Trading Nut | Trader Interviews - Forex, Futures, Stocks

Cam Hawkins
  • 4.6 (225)
  • Investing
  • Updated Weekly

Trader interviews with people who actually trade — forex, futures, stocks, and the process behind consistent results. Hosted by Cam Hawkins. Educational only; not financial advice.

  1. 6d ago

    His Simple Method to Extract $20,000 Payouts From Prop Firms w/ Joseph Pena

    12-year veteran trader Joseph Pena (Fibs Don't Lie) returns to share how he traded a corporate cubicle for an RV, using a horizontal prop firm strategy and 3-minute Wick Zones to pull consistent $20,000 payouts with minimal screen time. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/joseph-pena/ Key moments - [00:53] Discipline means taking only one trade per day, win or lose, to build solid long-term confidence. - [02:44] Heavy multi-monitor setups are unnecessary; trading from a single laptop prevents over-analysis and physical clutter. - [03:30] Limit your market exposure to 90 minutes (e.g., 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM Eastern) to preserve psychological capital. - [04:03] Evaluate your performance using large clusters of trades rather than focusing on emotional daily or weekly outcomes. - [08:49] Treat prop firm costs horizontally: spending $1,000 on multiple challenges to net a $15,000 to $20,000 payout is a highly viable statistical edge. - [09:23] Diversify risk horizontally across multiple prop firms instead of putting all your eggs into a single vertical master account. - [10:55] Never "marry" a prop account; treating them as temporary, disposable tools prevents the fear of losing them. - [15:20] Horizontal trading spreads risk across multiple prop accounts, whereas vertical trading concentrates all risk on one personal account. - [19:24] Avoid generic timeframes like the 1-hour or 4-hour; instead, analyze the 3-minute, 10-minute, and 3-hour charts to see hidden data. - [20:08] Long wicks left at market open represent heavy liquidity pools that the market highly tends to revisit and fill. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfW1-0dQEGo --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  2. Sep 30

    343: How He Automated His Way to 3,500 Trades a Year w/ Dave Mabe

    Dave Mabe, systematic trading coach and former CTO of Trade Ideas, shares how he transitioned from discretionary trading to running 25 automated strategies, and the single biggest backtesting mistake most traders make. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/dave-mabe/ Key moments - [05:44] Having a full-time job and trading on the side forces you to focus on a small window, preventing you from strategy-hopping. - [11:53] Discretionary traders can look at situations and figure out when to 'swing the bat hard,' but it is a very difficult skill to master. - [14:30] My very first backtest of my discretionary strategy actually performed better than my manual execution. - [18:12] The only thing harder than coming up with your first profitable trading strategy is coming up with your second. - [19:08] The biggest mistake in backtesting is trying to shoot for the final version of a strategy on your very first run. - [20:01] Your first backtest should have no filtering; instead, add custom columns for every indicator and optimize using that dataset. - [27:44] Scale wide by adding more automated trades across smaller timeframes, rather than just increasing your position size. - [30:54] A good backtesting software must be able to scan the entire US equities market and allow custom columns. - [39:42] When using Claude to write backtest code, give it a specific chart setup where a trade should occur to let it self-verify. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJIx4aNF49o --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  3. Sep 23

    342: Turning $200 into $50k in 45 Days & His Heikin Ashi 'Cheat Code' Strategy

    Vinnie Strothers shares his journey from running a moving company to full-time trading, detailing how he turned a $200 account into $50,000 in just 45 days using a rules-based trend strategy. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/vinnie-strothers/ Key moments - [03:04] Align the daily and four-hour timeframes to establish a higher probability directional bias. - [11:14] Your primary objective as a trend trader must be to catch the impulse move, not the correction. - [13:09] Keep your day job when starting out, trade small, and don't be afraid to take consistent profits. - [14:23] Move your stop loss above break-even immediately once the trade is in profit to protect your mindset and capital. - [16:11] Split standard lot sizes into four smaller positions to secure partials and compound your account effectively. - [19:39] Stop trading naked charts; utilize indicators correctly to remove emotional decision-making from your execution. - [22:44] Master higher timeframe direction using a Simple Moving Average (SMA) on the four-hour chart. - [25:12] Focus on mastering a single strategy that resonates with you rather than trying to combine conflicting systems. - [32:09] Avoid trading on the one-minute timeframe if you are a beginner; zoom out to see the bigger picture. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0amJ2EnC7g --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  4. Sep 16

    How Hans Made $109K in One Day (And Why He Ditched Prop Firms) with Sir Hans Felix

    Hans Felix shares his 11-year trading journey, how he made $109,000 on a single FOMC day, and his mechanical 'Hold Time Psychology' strategy for US30 and Gold. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/sir-hans-felix/ Key moments - [03:54] This is basically freedom at the expense of knowledge that is uncapped. - [06:52] You become the liquidity until you find out... why is it that I see a sell and it turns into a buy? - [10:11] One of the biggest weak points that I had... is how to walk away sooner from a loss. - [12:11] Information overload happens when you try to learn everything instead of finding a simplified system that works for you. - [15:11] My favorite go-to setup is the previous session sweep, one-minute or five-minute break and retest. - [23:32] If your exit is not as tight as your entry, you might not make a dollar. - [28:28] As soon as I saw a hundred and nine thousand, I closed everything. Five minutes after, the market retraced all the way back. - [32:20] If you've bought at least ten to twenty prop firm accounts... you could have just kept on depositing that money into a live account. - [36:42] I pay myself about twenty percent of my gains so that even if I mess up, I still did my part in paying myself. - [43:50] I use a method called hold time psychology... knowing how long the setup usually plays for keeps you from micromanaging. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Ge4u-D5DY --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  5. Sep 11

