
Mind Over Markets
Mind over Markets is a weekly show hosted by George Papazov from TRADEPRO Academy. With over 20 years of experience trading the markets, George breaks down and dissects common psychological obstacles that all traders face in their journeys and provide actionable advice and tips to overcome these challenges in order to level up your trading performance. Whether you struggle with FOMO, recency bias or even controlling your ego while trading, the goal of this podcast is to become your go-to resource for building a bulletproof trading mindset! Learn how to take control of your trading psychology and start trading in the zone because you deserve it!
Latest episodes

Apr 9, 2020 • 1h 12min
Money Mindset and Letting Abundance Flow into Your Life with Matt Brown
Matt Brown, experienced in personal development, discusses consciousness and abundance in the podcast. Topics include overcoming limiting beliefs, understanding money mindset, and unlocking limitless potential. Conversations explore personal growth, shifting mindset from saving to investing, and aligning identity with abundance. The importance of internal alignment, energy, and continuous learning for success is highlighted.

Apr 2, 2020 • 1h 5min
Breaking Down the Emotional Cycle of Traders
Exploring the emotional cycle of traders and market sentiment, podcast dives into stages from optimism to fear and desperation. Emotions impact decision-making in trading. Learn to manage emotions and identify your emotional state at any point to improve trading outcomes.

Mar 26, 2020 • 1h 21min
Interview with Veteran Futures Trader Anthony Drager
In this episode, we are excited to bring to you the first guest interview on the Mind over Markets podcast!
We recently had the pleasure to sit down and chat with veteran futures trader Anthony Drager, who is also the founder of Edge Trading Group and a great friend to us at TRADEPRO Academy.
Anthony is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable traders that we know in the futures industry and we can't wait for you to hear and learn from his trials and tribulations!
His trading journey started on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a runner in 1991 when Anthony was only seventeen years old. He managed to find his way back into the pits as an arbitrage clerk in 1996 and then became a member of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1999 as a floor trader in the Dow Jones futures pit.
As the industry transitioned from the pits to the screens, Anthony was picked up by Chicago based prop firm International Trading Group in April 2000 where he went on to trade European and US futures successfully for the firm.
After leaving the prop firm to trade independently, Anthony made it a priority to keep himself around a small network of traders in order to prevent complacency in his trading.
It was after spending some time teaching friends of friends about trading that Anthony found his true calling! He wanted to build his own community of traders to trade with!
In 2013, Anthony took this concept one step further and created the Edge Trading Group which offers an education program and trading room, which our founder George was actually a part of while on his own journey learning how to apply order flow tools to his day trading strategy several years back.
These days a majority of Anthony's time is spent focusing on growing his community of traders while actively trading the markets! He has scaled down his trading to keep a balance as an educator and we can guarantee you that you will pick up on some golden nuggets from today's show!
Here is a summary of what we discussed:
How Anthony got interested in the stock market 1:50
How he found his way into the trading pits of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange 03:25
The one thing Anthony's brother told him that changed the trajectory of his life 05:50
The challenges Anthony experienced as a clerk in the pits of the CME and how he overcame them 07:00
How Anthony conquered the fear of putting on a trade after becoming a trader in the DOW pits 08:45
Why Anthony left the trading pits and joined a prop firm as an electronic futures trader 11:30
Why Anthony credits the group dynamic at the prop firm for finding profitability 15:00
Why the trend is not your friend 18:00
Why trading a process reduces the fear of being wrong and taking losses 19:05
The importance of putting yourself around quality people for your trading success 28:00
Why recording his trading sessions helped Anthony identify and learn to keep control of his emotions while trading 35:00
Why you have to learn to anticipate before you participate 39:40
That fearing being wrong will keep you from success in trading 44:20
How Anthony stayed accountable to himself when he went independent 53:00
How to motivate yourself and break out of a plateau 56:00
How traders can best prepare themselves for the mental toughness required in this industry 65:00
Anthony's EDGE Trading Group education program 73:12
How the Verbal Journal can help you with missed trading opportunities 77:12
Resources
Connect with Anthony's community online: EDGE Trading Group
Connect with Anthony on YouTube: EDGE Trading Group
Connect with Anthony on Twitter: @EdgeTradingGro1
Check out the Verbal Journal Software and claim $50 OFF using the TPA50 coupon.
Connect with our community online: Trade Pro Academy
Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast
Here is the YouTube clip of the trade we mentioned at the 40-minute mark: Authentic Professional Trading

