Ask a Matchmaker

This week’s guest is truly a wordsmith. Not only does her articles resonate and make you think, her tweets go viral all the time. Just recently, Hillary Clinton even retweeted her!!! What can we learn about the power of our words to build relationships with others, even getting that first date? Charlotte Clymer is a writer and LGBTQ advocate. She recently finished a tour as the press secretary for rapid response at the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. Currently, she is working on her first book, soon-to-be announced. Find Charlotte on Twitter Find Charlotte on Instagram  Follow Maria on Instagram  Have a question for Maria? 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

How we grow up can dictate how we act in our relationships as adults, whether we consciously know it or not. We might learn about these habits the hard way. How would growing up in a religious movement that some describe as an apocalyptic cult affect you as an adult? Could you imagine that?  Today, Matchmaker Maria speaks with author Flor Edwards and her twin sister Tamar Edwards. By age twelve, Flor and Tamar had lived in 24 different locations across three continents. Always on the move to escape the Antichrist and in preparation for the Apocalypse in 1993, their nomadic childhood prompted Flor to pen her memoir Apocalypse Child: A Life in End Times. Flor movingly describes her early life growing up with her family and 11 siblings as a member of The Children of God, a controversial religious movement that many describe as an apocalyptic cult. Tamar works in health and wellness and is currently in the process of receiving her certification as a sex and intimacy coach.  Get Flor’s book, Apocalypse Child: A Life in End Times can be found on Amazon here. Find Flor on Instagram Visit Flor’s website Follow Maria on Instagram Have a question for Maria? 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

We all have dating stories that are easy to look back at and see how we should have gotten out of it early on. Some are silly to look at and some seem so dangerous. But it isn’t easy to see what’s going on when we’re in the middle of it. This week, Maria is sharing one story, hoping you might learn from it and maybe share this with someone that might be in the middle of their own toxic relationship.  Sharing her story this week is writer Zoë Gulliksen. She’s worked at a wealth of different places including Gotham News, The New York Public Library, MoviePass, and Midtown Comics. While working as a movie journalist she interviewed talent such as Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Colin Firth, Ryan Gosling, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many more. She’s written a blog post about her toxic relationship that has been seen by many people. So much so that anyone who has tried to date this guy since they find the blog post, saving themselves from potential disaster! Follow Zoë on Twitter Follow Zoë on Instagram Follow Maria on Instagram Have a question for Maria? 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

We all have one of two things: a romance we’ve seen on TV or a movie that we LOVE and a romance we’ve seen on TV or a movie that we can’t stand. Maybe because we don’t like the people OR we think “There’s no way that would actually happen!” So much of our society’s ideas on what a relationship could be or how it forms comes from movies. It’s screwed up how we look at romance. This week, we’re doing something different. We’re diving into pop culture and finding out what’s good, what’s bad and what’s wrong with love and relationships in movies, TV and music.  And we have our resident pop culture geek with us to help, comedian Gus Constantellis! Gus Constantellis is a first generation Greek-American LGBTQ+ stand up comedian/writer. He regularly performs at Caroline's on Broadway, Stand Up NY, and all over the tristate area. He brings his unique perspective of growing up in NYC with immigrant parents to his standup, writing, and vibrant personality. If you’re Greek, you probably know him from the “Greek Mom” bits that we all are obsessed with. Find Gus on Instagram Watch Gus’s stand up special “Pepper” on Instagram Follow Maria on Instagram Have a question for Maria? 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

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. This discussed in this episode: Find Jared on Instagram Check out the JTrain podcast on Apple Podcasts Find more about Jared at jaredfreid.com Follow Maria on Instagram Have a question for Maria? 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

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

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

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

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 

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.