Chat With Traders

Eduardo Briceño came to America from Venezuela with nothing but a dream, survived years of trading under survival-mode pressure, and turned $1,900 into $2.9 million in profits. After starting with a micro account and carrying the weight of supporting his family, Eduardo developed a disciplined approach to the most volatile corner of the market: small caps. Today, his edge is built on experience and his Triad Trading approach, using technicals to guide his decisions while fundamentals give him the confidence to take the trade. In this conversation, Eduardo pulls back the curtain on his Survival to Success Arc, sharing the specific setups that allowed him to scale a four-figure account into seven figures. He breaks down the fundamentals of his strategy, the penny stock framework, and how he transitioned from trading for rent to trading for generational wealth. In this episode, we explore: · How Eduardo Turned $1,900 into $2.9M Day Trading Small Caps · Eduardo’s move from Venezuela to the U.S. and trading under extreme financial pressure · How he survived the “survival mode” phase without blowing up his account • The mechanics behind his Triad Trading approach • Why it’s important to learn technical analysis first · The importance of building an edge that fits your personality · Why confidence in trading is difficult to teach and must come from experience · How Eduardo selects the stocks he trades · Lessons learned from his Biggest Lost · His advice for beginner traders About Eduardo Briceño Eduardo is a professional small-cap trader known for his remarkable consistency and transparency. Starting with just $1,900, he has documented his journey to $2.9 million in profits over six years. He specializes in momentum strategies and intraday volatility, focusing on the intersection of technical patterns and trader psychology. Links + Resources: X (Twitter): https://x.com/edu_trades Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edu_tradesYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@edu_trades Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 How Eduardo Turned $1,900 into $2.9M Day Trading Small Caps07:57 When Eduardo Decided to Move to the U.S.12:23 Surviving the “Survival Mode” Phase15:40 Worst Case Scenario, “I’ll Just Get a Job”20:23 The Triad Trading Approach31:28 Why You Need to Learn Technicals First37:50 Building an Edge That Fits Your Personality40:50 Why Confidence Is Hard to Teach and Comes From Experience48:26 History Doesn’t Repeat, But It Rhymes55:14 How Eduardo Picks His Stocks59:28 Technical Setups vs Fundamental Confidence1:04:58 His Worst Loss When He was Tilted1:13:03 Why Trading Is Such a Tough Profession1:20:45 Be Disciplined And Stay Adaptable1:25:45 How Having a Family Changed His Trading1:36:00 Advice for Beginner Traders1:38:27 Closing Remarks and Where to Follow @edu_trades Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stefan Stadie is a professional sports trader at Kero Sports whose work sits at the intersection of equities, sports betting, and prediction markets. After starting his trading journey in equities, Stefan evolved toward a more process-driven approach focused on price, liquidity, and market behavior. Today, his edge comes less from predicting outcomes and more from identifying mispricing, capturing inefficiencies, and operating across multiple markets in real time. In this conversation, Stefan shares how the same principles—crowd psychology, liquidity, and price discovery—show up across different environments, from stocks to sports to decentralized prediction markets. He also walks through his transition into arbitrage and market making, how he approaches risk, and what it takes to stay disciplined when operating in fast-moving, competitive markets. This episode offers a different lens on trading—one that challenges traditional thinking around prediction, edge, and where opportunity actually comes from. In this episode, we explore: · Why trading principles can transfer across completely different markets · The role of liquidity and crowd behavior in shaping price · Moving from directional trading to arbitrage and market making · How mispricing creates opportunity across fragmented markets · The reality of being limited or banned by sportsbooks · Differences between traditional financial markets and emerging prediction markets · Managing psychology and discipline in fast-moving environments · Why focusing on price—not opinion—can change your approach to trading About Stefan Stadie: Stefan is a professional sports trader at Kero Sports, specializing in market structure, arbitrage, and market making. He also trades equities and participates in prediction markets, applying a consistent framework centered on liquidity, psychology, and price discovery across different trading environments. Links + Resources: · X (Twitter): https://x.com/BronzeBeardd Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 Introduction 04:39 Early life, education and entry into oil & gas06:18 2020 oil crash and negative crude prices08:14 Early trading career, swing trades and going full-time09:18 Trading mistakes, position sizing and risk management11:33 Trading during the COVID crash and learning resources12:41 Transition to short selling and strategy shift14:14 Liquidity events and shorting