Dare to Date

Welcome to my little corner of the world friends. As a dental hygienist and podcaster, I find sharing stories is a wonderful way to get to know someone, as well as educate and entertain. As a single woman, many of my stories center around my various dating adventures. A few years ago I decided to do a dating experiment...10 first dates only to see what I could learn from first impressions. You may not be able to tell from listening to my podcast, but I am actually pretty shy in person. I also have high standards when it comes to men I date. After kissing some real frogs, I abandoned my search for a prince to see what I could learn from going on 10 first dates only. I was surprised to discover that my patients wanted to be included in my experience and wanted to listen to the interesting and crazy things that happened with each number date. It became a hit! I even had patients eager to hear what my next date was like and dropped by the office because they couldn't wait 3-6 months for their next appointment. Laughter, comic relief, vulnerability, my genuine love of my job, and dental hygiene skills helped ease my patients fear and they looked forward to the next appointment with me. When planning my dating episode, I knew the best person to discuss my 10 first date stories with would be my next guest Carole Gilmore, LPC-S, owner of Authentic Balance Counseling, PLLC. She is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in marriage revitalization and restoration. We met in my dental chair and I have shared many dating tales with her over the years. It's scary to put yourself out in the online dating world, but with the support of my patients, like Carole, it encourages me to continue the journey towards love. My name is Hope and this is part 1 of my "dare to date" stories. Listen, subscribe, and share wherever you hear podcasts!