“Let Yourself Off the Hook, Would You Get Mad at a Child for Not Knowing How to Walk?” @Dave_G
In Members in Profile, we interview stand-out members that show strong aptitude and work ethic. Our goal is to highlight different folks so that you can see the effort that our members are putting into their trading and hopefully learn from their experiences of the Convergent Trading Community.
We hope you enjoy hearing what @Dave_G has to say!
What brought you into trading?
Well, I’m going to date myself here, but the advent of the Financial News Network (FNN) was my very first experience with something trading/finance related. My dad used to watch it constantly. I was just a kid, but the charts and ticker tape fascinated me. I remember being genuinely intrigued even as a child. Fast forward to around 2009, and I started watching CNBC which re-kindled the fire.
I tried day trading equities and quickly ran into the Pattern Day Trading Rule. I was a member of Day Trading Radio, and FT71 was a guest there often at that time. I didn’t even know what a futures contract was at that time, but I started following FT71 and learning volume profiling. In hindsight, I consider myself very lucky to have found him right at the start. I continued to follow him through three brokerages, and eventually Convergent, though I didn’t join right away.
What do you like most about Convergent?
I joined Convergent in July 2023 so I had a lot of trading experience by then, but was still not consistently profitable. A lot of the material at Convergent I already knew, but there are a few key things. The first thing is the unrestricted access to FT71 and the Mavens. This was my main reason for joining.
Dovetailing into that is my second favorite thing at Convergent, which is the Group Mentoring Session (GMS) webinars. I cannot stress enough the MASSIVE benefit of having career professional traders look at your work, progress, and trading stats. It’s absolutely invaluable. I am also a big fan of the online public journals. It forced me to make my journal more polished and presentable to other traders. This, in turn, forced me to be more professional and accountable.
How have these aspects helped you grow as a trader?
The GMS webinars have helped me tremendously. Having career professionals look at your trading situation will make you see things from a different perspective and also, they will have ideas that you’ve likely never thought of. One specific thing I have put into practice is to break down my trading stats to expectancy per setup. This made me see which setups were working and which were not. The online journal has forced me to be more accountable and professional. Knowing that your journal is going to be public to the members will make you step up your journaling game.
Do you have a favorite community quote or webinar?
“What kind of trader are you?” This was a question that CT Maven BrianB asked all the time. He came back to it repeatedly. I set out to answer this question on paper and it really made me think. It made me zoom out and take a 30,000 ft view of my trading. It made me look at my trading as a whole and I ultimately discovered that I am a way better trader when I trade less often, in a more calm market. Again, I was an experienced trader coming into Convergent, but answering this one question had a big impact on my trading.
Do you have any advice for new members?
My advice to new novice traders would be to take it SLOW. This is going to be a long journey. Go through the Trade Right program and the key webinars. Absorb the information. Also, let yourself off the hook. As FT71 has said on numerous occasions, “would you get mad at a child for not knowing how to walk?” Of course you wouldn’t. For new experienced Convergent members, go directly to the Key Webinars for study and participate in the GMS webinars. Show the Mavens what you are doing, regardless of what you think of your work, or if you think you’re not ready. Take advantage of this invaluable resource that Convergent provides with your membership.
What is your favorite non-trading activity/hobby?
I have recently taken up wildlife photography. I like it because it gets me out in nature and forces me to reset and be fully involved in something other than trading. I’m also a huge radio nerd. Amateur radio, broadcast radio, repairing old radios, building amateur radio transmitters, antennas, etc. I’m a motorcycle mechanic and have always been fascinated with technical things and things I can build.
Have you participated in the #TradeRight program/challenges? What discoveries have you made?
Yes. I did it when I first joined Convergent. I definitely recommend it to new traders, and experienced traders as a refresher. FT has always recommended the coin toss exercise, ever since the beginning. I did it a long time ago and I remember it vividly. It will help you realize that even random trading has an edge.