At a Glance
- Laurie Cooper, 80-year New Yorker, calls herself “an icon” and has 168k Instagram, 80k TikTok followers
- She declares dating success comes from confidence, direct action, and shared values-not apps
- Monthly challenges like “Off the Apps October” and “Dump Him December” drive real-life meetups
- Why it matters: Her blunt, grandmotherly advice is pushing thousands to ditch swipe culture and approach romance face-to-face
Laurie Cooper wants single women to stop scrolling and start talking. The self-proclaimed New York City icon-who boasts 168,000 Instagram and nearly 80,000 TikTok followers-has turned park-bench pep talks into a viral dating movement built on one simple rule: say hello.
The Making of an Icon
“I am an icon, everyone knows who I am,” the first line of her Instagram bio declares. Cooper, a lifelong Manhattanite and 40-year real-estate veteran, lets the numbers back up the claim. Videos filmed by her son, Michael Cooper, and edited by consultant Meagan Keaveny regularly pull six-figure views. Cooper attributes the surge to one thing: “Everything I attempted, I succeeded in.”
Her style-fur hats, yellow gloves, silk scarves-matches the boldness of her takes. “I always felt that I was an icon, honestly, because I felt good about myself,” she says.
From Steakhouses to Street Approaches
Cooper’s dating playbook is location-specific. She sends followers to Vinile Chophouse where diners pick the vinyl playlist, and to Keens Steakhouse, open since 1885, to “start a new era.” The key, she insists, is showing up in person.
Her monthly mandates turn that idea into action:
- Sit at the Bar September – no phones, just conversation
- Off the Apps October – delete dating apps for 31 days
- Never Home November – leave the apartment every night
- Just Keep Going January – push through rejection
“Say hello to the guy next to you. Say hello to the woman next to you. She may have a brother,” Cooper urges. “If you’re not aggressive, you get nowhere.”
Confidence Over Filters
Cooper dismisses the narrative that modern dating is harder. “When I was single, all these guys wanted to marry me,” she says, crediting self-security, not beauty. Her checklist for attraction is blunt:
- Be real
- Skip gossip
- Share interests and values
- Expect the best
“Opposites do not attract,” she warns. “Find someone that’s got the same interest as you.”
Real Results, Real Fast
Comment sections read like breakup diary entries. Under Dump Him December, users posted:
- “Did it this morning at 9 a.m.”
- “Did it the other day n I AIN’T looking back”
Cooper, who once lost five real-estate deals in a row, counters fear with momentum: “I just picked myself up… I got even more sales after that.”
Beyond Dating
The movement has spilled into mainstream media. Cooper poured drinks on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen and sold apartments to Real Housewives of New York star Dorinda Medley. Fans stop her on the street: “You give me hope… I should have listened to you a long time ago.”
Her final directive: “If you’re not happy, move on. It’s one life we have. And we have to live it.”
Key Takeaways
- Cooper’s platform proves analog approaches still work in a digital world
- Monthly challenges create accountability and community
- Confidence, not cosmetics, drives romantic success
- Action beats nostalgia-“Get out there, girls,” she says. “Every day’s a beautiful, wonderful day.”
