About Damona Hoffman
Damona Hoffman is a dating coach & on-air personality who starred in two A+E Networks’ TV series: #BlackLove and A Question of Love. Her first book F the Fairy Tale was published in January 2024 and became an instant Amazon #1 bestseller. She’s a regular contributor to The LA Times, The Washington Post, The Drew Barrymore Show, NPR, CNN Headline News (HLN), BET, and more. Plus, she is the OkCupid Official Dating Expert. Damona’s weekly podcast Dates & Mates consistently charts in the top 50 in the Dating and Relationships category. She is also the host and producer of Freshbooks’ I Make A Living Podcast, which features her advice for new entrepreneurs and interviews with expert entrepreneurs.
Vox: What science still can’t explain about love
Psychologists are hardly the only experts on love, so I was curious to ask matchmakers and relationship coaches this same question: Do people really know what they want? Are relationships discovered, or are they built?
They see a bit of both. Yes, people have a vague sense of what they want. But they owe it to themselves to investigate those desires further. “I think a lot of times people do not have clarity on what they want,” relationship coach Damona Hoffman says. But they’ll have the start of it. They’ll have a preference that needs to be unpacked further to reveal a core value they want to share in a partner.
Read the rest HERE!
DBS: Valentine’s Day Red Flags
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and so is a myriad of potential red flags! Resident love expert Damona is here to help separate the salt from the sugar with what’s a red flag, what’s a green one, and that’s a signal to run the other direction.
Check out all the red flags below…
12 Things People Get Wrong About Relationships
What if everything you think you know about relationships is wrong?
Damona spoke with Gary W. Lewandowski at Psychology Today to piece apart what it means to want and be in a relationship. More specifically, about “The Soulmate Myth.” Here’s a sneak peek:
The Soulmate Myth: Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe in soulmates, or the idea that there is one single person who is their perfect match. While it’s a charming idea for a rom-com or fairytale, in practice, it leads people who are single to be constantly on the quest for perfection among those they date as they search for this magical “soulmate” feeling—a feeling that is ultimately unattainable.
Check out the rest of Damona’s advice HERE!
DBS: Is cancelling plans a red flag?
It is no secret that dating out there is TOUGH. And we all deal with the human urge to walk toward the red flags when we see them. That’s why Damona is here to offer professional advice on how to spot the red flags early and walk AWAY from them.
Watch the full segment below!
Access Daily: Dating Dictionary with Mario & Kit
Mask fishing, roaching and throning – oh my!
Will how fast dating technology has developed in the last 10 years, so has the creation of internet dating terms. Luckily, Damona is back on Access Daily to clear things up for Mario and Kit with a segment called “Dating Dictionary.” See what happens below…
Cosmopolitan: The Physical Touch Love Language
Whether you learned about love languages from a personality test, love quiz, or during an online spiral, it’s likely you know a thing or two about them. Because when it comes to building lasting relationships—both romantic and platonic—these languages are pretty damn essential.
Very simply, love languages explain how different people give, receive, and feel love – this is why learning other peoples’ love languages are so important.
The Physical Love Language is alllll about physical connection and intimacy, explains OkCupid’s dating coach and the host of the Dates & Mates podcast, Damona Hoffman. “Physical touch folks give and receive love by being touched or held,” she explains.
Granted, while sexual expression is likely vital to those with this love language, other types of touch with friends and family are important as well. And all the experts agree: There’s nothing wrong with the physical touch love language. In fact, there’s nothing wrong with any of them because, as Hoffman explains, love languages are simply “tools to better understand yourself” and the people around you.
Check out the article HERE for the full download on the Physical love language.
Date Lab: Mutual Friends
“Bara Elshaer was nervous. The 27-year-old public health data scientist had never been on a blind date. He bought a new sweater in the hope that his date would think he was well dressed. When Amina Azmat, 25, walked into Ragtime in Arlington, she did notice Bara’s sweater, but focused on how he wasn’t wearing jeans, taking it as a sign that things were off to a good start. Well, better than other Date Labs that she’d read. Bara thought she looked “organized and fashionable.”
As they took photos, Bara started making small talk to break the ice: “Where are you from?” Amina answered, “Chicago.” Bara followed up with a casual and unassuming “Do you know my cousin?” When he said his cousin’s name, her eyes widened and then she asked for a picture. She did, in fact, know his cousin. Amina’s best friend had married him over the summer and recently moved from Chicago to the D.C. area. This coincidence was just the beginning of many.”
Click here to see what other coincidences Bara and Amina discovered…
New York Times: New Year’s Relationship Resolutions
For many people, romantic relationships have taken a back seat during the pandemic.
“Couples fell into routines that became a more casual way to relate to each other,” said Damona Hoffman, a dating coach in Los Angeles and the host of the podcast Dates & Mates. “We couldn’t do a date night out or many of the activities we normally would have done to get us out of a funk or give us a change of scenery.”
To help improve intimacy and romance with your partner in the new year, here are four key strategies to consider, according to relationship experts.
Check out the full article HERE for all the relationship advice from Damona and other dating experts!
Publisher’s Weekly: The Modern Love Myth
Damona has officially signed with Seal Press to release The Modern Love Myth in 2024!
As detailed by Publisher’s Weekly, the book is “a sociological deep dive that targets and breaks down the outdated relationship ideals—including religion, race, gender, and more—that hinder people’s ability to find love.”
Keep your eyes peeled for Damona’s first book on shelves in 2024…
E! Daily Pop: Celebrities on Dating Apps
Damona joins the hosts of E! Daily Pop to dish on how to slide into a celeb’s DMs. Here’s what she suggests:
1. Follow your celeb crush on IG.
2. Like a few of their posts.
3. Try to comment on their next couple of posts within the first hour.
4. Make sure your IG profile pic is cute AF.
5. Send a short and sweet DM – aka “Hey and Pray”
“Everyone else said it was too thirsty but I say you need to make yourself visible. Your celeb crush isn’t hanging around in their inbox waiting for your message. You need to command their attention.” – Damona
Watch the full segment below…
Damona Quizzes Alicia Silverstone & Drew Barrymore on Dating Red Flags
What happens when celebrities join dating apps?
In this segment from The Drew Barrymore Show, Damona gives advice to Alicia Silverstone and Drew Barrymore as they dive back into the dating pool. Damona also quizzes A & D on what counts as a dating red flag, including:
Check out the full interview here:
Drew’s Love Bug: Picky With Love
In this appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Damona joins Drew to analyze one picky 20-something’s dating app messages, and breaks down how to date while grieving.
Watch the full segment below for Damona’s advice…