Traders Mastermind

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 journaling streak.

None of these moves your PNL on their own... but together they support it, and more importantly, they reframe what progress actually looks like.

Because here's the problem. Especially in those early years, you pour in the effort and the equity curve shows you nothing.

It's a recipe for despondency. So you measure something else. You chase a personal best in the things you know matter, and you start to believe bigger things are possible.

Could be the unlock you need.

Thanks to Pepperstone for sponsoring the episode

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 diagnose-then-prescribe framework for solving trading problems, identifying the biggest domino holding you back, then finding a fix, and shows how adding a "creativity lens" can unlock solutions you'd never reach through pure logic.

He shares real examples, from using a cheap desk timer to slow down impulsive decisions to creative ways of improving your risk-to-reward ratio through smarter entries.

If you're more creatively wired than rule-driven, this reframe might be the unlock you've been looking for.

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 the right way.

Capital at risk. This content is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to trade.

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 what that actually does to your account.

I get into the asymmetry problem too. Why it's so hard to find a true asymmetric trade intraday in normal conditions, and how holding for a few days changes the maths.

Then my honest take on what I'd do if I was starting again now. It's not clear-cut. But on balance I land somewhere.

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: would you hire yourself?