Mar 19, 2020 • 59min
How to Stop Overtrading
In this podcast, they discuss how to stop overtrading in trading. They highlight the consequences of overtrading on accounts and mindset, emphasize the value of patience in volatile markets, and explore the true financial and psychological costs of overtrading. The speakers also share strategies to avoid impulsive trading, overcome boredom, and master patience in trading to prevent excessive trades.

Mar 12, 2020 • 57min
Recovering from a Blown Account
In today's episode, we discuss how to bounce back after blowing your trading account!
Because let's face it, blown accounts are sort of considered an "initiation" if you plan on sticking around this industry for any amount of time.
In fact, we don't personally know of any traders that have reached a level of consistent profitability that haven't blown an account (if not many accounts) on their path towards profit.
This is a very common stop on the journey towards becoming a consistently profitable trader and how you decide to proceed once you've blown your account will determine your future success or failure in this industry.
If you blew your account and did not learn anything from it, then wiring some more funds to your broker and topping it back up will likely lead to the same disastrous result.
So if you find yourself in this position, fear not!
We've got your back here at TRADEPRO Academy so we've put together a structured, 5-step process that you can follow in order to put yourself in the best position to recover your account and take it to new equity highs!
So what exactly is the process?
STEP 1 - Accept your responsibility for the losses
STEP 2 - Analyze your results (losses)
STEP 3 - Make a plan
STEP 4 - Take action
STEP 5 - Absorb like a sponge
It looks easy on paper, however, many people live their lives in effect meaning that they tend to blame external factors for failures as opposed to taking responsibility for their circumstances.
This makes accepting responsibility for the realized losses extremely difficult. Most don't ever get past this stage and will throw blame towards the markets and even their brokers for the losses in their account.
Without accepting responsibility for your current situation, the chances of you making a lasting change greatly decrease.
If you can commit to living at cause and accepting responsibility, then the next step is analyzing your results and looking for strengths and weaknesses in this data. If you are not already keeping a trading journal and recording your trading activity, then we suggest starting immediately! You CANNOT grow as a trader unless you have data to review! At this point in the process, you will want to identify whether the machine (trading strategy) or the operator (you as a trader) is broken.
Once you do this, the next step is pretty simple. It's time to build out a trading plan! A trading plan is extremely important because it will be your operation manual for trading the markets. Without a trading plan, you are essentially gambling, so if you want to treat this like a business you've gotta do the heavy lifting here. If you are not sure what a trading plan is or how to make one, see the resources below for a link to our Youtube Series on this topic!
So you've spent some time putting together a trading plan, now what? It's time to take action! Spend some time in a simulated environment testing out the strategy for a week or two with success before transitioning to the micro contracts to get some skin in the game while testing out the strategy in a live setting. Once you rebuild your confidence and get comfortable getting paid, then you can scale back into the mini's and work from there.
What's the final step in the process to recover your blown account? Joining a community of successful traders and becoming a sponge. Look for things other traders are doing that you may not be! You will always be a student of the markets trying to constantly refine your trading edge in these markets and there is no better way to do this than to be part of a community of real traders.
In This Episode You Will Learn
George's experience with his first blown futures account and how he bounced back 6:50
Mark's experience with blown accounts and lessons from the bounce back 8.25
Why accepting your losses is so important for moving forward 14:25
The two types of categories that are causing you losses 22:45
Why you need a trading plan for a chance at success in the markets 30:00
How to put this whole 5-step process into action 35:00
Why joining a community of successful traders can accelerate your development 44:40
Some Questions We Discuss
Why accepting responsibility for your losses helps empower you to make a change? 16:45
Why the majority of traders have a difficult time analyzing their losses? 22:05
What are you planning to achieve without a trading plan? 33:10
What to ask yourself before every trade in order to mitigate emotionally trading? 36:15
Why it's important to take trades that you are proud of? 40:00
If you're trading against someone, doesn't it make sense to trade with someone? 48:30
Resources
Connect with our community online: Trade Pro Academy
Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast
Check out our Youtube: Trading Plan Series

