The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Let Someone Else Solve Your Dating Problems

Episode Date: August 16, 2025

Are you struggling to find time to date? Striking out when it comes to swiping? Fed up with one-and-done dates?Kelly Bensimon is telling you why a matchmaker is the way to go! From extensive vetting to relationship coaching, Kelleher International is the REAL deal when it comes to matchmaking! Plus, Kelly goes straight to the source - what should men and women lighten up on when it comes to dating? The expert's answer might surprise you! Email us at: [e-mail] or call us at 844-4-I Do Pod (844-443-6763)Follow I Do, Part 2 on Instagram and TikTokSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone.

Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content.

Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby. And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys.

Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA. terminal, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic.

He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak, Djokovic. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips.

And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie, and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD... Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you.

Open your free IHeartRadio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. Welcome back to I do part two. It's your celebrity mentor, Kelly, Ben Simone. Just like you guys, I'm out there dating in my I do part two era. And if you're single and dating like me, you know that sometimes it's hard to meet great eligible men when you have a busy schedule. And dating apps can be super disappointing.

So I wanted to explore a conversation around professional matchmakers. The company has been around. for over 35 years, and they've been featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, and more, they are the real deal. Please welcome Jennifer Wills, President Chief Growth Officer with Kelleher International. Jennifer, I'm super excited to talk to you. Kelleher International came highly recommended by someone associated with this podcast who had really successful dates.

So tell our audience a little bit about Kelleher International. How long have you been in business and how did you get involved? Okay. Well, thanks for the nice lead-in. So Kelleher has been around for almost 40 years. We're one of the oldest and largest players in the field. We specialize in elite or executive matchmaking services. So people who are successful but who are ready to be intentional about how they're approaching,

finding this next relationship, whether it's the first, the second, the third, whatever it might be, but they've decided to prioritize this and focus on it the way they would any other important aspect of their life. I've been with the firm since 2016. I kind of actually fell into it a little bit. I'm an attorney and have a finance background. And I had decided to leave my previous position as in-house counsel for a company in New York. And a friend of mine was working here and invited me in to meet with the founders. which I did for an entire day, and then they were stuck with me. After that, I just fell in love with the business.

I fell in love with them. There are really very few things that you can do in this world where you're truly transforming people's lives and having such a meaningful impact on not only their romantic life, but their overall relationships and happiness in the world. So we're going to get into that because you guys are twofold. But I wanted to address one thing. It's the embarrassment and the shame that we're seeing of matchmakers.

And if a matchmaker is, I think a matchmaker does more vetting. And it makes you feel better that there is a third party kind of, you know, being a part of this, especially with someone like you who you're not only the third party matchmaking, but also you're, you know, counseling your clients, which is great. But tell me about some of the perks. of using a professional matchmaker? Well, there are a lot of perks to it. There's the efficiency aspect.

Most people that we work with, they are very strong in their professional situation. They may have great families already, but they don't have a lot of time. And it's really the one thing that nobody can recreate. So providing a level of efficiency, meaning that when we're making these introductions, they're targeted.

We've essentially gone on coffee dates with the candidates, so to speak. We've met them. We've interviewed them. We've background checked. They've had to go through an extensive diligence period with us. So we know them.

So there's going to be a level of presumptive alignment on fundamental values that really is an open issue. If you meet somebody just out in the world or online, they're essentially representing to you whatever it is that they think that you want to hear, whereas we are really digging into. to who people are asking a lot of open-ended questions and trying to understand. There's also the accountability piece.

When you meet somebody in another format, they can just disappear, right? It's much more difficult to do that with a matchmaker because we're following along and they're accountable to us and we're taking feedback. So there's really nowhere to hide. But then, and you kind of alluded to this, there's the advocacy piece, right?

