Traders Mastermind

Sponsored by Pepperstone Two traders. Same meetup, same market, same year. One bragged about every win… until the week he vanished, fifty grand down on borrowed money. The other never bragged, and ten years on, he's still trading and thriving. Mark unpacks the one thing that separated them: process over ego, long-term over the quick win.

Most traders are wired to push… bigger size, more strategies, faster progress. But the most successful people in any field share a trait we rarely talk about: they're not afraid to take a step back if it sets up a bigger step forward. If you've been grinding month after month with nothing to show for it, this one's worth a listen. Thanks to Pepperstone for sponsoring this episode.

We all know the high-water mark... fund managers use it for their equity curve highs. Hit a million, lose some, climb back above the old peak before you get paid. But what if you applied that same thinking somewhere else entirely? In this episode, I dig into using high-water marks beyond your account balance. Longest trade held. Most days sticking to your rules. Fewest red days. The longest journa...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Most traders obsess over strategy, mindset, and discipline… but what about creativity? In this episode, Mark explores an idea sparked by a post from " StockBee " (an X trader credited in the new Market Wizards book with helping at least one wizard make hundreds of millions): that progress in trading often comes from thinking creatively, not just logically. Mark unpacks his...

Sponsored by Pepperstone The new Market Wizards book — The Next Generation by Jack Schwager and George Coyle — is out, and before you dive in, there's one thing worth keeping in mind. In this episode, Mark looks back at the series that inspired a generation of traders, from the 1989 original through to today, and shares why these books are gold for any developing trader… as long as you read them t...

Sponsored by Pepperstone If you're a developing trader, should you focus on day trading or swing trading? It's the question everyone asks early on... and my thinking on it has shifted over the years. In this one, I go through the definitions, the usual pros and cons, and then the bit most people skip: the psychological cost. Fast decisions, fast damage. Why beginners fall apart day trading and wha...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Would you get hired by a hedge fund? The traits funds screen for before they let anyone near a book are the same ones that keep a retail account alive. No billions or trading desk required... it's behaviour, discipline and self-awareness. We go through what they look for at hiring, what they demand once you're managing a book, and the honest question underneath it all: wou...

Sponsored by Pepperstone A rapid-fire episode. 10 questions traders have sent in over the past few weeks, answered as honestly as I can in under 10 minutes. In this episode: How much money do you actually need to start trading How long until you're consistently profitable (and why the answer is longer than you want) How to tell if your strategy is broken or just in a drawdown Should you go full-ti...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Most traders are doing the same thing. Same charts, same lines, same indicators. And if everyone's doing the same thing... where's the edge? In this episode, Mark digs into what actually separates the trader who's stuck spinning their wheels from the one putting up the numbers. It's not discipline. It's not risk management. Those are table stakes. It's something else. Some...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Why can't I run my winners? It's one of the most common questions I get from traders. And the obvious answers (be more disciplined, walk away from the screen, trust the trade) usually don't work. So in this episode, I borrow an idea from Rory Sutherland, the Ogilvy behavioural economist: "the question is a lazy formulation of the problem." And I apply it to running winners...

Sponsored by Pepperstone John had his best month ever. Then gave back 70% of it the month after. He asked: Did I crack it, or did I just get lucky? Here's the real answer and the high-watermark trick that stops your brain from sabotaging the run after a good one.

Sponsored by Pepperstone AI has just taken a massive leap. You can now ask it pretty much any question about price action, drop in a free CSV from TradingView, and properly interrogate the data. But most traders are asking the wrong questions. In this episode, Mark breaks down a simple 5-question framework for using AI to support discretionary trading… not replace it. It's not about building quant...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Most traders just pick 1% because someone told them to. But where did that number come from? And does it actually make sense for your goals, your win rate, and your R:R? In this episode I break down how to reverse engineer your risk per trade from your actual trading data. We look at why trade frequency can be a trap, why small changes in R:R massively shift the maths, and...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Charlie Munger used to do something interesting when he was stuck on a problem. Instead of asking how do I succeed, he'd ask how do I guarantee failure… then simply not do that. In this episode I take that idea and apply it to trading. How would you guarantee you never improved? How would you make sure a small loss became a big one? How would you design a routine that burn...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Most traders think they’re struggling because they don’t know enough. In reality… it’s often the opposite. In this episode, Mark breaks down The Curse of the Intellectual Trader . Why smart, successful people often find trading harder than expected, and how overthinking kills performance. You’ll learn: Why intelligence can work against you in the markets How traders confus...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Something happened to me the other day that I wasn't expecting. A woman trapped in a window, fourth floor, covered in blood, screaming for help. I went in. And as I was debriefing afterwards... I realised every skill that kicked in came from trading. Signal vs noise. Risk management. Clarity under pressure. Acting on incomplete information. Being firm first, then calm. Thi...

Sponsored by Pepperstone. Most traders don’t lose because they’re wrong on direction… They lose because they enter too late. They wait for confirmation. They wait to feel safe. And by the time they pull the trigger… The trade is already broken. In this episode, I break down why entry location is one of the most overlooked edges in trading … and how a simple idea, buying on red and selling on green...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Trading stress doesn’t always end when the market closes. In this episode we explore an interesting concept used by the military called “closing the loop.” After missions, soldiers perform simple rituals like cleaning gear and debriefing. These routines aren’t just operational. They signal to the brain that the mission is finished. Without that signal, stress hormones can...

Sponsored by Pepperstone At some point in trading, something changes. Not your strategy. Not your indicators. You change. After enough screen time, enough wins and losses, and enough experience in the markets, traders begin to see risk, uncertainty, and decision-making very differently. In this episode, Mark breaks down the subtle psychological shifts that happen only through experience: Why exper...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Everyone's panicking about AI replacing white collar jobs. Accountants, lawyers, coders, designers... the list keeps growing. But what about us? Will AI solve the markets and put traders out of business? In this episode, I break down why I think trading is one of the few skills AI genuinely can't replace, why algos have been battling each other for decades without "solving...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Have you ever sat at your desk after a bad run and wondered if the exit is the right door? In this episode I walk through three of the greatest traders who ever lived... Jesse Livermore, Paul Tudor Jones, and Stanley Druckenmiller, and the specific moments each of them nearly walked away from trading for good. Livermore went bankrupt and got suspended from the Chicago Boar...

Sponsored by Pepperstone Trading looks obvious in hindsight. In real time, it’s chaos. In this episode, I explore the idea of the fog of war... how decisions are made with incomplete, delayed, and sometimes wrong information, and why trading feels exactly the same. Experience matters. Debriefing matters. And waiting for certainty is rarely the answer.

Sponsored by Pepperstone How long does it really take to become profitable in trading? Not the marketing answer. Not the fantasy timeline. The real one. In this episode, I break down what the journey to consistent profitability actually looks like, why most traders underestimate the time it takes, and why staying in the game matters more than trying to be clever. We’ll talk about: Why volatility s...

Sponsored by Pepperstone If you’re stuck at break even, not losing much but not making much either, and you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, this episode is for you.

Sponsored by  Pepperstone In a perfect world, you’d be sitting in a trading office, surrounded by other traders, high standards, shared prep, honest feedback, and accountability. You’d get better faster just by being there. But most traders don’t have that option. In this episode, I talk about: Why trading offices work so well How collaboration accelerates learning and raises standards Trading bud...