Tag Archives: dating advice

This dating coach helps women in science and engineering fields find love

Dating coach Holly Shaftel wants to engineer the perfect match for millennial women in STEM

Dating isn’t rocket science.

But it can certainly feel that way at times, according to Holly Shaftel, a millennial working at NASA who has made it her mission to help women in the science, technology, engineering and math fields find love.

“I’ve always been interested in the science behind love and sex appeal,” Shaftel, 29, told Moneyish. “Women deal with a lot of sexism in STEM fields, and that can sometimes carry over into dating, where men are intimidated by female intelligence.”

Her own personal struggles with dating while working as a science editor inspired her to to get a life coaching certification and start her own private dating coaching business.

“Being in this male-dominated field, interviewing scientists who are often male, I felt this inferiority complex. I felt intimidated. I felt like I had to make more of an effort to prove myself as a woman,” she said. “I talked to other women [in my field] and they felt that way, too.”

Shaftel uses a few different techniques in her practice, the first one being a 70-question assessment with prompts such as, “I’d rather give than receive,” and “I am fearless,” where clients are told to answer honestly. This helps Shaftel gauge their outlook on life and dating. Each client’s session varies depending on the person, but can include: fine-tuning how to write a strong dating profile; tips on building confidence with self-love exercises; and discussing how to make time for dating while climbing the career ladder in one’s STEM field. Her services don’t come cheap — a one-time payment of $400 gets you the assessment, and then a dating coach session and future customized coaching can cost upwards of $3,000. She’s already helped dozens of her own friends, however, and while the business is geared towards women in STEM, Shaftel says anyone can sign up for her coaching.

“We tackle things like, ‘You’re moving up in your STEM career and breaking those glass ceilings, but you can’t find the time to date somehow.’ I’ll help you find time to date and manage your life,” she said.

Women make up 24% of the STEM workforce, and although they are still paid less than their male counterparts, the pay gap between the genders in STEM fields is still less than it is on average for all workers, according to government data. So no matter who’s doing them, STEM jobs pay significantly more than non-STEM jobs, on average. Indeed, data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that the projected average salary of a 2017 grad with an engineering degree is about $66,000; computer science grads net $65,500; and math and science majors earn $59,368. Meanwhile, a humanities grad can expect to make just $48,700.

SEE ALSO: 12 badass women that inspire girls to get into STEM

Research suggests that some successful STEM women may be afraid to share their achievements with potential dates, however, because they are worried that they will intimate potential partners. Researchers at the Harvard Business Review surveyed male and female students. Each group was asked about their professional preferences, including compensation, and were told that their answers would help them get a job after graduation. When told that the career office would be reviewing their answers, women responded similarly to their male counterparts, with just a small drop in requested compensation. However, the single women in the study downplayed their career ambitions in the answers when they were told their answers would be viewed by classmates. Instead, they said they would accept getting paid a staggering $18,000 less in salary, and rated themselves as less ambitious. Male respondents and women in relationships responded the same in both circumstances.

But Shaftel doesn’t think you should play down your smarts. Indeed, she’s seen women do it and doesn’t think that it works. “I felt like I was smarter,” she said. “I said, ‘Do I have to be this woman?’ I felt like I had so much more to offer.”

Shaftel practiced what she now preaches in her own dating life by taking pride in her work instead of downplaying it. She recalled showing her now-boyfriend of four years an Earth science mobile app that she worked on at her day job.

“After I showed him how it worked, he said to me, ‘Wow, I’ve never nerded off with a woman before,’” she said, realizing that, “Confidence and brains trump all.”

Shaftel is determined to change the stigmas by “bushwhacking through the ineffective advice and sexist bulls—t out there,” as she writes on her website. One prompt she gives clients to boost their egos is having them keep a journal of all of their positive qualities and attributes, or “what makes you amazing.”

Amy Dickinson: Kids take a back seat when grandfather needs care

Dear Amy: My parents have taken in my 95-year-old grandfather. Money is not a problem, so he could have gone into a nursing home or into assisted living. My grandfather has six other kids, and no one else wanted him to live with them.

