Love-ly: Exploring Modern Relationships

Епизоде

• How to Make Opposites Last 26.06.2026 1ч 2мин

  Anna Gold and Tim Utting's love story began at a Halloween party in 1987: hours of conversation, one missed meeting, and a note that said: you have one more chance. He called. The rest is 39 years of history. In this episode, Mehak sits down with Anna and Tim, IMAGO practitioners and co-founders of Replenish Relationships, to talk about what it really takes to communicate across differences. They break down the Turtle and the Hailstorm dynamic, why opposites attract but struggle to stick, and why the messy, uncomfortable, "ugly" stages of a relationship might actually be where the growth happens. Mehak gets personal about her own situationship, and Anna and Tim offer the reminder we all probably need: you don't have to have it figured out. You just have to stay curious. Follow Anna and Tim @replenishrelationships on Instagram and visit replenishrelationships.com to learn more about their workshops and retreats. Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok | @whathemehak_ on IG Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Subscribe & Listen to Love-ly on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify - it helps more people find us. 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• No Promposal, No Problem: Aidan Taylor on Dating Late & Owning It (April 2025) 19.06.2026 56мин

  Is it ever too late to start dating? In an earlier conversation, Mehak sits down with Aidan Taylor (host of Banterly) to unpack what it really means to be a “late bloomer” in the chaotic world of modern dating. They talk about first dates, ghosting, gay bar drama (yes, including a bathroom incident), dating as a person of color in NYC, and what it's like to feel "behind" when everyone around you is getting engaged. It's funny, heartfelt, and full of the kind of real talk we all need more of. If you're queer, single in your 20s, or just tired of dating timelines, this one's for you. Follow Aidan @aidan.w.taylor on Instagram and @diannaslaygron on TikTok. Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok | @whathemehak_ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Grab a Snack. It's Love Island Season. 12.06.2026 16мин

  It's Pride Month. Mikey is back. And this week, Mehak (@whathemehak) and Mikey are doing what they do best: spilling the tea. They get into what Pride actually feels like when you're still coming out at work, a full Love Island debrief (TLDR: Sol is a witch, Sincere is a liar, and Zach is everything), and a recent podcast guest story that has to be heard to be believed. Pull up a chair. Happy Pride 🌈  Follow Mikey @mikeylotfio on Instagram. Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok | @whathemehak_ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Love-ly on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• What You Lose When You Always Leave 05.06.2026 46мин

  Josef Andrew Miklavc grew up everywhere and from nowhere — born in Mexico, raised across six countries before he was 14, the son of an Austrian father and an Indonesian mother, who never quite fit the passport he was handed. He built a corporate career in Australia, then walked away from it, and now spends his days chasing dry seasons between Vietnam and Thailand, building community in places he'll eventually leave. In this episode, Mehak (⁠@whathemehak⁠) and Josef (⁠@josefwho⁠) trace the thread from a nomadic childhood to a grown man finally learning how to stay: in a city, in a conversation, in something that might become a relationship. They talk about what it actually means to be free when freedom has been your whole personality. Along the way, they get into the paradox of choice, why fewer people are choosing love, what men and women get wrong about each other, and why the most radical thing you can do right now might just be to stop leaving. Follow Josef @josefwho on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok | @whathemehak_ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Trad Wives and the Myth of Domestic Perfection with Jo Piazza (December 2025) 29.05.2026 52мин

  What is a trad wife, really? What are they selling—and what are we not seeing? This week on Love-ly, Mehak sits down with bestselling author, journalist, and podcaster Jo Piazza, widely considered one of America’s sharpest observers of women, motherhood, and the influencer economy. Together, they unpack the increasingly visible and controversial world of “trad wives”—women who embrace and promote full-time homemaking on social media. Mehak and Jo explore why the aesthetic is so magnetic, what’s intentionally left out of the picture-perfect narrative, and how domesticity is often repackaged as empowerment. Piazza opens up about the realities of feminist choice, financial independence, and how her own views on marriage and partnership have shifted over time. Pulling from her years of reporting and her latest book, Everyone Is Lying to You, the conversation dives into shifting gender roles, the pressure cooker of modern womanhood, and the glossy myths social media keeps feeding us. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: ⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Follow Us: 📸 ⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod⁠ on IG | ⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Nobody Inconveniences Themselves Anymore 22.05.2026 50мин

