"From Fine Dining to Forex: How a Florida Server Bagged a $10,200 Payout!"
Post Excerpt: Meet a 48-year-old restaurateur who swapped wine sales for forex trading and never looked back. Step into his story of transformation, from being new to trading to banking a $10,000 trade, and learn about the importance of mindset, discipline, and the power of taking the first step.
Tell Us About Yourself, Michael
I am 48 years old and currently live in Florida. I moved here about 7 years ago to get out of the Chicago weather. I have spent most of life working in the restaurant hospitality field. I am currently a server at a fine dining restaurant and spent the previous 15 years of my career in wine sales in the Chicago market. I just got into trading forex about four months ago in December.
What motivated you to start trading?
I have always been intrigued by traders but it seemed something out of reach for me. I have a couple of friends you are extremely successful traders but it seemed like that’s their job and mine is different and trading was just not for me. I had been watching a few “guru” types on YouTube and got introduced to Tradingview. In the beginning Tradingview seemed very complex but the more time I spent on it the more comfortable I became and I enjoyed using and wanted to learn more.
How long have you been engaged in trading?
I bought my first challenge account through any prop firm on Toponetrader in December 2023. While I started back testing on demo accounts in September of 2023.
Why did you choose to trade with Top One Trader over other firms?
Top One Trader seemed to have the biggest bang for the buck financially. However, the true worth of the company has been everything you get after you purchase your first challenge and have the team in your corner.
Could you detail the core components of your trading strategy & how they've contributed to your success?
I like to keep things pretty simple. I try to trade during times of volume. I have found that the end of the London and opening of New York is a good time frame to see some good movement and opportunities. I trade based on moving averages over different time frames. Looking for entry and exits based on the same. I also try to stick with only trading one pair at a time. I have found myself trading different time zones and multiple pairs but I always seem to end up chasing losses instead of racking wins, so now I stick with the early morning market and stick with one currency pair.
Every trader faces setbacks. Can you share a significant challenge you encountered throughout your trading career and how you overcame it?
I spent $1000 and paid full price back in December 2023 for my first challenge and got crushed. I was new to trading and didn’t understand a lot or all of the nuances. Towards the end of the first losing challenge I was trending the right direction and then one bad trade breached my daily limit. I knew I was going to buy another challenge and saw the Christmas sales were gone and full price was back. For a moment I felt like emailing and asking for a discount to try another challenge but here is the lesson and the most important thing I may say: “that is a negative bitch attitude “ and there is no room in trading for it. I was literally asking to pay less money so I wouldn’t be out as much money when I lost another challenge. NO. I pulled the trigger on full price again and convinced myself I would crush it!
What has been your most profitable trade to date?
Last week I banked a $10,000 trade.
Trading can be as much a mental game as strategic. Which mental or psychological strengths do you consider vital for trading, and how have you developed them?
You have to find a successful trading system for yourself and trust in that. Second, would be to have the discipline to know when you are off course and correct it immediately. Remember it’s ok to drawdown, but know the difference of a drawdown and a losing trade.
How has your experience been with the Top One Trader team, from support interactions to the resources provided?
The support you get through Top One Trader is exceptional. I got my first payout 5 days after migrating the US over to Match Trade. From the course you get to Clay’s weekly market recaps, being part of this community is incredible. I feel like I could reach out to Matt or Clay and they would get back to me the same day. Great team and support.
What would you say to someone who is considering but hesitant to start trading with Top One Trader?
You will never reach your goals and dreams if you don’t take action. So, just do it, take that first step; you won’t regret it.
Based on your experiences, what key piece of advice would you offer to someone just beginning their trading journey?
As someone who is a beginner himself, the best advise I would give is to backtest, backtest, and backtest. I spent 15-18 hours a day for months backtesting different strategies.
Takeaways
1. Always be prepared to invest in yourself and your trading education. It’s not just about the money, it’s about the knowledge and skills you gain.
2. Keep your trading strategies simple and stick to them.
3. Backtesting is crucial. Spend time testing different strategies before applying them in the real market.
4. Mindset matters. Have a positive attitude, trust in your trading system, and know when to correct your course.
5. Don’t be afraid to take the first step. You will never reach your goals if you don’t take action.
