Trading Nut | Trader Interviews - Forex, Futures, Stocks

Hosted by Cam Hawkins

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Episodes

519

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-NZ

About the show

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.

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60 recent

September 11, 202633 min

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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

September 9, 2026Episode 340

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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

September 5, 202640 min

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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

September 2, 2026Episode 339

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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

August 26, 2026Episode 338

338: Why You Keep Blowing Prop Accounts After a Single Loss w/ Joe Trades

Joe Trades shares how he went from 5 years of blowing expensive prop challenges to pulling consistent payouts by limiting himself to 2 trades a day and trading 15m/30m ranges on Gold and Nasdaq. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/joe-trades/ Key moments - [04:14] The only thing stopping me from being a losing trader to break even to a winner was over-trading, revenge trading, and exposing myself to more trades. - [05:48] It's not the valid loss that blows the account; it's what you do after the valid loss that matters. - [06:56] Limit yourself to 1 to 2 valid trades a day to protect your psychology and prevent account blowups. - [12:40] Back in the day, prop challenges forced you to make 16% in a month. Today's cheap futures prop firms are the best opportunity ever to scale slowly. - [15:38] Start small with a single 25K or 50K account. Don't link 5, 10, or 15 accounts until you've proven consistency on one. - [18:09] Avoid trading rounded retail retests because you will often get liquidated or faked out before the real move happens. - [22:39] Keep before and after screenshots of every trade. The 'before' shows why you entered; the 'after' reveals if you managed it out of fear. - [25:21] Instead of moving your stop straight to entry, take partials (e.g., $100) and adjust your stop to a matching negative value (e.g., -$100) to give the trade breathing room. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoO85sXHx8s --- 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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

August 22, 202638 min

DTC 31: The Real Reason Traders Can't Stay Patient

Cam, JJ, and Vatsal dive into why patience is the highest-paid skill in trading, how to distinguish patience from hesitation, and how to handle low-activity weeks. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/dtc-31/ Key moments - Patience isn't inactivity; it is a disciplined trading habit that gets stronger through repetition [01:46]. - The market rewards quality decisions, not sheer activity—sometimes the best trade is no trade at all [02:22]. - FOMO is often ingrained from childhood and is heavily reinforced today by social media displaying selective winning trades [07:15]. - Your patience is tested most before you enter a trade rather than after you are already in it [10:53]. - CFD and forex prop firms often utilize software to widen spreads and create slippage on demo accounts, making futures prop firms a cleaner alternative for low-timeframe traders [19:38]. - To stop trading out of boredom, use a strict written checklist where all criteria must be checked off before execution [30:12]. - Patience follows your trading plan, whereas hesitation ignores valid setups out of fear [34:37]. - A quiet market week should never force you to lower your standards or trade low-probability setups [36:03]. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF46H064I-o --- 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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

August 19, 2026Episode 33734 min

337: Why He Swapped 12 Years of Day Trading for Swing Trading w/ Moneyball Austin

Moneyball Austin returns to share why he abandoned day trading after 12 years, how he uses COT data and global macro to stack his edge, and his strict rules on prop firms. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/moneyball-austin/ Key moments - [02:02] After 12 years of day trading, Austin transitioned to swing trading to spend less time monitoring screens and reclaim his lifestyle. - [02:25] Swing trading offers a larger edge, less emotional stress, and higher odds of long-term success compared to day trading. - [03:28] A robust swing trading routine only requires about 30 minutes of chart time in the morning and 30 minutes at night. - [05:16] Anchor your weekly game plan around high-timeframe supply/demand zones and COT institutional positioning. - [06:27] Technical levels alone don't move the markets; central bank policies and macroeconomic data drive the real moves. - [09:19] Don't treat A-plus setups the same as B setups; adjust your reward targets and risk based on the quality of the edge. - [14:17] Scale your risk dynamically (e.g., 0.5% for average setups, 1% standard, up to 2% for A-plus setups). - [16:38] Lowering your risk per trade is the fastest way to solve emotional attachment to PnL and trade execution anxiety. - [18:48] Scale up your risk incrementally (e.g., from $200 to $300, not straight to $500) to build psychological comfort over months. - [22:49] Treat prop firms as temporary stepping stones to fund your own live capital, rather than a permanent business relationship. - [26:10] Having multiple streams of income is crucial so you don't rely on trading profits to pay your immediate living expenses. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j278MehMWj0 --- 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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

