Ask a Matchmaker

Latest Episodes:

#9 - What Is That Episode With Jeopardy! Champion Buzzy Cohen? Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

What do Jeopardy! and dating have in common?

No, Alex Trebek isn't single, he's happily married, sorry to disappoint you.

But you can learn so much about how to approach dating and relationships by how top competing contestants on the show prepare to play the game.

And this week's guest is just the person to help… Jeopardy! Champion and Author of the new book, "Get Ready: A Champion's Guide to Preparing for the Moments That Matter," Buzzy Cohen!

Buzzy Cohen took America by storm during his ten-game run on Jeopardy! in 2016. His distinctive sharp look, broad knowledge base, and irreverent sense of humor captured people's attention like no other contestant had before. This led to coverage on the likes of Buzzfeed and Vanity Fair, as well as appearances on Good Morning America and Entertainment Tonight. Winning the 2017 Tournament of Champions only bolstered his position as a fan favorite - his gutsy bets and playful attitude with Alex Trebek and other contestants made his competition an all-time favorite for many viewers including yours truly. Cohen returned as one of the six captains for the Season 35 "All-Star Games" where his charm and personality took center stage among such luminaries as Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. He is often cited, by no-less than the NY Times, as a possible replacement host for Alex Trebek.

In hs new book "Get Ready- A Champion's Guide to Preparing for the Moments That Matter", Buzzy draws on his own experience as well as interviews with other top performers (from musicians and federal prosecutors to glassblowers and competitive coffee brewers) to teach listeners how the unique preparation method he developed can help them train for high-pressure performance situations in their own lives: interviews, exams, speeches, and even dating!

Things discussed in this episode include…

Get Buzzy's book, "Get Ready: A Champion's Guide to Preparing for the Moments That Matter," on Audible.

Find Buzzy on Twitter.

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

#8 - That Episode Where We #SlayTheMic with Jam Gamble Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

This week, it's all about communication. How do you become a better listener? What if you're dating someone that isn't listening to you? We're going to talk about how to be a better communicator AND how to be your most authentic self with #SlayTheMic queen, Jam Gamble!

Jahmeelah "Jam" Gamble is an award winning media personality, sought out keynote speaker, and CEO behind "Slay The Mic", a program that helps aspiring speakers, content creators, and entrepreneurs transform their voice into their ultimate superpower. Through corporate training, Slay The Mic Masterclass events, virtual learning, private coaching, and now through her recently launched course on Thinkific, she has helped over 700 voices have learned how to #SlayTheMic.

Things discussed in this episode include…

To sign up for Jam's upcoming training events, visit https://linktr.ee/iamjamgamble

Find Jam on Instagram

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

#7 - That Episode with Silence Breaker and Relationship Columnist Jasmine Lobe Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

This week, Maria welcomes Jasmine Lobe!

Writer and actress Jasmine Lobe pens the relationship column, "The J-Spot", for the Observer. She has also written for Cosmopolitan, New York Post, Thought Catalog, The OkCupid Blog, New York Natives, and The Know Cultural Almanac. She's co-starred on Law & Order, Dirt, Cane, Retired at 35, The Human Giant, Hope & Faith, and acted in multiple web series and independent films. She is a Silence Breaker in #themetoo movement and is currently writing a memoir.

Things discussed in this episode include…

Find Jasmine on Instagram and Twitter

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

#6 - That Episode Where They Talk about Astrology with Chrissy Rutherford Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

This week, we have our heads up in the sky, looking at the stars...okay, it's more like the astrological stars, but still! We're digging into so many things, including how astrology plays into our lives with this week's guest, Chrissy Rutherford!

Chrissy is a fashion and social media expert with over 12 years experience in the industry. She was the Special Projects Director of Harper's Bazaar digital before leaving publishing in early 2020 in order to grow her personal brand and recently launched a diversity & inclusion consultancy for brands.

Outside of fashion, Chrissy is a mental health advocate, music fanatic, and astrology lover who is always seeking the answers to life's bigger questions.

Things discussed this week include…

Find Chrissy on Instagram

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit http://askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

#5 - That Episode with The Man who Believes in Love, Evan Marc Katz Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

This week on the pod, Maria welcomes her first male guest! Not only is he a good friend, you could consider him the male version of Maria-- in that no nonsense dating advice sort of way. And boy does the conversation get heated!

Billed as a "personal trainer for smart, strong, successful women," dating coach Evan Marc Katz has been helping singles since 2003. He is the author of four books, most recently, "Believe in Love," and has been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including Today, the New York Times, and CNN. Since 2015, Evan's blog has had over 30 million readers and 12,000 women have graduated from Love U, his six-month video course that helps women understand men and find love. Evan is very happily married and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their two children.

Even though they may disagree on some things, Maria and Evan bring it back to help dish out advice that you can use and relate to.

Things talked about in this episode…

Follow Evan on Instagram

Learn more about Evan at evanmarckatz.com

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com.

#4 - That Episode with Head over Heels Author Hannah Orenstein Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

This week, Maria is quite excited for her special guest!

Hannah Orenstein is the Senior Dating Editor at Elite Daily. She's the author of three novels, including her newest release, Head over Heels: A Novel. She also was the youngest matchmaker for the largest dating service in the United States.

Things discussed in this week's episode include…

Pick up Hannah's new book, Head over Heels: A Novel, at Amazon.

Follow Hanna on Instagram

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

#2 - That Episode with The Negotiator, Fotini Iconomopoulos Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

Finding the right words in a stressed situation can be frustrating. You want to make your thoughts known and it can be tough to say it just right so your message gets across.

Not only is this an obstacle in dating, but in all of our relationships in life!

Hence why Fotini Iconomopoulos is here this week to help you navigate those tricky situations when you need to say the right thing at the right time!

Nicknamed "the negotiator" as a child, Fotini has been honing her skills her entire life.

For the last decade, she's been empowering Fortune 500 executives and their teams to achieve their objectives through her expertise in negotiation, communication, and persuasion. She guides clients through high-stakes scenarios and creates customized intensive negotiation workshops for clients who want to further develop their teams across all industries.

When she's not strategizing with clients, Fotini is a frequent guest on CBC and CTV Television, a professor of MBA Negotiations at the Schulich School of Business and offers her experience to non-profit initiatives.

Topics discussed on this week's podcast include…

Follow Fotini on Instagram

Find Fortini at her website

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

#1 - That Episode with the Online Dating Coach, Erika Ettin Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

It's the first episode of Ask a Matchmaker!

We start off this new series with a deep dive into the world of online dating! With the coronavirus pandemic, online dating has been taken to a whole other level. Since the in-person meeting options aren't always available, how do you work through this new, uncharted world?

That's why Maria has brought on Erika Ettin to answer your questions and help you navigate these different dating times!

Erika Ettin is an online dating expert and dating coach who helps people navigate the world of online dating. Her expertise includes profile creation, photo selection and photography, message writing, and date planning. She is also the author of the book Love at First Site: Tips & Tales for Online Dating Success from a Modern-Day Matchmaker and the co-host of the popular dating podcast "So, We Met Online…"

Things discussed in this week's podcast include…

Find Erika's book, Love at First Site on Amazon.

Find Erika on Instagram

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com.

#3 - That Episode about Narcissists with Dr. Ramani Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

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.

Topics discussed on the podcast include…

Follow Dr. Ramani on Instagram

You can find Dr. Ramani's books on Amazon

Find Dr. Ramani at her website.

Follow Maria on Instagram

Have a question for Maria? Want to be part of an upcoming live taping of Ask a Matchmaker on Zoom? Visit askamatchmaker.com

Join our Facebook group to be part of the ongoing dating conversation.

To learn more about how Maria and how her team can help you find love, visit agapematch.com

Welcome to Ask a Matchmaker! Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Hosted by four generation matchmaker and founder of Agape Match, Maria Avgitidis, Ask a Matchmaker gives you no-nonse 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!

Find Maria on Instagram at instagram.com/matchmakermaria

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