tactics16:53 Entry into predictive markets and sports betting18:23 Arbitrage strategies and OddsJam scanner21:38 Bans from retail sportsbooks and joining Kiro Sports26:37 Polymarket, peer-to-peer exchanges and crypto betting29:04 How prices are set and market-making basics35:32 Market-making tactics, spreads and target returns40:31 Directional positions and daily activity in predictive markets41:43 Parlays, selling parlays and house edge44:10 Growth, regulation and insider-risk in prediction markets49:20 Comparisons with financial markets: liquidity, edge and crowds01:01:54 Gamification, responsible use, psychology and advice for newcomers01:10:00 Closing remarks and contact information Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Gaer’s career spans several major shifts in market structure — from the open-outcry pits of COMEX to high-frequency trading and now crypto derivatives. Sam began his career as a teenage runner on the COMEX floor during the gold boom of the early 1980s before becoming a copper pit trader himself. While most traders relied purely on instinct, Sam was already experimenting with technology — building early pricing tools that helped identify inefficiencies in spread markets. His path eventually led beyond the trading floor into exchange technology and market infrastructure, including building trading software that was later acquired by the New York Mercantile Exchange. In recent years, Sam has focused on crypto markets, where he applies traditional derivatives frameworks to volatility, options, and digital asset trading. In this episode, Sam shares insights from decades of experience across multiple market regimes and discusses how trading edge evolves as markets and technology continue to change. In this episode, we explore: · Getting introduced to markets as a teenager · Life inside the COMEX copper trading pits · Early use of computers to price commodity spreads · Inefficiencies in open-outcry markets · Building exchange technology and selling Trading Gear to NYMEX · The transition from pit trading to electronic markets · Market structure lessons from traditional derivatives markets · Why Sam shifted his focus to crypto markets · Opportunities in crypto options and derivatives · Convexity, volatility, and institutional trading frameworks in digital assets About the guest: Sam Gaer, Chief Investment Officer of the Directional Strategy at Monarq Asset Management, has more than three decades of experience across derivatives trading, exchange technology, and quantitative strategy development. He previously served as Chief Information Officer of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), where he helped modernize the exchange’s trading infrastructure. Earlier in his career, he was a floor trader on the COMEX commodities exchange and later founded Trading Gear, a technology firm whose trading software was acquired by NYMEX. Sam has also launched and managed quantitative trading strategies focused on derivatives and volatility markets, and today works on institutional trading approaches within digital asset markets. Links + Resources: · Website: https://www.monarq-am.com · Sam’s email: investors@monarq-am.com Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: ⁠http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 Intro and Background 01:48 Early career: COMEX runner to copper pit trader06:40 Programming background and early trading automation16:19 TradingGear: pivot to exchange software and NYMEX sale / CIO role21:09 Trading style evolution: scalping to event-driven and electronic trading23:42 High frequency trading, FINRA experience and entrepreneurship25:09 Transition into crypto: Katana Financial and early crypto market making28:01 Crypto derivatives focus: options, convexity and strategies34:19 Recent crypto market decline: causes, liquidations and regulatory uncertainty39:51 Institutional adoption, ETFs (IBIT) and market-structure impacts42:57 Tokenization, real-world assets and digital asset treasuries (DATs) 56:17 Reflections on markets, challenges and use of AI 58:36 Closing remarks and contact information Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Dave Mabe backtested his strategy, it outperformed his own discretionary trading — and changed how he approached everything. In this episode, we discuss gapping breakouts, expectancy, systematic trading, drawdowns, and the reality gap between backtests and live execution. A practical conversation for traders serious about building durable edge. In this episode, we explore: · How Dave got introduced to markets: From early exposure to investing through his family to actively seeking more control over his capital and moving from swing trading into day trading. · Why rules matter: The transition from discretionary decisions to systematic frameworks — and why trading without a process is a fast path to inconsistency. · Backtesting as a “superpower”: What backtesting really does for strategy development and confidence in your edge. · Reconciling backtests with real life: Practical realities of execution, slippage, and market structure — and how to build a feedback loop so your live results get closer to your imulations. · Drawdowns and mindset: How to handle periods where a strategy doesn’t behave as expected, and why many traders quit in drawdowns