  Almost 10 years together. One year married. In an era of "leave him," Danish and Junior are proof that something worthwhile is possible. This week, Mehak (@whathemehak) is joined by two of her closest friends, Danish and Junior, a married couple based in Toronto whose relationship spans nearly a decade, two continents, a music festival in Montreal, and one very persistent sister named Harriet. The conversation begins with how they met and delves into immigrant identity, growing up in a Pakistani household, building a chosen family, and what it truly takes to stay together when the world constantly tells you to optimize your way out of discomfort. This episode covers: How a stranger at Osheaga set off a chain of events that changed everything Growing up between cultures: Danish's childhood split between Islamabad and Canada, and Junior's interracial family roots in Ghana, Newfoundland, and Brampton Coming out as gay and Pakistani — the phone call, the fallout, and what emotional blackmail from family actually looks like Why chosen family isn't a consolation prize — it's the whole point Are humans experiencing zoochosis? Mehak's theory on why modern life is making connection harder Why nobody inconveniences themselves anymore — and what that's costing us in love and friendship What Danish and Junior do for each other that would "send a low-effort couple into a coma" Mehak downloads Hinge and immediately has five complaints Their takes on what Mehak is doing wrong in dating Follow Danish & Junior on Instagram Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok | @whathemehak_ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Looksmaxxing Won't Make You Lovable with Fred Kutnick 15.05.2026 51мин

  We've spent years removing friction from everything. But desire doesn't thrive in a frictionless world. Chemistry, curiosity, and connection can't be optimized. So what happens when we try? This week, Mehak (@whathemehak) is joined by Fred Kutnick (@freddi_g_), a Brooklyn-based therapist specializing in DBT and mindfulness, whose practice focuses on men in their 20s and 30s navigating dating, identity, and emotional regulation. The conversation begins with Esther Perel and goes deep into looksmaxxing, the manosphere, male loneliness, and why the pursuit of a perfect life might be exactly what's keeping people from a meaningful one. This episode covers: Why optimization culture is burning men out — and what they're actually looking for underneath it Looksmaxxing: where self-improvement ends, and self-rejection begins The manosphere, Clavicular, and why Fred believes most "lost" men are closer to finding their way back than we think Mehak explains "Catching print" Why men are jealous of female friendships The difference between safety as men experience it vs. women, especially in dating Why getting out of your house and being a little weird might be the most underrated relationship advice out there Follow Fred @freddi_g_ on Instagram or reach out via email at fredkutnicktherapy@gmail.com Hosted by: Mehak @whathemehak on TikTok | @whathemehak_ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• What We Weren’t Taught About Intimacy: Love, Boundaries & Letting Go
(February 2025) 08.05.2026 51мин

  What does real intimacy look like? And how often do we mistake control for care? Mehak (@whathemehak) gets personal about love, entitlement, and learning to walk away from relationships that don’t feel safe. She shares her own experiences with intimacy—both the kind that left her questioning herself and the kind that finally made her feel seen. Then, she sits down with sexuality educator Justine Ang Fonte (@imjustineaf), a leading voice in consent and boundaries, to unpack how cultural expectations shape our understanding of love. Together, they explore the immigrant lens on intimacy, dating while unlearning, and what it truly means to choose yourself. If you've ever felt love was something you had to earn, this episode is for you. Follow Justine on Instagram @imjustineaf and her ghostwriting services at @_good.byes_. You can also find her work on her website here. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠@whathemehak⁠ on TikTok | ⁠@whathemehak_⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Clayton Echard: The Work In Progress (Part 2) 01.05.2026 36мин

  If Part 1 was about the battle Clayton fought in public, Part 2 is about the one he's still fighting inside. This week, Mehak (@whathemehak) continues her conversation with Clayton Echard (@claytonechard), and things get real fast. What does it actually look like to unlearn years of seeking validation, stop performing for the people around you, and start showing up as the person you actually are? Clayton's still figuring it out. And he's not pretending otherwise. He opens up about stepping away from dating apps, learning to be around women without an agenda, and why the more self-aware you become, the smaller — and more honest — your dating pool gets. This episode covers: Why Clayton went "rogue" from dating apps and what the gym taught him about his own validation addiction The moment he realized he was performing for women instead of being himself What "radical honesty" looks like in practice — including the story of the blocked Instagram stories Why white lies might be more dangerous than big ones The Esther Perel quote that stopped Mehak in her tracks: romantic consumerism and the fear of settling for good What Clayton actually wants in a partner and why he's looking for "one in a billion" Why a shrinking dating pool might actually be a sign you're leveling up The "hang out" text decoded: Clayton pulls back the curtain on male tactics Follow Clayton @claytonechard on Instagram, TikTok, and his website. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠@whathemehak⁠ on TikTok | ⁠@whathemehak_⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on Apple Podcasts — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 Subscribe to Hyphenly, our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: info@immigrantlypod.com Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin | Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email info@immigrantlypod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Clayton Echard: Before You Form An Opinion (Part 1) 24.04.2026 48мин

  If you know Clayton Echard, you probably have an opinion about him. Sit with that — because that's exactly what this episode is about. This week, Mehak (⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠) is joined by Clayton Echard (⁠@claytonechard⁠), the Season 26 Bachelor, to hear the story you think you already know — straight from him. Clayton has been at the center of one of the most public and painful legal battles in recent memory. In short: a false pregnancy claim, a years-long harassment campaign, and a world that had already decided he was guilty before the facts came out. But Part 1 goes deeper than the courtroom. We talk about growing up in conservative Missouri, chasing the NFL and The Bachelor for all the wrong reasons, and what happens when the version of yourself you've been performing finally falls apart. This episode covers: The religious childhood that shaped him (and why the 7th-grade version of Clayton still shows up today) How a hunger for validation quietly drove him from the NFL all the way to The Bachelor The Love Trapped case: the harassment, the tactics, and everything that played out in the courtroom What it meant to not be believed — especially as a man The #JusticeforClayton movement: how a community rallied around something far bigger than one person Where the legal battle stands right now Why his definition of "victim" had to be rebuilt from scratch Part 2 drops next Friday. Listen to Love Trapped on iHeartRadio here r/JusticeForClayton subreddit link Follow Clayton @claytonechard on Instagram, TikTok, and his website. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: ⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Follow Us: 📸 ⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod⁠ on IG | ⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Decentering Parents Without Guilt: Finding Confidence & Independence with Shazmeera Qadri (September 2025) 17.04.2026 56мин

  What does it take to walk away from cultural expectations and finally choose yourself? Mehak (@whathemehak) sits down with TikTok creator and confidence coach Shazmeera Qadri (@shazmeeraqadri). From growing up in a Pakistani immigrant household to navigating a toxic marriage and reclaiming her independence, Shazmeera shares how she rebuilt her life with courage and self-respect. She unpacks the guilt immigrant daughters carry, why decentering family opinions isn’t disrespect—it’s self-respect—and the power of surrounding yourself with confident women. If you’ve ever questioned whether you can rewrite your story, this conversation will show you that you can. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: ⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Follow Us: 📸 ⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod⁠ on IG | ⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• No Foreplay, Just Comedy: Salma Hindy on Ayahuasca, Vaginismus, and Dating Younger 10.04.2026 42мин

  "No foreplay. We're literally just going straight in." That's how comedian Salma Hindy describes her experience on @subwaytakes. And honestly? It's the perfect way to kick off this week's episode. Salma grew up the daughter of an imam in Toronto, enforcing the rules harder than anyone. Then, somewhere between removing her hijab, quitting engineering, moving to New York, and being disowned by her father, she had to figure out who she actually was and how to start dating. This week, Mehak (@whathemehak) sits down with Salma (@salma.hindy) for one of those conversations that really just goes there. We get into: Being estranged and disowned by her father Two years of celibacy and what finally prompted it Why vaginismus is NOT a vagina Christmas (it's quite the opposite) How ayahuasca helped her heal her relationship with men Why she always dates younger What a "chuckle fucker" is Her biggest pet peeve in modern dating Living by design vs. living seeking permission Connect with Salma Website: salmahindy.com | Instagram: @salma.hindy | TikTok: @salma.hindy Podcast: The Secret Sex Lives of Muslim Women Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: ⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Follow Us: 📸 ⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod⁠ on IG | ⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Why Narcissism Feels Like Love with Dr. Joy Berkheimer 03.04.2026 43мин

  What if the love you grew up with wasn't love at all — it was control? This week, Mehak (@whathemehak) sits down with Dr. Joy Berkheimer, licensed marriage and family therapist, for an honest and frankly, jaw-dropping conversation. Dr. Joy doesn't just talk about narcissism from behind a clipboard — she lived it. From growing up in a Caribbean-American household where perfectionism was survival, to marrying a narcissist without realizing it, to discovering an affair when her daughter was just seven months old. In this episode: The Summer House Amanda & Wes situation — instamacy or betrayal What "instamacy" is and why it feels like a soulmate connection What narcissism actually looks like in a family system Why marriage has historically not benefited women What sexual liberation actually looks like vs. performing confidence Why modern dating feels so dry and what Dr. Joy required before saying yes to a date Connect with Dr. Joy: Website: joyberkheimer.com | Instagram: @glowyourgoddess Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Subscribe & Listen 🔗 Immigrantly Uninterrupted on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — $3.99/month or $34.99/year for ad-free episodes and more 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave a Review: If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify — it helps more people find us. 💌 Share your thoughts: ⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Follow Us: 📸 ⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod⁠ on IG | ⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok Credits: Producer: Shei Yu | Content Writer: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover Art: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Feed Drop: Decentering Men & Dating (Without Giving Up On Finding Love) w/ Allison Goldberg 27.03.2026 1ч 23мин

  This week's episode is a feed drop from Dateable: Your insider's look into modern dating and relationships! Have you ever felt so burnt out on dating that you wanted to give up? This may sound counterintuitive, but Dateable hosts Yue and Julie are talking about how decentering men and dating could be the key to removing this dating exhaustion – and ultimately finding your person. They talk with comedian Allison Goldberg about how she shifted her dating strategy to staying open to meeting someone but not making her whole life centered around it. They discuss the difference between decentering vs not trying at all, how to avoid slipping into the line of heterofatalism, and tangible ways you can build an incredible life that someone is only so lucky to join. Enjoy! To learn more about Allison and to go to a Love Isn't Blind show near you, go to https://loveisntblind.com/ Check out the Dateable website for more content. Follow @dateablepocast on Instagram. 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @immigrantlypods | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod TikTok: @immigrantly | @whathemehak Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Do Whatever Your Wife Tells You: A Comedian Converts to Islam with Tommy Mellor 20.03.2026 36мин

  This week, Mehak (@whathemehak) sits down with comedian Tommy Mellor (@tommymellor) for a conversation that's equal parts funny and surprisingly candid about love across cultures. Tommy shares the story of how a one-kilometer Bumble radius led him to his now-wife, a Pakistani woman who initially agreed to the date, thinking a comedian might make for a good story to tell her friends. That story turned into a cross-cultural love story that took him all the way to Lahore for a three-day wedding — where he got his shoes stolen, was fed sweets by strangers, signed a marriage certificate behind a curtain, and somehow ended his first night as a married man sleeping next to his cousin. Along the way, Tommy gets into converting to Islam twice — once at a comedy club, once at a mosque — navigating the early days of dating someone whose parents were simultaneously arranging meetings with engineers and Tesla-driving prospects, and what it's like to walk into a Pakistani restaurant as the only white guy in the room. Plus: camel riding in Karachi, learning Urdu badly but earnestly, and why being 30 in Pakistan apparently makes you a very easy sell to future in-laws. Connect with Tommy here. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @lovelythepod TikTok  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Are You Even Your Type’s Type? with Dear Baji (@leveluponepercent) 13.03.2026 41мин

  This week, Mehak (⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠) sits down with Baji from Dear Baji (@leveluponepercent), a free Muslim matchmaking service, to ask the question nobody wants to answer honestly: are you even your type's type? Baji breaks down what she actually sees running her matchmaking platform: people with lists of requirements who've never stopped to ask what they bring to the table or whether the person they want would even want them back. Baji reveals the patterns she sees as a matchmaker: how people get trapped by their own lists while ignoring the one thing that actually leads to compatibility—brutal, honest self-awareness. They also revisit the age-old discussion about men as providers: what it means in Islam, how expectations have shifted, and whether it's a dealbreaker or just one piece of a bigger compatibility puzzle. Also, why looks matter more than people admit, what rigid height preferences actually reveal, and why your "non-negotiables" might be working against you. If you've ever wondered why dating feels so hard, this episode might have an uncomfortable but useful answer. Connect with Baji @leveluponepercent on TikTok and Instagram. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @lovelythepod TikTok  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• You're Not Unlucky in Love, You're Addicted to Intensity with Allie Zheng (@yourlocaltorontogirlie) 06.03.2026 53мин

