100 episodes

From navigating dating apps to overcoming the friendzone to seeking a soulmate, this ain’t your momma’s love advice! Hosted by the Official Love Expert of The Drew Barrymore Show and LA Times advice columnist, Damona Hoffman, Dates & Mates is jam-packed with interviews from your favorites celebs, authors, and experts.
Dates & Mates is the 2022 Winner of The Best Podcast of the Year at The Black Podcasting Awards, #1 ranked love and relationship podcast by Cosmopolitan Magazine and a Top 10 Pick by HuffPost in the love category.

Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman Damona Hoffman - Dates and Mates Media

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.7 • 274 Ratings

From navigating dating apps to overcoming the friendzone to seeking a soulmate, this ain’t your momma’s love advice! Hosted by the Official Love Expert of The Drew Barrymore Show and LA Times advice columnist, Damona Hoffman, Dates & Mates is jam-packed with interviews from your favorites celebs, authors, and experts.
Dates & Mates is the 2022 Winner of The Best Podcast of the Year at The Black Podcasting Awards, #1 ranked love and relationship podcast by Cosmopolitan Magazine and a Top 10 Pick by HuffPost in the love category.

    Mind Your Manners & Bumble Bummer

    Mind Your Manners & Bumble Bummer

    Sara Jane Ho, etiquette expert and host of Netflix’s Mind Your Manners, joins to share the definitive etiquette rules for dating, talking, and texting inspired by her new book.

    The Dating Dish story this week comes from CNN: 
    Bumble no longer requires women to make the first move! 

    Then our Dear Damona question this week is:
    My match and I are traveling farther than normal to meet. Does that mean our date should last longer?

    ANNOUNCEMENT: For the first time in a long time, Damona and her team are offering 1-on-1 coaching! Apply to become her next success story at DamonaHoffman.com/application

    Follow Sara Jane on Instagram @SaraJaneHo and be sure to grab a copy of her new book, “Mind Your Manners: How to Be Your Best Self in Any Situation”.

    Read the CNN article for yourself: cnn.com/2024/04/30/tech/bumble-relaunch-men-make-first-move/index.html
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    • 49 min
    Addicted to Drama & I Can Fix Him

    Addicted to Drama & I Can Fix Him

    Dr. Scott Lyons, host of The Gently Used Human podcast, talks about his new book, “Addicted to Drama: Healing Dependency on Crisis & Chaos In Yourself & Others”. This week’s Dating Dish is: HuffPost shares the reasons why we try to “fix” our matches…and what you should probably do instead. Then our Dear Damona question this week is: How can I attract more culturally open matches?

    Follow Scott on Instagram @DrScottLyons and be sure to grab a copy of his book!

    Share the love: Get your copy of Damona’s book  F the Fairy Tale on Amazon too and leave a review and Damona could shout you out on an upcoming episode!

    HuffPost article https://www.huffpost.com/entry/taylor-swift-fix-him-relationships_l_662a5511e4b005d7bf0cbef0


    TIMESTAMPS
    (00:01:36) Why do we try to fix people in our relationships?
    (00:08:09) Introduction of Dr. Scott Lyons
    (00:13:32) Causes of addiction to drama
    (00:17:24) Origin of addiction to drama
    (00:18:09) Ecosystem and Turbulence
    (00:19:27) Numbness and Seeking Sensation
    (00:24:02) Addiction to Drama and Dating Apps
    (00:27:00) Attentional Economy and Social Media
    (00:33:13) Interrupting Peace and News Consumption
    (00:35:26) Dating App Activation and Frameworks
    (00:37:21) Awareness and Reflexive Behavior
    (00:38:01) Avoidance Tactics
    (00:38:24) Escaping Chaos
    (00:39:30) Milestones of Healing
    (00:42:41) Processing Trauma
    (00:43:42) Belonging and Identity
    (00:47:02) Cultural Diversity in Dating

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    • 56 min
    His Move & Love After 50

    His Move & Love After 50

    In this all-Dear Damona episode, Damona takes on dating burnout and swipe fatigue by answering your questions, like:

    Is it a bad sign if my Bumble match is taking more than 3 days to reply?

    How do I manage expectations with new partners?

    How do I attract partners that are more financially and emotionally stable? 

    And, is it more difficult to find love after 50?


    Share the love: Get your copy of F the Fairy Tale on Amazon today and leave a review and Damona could shout you out on an upcoming episode!

    TIMESTAMPS
    00:00:07 Is it a bad sign if my bumble match is stuck on his move for days?
    00:02:19 How do I manage expectations with new partners? 
    00:17:27 How do I attract partners that are more financially and emotionally stable?
    00:18:30 Dealing with fixer-uppers 
    00:27:50 Is it more difficult to find love after 50?
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    • 35 min
    Psychic Matchmaker & Digital Body Language

    Psychic Matchmaker & Digital Body Language

    Psychic Matchmaker Deborah Graham teaches singles to dial into their own psychic intuition. Plus, she shares her experiences as a psychic matchmaker, and her own story of being intuitively matched as well. Then, she gives a jaw-dropping live, on-air love reading. The Dating Dish this week is: Beware of Digital Body Language while you’re online dating. The Dear Damona questionis: What signs indicate that a person might be leaning towards commitment?

