A life coach, mum and corporate trainer who is launching a business with the partner she met on a socially distanced lockdown date has given some helpful dating tips in time for Valentine’s Day.
Jenny Jarvis, who is launching Derby and London-based brand and strategy consultancy Q Branch Consulting with Matt Clutterham this month, has issued the following advice to anyone heading out on a first date or embarking on online dating this February 14.
On the day traditionally filled with red roses, chocolates and romantic candlelit dinners, Jenny’s top tips are aimed at helping people enjoy dating by creating good relationships with themselves as much as others.
A life coach and mum, she credits her own experience learning to be an NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) coach in helping her overcome significant hurdles in her life, including post-natal depression, divorce and neurodiverse parenting.
Jenny, who met Matt via an online dating app, said: “My own dating mantra when I went online was: ‘There are nice men looking for nice women’. It served me really well. I met several lovely men who just weren’t for me but were looking for genuine, nice women to spend their lives with. I didn’t have any bad experiences at all. People shouldn’t be scared to go online to look for a great match – it worked well for me, as it has for millions of others.”
When the couple met on their first date, a socially distanced walk around Melbourne Pool in November 2020, Jenny asked Matt a series of 40 questions to establish whether the pair felt the relationship between them would work.
Here are her top tips to anyone heading out into the world of dating this Valentine’s Day.
- Work on yourself first, is always my first piece of advice. You need to deal with any past relationship issues before you take them to the next one. It’s time to examine yourself carefully. If you’ve ever said: ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ – it’s time for you to ask yourself what you meant and deal with it!
- When creating an online profile, make it positive. It needs to say who you are and what you want. I would recommend getting help if you don’t know where to start. Be honest! Have a variety of photos that look like you. No bed selfies!
- Online dating is not about getting hundreds of ‘likes’. That is just ego. You only need one amazing match. The point of your profile is to put the wrong people off and attract those who may be a good fit.
- If ghosting triggers you – remember, it’s never about you.
- As the big questions early in a relationship. If they run a mile – great! You know they weren’t for you.
- I would always recommend the 40 dating questions I asked Matt on our first meeting. You can do a search online to find some great ones. Ask them of yourself and then ask your date. Honestly, it will change your life!
Q Branch Consulting combines Jenny’s personal development work with Matt’s experience as a critically acclaimed lighting designer turned brand and transformation consultant.
This story was written and shared on behalf of Q Branch Consulting by Lucy Stephens. Can we share your news and get you in the headlines too? Find out how we can help by getting in touch.
