The AlphaMind Podcast

Lance Breitstein, a professional trader and educator featured in Market Wizards, shares his journey from two years of losses to more than $100 million in verified profits. He discusses persistence, talent, effective practice, and finding a powerful reason to continue. The conversation explores retail trading’s brutally low odds, expected-value career decisions, delayed gratification, and how sleep, alcohol, exercise, and lifestyle choices affect performance.

In this episode of the AlphaMind podcast, we sit down with Thor Young, who took the long way round into trading, starting out in IT before making the leap. Thor's refreshingly honest about the early days, blowing up more than one account before he finally scrapped his original strategy and built a systematic approach that actually suited who he is, not who he thought he should be. He talks about how meditation and a good community helped him get through the mental side of it, and why the real battle isn't the market, it's sticking to your own system when a drawdown is testing your nerve.He also opens up about juggling trading with a full-time job and family life, including raising a neurodivergent child. It's a warm, honest part of the conversation, and one we think a lot of people will see themselves in, whether they trade or not.Thor is the author of A Complete Day Trading System (2021) and has personally mentored hundreds of traders, helping them build greater discipline, consistency, and confidence in their execution. Today he trades live daily while mentoring alongside his partner, Dr. Vanessa Charland, through Market Alchemists, where together they continue developing systematic approaches and tools designed to bring clarity and structure to the trading process.To learn more about Thor and his work:Market Alchemists: https://marketalchemists.org/ Book: A Complete Day Trading System X: @thoryoung Instagram: @thoryoungMA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMarketAlchemistsAlphaMind: Powering Performance in Global MarketsAlphaMind brings powerful change, growth and development to people and businesses within global markets.Driven by a deep understanding of how markets work, and how people and businesses function within them, we partner with clients to create personal performance improvements that elevate returns across their trading activities.Go to the AlphaMind website to know more.

What Trading Can Learn From The Body Keeps the Scorewith Steven Goldstein and Mark RandallA trader knows the right move — and physically can’t make it. This episode is about why, and what trauma research reveals about performing under financial risk.Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score has become required reading in trading circles — not because trading is trauma, but because the same nervous system mechanics trauma research has mapped in detail also govern how traders behave under pressure. Steven Goldstein and Mark Randall break down five lessons from the book and translate each one directly into the language of risk, drawdowns, and decision-making under threat.What you’ll learn•     Why the rational, decision-making part of the brain goes offline under perceived threat — and why “just follow the plan” fails in the moment•     How neuroception, the nervous system’s unconscious scanning for danger, shows up as physical sensation before a trade goes wrong•     Why a single catastrophic loss can fragment a trader’s whole sense of self, not just their P&L•     Why journaling and post-mortem analysis alone rarely change behavior — and what bottom-up, body-based work adds•     Why co-regulation with another person, not solo reflection, is often what lets a dysregulated nervous system reset“The market doesn’t care about your story, but your body is keeping score whether you’re listening to it or not.”Timestamps0:07  —  Cold open — welcome back1:00  —  Setting up the book & Lesson 1: The rational brain goes offline under threat13:38  —  Lesson 2: The body knows before you do30:13  —  Lesson 3: One bad hit can fragment the whole story41:20  —  Lesson 4: Talking about it isn't enough on its own50:53  —  Lesson 5: Safety in relationship is what lets the system recalibrate1:02:54  —  Close & sign-offResources mentioned•     The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk•     thealphamindpodcast.com — full back catalog and where to subscribeThe AlphaMind Podcast explores the behavioral and human side of taking and managing risk, hosted by Steven Goldstein with Mark Randall. New episodes and the full back catalog at thealphamindpodcast.com.AlphaMind: Powering Performance in Global MarketsAlphaMind brings powerful change, growth and development to people and businesses within global markets.Driven by a deep understanding of how markets work, and how people and businesses function within them, we partner with clients to create personal performance improvements that elevate returns across their trading activities.Go to the AlphaMind website to know more.