August 11, 202640 min

DTC 30: Why Risk Management Alone Won't Make You Profitable

Cam, JJ, and Vatsal explain why risk management is only a tool for capital preservation, not profit generation, and how changing your risk sizes can actually hinder your consistency. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/dtc-30/ Key moments - Risk management doesn't create profits; it simply protects you long enough for your edge to play out [01:25]. - If your strategy has a negative expectancy, risk management will only make you lose your money more slowly [02:10]. - Lowering your risk too much can backfire by removing the emotional stakes, leading you to care less and break rules [07:33]. - Professional traders use risk management to protect their emotional capital, allowing probabilities to play out over time [11:28]. - Accounts are not blown by market volatility, but by trader behaviors like revenge trading and moving stop losses [13:17]. - Vatsal highlights the danger of forcing trades out of a psychological urge to be productive after being away from the charts [19:29]. - Constantly reducing your risk percentage during drawdowns makes recovering losses significantly harder and ruins consistency [28:10]. - A beginner's risk size should be chosen based on what allows them to execute their plan comfortably without emotional triggers [35:37]. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zxYgZmVnU4 --- 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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

August 10, 202640 min

DTC 29: Journey of a Prop Trader - Vatsal

Cam, JJ, and Vatsal debunk the myth that risk management alone creates profitability, explaining why survival is not the same as success and how to protect your emotional capital. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/dtc-29/ Key moments - Risk management protects your capital but does not create profits; it only keeps you alive long enough for your edge to play out [01:25]. - If your strategy has a negative expectancy, risk management will only make you lose your money more slowly [02:10]. - Lowering your risk doesn't solve consistency issues, as execution errors and rule-breaking will still occur regardless of lot size [09:59]. - Professional traders use risk management to protect their emotional capital and maintain consistent execution [11:32]. - Markets don't blow accounts; destructive behaviors like revenge trading, overtrading, and moving stop losses do [13:17]. - Vatsal shares how a desire to 'show results' led him to force a low-probability trade on his second day back after a long break [19:15]. - Scaling down risk percentage during drawdowns (e.g., from 1% to 0.25%) makes recovering losses exponentially more difficult [27:00]. - Beginners should trade a size that allows them to execute their plan comfortably without triggering emotional distress [35:32]. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zxYgZmVnU4 --- 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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.

August 9, 202612 min

DTC 27: Why Understanding Your Strategy Isn't Enough to Stop Rule Breaking

Cam, JJ, and Vatsal answer audience questions on why traders break rules despite knowing their strategies, and how to turn knowledge into execution skills. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/dtc-27-why-understanding-isn-t-execution/ Key moments - Rule-breaking often stems from deep-rooted subconscious wiring and emotional pressure, rather than a lack of strategy comprehension [30:15]. - Journaling and behavior tracking allow you to externally witness your mistakes and address recurring emotional triggers [30:51]. - Understanding and execution are two entirely different skills; disciplined execution requires practice, not more information [31:35]. - To determine if you need practice or education, ask yourself if you are consistently applying what you already know [33:35]. - If you can execute your plan flawlessly but still aren't profitable, that is the sign you need more market education rather than more practice [34:39]. - The fastest way to turn knowledge into skill is by simplifying your strategy, reducing variables, and focusing on one behavior at a time [37:28]. - The market never pays traders for knowing where they should have entered; it only rewards consistent execution of what they already know [38:11]. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSXxosLdJs8 --- 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 market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. 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.