rather than at all-time highs. · Scaling a trading business: The difference between scaling size versus scaling breadth — and why uncorrelated strategies matter. · Practical first step for systematic traders: How to start adding structure to your trading with backtesting, even if you’re not a programmer. About the guest: Dave has been a professional trader and technologist for over two decades. As a former CTO of Trade-Ideas, he has unique experience at the intersection of algorithm design, real-time market data, and automated execution. Outside trading, he writes a popular daily newsletter on backtesting and systematic strategy development, and hosts the Line Your Own Pockets podcast focused on systematic approaches to markets. Links + Resources: · Link to Better Backtesting —Dave’s free multi-day email course on building strategies and improving them over time. · Trade-Ideas, Amibroker, RealTest — examples of backtesting and strategy development platforms discussed in context. Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 Intro and Background 08:29 Stock Selection and Systematic Trading Rules 11:32 Position Sizing, Expectancy and Risk Management 16:50 Discovering Backtesting and First Backtests 18:40 Backtesting Principles, Sample Size and Common Pitfalls 20:34 Gradual Automation and Live Trading Implementation 22:17 Trading Journal and Reconciling Backtest vs Live 27:27 Scaling through Automation: More Trades, Better Results 29:26 Drawdowns, Psychology and Handling Setbacks 34:14 Tools, AI and Software for Backtesting and Coding 39:56 Common Trading Myths Debunked (Partials, Stops) 48:01 Getting Started: Practical Steps, Resources and Closing Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Ian sits down with John Assaraf, entrepreneur, behavioral neuroscience educator, and founder of NeuroGym, for a conversation about the invisible forces that shape performance — long after planning, analysis, and good intentions are in place. John shares his personal journey from a turbulent upbringing to building multiple multimillion-dollar businesses, and the pivotal moment at age 19 that reframed how he thought about success, identity, and commitment. From there, the discussion moves into the neuroscience behind habits, automatic behavior, fear, and why people often snap back to familiar results — even when they know what to do. This is not a trading tactics episode. It’s a conversation about execution, follow-through, and the human side of performance — in trading, business, health, and life. About the guest: John Assaraf is a serial entrepreneur who has built multiple multimillion-dollar companies, including helping scale a real estate organization to over $4 billion in annual sales and co-founding a technology company that later went public on the NASDAQ. He is the founder and CEO of NeuroGym, where he focuses on applying neuroscience to performance, habits, and behavior change. John is also the author of several New York Times bestselling books, translated into dozens of languages, and has been featured in films such as The Secret, where many people were first introduced to his work. Links + Resources: Free eBook: The Power of Visualization Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 Intro and Background 11:16 Mindset Shift: Interested vs. Committed 11:46 Behavioral Neuroscience and Goal Achievement 16:17 Conscious vs. Subconscious Mind 17:12 Creating Permanent Behavioral Changes 21:22 Emotional Regulation and Decision Making 25:30 Overcoming Self-Sabotage 35:20 AddressingFear in Decision Making 42:37 Inner Size: Exercising the Mind 44:27 Self-Sabotage and Financial Set Points 48:21 The Science of Goal Setting 50:17 Visualizing and Embodying Goals 54:40 How to reach John Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the years, we’ve recorded hundreds of conversations with traders across different markets, strategies, and generations. And while no two trading paths look the same, certain moments tend to repeat — not moments of big wins or dramatic calls, but quieter turning points. The moments where something shifts internally. Where progress depends less on the market… and more on how the trader evolves. In this special episode of Chat With Traders, we revisit excerpts from past conversations with traders who reached those inflection points — moments that reshaped how they thought about risk, discipline, accountability, and longevity. It’s a collection of turning points — the decisions, realizations, and hard lessons that changed the trajectory of a trading career. Links + Resources: Episode039 Tom Dante Episode236 Lance BreitsteinEpisode249 Jack KelloggEpisode036 Peter BrandtEpisode255 Vincent BruzzeseEpisode212 Kristjan KullamägiEpisode286 Jason ShapiroEpisode260 Patrick PeterssonEpisode259 Lukas Frölich (The Short Bear)Episode163 John “Rambo” MoultonEpisode250 Sunny Harris Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 – Intro and Background 01:10 — Tom Dante - A moment of accountability that forced change — and lit a competitive fire.02:35 — Lance Breitstein - Why the best traders bet exponentially when the odds are truly skewed.04:00 — Jack Kellogg - The cost of obsession, burnout, and relearning how to live after the grind.05:25 — Peter Brandt - Market tuition, mistakes, and committing fully to a process (Featured