Hashtag Single hashtagsingle

WE'RE BACK!!  Well... kinda. You might have noticed (or you might have not, depending on the kind of year you have been having) that we've been absent for quite a while. Episode 79 was published in October 2022 - over a year ago. What's happened?
Quite alot, as it were. I got busy with work. I started dating someone. And then my dad got sick. 
My dad died in May of this year.
Nothing seemed to matter anymore. It's still hard to feel like it does.
It took me a long time to decide to come back to dating, and to come back to #single. The simple truth is that I had recorded episodes earlier this year that I never published and that was weighing on me. They're wonderful conversations about taking a break, about the science of well-being, and how to hold on to happiness while struggling with dating.
So I thought I would do the very thing I've always asked my single guests to do: be completely open, honest, and vulnerable with where I'm at. Perhaps you too are struggling with loss. Perhaps you're also trying to date while grieving. No one ever really talks about this stuff, so I decided I would. I hope it resonates with you.
(But there's also a juicy and ridiculous dating story in there too, we can't neglect those entirely lol).
If any of this resonates, reach out. I'd love to hear from you.  Comment here or DM us on IG @hashtagsinglepod or text/ leave a voice message at (929) 278-5574. 

Sonali is a radiant single woman who, at the blushing age of 35, is proudly still a virgin.  Raised in a conservative Indian household, her family restricted her interactions socially, not just with boys her own age but girls as well, which meant she had limited social development until she went to college.  Once there however, she wasn't allowed to stay on campus and commuted back-and-forth the entire time.  This upbringing, in addition to her own strong beliefs about sex and one-night stands, has led her to become the 35-year-old virgin she is today.
There are a lot of cultures and religions that forbid sex before marriage, but how does that fit into modern day dating?  If and when do you tell the person that you're dating that not only are you not sexually active, but the person you intend to lose your virginity to will be your husband?  Will that scare potential suitors away or weed out the ones who aren't the right match?
Sonali and I trade thoughts on this very hot topic, and we include thoughts from Dr. Phil who gave Sonali his opinion on this question in 2020.  VOP Jason joins the convo to debate why the institution of marriage is falling out of favor, as well as his perspective growing up in a family that was not as sexually conservative as Sonali's but just as intentional about maintaining their family's cultural roots, traditions, and belief systems.
We'd love to hear what you think! 
Watch Sonali on Dr. Phil here
 
 

It all started with a story of getting picked up while walking down the street, leading to the innocuous question by Josh (our VOP): "How do I approach a woman in public without scaring her or offending her?"
If you listened to our last episode, you'll learn that I went on a solo group trip with Flash Pack to Peru in July, and there I met singles Elizabeth and Josh, who I got to have a lively conversation with over dinner one night in Urubamba.  It's totally scary to approach a stranger in public and ask them out on a date, but Elizabeth and I believe that half the time we have to give men the permission, letting them know that it's okay to approach us and ask us out - if done respectfully.  Thus: societal chicken.
Along the way we discuss the difficulties of being a career-driven women who has spent a good portion of her life in training or in school and hasn't prioritized dating, and the wins and losses that come with that choice, as well as the shortened timeline all adults in their late 30's and 40s experience whilst trying to date.
Lots to chew on in this reprieved Peruvian dinner convo!  We love to hear your thoughts - drop us a DM or comment & let us know your thoughts!

This summer we've featured some ways to get off the awful dating apps and meet people back in the real world, aka IRL dating.  While City Swoon and We Met IRL are fantastic speed dating companies you should definitely be checking out (see Episodes 74 & 75), this episode is still in keeping with IRL dating experiences, but it's also a bit more.
In July I traveled to Peru with a company called Flack Pack, a boutique adventure travel company offering excursions for solo group travel for people in the 30's and 40's.  Co-founder Lee Thompson found that in his 30's he wanted to see the world, but friends were often unavailable, and because he and his co-founder Radha Vyas (now wife!) couldn't find any cool companies that catered to their age group, they decided to create their own.
You could meet someone on a solo group trip to Peru or elsewhere, but their mission is broader: to create one million friendships.  It's extremely difficult to create and maintain a friend group, especially as we get older and especially as a single person.  It's simultaneously so essential to our well-being and in a post-pandemic time, it couldn't be more crucial.  So while Flash Pack is about joining like-minded people for the trip of a lifetime, it's even more so about human connection and community.  
I'm so excited to sit down with Lee to learn about how he went from a viral "selfie with Jesus" to one of the leading travel group companies.  We also talk about Flash Pack's new blog series SOLO and why it's so important to be having honest conversations about loneliness right now. 
I hope this episode inspires you - if you're itching to travel you don't need to wait for anyone to show up in your life to do so.  Say yes to yourself and go out and see the world! 
Learn more about Flash Pack here!

Have you ever asked other single women just how many times they've been asked that dreaded question "Why are you single?" It's pervasive in our culture.  But what happens when your date says it to you?? Or what if - as in the case of our guest Tara - your date actually has the balls to ask WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.
Honestly... what is wrong with PEOPLE.
For some reason it's unsettling to meet a woman in her 40's with no kids and who's single.  Why? Because if you don't fit in a box, people don't really know what to do with you.  And that's terrifying.
Joining Tara as our VOP is my now very infamous friend Greg who, once upon a time, convinced me to start this podcast in the first place.  He's now single and he actually met Tara on Hinge, but they decided they're better off friends. Last month, Greg introduced me to Tara and we hit it off on so many levels. Curious how people meet on dating apps but maneuver the transition to friends?  Listen in to hear from Greg and his approach to friendship and women in general, and you'll understand how we've been friends for thirteen years :). 
 
 

If you're still feeling like you need to shake things up a bit with your IRL dating game, enter Maxine Waters, an incredible entrepreneur and visionary whose BRAND NEW - as in, they literally hosted their very first event six months ago - speed dating company We Met IRL is completely changing the game.
Frustrated after attending a speed dating event that she felt wasn't very diverse, Maxine decided to do the thing that many of us talk about and never execute: if she couldn't find speed dating events that were specifically for women of color, she would make one.  We Met IRL is a safe space specifically and intentionally made for people of color to meet, get to know one another in a post-pandemic world, and possibly even fall in love.
Join us to learn how Maxine took her idea to a company that is fielding partnership requests, going on tour around the USA, and being featured in the NY Times - all in under a year.  We love a badass female entrepreneur and we love anyone who's making change for good in the dating game!  
Curious and want to attend? Sign up here.