what the weird old guy doesn’t understand

“What people aren’t getting about this guy is that you can’t just teach everyone to pick up women by living some ranger danger lifestyle. That just doesn’t work for everyone.”

So said a certain, much older, “seduction guru” about me back in January on my facebook wall.

It’s such a shame that, for as long as he’s been studying and teaching “game” and the human condition, he just doesn’t understand what I’m about to tell you.

Last night was an amazing night for a run. The breeze was just right as I hit the apex of the Williamsburg Bridge, and I was listening to Flo Rida’s latest club banger “The Club Can’t Handle Me.”

It was one of those perfectly happy moments that we wish we could hang onto forever, and owing in no small part to the music, it made me want to throw another party. I had a small, smile-inducing vision of what will be a great night with my girlfriend, all the guys I work with, and all of my friends and I… getting drunk, dancing our asses off to silly pop music, and probably creating a big ol’ mess.

And it struck me how far I’d come. In high school, I was a misanthropic punk rocker who wore a dog collar and had spiky orange hair. I hated pop music because popular people liked it. I hated Abercrombie because popular people wore it. And as you might guess, I resented girls because they didn’t like me much.

Things started to change around the age of 24 when I discovered that Andrew W.K. and the Jackass guys made partying ok, and shortly after moving to New York at 26, I found myself dancing to Kanye and T.I., surrounded by “models and bottles,” and loving every second of it.

Things are a lot more chill now, and I spend more time reading about business and God. But hey, when the clarion call of the party is sounded, it’s hard for a semi-pro to stay on the sidelines.

Besides Flo Rida, David Guetta and yours truly, you’ll also find hot women at hot parties. I long struggled to understand why so many women are attracted to clubs and not, say, existential philosophy. Well hmm… Kierkegaard’s words, while clever, don’t quite cause the same sense of elation as dancing drunk on a table to fun music and flashing lights.

Many of the photos on the Unbreakable website and my facebook come from partying, and I’m certainly not the only guy teaching this stuff who strikes a pose as a part-time balla. In fact, it seems to be some sort of fad for PUAs – both professional and aspirational – to stack their facebook profiles with photos of them and five girls in a club.

So first of all, to the extent that I’ve contributed to the notion that’s the image of what it means to be good with women, please excuse me. Those photos were no small feat for a recovering misanthrope with social anxiety (a.k.a. moi and perhaps you), but it doesn’t mean that girls are in your in your life for much longer than the flash of a camera.

And more importantly, one could be mistaken for thinking the following by looking at those photos:

“This guy puts on some nice clothes, goes out to places where hot girls get drunk and dance, and then sells the lifestyle to other guys instead of the real stuff that will help them put women in their lives.”

Well first of all, look no further than any rap video to see how the pros sell the lifestyle. If you’ve ever spent too much on bottle service or Nike Air Force 1’s you bought in. But as my brilliant friend Dave Z pointed out, everyone except Diddy is a pawn in that game.

And more to the point, we have to separate causes and effects. The thing that the old seduction guru just didn’t understand was that the “game” being taught in Unbreakable is an effect, not a cause.

And the lifestyle is an effect, not a cause.

And the women are most certainly an effect.

In other words, it’s not “first you get the game, then you get the lifestyle, then you get the women.”

No, it’s “first you get yourself, then you get the game, then you get the lifestyle, then you get the women.”

YOU are the cause of your success. Not your game. Not your lifestyle. Those are effects of who YOU are.

In the case of yours truly, throwing parties, going for runs, enjoying silly Flo Rida songs and being good with girls… those are effects of the same cause – ME.

Race loves beer pong and he’s great with girls because of HIM.

Nick loves teaching and he’s great with girls because of HIM.

Some guys love “game” and are great with girls because that’s who they are.

Thinking that a “ranger danger” (btw I love that phrase!) lifestyle is the cause of being good with women is like saying that the iPhone is the cause of Apple’s success. Actually, it’s Steve Jobs who is at the root of Apple’s success, and the iPhone, the Macbook Pro, and the deliciously simple OSX are all effects.

It all comes down to this – what makes your world a place that you love to inhabit?

Or in other words, what drives and compels you?

In our years of experience working with clients, we’ve found that there are very few men who just love “banging bitches”, there are slightly more men who like “game,” there are more than that who are interested in social dynamics and the human condition, and there are even more than that who just want to be happy and connected to people who they like.

Where all of this really connects, and where once again I suspect that old man seduction is getting it wrong, is that once you know who you are, you can begin to serve others.

When I throw a party for all my friends…

When Race challenges someone to beer pong…

When Nick prepares for another night out with a client…

it’s all because those are some of the best ways we know to make people smile and enjoy their lives. We do our best to be givers, not takers, and you can bet that that extends to how we approach the women in our lives.

It wasn’t always this way and no one here is perfect, but this one concept – knowing what we can uniquely share with others to make their lives better, and desiring to give that – is at the root of the success that everyone here has with women. From a fun time during the initial pickup, to passionate excitement in the bedroom, to meaningful talks in a relationship.

When you switch to think this way, it means that you’re NOT out to serve yourself or your ego. I believe that the twin masters of self and ego rule over many of the men who never escape the seduction community, never settle down, and never find love.

I see a lot of marketing that says something to the effect of “be an amazing lover” or “be a better pickup artist” or “be a master seducer.”

The question that no one ever asks, though, is “why would I want to do that?”

And the completely unconscious answer that is going to drive your success in ANY of these realms is whether you’re doing it to serve women first, serve your ego first, or serve yourself first. People have been successful with all three, but only when they make a firm choice and stick by it.

You can’t half-ass it and serve women and your ego – your ego is a little bitch and does not like to be second to anyone.

And if you’re just serving yourself and your core desires, well, that little guy between your legs is a selfish mofo without much regard for who he’s involved with, so “woman” easily becomes “women”, often to the detriment of intimacy and trust.

I’m not suggesting that you become a doormat… the key point here is that you OWN yourself, your drive and your desire, and you put it to good use.

Ultimately, the choice is yours to make, but the moment you make it, you’re going to get some clarity about your direction and how to apply the stuff you’re learning.

I don’t know what’s right for you, exactly who you are, or what will get your ass up in the morning and light a fire under it to be a cause, and not an effect in your world.

But I sure as heck would love for us to be a part of you getting there, and having it filled with amazing women along the way.

It’s been proven to me (by my own experience) that you can meet proper “9’s and 10’s” – whatever that means to you – without having to make it rain dollar bills, pop bottles of Goose, or enjoy the chart toppers with ditzy girls at nightclubs… girls who, by most accounts, wish they could discover themselves and feel something deeper.

You’ve gotta be the guy who leads any woman there, though.

Program Reviews

We don’t get a chance to post these as often as I like, but here are a few reviews from recent programs.

Hey Nick,
            wanted to get back to you sooner, but [vacation] was a very busy time for me. Pretty much working round the clock… Back in [city] now, and I gotta say wow, maybe I should leave more often haha. The Hottest girl that works at club ***** was excited to see me, then ensured I would get her number so we can hang out. Since I have been back it’s just been good stuff and I am loving it haha.
 
 Well I will definitely have to keep in contact with you… Some of my friends are catching on to me at the bars and starting to ask a lot of questions, even helped a guy to get a girl who hasn’t had anything in a year! It’s pretty cool being able to help others out, so thanks for where you got me man, I am very appreciative of it. 

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Just wanted to touch base with you.  This weekend was such an incredible experience for me. As I said yesterday I’ve always known I had the abilities, but I was glad to have a way of seeing it for myself.  That is, beyond all else, why I knew that I needed live coaching so badly.  I’m sure you’ve had students in my situation, who have more friends than they can imagine, have always been atop the social circle in HS, and even (despite all my collegiate shortcomings) in college as well.  I never made it to my party… subway system is so damn awful and confusing.  I gave up and ended up walking through time square back to 33rd street path station…NO WONDER NY NATIVES DONT GO THRU TIME SQUARE…ITS A NIGHTMARE.  

Today was interesting in the sense that I just felt more relaxed at work, I was able to breathe.  A girl who works under me has SEVERE issues with authority…shes not sassy….shes acts like a straight up ****.  Part of my job is dealing with her, and normally I get so tight and it drives me nuts.  After this weekend I just kept breathing through and stayed relaxed.  Put the onus on her…even smiled and politely said bye…like “wow I’m being this nice to you and you’re still difficult” LOL.  Its funny though, becuase a few other girls I work with there, though I’m not going to try and hook up with them, did have a different dynamic to our conversations, which I feel is directly attributed to this past weekend.