We are a trusted advisor in exactly the same way that a financial advisor or a legal advisor would be, we're just handling a different aspect of somebody's life. It's no less important, but we are the advocate. So we sit between the client and a candidate, and there are times where we can facilitate something that maybe on the surface, somebody wouldn't say, no, that makes sense. But if we know both parties, we can help make things come together

that might not happen without that level of advocacy in there. I love advocacy. I really love that. And I also love that, you know, there are these ultra high net worth individuals who are laser focused on their work, you know, whether, and they've been doing this for years. And the thought of dating is super daunting. So when you are, you know, with your company, with Calhara, what do you get for it? Like, what are you getting? How many dates? Like, what are we getting? So one of the beautiful things about this is it's highly customizable. We want to craft a membership that addresses that particular client's needs. So for us, we don't cap introductions. There are a lot of other firms out there that are pay X and you get this set number of introductions. To us, that creates an immediate conflict of interest.

People are saying, do I take this one? Do I use this chip? Oh, no, we have to produce this person. there's no cap on matches with us. Frankly, every time we introduce somebody, it's either a home run or it's a learning proposition for both the firm and the team and the client. So it's another way of collecting data that's incredibly valuable as we continue to refine the search. That is amazing. I love how you're talking about this. I mean, like literally loring me in, data advocacy authenticity authority i'm like i am like literally right here with you um so we're talking

about um the different parts of it and i really like the idea that you guys don't say like if you have like you know 10 dates oh my god you're eight like what's your what's going to be your plan i really like that that's brilliant by the way so coaching so we've talked about like the dating part, but like, what about the coaching part? This is the part that I'm super interested in. Well, I'm sure anybody who's ever been in a relationship will tell you that relationships are not linear. And very often, particularly when we're not first timers, we've been married or been in a significant relationship before or been in multiple significant relationships, we all have patterns, right? And we all establish narratives and beliefs in our head that may or may not

be accurate. And so the purpose of the coaching is multi-fold. First of all, it's a way that we sort of clear the slate from the beginning of a relationship and say, okay, what are your real goals here? What's going to make you happy in this? Do you want to get married again? Do you not want to get married again? What is the ultimate goal for this relationship that you're seeking? And then what has been a challenge for you in the past? And why do you suppose it's been a challenge? And let's talk about the people that you've selected for these relationships, why you were focused on certain attributes, and maybe how that played into the challenges that you subsequently experienced in the relationship. And then as you go through the process with us, again, there's nothing

linear about this. So as you're establishing a relationship with a new partner, there are going to be triggers. There's something's going to come up that says, oh, that reminds me of okay, but it's not him. So let's talk about why that's happening. So speaking of triggers, should people be fully healed from divorce or loss of a spouse before they associate with a matchmaker? Or what are your thoughts on that? So I think fully healed is a really interesting term because I think all of us walk through

life not fully healed, right? We're all still learning and growing as we go. So while somebody needs to have, you know, sort of experienced the acute part of that, and somebody shouldn't go, you know, it's not a direct line. But that's also part of the coaching. And there are definitely people that we, as we're meeting them and we see that maybe these emotions are too raw or they're not really ready to attract or welcome this new partner, we may say, let's do six months of just coaching before we start the matching

process so we can really help people prepare to get there. So is there like a check-in? Do you check in like, you know, every couple of weeks after two dates? Like what's the kind of, what's the check-in process? And is there one? During the matching process, you mean? Yes. Yes. So every client works directly with a team and that team is multiple people. But we do, depending on the scope of the search and the intricacies of the search, there can be anything from a standing biweekly call to a standing weekly call, and many times they're over Zoom because even though it's not the same as in person, it is better than a phone call. You can kind of...

Is that accountability again, you guys are like really... Oh, people have to be... Don't be linear in relationships and definitely be accountable. Yeah, and people have to be ready to be a partner to us and to be, and have agency in this process. That's one of the most interesting things about matchmaking. It is in no way a unilateral... effort. We can't do it without substantial input and participation from the client.

Wait, I love that you just said that you have agency in this process. I love that. I mean, we're talking, we're not talking about like swiping. We're talking about real partnership. I mean, this is, well, first of all, you are unbelievably bright and very articulate. And I really, really love the way that you're talking about it. I mean, you know, if I were working with you, I would have a definite sense of ease and comfort because you are definitely at the helm of this. And that's just like very cool.

