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
April 29, 2025 • 57 mins
In this special Master Class episode, Damona explains the effect that text-based communication has had on dating today. But rather than thinking of it as us losing the art of communication, she proposes that we consider it as gaining another language and expanding our skills. Prepare to develop a communication code of conduct that will hopefully lead you to a deeper, more meaningful connection!
Submit your questions for Dear Damon...
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April 22, 2025 • 71 mins
Laura Day, New York Times bestselling author, shares the insights within her upcoming book, “The Prism: Seven Steps to Heal Your Past and Transform Your Future”. Her transformational tools will put you back in the driver's seat of your life and lead you to healthier relationships with others and yourself. Our Dear Damona question of the week:
Where do you draw the line between being too picky and settling?
Pre-order your copy of ...
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April 15, 2025 • 62 mins
Damona shares a rare peek behind the curtain of one of her private coaching sessions, with the client’s permission of course! Hear firsthand how she teaches her clients to use their own intuition in dating and beyond. Plus you’ll get to see exactly how Damona uses her own intuition while coaching singles in love from how to tune in, what to look and listen for, and exercises to get started yourself. Whether you’ve been ignoring you...
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April 8, 2025 • 55 mins
Francesca Hogi, TED speaker and host of the Dear Franny podcast, introduces her new book, “How To Find True Love: Unlock Your Romantic Flow and Create Lasting Relationships.” Plus, she will break down her new definition of true love, dive deeper into the Fairy Tale Industrial Complex, explore her meet-cute mindset and so much more! Our Dear Damona question of the week:
Dating apps keep feeding me the same old matches, so how do I ...
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April 3, 2025 • 45 mins
Sharing a new show from our friends at Higher Ground, hosted by Michelle Obama, called IMO. On IMO, Michelle and her big brother Craig Robinson bring candid perspectives to the everyday questions shaping our lives, relationships and the world around us. Each week, they’re joined by a guest to tackle real questions from real folks just like you offering practical advice, personal storytelling, and plenty of laughs. And a lot of thei...
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April 1, 2025 • 47 mins
In honor of their 18th wedding anniversary, Damona’s partner-in-life-and-love, Seth Hoffman, is joining her on the mic to do something they’ve never done before—answer your burning dating and relationship questions together! From first dates to commitment, conflict to chemistry, they’re bringing you the raw, unfiltered truth straight from the front lines of a long-term partnership with questions like:
How heavy should outside op...
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March 25, 2025 • 45 mins
Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's Home Trends expert, examines whether shacking up with a partner actually saves you money—or if the emotional costs outweigh the benefits. Plus, we’ll explore how to decide when—or if—it’s the right time to merge your spaces and your finances. And later we answer this Dear Damona question of the week:
How can you set up a new long-distance relationship for success?
VisitZillow.com for all of your home bu...
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March 18, 2025 • 57 mins
Beatriz Victoria Albina, Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, breaks down the ways a dysregulated nervous system might be getting in your way romantically, how to tune into the cues your body is sending you and how to heal ourselves for happier, healthier relationships. Then the Dear Damona question this week is: 15 years later, I find myself back in the dating pool. Where do I begin?
Ready to break free of your dating loops? Get ...
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March 11, 2025 • 42 mins
Mercury may be retrograde but we are moving forward on a new path to love with an All-Dear-Damona episode. This week’s questions came in from all over the globe:
I’ve been told that men should do the chasing. Do I really have to sit around and wait?
How do I keep my cool when matches ask questions that I’ve already answered in my dating profile?
I’ve done a lot of inner work. How much can I reasonably expect a male match to hav...
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March 4, 2025 • 61 mins
In this jam-packed Master Class you’ll learn why apathy may be the reason you’re feeling burned out in dating and how empathy is the antidote. Damona shares why empathy makes you more attractive, how to cultivate it, and exercises to strengthen both self-empathy and relational empathy. Plus, our Dear Damona questions for the week include:
Why are so many people less emotionally available than they say?
How can we utilize roster d...
