124. HANNAH ORENSTEIN on Soulmates, Men Who Are Intimidated By Your Success, & How To Not Put So Much Pressure On A First Date

Welcome back! Today we are joined by Hannah Orenstein, 4x novelist and Deputy Editor of Dating at Elite Daily. Hannah's work can be found in the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Refinery29, BuzzFeed, Bustle, and more. Her most recent novel, Meant to Be Mine follows Edie Myers, whose grandmother has predicted the exact day each member of her family will meet their soul mate. The book begs the question of whether "fate" can make a relationship work, or if we have more of a choice in the matter. 

what we talk about:

• How Hannah began her career in writing
• Her brief stint as a professional matchmaker and the inspiration it gave her for her first novel
• Using dating apps to meet matches for other people
• Hannah's opinion on soulmates
• What it was like writing her most recent novel during COVID 
• Where she draws inspiration from and how she researches different topics for her books
• Why men are sometimes intimidated by ambition and success
• ...& the response Hannah received to an article she wrote about it
• Hannah's experience dating during COVID and why she thinks all first dates should be phone call
• How to not put so much pressure on a first date

& more!

You can find Hannah on Instagram @hannahorens or on her website www.hanahorenstein.com. Purchase Meant to Be Mine on Amazon, or on the shelves at any local bookstore! 

Hannah's articles we mentioned:

My Ambition Turns Off More Men Than It Attracts

Why All Winter Dates Should Be Phone Calls

what we're loving:

Carleigh: Better Bagels

Mia: Actual Veggies Veggie Burgers

As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!