I feel as if I have lost my parents until my grandfather passes. I’ll invite them to come to their grandchild’s “grandparent day” at school, and it’s, “No, we can’t leave Dad alone,” or, “Oh, we can’t make it to the twins’ birthday party, because we can’t leave Dad.”

I live almost two hours away, and my grandfather won’t go anyplace other than the doctor or church. No other family member is available or trustworthy enough to watch him.

Amy, this could go on for years!

I was never close to him. He is difficult to get along with and could not tell you one thing about me as a child, because he (and my grandmother, who died years ago) didn’t take an interest in most of their grandchildren. Fortunately, my other grandparents were total rock stars, so I was not deprived.

Every time I talk to my mother now, it’s all about my grandfather. I DON’T CARE!

Short of cutting off ties with my parents, what am I supposed to do?

I expressed all my opposition to this before he moved in. I said that it was a bad idea. I was not listened to.

I do still try to visit them once a month, but it’s hard. I work full time and have to do things like take care of my kids’ laundry and buy groceries.

My folks used to travel to see us once or twice a month — sometimes more often.

I miss my parents, and my kids miss their grandparents! — Want Them Back

Dear Want: As much as I would like to answer your letter by saying, “I DON’T CARE!,” I won’t do that, because I have a shred of compassion toward you. And you should have a shred of compassion toward your parents. It is hard to imagine that these people you are so desperate to spend time with raised such a selfish, self-centered person.

For the next phase of their lives, your folks are going to be wrapped up in this hard thing they are doing. Your mother is going to be at least as concerned about your grandfather as you are about your kids’ laundry. So yes, for now her life will be all about him. Deal with it.

You should suck it up, and find ways to support your parents during this challenging time. If you want to see them, take the kids to visit. It would probably be good for your children to witness some multigenerational loving kindness.

Dear Amy: I need advice on how to help my sister, “Betsy.” Betsy was married for eight years to a guy who lied, took drugs and was verbally abusive.

Thank goodness, they got divorced two years ago.

Since then she has tried flirting with some guys at her work, only to be shot down. Basically, they only like her as a friend.

She briefly tried online dating, again without much success. She talked to a couple of guys (at different times) who said they would like to get to know her better, but they ghosted her after she suggested meeting in person.

This has led to loneliness and self-pity. She says she wishes she was numb so she doesn’t have to feel the heartache.

Amy, she is a sweetheart. She is smart and very caring. How can I help her out of this downward spiral? — Worried Sister

Dear Worried Sister: Rather than focusing too intensively on your sister’s dating problems, you should encourage her to work on some social and friendship skills, in order for her to become more self-actualized. Professional counseling or coaching will help. When she feels better and more in control, she’ll have an easier time coping with her meeting and dating challenges.

And dating is a challenge for everyone. Your sister will need both confidence and patience.

4 tips to heal after a non-breakup from your non-relationship

Way back when, in fall 2017 into winter 2018, I was seeing someone…sort of. It wasn’t a relationship per se, but it wasn’t totally platonic either. The whole experience was confusing: How much of it was objective(ish) truth, and how much of it was my subconscious projection and misinterpretation? Not knowing these answers made understanding how to handle the inevitable breakup feel impossible. Because, like that supposed tree falling in the woods, can there even be a breakup when there’s no relationship to effectively end?

We met through mutual friends and quickly began texting and going on dates—yes, the dinners, movie nights, and shows were indisputably dates. But beyond knowing that we were, in some sense of the word, dating, I didn’t have much of an understanding of our relationship. We never really discussed it, partially because I was not in a rush to DTR, but also because things just seemed to working. I didn’t want to harsh the vibe or create weirdness where none currently existed.

Month after month, it went on, until one day, it was unceremoniously over. Of course, since we were never really together, there was no breakup. I felt confused and pretty mad while I unsuccessfully searched for closure. But what was I even looking for?

