The Stock Trading Reality Podcast

I'm going international in this episode to welcome back long time member Nariman. Fair warning, if you are someone who enjoys looking for excuses and reasons on why you are not able to accomplish a goal or task, you will not like this episode or guest in the least. If you are someone who believes that "iron sharpens iron" and are in constant search of motivation and inspiration (no matter the person's age), then you'll love this discussion. Nariman is a busy guy who is in school; however, he's also a perfect example of just how powerful swing trading options can be for someone with a busy schedule. We talk about his strategy in particular and how options can be a perfect fit for someone with a full time job. Let's get to it!

I love simplicity. When things are simple, they're so much easier to put into motion and benefit from. In this episode I talk some SIMPLE science that can truly help us become better traders. Here's the best part about it all. Not only is the science simple, the way to "make it happen" is something that every single person who listens to this episode can do! I'm still amazed at how some of the most simple things in life, that we've all probably heard about at one time or another, are things that can serve as trading hacks to make us better. The best part about all of this is that when you pursue this science strategy in the name of "making yourself a better trader" it will positively affect many other areas of your life! Let's talk some science that will not only help us be better traders, but make us better in many areas of life! sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/people-who-live-100-longer-share-this-hobby-longevity-experts-say-it-can-add-years-to-life.html

Why is being a trader so hard? One of the most glaring issues is how the markets take personality traits, such as being ambitious, and totally twist them around and use them against the trader. Thanks to the openness of our guest, Harmon (his 2nd appearance on the show), we see how this cruel trick manifests itself within the market. Harmon is currently going through a rough patch within his trading; however, he's not giving up and he's paying attention to all the data which is helping him nail down the areas of his trading that need to be corrected. The human mind can be a cruel and crazy place and you'll see exactly what I mean with our conversation. There is something for everyone in this discussion, including me, so sit back and let's all do some learning together!

I love the people I talk to on this show. I truly do. People are not trying to portray themselves as something they're not. In fact, the exact opposite happens. People are being brutally upfront about their journeys so that we can all benefit from it. In this episode, I talk with fellow member Kelly about this journey and how he has ended up in a place he doesn't want to be, but needs to be. What is this place? TIMEOUT. Just as you would discipline a child with putting them in timeout, we as traders sometimes need to do the exact same thing. It does not make you a bad trader at all! I would argue it makes you a self-aware trader who is treating trading as a business and taking it all as serious as it should be. How did Kelly end up in timeout? What is he working on correcting? We go into that and a whole lot more!

An often times overlooked part of successful trading is the needed skill and understanding of money management. You can be firing on all cylinders in all other areas of your trading; however, if your money management is not fully under control, everything else will come to a screeching halt. I welcome back long-time member, “Mico” (same name in chatroom), to hear about his continued journey. As is the case with any trader, things have not been a smooth ride… spoiler alert: he blew up an account since his last appearance on the show, but he didn’t give up and stayed strong to correct some issues. What were the issues? How did he correct them? We talk about that and much more, so let’s get to it!

The financial markets are a massive place where the sky is the limit in terms of your upside potential. In this episode I talk to fellow member Austin who is a shining example of just how much potential exists. What could you do with $130,000 in only one month? Crazy and motivating all at the same time. However, the value in our discussion is found within learning about what he experienced on the way to those profits. What were his struggles? What were his tactics he used to learn? What are some of the mental tricks he uses to manage risk? We cover all of these topics along with much more! Austin is doing an awesome job these days, but it was a very bumpy ride at first, so if you're ready for some nuggets of wisdom, then let's go!

I wanted to take a step back from the normal format of the show to bring to your attention a situation that 100% pertains to the world of "trading". As citizens of the USA, you know we have an election coming soon. While I may disagree with who you vote for, I can respect it and hopefully we can all agree on the central idea that "being educated about policy" is a worthwhile effort. If you are a trader or have ambitions of becoming a trader, no matter your account size, this is a policy that needs to be factored into your voter analysis. No worries, this is not some hour long podcast where I "get political", it's simply an episode with the goal being to give you information that you can then use in your "who I'm gonna vote for" analysis. Let's get to it!

It's amazing how a single three letter word can make such a difference. When you look at life through the lens of "how", it opens up so many more potential opportunities for yourself. My guest from the community, Judd ("juddw" in the chatroom), is a shining example of just how powerful the word "how" can be. It has already served him well with life in general, but it continues to serve him nicely with his trading journey. Judd has been swing trading now for an extended period of time with success, but for the sake of establishing more income streams, he has since turned his focus to learning the skill of day trading. Judd and I talk about a variety of items, all of which can be (and should be) applied to your approach to trading and life in general. Let's go!

The human mind is an awesome place... well... assuming it is being operated under the right circumstances and structure. What do I mean? The Near Miss Effect has been researched and studied quite significantly in the world of science and psychology and "why it exists" is actually pretty great. The downside is, it can turn into a savage and counterproductive mechanism to work against our goals is we are not aware of it. Given I have been working with traders since 2013 and combing that with the countless customer service interactions I've had, I can say with full authority and confidence that this "effect" is alive and well in the world of the financial markets. The question truly boils down to your understanding of it and whether you are using The Near Miss Effect to help or hurt your trading ambitions. Let's do some science!

In my mind, there is nothing more inspiring than a younger person doing what they need to do in order to complete the mission. My guest, Anton from the community, has been a hustler and grinder since age 12. How much of a hustler and grinder? How about $50,000 sitting in his bank account by the age of 21... not $50,000 of debt, $50,000 of cash! If that doesn't get you inspired and motivated, I don't know what will. With all that being said, as ambitious of a person as Anton is, the market has been a huge battle for him. It's a great thing to be ambitious, but sometimes the market will use that attribute against you and cause heartache. As a minor spoiler, Anton has battled the markets to become a consistently profitable trader, although, I'll just say this... "all it takes is one"... let's get to it!