I loved being a part of the class.  It was a true joy to experience something as a student, and be counseled, while also feeling like I could contribute to others in the class.  I felt it helped me a lot to be able to observe others, hear their issues, and input my own take on stuff.  I know I obviously have a long way to go, but I enjoyed not only feeling very lucky that I’m so self aware, but also being able to find a way to share what I know in a way that benefitted the other guys.  You guys have been influencing my life for about a year now.  While I’ve seen some good results before this weekend…this experience I feel is a turning point in my life.  

Was just hoping if you get this today you could shoot me an email about some specs relating to first dates….I have one tomorrow…..so any advice is welcomed.  And Anything you can talk with me about relating to “Day Game” would be helpful.  I’m not really around a lot during the day, but I am in class a lot during the fall, and I will be on vacation Saturday, So that stuff would all be a HUGE help.

Finally, It was great spending the weekend getting to know you.  If for nothing else, spending some time with the people that have helped me make such a big transition in my life outside of seeing a video and reading words was quite an experience.  I can’t thank you enough for working with my financial barriers and making it possible to receive the direction I sorely needed.  I’m aware its only the beginning, but its getting the ball rolling thats always the hardest.  

Also, I recall you saying that you wanted to discuss some things with me or had some questions for me just before we parted ways.  Was just curious as to what and clearly I’m all ears. 

Hope you enjoy your day.

Be good my dude

[name redacted]

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If you’re ready for a truly life-transforming experience, check out our coaching.

The Nature of David

From time to time, I write to understand the world. Through story and metaphor, I attempt to find meaning in something that inspires me, confuses me, or both… many times, a woman, a situation or a belief. These writings have been largely private to this point – sometimes a small gift from myself to another – but after a conversation with a dear friend the other night, I was encouraged to begin sharing. I hope you enjoy this one…

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It was on one brilliantly perfect afternoon in mid-July that Michaelangelo found himself sitting in a courtyard in Rome, enjoying the sun in the sky, the crunch of pebbles beneath the feet of passersby, and the breezy summer air. Eventually, he became lost in his thoughts. He’d just completed his work on the Sistine Chapel – truly a testament to God’s greatness – and he felt at a loss for how he may next share his gifts with the world.

So wrapped up was he in his own mind, it was not until the sun began to set that he came to notice the massive slab of marble that had miraculously appeared only twenty feet away, in the enter of the courtyard. He looked around furtively; some strange guilt had visited upon him, as if this gift was to be neither trusted nor accepted. But the passersby continued on their way and around the slab with nothing more than a sidelong glance.

This struck him – “how strange that these people – going about their days and on their merry ways – would pay so little heed to such an anomaly.” And yet the paradox struck him, and he understood the purpose of this marble. He would create something perfectly human, yet divinely inspired. The best that man could be, despite his flaws. A sculpture so well-realized that it would inspire all those who would be exposed to it.

The next day, Michaelangelo erected a scaffolding around the marble, and set to work. Over the first few months, progress was slow. It took patience and time for the general shape to begin to form, and Michaelangelo was not without his doubts. The final vision of what this would become was still unclear, and this work came at the expense of other, more profitable projects. Several dukes had contacted him, offering handsome commissions for murals and paintings. And while those offers nagged him, he couldn’t help but go with the feeling in his heart that this was the right work to be doing at the right time.

After considerable time, a definite human shape began to form, and the crowds began to take notice. Strangely, this bothered Michaelangelo; this work was meant to be between he and his God, and while he knew the crowds would eventually come, he somehow wasn’t prepared for it when it happened.

There were all sorts. As the head and the face of the sculpture took shape, a group of Spaniards appeared who sought wisdom. They asked Michaelangelo for permission to look into the eyes of this sculpture, and as they did so, they solicited it with questions about the nature of the world. One asked how his trading goods company could expand it’s territories. Another wondered about how to better teach her students. A third asked how he could channel his creative energies into something of value to others. Michaelangelo was pleased that in the eyes of his work, each wisdom seeker found an answer that helped him or her grow.