There is a huge gray area between being single and being in a relationship, yet there’s also a huge lack of language to articulate this space.

While I’d like to believe this experience was unique to me (mostly for the emotional health and greater good of the world), such is not at all the case in modern dating. There is a huge gray area between being single and being in a relationship, yet there’s also a huge lack of language to articulate this space. While terms like orbiting and ghosting explain the often-shitty aftermath of these early, not-yet-official relationships, there isn’t simply isn’t an apt way to describe them in their prime.

So, by way of traditional closure, your prospects are slim unless you’re willing to confront your sort-of ex (I’m not). Instead, focus on what you can control, namely yourself. Below are expert-approved tips for how to handle a breakup—or rather a non-breakup—from a non-relationship.

Keep reading for 4 steps to heal after a non-relationship ends.

Photo: Stocksy/Alexey Kuzma

1. Acknowledge your feelings (and their validity)

In traditional (read: defined) relationships, there is an accepted grieving period following a breakup, says Carolina Castanos, PhD, founder of MovingOn. When the situation may not seem worthy of the emotional bells and whistles that tend to accompany full-blown breakups, however, the recovery period here can take on a different, less identifiable form. “In a non-relationship, grief can take a different shape, as there is uncertainty regarding what you meant to the other person,” she says.

“Ambiguous boundaries of the relationship do not diminish the feelings you may have developed.” —Jess Carbino, PhD

This can make parsing your feelings on the matter difficult because it can give way to notions of unworthiness. Still, Dr. Castanos champions the importance of not only identifying your emotions, but understanding that you’re allowed to feel all of ’em. Jess Carbino, PhD—a doc and Bumble’s in-house sociologist—agrees. “Ambiguous boundaries of the relationship do not diminish the feelings you may have developed,” she says.

2. Sort your emotions

Next, Dr. Castanos says it’s helpful to wallow with purpose. “Allow yourself time to grieve, and make sure you know who these feelings are toward,” she says. “Feel them and put words to them.”

In my situation, I was frustrated with myself for not being shrewd, and angry with him for being dismissive and emotionally manipulative. Decoding the confusion helps to clear the general fog.

3. Contextualize the relationship

You may never know how the other person regarded your relationship, but Dr. Carbino says you can analyze your own opinions about this to great effect. “In terms of finding closure when boundaries or definitions or unclear, it is helpful to consider how you defined the relationship and what it represents to you.” By doing this, you can draw boundaries that’ll help your see clear closure for yourself.

4. Find the silver lining—because there is one

One borderline-positive effect of my situation is it forced me to think about what I need from a partner. While defining the relationship has always been a panic-inducing topic for me because it always seems to indicate more seriousness than I’m prepared for, Dr. Carbino says it’s a good idea to still at least have The Talk with yourself. “We all need boundaries so that we can have clear expectations about how to operate in the world,” she says.

Do I need strict definitions and boundaries, a traditional union, or simply more emotional openness punctuating a still-ambiguous setup? I don’t have the exact answers yet, but at least I know what I’m not looking for: a non-relationship rooted in a complete lack of communication.

This is how you should approach dating if you have social anxiety and how it changes when you’re in your thirties

Women, Dating & Sex: 9 Books Every Man Needs To Read

You swipe left, she swipes right. You order an espresso, she orders a milky flat white. You’re in love, she wants a guy with a bigger pike. 

Women are complex creatures. It takes time and training to master the art of talking to, living with and (shock, horror) getting married to women. And at a time when it’s more tempting than ever to Netflix yourself to sleep than it is to get out there and make a fool of yourself in a bar, it’s important to keep your skills sharp.

So: do your research, get out in the field, and master the art. With these five tried and tested books for helping you get good at approaching, talking to, flirting with and making love to women, your excuses are now as dry as our unimpressed eyes when you tell us, “But it’s hard.” 

Conversation Casanova, By Dave Perrotta

Too many dating books sound like convoluted bibles of psychological warfare. The reality is: most guys just want practical tips on how to start—and maintain—a conversation anytime, anywhere. If this sounds like you: this is your book. The Kama Sutra of conversation, this book is a goldmine. 

Shop @ Amazon  From $10.

The Game by Neil Strauss

Part fiction, part fact, The Game was released about 6 years ago to much hype and buzz. It’s Neil Strauss’s story of how he went from dork author to pick up artist. The book details his time with other dating coaches, and how he was able to transform himself from AFC (average frustrated chump) to a guy who could talk to any woman in any situation. The techniques are dated and lame (read: sleazy) and should never be used, but it’s a good book to understand the basics.

Shop @ Amazon  From $25.33. 

Models by Mark Mason

Models is the first book ever written on seduction as an emotional process rather than a logical one (like The Game). Through honesty and being an all round genuine and awesome bloke, Mark Mason teaches men to approach. According to him the key is to be honest and direct, which shows her that you find her attractive and sexy; but not hung up on her response. He also teaches men how to deal with rejection and use it to their advantage. A great read.

Shop @ Amazon  From $11.66.

Text Appeal by Michael Masters

We still believe in calling a girl, but let’s be real: most of your conversing will be done via text. People now text more than talk on the phone. Lean the tricks of how to talk to women via text and social media. Learn how to be cocky—but funny—without coming across as a jerk. Most importantly: learn the subtle art of what to write and what not to write in a text message. Good for fine tuning your online dating skills.

Shop @ Amazon From $8.99.

101 Places To Have Sex Before You Die, By Marsha Normandy and Joseph St. James

Looking to add some chilli to your vanilla-flavoured routine? If you’re moderately flexible, have a penchant for risk-taking and want to spice up your sex life, this ‘geographical karma sutra’ provides a list of everyday places where venturesome people can have sex—without too much difficulty. Each location features a difficulty rating, helpful icons to indicate hazards or special considerations for each place (e.g. if there’s a chance you might get arrested; if there are time constraints; if there’s a risk of embarrassment; or if any special equipment is needed), and much more. So whether you enjoy a good roll in the hay (or in the reptile house at the zoo), this is the book for you. 

Shop @ Amazon From $11. 

Way of the Superior Man by David Deida

Once you’ve mastered the art of talking to women you need to master yourself and better understand relationships. David Deida will explain the types of people that attract one another, relationship behaviour and how ‘real’ men should approach their love life. This is a more advanced book, so it’s best you don’t pick this one first.

Shop @ Amazon  From $13.65. 

The Sex Book, By Suzi Godson

From finding the G-spot and using sex toys, to cybersex and optimal sex positions, this book has it all; the perfect option for when you want to know something about sex but are too embarrassed to ask. 

“Whatever your orientation, outlook, age, or experience, if you have questions, here are straightforward, accessible, and adventurous answers.” 

What really sets this book apart from the rest is that it was put together by a team of doctors, psychologists, and sex experts, meaning it’s not just about pleasure: it’s about health too. An unmatched guide, The Sex Book offers a wealth of information balanced with interesting practical and personal experience. 

Shop @ Amazon From $10. 

How to Give Her Absolute Pleasure by Lou Paget

Not one to whip out on the bus: but none of the best books are… Where women have Cosmo or Cleo Magazine, I think guys miss out on the nitty gritty of sex, so make use of the author’s fifteen years of sexuality research. Just don’t leave this one around for mum to find. Lou explains “sex things” in detail and helps point the novice or experienced man in a more satisfying direction for both.

Shop @ Amazon  From $16.17.

The Kama Sutra, By Alain Daniélou (Translator)

If The Game is the original pick up book, the Kama Sutra is the original sex position book. Written in the fourth century A.D by a Brahmin and a religious scholar called Vatsyayana, the Kama Sutra is the world’s oldest and most widely read guide to the pleasures and techniques of sex. Until 1993, the only English translation of his Hindu love classic was that of the famous English explorer Sir Richard Burton (published in 1883). This version, translated by Alain Daniélou, brings the magic book to life. 

Shop @ Amazon  From $20. 

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