  Mehak (⁠@whathemehak⁠) shares a Ramadan and dating update — including her hot take that divorce is actually chic — before sitting down with Toronto's own Allie Zheng (@itsyourlocaltorontogirlie) to talk all things love, heartbreak, and what it really means to be a lover girl. Allie gets real about her dating patterns: falling too fast, chasing intensity, and taking shortcuts to intimacy — and what she's had to unlearn. She breaks down two relationships that had the internet talking: "Vancouver man," who she met at a Toronto speed-dating event, and whose lies about his age only came out after the breakup; and a four-month relationship that ended when his parents couldn't get on board with her openness about mental health, right as they were planning to move in together. They also get into the questions every girl in her dating era is asking — how many dates is too many, what to do when a guy orders for you, and how to actually slow down when your whole personality is going all in. Plus: Allie's breakup healing routine, surviving Reddit and TikTok hate, and the lessons she's taking into her next chapter. Connect with Allie @itsyourlocaltorontogirlie⁠ on TikTok. Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @lovelythepod TikTok  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Feed Drop: These modern dating rules are keeping my friends single 27.02.2026 19мин

  This week, we're featuring an episode from Small Talk With Sheila. Imagine Bridget Jones had a self-help podcast, and you’re pretty close to the charming chaos that is Sheila’s world. In this episode, Sheila gets candid about the dating rules that are keeping her friends single. From waiting to be pursued, to overanalyzing texts and emojis, to treating dating like a job interview, she breaks down the mistakes holding women back from finding real love. Sheila shares personal stories, playful rants, and a reminder that romance is meant to be messy, fun, and unpredictable. If you’ve been stuck in “single-ville,” this one is for you. Where to Find Sheila: IG: @smalltalkwith_sheila YouTube: @SmallTalkWithSheila 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @immigrantlypods | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod TikTok: @immigrantly | @whathemehak Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• The Blue Checkmark of Dating: Is Love Just Social Proof? with Alexa Valavicius 20.02.2026 51мин

  Fresh off a wholesome, "emotionally regulated" Valentine’s Day with her friends, Mehak (@whathemehak) dives into a deep conversation about why romantic love has become a "performance of adulthood" and a "social status symbol" in 2026. Joining the conversation is content creator Alexa Valavicius (@lifewithlex444), who discusses her decision to opt out of intentional dating in 2026. She opens up about her journey since being diagnosed with rumination OCD and shares a truly jaw-dropping dating horror story. Together, they unpack the exhaustion of modern dating and the freedom found in choosing yourself over a societal timeline. Connect with Alexa @lifewlex444 on Instagram and @lifewithlex444 on TikTok Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• How to Date Intentionally: Politics, Patterns, and Planning with Talia Koren 13.02.2026 49мин

  It's Lovely's first anniversary! 🎉 To celebrate, Mehak (⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠) sits down with Talia Koren, creator of the Dating Intentionally podcast, to discuss what it really means to date with purpose. Talia shares her unconventional dating journey—150 dates with 64 people in 10 months—and the surprising patterns she discovered by tracking every single one in her Notes app. From navigating political alignment in today's climate to unlearning toxic dating advice, this episode rethinks common assumptions you thought you knew about dating. In this episode: How to ask about political values without turning dates into debates Why tracking your dates can reveal your self-sabotaging patterns The text-first debate: does it really matter who reaches out after the date? Why expecting your partner to meet every need sets relationships up to fail Whether you're actively dating, taking a break, or just curious about relationships, this conversation will make you rethink what "dating intentionally" actually means. Connect with Talia: @datingintentionally on Instagram and at www.datingintentionallypod.com Hosted by: Mehak ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whathemehak_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on IG Producers: Saadia Khan and Shei Yu | Content Writers: Mehak | Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Love-ly Theme Music: Lou Raskin | Other Music: Epidemic Sound | Cover art design: Josephine Chai | Executive Producer: Saadia Khan 🔗 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Hyphenly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,  our new newsletter with hot takes, heartfelt stories, and all the feels of living in between cultures. Come for the nuance, stay for the vibes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Please share the love and leave us a review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help more people find us!  Don’t forget to subscribe!  If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact info@immigrantlypod.com. Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@immigrantlypod.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices