REGION — A podcast founded in San Diego in late 2018 is quickly gaining a fanbase as the hosts hope to normalize issues surrounding dating, sex and relationships.
Founded by San Diego State graduate Alex Piscatelli, “Dating or At Least Trying” is a weekly podcast that explores the common issues that people face as they hit the dating scene.
Piscatelli said she launched the podcast because she wanted to take on a project that helped others in the dating scene.
“I wanted a passion project to work on that would give me something to look forward to every morning when I woke up,” said Piscatelli, who works for a local marketing agency. “I knew I loved asking people about their dating lives, and I knew dating in your twenties was a wild experience for absolutely everyone involved.”
About a year after launching “Dating or At Least Trying,” Piscatelli recruited fellow San Diego State University alum Daisy Santana to join her.
Together, the duo has coupled a wide range of topics facing young daters looking for love.
“Our goal with the podcast is to normalize conversations surrounding dating, sex and relationships,” Piscatelli said. “We aim to have a guest every single week who can share their own personal experiences in the dating world. We have covered virginity, adultery, polyamory, dating apps, catfishing, heartbreak and everything in between.”
Santana said the podcast has reached hundreds of viewers around the world with the bulk of the fanbase from the U.S.
“I’d like to think that through the podcast, we’re showing people that it’s OK to date and to be yourself,” Piscatelli said. “It’s OK to put yourself out there. It’s OK to have sex on the first date, and it’s also OK to wait as long as you want to. Everyone experiences these things, but everyone handles them in such different ways that are true to them.”
The podcast isn’t just helping listeners, but the hosts too, Santana said.
“Prior to the podcast, the last date I went on was two years ago so it’s helped my dating life in every way,” said Santana, who works for a local hospitality group. “I’ve put myself out there and actually started dating or at least try to. If sharing my dating experiences wasn’t a part of the podcast I’m not sure when I would’ve started dating.”
Santana said they explore new topics every week with the goal of staying relevant to today’s current events. They also interview different guests with the hopes of having a discussion that applies to a diverse audience.
“We aim to make it a safe space to discuss topics that aren’t normalized in day to day conversations,” Santana said. “Ultimately, the podcast isn’t about us. It’s about the guests and the community we are building.”
The feedback from the fairly new podcast has been overwhelmingly positive, said the two friends.
“People that I haven’t spoken to in years will reach out and share that they loved an episode or topic,” Piscatelli said. “Hearing people love what I’m doing makes my heart soar. I’ve had people tell me they’re dating more and putting themselves out there more because of ‘Dating or At Least Trying.’ That’s my ultimate goal with it.”
Knowing that their dating podcast is helping hundreds of listeners find hope, is what’s inspiring the two friends to continue their side project.
“I want to continue to help share people’s stories and help them meet new people, whether they’re inspired by the podcast or they come to an event we hold,” Piscatelli said.
For more information or to listen to “Dating or At Least Trying,” go to datingoratleasttrying.com/.
