In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Joel Cochran — a 41-year-old man on a mission to find his wife.

For the past year, Joel has been part of a podcast/dating experiment called Wife or Bust, where he worked with dating coach Chris Bates to intentionally refine his approach to dating on Hinge. Instead of maximizing options, Joel explains why he does the opposite — narrowing his focus so he can date with clarity and intention.

We discuss:

• ​Why having too many dating options can actually be counterproductive
• ​His strategy of pausing Hinge after matching with three women
• ​The importance of clearly defined dealbreakers (e.g. faith, health, and wanting kids)
• ​Why you actually don’t want to attract everyone when dating
• ​How being your authentic self helps attract the right partner faster
• ​The role of vulnerability in quickly determining alignment
• ​The tricky balance between men being vulnerable and avoiding “the ick”
• ​The concept of “closing the loop” in dating and relationships
• ​Pressure testing compatibility early on

Joel’s approach challenges the idea that more options lead to better outcomes, and instead highlights the power of intentionality, authenticity, and emotional growth when dating with the goal of long-term partnership.

This conversation is about dating with purpose — and what it looks like when someone is truly serious about finding their person.

Follow this podcast for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Joel: https://www.instagram.com/joelcochran_

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Laura Cannon, who was widowed at 27. Eight years later, she’s navigating modern dating — while still carrying the love, grief, and growth shaped by that experience.

Laura shares what her relationship with her husband meant to her, including the conversations they had near the end of his life about her finding love again and being taken care of after he was gone.

We talk about how she approaches dating today, including when — and how — she tells someone she’s a widow, and why she doesn’t include it in her dating profile.

We also explore:

• The advice she would give herself at 27 about grief and dating again

• The difference between pity and true emotional support

• Taking care of others as a way to protect ourselves from vulnerability

• The idea that loving someone new doesn’t diminish love for someone who passed

• Why she doesn’t need someone to fix her — just someone who can meet her where she is

Laura also reflects on how losing her husband shaped who she is today, and how anyone who falls in love with her is ultimately falling in love with someone formed by both love and loss.

This conversation is about grief, resilience, and loving again — without letting go of the past.

Follow this podcast for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Laura: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/_lauracannon

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Jessica Lopez to talk about modern dating — and why it increasingly feels like a vetting process.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Jessica shares her experience dating in Miami, why she found the culture there too superficial and casual, and why she ultimately moved to Austin in search of something different — only to find its own set of challenges.

We get into how she approaches dating today, including the systems and standards she uses to filter for the right partner.

We discuss:

• Why she now FaceTimes every match before agreeing to a first date

• The five questions she asks to quickly assess compatibility

• Why she refuses low-effort dates like coffee or walks

• The role of trust — and why men share their location with her early on

• Using Instagram, the Tea app, and other methods to vet potential partners

• Red flags, green flags, and the fine line between standards and over-filtering

• Whether it’s a good idea to date within your own community

Jessica also shares stories that highlight just how unpredictable modern dating can be — from tracking a guy’s location over an entire weekend to navigating blurred boundaries with exes.

This conversation is about standards, trust, and how people are adapting their dating strategies in a world where connection feels harder — but expectations are higher than ever.

Follow this podcast for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Jessica Lopez:  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jessicashlopez

Jessica is a 29-year-old entrepreneur and content creator who has navigated the dating scene across the Dominican Republic, Miami, Austin, and now California looking for love. She’s known as the go-to person for relationship advice among her friends, and she has also done extensive personal work understanding and healing her anxious attachment style. After nearly a decade of intentionally using dating apps on and off, she jokingly considers herself a bit of a professional when it comes to navigating them. Her dating journey has been filled with both valuable insights and plenty of hilarious stories about modern love.

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Julie Krause to talk about what it’s really like dating at 39 — and why it can feel like being stuck in what she calls “no woman’s land.”

We dive into:

• The “Peter Pan” phenomenon — and why so many men seem resistant to commitment

• How Julie approaches dating differently now compared to when she was younger

• Why feeling safe in a relationship can sometimes feel boring — and why chemistry can be misleading

• The ongoing dilemma: should men ask before going in for a kiss, or just go for it?

• What to do when you’re not excited about a second date — even if the person is perfectly nice

• Why closing the loop and rejecting someone respectfully can still be surprisingly difficult

• Avoidant partners and their patterns

• Why coffee dates often fall flat — and how men can easily stand out by putting a little more effort into dates

Julie also shares a recent relationship that had both chemistry and compatibility — until it suddenly didn’t — and what she learned from that experience.

This conversation is about navigating dating with more awareness, balancing safety and spark, and understanding what actually creates connection — especially when the stakes start to feel higher.

Follow this podcast for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Julie: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jazzngirl23

Julie works as a program manager in physician well-being by day and is a curious observer of modern dating by night. She enjoys long runs, great restaurants, travel (especially solo!), fostering cats, and exploring what it means to show up authentically in relationships and in life. 

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Isabelle Tropea, a 26-year-old graduate student navigating the challenge of finding men her age who are dating intentionally.

We talk about when to ask someone about their dating intentions. The first date can feel too soon, but waiting too long can lead to investing time in someone who isn’t looking for the same thing.

Isabelle shares her experience of meeting men who say they want something serious, only for their behavior a few dates later to suggest otherwise.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why so many people seem to be dating casually today

• How and when to ask about someone’s dating intentions

• The right way to approach a woman at the gym

• Why preparing for dates can lead to better connection and chemistry

• The types of questions that create meaningful conversations on a date

• What research actually says about height preferences in dating

• How “manifesting your partner” can work as a psychological filter

• The best way to ask an avoidant partner for something you need

This episode is about navigating the tension between wanting a real relationship and dating in a culture that often seems built for casual connections.

Follow this channel for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Isabelle Tropea: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/isabelletropea

Isabelle was born and raised in Austin is currently working on her doctorate in physical therapy. Movement is her love language—whether that’s lifting weights, flowing through yoga, or slowly convincing herself that running is fun. She's happiest trying new food, traveling somewhere unfamiliar, or curled up with her cat Boko watching movies or reading books. 

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Ashley Beall to talk about dating after 40 — and what changes when the apps suddenly get quieter.

Ashley shares her experience of hitting what she calls the “cliff,” when the messages and likes dropped off dramatically after turning 40.

Our conversation explores emotional intelligence in modern relationships, attachment theory, and why compatibility may matter far more than chemistry.

We discuss:

• Why emotional intelligence is becoming the most attractive trait in modern dating

• The importance of recognizing and sitting with your emotions

• How attachment styles shape the way we date and communicate

• Why anxiously attached people need to clearly ask for what they need

• The importance of taking breaks during conflict — especially for slow processors

• Waiting at least six weeks before having sex to test real compatibility

• What women actually mean when they say they’re looking for safety in a partner

Ashley also shares a recent dating experience how quickly red flags can appear when chemistry moves faster than character.

This conversation is about navigating dating with more awareness, emotional maturity, and intention — especially when the stakes start to feel higher.

Follow this channel for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Ashley Beall: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/ashleybeall

https://www.tiktok.com/@theattachmentnerd

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Megan Kronberg — currently going through a divorce after 10 years in a relationship (7 of them married) — to talk about what it’s really like to start over.

We discuss her first date after a decade of partnership, the strange shift from “wife-level” communication to going days without hearing from someone new, and the excitement of rediscovering herself outside of a long-term relationship.

We explore:

- When putting in the work is worth it — and when it’s time to walk away

- Why many men tend to show effort only when something is wrong

- The power of regular relationship check-ins

- The one question every couple should ask each other each week

- Why the single life can feel amazing...but what we often fail to consider about the future

- The benefits of learning a partner’s love language early on

- And the funniest worst first date story I’ve heard so far

This conversation is about self-discovery, growth, and learning how to love ourselves — and our partners — even better the second time around.

Follow this channel for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Megan Kronberg: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mkberg11

Megan Kronberg, 37, is outdoorsy, active, and adventure-inclined; yoga, running, paddle boarding, hiking, and travel keep her energized. She's on a mission to find the best matcha in town and is always down for sushi, pizza, Mediterranean, and exploring new restaurants. She loves deep conversations, meaningful connections, and experiences that expand her world. She's a Senior Account Manager in staffing & recruiting (7 years, fully remote). She's great with people, big on growth, and building things that matter. She's equal parts grounded and curious, playful and introspective, and in a season of alignment, expansion, and choosing what feels exciting and real.

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with intimacy coach, tantra instructor, shibari teacher, and former professional dominatrix Rina Trevi to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in modern relationships: kink and BDSM.

We explore what kink/BDSM is really about — and why it has far less to do with pain or shock value, and far more to do with curiosity, presence, attunement, and emotional safety.

We discuss:

- Why dominance and submission are about trust, not control

- How slowing down can completely transform your sex life

- The psychology behind humiliation and vulnerability

- Why vulnerability is a prerequisite for connection

- How role play taps into something deeper than physical sensation

- Red flags to watch for in the kink community- How to share fantasies with a partner (even if they’re not “kinky”)

- How to safely explore power dynamics and build trust

I also share how I became curious about BDSM after dating someone who challenged my assumptions — and what surprised me most when I attended Rina’s shibari workshop. What I thought would be about learning knots turned out to be about presence, nonverbal communication, and creating a space where your partner feels safe enough to let go.

This conversation isn’t about shock value.

It’s about depth.

It’s about trust.

It’s about learning how to slow down — in sex and in life.

Follow this channel for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://⁠www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights: https://⁠www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://⁠www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Rina Trevi: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rina_trevi

Rina Trevi (formerly Ms. Renee Trevi) is a Vulnerability & Intimacy Guide, Shibari artist, and author. She is the originator of Shibari as Ritual - a ceremonial modality that approaches rope as a tool for presence, nervous-system attunement, and embodied transformation rather than performance or spectacle.

She is not a Dominatrix, not a masseuse, and not a psychotherapist - though her work draws from all three realms. Her vocation is guiding people back to themselves: raw, unmasked, and alive. Rina creates rigorously safe spaces for healing, self-discovery, and spiritual exploration through the body.

Her path includes 12 years as a full-time professional Domme in New York City and internationally, 10 years of extensive meditation and Tantric spiritual practice in Asia, and 7 years each devoted to Tantric bodywork for women and Shibari as an art of self-discovery.

What actually changes when you date across genders?

In this episode of Last Date, I sit down with Kate Telge to break down what dating men vs. dating women really looks like — beyond stereotypes and assumptions.

We talk about:

• Stepping into the pursuer role for the first time

• Limerence in same-sex relationships — and how quickly it can build

• The “U-Haul lesbian” stereotype — and why there's some truth to it

• How requiring a high-effort dinner date can unintentionally reward performative men

• Why identity and politics can “blow minds” in Austin’s dating scene

• And why communication issues aren’t a gender problem — attachment issues show up everywhere

This conversation doesn’t pretend men and women are the same in dating. There are real differences in dynamics, expectations, and social conditioning. But it also makes one thing clear: not everything can be reduced to gender. Attachment style, power dynamics, identity, and self-awareness still shape outcomes — no matter who you’re dating.

If you’ve ever wondered what actually changes when you date across genders — and what doesn’t — this episode is for you.

Follow the show for future conversations about modern dating and relationships.

Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastdatepodcast

Follow Danny on Instagram for clips and insights:

https://www.instagram.com/lastdatepodcast

https://www.instagram.com/cruxcompatible

Follow Kate Telge: https://www.instagram.com/kate_telge

Kate Telge is a community builder with a background in tech. She’s led community strategy at companies like Meta, Supernatural, and Tonal, and now runs Open Spaces, a storytelling series in Austin, and Maiven Collective, a community for women founders. She is training for her next HYROX race, and she dreams of one day opening an animal rescue.