in Jack Schwager’s Market Wizards)06:55 — Vincent Bruzzese - How wealth mindset — not strategy — shapes risk and decision-making08:25 — Kristjan Kullamägi - Scaling up, earning the right to push risk, and long-term conviction 09:55 — Jason Shapiro - Contrarian trading, positioning over prediction, and embracing discomfort (Featured in Unknown Market Wizards)11:25 — Patrick Petersson - The lesson learned at absolute rock bottom — and the cost of not cutting losses.12:55 — Lukas Frölich (The Short Bear) - Running trading like a business — and how progress compounds quietly.14:25 — John “Rambo” Moulton - Detaching from money to trade with clarity and consistency15:55 — Sunny Harris - Taking control after realizing professionals can lose, too.17:30 — Closing reflections20:20 — Outro / End Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Jamaal Ghauri, a trader and fund manager who began his journey unusually early — first exposed to crypto markets as a teenager during Bitcoin’s early adoption phase, before moving into stocks and eventually options. Jamal walks through the full arc of his development as a trader: early overconfidence, aggressive options bets, a rapid run-up followed by a major drawdown, and the hard lessons that ultimately forced him to rethink risk, position sizing, and process. From there, he explains how he rebuilt by focusing on more structured setups, volatility awareness, and consistency over time. We discuss the evolution of his core strategies — including swing trades, breakout-style setups, and short-term options structures — and how those approaches are now applied within a multi-strategy fund he launched in 2025. Jamal also shares how he thinks about trade distribution, win rates versus loss severity, and why discipline and risk management ultimately mattered more than finding the “perfect” setup. As always, this conversation is about understanding how a trader thinks, how strategies evolve over time, and how real-world risk shows up differently than it does on paper. Links + Resources: Connect with Jamaal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamaal-ghauri-282947172/ Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 – Intro and Background 02:37 – Early Interest in Financial Markets 07:08 – Transition to Stock Trading 08:46 – Early Stock Trading Experiences 09:37 – Shift to Options Trading 10:32 – Learning Options Trading 11:22 – Developing a Trading Strategy 14:51 – First Successful Trades 19:04 – Account Growth and Setbacks 21:00 – Impact of the COVID Crash 32:06 – New Trading Strategies Post-Crash 37:24 – Becoming Profitable 38:22 – Performance in 2022 and 2023 41:07 – Establishing a Hedge Fund 44:40 – Hedge Fund Strategies 50:34 – Current Challenges and Advice Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: ⁠http://www.tradethepool.com⁠ Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quiet, end-of-year reflection on the middle stage of trading — where progress is subtle, patterns are familiar, and the real work happens internally. Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: ⁠⁠⁠http://www.tradethepool.com⁠⁠ Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we examine what actually happens when crypto markets break — how leverage builds beneath the surface, liquidity disappears, and liquidation cascades turn volatility into systemic failure. Doug Colkitt, a quantitative trader and DeFi builder whose experience spans both traditional finance and crypto market structure. Doug began his career on Wall Street at Citigroup before moving into high-frequency trading at Citadel during the 2008 financial crisis. He later built and traded his own systems across futures, volatility products, and international equities, including running a major market-making operation in Turkish stocks. Today, Doug focuses on crypto and DeFi infrastructure, working with perpetual futures, liquidation mechanics, and exchange design. We discuss why traders still get wiped out when they think they’re hedged, how liquidation cascades accelerate, and what recent market failures reveal about leverage and market structure under stress. Links +Resources: Ambient Finance on X (Twitter): @AmbientFinance Website: https://ambient.finance Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: ⁠⁠http://www.tradethepool.com⁠⁠ Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00:00 Intro and Background 00:03:43 Starting Individual Trading and High Frequency Systems 00:04:09 Focus on Index Futures and Competitive Markets 00:06:15 Michael Lewis's 'Flash Boys' and HFT Accuracy 00:07:00 Impact of HFT on Smaller Traders 00:09:13 Market Makers and Price Competition 00:09:37 HFT Evolution and Market Dynamics 00:11:24 Trading VIX Futures and Market Inefficiencies 00:13:08 Transitioning to Medium Frequency Trading 00:13:34 Trading Turkish Equities and Market Makings 00:15:35 Exploring Cryptocurrency Trading 00:18:32 Diving into Decentralized Finance (DeFi) 00:20:06 Arbitrage Opportunities in Crypto Markets 00:22:00 Flash Loans and Risk-Free Trading 00:22:48 Adjustments to Trading Bots Over Time 00:25:11 Criteria for Trusting Decentralized Exchanges 00:28:46 Liquidity Providing and Yield Opportunities 00:29:16 Volatility and Risks in Liquidity Provisioning 00:31:47 Understanding Perpetual Contracts in Crypto 00:36:04 October 10, 2025 