Today, host Tim Bohen interviews Sean Dekmar, a 25-year-old trader who began his career in college and never had to get a “real” job after he graduated — all due to his trading success.

At the SteadyTrade Podcast, our goal is to inspire and inform aspiring traders. What better way to do that than by offering insight into the minds of traders who are slaying in the markets?

Tune in to learn all about Sean’s ascent to trading in the green, including which setups work for him and what he wants new traders to know.

Sean’s Story

Still merely 25 years old, Sean began trading as a college sophomore at age 20. At the time, he was a typical college student … not inspired by much and not exactly sure what he wanted to do with his future.

Suffering from a little ennui, he realized that his college studies were basically prepping him to be, well, an average person. He felt bound for entry-level positions and wages, staggering student loans, and tons of debt.

Wise beyond his years, he realized before he was even of legal drinking age that he wanted something different. “So many people are scared to walk a different path,” he notes in the episode.

But not Sean. He wanted to be different. He wanted to be successful, and he wanted to hit his financial goals.

Getting Started as a Trader

So here’s how Sean got into trading: he googled “how to get rich.” Three things came up:

• Real estate
• Starting a business
• The stock market

Because of his student status, real estate was a reach, as was starting a business. But the stock market actually seemed possible, and that’s the route he chose.

Sean was immediately attracted to the lifestyle, so he decided to devote himself wholly to his studies. Within 11 months, he reports that he was a profitable trader.

So what can you learn from him?

Start Slow

Sean knows it all too well: you want to have the success that other traders have. But seriously: you need to take it slow.

Just because you have $5K or $10K in the bank and a will to trade, that doesn’t mean you’re ready. You need to take certain steps and amass knowledge before you can even hope to be an effective trader.

In this episode, Sean explains why this wisdom isn’t mean to be a downer — it’s meant to save your account. He offers tips from his own past, including how he paper-traded for a full year to prepare himself for the real markets.

Be Ready to Work Hard

As Sean notes, only about 10–15% of traders will actually make money. Let’s frame this a little differently: This means that to succeed, you must outperform 85% of traders.

Are you willing to put in the work to be in that coveted top tier of traders? That’s the mindset required to be a successful trader.

Don’t Expect to Make a Fortune

Sean saved up, borrowed money from a friend, and started with about $2,500 in his trading account. He reports that he then grew this account from $2,500 into $18K in about a year. While that’s impressive, it’s far from millions!

Sure, there are crazy outliers who can turn such an account into a million dollars in short periods of time … but don’t expect to be one of them. Continually shooting out of your range can lead to devastating losses. Instead, focus on slow but steady growth because these are the wins that mount over time.

How Does Sean Trade?

Sean identifies as “a huge momentum trader.” And in the episode, he explains some of his favorite approaches, including:

• Squeezing between indicators
• Low float stocks with BIG news

He also explains his process, including how he’s up early every morning to catch the first wave of PR releases at 7 a.m., looking for any edge on the trading day. This also gives him time to study the news, check things out, and beat the mob (the majority of buyers). According to him, that’s vital for traders.

Curious About Something?

Got a question about Sean or trading in general?

Please ask! If we choose your question to address on air, you could win a SteadyTrade mystery gift box. Don’t be shy … we love to hear from our listeners. You can send questions via the SteadyTrade website, YouTube, or by email.

Thanks for tuning in to the SteadyTrade podcast. Stay tuned for weekly episodes featuring the hottest topics for aspiring traders.

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