Gumball Love Podcast

Melissa Roberts
  • 4.9 (96)
  • RELATIONSHIPS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Ever had a guy ghost you? He's into you and suddenly he pulls away or cheats? Does he leave and come back into your life? This is a Gumball Guy. Gumball Love is attention addiction. Attention is just like a Gumball, temporarily intense and sweet but soon the effect is gone. Guys addicted to the "Gumball" (any flavor of attention), get a high from the excitement, adoration and validation. During this cycle they appear to be falling in love. When the high is gone they pull away, ghost or cheat leaving you feeling confused, rejected and heartbroken. I'm your host, Melissa Leger, professional relationship coach, creator of Gumball Love and the Back to You Academy. If you're ready to stop the cycle of toxic men, get through the break up once and for all, and finally get back to YOU, you are in the right place. This journey is about healing your heart, and you are encouraged to take the pace that is just right for you. In the process, you will build a foundation of confidence and strength that will make you unshakable, I promise. So get ready to level up your mindset and your lifestyle, as you awaken the seeds of greatness that are waiting to burst into full bloom. Let's do this! Find Melissa Leger at www.GumballLove.com Instagram: @TheMelissaLeger Email: Melissa@GumballLove.com Facebook group: Gumball Love VIP Clubhouse

  1. OCT 31

    EP: 148: Why Feminine Energy Feels like Spanx: How did we get here? The Series...

    🎙 You've been told to "stay in your feminine," "be magnetic," "lean back." But what if that calm, soft version of you isn't power… it's compression? In this episode, Melissa Roberts peels back what we've been calling "feminine energy" and hints at the quiet exhaustion underneath—the confidence that doesn't breathe. If you've ever felt like you're performing serenity instead of living it, this conversation might change how you see yourself—and the kind of love you attract. Take the quiz → gumballlove.com → Book a free discovery call  → Email Melissa" melissa@gumballlove.com

    34 min

  2. OCT 23

    EPISODE 147: The Theory that Made us Settle: How did we get here? The Series...

    In this episode, Melissa Roberts breaks down the cultural conditioning that trained women to manage men's emotions, lower their expectations, and mistake emotional regulation for emotional connection. From the "Silent Woman" era to the Mars / Venus phenomenon and the rise of pickup-artist culture, Melissa unpacks how each generation inherited the same unspoken rule: make him comfortable, and call that love. You'll learn: Why "understanding him" became code for suppressing yourself. How Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus rewired us to normalize emotional distance, even 20+ years later.  The link between pickup-artist tactics and women's people-pleasing programming. What really happens when you keep "managing his emotions." Melissa's signature clarity and humor turn decades of pop-psychology into a clear map of how we got here—and how to get out. Is he a Gumball Guy? Take the quiz! www.Gumballlove.com:  Book a free one time coaching call here: Instagram: @melissajaneroberts  Email Melissa:  Melissa@GumballLove.com

    43 min

  3. OCT 18

    EPISODE 146: Who Taught Us To Fix men? How Did We Get Here? The Series...

    Why are smart, self-aware women still getting tangled with emotionally unavailable men? In this episode, Melissa Roberts stands in the lip-gloss aisle at Duane Reade having a full-blown "aha" moment with AI (Viv) — and it leads to one of the most powerful breakdowns of modern dating culture you'll ever hear. Melissa traces the roots of today's dating chaos all the way back to the 1950s "Happy Housewife" era, through Cosmo magazine's advice columns, talk-show therapy culture, and the '90s mega-seller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. She reveals how generations of women were conditioned to regulate men's emotions and call it love — and how that conditioning still drives today's dating apps, "feminine energy" coaching, and confusion about what real intimacy looks like. You'll learn: Why the Mars / Venus movement quietly taught women to perform emotional caretaking. How fake credentials and pop psychology rewired our expectations of men. Why attention isn't intimacy — and how Gumball Love explains the cycle that keeps you hooked. The first step to deprogramming the "good girl who manages him" instinct. This isn't about bashing men — it's about finally seeing the system that made everyone so stuck. By the end, you'll understand why you're not crazy, not too much, and not broken  you're just waking up. Is he a Gumball Guy? Take the quiz! www.Gumballlove.com:  Book a one time coaching call here: Instagram: @melissajaneroberts

    32 min

  4. OCT 10

    EPISODE 145: Fantasy Bubble Paradox- Hopeless Romantic? Why it's not leading to love.

