It is all to easy to think the answer to success in trading solely hinges on top-tier analysis and the application of sophisticated trading approaches and systems. However, overlooking the essential factor of nurturing and optimising the person doing the analysis and applying their trading decisions within the volatile and uncertain context of markets is a critical oversight.This week we tackled this topic with Louisa Nicola, a renowned neurophysiologist and human performance coach, who is a visionary in the realm of optimising high performance in trading, investing and business.During the interview, Louisa emphasised the symbiotic relationship between physical well-being and cognitive performance. She articulated how nutrition, good quality sleep, and physical exercise fuels not only the body but also the mind, enhancing decision-making abilities, and the vital mental resilience crucial for navigating the dynamic and uncertain landscape of trading. Lou

Welcome to the AlphaMind podcast, where we delve deep into the world of trading with the seasoned trader and trading educator Joseph Gasperoni, more widely known as Jtrader. Join us as we journey to San Marino in the heart of Italy, where Joseph runs a highly acclaimed trader training academy. In this episode, we discuss and explore the secrets to success in trading, unraveling the challenge to what it take to achieve success in the financial markets.JTrader, known for his wealth of experience as a trader has been a the guiding light to many aspiring traders who seek to learn and develop their trading skills. During our captivating conversation, we explore the mindset, discipline, and strategies that set successful traders apart from the crowd. From risk management to market analysis, Joseph shares his invaluable wisdom, providing listeners with a unique opportunity to tap into the mind of someone who has helped to many aspiring traders.<

In this insightful episode, we sat down with Adam Birkett, the Global Trading Lead at Cargill Ocean Transportation division, which trades physical and derivative cargo, freight, and shipping products globally across all major markets, to delve into the profound concept of &quot;The Power of Non-Attachment in Trading.&quot;Adam has spent nearly his entire career at Cargill Ocean Transportation. He has been a trader, led a major trading team, worked in Risk Management, and then transitioned to becoming the lead for the trading side of the business, overseeing over 80 traders across multiple centres worldwide.At the core of our conversation lies a fundamental principle: the ability of traders to distance themselves from ego-driven impulses and negative outcomes while making critical decisions amidst market turbulence. Adam eloquently describes how seasoned traders master the art of non-attachment, disentangling their identities from their trading activities, whilst

Susquehanna International Group (SIG) is renowned as one of the world’s leading global proprietary trading firms, highly esteemed for its entrepreneurial ethos and meticulous analytical decision-making processes. Founded with a mindset rooted in entrepreneurship, SIG engages in trading various listed financial products and asset classes across the globe on a daily basis. The company attracts top-tier talent, employing both quantitative and discretionary approaches to maintain its position at the forefront of the industry.They combine a profound understanding of specialized markets and traded products with a rigorous decision-making methodology grounded in probabilistic thinking, game theory, and a keen focus on signal detection and low-latency performance. This approach solidifies SIG&apos;s commitment to maintaining their eminent standing in the trading world.In this episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Todd Simkin, currently the CEO of their Re-in

In today&apos;s episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Jonny Matthews, a true luminary in the finance industry boasting an impressive 28-year track record. Jonny&apos;s journey commenced during the legendary &apos;Liar&apos;s Poker&apos; era at Salomon Brothers. Jonny later ascended to prominence as a Portfolio Manager, adeptly overseeing up to $500 million in assets at the renowned hedge fund Brevan Howard. Before his tenure at Brevan Howard, Jonny honed his craft at Citibank, where he mastered equity derivatives trading , ultimately ascending to the role of Managing Director and leading a substantial trading team.Remarkably, Jonny remains an active trader today, driven by his unwavering focus on macroeconomic trends and their profound influence on the markets.In addition to his illustrious career, Jonny shares his profound market wisdom through his widely acclaimed newsletter, presently known as &quot;Macroscope,&quot; soon to be rebranded as

This week we talk with Robert Van Eyden, author of Badass Trader: How to Trade Your Way to RichesRobert is a true veteran of the markets with over three decades of invaluable experience in the dynamic world of markets, predominantly in his home country, South Africa.Robert&apos;s remarkable journey has seen him excel as an analyst, trader, investor, lecturer, and wealth manager. Currently he serves as the CEO of IG Markets South Africa.The central premise of &quot;Badass Trader&quot; revolves around the tantalizing notion that as barriers to entry for traders have diminished, the doors have been opened to a realm of untapped potential and virtually boundless earning capabilities for people keen to develop their own trading practice. However, there is a twist, and that is that though it appears deceptively easy is, it is in truth, a