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February 25, 2025 • 51 mins
Johnny Fernandez, life and love coach, joins Damona to answer the question: is dating really harder today? This is a hot debate and it continues as Johnny and Damona put their four decades of collective experience to work. Whether you're feeling like dating is impossible, or just wondering if you’re doing it all wrong, if you’re intrigued by masculine/feminine dynamics or not, this episode is for you! Then we have this Dear Damona ...
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February 18, 2025 • 59 mins
Lindsay Jill Roth, award winning television producer, shares her new book, “Romances & Practicalities: A Love Story (Maybe Yours) In 250 Questions”, how these questions and ultimately the communication they foster can determine the trajectory of a relationship. Then our Dear Damona question this week is:
Is it time for a talk? My man keeps updating his online profile.
Get the book: “Romances & Practicalities: A Love Story (Maybe Y...
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February 11, 2025 • 64 mins
Devyn Simone, Tinder’s Resident Relationship Expert, joins Damona in celebration of Valentine’s Day to test Damona’s online dating knowledge in a Tinder Trivia showdown! Whether you’re feeling the love or dodging Cupid’s arrow this year, we’ve got something for you. Then in a special Dear Damona and Dear Devyn, our questions this week are:
My matches want to skip getting to know each other and get straight to the date. How do I d...
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February 4, 2025 • 46 mins
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and Damona dedicates this week’s episode to YOU! Whether you're navigating dating apps, dealing with relationship questions, or just trying to avoid all those pink hearts in the grocery store…February can be a tricky time! Set the record straight in this all Dear Damona episode with your top questions like:
A hot new match has convinced me the dating apps are worth a second go. How do I do thi...
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January 28, 2025 • 66 mins
Julie Krafchick and Yue Xu, hosts of the Dateable Podcast, share the knowledge and insights from their brand-new book, “How To Be Dateable: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Person and Falling in Love.” Whether you're stuck in the dating rut or just looking for that spark of clarity, they’ve got the tools to help you date smarter and connect deeper. Then our Dear Damona question this week is:
Now that I’ve stopped chasing unavai...
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January 21, 2025 • 62 mins
“What To Do When You Get Dumped” author-illustrator, mother-daughter duo, Suzy Hopkins and Hallie Bateman take on heartbreak in a refreshing way in their new graphic novel. Discover tips on healing from a breakup, moving on, and leaning into love again. Plus, we have this week’s Dear Damona question:
Why do my Hinge matches like my profile but then never write to me?
Grab your copy of Suzy and Hallie’s graphic novel, “What To Do...
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January 14, 2025 • 67 mins
Orna & Matthew Walters, founders of Love On Purpose, share the knowledge and insights from their new book, “Getting It Right This Time: Break Free From Your Hidden Blocks To Finding Lasting Love”. You’ll learn how you might be standing in your own way when it comes to love and what you can do to get yourself back on track. And our Dear Damona question this week is:
I want to pay for Premium on one app? Should I choose Tinder, Bumb...
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January 7, 2025 • 65 mins
Carol Allen, Vedic astrologer, returns to kick off 2025 with her annual love forecast in an episode packed with guidance and revelations. Whether you’re single and searching, navigating a partnership, or simply curious about how the stars align for you, this episode will illuminate your path to love by highlighting the times you should lean into love, when you should play it cool and when to follow up on old flames. Plus, our Dear ...
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December 31, 2024 • 19 mins
Damona offers a visualization to guide you through the ups and downs of this year and plant seeds for a 2025 full of love in this special minisode. Then, she shares her word of the year along with an exercise that you can try today to begin transforming your love journey.
Craving another soothing meditation, transformational tools, and a sense of community? For the first time ever, Damona is offering a one-day virtual retreat on F...
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December 24, 2024 • 28 mins
Damona shares reflections on the swiping stats from 2024 based on Tinder and Bumble trends from their year-end reports. Then she looks forward to the future to predict what you can expect in the world of dating and relationships in 2025.
Are you feeling burned out on dating—like you’re giving so much but getting nothing back? Then join Damona on February 1st for a one-day virtual retreat - Fairy Tale Therapy, where you’ll reconne...
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