223: How a Poor "Single Mom" Upbringing Helped Him Grow His Trading Account from $3k to Over $1M w/ Erik Smolinski

In a world where financial success seems like an elusive dream for most, Erik Smolinski stands out as a shining example of what's possible with hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/erik-smolinski/ Key moments - [11:42] You have no say if the trade moves into profit. The part you can control every single time is your risk. - [17:58] If you can’t make something look good in a back test, good luck making it look good in real trading. - [20:45] One of the hallmarks of successful traders’ (long-term) is pattern recognition. - [30:10] Price and volume is king in almost any timeframe. - [44:47] The idea of trading like a robot is nonsense. You’re not a robot and you never will be. - [53:33] By writing out a trading plan you start to become responsible for the pieces you can’t control. - [53:53] Once you start to establish actual, observable, quantifiable profitability, start going live. - [58:23] Get serious about it and make a plan otherwise it’s not going to happen. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmlZoAiAeyc --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView — NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ PropFirmMatch - Find the right prop firm challenge — PropFirmMatch.com https://tradingnut.com/go/pfm/ --- 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.