

Mostly Dating
Carleigh
Mostly Dating is a podcast with approachable advice for every stage of dating and relationships. Host Carleigh Ferrante dives into the world of modern dating and relationships with approachable, relatable advice. Tune in weekly for practical tips, listener questions, and conversations that help you build healthier, happier, and more lasting connections—and find us on Instagram @mostlydating.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 12, 2022 • 1h 2min
133. JARED FREID on Why Guys Go On The First Date & What We All Get Wrong About Dating
Welcome back! Today we're chatting all about dating dos and don'ts from a male perspective with comedian and host of the J Train & Betches U Up? podcasts, Jared Freid(!!).
what we talk about:
automatic turn-offs on dating apps
defining the relationship
Jared's thoughts on ghosting
"if he wanted to he would" & "if you're confused they're not interested"
how to start a conversation on a dating app
what actually gets straight guys to go on a first date
dating app prompt fails
& more!
You can find Jared on Instagram @jaredfreid, listen to his TED talk "Who Should Pay On The First Date?" here, and find his Tonight Show debut here.
what we're loving this week:
Suckerz low sugar candy
Every Summer After by Carly Fortune
Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Sep 5, 2022 • 1h 2min
132. ALYSSA BRIELOFF on Growing Throughout Your Relationship, How To Keep "The Spark" Alive, & How To Be More Aligned In Your Life
Welcome back! Today we are joined by spiritual consultant, reiki healer, content creator, and entrepreneur, Alyssa Brieloff. Alyssa shares her experience being introduced to (and certified in!) reiki when she was eight years old and how her spiritual practice has evolved since then. She opens up about her relationship with her husband, who she has been with since she was 15 years old, and how she stays grounded, aligned, and (mostly) balanced in life, her career, and her relationships.
What we talk about:
how Alyssa got her first job in social media & how she finds brand partnerships that align with her values
how she met her husband & how they started dating
her Grandmother taking her to get reiki certified at eight years old
she explains what reiki is and how she uses it on herself and with clients
her favorite practices for staying grounded
how she protects her own energy when working with/being around people all day
why it's important to grow and change with a longterm partner
how she and her husband keep "the spark" alive
the importance of physical intimacy in a relationship
Lacy Phillips' To Be Magnetic pathway membership and how she's used it to manifest things into her own life
specific vs. non-specific manifestation
& More!
She also tells us more about her September offering of her Soul Girl Summer series, a 4-week guided course to align your energy, elevate your spiritual practice, and find your own inner-guide. You can learn more on her Instagram, @alyssabrieloff, or her website and use code BALANCED for a discount when you sign up.
What we're loving this week:
Carleigh: Sakara Meal Delivery & Metabolism Super Powder - XOBALANCED for 20% off
Mia: Karen Medina Pilates on the ORRO app
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Aug 29, 2022 • 51min
131. How To Get Over Imposter Syndrome In Your Relationship
Welcome back! Today’s *solo* episode is all about imposter syndrome.
What we talk about:
What is imposter syndrome?
Signs of imposter syndrome at work
Our own personal experiences with imposter syndrome at work
How imposter syndrome can show up in dating and relationships
How to deal with imposter syndrome
How to be more confident
& more!
Here is the NYT article we referenced.
Here is the episode we referenced with Logan Ury. (& find her in the NYT here)
What we're loving this week:
LMNT Electrolyte Drink
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!
Resources from our Instagram:
How to Reframe Your Negative Thoughts
How to Shift Your Inner Dialogue
How to Manifest the Life You Want
Self Care Practices That Are Completely Free
Things to Stop Saying at Work
How to Boost Your Confidence
How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome in Dating & Relationships
Is Imposter Syndrome Showing Up In Your Relationships?
