you get offline and you need to stay there. It is really important to minimize emails and text messages, things like that, knowing that this is a normal part of life but once you are offline you should be calling each other and communicating voice to voice or face to face.
Eric Michaels: How do you assist online daters?
Laurie Davis: eFlirtExperts help daters, date online and also transition offline. We do everything from write your profile for you, go through your matches, go through your emails to your matches, dating advice or wardrobe advice. What makes us a little different is that we are not just helping you date online, we are helping you date offline too and we are sort of following you through the process and giving you support all along the way. We even have another brand eFlirtExpertVIP that's a comprehensive dating management and concierge service that opens the door to people who might not be online dating or have the time to online date but gives them the resources to do that.
Eric Michaels: How are you different from other coaches or specialists in the online dating space?
Laurie Davis: There are a lot of profile writers in the space but there are not a lot of companies like I said that will help you with your whole total digital life. We might write your profile for you but then we might also help you strategize on how to flirt with someone on Twitter, or we might help you in the email process or we might help you plan your dates, plan your wardrobe things like that. We are very comprehensive online and offline.