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Please enjoy my monologue The Transformation with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio.
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When I was 16, I read a book that changed the way I saw life. I began to effortlessly notice the causes that produced the effects of life as we know it and experience it every day. Everything was filled with light, and the sensations of touch, smell, taste, and sight were no longer just information from the outside world; they were sensations that, when listened to, all said the same thing: one is all, and all is one.
I carried this awareness within me for years, giving the right words to the right people whenever someone opened their heart to hear the truth.
When I was about 18, I started working. My first job was difficult; it was seasonal work that required me to work 10–12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 3 months, twice a year, for a pittance. I told myself that this would not be my life. Whatever price I had to pay, I would pay it. I didn’t want to be the grateful slave that this system wanted me to become. Since the job took up all my time, I was able to save most of that money.
Thinking about what I liked and what I would like to be doing in 50 years’ time, I thought about sales. I liked quality. I liked dealing with quality products that could do good for people. And the best way to reach as many people as possible was obviously through the internet. So I went to work for a company that was expanding its business with Amazon.
It was even worse. I agreed to earn less than $500 a month because I knew nothing about how to run an Amazon account. I stayed there for a year, learning everything like a sponge — from Amazon models, sales strategies, warehouse management, market analysis, product research, customer service, and more — earning just enough to pay for gas to get to work. During that time, I lived off the money I had saved from my previous job.
When my apprenticeship contract ended, they offered me a strange contract, which I showed to a labor union, discovering that for a year these assholes hadn’t paid me a single euro in overtime (and I worked at least two hours of overtime every day) or paid the contributions I was entitled to. When I asked for an explanation, the owner of the company literally threw me against the wall for my “vanity” in wanting to be paid.
Something inside me broke. Anger pervaded every single atom of my body, and since then I have not been that boy with the light inside anymore. How could a wealthy person be so poor inside? So petty? That son of a bitch destroyed everything I believed being rich was all about.
Shortly after, I left that job, and my wallet was at -$783. I will always remember that. My next job was in an aluminum die-casting factory. I needed to get out of that financial situation, so any job would do.
I literally risked my life when there was an explosion in the aluminum furnace I was working on. Fortunately, I escaped with first-degree burns on 10% of my body, but my colleagues were not so lucky. After a month or two of recovering from the incident, I did some calculations and realized I had enough capital to finally start my own business.
It was then that I met an old school friend, a computer genius who traded as a hobby. I was captivated by the world of trading almost immediately and decided that this would be my path.
It was 2020.
I lost all the money I had managed to save with blood, sweat, and tears in no time. I realized it wasn’t as easy as I had thought. So I started studying. Whenever I heard information that my subconscious recognized, I put my heart and soul into studying and understanding it. I wanted to succeed.
I did other jobs from then on. I was no longer interested in work — my only goal was to have money for my trading account. Over the years, other things happened. I lost most of my friends because I simply didn’t go out drinking or partying with them anymore. I lost my girlfriend for the same reason, and my family was no help in this regard, especially my older brother. I shed countless tears for him.
It got to a point where it was all too much. I really lost myself, but I kept going.
Now I’m at a standstill. My desire to become the free trader I’ve always wanted to be hasn’t changed, but ironically, I now know a million strategies, a million tools, a million different types of analysis — but I’m unable to perform on any of them. For months, I’ve been trying to work on myself, because at this point, it’s literally impossible for the strategies to be the problem. The problem must be me.
So I remembered that 16-year-old boy on the bus reading that book. I felt I had to take a step back in order to move forward. And now that’s what I’m doing. I’m not sure I’m doing it in the best way or to the best of my ability, but as always, I’m moving forward.
This is my story.
These are the reasons why I am reaching out to you.
Thank you for your time if you have read this far.
You need another book. I would start reading it now. My TurtleTrader book is the great place to start.
How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.
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[What’s your biggest challenge in trading?] Lack of confidence on my own setup. Greed. Fear.
You don’t need a setup, you need a system. I can help.
How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.
Also jump in:
• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us
Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.
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Hello Michael,
I am a retired computer programmer, and actually curious [in trading], studying the essentials.
As far as I have seen through my studies and practices, trend following is a milestone in trading psychology and strategy.
As many beginners, I find it difficult to keep the discipline required in order to be profitable. And I am trying to correct it.
Thanks for your attention.
Salvatore from Italy
You need a system. I can help. But the issue: do you want help?
How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.
Also jump in:
• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us
Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.
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Please enjoy my monologue It Always Comes Back to Trend Following with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio.
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Hello,
I was not born with any silver spoon, connections or advantages. Grew up in a small town (1sq mile) that I’m sure you never heard of in NJ. I followed the expected path of most in my town. Graduated as a C average student who had no interest in furthering my education. Went from high school to working at the factory, in the next town over. Married a girl from town, had 2 kids, basically considered a successful life of anyone brought up in a small town, lower to mid class family.
Fast forward 3yrs later, factory reducing staff, divorce and career change into the prison system.
Having custody of my 2 small children and working in less than desirable surroundings, you realize maybe the choices you made earlier in life did not have to be your choices. Do to these errors, I knew I needed to ride this path out, but knew I wanted more, so I pushed myself to rise up the ranks, as far as I could.
Fast forward 25yrs and I retire as a Major. This may be considered a success to some, but I want more. I don’t necessarily need it, but I want it, not for me but for kids. They’ve had a good life, but of course a parent wants more for them. I saved money towards the end of my career, started trading in small accounts, without any real knowledge. I’m learning as I go with moderate to small success. I’ve always been competitive and want to give my kids the life they could only dream about. Of course I want to be the best, everyone wants to be the best. Everyone wants to win, but I want to dominate. I don’t consider it beating other people, but beating a system. What holds me back, is complete understanding, which limits the risk I can take. So any information you may have that may be helpful. I’d appreciate.
Thank you.
I have help right here. My support. I can get you there.
How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.
Also jump in:
• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us
Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.
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I got off on the wrong foot in investing and chased investment schemes that friends told me about. I finally got focused on a simple S&P 500 index approach. As I am 71 and having had some of the highest earning years recently, I have made up for lost ground. So financially I could be fairly passive, but I actually have fun trying to win in the market.
The investment strategy world is so full of “approaches” and “models”, I could spend the rest of my life expectancy trying to divine the best one for. That said, I have stopped listening to CNBC and Jim Cramer and look for something deeper.
I have latched on to TikTok and heard this guy say he had nothing but got wealthy after reading the Turtle Book. I realize that most guys are selling something, but I decided to buy the book. I am very intrigued.
I have kept a lot of my money in S&P 500 and started into QQQ about 6-7 years ago. I started stock picking for long positions about 5 years ago and done well, dealing it’s hard not to do well since post Covid. I dodged the worst of Covid by sheer luck of converting everything to cash. I bought again when things were low and built some real wealth on the other side of Covid.
A few years ago, by chance I met a finance professor who taught me the basics about options.
But, I have struggled to have a disciplined approach to using them.
The Turtle approach is interesting to me because there is discipline. I haven’t finished reading it, just finished chapter 5. I wonder if there is a place where I can take two weeks off, like the Turtles and really dig deep.
I’ve seen you written related books, and have podcasts. Maybe that’s where I can go deep. I can work TOS paper trading, frankly, I want to take a decent portion of my investments and quickly put them to work to see if this works for me.
I love math, so I loved Chapter 5. That said, I have a lot to learn here.
So, how can I get deep into learning and practicing this rapidly?
Paul P.
I have training. Hand holding. Let me know.
How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.
Also jump in:
• Trend Following Podcast Guests
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Performance
• Research
• Markets to Trade
• Crisis Times
• Trading Technology
• About Us
Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.