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Matt texts me while I’m halfway through a protein bar and a podcast about dopamine fasting.

“We talked again. She smiled. I made her laugh.”

And just like that, I’m grinning like a moron in the middle of my kitchen.

He doesn’t know it yet, but this is what progress looks like.

Not the laugh — the courage to tell someone about it.

I shoot back:

“Good. Keep the momentum. Stay calm. Stay curious. You’re not performing. You’re connecting.”

He sends a thumbs up. Proud of him.

Most guys start with goals like “get a girlfriend” or “get laid.”

Matt started with “not disappear when someone sees me.”

And now he’s got a maybe. A spark.

A woman who actually brings him out of hiding.

That’s rare. And rare is worth protecting.

I don’t know her name yet. Haven’t asked. Don’t want to jinx it.

He’s not trying to win.

He’s trying to stay in the room.

And if this works—maybe I’ll bring them in for a testimonial or something.

Shit like this is why I keep running bootcamps.

It’s not for the clicks. It’s for the moments no one else gets to see.