Dujanovic: Introducing the “Dating at Her Age” podcast

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SALT LAKE CITY — I’m Debbie. I’m 57 years old. I’m single. Looking for a long-term, monogamous relationship. I’m a radio talk show host and a mom of three adult kids. I enjoy hiking, traveling, long walks, fishing, and paddleboarding.

For six and a half years, my very vanilla profile and few selfies on dating apps have gotten me nowhere.

Correction: it’s gotten me ghosted, stood up, broken up with, and at least two dates with convicted felons.

Dating app dumps

After divorcing in 2016, I resisted the new way of dating —apps. But eventually, with arm-twisting from friends, I caved and found my way onto Bumble, eventually Hinge, and way over my head on Tinder.

What I quickly found out — and continue to learn — is that at my age, the dating pool is shallow.

These apps, and the dating world in general, are littered with married men masquerading as single, men who’ve done time in prison, men who aren’t capable of following through with something as unromantic as a 45-minute coffee date to meet me.

For the record, I have no desire to date any of the above.

But this is where single women find themselves these days.

Dating app disasters

When I was dating in the dark ages, in my 20s, if I had told my best friend that I was meeting a stranger I connected with out of the blue, a man I shared no common friends with, a man I knew nothing about, she would have rushed me to a psychologist for fear I’d lost my mind.

And it turns out, dating in my 50s, has pushed me in that direction. Honestly, I’ve arranged therapy sessions to solely lay out my abysmal dating life that’s gone in circles.

Am I just unlucky? Too picky? Should I give up on dating and adopt a new dog?

Think about it. Who has time to dress up for a dinner date with a stranger you’ve spent two weeks chatting with, only to be stood up?

Who has the time, and money, to meet a man for lunch who will ghost you the next day, yet happily stick you with his $30 meal tab that afternoon?

Or, who wants to spend hours with a perfect stranger listening to how ‘crazy’ all his ex-wives are? All his ex-wives? Yes, all.

One man told me he had two ex-wives at the beginning of our date and by the end it was three. He must have run BACK to the altar while I escaped to a bathroom stall to kick myself for agreeing to a drawn-out dinner date, bookended with appetizers and dessert!

“Dating at Her Age” is born

After graciously keeping a front-row seat to my dating disasters for the last few years, my producer, the lead producer of the show I host on KSL NewsRadio, “Dave & Dujanovic”, Caitlyn Johnston encouraged me to put it all out there — on a podcast.

Caitlyn, who’s dating at 29 years old, has her own stories of dating app angst, situationships, and frustrations with dating men her age, which was a lightbulb moment for both of us. I told her, if she’s in, I’m in.

And so, our all-new podcast “Dating at Her Age” was born.

Within minutes of our commitment to this journey, and with the blessing of our bosses at KSL, we began writing down a list of topics.

We’ve now amassed enough dating disaster stories and lessons learned to carry us through 2030, at least.

I’m excited to share — and laugh — about what we’ve learned, and how our experiences have shaped the way we date.

I’ve learned I can’t date a man my age who has a 10-year-old child because I’m not in the same place I was 20 years ago and raising my own young children.

I’ve learned I can’t afford to financially rescue a man in his late 50s who’s spent his adult life making bad money decisions.

Caitlyn will teach me the red flags to know if I’m stuck in a relationship to nowhere; what single women her age call a situationship.

We’ve both learned to keep the first date simple, like a coffee date during daylight hours. It’s easy and safe. If a man doesn’t show, we grab a cup of coffee to go.

Come along for the ride

One of my favorite segments is called Dater Hater. We invite listeners to share their dating disasters and disappointments by leaving us a voicemail message on our Dating at Her Age hotline–801-575-5599. We may play them on air! So please share!

Many women Caitlyn and I know — and have yet to meet– are aimlessly swimming in a dating pool that’s been drained of good options.

So we hope you’ll take us along for the ride, follow and listen to “Dating at Her Age.” A new episode drops every Thursday, with bonus content too.

And yes, our Dating at Her Age podcast is free — just like us on Friday nights!

If one good thing comes from our dating disasters, let this be it.

Debbie Dujanovic is the co-host of “Dave & Dujanovic” and “Dating at Her Age” on KSL NewsRadio. Follow her on Facebook and TikTok. Follow “Dating at Her Age” on Facebook and Instagram.