Mar 5, 2020 • 56min
Why Your Demo Results Don’t Matter
Things get controversial on this episode of Mind Over Markets. As the title suggests, we’re discussing demo trading and why too long on the stock market simulator can really hurt your chances at being a successful day trader.
In all honesty, your success in demo does not guarantee your success in live trading. There’s no real risk involved in sim trading, so it can lead to you developing some really bad habits when it comes to trade strategy. This doesn’t mean you’re a terrible stock trader - you just need to learn how to use demo trading properly.
We typically see new traders overstay their welcome in demo. It’s a comfortable and safe place for you to practice day trading. Unfortunately, live trades are anything but safe and comfortable. Too much time in demo means too much time fake risking fake money. When you have real money on the line, your reactions can change pretty quickly. If you don’t have a well-practiced strategy in place, your first few live trades could blow up in your face.
We know because we’ve been there. We’ve made those mistakes and lost real money when we really didn’t have to. That’s why we’re doing this particular episode. We want to guide you away from these mistakes if we can, and we want to guide you out of them if you’re stuck in the middle. To start, here are five signs you’re overstaying your welcome on sim mode -
You’re trading at a bigger contract size than you plan to use when you go live
You don’t have a checklist
You’re winning most of your trades most of the time
You’re not journaling any of your trades
You reset your simulation data very often
If you see yourself in any of those five signs, you need to start weaning yourself off of sim trading sooner rather than later. You don’t have to leave just yet. If you aren’t ready to trade in real-time, there’s no pressure to start. Here are some steps you can take to use simulation mode properly while you continue to learn:
Learn how the price ladder moves and acclimate yourself with the trading interface
Learn how to move, adjust, and cancel orders
Get a feel for the volatility of the markets so you aren’t surprised
Practice your analyzation skills and learn the right time to execute your strategy
The trick to using stock market simulators is developing your strategy ahead of time. You never want to start demo trading without a clear plan in mind. Otherwise, that’s when all the bad habits start sneaking in. Instead, use demo mode as a way to test your strategies before you go live. That way, you’ll have a better understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and what you can look out for you so you don’t get scratched in your first live trade.
We go into those 4 steps and more in this episode. Tune in now for our 2 BONUS STEPS on how to use simulation mode properly. If you’re a trader who’s ready to enter live trades, these bonus steps are for you. We tell you how you can get out of demo mode quickly without risking your savings account and start trading live today. There’s never been a better time to start day trading than right now, and with us here to tell you how to start using demo mode properly, you don’t have a single excuse not to start.
In This Episode You Will Learn
An overview of how new traders typically think demo works 2:59
The biggest pitfall in demo trading 11:34
Five signs you’ve overstayed your welcome on sim mode 18:20
The six steps to using stock market simulators the right away 31:52
Ways to learn how to start with multiple lots without sim mode 49:50
Some Questions We Discuss
How does demo trading hurt your development as a trader? 4:42
What kind of bad habits was Mark developing in demo? 15:47
Why do we love micro contracts so much? 40:40
How can you use demo mode while you’re live? 44:20
How do you start trading live quicker without spending too much time on demo? 47:30
Resources
Connect with our community online: Trade Pro Academy
Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast

Feb 27, 2020 • 1h 6min
Power of a Trading Journal
Are you keeping a journal? We get it - stock trading and journaling seem like they’re on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but we’re here to tell you that that’s just not true. Keeping a journal is the one thing you need to do if you want to be a successful stock trader.
Think about it this way - all businesses keep a record. As a stock trader, you are your own business. It’s important that you keep a record of your wins, your losses, and your bank account. But keeping a journal is more than just tracking your performance metrics.
Journaling helps you recognize patterns, inventory emotions, and build your confidence. In fact, actually writing in a journal can help remove the stress and mental blocks that are affecting your trades.
Take a look at some of these other benefits of keeping a journal:
reduces depression and anxiety
cultivates gratitude
helps with recovery from trauma
strengthens emotional function
keeps memory sharp
improves self-awareness and confidence
enhances learning and development
Your personal journal will reflect and shape your reality, and we go into more on how this works in this episode. For example, if you keep a journal when trading, you’ll be better able to define your strengths and weaknesses more clearly. You’ll know where to make improvements, and it will help you set better goals that will keep you away from those questionable trades.
Successful stock traders keep a certain kind of journal, and we go into the different ways you can journal to get the most out of the experience. We discuss which apps to use, which metrics to measure, and also which patterns of emotions to track. There’s more to keeping a journal than you think, and we’ve put together a list here that will help you get a headstart on this episode:
Which Performance Metrics to Track:
Asset traded
Position size
Time/date and entry/exit price
Screenshots of the trade
Notes and performance grade
Emotion tracker
Which Patterns of Emotion to Track:
Negative thinking
Impulsivity
Fear
The most important thing to remember when keeping a journal is to track your emotions before, during, and after the trade. We share techniques on how to do this and what to look for so you can keep an emotional inventory in real-time. Journaling like this has the power to shape healthier environments for our bodies and our minds, which makes it crucial to successful trading.
At the end of this episode, we want you to start keeping your own trade journal. Consider your journal as feedback on not only your techniques but also on the patterns in the market. Too many stock traders don’t take the time to master a technique, but if you start keeping a journal right now, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a real success story in this industry.
In This Episode You Will Learn
The one thing you need to be a successful trader 4:51
How to write a solutions-focused journal 17:02
Some of our biggest emotional triggers on the trading floor 28:05
The ways journaling can improve your trade performance 42:33
Our favorite ways to keep a trade journal 44:35
The three patterns of emotion traders should track in a journal 54:00
Some Questions We Discuss
Why is the failure rate so high among traders? 3:29
What are the benefits of journaling? 9:23
How do these journaling benefits work for traders? 22:10
How can journaling keep you out of questionable trades? 37:23
What should traders actually be journaling about? 48:01
What is the most important element of a trader’s journal? 49:37
Resources
Connect with our community online: Trade Pro Academy
Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast
Check out these journaling insights: 'Trade Journals that Work' by Dr. Brett Steenbarger
Here’s the journaling process: YOUTUBE LINK
The book that Mark keeps re-reading: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Try journaling with these resources: Evernote, Google Docs, Microsoft OneNote, Tradervue, Verbal Journal

