Last Minute Cancel & Screening Steps

Last Minute Cancel & Screening Steps

From Dates & Mates with Damona Hoffman by Dates and Mates Media

February 24, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

This episode discusses how to handle last minute cancellations before a first date and the importance of recognizing relationship priorities.

In this Dear Damona episode, we tackle what to do when someone keeps canceling last minute before you've even had a first date, and how to tell the difference between giving someone a fair chance and letting them waste your time. This week, a listener named Jenna shares: "I matched with a guy on a dating app and followed your advice. After a week of messaging, I asked him for a brief phone call. He was so fun to talk to, and we seemed aligned. We agreed to meet for drinks after work. The day of the date came, and at lunchtime he texted and apologized that a work emergency came up and he had to cancel. He asked to reschedule and we found a day the following week, and he canceled again with a similar work situation." What You'll Hear In This Episode: Why that gut feeling of resistance before rescheduling is actually your bodily wisdom talking The real difference between the benefit of the doubt and gullibility The must-do screening steps that reduce ghosting and flakiness What two last-minute cancels actually reveal about someone's priorities The hidden cost of rescheduling for someone who keeps flaking Resources & Links: Unlock the secret to successful dating with our Date…

People in this episode

Host: Damona Hoffman

Guest: Jenna

Topics covered

  • dating advice
  • last minute cancellations
  • relationship priorities
  • screening steps
  • ghosting
  • self-awareness

Keywords

  • dating
  • cancellations
  • relationship advice
  • screening
  • ghosting
  • self improvement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Damonahoffman.com, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, megaphone.fm

Books & works: Book Your Break

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