Crypto Massacre Overview 00:37:36 Leverage and Market Dynamics 00:41:23 Impact of Liquidations on Market Sentiment 00:41:43 Market Maker Behavior During Crises 00:43:45 Liquidity Issues in Centralized Exchanges 00:44:53 Hyper Liquid Vault and Liquidation Dynamics 00:45:55 Market Making Strategies and Risk Management 00:49:15 Insurance Fund Models in DeFi 00:51:43 Ambient Finance Project Overview 00:53:08 Separation of Exchange and Clearinghouse 00:54:14 Innovations in Perpetual Trading 00:55:46 Takeaways from the October 10th Massacre 00:57:03 Future Plans for Insurance Fund Integration 00:58:28 Real World Assets and Crypto Integration Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Returning guest Vincent Bruzzese — trader, former statistics professor, poker player, and former Hollywood behavioral analyst — joins Tessa for a candid discussion about navigating one of the most narrative-driven markets in years. Known online as “Hari Seldon” in the Real Day Trading community, Vincent is recognized for posting his trades live and delivering multiple years of standout performance, with returns north of 60% and even 80%. In this episode, Vincent talks about why traders are struggling with discipline, how sentiment and storylines are overpowering both fundamentals and technicals, and what separates structured trading from gambling. He also shares how tools like his walkaway analysis help reinforce better habits and improve decision-making. Tessa and Vincent dig into mindset, process, relative strength, risk management, and how he rebuilt after blowing up his account twice. They also explore the emotional side of trading in a market that often feels disconnected from reality — and how traders can stay grounded despite the chaos. Links +Resources: ● Follow Vincent on Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/RealDayTrading/⁠ ● Follow Vincent on X: ⁠@RealDayTrading⁠ ● Vincent on CWT ⁠Episode 255⁠ ● Vincent can also be found in the OneOption Chat Rooms Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: ⁠http://www.tradethepool.com⁠ Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. ● 00:00:00 Intro and Background ● 00:07:13 Market Analysis and Trading Strategies ● 00:09:00 Trading Mindset and Emotional Challenges ● 00:11:07 Market Trends and Skepticism ● 00:13:08 Market Irrationality and Future Predictions ● 00:14:41 Valuation Concerns and Institutional Influence ● 00:15:19 Psychological Aspects of Trading ● 00:16:30 Narratives and Market Bubbles ● 00:18:00 Passive Income Strategies in Trading ● 00:21:57 Long-term Investment Strategies ● 00:21:25 Personal Trading Experiences ● 00:24:08 Learning from Trading Losses ● 00:25:12 The Journey to Becoming a Trader ● 00:25:58 Mindset and Trading Psychology ● 00:30:45 Identifying and Avoiding Bad Trades ● 00:32:58 Overcoming Trading Challenges ● 00:37:48 Trading Strategies and Market Analysis ● 00:40:52 Current Market Conditions and Trading Decisions ● 00:43:20 Portfolio Management and Trading Style ● 00:46:39 Trading Preparation and Daily Routine ● 01:01:25 Navigating Market Volatility and Uncertainty ● 01:05:41 Final Thoughts on Trading and Market Dynamics Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian Carreon returns to Chat With Traders nearly three years after his first appearance, where he shared his remarkable journey through stage-five kidney failure and the discipline it forged in him as a trader. Today, he brings an even deeper perspective—on markets, on patience, and on the Box Strategy that has become his signature. Christian is a breakout trend trader who waits for compression, defines his levels meticulously, and only commits when price breaks cleanly from the “box” with tight risk and clear direction. In this conversation, he walks us through how his approach has evolved, how he sizes up with confidence, and why patience inside consolidation is the foundation of every edge he has. From day-trading futures for cash flow to swing-trading leading stocks for growth, Christian shares the discipline, structure, and gratitude that guide both his trading and his life. Links + Resources: ● Follow Christian on X: @trading_boxes ● Christian on NinjaTrader Live ● Christian on CWT Episode 254 Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. ● 00:00 Intro and Background ● 05:23 Kidney Donation Journey ● 06:37 Recovery Process After Transplant ● 09:45 Mental Focus During Recovery ● 12:51 Trading Goals and Adjustments ● 12:09 Risk Management in Trading ● 12:38 Sizing Up and Position Management ● 15:24 Identifying Trading Opportunities ● 16:23 Market Conditions and Trading Strategy ● 17:28 Support and Resistance Analysis ● 19:00 Using Indicators for Trading ● 22:48 Influence of News on Trading ● 24:00 Box Strategy Overview ● 27:18 Adapting Trading Strategies ● 29:40 Trading Discipline and Limits ● 32:10 Managing Investor Funds ● 33:15 Handling Market Events ● 36:03 Investor Mistakes and Adaptation ● 47:04 Reflections on Trading Journey ● 50:34 Catch up with Tessa Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Efrat t Levy is a cybersecurity expert with a PhD in Computer Science and AI from Ben-Gurion University—one of Israel’s top tech institutions. After years studying how to detect hackers through side-channel signals, she applied the same logic to trading. In this