Missed Connections

In this episode, we’re joined by ParaPods Network’s Eva Gross, who shares the story of a meet-cute years in the making—and the unexpected spark that opened the door to a whole new chapter of her life.

Along the way, we unpack what it means to come out later in life, what reality TV can teach us about connection, and the courage it takes to question the life you thought you wanted. If you love a slow-burn romance with a little cosmic intervention, this one’s for you.

About Eva Gross ✨

Eva Gross is a podcast producer, rollerblader and local drag enthusiast. For work, she runs the podcast network called ParaPods launched by And That's Why We Drink podcast. For play, she’s currently learning how to press flowers she collects from her walks around the neighborhood. Originally from Virginia, she now lives in Los Angeles with her wife, two cats and a silly perfect rescue frenchie you may hear heavy breathing in the background of this very recording.

🐴 Follow Eva on Instagram at @ewgrosss

👻 Check out the ParaPods Network at parapodsnetwork.com 

📺 Watch this episode of “The Parasocial Club” by ParaPods Network hosted by Eva with our very own Beth Windom!

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In this episode, we’re joined by Danielle Bezalel, creator and host of Sex Ed with DB, who shares the story of a childhood friendship that felt more like family–until that friend disappeared from her life without explanation.

As Danielle tries to make sense of the disappearance, we unpack the unique pain of being ghosted by a friend, the emotional labor of searching for answers, and how an unexplained ending can shape the way we communicate and build relationships years later.

About Danielle Bezalel ✨

Danielle Bezalel, MPH (she/her), is the Creator and Host of Sex Ed with DB: your go-to podcast for smart, science-backed sex education — delivering trusted insights from top experts on sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Danielle earned her Master of Public Health with a focus in sexuality, sexual, and reproductive health from Columbia University. 

💞Follow Danielle on Instagram at @sexedwithdbpodcast and TikTok at @sexedwithdb 

💫 Learn more at sexedwithdb.com

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In this episode, we're joined by bestselling romance author Alisha Rai, who shares the story of a relationship she desperately wanted to work—and how settling for "good enough" almost kept her from finding the love she truly deserved.

Along the way, we unpack the sunk cost fallacy that keeps so many people in the wrong relationships, enjoy a dramatic reading of an unforgettable post-breakup text thread, and hear must-listen dating advice from a real life exclamation point. If you've ever wondered whether your standards are too high (or secretly know they're too low) this one's for you.

About Alisha Rai ✨

Alisha Rai pens award-winning contemporary romances. Her novels have been featured on the IndieNext and the LibraryReads lists, and been named Best Books of the Year by Washington Post, NPR, New York Public Library, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Kirkus, “O” the Oprah Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.alisharai.com.

💞Follow Alisha on Instagram at @alisharaiwrites and TikTok at @therealalisharai 

💫 Order Alisha’s latest book, Enemies to Lovers, a part of her Daughters of Crime series and explore her full catalog of amazing books

Links from the episode ✨

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In this episode, we're joined by the funny and warmhearted Stephen Di Trolio, who shares a missed connection with his first love—a magical romance while studying abroad that became much more complicated once he returned home.

Along the way, we revisit the intimacy of early internet romance, explore what it means to be a self-described romantic sad boy in a world full of conflicting messages about masculinity and relationships, and ask men what it feels like to be romanced. Hopeless romantics, this one’s for you.

About Stephen Di Trolio ✨

Stephen Di Trolio is a PhD candidate in the History Department at Princeton Theological Seminary and a lecturer at Princeton University; he specializes in Religion and Politics in Latin America. He’s an award-winning scholar, an educator, writer, and translator. Stephen tries to combine scholarship, teaching, and translation to connect religion, political history, and, when he can, his passion for contemporary art.

Also, a fun fact, Stephen is a Pope translator. In 2023, he translated Pope Francis’s I Am Asking in the Name of God for Penguin Random House, and in 2026, Pope Leo’s biography. 

💞Follow Stephen at @srditrolio on Instagram and @StephenDiTrolio on Twitter.

Links from the episode ✨

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In this episode, we're joined by the hilarious and thoughtful Kelsey Goldberg, who shares a missed connection with the first friends who made adulthood feel like home–and how life's twists and turns eventually led them down different paths.

Along the way, we get sage motherly advice, explore what it means to find your people in every season of life, and discover thoughtful ways to stay connected over time and distance. Millennials, this one’s for you.

About Kelsey Goldberg ✨

Kelsey Goldberg is a Creative Executive at Roddenberry Entertainment. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she started her career working in the Toronto not-for-profit theatre scene before returning to Los Angeles. Once back home, she started writing and performing comedy around Los Angeles and still writes and performs with Friendo Sketch. She co-wrote the feature film Unearthed and is enjoying strengthening her skills as a producer through her work at Roddenberry.

🧶 Follow Kelsey on Instagram @24kgold and TikTok @this_tangled_life

Links from the episode ✨

"To the Queen Bee Who Made Me Feel Safe to Be Seen" with Jason Rhee

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In this episode, we’re thrilled to welcome the brilliant, fun, and always insightful Myisha Battle back to Missed Connections. This time, she’s sharing the story of a very modern missed connection: her former situationship-turned-Instagram-follower whose sudden disappearance from social media took the last remnants of their past relationship with him.

Before we get to what happened next, we dive into the increasingly blurry line between our digital and real-world relationships. From social media and dating apps to the quiet ways technology shapes how we stay connected (or don’t), Myisha helps us unpack what it means to build, maintain, and lose connections in an online world.

About Myisha Battle ✨

Myisha Battle is a sex and dating coach, educator and author. She is the host of KCRW’s How’s Your Sex Life? podcast and writes the Real Love column for TIME. She is the author of This Is Supposed To Be Fun: How To Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything In Between. She also writes a weekly newsletter called The Pleasure Dispatch, which explores modern relationships. Her new book Sexual Pleasure For Dummies is now available to order.

💞 Follow Myisha on Instagram 

💫 Order Sexual Pleasure For Dummies

Links from the episode ✨

“Technology is Taking Over Our Love Lives” by Myisha in TIME

"We Locked Eyes at Choir Practice" with Myisha Battle on Missed Connections Season One

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In this episode, we sit down with former New Yorker and new mom Nia James Starr, who shares her struggle to build friendships while navigating a new city, a new chapter of motherhood, and a new sense of identity—and the missed connection she experienced along the way.

With insights from moms who’ve been through it too, we explore how major life transitions reshape our relationships and what it takes to find connection, community, and yourself on the other side.

About Nia Starr ✨

Nia is a designer and sustainability specialist helping to implement local solutions that will help solve the climate crisis. She lived in New York City for fifteen years and currently lives on the beautiful Central Coast of California. More than anything, she is a mother to her wonderful daughter whom she loves with her entire heart.

🌎 Follow Nia on TikTok @earth.y.y

Links from the episode ✨

"How Do I Find Others Who Love Me in the Same Way?" with Thomas Page McBee

Good Mother – a project from Spaces Therapy and Morgan Dixon, LMFT 

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In this episode, we have the honor of speaking with the incredibly thoughtful and wise Chiffon Lark, who tells us a story of romantic longing rooted in personal purpose.

Together, we explore whether the desire for a romantic relationship can coexist with an intentional, independent life. We then dive into today’s dating discourse, why many women are rejecting traditional relationship models, and what we can learn about alternative relationship models through the teachings of Chiffon’s Indigenous culture.

About Chiffon Lark✨

Chiffon Lark is a full-time artist and children’s book author based in San Diego, California. She is an Indigenous advocate for environmental sovereignty for Native peoples and wildlife, and is of White Mountain Apache, Mescalero Apache, and Coahuiltecan descent. Her work is rooted in ancestral relationships with land, food systems, and non-human relatives.

💫 Follow Chiffon on Instagram @chiffonlark

🖼️ Check out Chiffon’s art including her new children’s book, “I Am”

Links from the episode ✨

“I Am” by Chiffon Lark

“My Story Asking if Boyfriends Were Embarrassing Went Viral. Here’s What That Says About the State of Heterosexual Dating” by Chante Joseph

”What Does It Really Mean to Decenter Men From Your Life? And can you still date them while you do it?” By Kayla Kibbe

“2025 was the year single women chose themselves. Will they continue in 2026?” By Chante Joseph

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In this episode we have the privilege of speaking with the incredibly charming and thoughtful Jason Rhee who tells us a story that takes us back to the early 2000’s–digital cameras in the club and a connection that paved the way for Jason to become who he is today… but ultimately faded over time.

Before we get to what happened next, we explore the context surrounding the different chapters of this friendship, deconstruct friendship roles, and examine the millennials’ early adulthood communication toolkit.

About Jason Rhee ✨

Jason Rhee is a luxury wedding planner, designer, and founder of Rheefined Company, a Los Angeles based creative studio specializing in high touch weddings, events, and experiences. With nearly two decades in the industry, Jason is recognized for his thoughtful approach to storytelling, inclusivity, and emotional authenticity. A sought after speaker and self described edutainer, he brings humor and real talk to conversations about creativity, resilience, and redefining success in hospitality and life. Beyond events, Jason is expanding his creative work into television and film, including developing an original romantic comedy inspired by the wedding industry.

💞 Follow Jason on Instagram and TikTok @jasonroars

💐 Check out Jason’s stunning work at Rheefined Company

Links from the episode ✨

The Gay Bestie: Pop Culture’s Most Reliable Archetype Deserves a Break

The Sad Moms Podcast (Apple, Spotify)

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We’re so back! In our season two premiere, we have the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the delightful and ridiculously charismatic Amber Abundance who tells us about how a series of almost-meet-cutes in the LA queer arts scene fueled an unrequited crush… Or was it? 👀

Before we get to what happened next, we dive into the context leading up to Amber’s story, taking notes on her approach to going “low and slow” in dating, and how she pursues connection as a full, real-life human outside of dating apps.

About Amber Abundance ✨

Amber Abundance is a storyteller, writer, and creative director. Amber is devoted to using radical Black queer imagination to create stories, art, culture, and community. Amber is the founder of Ample World and writes a bi-monthly newsletter called “Toxic Femininity” on Substack. 

Check out Amber’s new live show, Toxic Femininity LIVE: An evening of folklore, fallacies, and fairytales is a monthly comedic storytelling show featuring Amber herself and 3 other storytellers at Petty Cash Studios in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. 

🎟️ Follow Amber on Instagram @amberabundance for the latest show info and links to get tickets.

📺 Can’t make it to the show? Watch full episodes on YouTube!

Links from the episode ✨

Mickalene Thomas: All About Love at The Broad

Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving

All About Love by Bell Hooks

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