Erika Ettin’s job is motivating people. So where does she look to for a little inspiration of her own?
“I have a tattoo on my foot that says, ‘Be good to yourself.’”
Not the answer you might expect, but the dating coach says that the tattoo helps her put her frenzy of daily activity— making business calls, meeting with clients, speaking at events—in perspective.
“As a business owner, sometimes you forget about yourself, between clients, work, and life,” explains the WeWork Chinatown member. “It’s a reminder to take care of myself. Whether I heed its advice is another story.”
What’s a day like for the founder of A Little Nudge? Ettin helps her clients navigate all aspects of online dating, from writing a unique profile to crafting messages that elicit a positive response. One of her favorite tasks is helping people craft profiles that win “right swipes.”
“All of my clients need motivation because they’re tired of online dating,” Ettin says. “They don’t know how to do it. But I keep a positive attitude, and it motivates people.”
When talking about her own experience with online dating, Ettin says that she’s had her fair share of successes and failures. She even recorded all of her dates in a spreadsheet so that she could study what did and didn’t work for her.
Ettin’s friends liked her idea, and they asked for help setting up their own online profiles. That’s where she got the idea for A Little Nudge.
She continues to find ways to help out her clients. She recently launched a podcast called “So, We Met Online…” that offers great advice to those who want to be better at dating.
Ettin keeps tabs on all the dating apps out there from Coffee Meets Bagel to OkCupid to TinDog.
“I have 10 apps on my phone for when my clients need information about how to use them,” Ettin says.
When Ettin isn’t with her clients, she’s all for having a social life of her own.
“Being that my job is coaching about dating, it’s hard to separate work from personal life sometimes, but I do my best,” Ettin says. “When I go on dates, I’m just a regular person.”
Photo credit: Foster White