Feb 20, 2020 • 1h 5min
Profit and Loss Trading Psychology
P&L. This term gets thrown around a lot in stock trading, but what does it really mean? Profit And Loss is the obvious answer, but the P&L means a lot more to many different traders. In this episode, we’re going deep into why focusing on the P&L can be detrimental to your trading strategy.
For stock traders, especially new traders, focusing on the P&L will only lead to emotional trading. Emotional trades will force you off of your intended plan and will almost always end up in losses. We know this from personal experience. George used to be one of those traders, staying glued on the P&L, completely ignoring the rest of his charts.
This is so common among traders. Since we’re in a competitive situation, we instinctively want to keep score. How else will we know if we’re winning or not? But that’s the problem - you can’t keep score if you want to win.
Keeping score is for the fans. The players - the traders - they need to create the score by focusing on what needs to be done to make the best trade. A good trader focuses on the steps they need to take to follow their plan in order to make the best trade possible. When you think about winning, or worse - breaking even, then you’re missing out on what the markets are really about.
In this episode, we take a look at why the P&L is important to sock trading and why it’s even more important that you don’t pay attention to it. We take a closer look at some of the most common trade scenarios we’ve seen fall down the spiral of a P&L mindset and offer up a few strategies you can use to pull yourself out of that hole.
There are 6 techniques we talk about in this episode that you can build into your trade plan right now, and we tell you exactly how many you need to master in order to get the most out of your trade strategy. Remember - trading isn’t a solo activity. We want to hear about how these techniques are working for you. Visit us at Trade Pro Academy to talk strategy, join the community, and catch up on all of our latest episode of Mind Over Markets.
In This Episode You Will Learn
The real definition of P&L 2:08
Why traders need to stop saying “I just want to break even” 15:20
One trade cannot make or break a trader’s P&L 31:32
6 techniques to prevent the destructive P&L mindset altogether 45:40
How to focus on your next best trade instead of worrying about the last loss 55:00
A little bit about Canadian hockey, courtesy of Mark 58:57
Some Questions We Discuss
What is up with our psychological fixation on the P&L? 5:40
When does the P&L mindset start creeping into your trade strategy? 24:15
Which toward-motivated techniques can traders use to stop that mindset? 26:25
How can you keep your mindset positive even after a string of losses? 38:21
Can you remove the P&L column from your trade station? 50:00
How many of our solution set-ups should you master first? 61:08
Resources
Connect with our community online: Trade Pro Academy
Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast
Sharpen your mental toughness with this episode: #8 Mental Toughness
Leave us a review on iTunes: Mind Over Markets on Apple

Feb 13, 2020 • 1h 19min
Cultivating Patience
Learn how cultivating patience is key to trading success. Discover the impact of instant gratification on trading outcomes and the benefits of having a strategic plan. Explore the power of patience in making informed decisions and managing emotions. Avoid the dangers of impatience in trading and focus on quality over quantity. Strategies for developing patience include mental priming and goal setting for long-term success.

Feb 6, 2020 • 48min
Fear of Loss in Trading
Fear is one of our most natural subconscious responses, but it’s also one of the most important elements of trading. In this episode of Mind Over Markets, we’re sharing our own experiences with the fear of loss and how our own personal risk management strategies help us - and will help you - overcome the fear of loss in trading.
The important thing to remember about fear is that it will never go away. There will always be a little element of fear in everything you do, especially when the risks are high. That’s because fear is an innate defense mechanism. Fear exists to keep us alive, and fear helps us recognize and react to perceived threats.
For early humans, these threats were more likely large predators, but for those of us in the modern age, these threats can come in many forms. In trading, the threat could be to our income, our livelihood, even our emotional well-being. George believes in two different types of fear: fears that we need to listen to, those ones that truly threaten our wellbeing, and fears that are just a precaution or warning system. Understanding the way your brain responds to these two types of fears is your first step to overcoming the fear of loss when you’re trading.
Fear of loss is a real thing. In fact, loss in trading is an unavoidable reality no matter how good of a trader you are. You can’t win everything all of the time, and learning how to accept these losses will make you less fearful on the trading floor. We both know that working for a variable income like this is scary, and we’ve devised our own strategies for managing trade fears that will work for you, too.
If you’ve never had a risk management strategy in place, then right now is the time to start. This episode will help you understand the psychology behind your fear, including the brain functions behind it all, and give you tips for managing your own fear of loss so you can take on trading with confidence. It might be scary to step out of your comfort zone and risk your own money out here with the rest of us, but it’s also an opportunity to take control of your own success. Don’t be afraid of it.
In This Episode You Will Learn:
Why fear is more powerful than greed 0:50
Fear is an unconscious, automatic reaction 8:00
The five areas of the brain that control your fear 9:23
How your value system can influence your fears 16:57
Mark’s top tips for managing fears while trading 25:29
How to design a risk-management strategy 29:20
How AI and automation is changing the way we all work 36:18
Some Questions We Discuss:
What is the purpose of fear? 4:27
Are all fears the same? 6:53
What is the high road fear? 12:13
What about the low road of fear? 13:23
What kinds of people make the best traders? 32:56
What are the trading mind-hacks for managing fear of loss? 42:05
Resources
Connect with us online: Trade Pro Academy
Catch up with our earlier episodes: Mind Over Markets Podcast