So what about living in a big city? Like what about the people that live in small towns? I'm from Rockford, Illinois. Like, you know, I mean, is it just a big city folk or is it the country mouse too? well it depends on the person right so you have it's really a question of addressable audience and i apologize sometimes i make that take all the romance out of this and i don't intend to be no no not at all i just think it's really i really appreciate that and i think for ultra high net worth

individuals they really appreciate that because that's how they're they're constantly strategizing they're constantly making major decisions and i think it's very smart to approach relationships in the same way. It's the same mindset. It's just a different thing. It's just a different thing. And along those lines, when you talk about where are these people located, there's addressable audience questions and metrics questions, right? If you're in a small town and you have a fairly specific type of person that you're looking for, there's a small, by definition, it's just math. There is a smaller number of them in a small town. There are likely going to be more of them in a large city. And single people do tend, single successful people do tend to be

in larger cities. But that's also part of what we do before we ever engage with a client is understand what level of travel or flexibility does their lifestyle allow for. So is this somebody who lives in a small town and has no intention of leaving or traveling to meet their person? Well, that presents a level of challenge. And that we're very candid and very upfront. If somebody is not somebody that we feel we have visibility to success, we won't ask them to make the investment financial, emotional, or otherwise, right? Because they're not invested. Right. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly and now I'm seriously suspicious. Well, wait a minute, Sam, maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota,

it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast. So we'll find out soon. This This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now hold up, isn't that against school policy? That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor and they're the same age. It's even more likely that they're cheating.

He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not. To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hello, it's Danielle Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of Sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of

Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas? Tell me why. Well, for the backstreet Boys' residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage, and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props.

It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V-E-Hur, Ashley Simpson-Ross, joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed.

There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism. Law and order, criminal justice system is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight. that's harder to predict and even harder to stop.

Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. The world's number one male tennis player. He's won 14 grand slam. in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic!

You've been through so many injuries, losses. I always showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done? What goes through your mind when you lose? I just want to be left alone. What has it taken to become Novak Djokovic? It's a consistent practice. It's prayer work, mindfulness, meditation, conscious breathing.

It requires more responsibility from you on a daily basis to prepare yourself for the biggest battle. When you reach your thoughts, 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How far can I go? How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps and their lives.

and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Patton, Elaine Welteroff. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go. I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots. Now on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, you know, it's interesting because I was, I wanted to ask you, you know,

with that. So like work from home. You know, we have a lot of different people outside of just like the towns, which is obviously challenging, like you're saying, just because of the actual bodies of people. But work from home. Like a lot of people are just like, I've been working from home. I'm on the phone from whatever it is, you know, seven in the morning until, nine o'clock at night, like, I'm just too tired.

Like, how do you coerce people to get out, off the couch and, you know, into the, you know, into the bar or into the coffee shop? How do you get them there? Well, hopefully there's not a lot of coercion necessarily. But it's, that's, again. Sometimes people are like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I want to date. And then they're like, no, no, no, I don't. Well, and that's, there is a lot that goes into us deciding to partner.

with somebody, we actually decline more people than we accept, which from a business standpoint, sounds incredibly bizarre to a lot of people. But this is an industry where if you just sort of haphazardly throw it against the wall and see what sticks, you're not going to be around for 40 years. You're not. So I want to know, do you guys, does your team consider the person that you think that is good for me or do you just listen to what I say like if I say Jennifer I want tall dark and handsome with a fat bank account and you're like never heard that before I want to get them finance nobody else wants that so like I know so is it just is it you guys are just like okay I'm feeling we're going through this

questionnaire we're seeing what you guys are doing we've listened to what you've had to say or do you guys say like you know what like this other guy he might be really great he's not he's not dark and handsome but he's you know blonde and viking like you know what i mean like is that do you guys take those kind of leaps or we do because this is again this is a partnership right and the basis of any good partnership is trust right so we're not by any stretch of the imagination going to ignore our clients preferences but we are going to really try to understand stand before we even engage with anybody, okay, what is it about that that makes you want that person? What is it about tall? Now, you're tall. So that makes sense, right? But when a-

