Q&A With Jaydi Samuels Kuba 

Back in December of 2025, Avid Reader Press messaged me on Instagram telling me about the book they were publishing in January titled Your Last First Date: Secrets from a Hollywood Matchmaker by Jaydi Samuels Kuba and that she was a fan of Book Notions and wanted me to read her book. I of course said yes and told them I would love to interview Jaydi & here we are! Other than writing Your Last First Date, Jaydi had written for television for shows such as Family Guy & Salem (a show I watched when it was on). Jaydi is also the owner of LJMatchmaking and is a certified dating and relationship coach and has her own podcast, Match Made In Hollywood! 

Q: Welcome to Book Notions Jaydi! Would you please give a brief description of Your First Last Date? 

A: Absolutely. It’s narrative non-fiction based on my fifteen years experience as a matchmaker and dating coach in the entertainment industry. The book centers on three clients’ journeys with me to find love – both through our date coaching sessions and my matchmaking them. (All are composites of real-life clients.) I also open up about my own journey to find love, which – spoiler alert! – ends with me marrying one of my clients, and us embarking on IVF together. 

Q: What made you want to write Your First Last Date? How long did it take you to write it?

A: I constantly write stories inspired by clients, but historically they wind up as short bits on TV episodes, or occasionally an idea for a full-blown show. But during the writers’ strike, I realized just how many stories I actually had, and how well they lent themselves to another medium. The whole labor of love took a little over a year, plus an additional four to six months for the initial proposal.

Q: In the book you discuss attachment styles that have a lot to do with how quickly or slowly someone moves toward commitment. For those of us new to attachment theory, how can we identify our own attachment styles in dating as well as our partners dating styles? 

A: A British psychoanalyst proposed attachment theory in the 50s, but Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller really helped popularize it in their book Attached. I reference it in my own book, and if you’re curious what your style is, I highly recommend you take the quiz they provide in theirs. I love attachment theory, because it not only applies to yourself and those you date, but also how you will wind up raising your children, if you plan on having any.

Q: In the book you also touch on moving too slowly can be just as bad as moving too quickly. How can we tell the difference between moving at a healthy pace vs avoidant behavior? 

A: I’d say after three months of consistently dating someone, you should both feel ready for exclusivity. And if you’re not feeling as if you’re falling in love, or already in love, by six, I’d say there’s a decent chance at least one of you is exhibiting avoidant behavior.

Q: In the book you also mention that attachment styles begin in childhood experiences. I believe that because it’s proven that girls especially will date and marry the same type of men their mothers date and marry which isn’t always a good thing if the father/father figure is mentally, emotionally, & physically abusive or absentee. It’s also true that how parents treat their children have an impact on who their children date as adults. How do adults growing up with these attachment styles and bad examples, break these cycles without letting it make them bitter? 

A: That’s a great question. I’m a huge fan of everyone doing some form of therapy for a variety of reasons, but this is certainly one of them. It’s weird to not have your teeth cleaned on a regular basis, and I feel the same way about the mind. But naturally, the first step is identifying that you might be repeating a pattern in the first place and then adopting a willingness to change it. Breaking cycles of any kind is extremely hard, but with the right time, willingness and dedication, it’s certainly possible. 

Q: What are the important lessons you hope readers, especially us single readers, learn after reading Your First Last Date? 

A: My ultimate dream is that after reading this book, readers will feel like they never need to purchase another self-help book in the dating space again. Because if interpreted as intended, they’ll realize by the end that they have everything it takes to become their own best dating coach.

Q: Are you currently writing another book similar to Your First Last Date or is it about another topic entirely? 

A: I have a few irons in the fire for my next project, including a possible TV adaptation of this book (inspired by a minor character in it – I’ll let you guess who!). 

Q: You’ve written for television shows such as Family Guy & Salem! I loved Salem when it was on. What was it like writing television shows? Do you still do it now or do you mainly focus on your matchmaking business and podcast? 

A: Oh my gosh, I love that you loved Salem! Most people I know haven’t seen it, and it’s the best. I still write TV. I still matchmake, I still podcast, I do consulting for another companies, and I help run my household. I feel tired just writing that.

Q: Speaking of your matchmaking business LJMatchmaking, what wisdom have you learned in your career as a matchmaker and dating coach, that you believe others should know especially if they want to build their own matchmaking business and become a dating coach? 

A: These are great questions. I have a whole chapter on what I think it takes to be a great matchmaker and dating coach, so I’d recommend reading that one if you’re thinking of trying it! But ultimately, what I’ve learned most is how much people respond to authenticity. Flashy sales meetings and snazzy office spaces are alluring, but more-so is the ability to connect one-on-one with a client, empathize with their journey, and feel an innate desire to help them. When they experience bumps on their way to finding love, I feel those with them. But I also experience the joy when they have an amazing first date or get proposed to. Because I’ve been with them every step of the way. (And at one point I was them.)

Q: You also have a podcast called Match Made In Hollywood! I can’t wait to listen to it! Who have you interviewed on your podcast and what is your advice for anyone wanting to build a podcast? Would you also please provide a link to your podcast? The readers of my blog love podcasts! 

A: Yes, thanks! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/match-made-in-hollywood/id1811868616 (You can also find it on Spotify.)

We’ve had some really fun guests so far from Terry and Heather Dubrow to author Gabi Conti. But one of my favorite episodes so far is the very first one I did with my husband, where the two of us retold our love story. It’s fun interviewing public figures and getting insight into their love lives, and we’ll have more of those next season, but I also look forward to bringing on lesser-known people with interesting stories to share, and even our therapist!