Category: All LTR Videos

Colin Hodge: Scaling Dating Apps With User Psychology

Posted on September 15, 2026

LTR – In this conversation, Mark Brooks sits down with Colin Hodge, co-founder of DOWN, to discuss his new book, Outrageous Startup Growth: Uncovering the Secrets of User Psychology to Scale Your Success.

Colin shares lessons from growing DOWN from 6 million to 17 million users, as well as his experience scaling social products to more than 100 million users worldwide. He explains how principles of user psychology can be applied across dating, social apps, SaaS, and other businesses.

The conversation explores some of the book’s key ideas, including FOMO, decision architecture, “magic moments,” acquisition, retention, and North Star metrics, and why sustainable growth depends on creating meaningful outcomes for users, not simply driving engagement.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The March LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks

Eric Strauss: How to Position Your Dating Business for Acquisition

Posted on September 10, 2026

LTR – In this conversation, Mark Brooks sits down with Eric Strauss, former Founder and CEO of Cupid.com and President of Transworld Business Brokers in Manhattan, to explore the realities of building a business with an eventual exit in mind.

Eric reflects on the sale of Cupid.com and Regional Help Wanted, before sharing lessons from his years helping entrepreneurs sell their companies. They discuss how to prepare a business for acquisition, why clean and transparent financials matter, how valuation and pricing affect the sales process, and why overpricing can actually make it harder to attract serious buyers.

The conversation also explores how buyers are identified, how a competitive process can help drive the best outcome, and why founders should start preparing for a sale long before they are ready to put their business on the market.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The February LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks

Matthew Gain: How ParshipMeet Group Is Evolving in a Rapidly Changing Industry

Posted on September 1, 2026

LTR – In this conversation, Mark Brooks sits down with Matthew Gain, CEO of ParshipMeet Group, to explore how one of Europe’s leading dating companies is evolving in a rapidly changing industry.

Matthew shares his perspective on the unique dynamics of dating businesses, the evolution of brands such as eHarmony, Parship, ElitePartner, and MeetMe, and the growing opportunity in the 40+ dating market.

The conversation also dives into some of the biggest questions shaping dating today: how AI should and shouldn’t be used in the customer experience, the growing importance of trust and safety, the future of compatibility and matchmaking, and why authentic human connection remains at the heart of the industry.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The February LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks

Mark Brooks: Insights on Influencer Marketing Strategies

Posted on May 1, 2026

LTR – Mark Brooks shares key lessons from three years of influencer marketing for dating and social connection businesses, along with examples of integrations for brands like Christian Filipina, Filipina Visa, Positive Singles, and BiCupid. He explains why influencer marketing – especially YouTube – can outperform or complement paid ads by transferring trust, telling stories, normalizing app usage, building brands, and creating compounding evergreen value. Mark outlines a strategy focused on micro-influencers, long-term monthly partnerships (not one-offs), hybrid compensation models, and cross-posting to channels like Instagram and TikTok. He then introduces the Courtland Brooks Influencer System scorecard, detailing best practices such as short on-screen links, unique landing pages, clear calls to action and offers, QR codes, top-of-description links, story relevance, preserving creator personality, avoiding the word “sponsor” in favor of “partner,” and encouraging personal sharing.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The January LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks

Ophir Laizerovich: Innovating Lead Acquisition in the Dating Industry

Posted on April 21, 2026

LTR – Ophir Laizerovich, president and co-founder of LeadThink and co-founder of The Relationship Company, shares highlights from building a lead-generation business for matchmaking and online dating using Google, Bing/Yahoo, and Facebook. He describes delivering 10k to 20k leads per day primarily in the US (also Canada and Australia), discusses Google’s approval requirements for dating/matchmaking and the shift from credit card to invoice billing, and explains strategies like focusing on pain-point ad copy, starting with long-tail keywords, and improving site speed, ad relevance, and on-page content to reduce costs. On Facebook, he emphasizes non-brand pages for lead gen, heavy image testing (including selfies and audience segmentation), avoiding over-reliance on automated controls, and targeting iOS/desktop versus Android. He reviews landing-page funnel optimization, SMS verification and appointment setting for matchmaking, and using AI-generated images and tools like Midjourney, Gemini, and Reify.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The January LTR was kindly sponsored by HubPeople, LeadThink and Courtland Brooks

Grant Langston: Navigating eHarmony Milestones

Posted on January 28, 2026

LTR – Join us for an in-depth discussion with Grant Langston, the original marketing lead and former CEO of eHarmony. Grant reflects on the early days of eHarmony, the unique challenges of building and scaling one of the most renowned online dating platforms, and the pivotal moments that saved the company from bankruptcy. He also shares insights from his tenure as CEO where he navigated financial distress, legal battles, and evolving media strategies to turn eHarmony into a success story. Moving beyond eHarmony, Grant delves into his current role at Warehouse Exchange and the transformative impact of AI on business operations. This conversation provides valuable lessons on innovation, resilience, and the continuously evolving landscape of online dating.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The December LTR was kindly sponsored by Courtland Brooks

Mark Brooks: 17 Things I’d Love to See You Do

Posted on January 6, 2026

LTR – In this presentation, Mark Brooks presents ’17 Things I’d Love to See You Do’ for leaders in the dating and social industry, focusing on strategy, marketing, and business development. Covering topics like forming masterminds, optimizing user outcomes, hosting impactful events, and engaging with influencers, Mark shares actionable insights to enhance products, teams, and market positioning. This session emphasizes the importance of innovation, strategic partnerships, media engagement, and advocacy in navigating today’s competitive market.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The November LTR was kindly sponsored by Courtland Brooks

Simon Glinsky: The Brain Behind Match.com

Posted on December 30, 2025

LTR – Join us for an exclusive interview with Simon Glinsky, co-founder of Match.com, as he delves into the origins and evolution of one of the world’s first online dating platforms. Simon discusses his journey from McKinsey to Match, the initial challenges faced, and the innovative strategies that made Match.com a groundbreaking success. Learn about the first business plan, the role of technology in early online dating, and the future of AI in relationship-building from one of the key minds behind the brand.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The November LTR was kindly sponsored by Courtland Brooks

Mark Brooks: Industry Trends and Insights in Dating

Posted on December 11, 2025

LTR – Mark Brooks provides an overview of industry trends and growth opportunities, the story of Courtland Brooks and its consulting services, key financial results, and a deep dive into the influence of AI on the dating industry. The discussion covers AI’s potential to enhance user experience, security concerns, legislative constraints, and revealing statistics from various studies. Mark also emphasizes the importance of strategic marketing and influencer engagement to build trust within the dating community.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The October LTR was kindly sponsored by Courtland Brooks

Karima Ben Abdelmalek: Innovating the Future of Online Dating With Happn

Posted on December 5, 2025

LTR – Mark Brooks sits down with Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO and President of happn, to delve into HelloGroup’s recent acquisition of the dating app. The conversation covers the app’s unique approach to location-based services, how happn differentiates itself in the competitive dating market, and the strategic changes implemented under Karima’s leadership. They also discuss the future plans for happn, focusing on deeper localization and enhancing user experiences, and how HelloGroup’s expertise will help facilitate these goals. Karima shares insights on maintaining the app’s core identity while adapting to evolving market demands.

[**See the video here on YouTube**]

The October LTR was kindly sponsored by Courtland Brooks