I don't like too tall. No, no, no, no, no. I don't want to be a five-two or five-three. And she says to me, he has to be six-three. Tell me why. Right. You can walk around a six-inch heels all day every day. If you can do it, God bless you. But, you know, why? What is that? Well, my father was really tall. It just gives me a sense of safe. Okay. All right, now I'm starting to get the picture of why. So maybe this person doesn't have to be as tall, but they're probably, if they're five, ten, they shouldn't be narrow-shouldered and slight. They should probably be. So yes, so we do work through the whys behind what people are asking for. And again, you're hiring a company to be your advocate and to be your partner, the basis of which is trust.

And if we have gone through the process and we've gotten to know somebody and based on their personality, their sense of humor, their values, all the things. We say, you don't know what you don't know. Right. A girl's got to eat. Go to dinner. What's on? Right.

And that's we've seen so much success through people stepping outside of their comfort zone and being a little playful and adventurous and having fun with it. So just to give you like a. a couple of tips about me. So I am 57 years old and I'm from Rockford, Illinois. So I'm from a small town. I moved to New York when I was 15 to start modeling and I went to Trinity College in Hartford and Columbia.

I started working in publishing. I went on television. I had two beautiful, I got married to an older gentleman. I have two beautiful girls. I had to get divorced because I just needed, I told. myself that I just needed a better life for my children. You know, he just, and I always say

that he just wasn't the right tool for the right job. He's an amazing, super creative, but I was looking for, I'm from Rockford, Illinois. Like, you don't get more Midwestern than that. And I was looking for those real Midwestern values, you know, just like my father and my twin brother. And

it's interesting because a lot of the guys that I meet are like, you go out a lot. You're like a big party girl. I'm like, I have a very busy professional life, but I have raised two girls on my own, and you can't raise girls on your own by being out at night. This does not work. The math does not math.

No. I'm like, well, that's really great for you, but I'm usually in, you know, home by, you know, 830, you know, working, doing whatever I am doing with them. And so it's fascinating to hear a lot of people when they, especially when guys meet me, originally they think that I'm something that I'm not so you know I also have this one very very big trait where every single guy literally and I'm not this is not like an every single guy I date every single man that I have ever dated has had a wandering compass or cheaters upon cheaters upon cheaters and if they're not cheaters they're not making sure that I've

feel safe. So I want the Brady Bunch for my kids, even though, you know, they're older and, you know, later on they're going to have children and I want to have, I want to have a family for them and for their kids. Like, that's what I want. What are your thoughts? So. Go ahead, Jennifer. What do you? Go. So what are the other attributes that are common in the people that you've been with? And is there, I hate to say it like this, but there's sometimes that sort of stereotypes or stereotypes for a reason. There's the Master of the Universe stereotype where there's a lot of power and a lot of prestige. And, you know, if that is the type of person that solely that you've been attracted to, you know, is there a correlation between who you've

sought out and some of those behaviors that are obviously not ideal in a relationship, particularly not one with you? I mean, I guess, you know, the first, you know, the person that I you know, lean into would be like, you know, I had a wonderful father figure who was a provider and he was an, you know, he was an amazing, well educated and always was a thought provoker. And I am attracted to those kind of men. But what happens is that when those kind of men meet me, I become their concierge. I become, or they'll be like, oh, let's go to that party. And then they're like, you know, talking to people at the party. And I'm like, is this, Are you guys? Are you doing business right now? Are you networking?