conversation, Dr. Levy explains how she uses machine learning to map non-repainting key levels that reveal the hidden order flow—the subtle timing and volume clues that expose the real intent of big players. She shows how correlated markets often move together at these key levels and how that insight helps her trade with precision and low drawdown. We discuss filtering noise, managing psychology, and bridging cybersecurity thinking with market analysis—exploring how data and discipline can uncover the quieter forces shaping market behavior. Links + Resources: ● Dr. Levy’s website: https://ctpacademy.com/ ● Dr. Levy’s email: efrat.levy@egindicators.com ● Dr. Levy on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EGIndicators ● Dr. Levy’s linktree: https://linktr.ee/efrat.levy Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. ● 00:00 – Intro: From AI & cyber to trading ● 01:20 – PhD background, domains where AI applies ● 04:30 – First market exposure: anomaly detection for derivatives ● 07:45 – Side-channel analysis: uncovering hidden intent ● 12:10 – “Hidden order flow” and fingerprinting big players ● 18:30 – Single-tick levels vs. zones; why zones mislead ● 22:00 – The correlation filter: 3 of 4 assets hitting together ● 26:00 – Entries & stops: lowest drawdown mindset ● 30:30 – Managing trades by other markets’ levels ● 33:45 – Timeframe-agnostic approach; redefining “correlation” ● 51:00 – Instruments: indices, gold/silver/copper/platinum ● 56:00 – Psychological tripwires:streaks, missed A+ setups, ego risk ● 1:04:00 – How to reach Dr. Levy ● 1:05:00 – Catch up with Tessa Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How a trader from Dallas built consistency—and a simple lifestyle of freedom in Southeast Asia—with a 30% win rate. Diego Ivan Cortes Lopez grew up chasing perfection on the tennis court, where winning came naturally, but it was trading that taught him how to win by losing. After years of trial, error, and a six-figure setback, studying the methods taught by Oliver Velez, a prominent veteran professional trader, helped him rebuild his approach - focusing on daily support and resistance, clean reversal signals, and asymmetric risk-to-reward. Now trading large-cap stocks from Vietnam on a single 13-inch laptop with uncluttered charts and limiting his sessions to the first hour of the market open, Diego shows that real consistency and freedom come from mastering the math of risk and reward—and keeping both trading and life simple. Links + Resources: ● Diego’s Instagram: diegoivan__7 ● Diego’s Email: diegoivan0907@gmail.com Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com TastyTrade: https://tastytrade.com/ Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. ● 00:00 – Early Life & Tennis ● 04:30 – Tennis Coaching & Business Success ● 09:00 – Early trading and the six-figure drawdown ● 14:00 – Rebuilding & Moving Aboard ● 20:00 – Finding Oliver Velez, relearning ● 27:00 – Today’s playbook: daily levels, 5-min entries, first-hour focus ● 34:00 – Risk, sizing, psychology, and “becoming a great loser” ● 40:00 – Living/trading in Asia; consistency over perfection ● 46:00 – Struggles, losing streaks, and long-term confidence ● 50:00 – Brief chat with Tessa Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re joined by Jack Schwager—author of the legendary Market Wizards series and co-founder of FundSeeder—along with his partner and fellow co-founder & CEO, Emanuel Balarie. Jack shares what it really takes to be considered for a Market Wizards book: not one formula, but a mix of standout performance, disciplined risk, and an almost obsessive commitment to process and adaptation. Along the way, we dig into why survival so often hinges on position sizing and pre-planned exits, whether strategies like trend following can still hold up today, and the paradox of how fundamental convictions can actually work against risk management. Emanuel then explains how FundSeeder discovers talented but undiscovered traders worldwide, using analytics to measure performance and the FundSeeder Rise accelerator (now part of RQSI) to help top performers make the leap from trading their own accounts to managing outside capital. Think of it as a “farm system” for the next generation of fund managers. Few will ultimately make the cut, but every great manager starts somewhere—and if you’ve been honing your craft and building a real track record, this episode might spark the thought: why not you? Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 – Introduction and background 10:50 – What qualifies as “Market Wizards” performance 15:20 – Longevity vs. hot streaks 17:20 – Position sizing & cutting losses 19:20 – Obsession level + trainee mindset 24:20 – When edges die (index adds, VIX pattern) 27:20 – Trend logic vs. whipsaw reality 32:20 – Fundamentals vs. risk management 38:20 – “Know your exit before entry” 39:50 – FundSeeder origin story 42:20 – Evaluating traders (quant + qual) 48:20 – Why the Rise accelerator exists 52:20 – RQSI’s role in seeding talent 55:20 – Free analytics & benchmarking for traders 57:20 – How to apply / contact Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Links + Resources: FundSeeder: https://fundseeder.com FundSeeder Rise (accelerator): https://www.fundseeder.com/rise FundSeeder on X: https://x.com/fundseeder