🤔 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 💀

🌐 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 🎲

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! 🤓

👾 WONDERING IF COACHING IS RIGHT FOR YOU?🕹️

Book a FREE Discovery Call!

https://www.datelikeanerd.com/player2/

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Related:

• How to Find Groups and Socialize as a Shy, Introverted Nerd (Step-By-Step Guide)
• I Surveyed 273 Nerds in Canada: Here's The Dating Strategy That Worked
• "You're Nice But I'm Not Interested" After Every First Date, Aaron's Nerd Dating Transformation
• The Hidden Cost of Finding Love With Red Pill Dating: John’s Nerd Love Story
• 'I'm Cooked' (Where to Find Dates After College), with Single Player Brandon

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

#datelikeanerd #datingtips #datingadvice #dating #nerdlife #nerd #gamer #single #socialskills #podcast

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

🫣 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 farm 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! 🦾

👾 FREE GUIDE: WHERE NERDS REALLY MEET THEIR PLAYER 2 🕹️

Based on hundreds of surveys of nerd couples and singles. Download it at https://datelikeanerd.com/reality

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Related Episodes:

• Find Love Through Online Games, with Kaylee Lopez
• The Tolkien Association: Where to Meet Nerds, with Vir
• Gamify Your Dating Anxiety, with Michael Berger
• Find Your Nerd Community: Where to Meet Nerds, with Jose
• The Twitch Streamer on Discord, the Nerd Love Story of Luna and Jason
• Beat the Fear of Rejection Through Your Gamer’s Journey, with Dr. Daniel Kaufmann
• IRL Lessons from Video Games, with Dr. Daniel Kaufmann
• Dating In The Tolkien Association, with Jose
• How to Make Nerd Friends, with Pete “Belmont”

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

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

🧐 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! 🦸‍♂️

👾 FREE GUIDE: WHERE NERDS REALLY MEET THEIR PLAYER 2 🕹️

Based on real-world nerd data. Download it at https://datelikeanerd.com/reality

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

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

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

❌ 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! 📜

👾 WONDERING IF COACHING IS RIGHT FOR YOU?🕹️
Book a FREE Discovery Call!
https://www.datelikeanerd.com/player2/

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Related Episodes:

• From No Dates to Feeling Truly Seen and Accepted: Kirk's Story
• The Hidden Cost of Finding Love With Red Pill Dating: John’s Nerd Love Story
• 'I'm Cooked' (Where to Find Dates After College), with Single Player Brandon

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

#datingtips #datingadvice #dating #nerdlife #nerd #gamer #single #socialskills #podcast

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

🏋️‍♀️ 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 👀

💡 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! 🧟

👾 FREE GUIDE: WHERE NERDS REALLY MEET THEIR PLAYER 2 🕹️

Based on real-world nerd data. Download it at https://datelikeanerd.com/reality

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Jordan's Links:

1. https://www.instagram.com/jordanyaklin/
2. discord.gg/pnfW7jZp42

Related Episodes:

1. Beat the Fear of Rejection Through Your Gamer’s Journey, with Dr. Daniel Kaufmann
2. Gamify Your Dating Anxiety, with Michael Berger
3. The Nice Guy vs the Kind Man, with April
4. How to Make Nerd Friends, with Pete “Belmont”
5. The Hidden Cost of Finding Love With Red Pill Dating: John’s Nerd Love Story

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

#datingtips #datingadvice #dating #nerdlife #nerd #gamer #single #socialskills #podcast

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

🏫 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.

🥘 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!

👾 FREE GUIDE: WHERE NERDS REALLY MEET THEIR PLAYER 2 🕹️

Based on real-world nerd data. Download it at https://datelikeanerd.com/reality

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Related:

• The Tolkien Association: Where to Meet Nerds, with Vir
• Find Your Nerd Community: Where to Meet Nerds, with Jose
• Animé Los Angeles: Where to Meet Nerds, with Matt
• Find Love Through Online Games, with Kaylee Lopez
• Hobbit Hike: Where to Meet Nerds, with Sompi Harmetz
• Dating In The Tolkien Association, with Jose
• How to Make Nerd Friends, with Pete “Belmont”
• Where can Nerds Find a Partner? (Without Dating Apps!)
• Challenges of Dating Without Apps (for Shy, Introverted Nerds)
• How to Find Groups and Socialize as a Shy, Introverted Nerd (Step-By-Step Guide)
• I Surveyed 273 Nerds in Canada: Here's The Dating Strategy That Worked

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

#datingtips #datingadvice #dating #nerdlife #nerd #gamer #single #socialskills #podcast #postcollege #officejob #skateboarding #surfing #esports #riotgames

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

≠ Many of us are different in one way or another, so we try to fit into the social mold. Whether it is being asexual, or a preference like not drinking or doing drugs, playing video games, or anything else that makes us different, dealing with a world where we're different has its challenges 🛑

In this episode, Elyse shares her experience as an asexual woman 🙅‍♀️ From her early teens pretending to have crushes, to struggling to communicate with people and partners who couldn't understand or accept her the way she is. Because the pressures come not only from partners who (supposedly) care about you. They can also come from strangers who think they know better 🤨

💁 Whether you're asexual, you know someone who is, or you feel like parts of you don't fit with society in general, this episode will hopefully help you. Many of us have experienced social pressures trying to force us into other people's molds. But that doesn't mean that we have to disrespect our boundaries just to accommodate 🚧

🎧 Press Start and play the games you want to play without worrying about others!

👾 FREE GUIDE: WHERE NERDS REALLY MEET THEIR PLAYER 2 🕹️

Based on real-world nerd data. Download it at https://datelikeanerd.com/reality

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Elyse's Links: https://linktr.ee/princessbilbo

Related Episodes:

• Cosplayers and Conventions, the Nerd Love Story of Elyse and Matt
• Animé Los Angeles: Where to Meet Nerds, with Matt
• Find Your Nerd Community: Where to Meet Nerds, with Jose
• The Tolkien Association: Where to Meet Nerds, with Vir
• Dating In The Tolkien Association, with Jose
• How to Make Nerd Friends, with Pete “Belmont”

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:04 Challenges Dating as Asexual
• 00:04:36 Not Fitting Into The Norm
• 00:07:00 Outside Pressures and Expectations
• 00:11:36 Relationship Struggles
• 00:13:10 Dating Tips for Asexuals
• 00:16:35 Friends to Lovers
• 00:21:56 Friends Getting Married
• 00:24:11 Feeling Out of Place

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

💊 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 NERDS REALLY MEET THEIR PLAYER 2 🕹️

Based on real-world nerd data. Download it at https://datelikeanerd.com/reality

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Related Episodes:

• Rejected, Friendzoned, and Not Reading the Signals
• Physical Escalation from Friends to Lovers: the Nerd Love Story of Jose and Julian
• Gamify Your Dating Anxiety
• The Nice Guy vs the Kind Man, with April
• Dating In The Tolkien Association, with Jose
• How to Make Nerd Friends, with Pete “Belmont”

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

#datingtips #datingadvice #dating #nerdlife #nerd #gamer #single #socialskills #podcast #pickupartist #redpill

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media