Ask a Matchmaker

Ask a Matchmaker

Ask a Matchmaker is your weekly go-to podcast for all things love and relationships. Hosted by fourth generation matchmaker and founder of Agape Match, Maria Avgitidis, Ask a Matchmaker gives you no-nonsense insight into dating, relationships, compatibility, and love. Maria and her weekly special guest answer questions to help you venture through the jungle that is modern love. Whether you're looking for someone or you're happily taken, Maria will keep you inspired to keep going down the path of love every week, and hopefully gain a great tip or two to ignite the spark or keep the sparks flying!

Episodes

July 28, 2026 31 mins

Comedian Gus Constantellis joins Matchmaker Maria to talk about turning his late mother's recipes into a cookbook that became a heartfelt memoir about grief, family, and finding joy again. They dive into how losing a parent changed the way Gus looked at love, why his mom's advice to "come up for air" ended a five year relationship, and what it was like watching his dad start dating again just weeks after her passing. Plus, they ans...

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Matchmaker Maria breaks down what compatibility really means and why finding the right partner has nothing to do with shared hobbies or a Myers-Briggs label. She explains the four dating personalities, why your lifestyle is really about how you value your time and money, and the questions every good dater should be asking. Plus, hear the surprising story of the woman who thought she wanted an adventurous partner until one personali...

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Comedian and author Alison Leiby joins Matchmaker Maria to talk about her new essay collection I'm a Lot Read more

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Comedian Jourdain Fisher joins Matchmaker Maria for a hilarious hotline episode about dating, love, and learning when not to "fix" your partner's problems. Go check out his comedy special, Bits and Pieces, today!! 

They break down whether weed is a real deal breaker, if one bad joke should end a relationship, and what it really means when someone says they're "going through something." Plus, Jordan shares how Bumble led h...

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Psychiatrist and couples therapist Dr. Sue Varma joins Matchmaker Maria to explain why optimism isn't something you're born with, it's a skill you can build. They break down the difference between healthy realism and catastrophizing, why overthinking keeps people single, and how "maximizers" sabotage dating by chasing endless options. Plus, they answer a listener question about a boyfriend who's afraid to take the next step toward ...

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Jared Freid is back on Ask a Matchmaker to talk about his new book, Walking Red Flag, and why most dating advice completely misses the average guy's perspective. Jared and Maria dive into the "types of singles," why family setups may be better than dating apps, the difference between "main street" and "alleyway" dating, and whether social media is making dating harder than it needs to be. They also debate TikTok dating rules, the ...

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Amy Chan, author of On Single, joins Matchmaker Maria to break down why so many people feel burned out by dating and what they're getting wrong! They discuss Amy's "dating funnel," why a lack of chemistry on a first date shouldn't always be a dealbreaker, and how doomscrolling, TikTok, and dopamine overload may be sabotaging your love life. Plus, a listener from Miami asks how to stay hopeful after...

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Matchmaker Maria sits down with writer and mental health advocate Chrissy Rutherford to discuss the Summer House drama behind her essay, Ciara's Story is a Story I Know Too Well. From dating a friend's ex to the complicated realities of interracial dating, Chrissy explains why Ciara's experience struck such a nerve with so many black women. They dive into fetishization, friendship loyalty, codependent relationships, and the emotio...

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What can a steamy hockey romance teach us about attachment styles, situationships, and emotional vulnerability? This week, Matchmaker Maria is joined by her sister and fellow matchmaker, Chrisoula Mavrianos, to break down the hit series Heated Rivalry through the lens of dating psychology. They unpack why Shane and Ilya's 7 year push-pull dynamic feels so familiar, explore fearful avoidant vs. dismissive avoidant attachment styles,...

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Comedian and author Jordan Carlos joins Matchmaker Maria to talk about the surprisingly sexy secret to saving a relationship: doing the chores without being asked! From "invisible labor" and executive function to a grabbing some milk, they get into why a clean kitchen can actually improve your sex life! This episode gets hilariously real about marriage, gender roles, and modern dating. Jordan opens up about hitting a rough patch 10...

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Can ambition ruin a relationship? Matchmaker Maria sits down with author and journalist Stefanie O'Connell
 to unpack why ambitious women are still being labeled "too much" in dating, work, and marriage. They discuss the research behind men pulling away when women out-earn them, why women still do more household labor even when they make more money, and how "provider mentality" can sometimes really mean control. Maria also...

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Maria Avgitidis sits down with Justin Garcia, PhD of the Kinsey Institute to break down the science behind modern dating, ghosting, dating apps, attraction, AI in dating, hookup culture and relationships. Maria and Justin get into why over 70% of singles have fallen for someone they usually wouldn't think they'd be attracted to and why Gen Z says they value authenticity yet nearly 50% of them are using AI in their dating lives. The...

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Matchmaker Maria is back with a hotline episode tackling the dating questions everyone is actually thinking about. She breaks down why shows like  Read more

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Gen Z is having less sex! And THIS episode breaks down exactly why! Matchmaker Maria sits down with sex therapist Dr. Carli Blau to talk about the "sex recession," including stats like 1 in 3 men under 30 not having sex and people waiting longer for their first experience. They get into how dating apps, fear of rejection, and growing up online are making real-life connection harder, plus why hyper-sexual messages like "do you like ...

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Dating burnout, dating app fatigue, and lack of motivation to go out are becoming the MAIN problems in modern dating, and Matchmaker Maria breaks down exactly why! We're joined this week by comedian Rachel Williams for a Hotline episode that tackles how a "frictionless" lifestyle filled with apps, delivery, and convenience is making dating feel harder than ever. A 32-year-old caller shares her struggle with feeling hopeless after q...

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What if friendship is the real key to finding love? This week, Maria sits down with author and connection coach Shari Leid, who shares the unbelievable story of being found as a baby in a cardboard box and how that shaped her mission to fight loneliness and seek connection. After a recent divorce and cross-country move, Shari reveals how traveling to all 50 states to share meals with strangers led to her "Flip the Box" philoso...

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It's a Hotline episode 👏 This week, Matchmaker Maria is joined by CEO of Agape Escapes, Amalia Kalogridakis, for a rapid-fire dating advice episode! They cover: money, friendship, and age gap relationships! They discuss whether $100,000 in credit card debt is a dating dealbreaker, how to rebuild your social life when your boyfriend is your only friend, and if a 39-year-old woman dating a 24-year-old man is headed for heartbreak or...

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Matchmaker Maria is joined by TODAY.com senior editor Elena Nicolaou for a powerful conversation on miscarriage, partner support, and the reality of navigating women's healthcare. Elena shares the emotional story of finding out she was pregnant with quadruplets, miscarring, and then having to face a $41,000 medical bill after surgery! They also get into what grief looks like inside a marriage, how to know if your partner can handle...

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Limerence, obsessive dating thoughts, and why you can't stop checking your phone? Matchmaker Maria sits down with journalist and author Amanda McCracken, whose writing on relationships has been published in the New York Times, Guardian, and Vogue, to break down the psychology of intense romantic infatuation. Amanda shares how she dated over 100 men, struggled with "anchormen" from her past, and realized she was addicted to longing,...

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Comedian Chloe Radcliffe  joins Matchmaker Maria for a dating advice hotline episode about modern dating, relationships, dating apps, and finding a serious partner. They help a listener figure out how to work with an ex-boyfriend who betrayed her but still wants the breakup kept secret at their workplace. Another caller asks how to balance casual dating and having fun at 29 while still wanting to find a husband before her agin...

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