Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Eisenberg.
Hi Seth, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story really begins with my mother, Lori Heyman Gordon. She created PAIRS — Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills — out of a very personal search to understand what makes love last. In the 1970s, she launched the first comprehensive relationship skills training course at American University. From there, she founded the nonprofit PAIRS Foundation to bring these tools to the world.
I grew up surrounded by people exploring the most vulnerable parts of themselves in search of connection — couples, therapists, students, teachers. I didn’t know it at the time, but that environment planted a seed in me. It showed me that love isn’t just a feeling — it’s a skill set. And like any skill, it can be taught, practiced, and mastered.
Years later, after pursuing my own path as a writer, journalist, and entrepreneur, I found myself called back to the work I had grown up around — but with my own perspective and purpose. I became President and CEO of PAIRS Foundation in 2009, determined to build on my mother’s legacy and expand the reach of her vision.
Since then, I’ve worked to make PAIRS more accessible to people from every walk of life — from weekend couples retreats and high school classrooms to first responders, faith communities, and digital platforms. I’ve authored books, developed curricula, trained hundreds of professionals, and most recently helped launch the YODI app — an AI-powered relationship coach that puts the core of PAIRS into the hands of anyone, anytime.
But at the core of it all is something very personal. I’m a husband and a father of three sons, and I know firsthand how easy it is to lose each other in the chaos of life. What’s kept me grounded — and what I love helping others discover — are the simple, powerful tools that turn intention into connection and conflict into deeper understanding.
That’s what got me here: a mission to teach love as a learnable skill, and a lifelong belief that we can create a safer, saner, more loving world — one relationship at a time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not smooth. Worth it? Without a doubt. But smooth? No.
When you devote your life to teaching people how to love better — especially when you’re working in communities that are hurting, grieving, or barely holding on — you walk into a lot of pain. And if you’re doing the work honestly, you let it touch you too.
One of the biggest struggles has been watching people give up on love because they never learned the tools to make it work. I’ve sat across from couples who clearly adored each other but were drowning in resentment, fear, and silence. I’ve worked with parents who loved their kids more than life but didn’t know how to reach them. And I’ve felt the ache of wanting to help more people than time or resources allowed.
There were also personal challenges — trying to raise children while building a nonprofit, staying present as a partner while pouring everything into a mission, and holding space for others while navigating my own growth. The irony isn’t lost on me — I’ve been teaching relationship skills for years, but I’ve also had to learn and relearn them myself, often the hard way.
And of course, carrying my mother’s legacy hasn’t always been easy either. I’ve felt a deep responsibility to honor the foundation she built, while also evolving PAIRS to meet a new generation — with new needs, new technology, and new opportunities. Balancing tradition with innovation is a constant dance.
But through it all, the struggles have made the work more real. I’m not speaking from a pedestal. I’m walking this path too. And every challenge has only deepened my belief that love — when we learn how to do it — changes everything.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At its heart, PAIRS Foundation is in the business of love — not the fantasy kind, but the real, day-to-day, soul-stretching work of learning how to love and be loved. We teach practical skills for building strong, lasting, emotionally safe relationships. Whether you’re dating, married, parenting, healing from loss, or just trying to connect better with the people in your life — PAIRS meets you where you are, and helps you get where you want to go.
What sets us apart is that we don’t just “talk about” relationships — we train people with tools that are research-validated, experiential, and immediately usable. We’re known for programs like PAIRS Essentials, Mastery, Passion, and now the YODI app — a next-generation AI-powered coach that brings our most transformative skills into your pocket.
We specialize in helping people move from survival to soulmates — teaching what love actually looks like in practice: how to express your emotions without blame, listen without judgment, resolve conflict in a way that strengthens connection, and rebuild trust when it’s been broken.
We’re proud to serve couples, singles, families, educators, chaplains, veterans, first responders, faith communities — and even classrooms of teenagers. Over the years, PAIRS programs have reached hundreds of thousands of people across the country and internationally, in English, Spanish, Hebrew, and beyond.
What I’m most proud of brand-wise is this: we’ve stayed true to our roots while continuing to evolve. My mother, Lori Gordon, created PAIRS to answer one of the most essential questions of our time: How do we sustain love through life’s storms? Today, our team continues that mission — blending science, story, and soul in a way that’s approachable, heartfelt, and effective.
So if you’ve ever thought “There has to be a better way to love — with less pain, less guessing, and more connection,” I want people to know: there is. That’s what PAIRS offers. And no matter where you’re starting from, we’ll walk the road with you.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Yes. Two things, actually — one for the heart, and one for the hustle.
First, for the heart: Don’t be afraid to be a beginner at love. We put so much pressure on ourselves to already know how to communicate, trust, forgive, be vulnerable — but most of us were never taught. Love is not just something you feel — it’s something you learn. Give yourself grace. Practice. Fail forward. Keep showing up with curiosity and courage. That’s how we grow.
And second, for the hustle: Clarity beats complexity. Especially when you’re building something from scratch — whether it’s a relationship, a mission, or a business — the simpler and clearer you can be about your “why,” the stronger your foundation will be. I wish I’d known that earlier. I spent a lot of time trying to do too much, please too many people, chase too many lanes. When I finally got laser-focused on helping people love better through teachable skills, everything aligned.
Also — and I say this as a dad, a leader, and a lifelong student — don’t confuse momentum with meaning. Stay rooted in who you want to be, not just what you want to do. The rest will follow.
So whether you’re starting a relationship, launching a dream, or rediscovering yourself after a loss, just remember: you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to begin. And then, keep learning.
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Image Credits
Eisenthesky Photography
