Jessica Lanyadoo was getting dressed for a solstice party when her spirit guides told her: don't wear pants, wear a skirt. That night she met the man she's now been with for 14 and a half years. In this episode, Mehak sits down with Jessica Lanyadoo, humanistic astrologer, psychic medium, animal communicator, and host of Ghost of a Podcast, to talk about what astrology can (and can't) tell us about love. Jessica explains why she never checks the birth chart of a crush, why sun-sign compatibility is a fancy way of blocking intimacy, and what a full chart actually reveals — from your sleeping patterns to how you fight. She shares the stories she'll never forget: a message from a client's late mother that saved a man's life, and a street dog who begged her to translate for his human. Then Mehak gets a live mini-reading of her own — Saturn square sun, old dating patterns, and the verdict on her new situationship: either he's your husband, or he's your lesson. Follow Jessica @jessicalanyadoo on Instagram, listen to Ghost of a Podcast, and visit lovelanyadoo.com for weekly horoscopes, classes, and her book Astrology for Real Relationships. 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: [email protected] Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] Follow Us: 📸 @lovelythepod on IG | @immigrantly on TikTok Love-ly is an Immigrantly Media Production. For advertising inquiries, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: ⁠[email protected]⁠ 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 [email protected] 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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices