Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman
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.
Episodes
February 24, 2026 • 27 mins
In this Dear Damona episode, we tackle what to do when someone keeps canceling last minute before you've even had a first date, and how to tell the difference between giving someone a fair chance and letting them waste your time.
This week, a listener named Jenna shares:
"I matched with a guy on a dating app and followed your advice. After a week of messaging, I asked him for a brief phone call. He was so fun to talk to, and we s...
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February 17, 2026 • 26 mins
In this Dear Damona episode, we discuss how to navigate multiple long-distance connections, when to book that first in-person meeting, and how to handle the money talk before you pack your bag. If you've matched with someone across the country (or the ocean) and you're not sure what to do next, this is your guide!
This week, a listener named Maryanne shares:
"I'm 71 and looking for a long-term partner. I went on two niche sites a...
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February 10, 2026 • 32 mins
In this special Valentine's Day episode, Damona hears insights from John Kim (The Angry Therapist), Vedic astrologer Carol Allen, Authors of Getting it Right This Time Orna & Matthew Walters, feminist dating coach Lily Womble, and Seth Hoffman (her husband) about what they got wrong about love and what they got right.
She asks each of them two questions: What's the biggest relationship myth you once believed that turned out to be ...
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February 3, 2026 • 25 mins
In this Dear Damona episode, we cover revenge reporting, why dating app systems meant to protect us sometimes get weaponized, and how to handle rejection with grace while protecting yourself when things go sideways.
This week, a listener named Lisa shares:
"I just didn't think this was gonna be good. So I wrote him a respectful message. He responded respectfully. And within an hour I get an email from match.com that my account ha...
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January 27, 2026 • 26 mins
In this Dear Damona epsiode, we address what happens when you are late to the dating game, why dating is a skill you build through practice, and how to protect yourself without closing off to opportunity. If you're new to dating or want to approach it with a beginner's mind, this episode is a must-listen
This week, a listener named Butterfly shares:
"I am now in my late twenties and struggling to find a mate. I had strict parents...
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January 20, 2026 • 41 mins
Sabrina Zohar, dating expert and host of the Sabrina Zohar Show, discusses navigating breakups without self-blame, understanding dating anxiety, and finally breaking the patterns that keep you stuck. If you’re starting 2026 single or considering breaking off a relationship, this episode is a must-listen
What You'll Hear In This Episode:
Why January is officially "breakup month" and how the holidays reveal what we've been avoi...
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January 13, 2026 • 34 mins
Damona is joined by her good friend Danny Santos, shaman, healer, astrologer, and tarot reader, to look at the astrology of 2026 and how it’s setting the stage for love this year.
What You'll Hear In This Episode
Key transits and cosmic shifts to watch out for in the year ahead
Which houses in your birth chart actually matter for compatibility, and why your moon sign may reveal more than your sun sign
Taylor Swift and T...
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January 6, 2026 • 48 mins
How many times have you swiped through endless options and come up empty? You've got matches, you've got conversations, but you don't have clarity. And clarity is what dating in 2026 is all about.
In this episode, we share what the data is telling us about the future of dating and relationships. Damona isn’t making vague predictions; she shares 9 clear themes that are likely to emerge this year,grounded in research from major dati...
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December 16, 2025 • 25 mins
What is the magical first date zone between oversharing and playing it too cool?
A listener named Brian shares:
"I realize I have two dating modes. Either I dump all my emotional baggage on the first date, or I stay super chill and keep everything surface level, even when I want to go deeper. I've been hurt enough times that I just don't trust people to really be there for me anymore. How do I communicate in a healthy way without...
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December 9, 2025 • 29 mins
You've been married for 29 years. You're newly separated at 52. Your inbox is suddenly full of men in their twenties and thirties. And you're sitting there wondering: what the heck is going on?
A listener we call Confused in Coatesville shares:
"I'm separated a year in the process of divorce after 29 years of marriage. I'm 52 and I'm told that I look a lot younger. On dating apps, I'm getting hit up by a lot of 30-somethings and ...
