The Dating Den

This week’s guest originally appeared on episode three of the Dating Den podcast. Now, she is the VP of Client Success. Christine Kriner rejoins Marni on the show to share the incredible breakthroughs and relationship shifts she experienced after trusting the process.    Key takeaways from this episode:  What may be holding you back from having a great relationship Benefits of setting boundaries Courageous moves to help you find your vision Looking at every situation as a learning experience   Take Action & Apply the Lessons [2:06] Before joining the Institute of Living Courageously Crew, Christine worked for 20-years in the field of personal development. She helped others to develop themselves but never applied the lessons to her own life. She never experienced breakthroughs. But, after some deep listening to Marni's coachings and to the outcomes of other clients, she started applying it to her life and experienced some consequential shifts.  Christine says it changed her. She doesn't believe she would

In this lively episode, Marni and Chris discuss all the juicy Bachelor Nation drama. They question the motives of the men chosen to be on the show and spotlight Colton Underwood and Matt James’ escapades. Will this season go down in the history books as the most dramatic season ever? Probably, but there is always the next Bachelor in Paradise to look forward to.   Key takeaways from this episode:  How to avoid staying too long in a bad relationship Should people be forgiven for the actions they take while heartbroken? How to discern if a guy only looks good on paper Will Bachelor in Paradise have any contestants?   Colton Underwood, Mr. Perfect? [4:55]  Marni and Chris discuss the previous Bachelor, Colton Underwood. If you haven’t already heard, this 29-year-old man was enamored with a girl named Cassie even though he came out as gay on Good Morning America. Colton is accused of planting tracking devices on Cassie’s car and some other ‘light’ stalking activities.  Cassie has not reached out to him, nor mad

Marni welcomes bestselling authors and professional coaches, the dynamic duo, Marc and Angel Chernoff into the Den. The couple discusses tips from their latest book, 1000+ Little Habits of Happy, Successful Relationships, secrets of a lasting relationship, and communication strategies to use in the dating process.   Key takeaways from this episode:  5 questions that can save a relationship How to have a repair conversation Communication habits to avoid The power of being grateful   Questions That Can Save a Relationship [1:58] Relationships are a huge part of our lives. Therefore, the rituals and habits we build and adopt should focus on communication and relationships. A common myth is if we find the right person they will bring out the best in us and make us happy. In reality, WE are the key to our happiness, not another person.  How can we be life-giving to another human being if we are depleted? When we are in a relationship we need to tune into the other person by checking in with them and inquiring ho

Marni welcomes a sex and intimacy coach into the Den. Irene Fair helps couples make love and sex work in long-term relationships while keeping the passion alive. Irene’s work has been featured in HuffPo, Elite Daily, Bustle, and Scary Mommy.   Key takeaways from this episode:  How to want sex again Dispel myths about libido  Why it is important to communicate your sexual needs early Why having sex too soon can hurt a sex life later   Losing Libido Isn’t Funny [2:24] It's important to remember sex at the beginning of a relationship is special and unique. It should not be a benchmark for the sexual expectations of a long-term relationship.  When some women become asexual as their libido drops we rarely look at what has happened in a relationship or what is different than in the beginning when the partners first experienced each other.   Irene reminds us, there are various ways to have a sexual connection between partners. Sex doesn't have to mean only traditional intercourse. When we think of sex as only one

Marni welcomes a fourth-generation journalist into the Den. Annie Daly has written about travel and wellness for Self, Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast, and she was the Travel Editor at Buzzfeed. During this episode, she shares key elements of her book, Destination Wellness, which includes wellness practices from six different cultures.    Key takeaways from this episode:  Why you can not find wellness in a product Common threads in ancient wellness practices Dating philosophies from around the globe The power of community in wellness   Destination Wellness [1:43] Annie met her husband on a camping trip. The original purpose of the trip was a girls-only weekend with the intention of escaping men. It just goes to show, you never know when or how you will meet your match.  About writing her book, Destination Wellness, Annie says she grew tired of the commercialism surrounding well-being and wellness. She knew there were ways to live in balance that had nothing to do with buying products. She decided to travel to

Marni welcomes a woman who has her hands in many creative ventures, Natasha Chandel into the Den. Natasha was born in Dubai and now lives in LA. Depending on the day she is a comedy writer, actress, creative producer, podcast host, and more. During their chat they discuss the Kinda Dating Podcast, the influence of social media and reality dating shows on real-life dating, and how the pandemic has changed dating.     Key takeaways from this episode:  Learning to recognize your dating style How social media and reality dating shows affect perceptions Finding connection during the pandemic Don’t take ghosting personally   Kinda Dating [2:03] Natasha describes her podcast Kinda Dating as an exploration of commitment issues. She reveals that in the past she was a hardcore relationship girl. But after enduring an abusive relationship, she became a commitment-phobe. Through lots of therapy and personal development work, she has come out on the other side as a reformed commitment-phobe.  When we are on a date, we t

On this week's Bachelor recap, Marni and Chris discuss the season finale of the Bachelor. In this no-holds-barred episode, we learn how to detect red flags early when we meet a non-committal, Teflon-like Matt James type in the real dating world. A guy may be cute, and he may be charming but if he shows no interest in being vulnerable, he is emotionally unavailable.   Key takeaways from this episode:  Why a crumbs guy is not a bad person, just damaged Defining emotional unavailability Getting closure when a relationship doesn’t work out The next Bachelorette   Does He Have Potential? [2:03] The Bachelor episode, as disappointing as it was, held some beneficial lessons for real-world dating. Marni points out the Matt James attributes that make him a relationship-commitment-phobic f*&k boy. She warns us that in the end, a f*&k boy will be a dick. He may be cute, but he will disappear with no remorse. It pisses Marni off because he comes off as a guy who has potential. From the male perspective, Chris s

On this week's Dating Den, Marni speaks with the Founder and CEO of Collaborate.Work, Bevin Farrand. Bevin supports small businesses and entrepreneurs in developing and executing strategies to increase revenue. She has also created the ‘Take the Damn Trip’ movement and community. Her DAMN framework has inspired hundreds to connect with the people they love and do the crazy things that make all the difference.   Key takeaways from this episode:  Choose a path of meaning and significance Appreciate meaningful moments Get clear about what you want Take micro-actions to reach your goal Prepare for the relationship of your dreams   The DAMN Framework [3:35] In 2019, Bevin and her husband took an amazing trip to France to celebrate her birthday and reconnect with each other. Bevin had just been laid off from her job and was hesitant to take such a lavish trip. But, she did and she will be forever grateful. Shortly after their return her husband just didn’t wake up one morning. Her life was turned upside down.   

On this week's Bachelor recap, Marni and Chris discuss this week’s Fantasy Suite episode. Matt James aka the robot shed a tear this week yet still refused to give Bri or Michelle an answer when they professed their love for him. Marni offers advice for when you encounter this type of behavior in your dating life.   Key takeaways from this episode:  How to spot an emotionally unavailable guy Dating a guy with commitment issues? Having sex to seal the deal Is this season of the Bachelor the lamest ever?   Is Matt James Ready to Commit? [1:55] At the beginning of the show, only Bri, Michelle, and Rachael remained for the fantasy suite date. The setup is an overnight date with no cameras so the possibility of sex exists.  Matt admits he is a bit guarded and probably a bit of a robot at the beginning of his conversation with his dad. Marni says it was weird to have that type of conversation on TV. Matt is just now starting to realize he has some issues to work through. He is still in the victim phase blaming it

On this week's Dating Den, Marni speaks with New York-based Image Consultant and Personal Stylist for high achieving women, Melanie Lippman. Melanie advises clients about the clothes and self-talk to uplevel their confidence. She designs personal wardrobes for her clients that can eliminate overwhelm. She shares her best tips for dressing to increase your approachability factor.   Key takeaways from this episode:  What clothes match your personality Why wearing oversized clothes is a no-no Why some women hide underneath their clothes Style tips for dressing for a date What to wear on the weekends   Clothes Send a Message About Who You Are [2:32] Many women wear oversized clothes because of body image issues that started when they were just children. Little girls are sponges during our formative years and just one comment from an aunt or sibling and we are stuck with that limiting belief until we change it.  Most of us experience this when we are going through a struggle, like the bad lighting in the fitting

On this week's Bachelor recap, Marni and Chris discuss the women’s tell-all episode and Matt James facial hair. This season is proving to be a letdown in the love department. We can only hope the season finale will offer some kind of twist with just Bri,  Michelle, and Rachael left in the running for the soon-to-be lackluster proposal from Matt.    Key takeaways from this episode:  Be emotional when you have strong feelings Bad kissers How to be the person you want to attract Find out where a relationship is headed with a single question   It’s in His Kiss [9:11] One aspect of the show everyone can agree on is no one likes Matt's beard. Not the girls, not the audience, and not Marni or Chris Gillis. And when you add that beard to his already weird kissing style it’s obvious that Matt may only be no more than a good-hearted f*c$boy.  When Matt kisses the girls he does not close his eyes. And admits to not knowing he was supposed to. Wait.......What? Marni says that it displays his lack of emotional availabil

Because self-care is more than getting a manicure, Marni welcomes self-love and self-care experts Brooke Emery and Tammy Lawman into the Den. The duo has been recognized by Forbes as being connectors. They share the secrets of making meaningful connections in life and how to know your value, trust your intuition, and create a deep love and appreciation of yourself.    Key takeaways from this episode:  Express yourself more fully Creating a self-love container Add joy to your life   Creating a Self-Love Container [6:59] To create a self-love container a person needs to be their whole self without worrying about or changing to fit other people’s expectations of you. This means radically accepting who you are at your core by speaking your truth and getting clear about what you want.  Almost always, the things that bring us the most joy do not cost money. Make a list of the ways you find joy and gratitude. Then bring more joy and love into your day with mini-steps. You may not like doing the dishes but if you p

On this week's Bachelor recap, Marni and Chris discuss Matt’s latest lackluster performance. Creating connection requires warmth and he is cool as a cucumber. They also make their predictions of who will be the frontrunner in this dating contest. And, Marni extracts dating advice for your real-life scenarios.   Key takeaways from this episode:  Knowing when it is not a match After a tough breakup, when it is time to date again How to create connection and warmth How to know if a guy is insincere   Gracefully Bowing Out of a Relationship [2:24] Serena didn’t put herself, or Matt, at any risk of being emotional when she asked Matt about the Maple Leafs. The first time we saw this on the show was during the yoga date. Intimacy may not be her thing. But, kudos to her when she realizes Matt is not her person she excuses herself from the contest.  Marni wants to applaud her for telling Matt it wasn't going to work and she is not ready. During the telephone call with her mother, her mom said, ‘that last relationsh