Life Advice

Ask Dating Coach Erika: Was 'Materialists' accurate?

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jul 02, 2025

As a professional in the dating industry, I received a lot of questions over the last week or so about what I thought about the new movie "Materialists." IMDB describes the movie as, “A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.” But, I was less interested in the plot of the ...Read more

Elite dating services are thriving as love defies economic woes

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jun 28, 2025

Frustrated with dating apps, singles are are shelling out for high-end matchmaking.

“We had our biggest month of sales in the history of the company last month, and we’ve been around for 15 years,” Adam Cohen-Aslatei, CEO of the matchmaking service Three Day Rule says. “Our business is not shrinking.”

And he’s not alone. Demand ...Read more

Single File: Be Good to Yourself

Life Advice / Single File / Jun 25, 2025

I just happen to be reading my own book (titled "Single File," for those of you who haven't done the same) and find myself lingering at the section "Be good to Yourself." This is an issue dear to my heart because to this day, the stereotype lingers of the unmarried as utterly selfish and navel-watching. To be sure, there's much unraveling of ...Read more

Ask Dating Coach Erika: Questions about ghosting, goals

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jun 25, 2025

Today, let’s look at two different questions from two different clients. As always, if one person asks, I can only assume it is applicable to a larger audience. And, interestingly enough, you’ll see that these questions are applicable to any gender and any age.

Question:

I am convinced that online dating is haunted, based upon my ...Read more

Ask Anna: Hookup culture burnout and unavailable crush cycles: Pride edition

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jun 25, 2025

Dear Anna,

I'm a 38-year-old gay man living in a midsize city, and I'm completely exhausted by the dating scene here. It feels like every guy I meet on the apps is only interested in hooking up, and when I suggest actually going on a date or getting to know each other first, they either ghost me or tell me I'm "too serious." I've tried being ...Read more

Date like a 'Love Islander': Tips from a casting event

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jun 25, 2025

ATLANTA -- “Love Island USA’s” Pop-Up Villa stopped by Atlanta’s Park Tavern recently, and whether you’re entering your dating era or you’re just a fan of the popular show, the free event offered more than a chance to audition.

We spoke with casting director Jodi Thomas to get her thoughts on dating trends, red flags and what really...Read more

Millennial Life: In a Village with Two Houses, Be the Right House

Life Advice / My So-Called Millienial Life / Jun 22, 2025

There once was a village with two houses.

The first house always kept an extra chair at the table. Not for anyone in particular, just in case. A neighbor, a traveler, a soul in need of soup. None of the chairs were especially decorative; they all had a place at the table's edge. And if someone new sat in one or the other, the host never asked ...Read more

Ask Anna: How to support your nonbinary partner while processing your own feelings

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jun 19, 2025

Dear Anna,

I've been with my partner for two-and-a-half years, and six months ago they came out to me as nonbinary. I want to be clear that I love them deeply and I'm so proud of them for sharing this with me — I know it took courage. They've asked me to use they/them pronouns, which I'm working on (though I still slip up sometimes), and they...Read more

Single File: Create Love

Life Advice / Single File / Jun 18, 2025

Admit it. You and I sigh for it. At times, we yearn for it. We dream of finding it embodied in one special person, discovering the real thing we crave. Everyone's always looking for it. We mask our yearning in a zillion different ways, but it comes down to hunger for the real thing.

But we can help make it appear in our lives. The very thought ...Read more

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Ask Dating Coach Erika: Should I cancel my trip for my new boyfriend?

Life Advice / Dating Advice / Jun 18, 2025

A woman recently messaged me with a dilemma. She had planned a trip to the Grand Canyon months ago with a platonic male friend. Since then, she started dating someone new, and after one month of exclusivity with her new boyfriend, she told him about the trip. The boyfriend’s reaction? Not good.

Her question to me: “Do I cancel the trip out ...Read more

Millennial Life: You Cannot Be All Things to People (And That's Okay)

Life Advice / My So-Called Millienial Life / Jun 15, 2025

There's a quote that's been following me around lately, showing up in podcasts, books, and the back of my own mind: "You can do anything, but not everything." Supposedly, that's from author David Allen, but it feels like the whispered wisdom of every millennial who's run headlong into the wall of their own limits.

I bounced off that wall again ...Read more

Ask Amy: Exiting with some well-worn wisdom

Life Advice / Ask Amy / Jun 30, 2024

Dear Readers: Since announcing my departure from writing this syndicated column, I have heard from scores of people across various platforms, thanking me for more than two decades of offering advice and wishing me well in my “retirement.” I am very touched and grateful for this outpouring of support.

The thing is – I don’t think of ...Read more