Part of an ongoing trader interview series — the same set of questions put to different traders, covering background, psychology, strategy, and lessons learned. Originally published on Traders Questions.

Grant is featured as part of the trader interview series from Snorm’s trading chat group. He’s noted for a structured approach to trading that facilitates backtesting and comfortable trade execution.

A bit about yourself

What was your journey that led you into trading?

“Did my work experience whilst at school at a trading house in London that specialised in Japanese stocks. Joined them full time once I left school.”

What trading challenges are you currently facing and how do you have a plan to get through them?

“Time. Would love more time to trade around the major centre opens. Waiting for the kids to become fully self-sufficient and to retire.”

What inspires you to trade and what are your specific reasons to pursue trading?

“I genuinely love it. Mentally both challenging and stimulating.”

In your head

What’s the thing you enjoy most about working as a trader and what was your most painful experience?

“Creating my own future, knowing it’s me against the markets. Painful was watching an older trader have a heart attack at his desk during a news announcement.”

What are the key factors that separate successful day traders from those who fail?

“Discipline.”

How do you deal with frustration, self-doubt, and other emotional aspects of trading?

“Walk away and take a break.”

We all have off days — do you have a process or criteria to understand if it’s a day to not trade?

“No, charts are opened every day. PA may not play ball but the charts are open.”

Strategy and trading plan

What does your typical trading session, including pre and post, look like?

“Pre — coffee then HTF analysis (wave counts, PA magnets/targets). Post — coffee then review day’s PA and entries.”

What market or markets and timeframes do you trade and why?

“DAX, DOW, Nasdaq, major FX pairs — using all TFs to analyse but M1 to enter and manage.”

What are the key indicators or charts you look at first thing in the morning to understand the market trend?

“Elliott Wave count on M15, H1, D1.”

Give 1 or 2 examples of your strategy explaining your reasons for entering the trade, how you managed the trade and your exit.

“1. Major centre open prices break and retest. 2. Low of wave 2 in an Elliott wave 2 (AC on eWaves).”

What platform, indicators and other tools do you rely on for analysis, placing and managing a trade?

“Pepperstone UK, MT4, Advanced Trade Manager from for-exe, eWaves from for-exe, Session Lines from for-exe.”

Do you have contact with other traders?

“Yes, I am in a matrix room full of like-minded traders so we all call set-ups. I met the room owner 20 years ago in another trading room before he branched out on his own.”

How do you adapt your trading strategies to different market environments?

“Same set-ups regardless of environments.”

Old hands

How long did it take for you to really get trading down?

“5 years.”

If you could start over what would you do different?

“Be more disciplined on not taking 50/50 set-ups on fear of missing out — there are plenty of set-ups, let the market come to you, stop chasing.”

Was there a notable time when you started to regularly make a profit?

“I stopped doing dumb shit by chasing entries that weren’t my set-up.”

What are the things that are going to separate you from the large majority of traders who fail?

“Discipline on only taking the correct set-ups.”

What’s your best advice for experienced traders who want to become independent and trade full time?

“Don’t. Pressure of having to make a living will eat them up.”

What’s the most effective method of spotting strength in an instrument?

“Candles — how it’s made up and size relative to the previous.”