It takes a fat penguin to break the ice.

That’s the first step to finding love, said David Coleman, the “Dating Doctor” and inspiration for the movie “Hitch.” And for some of the nearly 1,000 students who came to hear him speak Monday night at the Brown-Lupton University Union ballroom, that was appropriate advice only five days before Valentine’s Day.

“He said to just be open and up front,” said Samantha Meade, a sophomore early childhood education major. “You can break the ice so you don’t have to wait for the guy to make all the moves.”

Coleman began by telling audience members to look inside themselves before they begin looking for a relationship.

“I want you to be complete all on your own,” Coleman said. “I want you to find someone who complements your life.”

Coleman then gave the audience advice on how to find their “hmmm,” or a person who stops them dead in their tracks. He said that it’s very important to release tension at the beginning of a relationship and break the ice.

“Every single day that you fail to let another person know that you are potentially interested in them gives them a day to meet someone else and never know you romantically,” Coleman said.

To conclude the relationship blueprint, Coleman told students to employ the “ABCs of initial interest.”

“You’re going to ask yourself four simple questions,” Coleman said. “Are you attracted to this person? Do you believe them? Is there chemistry? Is there desire?”

He said if the answer to all of these questions is yes, do something social with this person for no longer than an hour in case the interest dwindles.

Sophomore advertising/public relations major Jaclyn Gibbs said she was intrigued by the reality in Coleman’s advice.

“All the advice he gave you can really relate to your own life and your own situations that are going on,” Gibbs said.

Coleman also gave men in the audience five signs that a woman is interested. He said if a woman is interested, she will maintain eye contact with you, she will stay in your presence, she will smile, she will laugh and she will banter. She will break the touch barrier, she will test the future on you and she will make sure that you have enough contact information to stay in touch with her, he said.

The advice Coleman said is most important, however, is to “take your shot”.

“Life doesn’t always give us second chances with the same person,” Coleman said. “When an opportunity presents itself for you to be a fat penguin and meet someone, take your shot.”

For sophomore advertising/public relations major Allison Schorr, this advice is something she plans to use in her life.

Don’t second-guess yourself,” Schorr said. “Don’t live in mediocrity.”

Kelsey Lemm, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said students filled every chair in the Brown-Lupton University Union ballroom to have their questions answered by Coleman.

“I think it went really well,” Lemm said. “There were lots of students afterwards who came up and said that they really enjoyed it and had a lot more fun than they expected.”

Lemm said plans for Coleman’s return are already in the works.

“We were just talking with the (Interfraternity Council) president and he was saying he thinks we should bring him back every year,” Lemm said. “We’ve brought him to campus several times before and he’s definitely somebody that the students enjoyed as well as the staff.”

Coleman invited audience members to stay after the program to have personal questions answered.

Many stayed, but most didn’t want to talk about their personal questions.

Junior accounting major Melissa Walton, however, had one last burning question for Coleman.

“Where are all the good guys at TCU?” Walton said. “Please help me find them.”

Walton will have to wait for an answer to that question, but if the “Dating Doctor” comes back soon, it may not be a long wait.