NEW YORK – Agape Match CEO Maria Avgitidis, best known as Matchmaker Maria, announced on July 7, the debut this week of the first three episodes of her new podcast titled Ask a Matchmaker.

The podcast immediately hit the top 20 relationship podcast charts upon announcement at #16 in the USA and #1 in Greece, according to Chartable, a podcast measurement company. Each week, Avgitidis and her special guest answer dating and relationship questions in front of a live (virtual) audience. The origins of Ask a Matchmaker began on Instagram.

Avgitidis said, “Two years ago, I started answering dating questions from my followers on my Instagram stories every Wednesday. When COVID-19 hit the United States, I recognized that my audience had so many more questions that needed to be answered but with more context than text offered."

Avgitidis continued, “No one knew how to navigate dating and relationships during Stay at Home orders. I began hosting Ask a Matchmaker Live every week through Zoom to a couple hundred viewers and allowed the audience to ask questions to which I would give answers in real time."

The New York Times featured Avgitidis and her live Ask a Matchmaker show in a recent Sunday Styles piece, Singles Have to Think Outside the Screen, on May 9. The article showcased how her high end matchmaking company, Agape Match, innovated different programs for its singles experiencing dating difficulty in the time of COVID-19.

“That's when I realized this should become a podcast; something that singles and those in relationships looking for guidance can have access to in their pocket. I released three episodes for its inaugural launch to give my listeners an opportunity to see the range of guests we'd have on – from an online dating manager to a clinical psychologist that specializes in narcissism.”

Avgitidis took a two week break from Ask a Matchmaker Live to give birth to her second child, a girl. When she returned, she began recording her live show with a slightly different format to accommodate podcast listeners. Avgitidis spends most of the episode answering audio questions with her weekly guest. Fans of the podcast have two ways to submit questions. They can attend a live show and ask in real time or email their pre-recorded audio questions.

“I now invite a special guest each week to talk to me about their journey and how that relates back to dating and relationship trends. For instance, my second guest, Fotini Iconomopoulos, a Greek America 40 Under 40 award recipient, is a negotiations expert.  Her unique expertise in communications and negotiations gives listeners knowledgeable ways to effectively advocate for their dating and relationship needs,” Avgitidis said.

Fotini Iconompoulos shared, “Whether for business or romantic relationships, ultimately negotiation is about understanding how to communicate effectively to prevent and manage conflict.”

Iconomopoulos is a professor of MBA Negotiations at the Schulich School of Business and empowers Fortune 500 executives to achieve their objectives through her expertise in negotiation, communication, and persuasion. Iconomopoulos is the author of Say Less, Get More, to be released in Spring 2021 by Harper Collins. 

The Ask a Matchmaker podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Spotify, and Stitcher. To attend a live show or submit a dating question, visit askamatchmaker.com. You can follow Maria Avgitidis on Instagram at @MatchmakerMaria.