In this special Valentine's Day episode, Damona hears insights from John Kim (The Angry Therapist), Vedic astrologer Carol Allen, Authors of Getting it Right This Time Orna & Matthew Walters, feminist dating coach Lily Womble, and Seth Hoffman (her husband) about what they got wrong about love and what they got right.

She asks each of them two questions: What's the biggest relationship myth you once believed that turned out to be untrue? And what's the one pillar that actually keeps your relationship standing today?

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Guest Links:

Resources and Links:

Pick up F The Fairytale: Rewrite the Dating Myths and Live Your Love Story on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local bookseller. Find links at fthefairytalebook.com

Join Damona LIVE at Civana Wellness Resort in Carefree, Arizona on Feb. 14-15 or April 15-17th (DamonaHoffman.com/lovelab) to reserve your room and your space in Damona’s workshops

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In this Dear Damona episode, we cover revenge reporting, why dating app systems meant to protect us sometimes get weaponized, and how to handle rejection with grace while protecting yourself when things go sideways.

This week, a listener named Lisa shares:

"I just didn't think this was gonna be good. So I wrote him a respectful message. He responded respectfully. And within an hour I get an email from match.com that my account had been canceled due to some misbehavior. I know in my gut that guy was vindictive and turned me in. Is this a thing?"

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Resources and Links:

Unlock the secret to successful dating with our Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker.

Join Damona for in person workshops at Civana Wellness resort on February 14th and 15th and April 15-17th! 

Call or text your question to: 424-246-6255. Follow @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook and submit questions via DM or voice memo anytime.

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In this Dear Damona epsiode, we address what happens when you are late to the dating game, why dating is a skill you build through practice, and how to protect yourself without closing off to opportunity. If you're new to dating or want to approach it with a beginner's mind, this episode is a must-listen

This week, a listener named Butterfly shares:

"I am now in my late twenties and struggling to find a mate. I had strict parents and wasn't allowed to date in high school or my early twenties. I never tried with relationships, and now that I'm getting older, I'm in a place where I'd like a relationship, but I can never find the first person. I feel like the men I've tried to date have taken advantage of my naivety and wasted my time with no real intentions. I don't know how to build a genuine bond with someone and don't know what to look for and what to avoid. Can you help?"

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Why dating is a skill you build through practice, not something you're supposed to magically know

The real reason people seem to "waste your time"

Green flags to look for that signal someone is worthy of your trust and attentionThe "name and narrate" strategy

How to approach dating with a beginner's mind at any stage of life

Resources and Links: 

Unlock the secret to successful dating with our Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker.

Call or text your question to: 424-246-6255.  Follow @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook and submit questions via DM or voice memo anytime.

Join us IN PERSON at Civana Resort - book your space for February 14-15 now: https://be.synxis.com/?Hotel=7841&Chain=25041&promo=VWGDAMONA and enter code:

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Sabrina Zohar, dating expert and host of the Sabrina Zohar Show, discusses navigating breakups without self-blame, understanding dating anxiety, and finally breaking the patterns that keep you stuck. If you’re starting 2026 single or considering breaking off a relationship, this episode is a must-listen

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Resources and Links

Follow Sabrina Zohar on Instagram @SabrinaZohar and listen to The Sabrina Zohar Show wherever you get your podcasts.

Unlock the Secret to Successful Dating with our Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker

Call or text your question to: 424-246-6255

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Damona is joined by her good friend Danny Santos, shaman, healer, astrologer, and tarot reader, to look at the astrology of 2026 and how it’s setting the stage for love this year.

What You'll Hear In This Episode

Resources and Links

Book a session with Danny Santos at santoscrystalvisions.com  and use code DATES for 10% off your first session

Follow Danny on Instagram @SantosCrystalVisions

Unlock the Secret to Successful Dating with our Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker 

Call or text your question to: 424-246-6255

Follow @DamonaHoffman on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and submit questions via DM or voice memo anytime.

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How many times have you swiped through endless options and come up empty? You've got matches, you've got conversations, but you don't have clarity. And clarity is what dating in 2026 is all about.

In this episode, we share what the data is telling us about the future of dating and relationships. Damona isn’t making vague predictions; she shares 9 clear themes that are likely to emerge this year,grounded in research from major dating apps, relationship trends, and over 15 years of coaching singles through their love lives. We break down what "all or nothing" really means for your dating life, why effort is becoming the bare minimum, and how authenticity is actually your superpower.

This is the year singles stop negotiating with maybe.

Track your patterns and move forward with clarity.

Download the free Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker

Got a relationship question for 2026?

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What is the magical first date zone between oversharing and playing it too cool?

A listener named Brian shares:

"I realize I have two dating modes. Either I dump all my emotional baggage on the first date, or I stay super chill and keep everything surface level, even when I want to go deeper. I've been hurt enough times that I just don't trust people to really be there for me anymore. How do I communicate in a healthy way without either overwhelming someone or hiding completely?"

In this episode, we break down what's actually happening underneath both extremes. They're not opposites; they come from the same place. 

We look at the difference between throwing your pain at someone and letting them discover who you really are. Plus, we share the framework that helps you build trust gradually, without becoming either the person who overshares or the person who keeps everyone at arm's length.

What You'll Hear:

Both protection modes come from the same wound, but one looks like radical honesty and the other looks like walls

Why your nervous system isn't your enemy, it's just doing what it learned to do after being hurt

The goldilocks zone: how to start small and turn up the volume as trust builds

What healthy vulnerability actually looks like in practice (it's not what you think it is)

How connection points, not trauma dumps, create real intimacy on dates

The power of follow-up questions and ping-pong conversation over one-way vulnerability dumps

Rewriting your dating story: from "I keep getting it wrong" to "I'm learning to connect"

Ready to get clarity on what's working in your dating life?

Download the free Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker to track your patterns and see where real connection starts to happen.

Got a question about vulnerability, trust, or showing up authentically on dates?

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You've been married for 29 years. You're newly separated at 52. Your inbox is suddenly full of men in their twenties and thirties. And you're sitting there wondering: what the heck is going on?

A listener we call Confused in Coatesville shares:

"I'm separated a year in the process of divorce after 29 years of marriage. I'm 52 and I'm told that I look a lot younger. On dating apps, I'm getting hit up by a lot of 30-somethings and even late twenties. I have very little interest in somebody under the age of 40, considering that I have a 30-year-old myself. How do I get matches in my age range that would have an interest in me?"

In this episode, we unpack the real reasons younger men are reaching out, and what it actually means to date again after decades of marriage.

What You'll Hear:

Why younger men showing up in your inbox isn't random The difference between what you needed at 23 and what actually serves you now

How "I look younger than my age" might be working against your dating goals

Why an age gap hits different at 50 than it does at 25

The power of being strategic about which apps you use (and tracking your results)

Setting boundaries with matches who aren't aligned with you…without guilt

Ready to figure out what's actually working in your dating life?

Download the free Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker to start tracking where your best matches come from and what patterns are showing up for you.

Got a question about dating after divorce, age gaps, or navigating the apps?

DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, or leave a voicemail or text at 424-246-6255

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How can you have 50+ matches and still no dates? Every conversation either fizzles out or someone reschedules and disappears. And worst of all, you keep seeing the same faces on every app year after year.

A listener named S shares:

"I end up with 50-plus matches like within 48 hours, which okay, great. But then I either get too overwhelmed by so many conversations and endless swiping and all the same people, or I narrow it down and end up with just dead conversations. And there's guys having fantastic phone calls, scheduling dates, then asking for a raincheck without suggesting a date. What is going on?"

In this episode, we talk about the real problem behind dating app burnout we will cover why the algorithm is working against you in the first two weeks, and explain how to protect your energy from people who are keeping you on the hook with no real plan.

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

Is the paradox of choice really what's holding you back from dates?

The dirty little secret about how dating apps

 What happens when you treat matches like coins in a fountain instead of fish on a line

Why "interest" and "intention" are not the same thing

How the one-to-one rule helps you identify who's actually serious

When to end conversations with people who are keeping you on the hook

Ready to get better dates (not just more matches)?

Grab the Profile Starter Kit at profilestarterkit.com to learn how to write a dating profile that attracts the right people. It's $9, and the fastest way to stop wasting time on dead conversations.

Got a question about dating apps, burnout, or mixed signals?

DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, or leave a voicemail or text at 424-246-6255

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Ever notice how the holidays have a way of forcing conversations you've been avoiding? When someone you're dating wants to introduce their whole life to yoursbut you've been keeping parts of that life hidden,it's not just awkward timing. It's a moment of truth.

A listener named Kayla shares:

"I've been dating this guy for 10 months and things are getting serious. He has a five-year-old son from a previous relationship, and I've met him a few times. But I haven't told my parents he has a kid yet. I know I should have mentioned it earlier, but it felt too soon, and now it feels too late. My family's having their big holiday dinner, and he wants to bring his son. Do I tell them before he comes, or should I ask him to come next year instead?"

In this episode, Damona unpacks what's really happening beneath the surface: it's not your parents' reaction you're most afraid of,it's committing fully to a relationship that includes a child. You'll hear why silence and omission create more distance than honesty ever will, and how to move from avoidance to authentic integration with your family.

What You'll Hear In This Episode:

The weight of carrying a secret

Why dating someone with a child is a high-stakes situation

How to reframe your own expectations to accept the full picture of someone's life

The difference between protecting hiding 

The hidden opportunity in a holiday meet up

Want to track what's working (and what's not) in your dating life? Download the free Date Tracker at damonahoffman.com/datetracker

Got a relationship question? DM @DamonaHoffman on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, or leave a voicemail or text at 424-246-6255

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