Word of this sculpture began to spread further, and soon more and more people were coming to see it. Michaelangelo had now begun to work on the torso – strong and proud – and a group of healers from Persia appeared. They put their hands on the heart of this sculpture, and looked for the answers to their questions thereupon. “How much is too much to give?” asked one. Another asked for the strength to be a more consistent and committed healer, despite the wrongs incurred upon her in the past. A third asked for assistance in connecting the heart and the soul in his own healing efforts. And these answers were less clear than those that the wisdom seekers had found, for matters of the heart always are. But the healers took faith in the emergent strength and beauty of this sculpture, and Michaelangelo was inspired to continue with his work.

It was not long before word of the sculpture had reached far and distant lands. And as Michaelangelo began work on the pelvis, a group of hedonists appeared from the Orient. Admiring, then touching the beautiful reproductive organs with which the sculpture had been gifted, they made their requests. One asked how he could better please his lover, penetrating her more deeply in heart, body and soul. Another asked how to responsibly satiate her cravings and desires. A third took a photo in front of it, flashing a peace sign with one hand and rubbing it for good luck with the other. Slightly annoyed, but ultimately amused, Michaelangelo knew that his work was beginning to touch people on many different levels.

However, trouble was soon visited upon this great work. A group of vandals approached it one night, attempting to sabotage it. Michaelangelo was just around the corner at the time, cleaning his chisels in the river, and fortunately, chased them off before they could do it significant damage. But this incident cast him into a spiral of doubt. Other works of his had been vandalized and even destroyed in the past – twice by the men who’d commissioned them to be
made. And Michaelangelo was a person who put all of his heart into his work; while he felt it right to continue, he was so wracked with doubt that he hired a security detail for the unfinished piece, erected a wall around it, and went on hiatus.

He thought long and hard about this work. It was not his first sculpture, and he was still unclear if it would be his last. And now on holiday, he realized that the incident with the vandals had upset him more than he had even initially been able to accept. He considered that this sculpture was perhaps not even the right project; maybe he should reconnect with the dukes who were seeking to commission him.

Or perhaps he should merely return and finish one part of the sculpture; if he scaled back his own expectations for what this could be, perhaps others would stop placing such significance on it as well. Unclear and leaving it up to God’s will, he realized that the nature of this sculpture and it’s significance would only reveal themselves if he allowed himself to be open to any possibilities – from destruction to perfection.

And he realized that as the project had evolved, his own efforts had inexorably led to what it had become. It had begun to touch the lives of many people in wonderful ways, and try as he might to escape the responsibility he now faced, he knew that to fight the direction this had taken would be a disservice to everything it could be. Uncertain in his direction, but certain in Divine guidance, Michaelangelo put the outcome in the hands of a Higher Being.

When he returned to the site of the sculpture, he was at first shocked, then alarmed, to find the chaos surrounding it. Three camps had been set up – one of wisdom seekers, one of healers, and one of hedonists – and they were each making a claim on the nature of the work.

The wisdom seekers had learned so much from the sculpture, and thought it to be an oracle of sorts. They petitioned Michaelangelo to finish his work on the head, and to release it to them that they may use it exclusively for matters of knowledge and learning.

The healers had their own opinion. They beseeched Michaelangelo to complete his work on the torso, that they could use it as a sort of storehouse for all of the wrongs of the world that they had extracted from those they healed.

And the hedonists urged Michaelangelo to complete his work on the pelvis. They had grand aspirations of casting it as a mold – both in it’s complete form, and as it’s symmetric reciprocal – that would be revered and fantasized about within their clan.

For weeks, the artist found himself vacillating between the groups. The wisdom seekers had used what they’d learned from the work for good purposes, and he could not deny that their intended use would be for the betterment of mankind. The healers, though, also had good petition. Michaelangelo recognized that many in the world were damaged, and the healers had made it a mission to take on their pain. As for the hedonists, Michaelangelo could not deny that their claims arose from a genuine, and beautiful, humanistic desire – perhaps the most easily corrupted desire, but also the most sublimely deep and profound desire when expressed with a pure heart.

After weeks of hearing their petitions, Michaelangelo cast the applicants out of the courtyard and set to finish what he had started. And as it continued to evolve, he was not without his doubts. The work itself came naturally – almost too naturally – and the details of the sculpture emerged as if guided by providence. But from time to time, the petitioners returned, asking him to cast his efforts in one particular area. And from time to time, attempts were made to vandalize the piece, and Michaelangelo was struck with memories of works past, and how devastated he would be if the piece were destroyed – not only out of despair for himself, but also for the countless people who were counting on him and his work to provide a bit more happiness in their own lives.