    Follow her on Instagram @PsychicDeborahGraham and learn more about her work by visiting psychicdeborahgraham.com

    F the Fairy Tale readers, the Dating Accelerator Program is open for on-going enrollment. Join today and get access to private livestreams with Damona just for VIP clients and Dating Accelerator students at DamonaHoffman.com/program

    TIMESTAMPS
    00:00:00 Intuition in Dating
    00:02:32 Digital Body Language
    00:13:15 Psychic Matchmaker's Introduction
    00:14:39 Realization of Psychic Gifts
    00:16:05 Limitations of Using Psychic Gifts
    00:16:18 Arranged Marriage
    00:17:49 Psychic Abilities
    00:20:18 Beginning of Psychic Matchmaking
    00:23:36 Mission and Intuition
    00:25:48 Reading Energy and Intuition
    00:27:49 Internal Compass and Muscle Testing
    00:30:20 Silence and Energy Communication
    00:30:48 Silence and Intuition
    00:31:44 Psychic Reading for Producer Lindsey
    00:33:27 Revelation about L's Past Relationship
    00:38:33 Dating Rules and Intuition
    00:41:16 Avoiding Ghosting and Dating Process
    00:45:01 Early Phase Dating
    00:46:06 Reframing Expectations
    00:47:18 Enjoying the Process
    00:48:13 Clarity and Guidance
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    • 50 min
    Codependent Patterns & Are We Dating The Same Guy

    Codependent Patterns & Are We Dating The Same Guy

    Fan favorite guest Mark Groves is back! This time he’s joined by his wife Kylie McBeath, to discuss their amazing new book Liberated Love: Release Codependent Patterns and Create the Love You Desire. In this interview they get to the root of codependency and offer ways to heal trauma and date intentionally. The dating dish story is: The Downside of Are We Dating the Same Guy Facebook groups. In Dear Damona a listener asks: Why are there so many fake profiles and how can you avoid getting frustrated with them?

    Follow Mark @createthelove and Kylie @beingisbeautiful and pick up your copy of Liberated Love (https://read.macmillan.com/lp/liberated-love/) today!

    Speaking of books - F the Fairy Tale is currently on sale at Amazon. Leave a review on Amazon to have a chance at getting thanked personally on the show!
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 54 min
    Speed Dating Do’s and Don’ts & Heartbreak Coach

    Speed Dating Do’s and Don’ts & Heartbreak Coach

    Keishorne Scott, author and relationship & heartbreak coach, shares his strategies for healing after a breakup and setting boundaries. Plus, he’ll tell you which matches to avoid and which ones are safe to date. The Dating Dish this week is: Speed dating is making a comeback as Gen Z ditches dating apps. USA Today says, we shouldn't be surprised. The Dear Damona question is: What’s the etiquette for messaging a new match?

    Follow Keishorne on Instagram @KeishorneScott and learn more about his work and books at KeishorneScott.com!

    Share the love: Get your copy of F the Fairy Tale on Amazon today and take advantage of the discounted rate. Then leave a review and Damona may thank you live on-air!

    TIMESTAMPS
    (00:01:04) Spring cleaning and new beginnings - Damona discusses the positive aspects of spring and new relationship beginnings.
    (00:02:37) Speed dating resurgence - Damona discusses the resurgence of speed dating and its comparison to dating apps.
    (00:08:07) Preparing for speed dating - Damona host provides advice on preparing for speed dating events and engaging in meaningful conversations.
    (00:12:55) Managing expectations in dating - Damona emphasizes the importance of managing expectations and having a positive mindset in dating.
    00:16:15) Introduction to Keishorne Scott - Damona introduces Keishorne Scott, a relationship and heartbreak coach, and discusses his work.
    (00:16:57) Overcoming heartbreak - Keishorne shares his personal experience with heartbreak and the journey to self-love and healing.
    (00:18:01) Self Work and Understanding Love - Keishorne discusses the self-work needed before marriage and understanding love.
    (00:20:00) Masculine and Feminine Gender Roles - Keishorne and Damona debate traditional gender roles in relationships and personal expression.
    (00:21:18) Types of Men to Avoid - Keishorne explains the "mouse," "bird," "dog," and "lion" archetypes and why to avoid them.
    (00:23:29) Recognizing Relationship Red Flags - Keishorne and Damona discuss the importance of communication and addressing personal issues in relationships.
    (00:28:03) Knowing When to Move On - Keishorne shares insights on recognizing when a relationship has run its course and the importance of mental health.
    (00:31:20) Healing from Heartbreak - Keishorne discusses the individual nature of healing from heartbreak and the non-negotiable aspect of self-healing.
    (00:32:49) Dealing with heartbreak and self-love - Keishorne Scott advises taking time to focus on oneself after a breakup.
    00:33:40 Overcoming heartbreak and reconnecting with oneself - Damona Hoffman discusses the process of healing and reestablishing one's identity.
    00:35:03 The discomfort of healing - Keishorne and Damona explore the discomfort that comes with healing and the importance of seeking support.
    00:36:42 Maintaining boundaries - Keishorne and Damona discuss the importance of setting and maintaining personal boundaries in relationships.
    00:39:08 Parting words and gratitude - Keishorne expresses gratitude for the discussion and shares insight on the importance of boundaries for personal protection.
    00:40:22 Advice for a listener's dating situation - Damona addresses a listener's concerns about texting frequency and dating intentions.
    00:47:56 Upcoming episode preview and book promotion - Damona promotes an upcoming episode and a book deal for "F the Fairytale."
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    • 50 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
274 Ratings

274 Ratings

abitocd ,

Dating Reality Check

Read the book and can’t stop listening to the podcast! Love Damona’s perspective on dating. She tells it like it is and gives actionable tools you can use dating in the world today!

PRGirl47 ,

Relationship Expert

Great advice, fun podcast. Thanks Damona!

caki diehl ,

Thank you

For the hood work Damona - level headed and sound advice in what can be a crazy dating world!

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