Midlife Dating Podcast
Dating in midlife isn’t easy. After his 21-year marriage ended, Paul Nelson found himself back in the dating world. Over the next decade, he went on over 180 first dates, had countless phone calls, and engaged in thousands of online conversations. What he discovered along the way wasn’t just how to date again, but how much personal growth it takes to become the kind of partner you truly want to attract.
On the Midlife Dating Podcast, Paul is your guide to the nuances of dating learned on the street level. It’s the little things that add up. The mistakes you make aren’t setbacks—they’re growth opportunities. They allow you to adjust and course correct. Only then can you find someone who’s also done the work.
Episodes blend practical advice, book and movie reviews, and real-life stories with hard-earned insights. Paul’s goal is simple: to help Gen Xers and Baby Boomers date smarter, laugh more, have fun, and conserve our most valuable commodity—time.
If you’re ready to stop repeating the past and create some great memories moving forward, the Midlife Dating Podcast is for you.
Episodes
35 episodes
EP 34 - To Venus and Back, Part 3 of 3 – Last Orbits Around Venus: Dakota, Christine, and Moving On
EP 34 - To Venus and Back, Part 3 of 3 – Last Orbits Around Venus: Dakota, Christine, and Moving OnIn the final part of our series with Turner Grant, we jump into his “last orbits” around Venus: the intense long-distance Pa...
EP 33 - To Venus and Back, Part 2 – From One-and-Done Coffee Dates to a One-Year Relationship
In Part 2, we leave the “organic” dates behind and dive into Turner’s first years of online dating. That means profiles, one-and-done coffee meetups, and learning about the stereotypical Three-Date Rule.Turner and I talk th...
EP 32 - To Venus and Back, Part 1 of 3 – From Grief to Rookie Year Dating
In the first of three conversations with Turner Grant, author of To Venus and Back: One Man’s Quest to Rediscover Love, we start where midlife dating really begins for so many people: after loss, reflection, healing, and a new start i...
EP 31 - Momentum vs. Trust - A Woman’s Perspective vs A Man’s Street Lessons (Part 2 of 2)
If Part 1 was the foundation, Part 2 is where Laurie Gerber and I roll up our sleeves and get practical about the real midlife dilemma:You want a real connection—and you don’t want dating to become a second full-time job.However, ...
EP 30 - Momentum vs. Trust - A Woman’s Perspective vs A Man’s Street Lessons (Part 1 of 2)
In this episode, I’m joined again by dating coach Laurie Gerber (Love at Any Age) to unpack one of the biggest midlife dating challenges: how fast is too fast… and how slow is too slow? Midlife dating mixed wi...
EP 29 - I Scored 104/100 on a Dating Quiz… and Still Needed Help
Highlights for this episode:In this episode, I bring on dating coach Laurie Gerber to coach me in real time—so you can hear exactly how a pro would tune up your dating life, too. Laurie and I talk about...
EP 28 - Common Sense Dating Guidelies 1-5 for Gen X & Baby Boomers
Highlights for this episode:Paul reviews the first five or over 30 Common Sense Dating Guidelines for the Gen X and Baby Boomer generations. The guidelines coalesce around the limited dating options these generations had in their youth c...
EP 27 - Holiday Movie Picks for Single Gen X and Baby Boomers Part 2 of 2
Highlights for this episode:Part 2 of Paul’s Holiday Dating-Themed Movie reviews for those Gen X and Baby Boomers who are solo this holiday season.Love at the Christmas TableA destined couple’s trip thro...
EP 26 - Holiday Movie Picks for Single Gen X and Baby Boomers Part 1 of 2
Highlights for this episode:Paul reviews holiday dating-themed movies for those Gen X and Baby Boomers who are solo this holiday season. There are a total of four picks. Two picks in this Part 1 Episode and two more in Part 2. Paul point...
EP 25 - Quick Update
Quick Update:After being on hiatus for a little over a year for a variety of reasons, we're back.There will be new content starting late August of 2024.
EP 24 - Dating Essentials Review
Highlights for this Episode:The Glossary term is: Orbiting, where someone keeps popping up on your social media radar, waiting to make a move for a date.In the Retro/Etiquette Segment – We listen in on how the US Navy d...
EP 23 - The 3-1-1 Rule Refresher
Highlights for this episode:The Glossary term is: The Maybe DateIn the Potpourri Segment, Paul offers listeners an excellent refresher on the highly effective 3-1-1 Rule. This straightforward and efficient three-step pr...
EP 22 - Knowing Where You Stand
Highlights for this episode:The Glossary term is: Serendipidating In the Retro/Etiquette Segment: We listen in on how the US Navy recommends their officers conduct themselves with their dates in a small gathering....
EP 21 - Dating Truths: Part 6
Highlights for this episode:The Glossary term for this episode is: Ghostbusting.Paul reviews the movie Big Stone Gap, released in 2014. This movie looks into dating and romance in the late 1970s. It demonstrates the typical outco...
EP 20 - Dating Truths: Part 5
Highlights for this episode:The Glossary term for this episode is: Bromance Paul reviews the movie Swingers, released in 1996. This movie gives us a look into dating in the 1990s, how damaging holding on to your ex and b...
EP 19 - Dating Truths: Part 4
Midlife Dating Podcast EP 19 – Dating Truths Part 4Highlights for this episode:Have you ever gone on a meetup date only to find out their colorful online charisma is nowhere to be found when you meet them in person? This is know...
EP 18 - Dating Truths: Part 3
Have you been guilty of Professing? It's the glossary term for this episode, and it describes behavior that many of us have embraced at some point in our dating lives, that Hollywood has glamorized but turns out to be creepy in reality....
EP 17 - Dating Truths: Part 2
Having problems getting past the first few dates, let alone the first meetup? Then, you could be guilty of "Projection." This glossary term describes how we may subconsciously project our past negative dating and relationship experiences onto o...
EP 16 - Dating Truths: Part 1
Have you ever heard of the Flannel Nightgown? It's our glossary term for this episode, and it explains the transition that develops in all romantic relationships.I'll be reviewing the movie
Episode 15 - The Counteroffer
Approximately Half of those you run across on the dating apps seek "Electronic Vanity Validation." This glossary describes those who use online dating apps and legacy websites who validate themselves simply by who they match up with. Pa...
Episode 14 - Tinder for Baby Boomers and Gen X
Are you suffering from “Dating Profile Syndrome”? This glossary term describes what happens to users of online dating apps and legacy websites who are repeatedly subjected to the same mind-numbing profiles. Following the glossary segment, Paul ...
Episode 13 - Increasing Your Conversational Prowess
Ever wonder if you're being played when arranging a date? Our Dating and Relationship Glossary Term for this episode, "Call to Confirm," helps decipher the answer. Next, cheerful and funny dating stories are what the Midlife Dating Podcast is a...
Episode 12 - Dealing With Picture Only Dating Profiles
Are you dating someone and seeing them 4 or 5 times a week or more? If so, you had better watch out for Fusion catching up to you, in this episode's Glossary Term. For today’s...
Episode 11 - Stay the Course, The Odds Are Better Than You Think
Have you ever seen one person in a couple make drastic changes to accommodate the other, only for the relationship to fail? A lack of Differentiation, the Glossary Term for this episode, is why. Next, Paul shares a retro dating clip consisting ...