This episode focuses on the moment intention gives way to instinct. In a wide-ranging conversation, John Assaraf reflects on the internal mechanisms that shape follow-through — from identity and automatic habits to fear, comfort, and commitment. Drawing on both personal experience and decades of work in behavioral neuroscience, John explores why people often return to familiar outcomes despite clear intentions, and what it actually takes to sustain change across trading, business, health, and everyday life.

In this special episode of Chat With Traders, we revisit turning points from past conversations with traders who reached those moments and came out different on the other side. Featuring excerpts from Tom Dante, Peter Brandt, Jason Shapiro, Kristjan Kullamägi, Lance Breitstein, and more, this episode explores the decisions, realizations, and hard lessons that reshaped how these traders approach risk, discipline, and longevity. Progress doesn’t stop. It evolves.

From early crypto exposure as a teenager to options trading and launching a multi-strategy fund, Jamal Ghauri shares the hard lessons behind his evolution as a trader. We discuss rapid gains, painful drawdowns, risk management, and how he approaches swing trades, breakouts, and short-term options structures today.

How Liquidity, Leverage, and Market Structure Drive Crypto Crashes

Returning guest Vincent Bruzzese — trader, former statistics professor, poker player, and Hollywood behavioral analyst — on navigating one of the strangest and most narrative-driven markets in recent memory. Vincent shares candid insights on trader psychology, discipline, market structure, and why mindset determines nearly everything.

Christian returns to discuss how his Box Strategy has matured—and how patience inside consolidation has become his strongest edge. From navigating a critical health condition to sizing up, he shares what discipline looks like both in life and in the markets.

How one trader built consistency - and a life of freedom and simplicity in Southeast Asia - with a 30% win rate.

In Search of the Next Fund Manager with Market Wizards Author Jack Schwager & Emanuel Balarie (FundSeeder)

In this episode, you’ll hear how Mario turned his competitive gaming instincts into an all-in commitment to the markets and full-time trading career.

Online funding prop firms have captured the attention of traders in recent years. In this episode, the CEO of Trade The Pool, Michael Katz, joins the podcast to answer key questions and offer perspective from inside one of the leading firms.

Julian is a trader, mentor, and entrepreneur. With over 20 years of stock trading experience, he trades growth and momentum stocks using a systematic strategy, holding winners for weeks to months and cutting losers within days — a style that perfectly matches his personality.

Dive into the mindset of a 7-figure Forex and Futures and ICT-based trader.

Meet a trader who’s lived through the tech buChris doesn’t chase headlines or hype—he follows price, momentum, and something most traders overlook entirely: vibration and cycles.

Dylan Maltman, an intraday futures and forex trader and founder of Apex Capital, must have had exceptional clarity starting at a young age. Introduced to the markets in a high school presentation by a prop firm, Dylan caught the passion for the potential of the markets and persuaded...

Erik Smolinski returns to Chat With Traders after his first appearance on episode 272, joining Tessa for a trader-to-trader conversation about the intricacies of options trading, a topic Erik is deeply passionate about.

After his first interview on episode 260 that caused a stir, Patrick's back on the show for an update. He's best known for his intuitive, price-action, news-based, scalping trading style. Shifting from trading as a lone wolf to collaborating with others, Patrick shares his personal transformation...

Emphasizing the importance of risk management, discipline, and emotional intelligence, and maintaining a mental edge in trading, Michael Martin discusses his early experiences with commodities, the evolution of his trading strategies, and the significance of networking and mentorship.

Christian Mayer, with an institutional trading background, transitioned from equities to forex, focusing on fixed sized mean-reversion strategies with fundamental correlations where structural edge is statistically likely.

A former engineer turned successful options trader, real estate investor and entrepreneur, Cody Yeh shares his incredible journey from the 9-to-5 grind to achieving financial freedom through smart investing and calculated risk-taking.

Few people understand the minds of traders like Dr. Brett Steenbarger. As a psychologist who trades actively himself, he brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and practical experience to the world of financial markets.

Steve Ruffley transitioned from a highly competitive trading floor environment to trading professionally as a retail trader. His entrance into trading was unplanned - a mix of ambition, timing, and the right connections. Steve is also a trading mentor and the author of his latest book, “The Pro Retail Trader”.

Ross Haber’s trading philosophy is built on growth-focused strategies, heavily influenced by William O'Neil. Combining both technical and fundamental analysis, Ross emphasizes the importance of identifying leaders in strong market sectors and adapting to market cycles.

The transition from banking analyst at JP Morgan and First New York Securities to independent trader specializing in sniper-like moves on merger-arbitrage based on nuanced corporate actions and a methodical approach to understanding catalysts was an unexpected move that would reshape Rick's future.