This project, though, now had a momentum of it’s own, and was carried forward as a if a skiff on the Tiber. As the artist cast his doubt aside, and allowed his hands and his heart to guide his efforts, the sculpture grew into something more and more beautiful with every passing day.

And one fine evening, as the sun cast it’s last rays over Rome’s hills and valleys, Michaelangelo chiseled the final detail out of the sculpture’s left baby toe. A bit large for a baby toe – in fact, the hands and the feet were both disproportionately large – but despite these minor imperfections, the work was as perfect as a sculpture could be.

During these last few months of construction, Michaelangelo had kept everyone out of the courtyard. So it was with great anticipation from the crowd, and great trepidation from the artist, that a date was revealed for a public unveiling. It was determined that the statue would be revealed for the first time in Florence, a quaint, classically European town to the north of Italy’s capital.

The statue was boxed, and the throng of followers journeyed along with it for many miles, through a countryside that was just beginning to wane with the onset of fall. Along their journey, members of the various camps began to learn of each other. They began to realize that the thing that brought them all together was all of their’s to share. And by the time they had reached their destination, there was general agreement that amongst the wisdom seekers, the healers, and the hedonists, there was no higher value or virtue – only different expressions of man’s desires and capabilities.

Michaelangelo had picked the time of 7 pm for his public revealing. The early fall sun would be orange in the sky, casting it’s saturated rays on his masterpiece. As the crowd gathered in the courtyard of the Ufizzi, buzzing with anticipation, and late afternoon became early evening, a strange thing happened…

Silence. With a quarter hour to seven, as if commanded by some force beyond, a tranquility settled over the crowd. So in awe of this moment was the crowd – a crowd which had followed this sculpture since it’s genesis, which had influenced it’s direction, but which had ultimately been forced to abscond it’s will to the Creator of the statue – that a sort of communion was visited upon them. In this moment, a common humanity was felt, unlike anything the crowd’s members had ever experienced before.

A woman began to quietly cry. She so wanted to believe in the authenticity of this moment, but doubt and apprehension spoke to her. What if this thing that she’d been following for so long was fraudulent? What if it failed to live up to her expectations? And what if this moment of peace, a moment gifted with the anticipation of the revealing, was not to last? If only she’d known that at that very moment, the artist was alone in his private quarters, experiencing the same thoughts and emotions. As he prayed for comfort with his Neighbor, this woman’s neighbor reached out to her to hold her hand.

Seven minutes before the hour, Michaelangelo emerged into the crowd, and the silence became chaos. The crowd erupted into cheers, for here was the man who would reveal to them, in art, the nature of their own humanity. As he took to the stage where the statue was covered, and waiting, he cleared his throat and silently asked for guidance. Then he spoke.

“Ladies and gentlemen… I come before you today not of my own accord, but of a force much greater than I. What began as an inspired moment has become something which has given more meaning to all of our lives… to find common ground and a common sense of who we are. And what began with uncertainty continues with uncertainty; one of a different variety, but uncertainty nonetheless. We all have our expectations for what this can be for each of us, but until we experience it and come to live with it, we are only united in our hope and in our doubt.”

A woman yelled from the crowd. “Michaelangelo – please assuage my concerns! Have you given adequate attention to the statue’s head?! In those eyes I have found much wisdom, and in my future I hope to find more!”

Michaelangelo looked at the woman – a good and honest woman, with wide eyes that revealed a deep well of intelligence – and answered her. “Ma’am, I have done my very best to gift this sculpture with eyes that will reflect back to you all the answers you seek. But look not to this sculpture alone, for the eyes I have given it are merely the most accurate representation I could provide of the honesty and truth that flows through our world.”

A man then raised his voice. “Michaelangelo – I cannot stand the wait! How is the torso of this sculpture? Does it reflect a heart that is strong and courageous?”

The artist considered this man, with his strong physique and tender presence, and responded. “Sir, in this man’s torso, I have endeavored to capture the pride of a man who has taken on the weight of the world, and the humility of one who is inspired by his heart and his genuine love for mankind.”

