LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site

Luke is absent this week, leaving Tash and Matt to get into a heavy-hitting but critical reality: misogyny and predatory behavior in professional spaces. From Tash's viral LinkedIn call-out post to her podium-placing triumph at the European Powerlifting Championships, we are drawing a hard line in the sand.

The Cast

• Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host
• Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer

Episode 013: LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site

🏆 European Championships & Monk Mode. We kick things off with some massive news: Tash competed in Limerick, Ireland, finishing in the top three of her category with a colossal 340 kg total. We discuss the intense discipline of "monk mode" as she preps for British Nationals and the World Championships.

🤯 Hot Topic: Misogyny and Professional Boundaries. Tash shares the creepy message that sparked her viral LinkedIn post:

"a beautiful lady in my home city into games..." We dissect why treating professional networking sites like dating apps is not "harmless friendliness," but rather a toxic, predatory behavior that makes women hesitant to engage in professional networks.

🛡️ The Backlash & Allyship. We address the enablers in the comments who told Tash to "silently block" rather than "humiliate" the sender. Matt and Tash discuss why public accountability is necessary, why "it happens to men too" is a false equivalency, and how male allies can actively support safe, respectful spaces.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Manners in the Workplace: Keep your romantic or physical evaluations out of professional spaces like LinkedIn.
• The Power of Shaming: Predatory behaviors thrive in silence. Reporting and calling them out publicly helps prevent them from continuing.
• Allies, Do Better: If you think creepy unsolicited messages are "harmless," you are part of the problem.

🎙️ Sound Bites:

• "I am a competitive powerlifter. I don't just pick things up and put them back down to annoy Matt in random places."
• "LinkedIn is a professional networking space... it is absolutely and categorically not a place to go chirpsin' on the birds."
• "For every one connection from a female professional, I got 10 to 15 males... sending similar messages: 'Oh, your eyes are lovely, your hair is beautiful.' You are part of the problem."
• "For the men watching this who think that message is harmless... don't be our audience, please."

⏰ Chapters:

• 00:00 Intro & Tasha's Powerlifting Triumph (European Championships in Limerick)
• 02:23 Monk Mode & the gateway to the World Championships
• 04:50 Matt and Tash's competitive streaks
• 06:25 Backstage sisterhood vs. Workplace realities
• 07:31 Hot Topic: Sexism, Misogyny & Tash's Viral LinkedIn Post
• 10:31 "It happens to men too" and the defensive backlash
• 13:41 Safe professional boundaries & the flood of creepy connection requests
• 17:06 "Just being friendly" – Analyzing the enablers in the comments
• 20:34 How to call it out & support female coworkers
• 22:50 Outro & Matt finally pronouncing Natasha Nathani's name right after 13 episodes!