One of the most common questions I get is: 'Should I hire a dating coach?' This is often met with the sensible follow-up question: 'What do they actually do?' Translation: What am I actually paying for? Well, there are many reasons why you should consider hiring a dating coach, and to go through all of them would be quite frankly exhaustive, plus it also depends on what you specifically require.
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Dear Distanced Daters, It’s that time again. Can you believe another season of the podcast has been wrapped up?! This season has been especially cool as I’ve spoken to some pretty awesome people, including a few relationship experts, some dating-doomed bloggers and yes, you might even recognise a couple of them from T.V. With so many equally-epic episodes to choose from, I’ve made it a bit easier
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Dear Peachy Pen-Pals, Have you ever met someone and had a great connection, found that they tick all the boxes except for one crucial one - where they live? It often feels like long-distance relationships are condemned before they even start. Heart-break seems imminent from the get-go in most cases, and that’s only for the ones who even decide to pursue the relationship. But, if finding love in lockdown
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Dear Lustful Lotharios, Doesn’t it feel like every week there’s a new show on the T.V. about the new wave of hopefuls looking to find The One? It’s not a new phenomenon either. First Dates has been going for 7 years and earnt all kinds of spin-offs and celeb specials. The bar guy, Merlin, has even become a bit of a legend in his own right. Remember The
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![[LISTEN] Online Dating Laid Bear Podcast Season 5 Highlights](https://www.onlinedatinglaidbear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/17-150x150.png)
Dear Curious Casanova, Familiar with the Online Dating Laid Bear podcast? Then hello long time listener! Or you might be new here - that’s cool too, ready to hear dating stories that’ll make you feel better about your own love life? I’ve recently wrapped up Season 5 of the podcast, yep five whole seasons, and to top it off we celebrated the 50th episode!! So in light of celebrations
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Dear Restless Romancer, Are you ready to get back out there? Can’t wait for a flirt-filled first date? Well, things are looking up. I know more than anyone how much the pandemic has put a pause on dating. That’s not to say that our endeavour to find the one was halted completely. Virtual online speed dating came to the fore and rescued us lonely singletons still looking for love.
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Dear Pondering Personage, Ever wondered how Online Dating Laid Bear was created? Ever mused just how I became a muse? Well, I’m here to tell you exactly that. From humble beginnings to our growing community of struggling singletons. This is Online Dating Laid Bear from start to present. 2004 Let’s go back to 2004. Newcastle Uni and Castle Leazes halls of residence; where all the best ideas are
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Dear Fiery First Daters, Got those pre-date jitters? Been thinking about how to make the BEST first impression? Well, I can’t give you all the answers, but as a seasoned dater what I can give you is some advice about what to do on a first date, or rather, what not to do. Some of you might remember my rundown of steller first date ideas. Check it out here.
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Dear Hopeless Romantics, Emphasis on hopeless. I’m here to put the question – ‘can you find love in lockdown?’ – to the test. You might remember last week when I mentioned that a friend and I were planning to attend a virtual speed dating event in Manchester. Well, now we’re back to swap stories and recount our tales from speed dating in isolation. First, let’s set the scene. When you
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Dear Social Distancing Singleton, Have you found dating during lockdown a little...strange? Sure, the lockdown has paused many aspects of our everyday routine. But that doesn’t mean all is lost, some things just need rethinking... It’s been 3 months and we’ve all been to some pretty dark places but when it comes to dating, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. So what does successful dating look like during
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Dear Serial Daters, Friend Zoners and Third Wheelers, ever feel like you’re left behind while everyone around you seems to be settling down? Always the bridesmaid and never the bride? Or best man and not the groom...You get the idea. Alas, I hear you. It sucks. Now, it’s easy to think “I’m just unlucky in love” and thus condemn yourself to life on the sidelines. I’m here to tell you
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Admit it or not, everyone has got that list of things they’re looking for in a partner. Good sense of humour/financially stable/not an axe murderer usually occupy the top spaces. But I wanted to go one step further, so put that same question out to the good old public, to see what other essentials and desirables we look for. And most of us are pretty damn picky when it comes
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Some of you keen readers will remember the recent interview I did with Ajaz, owner of the fastest growing speed dating group in the North West. Need a memory refresh? Check it out here. Now, he’s back and is spilling all about how to make speed dating work for you. Hints, tips and trade secrets that’ll score you a few second dates, straight from the master of matches himself. Intrigued
