Episode #8 - Flow State and Cultivating Agency

Episode #12 - Eat, Sleep, Trade, Repeat

🎙️ Episode 12: Eat, Sleep, Trade, Repeat 🧠 Episode Description: In this episode of Risk On, Ben dives deep into the performance factors that alot of people ignore - but absolutely shouldn’t: sleep, diet, and mental clarity. While the trading world obsesses over strategies, indicators, and market news, this episode uncovers a different game to edge - the one between your ears. Backed by research, field-tested routines, and personal experience, Ben explores how sleep deprivation impacts pattern recognition, how the wrong breakfast can sabotage your morning session, and why five minutes of silence before the bell could save your whole day. You’ll hear: * What two academic papers reveal about how poor sleep and distraction lower market performance. * Why treating your body like part of your trading system gives you an edge. * The underrated power of journaling, meditation, and pre-market rituals. Whether you're running on caffeine and hope, or already looking to optimise your edge beyond the chart, this is the episode you didn’t know you needed. 📌 Challenge of the week: Pick one small habit—better sleep, a cleaner meal, or five minutes of calm—and watch what changes. 🎧 Plug in, take notes, and sharpen the edge no one’s talking about.

Episode #11 - The Social Media Mirage

📘 Episode Description: In this episode, we dive headfirst into the world of curated success, FOMO, and the mental pitfalls social media creates for traders. If you've ever felt behind, overwhelmed, or not "good enough" after scrolling through endless posts of winning trades and luxury lifestyles, this episode is for you. We'll explore how social media skews our perception of success in trading, how to identify when it's triggering anxiety, and - most importantly - how to reclaim your focus, confidence, and peace of mind. Learn how to build trading confidence grounded in personal growth and process, not profit screenshots. And walk away with real strategies to curate your information intake, protect your mental game, and thrive in a social media-saturated world. Whether you're a new trader feeling discouraged or a seasoned one looking to protect your edge, this episode will help you rise above the illusion and stay locked into your journey. 📌 Topics Covered: * The Psychology of Curated Success * Recognising Social Media-Induced Trading Anxiety * Building Authentic Confidence as a Trader * Strategies for Healthy Information Consumption * Practical Tools to Reframe Your Social Media Experience 💬 Final Message: Stop comparing. Start focusing. Your trading journey is valid, valuable, and uniquely yours. Let social media fuel your learning—not your self-doubt. 📝 References & Sources: 1. Antonacci, G. (2023). Selling the Dream: The Psychology of Trading Gurus on Social Media. Financial Psychology Journal, 14(2), 131–137. 2. Barber, B. M., & Odean, T. (2013). The Behavior of Individual Investors. Handbook of the Economics of Finance, 2, 1533–1570. 3. Gasiorowski, D. (2020). How FOMO Impacts Trading Performance: Experimental Evidence. Journal of Behavioral Finance, 21(2), 77–85. 4. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 5. Kirkpatrick, C. D., & Dahlquist, J. R. (2010). Technical Analysis: The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians. FT Press. 6. Pinker, S. (2018). Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress. Penguin Books. 7. Ritholtz, B. (2019). Social Media and the Problem of Survivor Bias in Trading. Bloomberg Opinion. 8. Ross, L., & Sicoly, F. (1979). Egocentric Biases in Availability and Attribution. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(3), 322–336. 9. Statista. (2024). Percentage of Retail Traders Who Are Profitable Long-Term. Retrieved from www.statista.com [https://www.statista.com] 10. Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement. Atria Books. 11. Ward, A. F. (2020). Why Scrolling Makes Us Miserable. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from www.hbr.org [https://www.hbr.org] 12. Zweig, J. (2021). Your Money and Your Brain. Simon & Schuster.

Episode #10 - History Special: The Livermore Legacy

In this powerful episode of Risk On, we step into the dramatic and often jaw-dropping life of Jesse Livermore – the man who shorted the 1907 and 1929 stock market crashes and walked away with millions, only to lose it all multiple times. Known as the “Boy Plunger” and the “Great Bear of Wall Street,” Livermore's career is a gripping tale of triumph, tragedy, and timeless trading wisdom. We break down: * Livermore’s legendary trades during the 1907 Panic and the 1929 Crash * The trading principles that made him millions – and the lapses that cost him everything * Why Reminiscences of a Stock Operator is still required reading for traders * How Livermore might approach today’s algorithm-driven markets * Practical takeaways for swing and intraday traders, blending Livermore’s wisdom with modern tools Packed with quotes, dramatic storytelling, and insights for traders of all experience levels, this episode is both a tribute and a tactical guide. Whether you’re trading from your laptop or managing institutional capital, Livermore’s rules on trend-following, risk control, and patience remain essential. 📘 Episode Highlights: * 1907: Short-selling through chaos – how Livermore made millions during a panic * 1929: The ultimate contrarian play – how he foresaw the biggest crash in history * How he read the "tape" before indicators even existed * What Livermore would do with Level II, algos, and order flow today * How to apply his principles in real trades right now. 🔔 Subscribe now and don’t miss next week’s episode, where we unpack the Comparison Trap and the impact of Social Media and the Illusion of Trader Success. 📚 References (Alphabetical): * Lefèvre, E. (1923). Reminiscences of a Stock Operator. George H. Doran Company. * O’Neil, W. J. (2002). How to Make Money in Stocks. McGraw-Hill. * Seykota, E., Schwager, J. D. (1992). Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders. Wiley. * Smitten, R. (2001). Jesse Livermore: World's Greatest Stock Trader. Wiley. * TraderLion. (2021). Jesse Livermore's Trading Rules. www.traderlion.com [https://www.traderlion.com] * Tudor Jones, P. (2004). Paul Tudor Jones Interview – Market Wizards Series. * Unknown Author. (n.d.). The Wisdom of Jesse Livermore. Various collected quotes and archives. * Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Jesse Livermore. Wikipedia.

Episode #9 - You Need to Hear This

In this raw and deeply personal episode, I open up about the emotional weight of trading while carrying the real-life bills, setbacks, and the desire to create a better life for someone you love. I share my recent struggles, the emotional cycles of greed and guilt, and the hard lessons learned about discipline, structure, and staying grounded in purpose. This isn't just about charts or strategy, it's about what happens when you're in the fire, trying to hold it all together. If you're walking through a tough season, this one’s for you.

Episode #8 - Flow State and Cultivating Agency

🎙️ Episode 8 – Flow State and Cultivating Agency In this episode of Risk On, Ben dives into one of the most counterintuitive truths in trading: the harder you try, the worse your results can get. Welcome to The Performance Paradox - where effort becomes the enemy of flow, over-optimisation ruins your models, and intuition quietly holds the key to long-term success. We explore: 🔹 The psychology of flow states and how ease - not effort - drives elite performance 🔹 Why over-optimising your strategy can destroy its real-world resilience 🔹 The neuroscience of gut feelings and how top traders leverage intuitive intelligence 🔹 How to train your “trading instinct” while managing emotions and avoiding mental noise 🔹 The hidden blocks that stop your intuition from showing up when you need it most #Trading #RiskManagement #DayTrading #SwingTrading #TradingPsychology #TradingPodcast Reference List Baylor, A. L. (2001). A U-shaped model for the development of intuition by level of expertise. New Ideas in Psychology, 19(3), 237–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0732-118X(01)00008-5 Bruguier, A. J., Quartz, S. R., & Bossaerts, P. (2010). Exploring the nature of “trader intuition.” Journal of Finance, 65(5), 1703–1723. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2010.01592.x Coates, J. M., & Herbert, J. (2008). Endogenous steroids and financial risk taking on a London trading floor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(16), 6167–6172. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0704025105 Dane, E., & Pratt, M. G. (2007). Exploring intuition and its role in managerial decision making. Academy of Management Review, 32(1), 33–54. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2007.23463682 Fenton-O’Creevy, M., Soane, E., Nicholson, N., & Willman, P. (2011). Thinking, feeling and deciding: The influence of emotions on the decision making and performance of traders. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(8), 1044–1061. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.720 Gurnell, M., Kandasamy, N., Garfinkel, S. N., Page, L., Hardy, B., Critchley, H. D., & Coates, J. M. (2016). Interoceptive ability predicts survival on a London trading floor. Scientific Reports, 6, Article 32986. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep32986 Hagen, H. (2024, July 26). Intuitive intelligence and 8 common blocks that impact it. Forbes Coaches Council. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2024/07/26/intuitive-intelligence-and-8-common-blocks-that-impact-it/ Hogarth, R. M. (2001). Educating intuition. University of Chicago Press. Isham, A., & Jackson, T. (2023). Finding flow: Exploring the potential for sustainable fulfilment. Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity, University of Surrey. https://www.cusp.ac.uk/publications/flow-report-2023/ Khatri, N., & Ng, H. A. (2000). The role of intuition in strategic decision making. Human Relations, 53(1), 57–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726700531004 Lieberman, M. D. (2000). Intuition: A social cognitive neuroscience approach. Psychological Bulletin, 126(1), 109–137. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.1.109 Salas, E., Rosen, M. A., & DiazGranados, D. (2010). Expertise-based intuition and decision making in organizations. Journal of Management, 36(4), 941–973. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206309350084 Simon, H. A. (1987). Making management decisions: The role of intuition and emotion. Academy of Management Executive, 1(1), 57–64. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.1987.4275905 Starks, A. (n.d.). Be careful what you wish for: The perils of over-optimization. Medium. https://austinstarks.medium.com/be-careful-what-you-wish-for-the-perils-of-over-optimization-2f1a84ef907f Trading Literacy. (2024). Intuitive trading strategy: Unveiling the path to market mastery. https://tradingliteracy.com/intuitive-trading-strategy/ Vohra, S., & Fenton-O’Creevy, M. (2014). Intuition, expertise and emotion in the decision making of investment bank traders. In M. Sinclair (Ed.), Handbook of research methods on intuition (Ch. 7). Edward Elgar Publishing.