    DTC 33: Why Trading Psychology Isn't Your Real Problem

    Cam, JJ, and Vatsal break down why emotional trading is actually a symptom of poor preparation, improper risk sizing, and lack of execution rather than a broken mindset. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/33/ Key moments - Emotions are feedback, not your enemy. Trying to eliminate them is impossible; instead, understand what they are telling you about your process [01:49]. - Confidence comes from preparation, not positive thinking. Backtesting and repetition build the muscle memory needed to reduce uncertainty [04:36]. - Risk is often the real psychological problem. If every candle feels threatening, your position size is likely too large [06:47]. - Genuine confidence is earned through evidence and keeping promises to yourself, not motivation [10:37]. - Stop labeling yourself as having a psychological issue. Get to the root cause of your emotions, which is often a fear of stepping out of your comfort zone [15:02]. - Placing a stop loss is not the same as mentally accepting the risk. You must be truly willing to lose that money to trade without emotional suffering [20:38]. - Reading psychology books improves awareness, but awareness alone does not change behavior. Real improvement requires live practice and disciplined execution [23:36]. - Journaling is a must for any serious trader. It acts as a historical record of your growth and highlights your structural strengths and weaknesses [30:18]. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ftvUL1WrM --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  6. Sep 9

    Daniel Holmes: How to Pass Prop Challenges in 2 Days & Scale to Six Figures

    Daniel Holmes shares his aggressive 2-day prop firm passing strategy, how he risks the entire account on trade one, and his 15-minute Gold breakout setup. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/daniel-holmes/ Key moments - [01:50] At 29, depressed and broke, I literally typed 'top earning jobs in the world' into Google and found trading. - [07:13] Adding indicators like EMAs and Bollinger Bands threw away two years of my progress. - [09:34] Longevity in the game is key; if you show up with intent to do better than yesterday, you will improve. - [10:53] With prop trading, blowing accounts is just part of the cycle to get to the payouts. - [12:30] Experience is the only thing that actually forces you to stick to your trading rules. - [16:19] If what you anticipated to happen doesn't happen, you are wrong—start managing the trade immediately. - [18:11] Expect the worst on every trade. The market owes you nothing. - [25:53] Prop firm trading is a cycle of blowing accounts, getting funded, getting a payout, and repeating. - [28:28] On a 50K Topstep challenge, I will risk the entire account on the first trade to make 50% in one day. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tES44PnKtws --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  7. Sep 5

    DTC 32: Why Performance Reviews Separate Consistent Traders From the Rest

    Cam, JJ, and Vatsal break down why structured performance reviews are the ultimate habit for consistent trading, revealing how to track behavioral patterns like tilt and sleep. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/dtc-32/ Key moments - Trading without reviewing is total guesswork; memory is selective and heavily influenced by emotion [02:05]. - Professionals judge themselves by execution (following rules, managing risk) rather than short-term profit and loss [05:55]. - Reviewing trades consistently reveals behavioral patterns, such as how sleep deprivation directly triggers trading tilt [16:23]. - Small, compounded refinements are far more powerful than major, dramatic strategy overhauls [11:03]. - Limiting your trading window to peak performance hours (e.g., 3 hours max) prevents giving back profits during choppy, low-probability sessions [25:30]. - A trading journal should record enough detail to explain why you entered, how you managed, and why you exited a trade [32:12]. - Always review both winning and losing trades; winning trades can often mask poor decisions and lucky mistakes [34:20]. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeN9eB8lksE --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

  8. Sep 2

    Emmitt Smith: Why Your $100K Prop Account is Only $5K (And How He Flipped $98K to $500K)

    Emmitt Smith returns to reveal how he grew a personal CFD account from $98K to $500K in 7 months, and why he is now completely against prop firms. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/emmitt-smith-3/ Key moments - [01:03] Flipping tiny accounts ($5 to thousands) is highly unrealistic due to margin limits. - [02:41] Risking 5% to 8% per trade requires a massive psychological tolerance and acceptance of 'crash out' days. - [03:29] Aim for a 1:3 risk-to-reward ratio with a realistic win rate of 45% to 55% to remain mathematically profitable. - [05:13] A two-part breakout entry system: wait for the breakout, then wait for momentum beyond it, sacrificing 10-30 points to avoid fakeouts. - [11:43] Prop firms squeeze traders with rules like consistency and trailing drawdowns, making it statistically harder to extract money. - [13:53] If a $100k account has a 10% max drawdown, you only have a $10k account. Save up for your own $5k personal account instead. - [15:13] If you only have $1,000 to trade, stay in the workforce and save more capital rather than risking emotional trading on tiny accounts. - [19:21] Strategy must come first to build the data that eventually cures your psychological trading issues. - [28:18] Move your stop loss to break even at 1.5R, then let it run to a fixed 3R target. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoBYTGIvhb8 --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView. NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ FTMO - Buy a challenge and we’ll help you pass it. https://tradingnut.com/go/ftmo/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Trade control unlocked. Finally stick to your plan while you trade. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

See All (527)

4.6
out of 5
225 Ratings

About

Trader interviews with people who actually trade — forex, futures, stocks, and the process behind consistent results. Hosted by Cam Hawkins. Educational only; not financial advice.

Information

You Might Also Like