And a third voice emerged from the crowd, a woman’s again. “Michaelangelo, you must not delay, but tell me if this sculpture will arouse passion and excitement in it’s representation of man’s most private, but precious, physical form.”

Michaelangelo regarded this woman, held securely in the arms of a man who smiled warmly down upon her, and replied. “My dear, I could do no injustice to that which provides us with so much pleasure here on earth, and which allows for our continued growth – as couples, and as a species.”

With these words, the town bells began to ring, and seven o’clock was upon the crowd.

Summoning all the confidence with which the moment had to offer, the artist grasped the linens which covered the statue, and drew hard. “Ladies and gentleman, I give to you, our David.”

At just that moment, the setting sun dipped below the crown of the statue’s head; an eclipse… a halo? The crowd would never know. Silence, again.

After seconds that seemed like hours, a woman’s voice emerged from the stillness. “His eyes are so sad, yet so attentive… Michaelangelo, you have captured the wisdom of one who truly knows of the world and of mankind! It is perfect!”

A man’s voice followed. “His chest is so broad, yet poised so humbly… Michaelangelo, you have captured the heart of a man who truly gives and receives love with every breath! It is perfect!”

A woman’s voice followed. “His pelvis is so well erected, but not perverse… Michaelangelo, you have truly captured the form of a man who penetrates the world with his very essence! It is perfect!”

“Yes, I have done all those things,” responded the artist, finally allowing himself to once again take in deep breaths. “But the nature of this man – of this thing we have created together and with help from the Above – is much more than any of that.”

“Were any one of these pieces left out, or were any one of these pieces given undue favor, it would be a disservice to the nature of what we have. And as my work evolved, and as I considered your petitions, I realized that for this work to appropriately represent the true nature of David… ‘beloved’ in Scripture… to represent the soul’s form in flesh or in marble… I was not to stand between or selectively accept or reject any of the three elements, and their purpose in this creation.”

“And yes, they evolved in phases; the head came before the heart, which came before the pelvis. And there were many false starts, and doubts that I had along the way. But it is complete, and the perfection that you see is born of the whole… of the soul of the piece… given life by the completeness of it’s humanity. Yet I humbly submit to you that this work is not perfect.”

A gasp went up among the crowd.

“You must understand… the imperfection of this work… man’s flesh and soul in marble… lies in it’s nature; it is our own experiences that make it perfect. To me, this work is as imperfect as a child’s first pottery piece… a piece whose perfection will only be realized in the eyes of his adoring parents. It is as imperfect as the clumsy sonnets of a teenager in love, verses whose perfection will only be felt by his innocent beloved. Our creations are as imperfect as our abilities to create. And with these hands I have, I could do no less than to give you this, David. And I could give you no more.”

“But I do pray that you will consider this thing we’ve created together, and accept it for the entirety of what it is. I pray that we can enjoy what little wisdom it can provide for us, what little strength it can be for us, and what little pleasures it can give us, while our little hearts still beat.”

Quick Tip – Value Transference

Inside Phrases

Past Projections

Wish You Were Here

This one is so easy. If you’re ever chatting with a girl on facebook, bbm, text, whatever… it’s nice to say something like “wish you were here.”

But of course, that’s not very original and can even come across as a little supplicatory depending on the context of your relationship with her.  So you want to add something to make it more fun:

“Wish you were here… we could really use some schwarzenegger quotes to liven things up.”

“Wish you were here… it’s not nearly european enough”

“Wish you were here… we need more cowbell.”

Getting the pattern?  You want to take something fun and/or dorky that she has done or represents.  It’s never like “we need someone sexy” or “it’d be more fun”.   The reason you’re giving for her to be there is UNIQUE but FUN.  And of course, you’d only use those if there was already context i.e. you’d already traded schwarzenegger quotes, she is european, or you’d discussed the SNL cowbell skit.

Then the next time you see her, you’ve got the perfect inside joke.

re. schwarzenneger quotes: “Who is your daddy and what does he do?”

re. european: “hey! voulez vous couchez avec moi?”

re. cowbell: “please tell me you brought more cowbell”

A little laugh and a fun way to say hello.  Try it out :)

Cooking With The Social Man

Rapport Done Right

This comes from our “The Good Life” program

To Be Honest, or Non-Reactive?