Ask Elisa

I apologize for the abrupt ending on this episode. We're new at this; mistakes happen. In this episode, I talk with Morgan. For the past three years, Morgan has chosen not to date. We talk about what it's like to make this choice in a society that places so much value on romantic partnerships. As always, I share a question from a listener for my guest and me to respond to. The question for this episode is, "Should people wait until a divorce is final before they start to date?" Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode. Find Ask Elisa on social media: Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa Tiktok: @askelisapodcast

In this episode, Claudia is back to share her craziest dating story. She starts off by saying, "This story... I do think should be a Netflix show..." And I share a quick story about the audacity and self-importance of a random dude I matched with on Bumble. Find Ask Elisa on social media: Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa Tiktok: @askelisapodcast

In this episode, I talk with Dani. Dani became a single mom in her mid-20s and over the past decade and half has stepped in and out of the dating scene. Dani shares her experience dating as a single mom, through college, grad school, working full time, and being an overall impressive human.  As always, I share a question from a listener for my guest and me to respond to. The question for this episode is, "I'm finally ready to start dating again. But my kids don't want me to. Do you have any suggestions for how to navigate this?" Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode. Find Ask Elisa on social media: Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa Tiktok: @askelisapodcast

Bonus mini episode! If you liked hearing me talk with Rhonda, my boyfriend's mom, in episode 5, you will love this short clip of us chatting away before we started the episode.    Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode. Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa TikTok: @askelisapodcast

An hour after meeting my (relatively new) boyfriend's mom, I'm sitting down and recording a podcast episode with her. Rhonda, now 66, tells the story of the worst blind date she's every been on. This episode confirms, that dating was rough before the apps. It's always been terrible, so let's just laugh about it. Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode. Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa TikTok: @askelisapodcast

Do you have a dating story you’d like to have featured on a Dating Storytime episode of Ask Elisa? Send in a written version of your favorite dating story for me to read on the show to [email protected]. I also take questions from listeners. This can be a simple question about dating etiquette or sharing a dating dilemma you’re facing you’d like some feedback on. Send in your questions to [email protected]. New episodes every Thursday.

In this episode, Claudia is back to talk with me about the chatting phase on the dating apps.  After you match with someone, you can chat. The chatting phase is the time to decide whether or not you want to meet in person. Since Claudia and I both date men, we only discuss chatting with men on dating apps.  As always, I share a question from a listener for my guest and me to respond to. The question for this episode is, "Have you ever been stood up before?" Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode.   Find Ask Elisa on social media: Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa TikTok: @askelisapodcast

It's a special dating storytime episode! These are short episodes where a guest and I each tell a story from our dating past. Please enjoy a quick story from Rachael about a guy with a boat and my story about a guy without a bedframe. Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode.   Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa TikTok: @askelisapodcast

In this episode, I talk with Claudia, a therapist and active dater. We discuss our processes for reviewing dating profiles, what gives us the immediate ick, and what we like to see. Since Claudia and I both date men, we only discuss men's dating profiles.  As always, I share a question from a listener for my guest and me to respond to. The question for this episode is, "Should unmatching etiquette be a thing?" Send in your dating dilemmas and questions to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode.   Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa TikTok: @askelisapodcast

In this episode, I talk with my friend Rachael about starting to date after a big break up. Many people in their late 30s, 40s, and older find themselves on the dating scene after the end of a significant relationship. I've been through a divorce and had a second long-term relationship of almost eight years end unexpectedly. Rachael called off her wedding just two weeks before the date. We discuss our experiences of the public nature of these types of break ups and what it was like to get back out on the dating scene. As always, I share a question from a listener for my guest and me to respond to. The question for this episode is "How do you balance small talk and depth on a first date?" Rachael's blog: thisvulnerablelife.org   Send in your dating questions to be answered on the show! Send in your dating questions, scenarios, and situations to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have us respond on a future episode. Find Ask Elisa Online Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon: www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: www.youtube.com/@askelisa  TikTok: @askelisapodcast

Ask Elisa: the good, the bad, and the ick is a new podcast about dating in your late 30s, 40s, and older. I’m your host, Elisa Sparkman. I found myself unexpectedly single right before my 40th birthday. Now with two years of dating behind me, I wanna talk about it!  Join me and my guests as we take real questions from listeners and dive into the messy, funny, and often frustrating world of modern dating—from first dates and dating apps to boundaries, heartbreak, and everything in between. Whether you’re newly single, getting back out there after years, or just trying to make sense of it all, you’ll find validation, perspective, and comfort here. Come for the laughs, stay for the honesty—and leave feeling a little less alone in your love life. Send in your dating questions, scenarios, and situations to [email protected] or through social media direct messages to have Elisa and a guest share their response on a future episode. Join the Ask Elisa community on Patreon for free at https://www.patreon.com/cw/AskElisa Instagram: @askelisapodcast YouTube: @askelisa TikTok: @askelisapod