    🎙️ The Fantasy Bubble Paradox Why can't you stop thinking about him — the guy who gives you just enough to keep you hooked but never enough to move forward? Why do you replay the texts, the almosts, the "maybe this time" moments? In this episode, Melissa breaks down what's really happening when you fall for potential instead of reality — and why your brain turns red flags into love stories. This is the Fantasy Bubble Paradox: when your hope feeds his dopamine and his inconsistency keeps you addicted to the fantasy. You'll learn: 💭 Why fantasy feels like chemistry (and why it's not) ⚡ How the dopamine–hope loop keeps you chasing the unavailable 🎬 The "Hollywood programming" that taught you chaos equals connection 🧠 How to spot when your brain is writing a story instead of reading reality If you've ever asked yourself, "Why can't I stop thinking about him even though I know better?" — this one will hit home. Melissa pulls back the curtain on the subconscious pattern running your love life, reveals how the "quarter and gumball" dynamic keeps you stuck, and shows you how to finally burst the fantasy bubble — so you can stop waiting for the story and start living the love that's real. 🔗 Take the Quiz! Take the Gumball Love Quiz to find out what flavor of attention you've been giving away — and start rewriting your story today. 👉 Book your one time free call with Melissa

    53 min

  5. OCT 3

    EPISODE 144: Why Playing Hard to Get is keeping you Stuck.

    🎙 Why Playing Hard to Get Keeps You Stuck The Gumball Love Podcast with Melissa Roberts is where successful, ambitious women finally decode the mystery of why love feels so complicated. Melissa — relationship scientist, life coach, and creator of the Gumball Love Method — pulls back the curtain on patterns that keep you stuck with the wrong guys, in the wrong cycles, and questioning your worth. Through raw stories, neuroscience, and practical coaching, you'll learn how to spot transactional relationships, escape the dopamine-hope loop, and open the door to authentic love. If you've ever wondered why the guys who come on strong end up pulling away, this is your place to get clarity, courage, and a whole new lens on love. 📌 Show Notes – Episode: The Hard-to-Get Illusion Episode summary: We've all been told the same rules: don't text first, wait three days, match his energy, be mysterious. But what if the very strategies designed to "win" his attention are the reason love keeps slipping away? In this episode, Melissa breaks down how decades of dating advice — from The Rules to The Game — conditioned women (and men) to perform scarcity instead of connection. You'll hear how the "hard-to-get" script fuels the Gumball transaction: the craving, the quarter, the gumball, the fade, and the crash. What you'll learn in this episode: The cultural origins of "play hard to get" and why it's still everywhere in dating advice today How performing scarcity creates craving but never stability The dopamine-driven loop of quarter → gumball → fade → crash Why attention ≠ capacity — and how to tell the difference The ache of living in strategy mode: exhausted, unseen, and still alone Why other coaches teach you to play the game better, but Gumball Love shows you the game itself Resources & Next Steps: 🎯 Take the free quiz: gumballlove.com 💬 Book a one-time clarity call with Melissa ✉️ Email Melissa directly at melissa@gumballlove.com with questions or topic requests

    20 min

  6. SEP 26

    EPISODE 143: Why Gumball Love? START HERE.

    🎙 Why Gumball Love? Start here:   The Gumball Love Podcast with Melissa Roberts is where successful, ambitious women finally decode the mystery of why love feels so complicated. Melissa — relationship scientist, life coach, and creator of the Gumball Love Method — pulls back the curtain on patterns that keep you stuck with the wrong guys, stuck in the wrong cycles, and stuck questioning your worth. Through raw stories, neuroscience, and practical coaching, you'll learn how to spot transactional relationships, escape the dopamine-hope loop, and open the door to authentic love. If you've ever wondered why the guys who come on strong end up pulling away, this is your place to get clarity, courage, and a whole new lens on love. 📌 Show Notes – Episode: Start Here – The Gumball Love Origin Story Episode summary: If you're new (or returning) to Gumball Love, this is your must-listen starting point. Melissa shares her personal backstory — the high-achieving "junior high boss babe" who could crush it in business but always felt confused and insecure in romance. She walks through the frustrations of books, therapy, and endless "tips and tricks" that never solved the problem, and introduces the metaphor that changed everything: the Gumball. What you'll learn in this episode: Why successful women feel "too much" in dating yet "not enough" in love The turning point story behind the gumball metaphor: quarter in, gumball out The five-step cycle of dopamine, craving, and crash that keeps relationships stuck Examples of common gumball dynamics (Arouse Me, Chase Me) and why they feel like love at first The "fantasy bubble paradox" — how hope and chemistry create illusions that blind you to red flags Why you're not broken, cursed, or doomed… you've just been in a pattern you couldn't name until now Resources & Next Steps: 🎯 Take the free quiz: gumballlove.com 💬 Book a free one-time clarity call with Melissa  ✉️ Email Melissa directly at melissa@gumballlove.com with questions or topic requests Key timestamps: 00:00 – Melissa's backstory: finance success, relationship struggles 20:00 – The gumball metaphor explained 25:00 – The five-step transactional cycle 33:00 – The "Chase Me" flavor breakdown 39:00 – The Fantasy Bubble Paradox 45:00 – The quiz and your next steps

