EP 36: You’re Not Bad at Dating — Your Profile Is: Online Dating Tips that Actually Work with Coach Erika Ettin

Feeling burned out from dating apps? You're not alone—79% of users report dating app fatigue. In this episode, I sit down with Erika Ettin, founder of A Little Nudge and dating coach for 15 years, to break down exactly what makes online dating profiles stand out and how to actually convert matches into dates.

Erika shares her "Name Your Five" framework for creating profiles that spark conversation, the biggest mistakes that quietly sabotage connection, and why successful people often struggle the most with modern dating. We dive into profile photo strategies, the art of first messages, texting between dates, and when to move from app to in-person.

If you're swiping but not connecting, getting matches but not dates, or feeling like dating has become another exhausting chore, this conversation is full of practical insights that will shift how you approach online dating entirely.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• The "Name Your Five" profile framework that creates message bait
• Photo strategy: What your first three pictures need to show
• Why "doing the work" doesn't entitle you to find someone
• How to text between dates without creating false intimacy
• The green flags people overlook when chemistry isn't instant
• Why your attitude toward dating apps determines your experience
• When to go on a second date (hint: if you're curious for one more conversation)

"Your trip to Europe is fleeting. Your potential partner, hopefully, is for a long time. So perhaps people should spend more time on their dating profile than planning vacation. You spent 10 hours planning your trip to Europe but only five minutes on your Hinge profile. That math doesn't add up."

- Erika Ettin

CONNECT WITH ERIKA:

Erika Ettin is the Founder of A Little Nudge, a consulting company that helps people navigate the world of online dating, from first click to first date. She is also the author of the book Love at First Site.

 

Erika studied economics at Cornell University and received her MBA from Georgetown. She started A Little Nudge in 2011 (after a seven-year career as an economist). She is responsible for many relationships, marriages, and the confidence some people simply need to “get out there.”

 

A Little Nudge has been featured in media around the country, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, CBS, and Ask Men, and she currently writes a weekly syndicated dating column.  

Erika's Instagram: @alittlenudge

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