If I'm not networking, please don't network. Right. Yeah. So I basically attract users. Let's just call a spade a spade, Jennifer. Come on. That's, you don't need more data. They're users. Well, and so I'm not, this is not a plug. But that's, again, one of the things that's helpful when you're being represented by a matchmaking company is they don't necessarily know who you are when they decide that they want to meet you they it's not unusual for us to use a pseudonym if somebody is well known right i mean we really try to like mr big kind of but not really but we really try to get a genuine beat on interest versus oh my god she's incredibly connected

and she's had this really interesting life and i see where this could take me right and you want somebody who their success super successful and have a lot of their own things going on you don't need somebody to be doting on you at two o'clock on tuesday you have enough going on you want a partnership somebody who respects who you are but that's in no way a driver for why they'd want to meet you i also think that people see kindness for weakness people are like oh she's you know friendly and fun and has a lot of energy so therefore she's weak how are you with boundaries do you have good boundaries do you enforce your boundaries i have personal boundaries for my own self i guess i'm just i'm just you know i'm just not watching out for people i'm not like

hey what are you doing right now like i'm not like i'm not like checking in on what they're doing i'm not like it's nine o'clock like why haven't you called me in the past five minutes i just you know i just not like that um so it doesn't mean that i don't have boundaries it just means i am not, you know, I already raised two girls. You don't need to micromanage somebody else. No, I want them to be like, hey, you look great. Yeah. I was like, you do to be like, you didn't check in on me, therefore you don't like me.

Oh, my God. Yeah, and that's finding somebody whose values and lifestyle and approaches to a relationship align with yours. And those are when you meet somebody on an app or the friend of the friend who says, well, you're single and you're single. I'm going to put you guys together because very often that's the extent of the research they've done as they know both people are single. Again, that's where having this trusted advisor sitting between you and somebody you're going to meet to really get a feel for, how many relationships have you been? Tell us about your relationship history.

What happened? Oh, there was infidelity, who's? What caused that? if it was her did you have any were you not present were you not paying attention right

you doing something so we actually dig into the past not not to shame anybody and not to bring up bad memories but to understand again

the patterns the things that didn't work out and who is this person and how do they view and value relationships were they the one who left and this is now their fourth marriage did they leave

every time and why. So I love that because, you know, we're hearing a lot of people talk about like trauma bonding and what you're doing is that you're not trauma bonding. You're saying this person has had this situation in her past and this person has had this situation in her past and these are the lessons that we learned from that versus like I had like, I'll, I mean, every single time someone's like, ask me if I've ever been cheated on me. I'm like, I yes, I attract cheaters. And they're like, oh, yeah, me too. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, this is not that moment. And then I'm just like, I just could totally turn off. I'm just like, I cannot, if you're asking me a really, you know, super sensitive question that I do not want to talk about, then please do

not try to try to move on about how someone cheated on you. That just doesn't work for me. Yeah. It really, really like sets me off. Yeah. I mean, I think that, you know, bringing a professional matchmaker in, you know, in 45 and widowed divorce, I think that people are, this is really, really beneficial. Like, what are your thoughts on, on that? Obviously, I agree, because this is what I do. But also, if you look at the trajectory of- I concur, you're a lawyer.

I should. But if you look at the trajectory of apps, right, they came out, 10, 15 years ago, whatever it was, they've essentially commoditized people and commoditized relationships, right? there's no there's no incentive for these companies to get people into relationships they lose they lose the the revenue frankly if they get you into a relationship then you're no longer on the app it's right well it's also when people hear that ding it's you know it's a serotonin like every single thing it's like serotonin serotonin that's not serotonin for me my phone dings on a own. I don't need any more dinging. What makes me feel good is that when someone's like,

I hope you have the best day or says something like, I'm really proud of you, you know, you're going to be great. Like those kind of like words of affirmation. That's not, we're not talking about love language, but just kind of consistent, the consistency of you're going to be great today is just something that's really nice to hear. Like I don't need like, you're hot. You're not like. I just need someone to be like, you. I just need someone to be like, you. you got this. Yeah. It just is like, I need the calm.

I don't need the serotonin. Like, I already have the serotonin. Well, it's highly gamified, right? Everybody is, it's swiping for the sake of swiping without any intention at all. Right. Right. And it's funny. So you said what you, what you just said, so many women who are successful and

independent, they want somebody to come in and say, you've got this. And sometimes to say, I've got this. Don't worry about making the reservation. Don't worry about figuring this. I've got this. I've got that. Right?

Oh, like, have everything handled? Oh, my God. I'm like literally, I'm like a puppy. Like, I'm ready, ready for duty. It's true. And dating as a successful man and dating as a successful women, they both have their challenges, but they're different, right? For women, most women who are highly successful have gotten that way

because they've got it. I've got this. Don't worry. I've got it. I can do that. I can do everything. I've got it all. And so when they finally are with somebody that allows them to embrace the part of them

that doesn't have to have it 24-7, it's like, wow, that's amazing. Somebody else to say, you know, we're all making the dinner reservations. We're all making, you know, planning the trip, the this, the that, and for someone else to go, no. I want you to sit back and enjoy. You're fine. Oh, this is... Darn. Right? Like, wait a minute.

Right? And for men, they're used to people wanting something from them. Okay, what does this person want? Right. They're being nice to me. They want something. Right. My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious.

Oh, wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend has been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now, he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Now, hold up. Isn't that against school policy?

That sounds totally inappropriate. Well, according to this person, this is her boyfriend's former professor, and they're the same age. And it's even more likely that they're cheating. He insists there's nothing between them. I mean, do you believe him? Well, he's certainly trying to get this person to believe him, because he now wants them both to meet. So, do we find out if this person's boyfriend really cheated with his professor or not?

To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hello, it's Daniel Fischel, writer Strong, and Wilfredel from PodMeets World. And we're bringing you Viva Las Content. That's right. We are back in Las Vegas, the city of sin, and giving the people what they want. A full week of Y2K content. Wait, we're back in Vegas? Tell me why.

Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We sat down with Kevin Richardson and A.J. McLean just minutes before they took the stage, and our very own Wilfredel basically became the newest member of the band. Boy band, please. Plus, the man who has the longest running comedy show on the strip joins us and gets his props. It's carrot top, baby. And finally, we all L-O-V. She-E-Hur, Ashley Simpson-Ross, joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency.

It's a full week of nostalgic interviews you don't want to miss. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush. Parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then, at 6.33 p.m., everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TWA terminal. Apparently, the explosion actually impelled metal glass. The injured were being loaded into ambulances.

Just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, and it was here to stay. Terrorism. Law and order, criminal justice system is back. In season two, we're turning our focus to a threat that hides in plain sight. That's harder to predict and even harder to stop. Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Jocom. The world's number one male tennis player. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak Djokovic! You've been through so many injuries, losses. I always showed himself. What has Novak Djokovic done?

What goes through your mind when you lose? I just want to be left alone. What has it taken to become Novak Djokovic? It's a consistent practice. It's prayer work, mindfulness, meditation, conscious breathing. It requires more responsibility. more responsibility from you on a daily basis to prepare yourself for the biggest battle. When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year. How far can

I go? How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Have you ever wished for a change but weren't sure how to make it? Maybe you felt stuck in a job, a place, or even a relationship. I'm Emily Tish Sussman, and on she pivots, I dive into the inspiring pivots of women who have taken big leaps in their lives and careers. I'm Gretchen Whitmer, Jody Sweeten, Monica Patton, Elaine Welterah. I'm Jessica Voss. And that's when I was like, I got to go.

I don't know how, but that kicked off the pivot of how to make the transition. Learn how to get comfortable pivoting because your life is going to be full of them. Every episode gets real about the why behind these changes and gives you the inspiration and maybe the push. to make your next pivot. Listen to these women and more on She Pivots, now on the IHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So we're seeing some trends in dating. Can you highlight some of those that you think should just disappear forever? The first one that should disappear is the text-based relationship. And we are very, very,

or we try to be very strict. about there's still human nature and we can wag our fingers all we want and sometimes people just don't listen but we really don't want people engaging in in text communication for an extended period of time our expectation when we connect people is that they actually connect by phone not this way but actually by phone within a day or two and they plan a date and if they're not in the same location meet by Zoom will help facilitate who's traveling where dates people are available we want people to get in front of each other so i like to text because i am a writer so i'm always you know i love to say i love to text and i also love you know i have two daughters who were being raised during

that era and where i couldn't i didn't want to be on the phone so i did to spend a lot of time texting right and unfortunately i haven't dated that much um so my texting if you're you saw the way I text, Jennifer, you'd be like, are you in the fourth grade, Kelly? What is going on? Like, this guy is not... Are you responding with K? Yes.

I'll be like, thanks. And I'll be like, thanks to what? I was like, oh, sorry. And I do a lot of emojis. And I... Well, so here's the thing. When you don't... Photos.

I also, I do... I send photos because I'm like, oh, look at that building. And they're like, why? And I was like, because I wanted you to see, like, what I'm doing during the day. Just kind of like, back to, like, that you.

you're one of your words, accountability, I just want them to kind of see where I am. Instead of just being like, you know, thinking of you, I could be anywhere. Do you know what I mean? Like, here I am. I mean, not a selfie, obviously, unless I'm looking great. But I mean, if you. I was like, oh, my God, I could not have you as clients. But when you don't know somebody really well, the risks of texting are that you,

people don't understand everybody's sense of humor out of the gate, right? So you could say something to somebody, and the inflection in your voice is going to tell them what you mean. But if you just on the fly text it, they might feel like, what do that mean? Yeah. Right. And that can actually sideline people as they're developing the relationship. And you can't get to know somebody in the same way through the written word or even through a phone call. If you meet somebody, you're taking them in with all of your senses.

I mean, I know I have, and most women will take them. tell you they have met men, they smell great. Have you met the guy who smells great? I have met a human who smells great. And you're like, what is that? And you're just, there's something about them that you're drawn to because they're hitting all of your senses, right? Or the, the handsome, successful, blah, blah, blah, doesn't smell good. That's a problem. Hard to get around. Like that natural sort of doesn't like okay so it's always good to just get in front of people so we really are encouraging people meet and you soap meet and you soap maybe a little deodor in here and there it's safe they make without aluminum these days what what dating trend would you keep around

chivalry oh i love we we really do still believe in in that so irrespective of what the woman is our client or the man is our client. We want the gentleman to plan the date. We expect him to host the date. Do you also tell your female clients, like, just because you're a CEO of X, Y, and Z doesn't mean you have to be a CEO at the date? Jack's a briefcase at the door. Yeah. And it's hard to do. It is. I mean, you're a successful woman. I'm sure it's easy to drift into that sort of high-powered business. I know I've done it in the past. Everybody does it. I like to just let people unfold, which is actually a bad thing. My producer's always like, ask these questions. I'm like, I can't ask the question because if I say like, oh, how is your

how is your last relationship? Then it's like, I have to listen to my her. I'm like, no, no, no. I am not listening to about an ex. No. But I'm also not going to have some guy say to me like, you know, what's your value add. I'm like, so now I'm your value at. Like, what? Yeah, those are not appropriate date conversations. I mean, you should not talk about your former relationships in the first couple of days about each other. A thousand percent. I'm always like, tell me about you, tell me about things you like. Yeah. That's the amazing thing about what we do is you could probably say something to me and there's genuinely no way that you could shock me. We have heard. everything. We've talked to all sorts of people. And if you're, if you're going to be successful

in this as a company and as a professional, you just have to be curious. And you have to lead every conversation without any sense of judgment. And you just have to enjoy learning about people. So I'm genuinely, I mean, you can tell after spending a couple of minutes with me that I am a very light person. What are the things that you think that women need to lighten up about? The checklist. Wow. There's a big checklist with a lot of people. And men have it too.

