Ms. Nobile launched a dating coaching business, ‘Love, Amy,’ in 2019 to help other people find love. And one of her most unorthodox strategies was born out of her own experience. For a first meeting with a match, she advises clients to come straight from a workout (or the couch), barefaced and without artifice. She calls it a “mini screener date”: 30 to 45 minutes for coffee or an early drink. The idea is to economize your time, money and effort, but also to manage expectations. “It’s low stakes and you’re in charge,” said Ms. Nobile. She said that the “casual vibe” meant that “you can feel grounded and you can feel authentic to you.”

New York City recruiter Julie Samuel, 32, used to dress up in heels and nice jeans for fancy-drinks dates. But then last year she consulted with Ms. Nobile, who told her, “You’re not meeting people who want to get to know you—they’re getting to know this perfect version of you.” Ms. Samuel took the advice to dress down and immediately saw its wisdom. She said it helped her “weed people out faster” by breaking down any walls and getting to know them in their normal state. She didn’t dress up for her current partner until four months after they began dating, when they attended a wedding together. She remembers, “I turned to him and said, ‘This is totally the opposite of every other relationship I’ve been in. The first time you’re seeing me dressed up is when you already love me.’”