Questions to Ask in Every Job Interview
+ Shop our Favs:
Sakara Life - use code XOBALANCED for 20% off meal programs and clean boutique items
Nuzest Protein Powder - Code MOSTLYBALANCED

Aug 15, 2022 • 1h 3min
130. GABRIELLE BOLIN on Divorce & Other Major Life Changes
Welcome back! Today we are joined by strength & conditioning coach (and returning guest), Gabrielle Bolin. When Gab last joined us in 2021 for Episode 49, her life was in a much different place. Today, she opens up about everything that has changed for her in the past year and a half.
what we talk about:
why she decided to pursue a different type of fitness career
what she loves about strength & conditioning vs. group fitness
the elements of group fitness that she was no longer connecting with
how large life changes tend to happen in waves
how leaning into the change helped her find the path she truly wanted to be on
realizing she was not happy in life or in her marriage
what led her to finally admit to her husband that she wasn't happy (& everything that happened after that)
staying in a relationship simply because you're afraid of what might come next
ending a marriage when there is no one big issue
learning to love being alone
& more!
You can find Gab on Instagram at @gab.bolin and head to @thefortnyc to learn more about working out with her.
what we're loving this week:
Carleigh: watching former guest Morgan Raphael on Amazon Prime's Cosmic Love (listen to our episode with Morgan here)
Mia: Fortuna Skin products
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!
+ Shop our Favs:
Sakara Life - use code XOBALANCED for 20% off meal programs and clean boutique items
Nuzest Protein Powder - Code MOSTLYBALANCED

Aug 8, 2022 • 1h 15min
129. ILANA DUNN on Going From Anxious Dater to a Secure Relationship
Welcome back! Today we are joined by Ilana Dunn, content creator and host of the Seeing Other People podcast. Ilana is one of our very few returning guests and it was wild to hear how much has changed in her dating life over the past year!
what we talk about:
how Ilana met her boyfriend Jake
what her dating life was like before then
the toxic relationship that caused her dating anxiety
how dating someone secure helped her be less anxious
our thoughts on dating rules
defining the relationship & relationship milestones
keeping a relationship a secret
how being in a toxic relationship can impact your friendships
moving in with your partner
& more!
You can find Ilana on Instagram @ilana.dunn or @seeingotherpeople and listen to Seeing Other People wherever you listen to podcasts.
what we're loving this week:
Carleigh: WTHN at-home body cupping kit
Mia: DEUX vegan cookie dough
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Aug 1, 2022 • 55min
128. ERIKA GABRIEL on Spirit Guides, Mediumship, & How To Listen To Your Inner Voice
Welcome back! Today we are joined by spiritual medium and teacher, Erika Gabriel, to chat about mediumship, intuition, and spirituality. Erika has been a professional spiritual medium for over a decade and had performed readings for thousands of people across the world and also leads a course, “Unlock Your Intuition and Meet Your Spirit Guide." She has been featured in publications like the New York Times, Goop, Forbes, InStyle and many more.
what we talk about:
Erika's first experience connecting with the other side
Her path to becoming a professional medium
How to connect with your own spirit guides
How to tune out the outside noise and listen to your inner voice
Real stories from Erika's professional readings with clients
The difference between spirits, angels, and hauntings
Misconceptions about spirituality & what it means to be "spiritual"
& more!
You can find Erika on Instagram @spiritualmediumerika or head to her website erikagabriel.com to learn more about her, book a reading, listen to her podcast, or find details on her course.
what we're loving this week:
Carleigh: Bondi Boost Blowout Brush & Hair Growth Products - all currently 25% off!
Mia: Casper Pillow
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Jul 25, 2022 • 1h 9min
127. JESSICA GOODMAN on Making Friends As An Adult & Dating Advice For Our Younger Selves
Welcome back! Today we are joined by Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of THEY WISH THEY WERE US, THEY'LL NEVER CATCH US, and THE COUNSELORS, and former op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine.
what we talk about:
what led Jessica to pursue a career in writing
how Jessica's first novel came to be
why she loves writing for the YA genre
the current TV adaptation of her first book, They Wish They Were Us for HBO Max, starting Sydney Sweeney & Halsey
how to make real friends as an adult
how friendships are impacted by different life stages
the type of friendships you make at camp
work/life balance
burnout during COVID
why career choices aren't set in stone
dating as a young adult
choosing your SO over your friends
& more!
