Love-ly: Exploring Modern Relationships

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. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 If you'd like to share your thoughts about this episode or any other episode, you can contact [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: @immigrantlypods | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lovelythepod

TikTok: @immigrantly | @whathemehak

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a viral TikTok about Toronto’s "struggle" dating scene turns into a deep dive on the evolution of the modern man and woman?

In this episode of Love-ly, host Mehak (⁠@whathemehak⁠) brings actor Thomas Darya (@thomas_darya) into the studio to dissect the growing sentiment that women are rapidly outpacing men in both professional drive and personal growth. Thomas pulls from his experience as an immigrant and a creative to explain why the traditional roadmap for romance has been torn up, leaving a generation of daters wondering where they fit in.

The conversation gets raw as they explore "beauty currency" and the ripple effects of OnlyFans on how we value ourselves and our partners. Mehak and Thomas challenge the polarizing rhetoric seen online, instead focusing on the delicate balance of masculine and feminine energies and the pursuit of a life that is actually fulfilling, not just "aesthetic."

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 [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is your dating life a lived experience, or just a curated performance?

In this episode of Love-ly, Mehak (@whathemehak) sits down with somatic therapist and scholar Julia Sutherland (@JoyfullyJuliaa) to unpack the psychological toll of viewing ourselves from the "outside-in." Together, they unpack the concept of "self-objectification" and why women in particular tend to monitor their external appearances over their internal comfort.

From the influence of religious upbringings to the relentless gaze of social media, Julia explains why so many of us feel like we are observing our lives from the outside rather than living them from within. She shares the insights gained from her own 7-day mirror detox, revealing how our self-worth can transform when we stop scrutinizing our reflection and start feeling our existence.

Follow along Julia's somatic journey on TikTok and YouTube.

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 [email protected].

Follow us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantlypods (IG)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@immigrantly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TikTok) | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@love_lypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production.

For advertising inquiries, email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices