Introduction to the Session

Opening Remarks

  • The speaker expresses excitement about the day, emphasizing its beauty and positivity.
  • Acknowledges technical issues with muting but confirms that everything is operational now.
  • Checks in with participants to ensure audio and video are functioning properly.

Importance of Habits

  • Introduces a study from Duke University highlighting that 42% of actions are habitual, underscoring the significance of habits in daily life.
  • Shares a personal habit of telling dad jokes as part of his routine.

Humor and Engagement

Dad Joke Introduction

  • The speaker shares a humorous anecdote about watching a documentary on shipbuilding during WWII, calling it "riveting."

Transition to Main Content

  • Prepares the audience for an important announcement regarding a new launch related to trading.

Announcement of New Trading Initiative

Launch Details

  • Announces a significant launch that will be free for participants, indicating it has been in development for some time.

Acknowledgment of Contributions

  • Credits key individuals who contributed significantly to this initiative, emphasizing teamwork and collaboration.

Guest Introduction: Brian Jefferson

Welcoming Brian Jefferson

  • Introduces Brian Jefferson as an esteemed guest who played a crucial role in the upcoming launch.

Background on Brian's Experience

  • Discusses how he met Brian through the Omen Smart Money Trading Service and highlights their shared values in trading education.

Brian's Trading Journey

Initial Learning Experience

  • Brian shares his background starting with Tim Bowen’s teachings, detailing his journey through successes and failures in trading.

Commitment to Education

  • Emphasizes how he resonated with Ben's teaching style, which focuses on education rather than just results.

Growth and Education in Trading

Personal Growth and Motivation

  • The speaker reflects on personal growth over the past couple of months, expressing satisfaction with their service and a desire to help others.
  • Connection between the speaker and Brian is established through shared backgrounds in education; both have a passion for teaching and learning.

Enhancing Educational Offerings

  • Brian proposes improving educational content by creating structured courses that go beyond simple video lectures, aiming for comprehensive learning experiences.
  • The goal is to monitor learners' progress from account setup to executing trades, emphasizing the importance of understanding trading psychology.

Structured Learning Approach

  • Brian shares his experience of learning on-the-go in both healthcare and trading, highlighting the challenges faced without structured guidance.
  • He emphasizes the need for an organized curriculum that allows learners to build foundational knowledge progressively.

Recent Trading Success

  • Discussion about recent trading success leads to insights on how teaching reinforces understanding; reviewing material helps solidify rules and strategies.
  • The speaker reports a 35% growth in their TOS account over a few weeks, attributing this success to adherence to established trading rules.

Course Differentiation

  • Inquiry into what makes their course unique compared to existing options; emphasis on organization and accessibility of educational resources.
  • Introduction of various courses available, indicating a wide range of educational offerings designed for different levels of traders.

What Makes This Course Different?

Introduction to the Course Structure

  • The speaker emphasizes that this course is unique compared to others, prompting a discussion on its distinct features.
  • A list of lectures is available in the important link section, which has been curated and edited for relevance to enhance learning efficiency.

Course Content Overview

  • The course begins with foundational concepts in options trading, including setting up Think or Swim as a trading platform.
  • It covers essential topics such as trading psychology and two primary strategies: breakout buys and pullback buys.

Learning Tools and Resources

  • Additional resources include lectures on setting up OCO (One Cancels Other) orders, aimed at helping new traders effectively start their journey.
  • AI-generated flashcards and self-assessment quizzes are integrated into most lectures to help learners identify strengths and weaknesses.

Interactive Learning Experience

  • The interactive nature allows students to revisit lectures multiple times until they grasp the material fully before taking quizzes.
  • Each lecture provides downloadable notes, key points, flashcards, and quizzes designed to reinforce knowledge retention.

Importance of Knowledge Reinforcement

  • The speaker highlights the significance of testing knowledge through quizzes as a method for reinforcing learning.
  • A detailed explanation of the learning process is provided, outlining stages from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence using driving as an analogy.

Driving Competence and Learning Process

The Journey from Novice to Competent Driver

  • The speaker reflects on the initial nervousness of learning to drive, highlighting the transition from not knowing how to drive to becoming consciously competent. This involves practicing in a parking lot and feeling anxious while driving.
  • As drivers gain experience, they become unconsciously competent, allowing them to multitask (e.g., using a cell phone) while driving without full attention. This shift illustrates the evolution of skill acquisition.

Reinforcement and Testing of Knowledge

  • To progress in learning, information must be reinforced and tested. Reinforcement creates deeper neural pathways for knowledge retention, while testing assesses the strength of these pathways. A well-established pathway allows for confident execution even with distractions.
  • The speaker emphasizes that if a neural pathway is wide and deep enough, one can navigate it almost instinctively, akin to driving with eyes closed but still staying on course due to established habits.

Building Knowledge Step by Step

  • The discussion outlines a structured approach where foundational concepts are introduced first (e.g., account setup), followed by more complex ideas like options trading and trading psychology. Each concept builds upon the previous one for comprehensive understanding.
  • Key components include risk management strategies such as position sizing based on risk assessment before moving into practical applications like executing trades with stop orders and bracket orders. This step-by-step method ensures clarity in learning processes.

Importance of Feedback and Continuous Learning

  • Brian reinforces that this educational framework aims at building a solid foundation for learners at various expertise levels in trading, encouraging revisiting basics for reinforcement regardless of prior knowledge or experience level.
  • Patricia Benner's theory of novice to expert is referenced; it highlights that as traders gain experience, they evolve from being task-oriented (following instructions) to making independent decisions based on their learned experiences over time. This progression is crucial for developing confidence in trading decisions.

Future Directions and Community Engagement

  • There’s an openness expressed towards future opportunities for further lectures or courses aimed at enhancing understanding beyond basic concepts, indicating ongoing development within the community of learners involved in trading education. Suggestions will be solicited through surveys for improvement feedback from participants about their experiences with the course material presented so far.
  • Brian expresses gratitude towards participants' engagement and contributions while emphasizing the importance of feedback as part of continuous improvement efforts within their educational initiatives alongside other instructors involved in this process.

Smart Money Program Feedback and Learning Enhancements

Importance of Feedback

  • Becca plays a crucial role in the Smart Money program, emphasizing the need for participant feedback to improve the program.
  • Participants are encouraged to complete a survey after finishing each lesson, particularly after lesson 14, to provide insights on their experience and suggestions for improvement.

Innovative Learning Ideas

  • The team is brainstorming ways to incorporate real-time simulations into learning exercises, allowing participants to analyze past trades like Palantir or Microsoft as if they were happening live.
  • Emphasizing diverse learning modes (lectures, hands-on visuals), the goal is to enhance retention through varied educational approaches.

Acknowledgment of Contributions

  • Participants can share feedback directly via messaging or tagging Brian in discussions; however, direct messages are discouraged for better visibility.
  • The speaker expresses gratitude towards Brian for his contributions and insights that help bridge gaps in understanding due to his recent experiences as a learner.

Celebrating Student Achievements

  • The speaker highlights the importance of hearing from fellow students who are actively engaged in learning and growing within the program.
  • Recognition is given to Brian's accomplishments over recent weeks, showcasing peer success as motivational within the community.

Course Philosophy and Market Analysis

  • The course aims to develop participants' unconscious competence in trading skills so they can focus on emotional management and mindset during trading activities.
  • Analyzing market trends, Amazon shows promising setups despite overall market drops; specific price points are highlighted for potential swing trades.

Trade Ideas and Indicators

  • Discussion includes technical analysis of Amazon's daily chart setup indicating bullish potential with higher lows forming a flag pattern.
  • A significant gap is identified that could be filled by upward movement; this gap serves as an indicator for future price targets.
  • A live trade idea is proposed involving September 19 calls at $230 above $225 with suggested stop-loss levels discussed.

Trading Insights and Mindset

Key Trading Lessons

  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding "alpha," which refers to trade ideas and market value that can be leveraged for trading success.
  • The speaker shares personal success, noting a 50% increase in one trading account and a 100% increase in another over the past three weeks, highlighting effective trades with ETHA.
  • A critical lesson on maintaining a proper mindset during a hot streak is introduced; traders should remain cautious despite consecutive profitable days.
  • The speaker warns against complacency during successful trading periods, as it can lead to neglecting essential risk management practices.
  • A quote attributed to Warren Buffet is shared: "When there is blood in the streets, buy real estate," illustrating the contrarian mindset necessary for identifying opportunities when others are fearful.

Market Behavior and Caution

  • The speaker suggests an opposite approach: "when the wine is flowing in the streets, look to sell," indicating that exuberance often precedes market corrections.
  • Personal anecdotes about festivals illustrate how collective excitement can cloud judgment; caution should prevail when market sentiment is overly positive.
  • Reference to Buffett's selling behavior raises questions about market timing; he likely sold high while preparing to buy low during downturns.

Humility in Trading

  • Emphasizing humility, the speaker quotes Romans 12 about self-perception: traders should avoid overestimating their abilities or control over market movements.
  • Humility is defined as not thinking less of oneself but rather thinking of oneself less; this perspective helps maintain objectivity in trading decisions.
  • Traders must recognize that they cannot dictate market behavior; accepting this reality fosters better decision-making and risk management strategies.

Final Thoughts on Trading Mindset

  • To succeed as a trader, one must adopt a mindset focused on humility and self-awareness rather than arrogance or overconfidence.
  • The importance of preemptively humbling oneself before facing potential losses from the market is stressed—better to manage expectations than suffer unexpected setbacks.
  • A final reminder encourages traders to reserve judgment regarding their skills while acknowledging that markets will behave independently of individual desires.
  • An anecdote about family background serves as a metaphor for resilience and groundedness amidst challenges faced in trading environments.

Understanding Humility and Gratitude in Personal Growth

The Meaning Behind "Don't Get Too Big for Your Britches"

  • The speaker reflects on a phrase from their past, initially feeling it was limiting. They express confusion over the advice not to "get too big for your britches," interpreting it as a restriction on personal growth.
  • The speaker clarifies that the message is not about knowing one's place but rather about remembering one’s roots and staying humble despite success.
  • Emphasizing humility, the speaker explains that the advice encourages individuals to appreciate their origins and remain grounded as they achieve more.

Personal Background and Its Impact

  • The speaker shares their family history, highlighting how their grandfather had very little, which instilled a sense of gratitude for what they have now.
  • They discuss maintaining a manageable trading account size to avoid feelings of invulnerability, reinforcing the importance of humility in financial success.

Practicing Gratitude in Success

  • The speaker mentions achieving significant profits in trading (e.g., $3,000 in one day), contrasting this with their parents' monthly earnings to illustrate the importance of gratitude.
  • They stress that such financial gains do not make them superior; instead, they should serve as reminders to stay humble and grateful for their journey.

Final Thoughts on Humility

  • The speaker warns that failing to practice humility can lead to being humbled by market realities. They encourage listeners who are doing well financially to remember where they came from.
  • Concluding remarks emphasize kindness towards others and maintaining perspective regardless of current successes or challenges faced in trading or life.