Date Like A Nerd

Unlock Your Player 2!

Alex

Why You’re Still Single Even If You’re Going to Meetups

by

with Single Player George

🎯 Going to meetups every week, showing up to events over and over again, hitting nerd conventions annually, and still single? You’re not alone. George is a 47-year-old Marvel and Star Wars fan who attends events regularly, has female friends, and can dance without drinking. So why hasn’t he found his Player 2? 🤔

🔒 The problem isn’t the meetups. It’s staying stuck in the container. George would meet women he liked, exchange Instagrams, but never unlock his social tree. He’d only connect 1-on-1 with women he was attracted to, then disappear if they wanted to be “just friends.” Why? He believed women decide whether you’re dateable within 30 seconds, so friendship = game over 👾

📊 According to my surveys, 70% of nerd couples who didn’t meet on dating apps started as friends (usually for 6 months to a year!). Even 20% of the couples who met on dating apps started as friends first! That “women decide in 30 seconds” rule? Debunked. The friend zone fear? Actually blocking him from the exact path most nerds take to find their Player 2 🎲

🧩 So what’s the missing piece? How do you turn meetup connections into actual dating opportunities? 🍷

🎧 Press Start to find out how to unlock 2-player mode! 🎮 🎮

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❤️ FREE GUIDE: 🎮
Where do nerds REALLY meet their Player 2?

I asked hundreds of nerds and made a guide based on those results.
Are you going to keep grinding without finding out the truth?

FREE DOWNLOAD

Related Content:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:00:38 What Makes George A Nerd
  • 00:01:10 Going to Meetups
  • 00:04:16 Starting Out As Friends
  • 00:07:42 The Friends Next Door
  • 00:10:39 How Many Relationships Start As Friendships
  • 00:12:55 The Benefits of Friendships
  • 00:17:33 Meeting People At Meetups
  • 00:20:33 Scheduling Problems
  • 00:23:41 Choosing The Right Friends
  • 00:29:14 Being Vulnerable
  • 00:37:17 The Awkward Friend
  • 00:46:18 Final Thoughts

Cold Approaches Failed. One Night With New Friends Worked.

by

Mrinal’s Nerd Dating Transformation

🤔 What if months of cold approaching strangers kept you single and frustrated, but making new friends got you numbers? That’s exactly what happened to Mrinal, a past client of mine 🤓 He’s a nerd who plays D&D, learned Japanese to watch anime without subtitles, and spent months following mainstream dating advice that made him feel uncomfortable and inauthentic 💀

Mrinal was stuck in a loop: work, gym, home, repeat 🔁 He tried what the internet told him to do (dating apps and cold approaches). And yes, he was brave enough to step out of his comfort zone. But something felt off. He never felt comfortable being himself. He was hiding his personality and felt ashamed of being a nerd, worried he’d be mistaken for an incel 💊

🌐 When we started working together, the first breakthrough was realizing that “real life is NOT a subreddit.” While online spaces amplified his fears and made him think everyone would judge him, the real world was completely different. He joined an improv group’s WhatsApp chat (terrified his first message would be ignored), went contra dancing, and discovered board game nights just minutes from his home. Places he’d convinced himself didn’t exist or weren’t for him 🎲

💃 On his first night trying salsa dancing, Mrinal met someone. His new friends literally pushed him to ask for her number. When they met, he didn’t feel “cringe.” No more censoring what he said or did. No more feeling locked in a cage. He was finally just… himself 🙌

But here’s the real transformation: Mrinal went from isolated and desperate to getting invited to 4 Halloween parties within only a couple of months of us working together 🎃 He’s no longer afraid to left-swipe on dating apps for fear of missing out on a match. He’s not desperately trying to get “whatever he can get.” And most importantly? He stopped waiting for the “perfect fit” and just started showing up. Because those “imperfect” activities led him to the right people 🎯

💤 If you’re tired of feeling like dating advice is keeping you single, or if you’ve been brave enough to try everything but nothing feels right, listen to Mrinal’s story. Because sometimes the world is so much bigger than you think! 🌍

🎧 Press Start and learn what’s possible when you Date Like A Nerd! 🤓

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❤️ Is coaching right for you? 🎮
Book a FREE Discovery Call!

