Meet Jaydi Samuels Kuba | Author, TV Writer, Dating Coach, Matchmaker, and Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaydi Samuels Kuba and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaydi, how do you define success?
As I’m entering my forties, I’m realizing my definition of it has changed. For most of my life, I would have said achieving name recognition, or being acknowledged for having an impact on the world. Now, I no longer look to external factors to define my success, but rather strive to feel that within. By following our passions, finding joy in each day, recognizing and appreciating our limitations, finding balance, putting effort into building even stronger relationships with those in our close circles and communities, and doing what we can to better the lives of those around us, I believe it’s possible for everyone to achieve success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a TV writer turned matchmaker, dating coach, and author, whose narrative nonfiction book, “Your Last First Date: Secrets from a Hollywood Matchmaker” debuts January 2026 through Avid Reader Press. After obtaining my screenwriting degree from USC, I received the equivalent of two more degrees in TV animation, spending eight years working under Seth MacFarlane on his show “Family Guy” (and other projects). After penning the 250th episode, I spent nearly a decade writing on other shows, but ultimately found my calling setting up the people who worked on them. I’ve run LJMatchmaking with my business partner Lauren Rosenberg for the last decade, and do date coaching internationally. I’m blessed now that I get to marry both my passions by writing about these experiences. The trajectory wasn’t easy, filled with bouts of doubt and insecurities, but it all helped get me where I am today. What I’d like people to know most about my particular brand of matchmaking is that unlike the majority of other elite firms out there, I want finding love to be an affordable quest for everyone.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh boy, you’re asking this of someone who has kept a detailed list of hundreds of her favorite restaurants in the city for the past twenty years! (I even ran a popular blog in college of things to do in LA under $40, before that was really a thing). When my friends come to town, I usually take them to popular shopping streets like Melrose and Abbot Kinney, often with a pit stop at Urth Caffe. We’ll squeeze in a hike at Runyon, spend an afternoon or evening at Wispa in Koreatown, go dancing at La Descarga, and definitely peruse a farmers’ market (Studio City and Playa Vista ones are favorites). A lunch and dessert crawl up Sawtelle is usually on the list (making sure to include okonomiyaki at Chinchikurun). I like breakfast at Destroyer, or pancakes at The Griddle, and would likely spend some time at the Century City mall (including some 85c for snacks, a meal at Din Thai Fung, and Player One VR World for an immersive gaming experience). A scalp massage at Japanese Head Spa EN in Beverly Hills might be recommended, followed by lunch at The Hideaway. For sushi I’d tell my friend to go to Uchi, or urge them to wait in line at Shibuya in Calabasas. I’m not sure I could have them stay a week without a meal at Saffy’s, Sun Nong Dan, Girl and the Goat, Joy on York, or the Grand Central Market for a food sampler (which must include Villa’s Tacos — and yes, the queso taco is worth the wait). Topanga Social in Woodland Hills is also fun. And I would not let them leave town without the Hailey Bieber smoothie at Erewhon (sorry, not sorry). I also live in Sherman Oaks, so I’d be remiss not to include stops at LYNX for “The Snow” matcha drink, Pasta Bar if they want an extravagant tasting menu, and Anajak Thai (if it’s good enough for Obama, it’s good enough for my friend). Lastly, if they’re in town the last Friday of a month, I’d insist on dragging them to the Fashion District in DTLA for the amazing sample sales. Yikes… this is starting to sound more like two weeks than one!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family is my world. I have my daughter and husband in particular to thank for giving me the love, support, and perspective change I needed to fully realize my joy and purpose. I was also very fortunate to grow up with parents and brothers who believed in me, friends who support me, and I’m constantly shaped by my matchmaking clients whose lives touch me on a daily basis.

Website: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Your-Last-First-Date/Jaydi-Samuels-Kuba/9781668079645

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matchmadeinhollywood/?hl=en

Other: https://www.ljmatchmaking.com/

@matchmadeinhollywood