You can find Jessica on Instagram @jessicagoodman or on her website www.goodmanjessica.com, and head here to order her books.
what we tried this week:
Daily Dose Meal Delivery
Shop our Favs:
Sakara Life - use code XOBALANCED for 20% off meal programs and clean boutique items
Nuzest Protein Powder - Code MOSTLYBALANCED
Actually Curious - Code BALANCED
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Jul 18, 2022 • 1h 12min
126. SHAN BOODRAM on Mismatched Sex Drives, Dating With Dominance, & What Our Parents Told Us When We First Had Sex
Welcome back! Today we are joined by Shan Boodram, certified sexologist, sex education counselor, and and sex & relationship expert at Bumble. Shan is a 2x bestselling author and has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, Netflix, Dr. Oz, and more.
what we talk about:
being in a relationship with someone who has a different sex drives
how our sex drives ebb and flow
making the choice to be single
how to build a great dating app profile
how parents react to sex (& how it impacts us)
how to get comfortable talking about sex (& asking for what you want)
Shan's relationship evolving from being f*ck buddies to being married with their second child on the way
conversations to have before getting engaged
the pressure women feel to get married
the pressure being married puts on the male in heterosexual relationships
how to date with dominance & take control of your love life and sex life
whether you should state your intentions early on in dating
dating while traveling & how to use Bumble's travel mode
& more!
You can find Shan on Instagram @shanboody or on her website shanboodram.com and purchase The Game of Desire here. Head to Bumble's website to check out the Buzz with all their dating, friendship, wellness, and career resources.
what we tried this week:
Hampton Grocer Granola
+ we answer questions from our favorite card game, Actually Curious, and discuss how to make friends as an adult.
Shop our Favs:
Sakara Life - use code XOBALANCED for 20% off meal programs and clean boutique items
Nuzest Protein Powder - Code MOSTLYBALANCED
Actually Curious - Code BALANCED
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Jul 11, 2022 • 55min
125. JEN TENZER on How To Plan Your First Solo Trip & Spending Time Alone While In A Relationship
Welcome back! Today we are joined by Jen Tenzer, accredited travel agent and founder of The Soloist, a concierge travel service dedicated to helping plan your next solo adventure.
what we talk about:
Jen's decision to leave her career in finance
How she first fell in love with traveling alone
The best solo travel destinations in the US
The best solo travel destinations abroad
Benefits of traveling alone
What solo travel can teach us about ourselves
How Jen decided to turn her love of travel into a career
The trip Jen met her boyfriend on
Making friends while traveling
How to talk to your friends and family about your solo trips
Traveling alone while in a relationship
& more!
You can find Jen on Instagram @thesoloist.travel or head to her website, www.thesolist.travel to book a free consultation.
what we're loving:
Mia: family vacation on Amagansett, lobster salad at Duryea's, tennis, & Si Si Mediterranean restaurant.
Carleigh: The New Primal buffalo chicken meat sticks
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!

Jul 4, 2022 • 53min
124. HANNAH ORENSTEIN on Soulmates, Men Who Are Intimidated By Your Success, & How To Not Put So Much Pressure On A First Date
Welcome back! Today we are joined by Hannah Orenstein, 4x novelist and Deputy Editor of Dating at Elite Daily. Hannah's work can be found in the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Refinery29, BuzzFeed, Bustle, and more. Her most recent novel, Meant to Be Mine follows Edie Myers, whose grandmother has predicted the exact day each member of her family will meet their soul mate. The book begs the question of whether "fate" can make a relationship work, or if we have more of a choice in the matter.
what we talk about:
How Hannah began her career in writing
Her brief stint as a professional matchmaker and the inspiration it gave her for her first novel
Using dating apps to meet matches for other people
Hannah's opinion on soulmates
What it was like writing her most recent novel during COVID
Where she draws inspiration from and how she researches different topics for her books
Why men are sometimes intimidated by ambition and success
...& the response Hannah received to an article she wrote about it
Hannah's experience dating during COVID and why she thinks all first dates should be phone call
How to not put so much pressure on a first date
& more!
You can find Hannah on Instagram @hannahorens or on her website www.hanahorenstein.com. Purchase Meant to Be Mine on Amazon, or on the shelves at any local bookstore!
Hannah's articles we mentioned:
My Ambition Turns Off More Men Than It Attracts
Why All Winter Dates Should Be Phone Calls
what we're loving:
Carleigh: Better Bagels
Mia: Actual Veggies Veggie Burgers
As always, find us on Instagram @mostlybalancedpodcast and on our website. Thanks for joining us and please leave a rating or review if you enjoyed the episode!