Jack Schwager: https://x.com/jackschwager | http://www.jackschwager.com/ Emanuel Balarie: https://x.com/emanuelbalarie Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A former competitive gamer, Mario Dimitroff from Bulgaria got his start on a local trading floor before discovering that the U.S. premarket session best fit his skills. Now trading for a living and doing nothing else, his news-driven, event-based scalping focuses on low-liquidity movers. Leveraging gaming-honed speed and pattern recognition, he quickly decides whether to ride momentum or fade to mean, enters/exits fast, sizes within liquidity, and sustains his edge by cutting losers quickly, avoiding drawdowns, and stacking small consistent wins. In this episode, you’ll hear how Mario turned his competitive gaming instincts into an all-in commitment to the markets and full-time trading career. Links + Resources: Mario’s YouTube Channel: The Wall Street Cat - YouTube Sponsors of this episode of the Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com TastyTrade: http://tastytrade.com/podcasts Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 01:30 Introduction and background 03:50 Early Experiences and Learning from Failure 07:38 Return to Trading During COVID-19 08:38 Working on a Trading Floor 10:51 Trading Strategies and Market Insights 11:14 Imposter Syndrome and Mental Challenges in Trading 14:57 Career Decisions and Trading Philosophy 18:49 Finding Trading Edge and Style 20:39 Scalping and Pre-Market Trading 21:40 Meme Stocks and Market Euphoria 24:07 Navigating Market Downturns 25:49 Understanding Euphoria and Market Psychology 43:54 Avoiding Drawdowns and Maintaining Profitability 45:48 Scalping Strategies and Risk Management 51:56 Biggest challenges as a trader 59:15 How to reach Mario 59:30 Chat With Tessa Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Online funding prop firms have captured the attention of traders in recent years. In this episode, the CEO of Trade The Pool Michael Katz, joins the podcast to answer key questions and offer perspective from inside one of the leading firms. The conversation explores how these firms operate, what they mean for traders, and the common debates surrounding them. The goal is not promotion of prop firms, but to pull back the curtain and provide a clearer understanding of the role prop firms play in today’s trading landscape. Links + Resources: ● Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com ● Plus500: Try futures trading with Plus500 >> Start with a FREE demo or claim a bonus up to $200 with an open account 👉https://us.plus500.com Trading futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Time Stamps: Please note - Exact times will vary depending on current ads. ● 00:00 Introduction and background ● 05:02 Attraction to Funding Prop Firms ● 06:06 Risk Management and Evaluation Fees ● 10:08 Misconceptions About Prop Firms ● 11:58 Education and Community Support ● 15:35 Trading Evaluation Process ● 18:47 Success Rates and Trader Psychology ● 20:04 Adjusting Strategies for Prop Trading ● 22:07 Rules and Boundaries in Trading ● 27:51 Success Stories and Learning Curves ● 28:58 Psychology of Funded Trading ● 31:52 Trader Retention and Patterns ● 33:54 Scaling and Risk Management ● 38:42 Payout Rules and Compliance ● 40:29 Adapting Rules for Trader Success Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in Germany without a financial background, Julian Komar became fascinated by stocks as a teenager. He moved past complex German trading products to concentrate on U.S. equities. Specializing in momentum and growth stocks on the daily timeframe, he blends fundamentals, technicals, and story analysis to uncover opportunities that put him in the best position for high-potential setups and riding powerful trends. As a disciplined breakout trader, he prioritizes risk control, market trends, and intuition gained through decades of experience. About Julian Komar Julian is a trader, mentor, and entrepreneur. With over 20 years of stock trading experience, he trades growth and momentum stocks using a systematic strategy, holding winners for weeks to months and cutting losers within days — a style that perfectly matches his personality. Julian’s passion lies in uncovering innovative companies with the potential to grow sales rapidly and achieve significant long-term success. He devotes 95% of his energy to research, searching for the next potential “super stock.” Trading Disclaimer Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Links + Resources Follow Julian on X: https://x.com/BlogJulianKomar Julian’s Website: https://julian-komar.com/contact/ Time Stamps Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 Introduction and background 10:20 Fundamentals and technicals 17:30 Sister stocks 28:30 Trading the GFC 34:02 Worst drawdowns 33:00 The setup for the trade 43:00 Position sizing 52:30 Trading performance 1:08:35 How to reach Julian 1:09:00 Tessa Chats with Julian Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: Plus500: Try futures trading with Plus500 >> Start with a FREE demo or claim a bonus up to $200 with an open account 👉⁠https://us.plus500.com⁠Trading futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Trade The Pool: ⁠http://www.tradethepool.