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December 2, 2025 • 30 mins
How can you have 50+ matches and still no dates? Every conversation either fizzles out or someone reschedules and disappears. And worst of all, you keep seeing the same faces on every app year after year.
A listener named S shares:
"I end up with 50-plus matches like within 48 hours, which okay, great. But then I either get too overwhelmed by so many conversations and endless swiping and all the same people, or I narrow it down a...
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November 25, 2025 • 18 mins
Ever notice how the holidays have a way of forcing conversations you've been avoiding? When someone you're dating wants to introduce their whole life to yoursbut you've been keeping parts of that life hidden,it's not just awkward timing. It's a moment of truth.
A listener named Kayla shares:
"I've been dating this guy for 10 months and things are getting serious. He has a five-year-old son from a previous relationship, and I've m...
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November 18, 2025 • 24 mins
He says he wants to take things slow and get to know you organically. But when direct questions about his background get dodged, he frames your need for basic information as paranoia, and something's off.
A listener named Jada shares:
"We matched two weeks ago and the chemistry is amazing. He texts good morning and goodnight, he's enthusiastic about meeting up. But whenever I ask specifics like where he works, what neighborhood h...
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November 11, 2025 • 22 mins
Your best friend used to be your first call. Now you have to schedule weeks in advance just to see her, and her new boyfriend keeps calling your friendship "codependent."
A listener named Sarah shares:
"My best friend and I have been inseparable for six years. We talk every day, we're each other's emergency contacts, and honestly she feels more like family than my actual family. But lately her new boyfriend has been making commen...
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November 4, 2025 • 18 mins
Uncommon Goods makes holiday shopping stress-free and joyful with thousands of one-of-a-kind gifts you can't find anywhere else. So shop early, have fun, and cross some names off your list today. To get 15% off your next gift, visit uncommongoods.com/datesmates (Cast Sensitive) _______________________________________
Ever meet someone you really like, but there's this invisible wall around certain topics they won't talk about?...
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October 28, 2025 • 22 mins
Ever meet someone who feels right on every emotional level, but the finance math ain’t mathin’?
A listener named Ray shares:
"I met a wonderful man online. We went on two amazing dates. He's attentive, attractive, and dare I say we had a magical connection. Here's the thing: it seems he's going through a major life transition. He quit his tech job nine months ago and has been figuring it out. His phone only works on Wi-Fi and he ...
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October 21, 2025 • 20 mins
Ever feel stuck managing someone else's emotional chaos when you're just trying to get through the day?
This week we're tackling a different kind of relationship: the one between you and your boss. What happens when someone in a professional setting starts treating you like their therapist, and you can't just hit mute, unsubscribe, block and delete and walk away?
This week, a listener shares:
"My boss talks to me like I'm her be...
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October 17, 2025 • 33 mins
We are sharing a special episode this week, from Dr. Sharon Malone's new podcast, The Second Opinion.
On this show, women take back the conversation on health with straight talk, real experience, and the care we all deserve. You’ll hear prominent female advocates, experts and patients just like you sharing how they confronted gaps in our healthcare system and got second opinions that saved their lives.
Alongside each guest,...
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October 14, 2025 • 29 mins
Ever feel like you're speaking different languages with your partner, literally? When one of you wants deep conversations over text and the other needs to actually hear a voice, it's not just frustrating. It's creating real distance.
This week, a listener shares:
"I'm seeing this guy and we have totally different ways of communicating and it's starting to become a problem. He's all about texting, like everything is through text...
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October 7, 2025 • 23 mins
Help Dates & Mates win a Signal Award! Vote by October 9th at damonahoffman.com/award
Loving someone who can't love you back the same way is one of the most tender, complicated situations in relationships. Sometimes the safest relationship in your life becomes the hardest one to navigate, and the person who knows you best is also the one you want most.
This week, a listener shares:
"I'm in love with my best friend. I'm a que...
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