Description

About Blake Kuhre: Blake Kuhre is the Co-Founder of LAPS, an award-winning virtual influencer and digital double agency with offices in Los Angeles, Paris, and Seoul. A Texas native and journalism graduate from the University of Missouri, Blake began his career at The Walt Disney Company, where he spent a decade as an Executive Producer and Host on Radio Disney, reaching over 22 million Gen Z and Millennial listeners nationwide. After Disney, he transitioned into digital strategy, shaping growth at innovative startups across streaming and social platforms, including Hulu, Newzulu, LiveMe, Match, and The Meet Group. Today, Blake leads LAPS in redefining connection through creativity, technology, and human storytelling.

In this episode, Lisa and Blake discuss:

• How online dating evolved and shifted after the pandemic
• The impact of AI, virtual influencers, and fake profiles on trust and safety
• How loneliness fuels engagement on dating and social apps
• The struggle for authenticity, chemistry, and real-world connection
• The thin line between innovation, addiction, and emotional fulfillment

Key Takeaways: 

• The pandemic accelerated digital intimacy, but it also reignited people’s longing for genuine, in-person experiences. While virtual dating offered convenience, it reminded many that real chemistry still happens face-to-face.
• Dating apps continue to evolve, yet the industry still grapples with maintaining a balance between engagement, safety, and authenticity. As features expand, user trust remains the hardest metric to scale.
• Artificial intelligence brings both promise and peril. It enhances profiles and personalizes experiences, yet also fuels the rise of fake personas that distort reality and blur the boundaries of truth online.
• Loneliness sits at the heart of modern connection. It’s the emotional engine driving users to swipe, match, and message—and the same challenge companies are constantly trying to solve.
• True chemistry and human connection can’t be replicated by technology. Algorithms may predict compatibility, but they can’t replace the energy, intuition, and magic of real human interaction.

“Chemistry—that’s the number one thing you can’t fake. I always say chemistry is the most important thing in every relationship, personal or business. You either have it or you don’t. Skills and everything else you can learn, but you either have a really good relationship with someone off the bat, or not.” - Blake Kuhre

Connect with Blake Kuhre: 

Website: https://www.laps-inc.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bkuhre/ 

Connect with Lisa Thee:

Website: https://lisathee.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/ 

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/lisa.thee.polvi 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_thee 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisatheepolvi/ 

Lisa’s BOOK: Go!: Reboot Your Career in 90 Days 

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.