I recently met with Melissa Diamond, creator of He Said What podcast, “an unfiltered source of perspectives on life, love, and dating”. Aside from wanting to be more open and real, one of the biggest inspirations for my post on my own relationship, was He Said What. The epitome of the show is to touch on subjects "we are not supposed to be discussing" but we all want to know and wonder about. When Melissa and I sat for our coffee date, she automatically made me feel like I was catching up with a long-time old friend. Her down-to-earth personality and openness is the reason why her “barrier-breaking-conversations” are so relatable.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO KEEP UP WITH HE SAID WHAT?

Melissa: As something that started as a hobby, I never imagined I would be signed by a network with a regular following.  I am so passionate about the show for many reasons, but I think my listeners are by far my biggest motivation! They reach out to ask for help, they share their personal stories, and they make all the hard work I put into the show worth it.  I’ve learned so much about myself through my listeners and hosting the show… those lessons and takeaways from my guests have absolutely changed my life for the better – Any time I can help anyone get through a challenging time or learn about themselves as well it’s the ultimate win.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN DECIDING WHO TO INTERVIEW? AND DO YOU REACH OUT MOST OF THE TIME? OR HAS IT BECOME A MIXTURE OF REACHING OUT/ PEOPLE WANTING TO BE ON THE SHOW?

Melissa: My guests are driven by their own experiences and specialize in the dating world because of what they’ve gone through.  For every episode, I try to ensure that there is a key takeaway and my guests must be able to relate their experiences to my audience.  That ability to connect is probably what I look for the most, but there are several factors to finding a good guest!

At this point I’d say I reach out to others as much as people reach out to me.  In addition to the connection, I feel it’s important to have different types of people on the show to ensure I have different viewpoints.  Everyone is different and having key differentiators to my guests is super important.

HOW HAVE PEOPLE BEEN RESPONDING TO YOUR PODCAST (1) YEAR INTO IT?

Melissa: The responses have been incredible!!  My followers email me, DM me, leave reviews providing insight, and talk about how the show affects their lives.  My listeners want real and raw answers and every episode the show continues to push the envelope… 2019 is going to be another huge year of growth for me as a host and for the show in general!

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS YOU'VE LEARNED JUST FROM TALKING TO SO MANY THIS PAST YEAR?

Melissa: I have learned so much, but the biggest takeaway is that you need to always put yourself first.  You need to love yourself and acknowledge your flaws to make yourself the best version of you. Dating is challenging, but you need to know that self-love is the only way to have a healthy relationship.  We put so much pressure on ourselves to live life at a certain pace, but everyone is different.

When someone shows you who they truly are, for good or bad, believe it.  Trust your gut, and never rely on anyone else for your happiness.

Check out Melissa’s podcast here!