Introducing Bridget Holland - Dating Expert and General Manager of TeleCafe
A little bit about me…
What’s a woman who’s been happily married for the last five years doing giving singles advice about dating?
I used to head up one of the most well known internet dating sites and now I’ve been running TeleCafe for over two years. TeleCafe is Australia’s biggest phone chat forum – in a ‘normal’ week we take in excess of 15, 000 calls!
Dating and relationships are what I do best. But it’s not just my work background – it’s also the fifteen plus years it took me personally to find the right man!
I’ve certainly had my share of experiences, and now spend lots of my time listening to how other people are getting on in the dating game and finding out about the latest and greatest ways to date and have fun.
All of this means that I’ve learnt a thing or two about dating and relationships and am here to share with you a few insider hints and tips!
You’ll notice a common theme in most of the things I have to say about dating - the number one thing I tell all singles is don’t be afraid to take a risk! There are so many couples out there with weird and wacky stories about how they met, don’t get caught up in overanalysing dating. Just get out there!
A little bit about TeleCafe…
Established in 1994, TeleCafe was one of the first telephone chat forums in Australia and remains the most popular. Since its introduction, TeleCafe has received almost twenty million calls!
The key to this success is TeleCafe’s original winning formula which identifies and blends the best parts of traditional and modern relationships: simplicity, adventure, chivalry and good old-fashioned conversation.
Girls Call: 1300 778 653 (local call costs, pay/mob extra)
Guys Call: 1900 920 515 (national call, calls cost $1.65/min. pay/mob extra)
Or you can find out more at our website - www.telecafe.com.au
What the Winter Olympians taught us about dating…
by Bridget Holland, Dating Expert and General Manager of TeleCafe
I’m sure you, like me, have been glued to your TV of late rediscovering all of the weird and wonderful sports of the Winter Olympics. Although I don’t think I’ll be taking up curling or the like anytime soon, watching the Games was pretty inspiring and I think the Winter Olympians and athletes in general can teach us a thing or two when it comes to dating…
Here are some suggestions which I hope will get you not just thinking, but actually playing:
Relax!
Have you ever seen an athlete tense up at a really critical moment and lose it? Nervousness can make awkward moments much worse.
If sparking up a conversation with a stranger is a nightmare for you, then don’t make things too hard on yourself.
Try using technology to help you - when you’re talking on the phone or via email, there’s not so much to be nervous about. You’re safe and secure in your own home and you can leave the conversation at any time. Better yet, if you’re sending messages you get a second chance.
Have fun
Most Olympians aren’t in it for the money. They do it because they love it and so should you.
Whatever you’re doing to improve your dating chances, if you’re not enjoying it, stop! Take a break, a few minutes, a few days, a few weeks, then have another go when you feel like it.
You might want to try the really simple technique of smiling. It will improve your confidence, people will respond to your good mood and will even hear it in your voice.
Practice makes perfect
Or at least a lot better. The first few times Tiger swung a golf club or Federer wove a tennis racquet, they weren’t champions.
In dating, you might miss ‘the ball’ completely, and it’s pretty much certain things won’t go where you want over and over. But I implore you get out there and try dating, chatting and flirting more often because the more you try, the better you’ll get.
The first time you call TeleCafe, you won’t know what to say in your introduction, you won’t know how to start a conversation and you might press the wrong buttons – in more ways than one! So what? You didn’t learn how to walk without falling over. Hang up, do something else, laugh at yourself, remember nobody else saw or heard you making a fool of yourself. Then, have another go.
Do you want to join in on the conversation with the almost 3000 people calling TeleCafe each week?
Girls Call: 1300 778 653 (local call costs, pay/mob extra)
Guys Call: 1900 920 515 (national call, calls cost $1.65/min. pay/mob extra)
Or you can find out more at our website - www.telecafe.com.au
NB Might all sound a little too different but the Relationship Doctor reminds you that being unconventional played a major part in history, after all killing themselves at 14 was considered unconventional and that became the greatest love story of all time..
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