Matt "Pax" Kenah, former Chicago floor trader turned educator, shares hard-earned market wisdom. He discusses why fortunes in trading are still possible, the psychological and structural traps that make most fail, and how to treat trading like a business with strict risk controls and routines. He also covers recovery after big losses and when to step away for health and longevity.

Andrew Menaker, a performance coach, clinical psychologist, and active trader, explores the human side of trading. They discuss recognition traps, style drift, risk-taking, FOMO, professional pressure, and why analytical skill alone does not make a trader. The conversation also examines coaching, vulnerability, the “inner market,” process over winning, and trading as a path to self-mastery.

Explore how emotions like panic can derail traders of all levels. Discover the concept of 'controlled urgency' versus panic, and why elite traders maintain calm during chaos. The hosts share stories of traders who thrive in tumult, contrasting their mindset with those who crumble under pressure. Learn actionable strategies to stay centered and turn market volatility into profit opportunities, alongside insights on neuroplasticity and the transformative power of coaching for improving trading performance.

Josh Schuler, trader, educator, and former futures broker, explores how Market Profile and auction theory can bring structure to trading. He discusses the retail trader’s training gap, deliberate practice, playbooks, risk management, and the path from process to instinct. The conversation also examines TPO versus volume, zero-day options, complex tools, and why the trader’s own mind remains the ultimate challenge.

In this episode of the AlphaMind Podcast, host Steven Goldstein shares a personal reflection on the transformative power of the “Reset” in trading.Navigating the challenging world of markets requires more than just technical skill—it’s also about mastering mindset and resilience. In this context, the Reset is a powerful tool that helps traders reconnect with the present moment, regain focus, and clear mental clutter that can hinder performance.Steven reflects on his own trading journey and how it led him to become a performance coach. He explores how implementing a Reset allows traders to shift from emotional reactions to calm, focused decision-making, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness and consistency.Whether you’re facing a tough trading session or seeking to refine your mental approach, embracing the Reset can be a game-changer. Tune in as Steven discusses how this simple yet profound concept can elevate your trading mindset, foster greater self-awareness, and help you perform at your best—even amidst market chaos.AlphaMind: Powering Performance in Global MarketsAlphaMind brings powerful change, growth and development to people and businesses within global markets.Driven by a deep understanding of how markets work, and how people and businesses function within them, we partner with clients to create personal performance improvements that elevate returns across their trading activities.Go to the AlphaMind website to know more.

At AlphaMind, we love speaking with those who have achieved remarkable success in trading, to gain their insights on what it truly takes to succeed, endure, and excel in this challenging field.We are honoured to welcome back one of our favourite guests, Linda Raschke—a veteran trader who first gained prominence when featured in one of Jack Schwager’s early Market Wizards books. With a career spanning over 40 years, Linda has experienced great success, overcoming numerous challenges along the way. She shares many of these experiences in her excellent autobiographical book, Trading Sardines.As you will hear, Linda is passionate, honest, and candid, bringing a light-heartedness and humour that enhances her profound insights. This interview builds upon previous conversations, offering valuable perspectives to both new and experienced traders—challenging them and encouraging deep reflection on their trading journeys.Linda Social MediaTwitter: @LindaRaschke Website: LindaRaschke.net Book: Trading Sardines: https://lindaraschke.net/trading-sardines/AlphaMind: Powering Performance in Global MarketsAlphaMind brings powerful change, growth and development to people and businesses within global markets.Driven by a deep understanding of how markets work, and how people and businesses function within them, we partner with clients to create personal performance improvements that elevate returns across their trading activities.Go to the AlphaMind website to know more.

Mark Minervini, renowned trader and author who won the U.S. Investing Championship and founded the Minervini Master Trader Program. He recounts rising from poverty and early trading blow-ups. Conversation covers mindset, building trader identity through practice, stress tolerance and contingency playbooks, and his reverse factor modeling approach to finding high-probability setups.