We recently connected with Matthew Wurnig and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

Myself and the brand of 50 Dates 50 States get misunderstood on a consistent basis. Having an online internet series, I take on lots of different criticism, judgment, harassment and opinions. Those can push narratives, make people believe things that aren’t true and change peoples opinions on me.

For 3 Seasons of the show, I have traveled to all 50 States and gone on a date with a different girl in each state. I try my best to create unique experiences for each of the dates I go on and show them a good time that leaves them with a smile on their face. Not all dates have gone smooth, but I like to think out of the 150 dates I’ve been on I have a good track record.

I’ve been misunderstood about the type of girls I take on dates and my casting process. I’ve been misunderstood for staying single and not using the show for a purpose of finding “the one”. I’ve been misunderstood for the date activities I do. I’ve been misunderstood for how things are paid for on dates. I’ve been misunderstood for how the show is structured and the overall purpose of it. I’ve been misunderstood for who I’ve picked as the winners in each season. The list goes on and on.

Unfortunately, not every body is going to understand my mindset and vision for 50 Dates 50 States. I’ve learned to accept that. You can’t please everybody and you have to learn to tune it out. It’s all just noise and distraction. I compare it to being a basketball player on the court. He/she has a job to do to play the game and not listen to the people that are in the crowd booing, yelling and chirping at them. They have to remain focused and play the game.

Matthew, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m the creator of the popular social media series 50 Dates 50 States. The series where I’ve traveled to all 50 states and have gone on a date with a different girl in each state, three different times. Through 3 seasons of the show, the series has accumulated over 500 million views on content, been featured on over 100 different media outlets and has garnered a following of over 900k followers across platforms.

50 Dates 50 States started as a pandemic project in 2020 where I went on virtual dates during COVID. I posted clips online of my virtual dates and then after growing an online audience I decided to quit my job to go visit all my dates in person. After completing Season 1, I decided to do it in bigger and better fashion and created Season 2. New dates, new adventures and with a team surrounding me.

50 Dates 50 States was taken to new heights with popularity on social media and in the press, where I finished my Season 2 finale on Good Morning America, live from Times Square in New York City.

After a couple years off the road, I decided to hit the road one last time, for my third and final season. I hopped in a new branded 50 Dates 50 States vehicle (mustang) and took off on a new journey with a completely new format to spice things up. It was the most popular season, where it accumulated over 221 million views across social media and over 19 million views during the finale.

Today I’m most proud of the experiences I have created for the dates that have been part of the series and the content I have put out that has entertained millions of people. It’s special to see how far the brand has come since going on virtual dates.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My resilience has been tested to it’s core with 50 Dates 50 States. Pinching pennies, money struggles, sleeping in my truck, sponsors dropping, producers leading me on, drama, criticism and lots more. I’d be a liar if I said there wasn’t times I doubted myself and felt lost with no direction. However, I am very stubborn in my relentless pursuit of taking 50 Dates 50 States to its pinnacle. I will not quit or give up until my goal of 50 Dates 50 States becoming one of the biggest dating shows in the nation is achieved.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I had no idea what I was doing when I started posting content. But I just took massive action and learned. It’s important to get the reps in and practice the craft until you get the hang of it. There’s a lot with social media – creating, editing, posting, etc. You just have to find what works best for you. The more darts you throw at the dart board, sooner or later you’ll hit a bullseye.

My biggest piece of advice for anyone who wants to start a social media page, channel or brand is to do something different. For example – if you start a podcast, think about why someone would listen to your podcast vs the thousands of podcasts out there. What makes you different and what makes you stand out. The quote I live by is – We all try so hard to fit in, yet we idolize the ones who stand out. Be different.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://50dates50states.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/50dates50states__/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/50dates50states
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvW2kNSpF_PjPUI6-3eaN4A
• Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@50dates50states?lang=en