Don't get me wrong. But these really long checklist of every single attribute, they have decided where this person should fall on the graph of every single attribute. And what you lose in doing that is playfulness, right? And life is supposed to be enjoyed. it's plenty hard plenty of the time so try to find pleasure and enjoyment and fun where you can and we always say you don't know what you don't know and I guarantee every woman and every man has met somebody at a cocktail party in the line at Starbucks wherever it is that you're like huh that's kind of interesting and they're completely out of the box for you you don't know why right

So what about men? What do they need to lighten up on? Age. I think there's a perception that as women get older, they are less fun. They are less beautiful, whatever the case may be. But what we see is over and over again, people are youthful and beautiful and engaging in all these things well beyond 30. right? I mean, they are. And at the end of the day, we see this, I mean, I'm not telling anybody anything new, that sort of age disparity that Ben sometimes seek, particularly as they're just

starting to date again, that's typically more of a phase. And the reason is that that deeper connectivity, I mean, just like cultural alignment, movies, music, things like that that you connect on and can joke around about, there's usually a gap there if there's too much of an age gap. And they may think, how this sounds like fun to date somebody who's 20 years younger

or 30 years younger or whatever it is. And then ultimately they find that they can really and deeply connect with somebody who's more of a contemporary. So, you know, it's interesting because if you had met me 10 years ago, I was still in the thick of things, still making sure my girls

had the best education. doing, you know, being the financial provider and also the nurturer. So I was really, really in the thick of it. And so I still looked the same. I looked exactly the same. But my energy was completely different. I mean, I had a lightness to me, but not like I do now. Now I'm just like, I feel like I'm 16 again.

I'm so proud of my kids. I love my life. I love where I am. I'm just a different human. I still look the same. And I've had a lot of men say, oh, my gosh, like, you're so young at heart. I'm like, young at heart. Like, no, I'm just not a grump.

And by the way, why do I have to be a grump? Like, what are you talking about? Well, I also think there's confidence. There's a confidence that comes, I'm 55. So there's a confidence that comes being. So, thank you. I'll take that from you. You're a professional.

But there's a confidence that comes with maturing, taking care of yourself and knowing that I'm still a beautiful woman, I'm smart, I'm independent, I can do it all. The partner is a nice to have. I don't need somebody. It's a nice to have. It would be nice to share these things, but I don't need to look to somebody else to complete my life and to complete me. I love that. A partner is nice to have. That is perfectly well said. Jennifer Wells, thank you so much for being here today and I do part two. You're amazing. It was so much fun. It was great to meet you. Wildly intelligent. And you made dating fun. I was like, oh, that's fun. It's supposed to be fun. And I think that gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. Appreciate you. Thank you so much for being in with us. Thank you for inviting me. It was nice to be you.

That was such a fascinating conversation on this pod. We know the dating can feel daunting, but we want you to know that you have some options. If you're navigating dating for the first time in your chapter two and need some advice, call us or email us. All the info is in the show notes. Follow us on socials. Make sure to rate and review the podcast. I do part two and I heart radio podcast where falling in love is the main objective.

My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast and the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hello, it's Danielle Fischel. Writer Strong. And Will Ferdell from PodMeets World. We are back in Las Vegas and giving the people what they want, a full week of Y2K content. Tell me why. Well, for the Backstreet Boys residency at Sphere, of course. We joke and say this is our second marriage, but it takes a lot of communication. Plus, it's carrot top, baby.

And finally, Ashley Simpson-Ross joins us to talk about her upcoming sold-out Vegas residency. Listen to PodMeets World on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. December 29th, 1975, LaGuardia Airport. The holiday rush, parents hauling luggage, kids gripping their new Christmas toys. Then everything changed. There's been a bombing at the TW. a terminal, just a chaotic, chaotic scene. In its wake, a new kind of enemy emerged, terrorism.

Listen to the new season of Law and Order Criminal Justice System on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of the on-purpose podcast, and today I'm joined by one of the greatest athletes of all time, Novak Djokovic. He's won 14 grand slams in a glittering career. Novak, Djokovic! When you reach your 30, you start counting your days to your retirement. I'm 38 this year.

How long can I push my own limits? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor. And I'm Drew Phillips. And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom. If you're a crime junkie, and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you. But if you have unmedicated ADHD...

Oh my God, perfect. And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble. Yes, yes. Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Emergency Intercom and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast.