From HuffPost

This age-old dating profession has reemerged as an efficient alternative to swipe-based, burnout-prone dating apps. To help demystify this practice and shed light on the experiences of Black matchmakers and their Black clients, HuffPost recently held a virtual roundtable discussion with Shaneeka McCray, Amari Ice and Daphney Poyser. The professionals shared their thoughts on the concept of Black love, the pros and cons of online dating and apps, and the importance of self-awareness, self-accountability and personal growth while seeking and sustaining love.

From Brainz Magazine

The winter holiday season may be over, but the most important holiday for couples has yet to arrive: The Day of Love, otherwise known as Valentine’s Day. Knowing what to get your person for V-Day can be a daunting task, so to get you started we’re sharing our revamp on some of the most common gift ideas, in a not so common way.

From Shoutout Colorado

“Fern Connections was born out of a risk that I took during the pandemic to start something new, and I think that has influenced the direction of our company greatly. We’re not afraid to put ourselves out there, to take risks and do things differently for what suits our business.”

From Sex Party with Dustin Rybka

Not only is Daphney leveling the playing field as a matchmaker for all, she is also a relationship coach with an equally honest and innovative approach to dating and relationships. Not only does she realize there is no such thing as "one size fits all" in relationships, she celebrates it and uses it to her success.

Welcome to episode 99.

From Brainz Magazine

“For those of us who have found someone special this year, and have taken the time to cultivate our new relationship, it can be both an exciting and thrilling idea to introduce our partner to our relatives. However, depending on how long you’ve been dating it may or may not be an appropriate time to add the pressures of meeting your folks to an already fragile relationship. So, how do you decide if it’s safe to bring your new love home for holiday dinner or if it’s better off keeping your relationship on the low? I have a few ideas…”

From the Love, Laugh, and Lessons Podcast

In this 'Love, Laughs, and Lessons' episode, we feature Daphney Poyser, the innovative founder of Fern Connections. Her company, established in 2020 amidst personal change and global upheaval, focuses on diversity and inclusivity in the LGBTQIA+ matchmaking scene. Daphney's leap from corporate America to entrepreneurship highlights her resilience and commitment to fostering genuine connections. Her story begins with a personal loss, leading her to build a matchmaking service that values deep, internal qualities over superficial traits.

From HER

Remember: Dating isn’t a test you can fail or a game to lose.

As a recovering people-pleaser, I am guilty of focusing so much on making sure the other person likes me that I forget to ask myself if I even like them. Don’t get so caught up in winning over your date that you forget to tune into how you feel about them.

From Highsnobiety

How people make themselves up, and eventually make themselves down, around a new romantic partner helps shed light on ever-evolving beauty norms…Appearance-based standards — expectations that can influence everything from the way we do our makeup to the way we dress — have always existed, but they’re especially loaded in an era of visual-first dating apps and social media platforms.

From Vox

Popular opinion would suggest that budding romance in an always-connected, app-forward culture is, well, a mess. After all, dating has been described as a “minefield,” a “numbers game,” and “exhausting.” If you’ve been on a first date within the last few years, you may agree; you might even have a few horror stories you share at parties.

Still, dating doesn’t have to be a slog. It can be exhilarating and romantic, novel and affectionate, regardless of your age or dating history. Finding a partner doesn’t require a rigid strategy, but it could necessitate a change in perspective.

From Thirsty: The Podcast

Sometimes we need to hear from the experts, and who knows more about finding a good match than a professional matchmaker? Daphney Poyser is here to share what she knows about matching, dating, and finding the love that is right for you.

From Valiant CEO

“I often tell my clients that I used to stress about how other people loaded the dishwasher and how it wouldn’t turn out well if it wasn’t done with my process in mind; now when I’m talking to them about building successful relationships, I use the dishwasher story as an example of how even if it is loaded differently the end results are still the same: the dishes are cleaned, the situation ended in success.

I am constantly trying to remind myself and others that if you get out of your own way you can find that there are a thousand different ways to do something and still be happy.”

From The Skimm

How do you write a date-me doc exactly, and where do you share it? Daphney Poyser, a matchmaker, dating and relationships coach, and founder of Fern Connections, answers all things date-me doc, including why they’re gaining popularity, and what information to include (and to avoid).

From SHOUTOUT LA

For some reason there is this idea that not everyone deserves equality, fairness and acceptance but that is one of the main reasons why I do what I do for work. I believe that everyone should be accepted and loved for who they are, especially when it comes to people of color, transgender folks and everyone who is brave enough to live out loud in their truth.

From Bold Journey

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daphney Poyser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Daphney, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

If I am honest, I am always working on my confidence and self-esteem levels, it is not something that comes easy for me but I am great at masking my struggle with being in the foreground

From Brainz Magazine

After retiring from corporate America Poyser, who in a prior life was titled the “Fundraising Queen” for her philanthropic success in connecting students within the Black community with college scholarships, began to ruminate on the ways in which she could continue to utilize her expertise to further be a champion for disenfranchised communities.

From Brainz Magazine

The older one gets, the harder it can be to simply find someone you deem worthy of dating–emphasis on finding someone. Regardless of the statistics on marriage rates, which attempt to tell us otherwise, the older we get, the more we seem to find ourselves further and further removed from singles. After fifty, it can seem as if everyone you know is either married or coupled, and you can’t help but wonder “Where do I fall in this new life?”

From Brainz Magazine

In this interview with Daphny Poyser Certified Matchmaker, Relationship and Dating Coach, Founder of Fern Connections we discover the following :

1. How Fern connections differ from other Matchmaking agencies

2. Who and what do we need to be in order to attract our ideal partner

& More!

From Falling Out LGBTQ

Finding love can be difficult and has it's challenges in the Queer Community. For our season 2 debut, we sit down with LGBTQ IA+ matchmaker Daphney Poyser to discuss what it takes. Daphney Poyser is the founder and CEO of Fern Connections, a LGBTQIA+ Matchmaking and Coaching company. She started the company in 2020 and has since been featured in Bustle, Dallas Voice, and EDGE Media.

From Men’s Vows

Virtually or in-person, Fern Connections starts by getting to know you. What makes you tick, what makes you ticked off, what brings you joy, what makes you wink, and what makes you think. Deep questions that reveal more than you think you can share, and that help steer Fern Connections towards your ideal first date.

From Voyage LA

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?

If I can give people one recommendation in wanting to start a business is that it can’t be about you. It should be grounded in wanting the best for others in a way that surpasses all of the hard stuff that comes with wanting to do something different, better and more meaningful.

From Brainz Magazine

Between planning dates, surprise arrangements, and buying gifts the day of love can leave us feeling a bit lackluster. Which is why this Valentine’s Day we are advocating for a celebration with the one person who supports us most: Ourselves.

From Thrillist

Of course, a memorable first date can make all the difference between happily ever after and happily never again. So, we turned to Daphney Poyser, Matchmaker & CEO of Fern Connections, Date and Relationship Coach, and all-around Wing Woman for anyone who’s been looking for love in all the wrong places.

Poyser specializes in matchmaking for people who may have had trouble finding love in mainstream society because of their race or sexual orientation. Yet even though her focus is on the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies, her insights can help anyone with a pulse looking for someone to journey through life by their side.

From Brainz Magazine

New year, New you? With the start of the year already under wraps, it can feel very enticing to take on new intentions for the relationships you currently have in your life–or even the ones you hope to cultivate. However, as with all resolutions, sometimes things are easier said than actually done.

From Brainz Magazine

With the New Year right around the corner, there’s no better time to get a jumpstart on planning who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish for yourself in the next 365 days. Although, while there is always room for improvement in our world, sometimes the best way to start yourself on the right foot, is leading with the one which you already have a solid foundation.

From Bustle

Whether you’re looking for a cost-effective date or just want to get outside, certified matchmaker and dating coach Daphney Poyser recommends going for a walk with your date. “This is one of the most romantic types of dates that you can do, especially as a first date, because it's all about intentionally getting to know someone,” she tells Bustle. You can take a stroll around a botanical garden, on the beach, or even around a local park. Accompany it with a stop for coffee or ice cream, and you’ve got a well-rounded date.

From Bustle

Most people don't suspect that their partner is going to cheat on them — after all, there's no one obvious indicator of a cheater. However, there are a number of factors that make someone more likely to cheat in a relationship according to experts and research. Although you can't always predict when someone is going to be unfaithful, it can be useful to know what to look out for when dating someone to ensure you're in a loving, committed relationship.

From Bustle

When your crush is among the first things you think about when you wake up in the morning, it’s a pretty good indicator that you’re super excited about them. Whether you’ve just had your first date or your 50th, sometimes it’s OK to let those butterflies lead and enjoy the ride. During your morning routine, it might be fun to brainstorm some flirty “good morning” texts to send to your crush.

From CanvasRebel

Daphney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

From Edge Media Network

Solitary life has had its ups and downs for those of us who have weathered the pandemic alone. While we didn't envy our coupled friend (no matter how perfectly matched) ensconced in their 700-square-foot apartments for months at a time, staring at our own four walls and an ever-increasing recycle bin full of empty wine bottles was no picnic either. Swiping left and right on dating apps became mind-numbing. Fern Connections CEO and Founder Daphney Poyser knew there had to be a better way — particularly for the LGBTQ+ community.

From Dallas Voice

Daphney Poyser’s Fern Connections wants to help LGBTQ singles find what they are looking for…

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the lion’s share of attention is focused on folks who are coupled and what they need to do to happily remain so. But what about the free agents among us — the singles?

From Bustle

If you feel present and comfortable around each other, if you have fun, and if you communicate well, consider yourselves on the right track. If things feel awkward, your partner doesn’t value your opinion, or if you’re in a constant state of disagreement, that’s when the signs start pointing towards a breakup. According to certified matchmaker and relationship coach Daphney Poyser, “It's a good practice to routinely check in with your partner on a regular basis to ensure that you are both on the same page. It’s easy to let the day-to-day distractions make you lose sight of the time and energy that you are putting into your relationship to keep it healthy.”

From SHOUTOUT DFW

Hi Daphney, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?

The thing that I am most inspired by is the courage that younger people have to live their truth out loud and to be their authentic selves. Being in my mid 50s it brings me joy to see the openness of how young people express themselves. If there was one thing that I wish the older generation would adopt from the newer generations is their ability to unapologetically love who and how they please, regardless of what social norms say about the issue.

From Voyage Dallas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphney Poyser.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Daphney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.

I have had an affinity for the gay community since I was a teenager. I met my first openly gay couple when I was 16. They lived in this cute little house with a white picket fence and all I could remember thinking was that these guys are just like my own family; which at the time was not a thought many black people felt they were allowed to have. From there, I was pretty much hooked. As I got older, some of my most important friendships were rooted in this community, and so in 2020 when I was deciding that it was time for me to leave Corporate America, I asked some of my friends and family members in this space how I could start to search for a more meaningful career.

From Voyage Dallas

I own Fern Connections, which is an LGBTQIA+ and Ally-focused matchmaking, date, and relationship coaching company located in the Dallas area and services people nationwide. I pride myself on being the most inclusive that I can be in wanting to work with people of all queerness and straightness. It doesn’t matter how you identify, what your sexual orientation is or the color of your skin, you’re upbringing, etc. What matters is that you have a desire to find love and a meaningful relationship. And that you understand that there is no magic in what I do, it’s all practical tool-based processes that helps me to be able to help you and many others like you across the country to find what you are looking for in your next person, partner, significant other, husband or wife, whatever you call the love of your life.

From FW Weekly

This LGBTQIA+ Matchmaking and Coaching Company is Taking Over Texas One Match at a Time.

Fern Connections is a LGBTQIA+ & Ally Focused Matchmaking and Relationship & Date Coaching Company. Fern Connections was founded by Daphney Poyser, a Matchmaker and Relationship Coach, and is the only Black, Women-owned Queer focused Certified Matchmaking Company in the United States. At Fern Connections we prioritize creating untraditional and good-hearted connections for individuals all across the country.

From The New York Times

Relationship experts advise going on dates that are more active, using the upside-down smiley-face emoji and not being afraid to make the first move.