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Physically unable to ‘get out there’, many of us feel confined – missing out on dating opportunities. But, in the face of adversity, owner of FastLove Speed Dating, Ajaz, didn’t sit back and watch his business fall. Instead, he took it online. Already boasting a strong success rate from his events (200 weddings and counting), FastLove Speed Dating has made its mark on digital dating, and won’t be slowing down
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Whether you’re a safe player or fiery go-getter, fun first date ideas have got a lot of us stumped. You only get one chance to make a good first impression after all, so here are some date ideas that’ll be sure to get the motor runnin’. PLAY IT SAFE Extreme sports on a first date isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But, tea is. Or coffee. You can’t go wrong
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Long-time listener or newbie to the channel, the Brown Bear podcast is a safe place for sharing terrible dating stories Okay, full disclosure, it’s not safe - it’s live on the world web. But you get the idea. There’s been an eclectic mix of story-tellers on ye’ old podcast, telling tales from far and wide about some of the strange characters they’ve dated. And with bank holiday coming up, what
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Ever since Nev and his crew burst onto our screens in 2010 with their super creepy ‘Catfish’ docu-film, it’s raised the question that occasionally crosses our mind - do I really know who I’m talking to. Granted, that particular incident was extreme, but it wasn’t isolated. I mean, they managed to film several seasons hunting catfishers all over the USA. Most of what I’m talking about here isn’t complete human
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Welcome to Venchur. A new app that wraps up speed dating and blind dates into one, with a quick preview peek. You’ll create a digital avatar, like a Bitmoji, and then go searching for dates with locals in your area. The catch is that all you have to go off is the pixel picture and a short bio. Once you find an avatar you like the look of, send them
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Granted, these times are completely unprecedented. And if like me, you’re missing the dating scene, all might not be lost… Times like these are bringing people together through various digital mediums and this extends to engaging in coveted dates. You might have already met the person online, but instead of moving the conversation from an app to a bar, why not move it from the app to the sofa..digitally. Is
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Sedated tigers in Thailand, sullen mirror selfie, holding up the leaning tower of Pisa. Don’t be a dickhead. FYI, if your profile picture contains any of these crappy clichés, then look away now...or keep reading, you may need this help more than you realise. Choosing the picture for your online dating profile is probably the most important part of the whole process. No pressure then. Considering you’ll be judged in
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Okay, hear me out on this one. Love is Blind is the latest Netflix show to grace our screens with the promise of high-drama, drunken antics, and well, marriage, cos all of those go hand in hand right? The show/social experiment works on the premise that 15 men and 15 women are introduced in ‘pods’ where they get to know each other – just without seeing the other person. All
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Hello, is it me you’re looking for? Good old Lionel. 7 words and he’s laid his dating offer out on the proverbial table. Just like that. If only it was still so simple. Granted, things have come a long way since the lonely hearts (a.k.a day 1 dating profiles) section first went to print. We have more tech at our fingertips to make us look great, but we’re still tasked
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Dating sucks sometimes. But it sucks less in your thirties and here’s why. Let’s rewind to a time when you think you know it all – your roaring twenties. The actual reality of what you know is sweet fuck-all. Bed-hopping and spending all your cash on impressing one date after another sound familiar? Not an ideal path to marriage, but fun while it lasts. Unless you’re one of the lucky
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Hello Hinge. Introducing the latest online dating service, offering singletons everywhere another shot at finding the one, but could it just be another platform to mindlessly swipe away? And realistically how different can it actually be from the other apps? Unquestionably, dating apps have evolved. Tinder might always be the OG, then Bumble came along with an interesting hook of the female speaking first, but it couldn’t really stand the
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We’ve all got them, friends in relationships who are always so pushy for you to be introduced to one of their ‘amazing’ single friends. Usually set up as a double date and thus forcing everyone together to bask in the uncomfortable first date. The intentions are good, but alas, it’s often just a very awkward affair. Mutual acquaintances forced into strained small talk, while your friends watch on and silently
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