The AlphaMind Podcast

James Brodie has been in and around trading for almost 3 decades. Starting in the early 90s, James worked on trading desks at leading investment banks, started his own hedge fund, built trading systems, taught people and educated himself about technical analysis, behavioural finance, coding, and currently creates and writes algorithmic trading systems for a hedge fund, whilst still trading for himself. This conversation covers a broad range of topics and themes about trading, markets, human behaviour, mindset.behavioural finance, performance, technical analysis, coding and systems, psychology, self-development and learning.  It is a veritable gold-mine of nuggets which will fascinate and enthral.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.

Greg Gossett, a seasoned retail trader with over 24 years of experience, shares vital trading insights and lessons learned throughout his journey. He discusses the importance of emotional control, position sizing, and patience as key elements for success. Greg passionately explains the power of reflection in decision-making. The conversation takes an intriguing turn as they explore the cognitive benefits of chewing gum in trading and sports, including its role in enhancing performance and focus. A truly enlightening dialogue filled with actionable wisdom!

This is the second part of the interview Mark and Steve conducted with retail trader JJ aka vwaptrader1.  In the first part of this interview JJ shared stories of his time as a Penny Stocks MarketMaker in a world immortalised in the movie ‘Wolf of Wall Street’. JJ talked about his rise and fall in that world and some of the scandalous behaviours and practices which were part of that world. He also detailed his move into retail trading, his initial struggles and the shock to the system being ‘on the other side’.  In the latter part of this interview, JJ goes far more into the soul of retail trading. He discusses the concept of tape reading and how this ancient art is still the skill which lies at the core of trading. This led to a more detailed talk with JJ opening up about what he learned about himself through trading and how it tested him by sparking the demons within.  This was a fascinating chat which moved towards discussions on personal psychology, ego, dealing with stress and anxiety, using practices to help you cope with this and the value of having a support network around you.  This chat will prove insightful and informative to traders at all levels who will recognise many of JJ’s own experiences and to new and novice retail traders keen to learn some of the potential pitfalls and challenges which they need to be aware of. 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.

Former Penny Stocks Market-Maker, turned Retail Trader, Trader Educator and host of the superb ‘Confessions of a Market-Maker’ podcast JJ aka 'vwaptrader1' talks to Steven and Mark about his colourful career, his time as a stock manipulator, how he helped take companies private, his rise and fall, and his new career retail trading. JJ spent 2 decades working in the mad and crazy world of market-making in penny stocks which was immortalised in the classic film ‘Wolf of Wall Street’.In that time JJ came to accumulate the sort of wealth most people come into trading for, only to see it disappear just as easily. He then suffered the near-death experience of heart attack, followed by a triple heart-bypass. More recently JJ moved into the world of retail trading. His journey into this world was anything but smooth, and he soon found that his 20 decades in market-making was of relatively little value in the challenging world of retail trading. This interview is the first part of two interviews with JJ where he talks candidly about the world he inhabited, the people in it, and the challenges of making it as a retail trader.We discuss some of the learnings and insights he has made since becoming a retail trader, and about what he has learned from some of the great guests he has had on his show. We also discuss the MarketProfile tool and associated methods he uses to help him find value in the markets.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 and Steve talk with Australian Trader Chris Tate. Chris joined the markets in the 1980s forging a long and very successful career in the Financial Markets. Chris now works with some colleague in a business called ‘the Trading Game’ which focus on educating and training traders in the Psychology of Trading and Behavioural Finance. In this very in-depth interview, we explore a range of themes which at the core explore how people can bring the best of themselves to their work. At the beginning of the interview is an excerpt we have added-in which was part of our post-podcast chat that was not meant to feature in the interview. It was a fascinating and very frank exchange of views about some of the crooks inhabiting the industry and the challenge facing aspiring traders in terms of accessing quality and honest education. After that is the main podcast which explored include themes including ‘beginners’ luck’, developing a ‘growth mindset’, the challenge of using social media for a trader, working with mentors and the struggles of learning how to be a successful trader. This was a great interview which we are sure you will get a lot of value out of. 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.

