Kaycee: the baking trading grandma…

Paul: Hi Kaycee. I feel like I have known you for a long time, but you are only a name in the trading room, we have never met! But as you have been one of the active people I have gotten to “know” you a bit and have been amazed.

Kaycee: And that is because I am an active trader and a grandmother?

Paul: Exactly! It cracks me up for you to leave for a while, come back and exit a trade, and say that you were baking for the family coming over later.

Kaycee: Well, time is precious. And trading lets me do that.

Paul: Tell me about how you got started.

Kaycee: I have been trading for more than 20 years after leaving a 15-year career in an unrelated field.  When I began trading, I discovered that it was difficult to find quality education, or training, for this type of work.

Paul: Yes, it certainly is.

Kaycee: I think that being able to learn from you early in my journey enabled me to avoid many of the mistakes that blow up accounts before new traders have time to understand and develop the skills necessary to succeed.

Paul: Well, thank you, but you obviously did develop the skills. Many do not learn properly or do not have the discipline. Congrats to you. You are a member of the DTS Trading Room. How long have you been there?

Kaycee: I have been a member of the DTS trading room since it began. I started being trained by you years ago and still learn from you in ways that help me improve my trading results. The room is a great place to get trade ideas each day, and trading can be a lonely career if you don’t have a group of colleagues to spend part of the day with. 

Paul: So you are a day trader? A day trading, baking, grandmother, if I have all that correct?

Kaycee: Well, actually I also do long term trading, or “investing” as some might call it.

Paul: Impressive. How much time do you spend on you trading?

Kaycee: I typically spend 2 to 3 hours in the morning preparing for the day and trading until 10:30 or 11:00 ET and then I check back in periodically until the market closes.

Paul: So you are “free” after 11:00 ET? I assume you are checking in to manage your positions. Does that take up a lot of time?

Kaycee: The trading apps that many brokers have for your tablet or smart phone are great for checking on your positions and managing them without being tethered to your desk. I don’t know of another job where I could have the combination of flexibility and earning power that I have with trading.

Paul: Fantastic. For a couple of the other interviews, I asked about their future in trading. But you ARE there. You have had your future come true; you have been trading 20 years.

Kaycee: Yes, I have, and I can’t imagine stopping. I like the structure for my mornings, I like continuing to provide for my family, I like that this work keeps my brain agile and active. I like that at my age I still have a career where no board can insist I retire, and yet my time is my own. If someone needs me (for example I am watching one of my granddaughters for a short while this morning) I do not need to trade on any particular day for any certain amount of time. I can continue to put my family first while maintaining all of the other benefits of trading

Paul: I think what my favorite part of your story is Kaycee, that you value time. You are family first, and you make your money in the morning, from your home, and enjoy your time. That is the ultimate goal for anyone. Thanks for your time.

Pierce: the recent high school graduate… 

Paul: Hi Pierce, how long have you been trading?

Pierce: I have been studying under DTS since late 2020 and actively trading for a little over a year now.

Paul: I understand you recently graduated high school?

Pierce: I am a proud graduate of the chaotic class of 2020! What a year.

Paul: What got you interested in trading?

Pierce: My father actually. I had never thought that trading markets could be a reliable source of income. I was skeptical, to say the least. After looking into trading more and being at some DTS events, I started to take a lot more interest in trading. It was clear to me that you know what you are talking about and practice the very things you teach every day. It made this idea of trading something that was real.

Paul: How long were you interested in trading before you got an education?

Pierce: I didn’t spend much time messing around before getting a proper education. I spent a few months watching YouTube or on the free stuff page at DTS. There probably isn’t a better free resource out there than the Free Stuff Page and that is what got me started; but taking the DTS Seminar Program really made the difference for me. That is what made me a successful trader.

Paul: How did you apply the education you received at DTS?

Pierce: Oh I love this stuff, I probably went overboard when I started to really focus on learning this. I completed all of the given manuals. I made flashcards. I made my own notes and synthesized every piece of information in the seminars. That way I could go through it every day. I broke the seminars up into various sections so I could focus on the things I hadn’t memorized yet. I basically made the home study course before it was created at DTS. I spent many hours studying, practicing on paper, attending events, looking at charts, and scanning. It takes work to be good at anything, and this is no exception, but it’s worth it.

Paul: What challenges did you face getting started with trading?

Pierce: One challenge is trying to find reliable information. Trading is full of ads and people who don’t exactly know what they’re doing. Weeding through all the junk to find an instructor or business that can provide you with the information you need is difficult. I can definitely say that if you were lucky enough to stumble upon DTS, or if you were recommended by someone, you’ve found a great place to learn.

Paul: So a big question, you have not been at this long, are you making money?

Pierce: I am. I’m doing quite well and consistently increasing my share size. With the knowledge and experience I’ve gained here at DTS I’m confident I’ll be doing this for the rest of my life and in any market environment. There really isn’t a limit to what I can do or make with trading, I can’t wait to see where it takes me in life.

Paul: What do your parents think of you trading?

