Payal Patel

South Asian writer and author, Sonya Singh, gave us a glimpse of what it's like being a South Asian CEO of a successful company through her book "Sari Not Sari". In this rom-com novel, Manny Dogra, the CEO of Breakup, an agency that helps people manage their relationship breakups, showcases the trials and tribulations that she faces with her own identity and realizing that she never truly gave herself a chance to understand herself and her culture. During this episode, we dive deeply into Sonya Singh's personal journey of finding herself, going through the motions of being a creative entrepreneur, and being a South Asian woman who took a chance on herself to search for what love meant to her. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Sujata Day, a first generation South Asian performer, creator, writer, and director from Pittsburgh, debuted her film, Definition Please in 2020. We have seen her starring in the role of Cece in The Misadventures of Awkward Black girl by Issa Rae, as well as Sarah in HBO's Insecure. Definition Please is a film that captures a unique angle of the South Asian mother to child dynamic, cultural pressures for South Asian children, mental health and more, with a little romance and comedy in the mix. We got to sit down and chat with Sujata about her new film Definition Please, now available on Netflix! Sujata Day https://www.sujataday.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sujataday/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

A perfect moment in time to chat astrology here at The Dating Culture. With Venus currently in retrograde, we couldn't have been more excited to chat with Kirah Tabourn; Astrologer, author and Co-founder of Cusp Astrology, the only modern astrology app focused on love, sex, relationships and the erotic. On this episode, we talk about the meaning of sun, moon and rising signs, the Cusp Astrology app, what Venus in retrograde currently holds for our love lives, and much more! Our host Payal also gets a live love astrology reading - tune in! Follow Kirah https://www.thestrology.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cusp.astrology/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Dil Mil is currently one of the largest South Asian dating apps in the game! We sat down with KJ Dhaliwal, CEO of Dil Mil, as he shared with us the inspiration behind Dil Mil, his own romantic experiences, and his thoughts on present day dating. Dil Mil Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dilmil/ Sign up for Dil Mil: https://apps.apple.com/app/id879383901?mt=8 The Dating Culture: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/?hl=en --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Sonya Lalli is an author and first generation Canadian South Asian woman. We got a chance to sit down with Sonya to talk about her recent book, "Serena Singh Flips The Script". This is a story of a young woman, Serena, who experiences all the "things" that most South Asian women go through in their adult years as a single woman; marriage pressure, understanding platonic relationships, empathizing with immigrant parents, understanding what love means, and much more. As a South Asian author and first generation Canadian woman, Sonya shared through her book the many ups and downs that young South Asian women experience balancing their Western life while keeping their heritage in mind. Sonya Lalli: http://www.sonyalalli.com/ Where to purchase her books: https://www.amazon.com/Sonya-Lalli/e/B06Y1CK469%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share https://www.instagram.com/sonya_lalli/?hl=en The Dating Culture: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/?hl=en --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Payal Patel, founder of Manu Counseling, is a South Asian Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Her extensive experience working with sexual trauma clients has allowed for her to work with clients with a variety of issues such as marital conflict, infidelity, sexual abuse, childhood abuse, domestic violence, anxiety, depression, grief as well as stress. During this episode, we dive deep into what sexual assault is, how common men experience sexual assault, the shame men feel around their sexual trauma, how to support a partner who has experienced sexual assault, and breaking down the value of therapy even further. How to find Payal: Website: https://www.manucounseling.com/what-we-do Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manucounseling/?hl=en The Dating Culture Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Aparna Sagaram, a Licensed Family & Marriage Therapist and Coach helps us break down having difficult conversations with immigrant parents, how to go about introducing interracial relationships, and understanding the immigrant parent experience while staying true to ourselves and our perception of love/relationships/dating. Aparna https://www.reflectionswithaparna.com/ https://www.instagram.com/reflectionswithatherapist/?hl=en The Dating Culture Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Jalpa Dadhuk, a certified Reiki Master Teacher, Integrated Nutritional Coach and Occupational Therapist sat down with us to further break down just a few of the pressures that South Asian women experience. Jalpa helps break down the process of releasing guilt, sexual shame, and understanding what generational womb healing looks like. Jalpa Dadhuk https://www.instagram.com/nourishbyjd/?hl=en https://www.nourishbyjd.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

With so many new approaches to dating, it may never cross our minds to try working with a Dating Coach. The benefits? Give this episode a listen to get some great advice from Dating and Relationship Coach, Varsha Mathur, on the value of working with a coach while dabbling in the dating scene! Varsha's Website: www.coachingbyvarsha.com Varsha's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachingbyvarsha/ Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ Music: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/chill-day --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Radha Patel, Founder of Single to Shaadi, began her matchmaking business in hopes to help people find love. She shared with us the realities of finding love, breaking down cultural norms, obstacles with matching, dating apps versus matchmaking services, and what her process is for helping folks find a partner! Tune in to Episode 3 to get some pointers on modern day matchmaking! Where to follow Radha: https://www.singletoshaadi.com/ https://www.instagram.com/singletoshaadi/ Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ Music: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/chill-day --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Jay "The Gentleman" Vereen is the VP/Executive Producer of Wooder Ice, a local Media/News Agency based out of Philadelphia! Throughout his years of dating and lessons that he has learned along the way, he helps us break down some of the uncomfortable and frustrating topics of present day dating such as ghosting, communication style, dating during quarantine, and bad texters! Jamel "The Gentleman" Vereen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjaythegentleman/ Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/  Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

We had the opportunity to sit down with Aparna Shewakramani from the recent Netflix reality tv series, Indian Matchmaking. As we know, arranged marriages are a very typical form of marriage within the South Asian community. A traditional arranged marriage is a union of two people who are selected for one another other by their family members and friends. "Back in the day", a husband and wife would sometimes even meet on their wedding day. Sima Taparia, a skilled matchmaker from Mumbai,  made her way to Texas to help Aparna find the love of her life, but left unsuccessful due to Aparna's supposed "picky" behavior. Tune in to this episode as Aparna and I dive into her experiences with being match-made, her successful date stories, who she is in real life versus reality television, and more! Aparna's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aparnashewakramani/?hl=en Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Your Host: @PayalMUA --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

“We’re not human doings. We’re human beings... You being here is enough.” Bets Charmelus, a Philly native, musician and teacher, shares with us the first generation male perspective around dating, culture, relationships, boundaries, mental health, and much more! Check out Bets on the Internet: https://www.instagram.com/palmtree_bets/ Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Sonalee Rashatwar, also known as "The Fat Sex Therapist", shared with us their journey to becoming a Sex and Trauma Therapist. As a queer, bisexual, non-binary survivor of sexual trauma, Sonalee shared their experiences as a South Asian daughter and the pressures that came with it in their adolescent to adult years. Some of the topics we discussed focused on what fatphobia is, non-consensual dieting, the caste system/casteism, gender identity, and much more! Check out this episode and let us know what you think by connecting to @thedatingculture on Instagram! Check out Sonalee's world: https://www.sonaleer.com/ Sonalee's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefatsextherapist/ Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Want to know the meaning of your Sun, Moon, and Rising sign…and everything else astrology? We had to pleasure of sitting down with Danielle Mercurio, a Comedian, Life Coach, Astrologer, and overall gypsy of all trades. We dove right in and chatted about what astrology is, if matching birth charts is significant (or insignificant), Eastern vs. Western astrology, the difference in religion vs. astrology, our programmed DNA, and general dating pointers when matching charts. Whether astrology is taken seriously or not, it can be a great tool for learning about our soul, something that could be useful when showing up in the dating world. It’s time to listen to our minds and turn off the voice that is not yours. Check out Danielle's world: http://daniellemercurio.com/ Danielle Mercurio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellemercurio Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

We sat down with Deb Charmelus, a first-generation Haitian American and Co-Creator of her podcast, The Hoe and the Hopeless. During this episode, we dove right into taboo subjects around embracing your inner hoe, living a double life, overcoming family expectations, learning more about yourself sexually, and being first-generation females facing societal vs. cultural pressures. Speaking with Deb was a breath of fresh air as she shared how she overcame her own personal obstacles of present day dating while exploring herself physically, mentally, sexually, and emotionally. We were incredibly inspired to interview each other for this episode to share our stories with the world! Deb Charmelus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deb0nair/ The Hoe and The Hopeless Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hoe-and-the-hopeless/id1450402663 Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Alanna Gardner, a licensed Individual and Relationship Therapist based out of Philadelphia, enlightened us with her knowledge on dating from the perspective of prioritizing our mental health. Payal interviewed Alanna with the intent of showing the world the importance of seeking therapy while dating. While therapy is such a valuable tool for healing and diving deeper into our inner selves, Alanna provided us with an incredibly informative episode by further breaking down specific areas of dating that are overlooked such as subconscious checklists, mental health and dating, cultural pressures, childhood trauma, how to overcome attachment styles, dating fatigue, and the value of actively seeking therapy while dating. Her perspective truly sheds light on how we can better show up in the dating world by leaning into who we are as individuals! Alanna Gardner Links: https://www.philadelphiamft.com/alanna-gardner-mft.html https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaMft Email: contact@philadelphiamft.com https://www.instagram.com/_alannagardner_/ https://linktr.ee/alannagthemft Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help YouFind - and Keep - Love https://amzn.to/2Z3UrTy Check out The Dating Culture on Instagram: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Payal reconnects with a long time family friend Elisheba Haqq, who is a South Asian Punjabi mother, nurse, and writer based out of Princeton, New Jersey. Elisheba blessed us with her words on dating through sharing her story as an immigrant with a strict Christian father and a mother who passed when she was just 3 years old. Being 1 of 7 siblings, life was interesting for Elisheba being an immigrant living in the midwest, and trying to find herself in the dating world. Her unique upbringing truly shows her enlightening and healthy perspective on marriage and present day dating! Elisheba Haqq: http://elishebahaqq.com/ https://www.instagram.com/elishebahaqq/ Check out The Dating Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Check out Payal's Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support

Welcome to The Dating Culture, a podcast that explores the real, raw perspective on dating! We all have unique paths to love that are sometimes held back by baggage, commitment issues, cultural traditions, or simply heart ache. Payal Patel, the host of The Dating Culture is ready to dive deeper into taboo subjects of dating. We want to show our fellow friends, family members, colleagues, and singles the different perspectives of the dating to hopefully teach the world that love can be found with a little introspection and self-work. We welcome everyone to this podcast, and hope you enjoy! Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm.thedatingculture/support/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedatingculture/ Follow the host, Payal Patel (PayalMUA): https://www.instagram.com/payalmua/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thedatingculture/support