Date Like A Nerd

Unlock Your Player 2!

Where to Meet Nerds

Dungeons and Dragons + TTRPGs: Where to Meet Nerds

by

with Sean (aka MrShickadance)

🎲 Want to find love but hate loud bars and clubs? Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) could be your perfect anti-social social quest. But here’s the catch: you can’t just show up, roll a charisma check, and expect to find your Player 2. You need to actually make friends with the people behind the characters! 🧙‍♂️

🎮 In this episode, Sean (aka Mr. Shickadance), a Dungeon Master and content creator, breaks down exactly where to find TTRPG groups and how to use them to unlock your social tree. Whether you’re brand new to DnD or a veteran player stuck in the same campaign for years, you’ll discover how to expand your social network beyond that small party. 🗺️

🎲 Because if you only ever meet for game nights, you’ll never get to meet the players behind the characters. After all, what you do outside of the table is what turns your party members into real friends. And from there, you never know who you could meet. That’s where the real magic happens. 📝

📜 You’ll also learn the rules of etiquette before you even show up to your first session, so that you can maximize your chances of people looking forward to seeing you again. But what if you don’t want to see some of those new party members again? 🧟 You don’t have to make friends with anyone you don’t want. We explain the strategies you can use to make sure you surround yourself with people you like and who like you 🙂‍↕️

🔓 That’s what unlocking your social tree is all about: finding out those you get along with and then meeting their friends. No cold approaches. No loud bars or clubs. And no endless swiping only to get ghosted 👻

🎧 Ready to roll for initiative on your social life? Press Start now and start building your IRL party! 🗡️

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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

Sean’s Links:

Related Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:01:01 What are TTRPGs
  • 00:03:35 Joining A New Group
  • 00:07:45 Choosing Your Friends
  • 00:13:01 Taking Your Friends Out Of The Container
  • 00:15:57 TTRPGs Are Social Games
  • 00:20:19 Dating Between Players
  • 00:23:19 Be Open to Trying New Things
  • 00:27:08 Your First Character
  • 00:28:22 Where to Find A D&D Group
  • 00:35:41 Where to Find Sean

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! 🦸‍♂️

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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

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! 📜

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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! 🧟

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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

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

‘I’m Cooked’ (Where to Find Dates After College)

by

with Single Player Brandon

🏫 How do you find dates after you’re done with college?  🕰️ For many people, high school and uni gave us the perfect place to meet people. But once that’s over, what do you do? How can you meet someone to date if you’re not meeting… well, basically anyone? 🤷

📜 After graduating, Brandon went from having built-in social circles to basically meeting nobody new. His dating life? Non-existent. His social life? Hanging out with the same small group of friends 2-3 times a year. His solution attempts? Cold approaches (didn’t work) and dating apps (traumatizing) 😰

🏢 “I’m stuck in the office for most of the time,” Brandon explains. Between his 9-to-5 and studying for nursing boards, he’s caught in the classic post-college trap: knowing he wants to meet someone but having zero clue where to start and feeling like he has no time to do it.

🎯 But here’s the thing: Brandon actually HAS opportunities. He goes to Riot Games Arena to watch esports matches, he’s into skateboarding, snowboarding, and wants to learn surfing. He just hasn’t connected the dots on how these hobbies can become his social networking goldmine.

🥘 If you’re feeling “cooked” because college social life seems like a distant memory, this episode breaks down exactly how to transform solo activities into friend-making (and potentially date-finding) opportunities 💘

🎧 Press Start and learn how to set your single-player hobbies to multi-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
  • 00:01:02 Dating Life After College
  • 00:05:03 Dating App Trauma
  • 00:09:57 Getting Rejected
  • 00:18:26 Riot Games Arena
  • 00:20:33 Where to Meet Someone
  • 00:24:35 Step 1: Your Hobbies
  • 00:29:45 Step 2: Where to Meet People
  • 00:33:00 No Free Time to Socialize
  • 00:35:18 Socializing with Snowboarding
  • 00:40:05 Being shy… or not?
  • 00:46:26 Socializing At The Riot Games Arena
  • 00:53:14 A Video Shoot Missed Opportunity
  • 00:58:48 Having Options to Meet Someone
  • 01:03:53 Difficulties for Meeting Partners

The Hidden Cost of Finding Love With Red Pill Dating

by

John’s Nerd Love Story

💊 What happens when red pill advice “works”? John thought he’d found the cheat code to dating when his nerdy high school friend got a girlfriend using pickup artist tactics. But after years of grinding bars and clubs, he discovered the hidden costs of building relationships on a foundation of masks 🎭

👨‍💻 In this episode, a 40-something programmer shares his journey from socially isolated nerd to pickup artist practitioner to married father, and the unexpected ways those dating experiences still affect his relationships today. John also opens up about performance anxiety, avoidant attachment, and the challenge of taking off the masks he’s worn for so long 👺

🥷 We explore the darker side of the pickup artist and red pill communities: the confidence that’s really avoidance, the “success” that leads to deeper insecurity, and why pretending to be someone else can make it impossible to believe anyone could love the real you 😰 John’s story reveals how the very techniques designed to help socially awkward nerds connect actually prevented him from forming the deep, trusting relationships he was seeking.

🛑 But this isn’t just a cautionary tale. John also shares what he’s learned through therapy about attachment theory, the importance of authentic friendship-first connections, and why the journey to genuine intimacy is worth the work. Even if you’re approaching 50 and still figuring it out! 👴

👯‍♀️ If you’ve ever been tempted by pickup artist or red pill advice, wondered why mainstream dating tips don’t work for nerds like you, or struggled with feeling like you have to perform to be loved, John’s honest reflection offers both validation and hope.

🎧 Press Start to discover why leveling up your game may not be worth the grind! 💪

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

I surveyed 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 Episodes:

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

  • 00:00:00 Intro
  • 00:02:22 What Makes “John” A Nerd
  • 00:05:42 Dating On The Spectrum
  • 00:10:31 Intro To The Pickup Artist Scene
  • 00:14:53 Becoming Someone Else
  • 00:19:51 Introverts Do Find Love
  • 00:23:19 Dating Success But Performance Anxiety
  • 00:29:32 The Source Of Insecurity
  • 00:35:58 Marriage Problems
  • 00:41:18 Fake It Till You Make It
  • 00:46:14 Becoming Confident
  • 00:52:51 The Real Red Pill
  • 01:01:15 Closing