He Learned the Game Young: How Pokémon, Hustling, and Risk shaped Modern Men

🎮💸 Before the Suits and Podcasts—There Were Trading Cards and Street Hustles

Why do so many men negotiate love like a business deal… or play it like a game?

In this powerful deep-dive, former criminal profiler and relationship coach Terrance Findley joins forces with Ryan Assi, a systems analyst and Relationship Engineer, to break down the invisible forces that shaped the emotional strategies of young men.

In addition to Pokémon and childhood trading games, titles like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto had a profound influence on the psychology of millennial and Gen Z men. These games immersed players in high-adrenaline, often hyper-masculine environments where risk-taking, aggression, and tactical decision-making were rewarded. Over time, this repeated exposure helped normalize split-second judgments, the pursuit of dominance, and a zero-sum worldview—especially in competitive or hostile environments.

At the same time, the solitary nature of long gaming sessions blurred the lines between digital triumph and real-world connection. Many young men found temporary validation in these virtual victories, while unknowingly building habits of isolation. The result was a generation that often learned to associate reward with virtual aggression and identity with digital avatars—leaving real-world relationships and emotional vulnerability underdeveloped or underexplored.

Whether it was Pokémon cards on the playground, dice games in the hallway, or candy flipping at school, these early experiences didn’t just pass time—they built emotional frameworks for risk, reward, manipulation, and competition.

This session explores:

• 🎲 The psychology behind Pokémon trades, lunchroom negotiations, and juvenile side hustles
• 🧠 How early exposure to "the game" fostered independence and emotional detachment
• 🧩 Why women today are navigating romantic dynamics with men who were wired by childhood markets, not fairy tales
• 🔍 How to decode the emotional armor many Millennial men wear—and what it takes to break through it

Whether you're a parent, partner, or person trying to understand the silent rules so many men live by—this is an unmissable conversation.

🎤 Join us for insight, strategy, and real talk. The Game starts earlier than you think.