Many men are simply looking for someone fun to hang out with according to Marni Battista. Doing fun activities together, laughing together and even watching sports can create a happy and healthy relationship. Oftentimes the man you’re dating does become one of your best friends. Maybe it’s time to start thinking about a great friendship first; before moving on to the relationship part of things?

3. Companionship. As much as a man wants the freedom to watch the game with his friends or go out for a beer with the guys, he also wants to be in a relationship with someone who he can go to the grocery store with and who might even watch the game with him once in awhile. (Knowing what a touchdown is would be a bonus.)

What’s more, one of the top things men say they’re looking for in a woman in their online dating profile is “a sense of humor.” The ability not to take everything seriously (or personally) and laugh about the anchor’s toupee while watching the nightly news (or The Newsroom!) will make a man feel like he made the right choice.

Being able to do fun activities together will make your relationship healthy. So remember that while you chose each other, you have to keep your choices lively! Take a staycation and watch the first two seasons of Breaking Bad, have a BBQ for two, or try that new restaurant with the pork belly tacos everyone is talking about. And don’t forget to be in the moment, allowing yourself to have a good time and stay out of analysis paralysis.

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Do you build friendships first; before moving on to a relationship? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

This seems like such common sense to me that men need to be appreciated. Many women complain that they aren’t appreciated enough in their relationships and I think if they appreciated their men more; they’d receive more in return. There are many ways to encourage the man you’re dating and many ways to appreciate him (from the PG to the X-rated).

It really is all in the simple things and it doesn’t take a lot of effort to appreciate him. A simply thank you for something he does will go miles toward creating an awesome relationship. Marni Battista gives a few more ideas below.

2. Encouragement and Appreciation. Along with respect, men really appreciate your appreciation! With your support, your man can be a better person for both himself and you.

So when he’s working on a big project for work or training for a 10k, don’t forget to give him some specific, sincere words of encouragement. Before an important meeting, leave him a note with an inside joke or just a simple “I love you.” Tell him you appreciate the special date he planned when he chooses a fab new restaurant, takes time to make the reservation, chooses THE romantic corner table, and then asks if you are “good.” Let him know that changing your light bulbs totally rocked your world, or that you love how he brings you tea at night, even when you don’t ask. When you’re supportive of your man, it helps him remember why he wants to share his life with someone in the first place.

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Do you appreciate and encourage the man in your life? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

With the holiday season in full gear, you may be receiving invitations to attend various holiday parties. These parties may be hosted by your family, friends, neighbours, co-workers or even your boss. Each party provides you with a wonderful way to meet new people. As a single woman, this means that you may meet many handsome, charming men. If you want to make the most of your time at these holiday parties, you don’t want to stand around like a wallflower waiting for a man to approach you. Instead, you want to walk up to a man who has caught your eye and get to know him better. Approaching men at a Christmas party may sound intimidating, but it actually is easier and perhaps even more fun than you might think.

Dress to Impress

Before you approach men at a Christmas party, it is important to dress to impress. Take time to get ready for each party you attend. Pick out a stylish outfit that accentuates your body in all the right places but that is not too revealing or uncomfortable to wear. You want to look attractive, but you don’t want to attract the wrong kind of attention. Take time to groom yourself perfectly, paying attention to your fingernails, hair, accessories and those other small details that will help you to feel polished and beautiful. While you want to impress a man at a holiday party, you want to avoid over-doing it with heave make-up, overbearing perfume or revealing too much flesh.

Approach With Confidence

At a party, you may find one or several men who appeal to you. You should consider catching his eye from afar and smiling at him from across the room before approaching him. If you are slightly intimidated at the prospect of approaching a man, you may wait for him to engage in conversation with someone who you know. This can provide you with a wonderful way to be introduced to him rather than to take a cold approach and introduce yourself. If you are more confident, you may wait for him to make his way to the punch bowl or appetizers table. Simply walk up next to him and strike up a conversation. You may talk about general things like the food at the party, the weather or the hosts, but you may also try to flatter him with a small compliment. For example, you could say how much you love his jumper or novelty Christmas tie, by using the situation of Christmas to your advantage you can ask if they are working over the holiday’s? Are you seeing your family over Christmas? It’s a great conversation starter.

Take It to the Next Level

If you approach a man at a holiday party and he gives no indication of being interested, you may consider moving on to another man who has caught your eye. A man who is interested in you will attempt to converse back and forth with you, ask questions about you, smile often and otherwise act like he’s engaged in the conversation. A man who is not interested, on the other hand, may provide you with pat, terse responses as you attempt to converse with him. He may be polite, but his body language and tone of voice may indicate that he’s not interested in you in a romantic way. If you believe that a man is interested in you, you can make a move to escalate things to the next level. For example, find a way to bring up a new movie that is running at theatres or a trendy restaurant that everyone in town is talking about. You may mention that you’d love to find someone to go to the movie or restaurant with, and if he is truly interested, he will take the bait. As soon as he expresses interest in going with you, ask him for his number.

The fact is that approaching a man at a party may appear to be intimidating, but once you have done it a few times, you will see that it truly is rather easy. You may feel intimidated and less confident the first few times you approach a man, but over time, you may begin to relax and find that approaching men directly is actually fun.

According to this article by Marni Battista, men just want to be respected. It seems like such a simple concept to me. Men want to be the hero (which makes sense if you look at history). But in today’s society it’s difficult when women don’t really NEED a hero. But women should WANT a hero and treat him as such when he shows up.

There are plenty of ways to show respect and Marni Battista shares a few ideas below.

1. Respect. Period. Men want to be your hero. (Which, in the 21st century, can be challenging to a woman who doesn’t really “need” a hero.) That said, it’s important for you to find opportunities to show respect to the man you care about. Whether it’s through a juicy compliment or a handwritten Post-it note that says, “Babe, loved the way you handled that customer service rep yesterday.” Kind and Direct = Super Hot!

Showing respect to your man and what he does for you makes him feel like he’s doing something right. Even though it’s 2012, a man wants to feel like he’s providing for you in a masculine way. When you vocalize your respect for him, he’ll feel like he’s in a relationship that is worth his time.

Another “stealth” action you can take to give him that respect is to let him lead. Let him plan a special date, and don’t always be the one suggesting activities. When he does suggest an activity say “Yes!” without giving your “better” alternative.

And finally, a man wants to be in a relationship where he doesn’t feel like he’s in a pressure cooker. Letting him lead and allowing him to go through his process of discovering you’re “the one” in his own way (assuming your relationship is progressing consistently over time) ensures that he’s truly relationship ready and committed.

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Do you show respect to your man? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

It can be difficult when the man you’re dating doesn’t always do what he says he’s going to do. It can be frustrating and when he is sending mixed messages you don’t really know what’s going on. If he does it once or twice it might be forgivable but if it is a recurring thing it might be time for him to hit the road.

Unless he’s surprising you with good things all the time instead of bad things it might be a good thing to reflect on how his actions are really speaking to you.

Clue #4: His words don’t match his actions.

When a man is full of mixed messages, it’s not a good sign. He may surprise you with a weekend getaway and then cancel on you several times in a row the next week.He also hates planning ahead, and talking about the future terrifies him.

Having the belief that you don’t deserve a whole, healthy, and satisfying relationship can be a reflection of low self esteem, and it’s at these points in your life that you’re more likely to settle for an emotionally unavailable man. There is no reason to settle.

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Do you have a man in your life who continuously sends mixed messages? Comment below to share your thoughts with us.

Men can be interesting creatures at times; but that’s part of the reason why we love them so much. But if you find yourself with a man who is constantly pushing and then simply disappears when you finally give in with nothing but excuses it might be time to run in the opposite direction. Check out this advice from Marni Battista.

Clue #3: He loves the chase; but once you respond positively, he stops calling.

Emotionally unavailable men have a push-pull strategy. They tend to pursue you hard toward the beginning. But once you let them know they’ve won you over, they pull away and often disappear for a week or two. If he has a consistent pattern of disappearing, this is a serious red flag.

It’s even more concerning when he can’t articulate what’s happening for him during these periods. If he uses the words “busy” regarding why he seems to vanish, run immediately in the other direction.

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Are you dating someone who uses a push-pull strategy? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

The men you date are either in a relationship or they’re not. There isn’t a grey area with this. And no matter how many excuses he may come up with; if he’s married, he’s married. If he’s still in a relationship with the woman it might be time for you to head the opposite direction and find a man who deserves your love and attention.

Dating a man who is already in a relationship can bring a lot of heartache for all parties involved. Unless you’re prepared to deal with the consequences I would suggest you move on. As Marni Battista states below, he cannot possibly be as open with you as you deserve.

Clue #2: He is in a relationship… with someone else.

He probably shares LOTS of information about his relationships, which might give you the impression that he’s sharing with you, and therefore you’re being emotionally intimate. But someone who is in a relationship with SOMEONE ELSE cannot possibly be as open with you as you deserve.

While this advice seems obvious, I can’t tell you how many women we see in our community who have been sold a pile of big doo doo when it comes to men being “sort of single.” Bottom line, ladies: these excuses DO NOT count:

• We haven’t had sex in years.
• We’re moving into separate places any day now. It’s financially difficult, but we’re working on it.
• And, btw, I am miserable.
• Once the kids are (insert any milestone here), we’re going to split.
• We haven’t had sex in years. (Yes, it’s here twice because for some reason this one is a big seller.)
• My wife is emotionally unstable. Soon…soon. She’s in therapy.
• I don’t feel like this with her, and you’re amazing. I’m confused, but the truth is I love you. Can you be patient?

Get the picture?

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Would you date someone who is already in a relationship? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

When men say something they usually mean what they say. The don’t beat around the bush and there is no grey area. Men just cut to the chase and tell you what’s really going on. So, when a man says he’s not looking for a relationship that’s exactly what he means. And no matter how well you might hit it off, or how amazing you think you might be; he’s not going to change for you.

It’s important to realize that many women think they can change the man to be who they want him to be. Some women might think that they’ll have such a fantastic connection that he’ll automatically notice the err in his ways and ask for a relationship. It’s rare; and it usually only happens in Hollywood movies. As Marni Battista states below, drop the selective hearing ladies, and start listening.

Clue #1: He directly says it to YOU. Yes, men typically mean what they say and say what they mean. He may simply tell you he’s not looking for a relationship.

 Drop the selective hearing, ladies, and start listening to the men you date immediately! He might tell you that you’re “amazing,” but he just can’t commit to anything right now.

 One of the biggest fears of this type of man is becoming lost in a relationship and losing his freedom. Often times these people really do want to connect with someone but are too afraid to start anything because they know they really aren’t ready. And believe us: you can’t be “so amazing” that he flips his switch and becomes your perfect mate. It rarely to never happens.

Click here to read the full article by Marni Battista.

Do you think you can change men into who you want them to be? Share your thoughts with us by commenting below.

Is there ever a time when a woman should get over her sexuality and decide that she’s too old? I don’t think so; and neither does TLC because they’ve come out with a great new show called Extreme Cougar Wives. By the looks of things, these women aren’t giving up and despite what some might think of them – they are going for it. And by the looks of things; the men are soaking it up too. Check it out.

Location of Video: http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/73525747.html?page=4

Are you tired of the same old dating scene leaving you frustrated and lonely… AGAIN

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Tune in for this exclusive tell-all, no-holds-barred interview between dating experts Fiona Fine (a former engineer) and Cindy Lu (a hobbyist mathematician). This is a dynamic, insightful and at times hilarious interview that flies in the face of conventional dating wisdom and thumbs its nose at society’s expectations about how ‘good girls’ should conduct their love lives.

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PS: Fiona has followed a Four Man Plan herself over the years of her dating life to amazing results and advocates “it is the only way to create a love life of your dreams!” Cindy Lu also applied her “Four Man Plan” and found her husband!

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This audio was produced by Women Who Run It: Your Life – Your Love – Your Terms! an e-magazine for smart, successful, super-achieving women.  If you enjoyed this audio, please find more and other great articles at www.WomenWhoRunIt.com.