Ask a Matchmaker

Latest Episodes:

#69 - How to Harness the Power of Manifestation with Melissa Lyons Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

This week, Maria welcomes international best-selling author, speaker and intuitive life coach Melissa Lyons to the podcast!

Melissa helps people learn to calm the busy and often overwhelmed thoughts that race through their minds.

Melissa has an uncanny ability to help people find clarity amidst chaos and she shows them how to get what they want. Quite simply, she inspires one to wake up each morning with a sense of happiness and excitement about the day.

She leads people to connect with qualities that are aligned with a life purpose that transcends titles and responsibilities. Her work is pioneering and is essential for anyone who finds themselves living someone else's dream or unable to identify dreams and hopes of their own. She is passionate about helping women discover their passions and resolve the inner conflict between who they are truly meant to be and who they think should be.

Melissa's heartwarming and profound books, I Will Always Love You and Until We Meet Again, are about finding hope and love when faced with grief, loss and heartache. They have helped thousands embrace fresh perspectives during life's most challenging events.

Get access to Melissa's free course, I Have A Choice, at https://melissa-lyons.com/matchmaker

Follow Maria on Instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria

If you'd like to learn more about Agape Match's services or enroll in an upcoming Agape Intensive, visit agapematch.com/services

#68 - Hotline Edition: Should I Move to Another City to Find Better Men? Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

We're answering YOUR questions again this week! If you have a question you'd like to personally ask Maria, be sure to follow her on Insta to know when the hotline will open up next! @MatchmakerMaria This week, we talk about…

How do I find confidence in my body and myself when going out on a date?
Should I move to a new city to find men that meet my criteria?
Maria goes on a rant about women's preference in height in men. (She is 5'11''. Do what you will with that information.)

Follow Maria on Instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria If you'd like to learn more about Agape Match's services or enroll in an upcoming Agape Intensive, visit agapematch.com/services

#67 - How to Filter Potential Matches with OkCupid's Melissa Hobley Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

#67 - How to Filter Potential Matches with OkCupid's Melissa Hobley

This week, we're talking about how to filter out potential matches on dating websites. How do you make sure the people you meet are on the same page as you and live in the same reality as you?

This week, we're talking with Melissa Hobley. She's the Global Chief Marketing Officer of OkCupid, one of the largest dating apps in the world. Under her direction, OkCupid has become famous for its message of inclusion and affirmation, winning numerous awards for its breakthrough social campaign in 2018 & 2019. In this role, she is responsible for global brand advertising, marketing, social media, and partnerships. Melissa was the first CMO at OkCupid and brought the brand from decline to being one of the foremost leaders in a competitive space.

Melissa regularly appears as an expert on tech and relationships in media like The New York Times and NPR. Currently, she is a regular guest on NBC's "Today Show" discussing relationships in a digital era. In 2020, she was named to Forbes "40 Most Powerful CMOs in the World." In 2019, she was named to AdAge's "Women to Watch" list and was featured recently on AMA's "40 Under 40."

To learn how to get 3 months of OkCupid premium for free, go to https://agapematch.wufoo.com/forms/get-3-months-of-okcupid-premium/

Follow Melissa on Instagram at http://instagram.com/melissahobley

Follow Maria on Instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria

If you'd like to learn more about Agape Match's services or enroll in an upcoming Agape Intensive, visit agapematch.com/services

#66 - Hotline Edition: How Do You Find Someone That Can Fly Me in a Private Jet? Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

It's another Hotline Edition of the podcast! If YOU would like to ask Maria a question on an upcoming episode, make sure to follow her on Instagram to know when the hotline will be open next! Follow her at @matchmakermaria

This week…

How do you find someone that can fly me in a private jet?

How to ask a potential partner their relationship history?

What do you do when you enjoy spending time with someone, but you're not sure you want to keep dating?

Follow Maria on Instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria

If you'd like to learn more about Agape Match's services or enroll in an upcoming Agape Intensive, visit agapematch.com/services

#65 - How to Establish New Networks by Being Relatable with Rachel DeAlto Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

In today's episode, I am speaking with Rachel DeAlto. Rachel DeAlto is a relationship expert, coach, media personality, and speaker. Rachel has appeared as a relationship expert on Lifetime's Married at First Sight and TLC's Kate+Date. Rachel has also been featured on a multitude of media outlets including The TODAY Show, Access Hollywood Live, and Fox News.

Rachel is having a fantastic week. Her newest book "relatable: How to Connect with Anyone Anywhere (Even if It Scares You)" was just released by Simon & Schuster's Tiller Press last week and can be found at your local independent book store and wherever else books are sold.

We talk about how to connect, communicate and inspire others not only online but in person.

If you're ready to get out of your shell and create new networks for life and love, this is the conversation for you.

Pick up Rachel's brand new book https://amzn.to/398aNCo

Follow Rachel on Instagram http://instagram.com/racheldealto

Follow Rachel on Twitter http://twitter.com/racheldealto

Follow Rachel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheldealto

Follow Rachel on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@racheldealto

Follow Maria on Instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria

If you'd like to learn more about Agape Match's services or enroll in an upcoming Agape Intensive, visit agapematch.com/services

#64 - Hotline Edition: Is It Okay for Women to Ask Men Out First? Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

Welcome to September! A period of renewal… and productive energy. If there were ever a time to kick off dating.. It's now. It's also time for Season 2 of the Ask a Matchmaker podcast!

This week we're kicking off our new feature, the Ask a Matchmaker Hotline! Matchmaker Maria is here to answer your dating and relationship questions. If you have a question and want to be on a future episode, be sure to follow Maria on Instagram @MatchmakerMaria to know when she'll open up the hotline next to get in!

Things discussed this week include...

Is it okay for women to ask men out first?Is it okay to go on a first date over the weekend?How do you find dates when moving to a new country?What should you do if you find yourself withdrawing from someone you're dating?How do you tell someone you went on a date with that they're just not the right fit for you?

Follow Maria on Instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria

If you'd like to learn more about Agape Match's services or enroll in an upcoming Agape Intensive, visit agapematch.com/services

#63 - BEST OF: That Episode on Long Distance Relationships with Maria's Husband, George Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

While Maria takes a few weeks off, we're revisiting some of her favorite episodes! The new season of the podcast starts in September!

Long distance relationships are brought up every week on Ask a Matchmaker on Instagram.

This week, we dig deep into the topic with The King and Queen of Long Distance, Maria and her husband, George!

They met in Boston while George was living up there and Maria was still in New York City. For the next SIX YEARS (!!), they dated, got married and had a kid while living hundreds of miles apart!

Don't worry, they're finally together in New Jersey!

But how did the two of them do it for so long? What could you learn from their journey?

Check out this very personal and heartfelt episode.

Enroll in the next Agape Intensive: https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/

Follow Maria on Instagram Follow Maria on TikTok Have a question for Maria? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

#62 - BEST OF: That Episode with The Ladies of Girls Gotta Eat, Rayna Greenberg and Ashley Hesseltine Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

While Maria takes a few weeks off, we're revisiting some of her favorite episodes! The new season of the podcast starts in September!

This week, Maria is joined by Rayna Greenberg and Ashley Hesseltine, the co-hosts of Girls Gotta Eat podcast! Girls Gotta Eat is a comedy podcast about dating, sex and relationships.

Listen to Girls Gotta Eat on Applehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/choosing-to-be-childfree/id1348777092?i=1000501573936

Listen to Girls Gotta Eat on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3Zwh39kXHAk9M6vZvofoxY

Follow Girls Gotta Eat on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/girlsgottaeatpodcast/

Enroll in the next Agape Intensive: https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/

Follow Maria on Instagram Follow Maria on TikTok Have a question for Maria? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

#61 - BEST OF: That Episode Where Jared Freid Didn't Get Out of the Car to Ask For Larry Bird's Autograph Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

Maria is taking a few weeks off. Before we start our new season in September, we're looking back at some of her favorite episodes!

He's been answering dating and relationship questions for years on the JTrain podcast! Now he's our special guest this week to answer YOUR questions… it's Jared Freid!

Jared Freid is a comedian based out of New York City. His comedy is current and reflects the ordinary daily thoughts of everyone you know, especially if everyone you know is a millennial, obsessed with dating apps, trying to be a real adult and worried about their body. He's a regular at the Comedy Cellar, Caroline's on Broadway, and Gotham.

He hosts the JTrain podcast and co-hosts a modern dating podcast called "U Up?" with Jordana Abraham of Betches.

Find Jared on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/jaredfreid

Check out the JTrain podcast on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jtrain-podcast/id672249013

Find more about Jared at http://jaredfreid.com

Enroll in the next Agape Intensive: https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/

Follow Maria on Instagram Follow Maria on TikTok Have a question for Maria? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

#60 - BEST OF: That Episode about Narcissists with Dr. Ramani Aug 11, 2021

Show notes

While Maria is taking a few weeks off, we're revisiting some of her favorite episodes! Season 2 starts in September!

It feels like narcissism has taken a bigger role in society in the last few years. What might start off as charming and great can quickly turn negative and unhealthy.

How do we make sure we don't get caught up with someone who is a narcissist? What should we look out for? How can you know if your partner IS one?

Dr. Ramani Durvasula (better known as Dr. Ramani) is a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles, CA and Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. She takes on our modern scourges of entitlement and incivility in the book "Don't You Know Who I Am": How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility She is the author of the modern relationship survival manual Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist. The focus of Dr. Ramani's clinical, academic and consultative work is the etiology and impact of narcissism and related high-conflict, entitled, antagonistic personality styles on human relationships, mental health, and societal expectations.

Dr. Ramani is an honest, authentic, and brutally honest voice on the struggles raised by narcissism in the US and globally.

Follow Dr. Ramani on Instagram http://instagram.com/doctorramani

You can find Dr. Ramani's books on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ramani-Durvasula/e/B00C2C5U0O

Find Dr. Ramani at her website. http://www.doctor-ramani.com

Enroll in the next Agape Intensive: https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/

Follow Maria on Instagram Follow Maria on TikTok Have a question for Maria? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com