COACHING PROGRAM

Related Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:35:12 What Makes Him a Nerd
  • 00:01:34 Life Before Coaching
  • 00:06:04 Ashamed of Being a Nerd
  • 00:08:34 Why Coaching
  • 00:12:17 What Coaching Was Like
  • 00:16:34 Starting to Socialize
  • 00:20:40 Real Life Isn’t a Subreddit
  • 00:25:40 Dating Achievements
  • 00:30:46 Socializing as an Introvert
  • 00:37:28 Having Dating Standards
  • 00:43:08 Stop Waiting For Perfection

Level Up Your Social Skills Using Online Gaming Communities

by

with Kaylee Lopez

🫣 Meeting new people can be scary. That’s why online gaming communities are a great way to start if you have Level 1 Social Skills and want to gain some XP! 👾

In this episode, I bring back Kaylee Lopez, an anthropologist who writes about gaming and game communities. We discussed why communities are important and how you can use them to level up your social skills IRL 💬

🏰 From self-esteem to safety, communities can serve many different purposes. Fortunately, whether they’re online or in-person doesn’t dramatically change the impact they can have on you. Having a group of people who want to be with you and support you can help you become more secure in yourself and with others 😎

🖥️ You can use online social spaces to try new social skills that you’re too afraid to test in the real world. By giving your avatar the behaviours you’d like to have yourself, you can safely test what it would feel like to be someone different 🦸 Someone you want to be 🫅

You’ll even get to see how people react, and how you can react to those reactions (and so on) 🤩 After rinsing and repeating, you’ll start incorporating those characteristics into your real life. There are forms of therapy (including TTRPGs) that are based on this model. The fact that it’s not “the real you” is irrelevant. You’ll still grow and develop into the person you want to become 🙌

As time goes by and you start feeling more confident both in your skills and with the people in your community, you can go from text-based interactions to audio, video, and maybe even in-person meetings! 🤗

🫡 So what are you waiting for? Are you going to accept this new Quest? 🙂‍↕️

🎧 Listen now and start leveling up your social skills online! 🦾

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❤️ FREE GUIDE: 🎮
Where do nerds REALLY meet their Player 2?

I asked hundreds of nerds and created a guide based on their responses.
Are you going to keep grinding without finding out the truth?

FREE DOWNLOAD

Kaylee’s Links:

Related Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:01:19 The Value Of Communities
  • 00:03:46 Becoming Secure Through Communities
  • 00:06:09 IRL vs Online Communities
  • 00:08:09 How to Meet People in Online Games
  • 00:10:35 Developing Social Skills
  • 00:13:19 Who You Want To Be
  • 00:15:00 Staying Safe
  • 00:21:05 Contact

From Cosplay Competition to Long Distance Love

by

A Convention Crush Love Story with Bimini and Riv

🧐 How can you find a partner at a convention? The Date Like A Nerd surveys showed that conventions are one of the top places to meet nerds, and that real relationships do come out of those connections. In fact, Bimini and Riv’s story proves that a convention crush can turn into something real, even when you think they’re already taken, even across long distance, and even after starting out as friends 🤝

🎭 Bimini and Riv interacted briefly during a Hazbin Hotel cosplay sing-along. Riv had impressed Bimini with his cosplay and theatrical skills, so when she found out he would be attending the next day, Bimini bought a ticket just to see him again. But when she showed up… Riv mistook her male friend for a boyfriend! Both were disappointed after seeing the other’s reaction 😱

📱 After the event, they stayed in touch as long-distance friends, unclear as to the others’ feelings 🤨 This is a story of how misunderstandings can create unnecessary challenges, and how good communication can be the Special Skill to beat that Boss!

💕 If you’ve ever had a convention crush, worried about misreading signals, or wondered if you can be friends without getting friend-zoned, this episode is for you! Because sometimes a crush at a convention stays just that: a fun memory. But other times, if you’re brave enough to take action, it can turn into something real 💘

🎧 Press Play and learn how nerd couples can form at conventions! 🦸‍♂️

YouTube Logo
Apple Podcasts Logo
Spotify Logo

❤️ FREE GUIDE: 🎮
Where do nerds REALLY meet their Player 2?

I asked hundreds of nerds and created a guide based on their responses.
Are you going to keep grinding without finding out the truth?

FREE DOWNLOAD

Links:

Related Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:00:55 What Makes Them Nerds
  • 00:01:36 The First Approach
  • 00:05:14 “She Has a Boyfriend”
  • 00:08:53 Not Reading The Signs
  • 00:12:11 Clarifying Misunderstandings
  • 00:13:19 Maintaining the Long-Distance Connection
  • 00:14:45 Friendship and Attraction
  • 00:18:18 Planning the First Date
  • 00:21:09 The First Date
  • 00:27:59 The Second Date
  • 00:32:00 Keeping Online Connections Alive
  • 00:36:47 Couples from Conventions
  • 00:38:38 How to Meet Cosplayers

“You’re Nice But I’m Not Interested” After Every First Date

by

Aaron’s Nerd Dating Transformation

❌ Are you stuck getting rejected after every first date? Dating apps can feel exhausting when you’re anxiously trying to perform for someone who barely knows you. Aaron spent 18 months going through 50+ first dates, constantly hearing “you’re great, but [polite rejection].” Sound familiar? 📱

💻 As someone who treats problems like debugging code, Aaron spent over a year Googling dating advice like error messages. He tried following the scripts, behaving as he thought people wanted, and analyzing every interaction afterward. But that people-pleasing approach just left him more exhausted and hopeless 😩

🤹🏽‍♂️ The anxiety was real. Every date felt like a performance where he had to get everything right. The more dates that didn’t work out, the more he’d over-analyze why it was happening and fall deeper into rabbit holes of “doing the right thing.” 🐰 The constant failure was wrecking his confidence, and 18 months in, he was ready to give up entirely.

🎯 But then something shifted. Through our work together, Aaron learned to stop treating dating like a problem to solve and started showing up as himself (anxious parts included). He stopped following generic advice and started building genuine connections, both on apps and at in-person meetups. The difference? Night and day ☀️

😎 This isn’t a story about becoming “confident” overnight or following some magic formula. It’s about what happens when you stop performing and start being real. In this episode, Aaron and I talk about how the coaching process helped him go from feeling hopeless to becoming more successful and even enjoying the process! 🏆

💬 If you’ve been rejected after every first date and feel like something must be wrong with you, listen to Aaron’s story. You’re not broken. You just need a different strategy 👾

🎧 Press Start and level up your dating without following any scripts! 📜

YouTube Logo
Apple Podcasts Logo
Spotify Logo

❤️ Is coaching right for you? 🎮
Book a FREE Discovery Call!

COACHING PROGRAM

Related Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:01:14 What Makes Him a Nerd
  • 00:02:30 Life Before Coaching
  • 00:06:43 The Dating App Experience
  • 00:10:52 Quantity vs Quality
  • 00:12:12 Troubleshooting Dating
  • 00:16:23 Experience with Previous Dating Coach
  • 00:18:07 Date Like A Nerd Coaching
  • 00:24:27 Just Be Yourself
  • 00:36:51 Why There’s No “Right Thing”
  • 00:42:36 Knowing Yourself
  • 00:45:45 Accountability in Coaching
  • 00:47:33 Quick Results
  • 00:51:17 Where to Meet Someone
  • 00:54:58 Online Dating Improvements
  • 00:59:19 Social Anxiety Improvements
  • 01:00:31 A Piece of Advice

How to Approach Your Gym Crush (Without Being A Creep)

by

with Jordan Yaklin

🏋️‍♀️ Afraid to approach your gym crush? Most dating advice tells you to “just be confident and approach them,” but does that actually work at the gym? The gym should be a safe space, kind of like your respawn point, where you recharge after a tough day. People go there to lift weights and decompress, not to be hit on by random NPCs. So how do you bridge that gap? 🤨

👨🏻‍💻 In this episode, Jordan Yaklin, an online health and lifestyle coach who helps gamers level up their fitness and reclaim their health, breaks down why the gym is a completely different dungeon than bars, dating apps, or cold approaching strangers 👀

⚠️ He explains the unspoken rules that gym veterans already know, so you don’t accidentally become “that person” everyone dodges like a raid boss. Because there ARE ways to connect with people at the gym and unlock that social tree branch. You just need to know how gym relationships actually develop ⬆️

💡 If you’ve ever wondered when it’s okay (and how) to start a conversation, how to tell if someone’s open to chatting, or what separates a friendly gym regular from a creep who makes everyone uncomfortable, you will gain the clarity you’ve been searching for.

🎯 Whether you’re a gamer who’s new to the fitness meta or an introvert who struggles with small talk, this episode will help you gain enough charisma to navigate gym social dynamics. Just like 68% of nerd couples who started as friends, the gym can be one of the best places to meet people who share your goals. You just need the right build for it 💪

🎧 Press Start to learn how to approach your gym crush without being creepy! 🧟

YouTube Logo
Apple Podcasts Logo
Spotify Logo

❤️ FREE GUIDE: 🎮
Where do nerds REALLY meet their Player 2?

I asked hundreds of nerds and made a guide based on those results.
Are you going to keep grinding without finding out the truth?

FREE DOWNLOAD

Jordan’s Links:

Related Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:01:08 How to Approach Your Gym Crush
  • 00:02:01 Gym Etiquette
  • 00:04:53 Fear of Looking Dumb
  • 00:07:08 Gradual Escalation
  • 00:09:27 Benefits of Making Friends
  • 00:11:14 Meeting Outside the Gym
  • 00:13:32 How to Show You’re A Nerd
  • 00:15:29 Your Safe Spaces
  • 00:20:28 Gaining Confidence and Energy
  • 00:23:28 Gamifying Social Skills
  • 00:29:48 Conversation Starters for the Gym
  • 00:36:12 Jordan’s Contact