Pierce: My father was the one who brought trading to my attention. So at this point, my whole family is proud members of DTS! We even break out the popcorn and sit down together for the different educational events.

Paul: What advantages do you see being a trader?

Pierce: There are almost too many to describe. The biggest one for me is that I can work for myself. There is never a question of whom I answer to, how much money I can make, or how many hours I work. Everything is up to me and that independence is something I’ve always wanted in a career. Aside from that I always have a job. So long as there are markets to trade I’m capable of making money. All I need is a laptop and an internet connection. I can’t think of a better job in life.

Paul: How do you spend your day time-wise?

Pierce: I spend the mornings trading and am done by 11:30 am. By then I’m walking away from the keyboard to manage out positions and get some fresh air. I’ve been making an effort to use that time to get some exercise, study, or better my life in some way. I’m out of all positions by 4 pm to then track the data, and get an evening scan done for the next day. After that my night is almost always free to spend time with friends and family, practice tennis, or do anything else I want to.

Paul: Final question, what are your future plans?

Pierce: I have a lot of things I want to do while I’m still young. I want to be able to travel, play competitive sports, learn new skills, and spend my time with people I care about. But one day, I want to teach this stuff. I absolutely love trading and I want to be able to share the knowledge that truly changed the direction of my life. I think I’d be really good at it. So that may not be soon but is definitely in my plans for the future.

Paul: Thanks Pierce, I enjoyed your comments and I know your success will continue.

Mirnes: the busiest guy on the planet…

Paul: Hi Mirnes, you and I did a video for DTS a while back. I simply felt that you were simply a great example of someone who had no market experience, and learned how to trade. But since then, you have really come around. I take it you have been happy with your progress.

Mirnes: Thank you Paul, making the video was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed sharing my story because I thought a lot of people could relate to it. Like you said I had zero market experience or knowledge before DTS was recommended by a friend of mine. I was doing relatively well back then, but my primary focus was still learning and gaining confidence. I am thrilled with my progress because I have been able to continue to grow as a trader to the point where the money had become very significant.

Paul: That is great. People always want to know; are you making money consistently?

Mirnes: Yes I am. My #1 goal over the last two years was to make money every week. Because of that I have a daily goal and a weekly goal that I strive for. I started out risking very little while gaining confidence and building my account. It was a critical process and allowed me to increase my risk and make the money I am today.

Paul: Fantastic. Something I learned about you since we did that interview amazes me. I always felt I was a busy guy. But could you run down just what you continue to do in addition to your trading?

Mirnes: Besides trading full time, I am a director for a national restaurant group overseeing 10 restaurants in 4 different states. In addition to that, when COVID hit I started a logistics company. Over the last year that company has grown quite rapidly, requiring a lot of my time as well.

Paul: And, you not only trade the mornings, and sometimes pop in over lunch, but you learned to trade while keeping up that schedule?

Mirnes: Correct. I do have to say that 95% of my trades are taken during the first hour of the market open. That’s when my undivided attention goes to trading only. After that like you said I’ll manage out in-between other work and look over the watchlist during lunch. With mobile apps these days half of the day I’m running around managing on my phone. I’ve adapted trading to my life style and what works for me.

Paul: And amazingly, you have another wonderful, but time consuming event happen to you around the beginning of the year, care to share?

Mirnes: Yes! My daughter was born end of last year, making me a father for the first time (that I know of 😆) . She just turned 6 months and I’ll tell you this, I don’t remember life before her. It’s all seems insignificant. She’s my everything.

Paul: Congrats on that. And amazingly, you have continued trading for the most part, every day this year.

Mirnes: I would say a good portion of it, but not everyday. That’s what I love about trading, the fact that its not something I have to do every single day. I make it a priority in my life, but that’s because I chose it to be. There are definitely days that my other project need to take precedence.

Paul: Well, I think you told me you took a couple days off for a golf trip or two!

Mirnes: Yes! I was able to sneak away for a couple days to Palm Springs for some golf with family and friends. We have a trip planned in August, where I will play a bucket list golf course….. Torrey Pines.

Paul: Well, finally, people have to be wondering. I know you do some long term trading, as well as day trading, you are in the room with me. But now that you are trained, how much time do you devote to day trading to getting ready, and once the market opens, how long would you say you are ‘sitting in the chair’ on the typical day.

Mirnes: I have a great routine, and over the years as I’ve gotten better I’ve been able to get ready quicker. Every night I scan about 300 stocks that give me a pretty good idea of what I want to do the next day. That takes me 20-30 minutes on average. In the morning I wake up about an hour before the market opens and scan for gaps. I log into the DTS trading room by 8:30am and prep my favorites for the day. I am actively trading the first hour to hour and a half. After that I’m usually doing my other work and I’ll peak in a couple times throughout the day. Usually managing positions or taking a look at the stocks I designated as lunch time plays. Overall I’m probably averaging 2-3 hours a day.

Paul: Mirnes, thanks for your time, and congrats on your success.