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From academic struggles at SUNY Albany to holding the world record for the largest prop firm payouts—roughly $4.5 million in total, Kyle Ng a.k.a. JadeCap’s journey started out like many aspiring traders. Sparked by a childhood friend's success in forex about 14 years ago, he found his way into the financial markets. Like many traders, he went through the pain, losses and sacrifices and struggles, but at the same time he’s also unlike many traders, slowly building his edge through discipline, risk management, and a long-term mindset. Over the years, he’s leveraged prop firms to scale his returns, transitioning fluidly between forex and futures while adapting his approach to changing market conditions. Influenced by ICT’s teachings, his style blends patience, adaptability, and the wisdom to step back when the market calls for it. In this episode, we dive into the mindset behind the milestones, the real-life lessons from his trading evolution, and what it truly takes to thrive in trading. Trading Disclaimer Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Time Stamps Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 Introduction and background 10:25 Early trade experiences 12:30 Evolving strategies 16:55 Blowing up accounts 21:10 Evolving into a full time trader 25:55 Utilizing online prop firms to minimize risk 01:55 The real money is made with processes 35:05 ICT trading system 39:40 Success tied to intuition? 43:30 When to put the foot on the gas 50:00 Resisting the urge to change strategies 56:05 What Kyle struggles with 58:20 How to reach Kyle 58:40 Bonus Section: Tessa Chats with Kyle – more on prop firms Links + Resources Reach Kyle on X: https://x.com/jadecap_ Kyle’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JadeCap Kye’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadecapofficial/?hl=en Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: Plus500: Try futures trading with Plus500 >> Start with a FREE demo or claim a bonus up to $200 with an open account 👉https://us.plus500.comTrading futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when a teenager growing up without TV in rural Canada stumbles across CNBC in a college dorm and sees people making $100,000 in a day? For Chris Vermeulen, that moment changed everything—and kicked off a 25-year journey of trading triumphs, painful losses, and profound strategy shifts. In this episode, you'll meet a trader who’s lived through the tech bubble, the 2008 financial crisis, and everything in between. Chris doesn’t chase headlines or hype—he follows price, momentum, and something most traders overlook entirely: vibration and cycles. From blowing up accounts to walking away from day trading altogether, Chris now rides the market’s waves with a calm, calculated edge—making just 5 to 12 trades a year, knowing exactly when to sit still and wait for the right wave. His approach might challenge what you believe about risk, emotion, and even diversification. About Chris Vermeulen: Chris is a seasoned position trader with over two decades of experience navigating market cycles—from the tech bubble to the 2008 financial crisis and beyond. He’s the author of Technical Trading Mastery and the newly released Asset Revesting, where he introduces a disciplined, momentum-based strategy for managing risk and maximizing returns. He also founded The Technical Traders. Rejecting traditional buy-and-hold thinking but also having moved away from day trading, Chris believes that true portfolio growth comes from owning assets in confirmed uptrends and rotating out of those losing strength. His approach emphasizes technical analysis, price action, and timing over diversification, aiming to protect capital while achieving above-average returns. Links + Resources: ● How to reach Chris – Visit The Technical Traders Website: https://thetechnicaltraders.com/ Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: ● Plus500: Try futures trading with Plus500 >> Start with a FREE demo or claim a bonus up to $200 with an open account 👉https://us.plus500.com Trading futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. ● Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dylan Maltman, an intraday futures and forex trader and founder of Apex Capital, must have had exceptional clarity starting at a young age. Introduced to the markets in a high school presentation by a prop firm, Dylan caught the passion for the potential of the markets and persuaded his way into a position at the firm. Learning about back testing, he became obsessed with dissecting every nuance of past data so as to create a system with high returns with minimal drawdowns by understanding where edge can be found, as evidenced in the performance of the algorithmic strategies. Emphasizing the significance of order flow analysis and robust back testing, he offers important insights for algorithmic, systematic, and discretionary traders. Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: Plus500: Try futures trading with Plus500 >> Start with a FREE demo or claim a bonus up to $200 with an open account 👉 https://us.plus500.com/en/multiplatformdownload?product=Futures&id=138516&tags=version2&pl=2 Trading futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com/?afmc=1am Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices