Single in Sydney: Reformed pick-up artists sends Sarah a video link offering to transform her love life

SOME guy reckons he can put a rocket up Sarah’s love life but he admits to being a ‘reformed pick up artist.’ WATCH THE VIDEO

Can reformed pick-up artist Andrew Mashiko transform Sarah’s love life? Picture: Braden Fastier

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JOURNALIST Sarah Swain has been single (but dating) for longer than she cares to remember.

That’s because it’s tough out there, as any single will tell you, so to bring hope to others across the city, she’s sharing her no-holds-barred adventures on the Sydney single scene every Friday.

A mysterious video

CAN a former pick-up artist help me find love?

He reckons so.

Let me explain. you see, the other day, I was sent a YouTube link.

And it wasn’t a cat and a cucumber, or actor Tom Hiddleston (Loki from Thor) dancing.

It was a special message, just for me.

I know it was for me, because it was titled “Message to Sarah Swain”.

I was a bit scared, to be honest. Picture: Braden Fastier

The picture was of a guy in a black T-shirt, sitting in front of a white sheet.

I was a bit worried. I get quite a lot of strange messages, you see. Just this week I got one from a guy who’s set up his own political party, and said he has absolutely no photos of himself “cause he can’t press the button on his digital camera and get himself in the frame at the same time.” Errrr.

Anyway. I pressed play.

He announced, an Aussie accent with a slight American twang, his name was Andrew Mashiko of Core Magnetism, and he’s a “number one best selling author and lifestyle coach, specialising in sex, dating and relationships.”

Sounded promising, I thought.

He said he “really loves my work” and thinks I’m “incredibly engaging and funny”.

Even better.

It was from Andrew Mashiko from ‘Core Magnetism’.

But he said he has some ‘fine tuning points’ for me, which will see my dating “skyrocket”

Well, right now my rocket is falling to earth in a Gravity-type way, so that would be good.

Anyway Mr Mashiko said he’s spent ten years researching dating and relationships, after leaving the “underground world” of pick-up artists.

I stop the video to google pick-up artists.

Wikipedia tells me they’re “a movement of men whose goal is seduction and sexual success,”

A bit like Tinder then. No, actually, like Tinder used to be. These days none of the blokes I chat to can actually be bothered to meet up.

Anyway, Mr Mashiko said he got out of all that when he realised he really wanted to “actually have substantial relationships instead of a stream of one night affairs.”

And, after all, he reckons he helps people understand their insecurities, and become their “true self” and in turn become “compelling and attractive”.

“People are too afraid to be their true self. they don’t even know who their true self is,” he said.

“I take them through a process where they can uncover who they are, learn to love themselves and then communicate that in a compelling manner.

He went on.

“The biggest problem in the world, with all this social media is that why we are ‘connected’ we’re actually disconnected from self and disconnected from others.

“I mean, Tinder — you’re judging people based on a photograph. That’s not about connection at all.”

It all sounded a bit like that old chestnut, the “love yourself before somebody else can love you” thing.

And not only that, but Mr Mashiko had watched some videos I posted a few months ago.

And he reckoned I need to fix my posture, relax, and make eye contact. All at the same time. Hmm.

He rounded it off.

“You’re an incredibly intelligent individual. You’re physically attractive, smart and funny and have a really cool job.

“You have everything going for you Sarah, it’s time to step up and really take control of your dating life.

“You’re such a catch and, going forward, being clear on what you want and who it is you want and looking for them in the right place and then authentically communicating yourself is going to transform your level of success.”

I decided to give him a call.