    50 min

  7. SEP 18

    EPISODE 142: Why Love is the one thing you can't figure out?

    Welcome to the first episode of the new season of The Gumball Love Podcast! If you've ever looked around at your life and thought, "Why is love the one thing I can't figure out?" — this episode is for you. I know what it's like to feel successful in every other area, but still be single, overthinking every text, or stuck in situationships you can't talk about. I know the shame of wondering if something is wrong with you, while everyone else seems to move forward with engagements, weddings, and babies. In this episode, I'm sharing: My personal story of years of dating, breakups, and therapy before meeting my husband. The hidden shame high-achieving women carry when love isn't working. Why love feels amazing one minute and "off" the next — and what's actually happening in those patterns. The truth: You are not broken. You're not too much. You're not behind. You've just been caught in a loop no one taught you to see. Why there's still so much hope for your love story, no matter how late you think it is. This episode sets the foundation for everything we'll cover going forward — from cultural myths to dating apps to the emotional patterns that keep smart women stuck. ✨ Because real intimacy doesn't feel like waiting. It feels safe. And you deserve that. 📌 Links & Next Steps 👉 Take the Gumball Love Quiz to start spotting patterns in your story. 👉 Follow me on Instagram @melissajaneroberts for daily insights. 👉 Share this episode with a friend who needs the reminder: she's not broken either. 👉Book a Free coaching call with Melissa HERE:

    43 min

  8. 10/17/2024

    EPISODE 141: Why I left podcasting after getting married.

    I am so excited to be back, and I have so much to share.  This podcast is like a phone call between you and me. I tell you what happened, why I stopped podcasting, why I did not want to share my relationship online.  I also have a huge announcement and introducing a project I've been working on for a long time.  It is FREE:  Listen to the podcast and then come back and click the links below!    The Gumball Love ROMANTIC QUIZ: https://gumballlove.outgrow.us/romantic The Gumball Love NON-ROMANTIC QUIZ:  https://gumballlove.outgrow.us/non-romantic-v3 Website:  www.GumballLove.com  Email Melissa: melissa@GumballLove.com  Instagram: @melissajaneroberts Private Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/GumballLovePrivateVIPClubHouse

    1h 5m
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4.9
out of 5
96 Ratings

About

Ever had a guy ghost you? He's into you and suddenly he pulls away or cheats? Does he leave and come back into your life? This is a Gumball Guy. Gumball Love is attention addiction. Attention is just like a Gumball, temporarily intense and sweet but soon the effect is gone. Guys addicted to the "Gumball" (any flavor of attention), get a high from the excitement, adoration and validation. During this cycle they appear to be falling in love. When the high is gone they pull away, ghost or cheat leaving you feeling confused, rejected and heartbroken. I'm your host, Melissa Leger, professional relationship coach, creator of Gumball Love and the Back to You Academy. If you're ready to stop the cycle of toxic men, get through the break up once and for all, and finally get back to YOU, you are in the right place. This journey is about healing your heart, and you are encouraged to take the pace that is just right for you. In the process, you will build a foundation of confidence and strength that will make you unshakable, I promise. So get ready to level up your mindset and your lifestyle, as you awaken the seeds of greatness that are waiting to burst into full bloom. Let's do this! Find Melissa Leger at www.GumballLove.com Instagram: @TheMelissaLeger Email: Melissa@GumballLove.com Facebook group: Gumball Love VIP Clubhouse

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa Roberts
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Gumball Love Podcast

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