Merritt Black is Head of Proprietary Trading at US firm SMB futures. In this deep and very poignant interview, Merritt shares his reflections and thoughts on a wide array of themes and aspects about the realities of trading and the painful journey which can so often delight, but at times can also rip the very life from you.Merritt does not hold back, he bares his soul in this interview, bringing up painful memories which were vital steps on his journey to trading success.  This interview is so full of wisdom and insight for traders of all levels. New traders will learn so much which will inspire and support them, and will hear some of the harsh realities about trading which they must start to internalise and embrace if they are going to overcome the odds and succeed. Seasoned and experienced traders will resonate with much of what Merritt shares and can use this to contrast their own journeys in the on-going battle with self, ego and markets.Some of the themes which arise include: The battle with self, developing your edge, looking at your successes to find your own source code, how true and deep confidence arise, recovering from failures, unrealistic expectations and misconceptions that there is a linear formulaic approach. The random nature of markets, being self-aware, developing self whilst also making it less about yourself and more about the markets. The pain of trading, how low and worthless trading can make you feel, recovering from those lows and growing stronger.  You will be amazed at how much wisdom is shared in just 45 minutes. You may want to have a pen ready to take down notes, because you will learn things from this interview that will enable you to be wiser and smarter.  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.

In this podcast, we explore the purpose of the AlphaMind project, which aims to help people from across the Financial Markets both new and seasoned to develop and cultivate mindsets for success in their work as traders and investment professionals. We also share out thoughts on some of the amazing interviews we have conducted in recent weeks with the following masters of the markets. Mark Hutchinson -Trading Success against the odds: An FX trader and mentor who has found his own way to success in currency markets and has excelled against the odds.  Garth Friesen - Lesson from a Hedge Fund master: One of the world’s leading Hedge Fund managers, who oversees a $6 billion fund, shares his lessons for traders from over 20 years at the cutting edge of markets.  Adam Nash - 3 Decades of Adaption & Success: Adam is one of the few to traders to successfully adapt from the futures floor of the 90s to screen-based trading and then to continue to outperform in the modern world of the algoes.  Dr Brett Steenbarger - Trading & Spirituality: Brett Steenbarger, the world leading expert on trading psychology explores the human battle between self and ego. Brett also discusses his new free online book for traders; ‘Radical Renewal’.Clive Lambert - A Technical Analysis Master: Clive shares strong opinions about how many people misuse and abuse technical analysis and how this undermines their trading performance. Mandi Pour Rafsenjani – Developing Traders from the Inside & working with a Market Wizard: Trader and coach, Mandi discusses trader development, errors and mistakes, working with Linda Raschke, and women in trading. 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.

Mandi is a Trader and Coach from Australia; she works with new and experienced traders helping them develop the inner mindset skills to achieve success and to progress to higher levels of performance. In this interview Mandi shares her journey into trading and how she came to work with traders as a coach. She talks about the classic mistakes and errors she has experienced in her own trading as well as amongst her clients. Also, some of the qualities she has witnesses amongst highly successful traders. We also explore Women in trading, some of the differences between female and male traders, and some of the hurdles they face in male dominated environments. She also tells of her time recently spent with Linda Raschke, one of the world’s leading women traders and an original ‘Market Wizard’. This is a fascinating interview which covers a wide range of topics including mindset, personality, structure, ego, emotions, gender, social network, identity, relationships, environment, routine and habits and how these come back to impact personal trading performance.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.

There are few more informed people in the world about the nexus of technical analysis and trader behaviour in the financial markets than Clive Lambert. Clive is one of the world’s leading Technical Analysts, he has a thorough understanding of the way markets work and how people work with them to achieve success. Clive's analysis can be found in trading rooms across the globe and is used by leading traders from the worlds of commodities, energy, FX, bonds, stock indices and more. Clive is also a leading figure in the Society of Technical Analysis and is a lecturer on their diploma programme which runs at the London School of Economics. In this interview, co-hosts Steven Goldstein and Mark Randall have a lively and at times deeply engaging conversation with Clive about his work, and about how people use, misuse and abuse technical analysis. They also explore some of the how and why behind technical analysis and price action methods and how people use them effectively and productively. This interview is both extremely interesting and highly informative. 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.

In this episode Dr Brett Steenbarger shares his profound insights from a career working as a psychologist with traders at some of the world’s leading hedge funds and proprietary trading firms. Brett Steenbarger is one of the best minds in the field of trading and investment psychology. There are so many great insights in this episode that you may want to take notes, possibly re-listen and ultimately try to internalise some of the lessons into your own trading behaviours. Dr Steenbarger talks about the similarities between trading, the medical profession and the military specials forces where people are inundated with vast amounts of information and complex rapidly changing situations and environments. Dr Steenbarger also talks about his new project, an online book called ‘Radical Renewal’, which focuses on the spiritual aspects of trading and investment. This is a fascinating project which looks at how people can harness insights from spiritual fields to improve how they deal with the challenges posed by the clash between the ‘self’ and the 'ego'.This conversation expands into a profound discussion on the spiritual aspects of trading and touches on themes such as positive psychology, how to better yourself, how to focus on your strengths and how to use this to get into the zone where you can be at your most effective. 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.