Life, Love, and Dating — and other things

By Lucy M. Pritchett

Elizabeth Baughman Lewis at Preservation Station in Jeffersonville has some help for people's dating lives.
Photos by Patti Hartog

Elizabeth Baughman Lewis went from helping schoolchildren learn their ABCs to helping single adults learn the ABCs of dating.

Elizabeth had her turning point at age 49, when she changed careers to become a life coach/dating consultant. Here she is at the Willey-Allhands House in Jeffersonville.

After 25 years of teaching, she was looking toward retirement.

“I checked what my benefits would be two years before I was eligible to retire,” she says. “When I saw what the bottom line was, I thought, ‘Oh, no, I can’t afford to retire.’” I was a widow and raising two children on my own. But a month later it occurred to me that in two years, I would only be 49, and I could retire from teaching with full benefits and start a whole new career. I just didn’t know what that career would be.”

So Elizabeth sat down and brainstormed a list of possible careers ranging from flight attendant to manager of a medical office to life coach.

Life coach won out. She actually hired a life coach to guide her in becoming a life coach. Pretty smart. Elizabeth got her certification in 2014 from the Coaches Training Institute in Chicago.

“At the institute, they encouraged me to find a niche,” she says. “Prior to this, in 2011, I had founded Singles Meet Singles LLC to connect and support other singles, so I combined my life coaching skills and dating consultant skills.”

She launched her second career with Love and Laughter Life Coaching. Elizabeth holds one-on-one sessions with clients covering areas such as setting and achieving goals, moving through life’s transitions, and personal development — always with the focus on positive change. She also holds weekly group classes covering Life, Love and Dating and other group sessions.

Elizabeth has hosted a 13-week call-in radio show and is planning on writing a book, with the working title Dating 911, that combines what she has learned from her reading, her clients, and her own experiences. She continues to host events for Singles Meet Singles. And, she just recently had the opportunity to serve as a motivational speaker on a singles cruise. “It focused on keeping positive and approaching life with a good attitude,” she says.

“I am grateful that I am living out my passion. I wake up each morning eager to find out what this new day will bring.”

Elizabeth recommends the following books (The second two for singles.):

• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
• Calling In the One by Katherine Woodward Thomas
• The Sacred Search by Gary Thomas

Just for fun, Elizabeth has agreed to answer the dating question of the first five questions in comments: So ask away!