Life, markets and trading, often tries to wear you down, challenging your confidence, and shattering your self-belief. This week&apos;s guest on the AlphaMind Podcast takes us on a unique journey, deviating from our usual guests. Once you hear what she has to say, you&apos;ll hopefully recognise its relevance not only to your trading but also to much broader and deeper aspects of your work and life.Maria Iliffe-Wood is a seasoned Executive Coach and specialist in Leadership Development. She is the author of two books, one aimed at coaches, focusing on developing their coaching presence, a vital skill in coaching and other high-performance fields. However, it&apos;s her recently published second book, <a href='https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caged-Mind-Spiritual-Understanding-Changed/dp/1838333053/ref=asc_df_1838333053/?tag=googshopuk-21&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=606653503569&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=15114702112702270585&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp

In this captivating podcast episode, Co-host Steven Goldstein delves into the intriguing world of trading and markets, offering insightful thoughts and reflections. Drawing from his extensive experience spanning nearly four decades, Steven explores what the markets truly need from you as a trader in order for it to emerge victorious, at the expense of you the trader.Prepare to embark on a journey deep into the intricacies of the &apos;Inner Game&apos; of trading. Steven&apos;s wealth of knowledge and expertise, acquired through his roles as a trader at the forefront of markets and as a performance coach working closely with traders from various market segments, enables him to provide a unique and enlightening perspective.Throughout the episode, listeners gain exclusive access to Steven&apos;s valuable insights, shaped by his unwavering proximity to the pulse of markets, and which also provides us with a glimpse of some of the topics and themes, covered in his new

Clive Ponsonby graduated from Cambridge University as a Mathematician and then ventured into the dynamic and unpredictable world of Spot FX trading in the 1990s. This move was unconventional for someone with a highly academic background, transitioning to an environment dominated by fast-paced, streetwise, and quick-witted traders, many of whom hailed from non-academic backgrounds.Clive developed a deep passion for this wild world and quickly applied his own skills and abilities to excelling in this space. Over the next two decades, Clive thrived in FX trading, securing positions at some of the world&apos;s leading Investment Banks. His journey started at Bankers Trust, a renowned hub of trading talent in the 1980s and 1990s, followed by the Swiss Banking giant UBS, and finally culminating at JP Morgan, where he served as an Executive Director of FX trading until his departure from the banking world in 2018.In this interview, Clive candidly shares his experiences

In the enticing world of trading, where money, glory, and glamour beckon, millions are drawn each year, hoping to strike it rich. Yet, only a fraction ever truly succeed, and even those who do often emerge battered, bruised, and occasionally traumatized.In this week&apos;s podcast, we have the privilege of speaking with someone who has traversed the unpredictable landscape of trading, enduring numerous ups and downs along the way. Meet David Hale, a seasoned proprietary trader with over two decades of experience. David&apos;s firsthand account is chronicled in his self-published book, &apos;Cash Rules: Reminiscences of a Prop Trader.&apos; Unlike the glossy portrayal often associated with trading, David presents an unvarnished and honest perspective.During our conversation, David delves into the dizzying heights of triumph and the heart-wrenching lows of failure, recounting tales of immense gains and devastating losses. He fearlessly explores the depths of despai

In this episode, we dive deep into the concept of &apos;Radical Responsibility&apos; with Mandi Rafsanjani, a performance coach who specializes in trading psychology. Mandi defines Radical Responsibility as an extreme form of accountability, where one takes full ownership of their actions and the outcomes, even in the face of external events beyond their control. Mandi first came across this concept while working with trading legend Linda Raschke, who demonstrated exceptional resilience and adaptability in dealing with setbacks - a common occurrence in the world of trading. Inspired by Linda&apos;s approach, discusses with us how practicing Radical Responsibility can help traders develop the emotional fitness required to navigate the highs and lows of the market.In this vibrant conversation, we explore the nuances of Radical Responsibility and its relevance to trading, and its connections to building self-awareness, developing a mindset for high performan

This week’s AlphaMind podcast episode on fear and greed in trading features a true expert on the subject - Dr. Ken Long. Though retired from the US Army after 25 years’ service where he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Ken is still actively teaching as an Associate Professor at US Army Command &amp; General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He is currently supervising multiple master’s theses focused on applying AI to military decision making. Ken&apos;s trading journey began in the 1990s when he started investing in mutual funds. Since then, he&apos;s become an exceptional big-picture thinker and tactical trader. He has also applied his love of trading, teaching, and inspiring others, by delivering a series of workshops for the Van Tharp Institute. But that&apos;s not all, Ken has also completed a Ph.D in Organisational Development, and teaches at several universities including Colorado Tech University and City University, Seattle. Aside from being a

In this episode, we chat with Cory Mitchell, who has been a successful prop trader for some twenty years. Cory shares his reflections on the development of what it takes to deliver consistent and profitable trading results over a long period of time, and he offers some invaluable thoughts on trading and dealing with the challenges of making decisions in the moment and coping with those voices in our heads that can hold us back. Cory started trading with a local prop firm in Canada, after graduating college two decades ago. Helping to pave the way for others in the trading world, he&apos;s written extensively on the subject, been a regular contributor on Investopedia and has also coached traders.In this episode of the podcast, we discuss psychological aspects of trading and strategies that can be implemented to overcome such obstacles. His honest and powerful reflections on what it takes to sustain a successful career as a trader have resulted in an incredible int

The battle for success in trading, is not a battle fought in the market, on your trading screen, or in the dealing rooms of a major trading firm, it’s a battle which takes place in those few inches between your left ear, and the right one. In this episode we talk with Jon MacAskill, a former US Navy Seal commander, and Will Schneider, a well-known Mindfulness Guru from New York, who together host ‘Men Talking Mindfulness’, a brilliant podcast series which brings together superb guests to talk about Mindfulness, and Healthy Mental Functioning, from a male perspective. We explore with Jon and Will what Mindfulness means, how it so much more than a few 5 minutes sessions on an App, and how it empowers people to perform as a far higher level so that they can win that battle in the few inches between their ears. This episode goes in-depth on a subject which is still largely seen as a new-age holistic practice, rather than an activity, which, when time, energ

The world of sports and high-performance offer so many great metaphors and analogies for trading, where the mind, and the noises in our head, can become the blocker to the potential people possess. In this episode we talk with Simon Mundie, a leading sports journalist, radio and tv broadcaster, author, and coach. Simon hosted a superb podcast featured on the BBC, which looks at the lessons people can learn from the world of sports and high performance. On the podcast, Simon has interviewed top athletes, tennis greats, Olympic champions, coaches, and outstanding performers from across the world of elite sports.  Simon shares his thought about how elite performers deal with the pressure which enables them to excel in key moments. He tells  us about how high performers manage to develop the psychological flexibility to master the uncomfortable feelings, which are part of our human nature, and which have the propensity to disrupt their flow.A key skill Simon talks a

Jacob is a young trader from Denmark who is still going through the relative early stages of his trading career. As you will hear in this interview, Jacob has a wise head on young shoulders. Jacob discovered a passion for investing, then trading, in his mid-teens. He has since dived into trading with gusto learning the basics of trading, developing his trading skills, learning technical analysis, developing systematic trading capabilities, reading influential writers on trading, in particular the works of Mark Douglas. In addition, he worked on developing himself, learning and applying stoic attitudes, and gaining a sense of how markets work and how to best work with them, and the uncertainty that is part of their structure.This is a terrific interview which gets into the early stage development of a trader, with someone still going through these early stage experiences. However, it will be of interest to traders at all levels, as they reflect on th

We&apos;re delighted to welcome back a friend of the show Jonathan Baird, an award-winning money manager and publisher of the Global Investment Letter, who speaks and writes about macro themes in markets based on this his many decades of experience in this area.  2022 was the year when having a handle on the macro-economic narrative was to prove hugely advantageous. Understanding the macro and building it into your read of the markets is vital for traders who wish to gain an edge in markets whilst seeking to insulate themselves from market shocks.  In this episode we talk about how to be more aware of these factors in markets, and how to combine and successfully fuse macro fundamental analysis, market valuation, technical analysis, and market sentiment into a coherent risk approach. Learn more about the Global Investment Letter at: https://www.globali

Trading legend Marty Schwartz aka Pitbull said, &quot;the most important change in my trading career occurred when I learned to divorce my ego from the trade.&quot;The ego gets a bad wrap in trading, and often seen as the enemy. But is this the right way to look at it? The ego is very much part of us, part of who we are, part of our nature, our soul. How can it be the enemy? That makes us the enemy.  And yet, often it feels like it is, with its ability to act in ways which are malicious and malign. Learning to understand your ego, and how it works, may be a more productive way forward than trying to ignore it, or shut it down. In this episode, we explore the ego, its impact on you and your trading, and how better to understand it, and work with it, rather than to fight yourself, with all the mental and physical costs that entails.  _______________________________________________________________________________________Al