Is it petty or prudent to use your life experiences with others in your life’s work? What if you’re one of the biggest pop stars in the world? Before dissecting listener emails, J&J dish first thoughts on Taylor Swift’s new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The first email comes from a listener disputing her latest breakup after her ex questioned whether they truly had long-term compatibility. To her, you have to invest in a relationship first in order to build compatibility, so she leaves it up to J&J to chime in and decide. The Awkward Encounter gave us all the ick. Then, the next email is from a listener who can’t decide if she should follow her heart or the advice of her loved ones. She’s seeing a friend of a famous rapper who flies her out and makes her feel special, but her family disapproves and wants her to come down from cloud nine. Is there a chance for something real to blossom with a lifestyle like his? The episode ends with a “Red Flag or Deal Breaker?” about picky eaters, invasive date questions, and threatening to break up after an argument.

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This Sunday Special is a full debrief as Dulcé Sloan (@dulcesloan) joins J&J in the studio, catching them up on the dating stories she’s telling publicly for the first time, why she doesn’t call romantic interests by their names, and what she’s learned looking back. She takes us back to the time she was seeing “The Mechanic,” breaks down what they had and why it went on for so long, and confronts Jared about what he's looking for. You may know her as a comedian and host of The Daily Show, but Dulcé is also Jared’s friend and ready to be yours too with her new book, “Hello, Friends! – Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs”.

For more of her dating stories and lessons learned in life, get your copy of Dulcé’s book here: https://amzn.to/44gUGxW

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J&J are back in the studio so nature is healing. Jared talks “peacocking” and shares deets on the commitment he dove into after a weekend in Aspen. Then, Jordana dishes on decision-making with her husband and the tactics that they’re using to get through their home renovations. Next, we receive an email from a male listener who isn’t having much luck making it to date #2. Is there a right way to ask what went wrong? The next email is a listener mid-spiral after her fiancé confessed to a digital affair. Then, the episode ends with a “Red Flag or Deal Breaker?” about a weird house quality, downgraded dinner plans, and lying about age on the apps.

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Mercury is in retrograde, J&J are out of studio, and existential thoughts are filling the distance between them today. Still reeling from the earthquake and solar eclipse, Jared and Jordana are getting deep into fears, oblivion, and mental health. Then, they dive into an email that doubles as a "Petty or Prudent?" submission. Our listener was dumped by her fiancé after footing most of the bills in preparation of their wedding, but she still has his grandmother's engagement ring. Should she give it back, or is it only fair that she sells it to pay off the debt incurred? She gets into the details of what's transpired since he called the wedding off to let J&J decide where to go from here.

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Lovers of long intros, buckle up! J&J are jumping in virtually today, so they do a little catch-up from Aspen and Long Island before diving into the episode. Then, our first email is questioning a man's alleged heartbreak. Our listener's friend broke up with a guy, but she's not sure how to take his reaction. Was he really just romantic, or was his reaction the subtle sign of a player? The Awkward Encounter is the accidental sext situation without the ick. The next email comes from a confused listener after her ex reached out wanting to be "all in" only to change his mind 3 days later. J&J discuss WTF happened and how you can avoid situations like this, then they end the episode with a round of "Red Flag or Deal Breaker?" about an odd joke, a last-minute change of plans, and privacy screens. 

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Weddings are on our minds today! After a few listeners sent invitations to their upcoming “I do’s,” J&J thought about the ideal wedding experience if they could attend one. Then, Jordana needs context on “the chair” text exchange from Jared’s Instagram Story coverage of his brother’s wedding. The “Icky or Picky?” is about having sex with someone who shares the same name as a family member. Then, we hear from a listener whose boyfriend’s mom disapproves so much that she emailed a list of her deal breakers. Should his mom’s behavior be a reason to see herself out of this relationship, or can they work through it? J&J discuss the balancing act between a parent and a partner when everyone isn’t aligned.

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Before we dive into another peak dating season, it’s time to ask yourself what you want and why you need it. In today’s episode, we hear from a few listeners going through frustration and anxiety, but first, you’ll never guess what Jordana has to do. Then, J&J hear from a 32-year-old listener who is convinced that at this point, she and other women are doomed in today’s dating society. Jared levels with her, but before we let her take everyone down too, our hosts discuss the importance of what you want your story to be. The Awkward Encounter is a confusing situation phoned into our hotline. Aligned with second-guessing from the previous two, our next emailer is dating someone, but she’s not sure she made the right call backing out of a date if it would mean meeting some of his family members. Does that mean they were taking the next step, or is she making a movie night more than he meant it to be? The episode ends with a “Red Flag or Deal Breaker?” about a third-wheeling puppy, revealing a potential deal breaker before the date, and lifestyle changes.

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Can a couple be successful in a professional and personal relationship? We’re finding out with this Sunday Special’s guests Nick and Elyse Oleksak, known for bringing their business Bantam Bagels to Shark Tank and selling for millions. The episode starts with learning how our guests came to know Jared, then J&J delve into their success and how the inner workings of their business played a role in their relationship. How do they turn off work mode and incorporate date nights? Has business been beneficial to their marriage dynamics? And what the f*ck happens if they were to split? Nick and Elyse open up about the personal elements behind the personas that made a life-changing deal.

For more about our guests, read “A Shark Ate My Bagel,” by Elyse Oleksak (@elyseoleksakofficial), available here: https://amzn.to/3QaN6PR

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Spring is here, but while we’re waiting for the weather to catch up, we’re discussing early dating to get you back out there. An email from last week about accidental sexts reenters the chat when our first email asks about strange messages from men on dating apps. Are there really that many creeps out there, or is she doing something to attract them? The Awkward Encounter is more of a reassurance ask about where a situation left off. The next email comes from a man who met a woman IRL. He’s not attracted to her now, but she seems cool and he saw an old pic of her, so would it be wrong to date her with a secret mission of turning her into his physical type? The episode ends with a “Red Flag or Deal Breaker?” about first date convenience, refollowing an ex on IG, and body counts.

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Spring cleaning time is here, so we’re heading into April ready to clean out, refresh, and reinvigorate our mindsets with the help of one of our listeners! Jeannette Cieszykowski, Feng Shui consultant and owner of Elemental Clarity, reached out to Jared after hearing a Benefits episode about how his apartment was holding back his dating life. This Sunday Special, she joins J&J to talk about feng shui, the energies we hold in our homes, and how simple changes could help us succeed in our dating intentions.

Learn more about Jeannette's work at elementalclarity.com or follow her on Instagram @elementalclarity

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