EP 012: Adam Ryan speaks on the game-changing lessons that propelled his trading success, and how to crush your goals this year

Aaron Fifield Podcast 4 Comments


This week I’m pumped to introduce an incredibly humble, relatable and overall genuine trader, Adam Ryan of Optic Trader. (He’s also our first guest Canadian guest).

Just like the majority of those who make it, Adam will not hesitate to tell you, he was no overnight success. He went through the same struggles and faced the same challenges that many of us can relate to.

However, the one thing that set Adam apart was the fact he never gave up. And it was that determination and perseverance that landed him in the hot seat with a trading mentor, who was able to steer him in the right direction.

Jumping forward a few years Adam has forged his own method for success, and actively trades Crude Oil, Gold, and the S&P 500 futures.

During this interview you will hear about his journey on a much deeper level, and you’ll pick up many great pointers, especially around the topic of setting goals and how to actually achieving them.

“When first starting, the most important thing is to understand price action and market structure.”

Tweet this

“Don’t get so down on yourself. One day you’re gonna be the professional trader taking money from a sucker like you.”

Tweet this


Lessons learnt in this interview:

  • How Adam lost half of his trading capital on illiquid penny stocks, just two days into his trading career.
  • An important reminder of why you never revenge-trade.
  • How Adam reaped the rewards when he started making his own observations about which participants were controlling the market at certain times, and understood what drives price.
  • The impact of a trading mentor, and how this shortened Adams learning curve by a matter of years.
  • How to achieve your trading goals, and more importantly what type of goals you should be setting yourself.
  • And much, much more…

Links and resources mentioned:

  • Continue learning about ways to accomplish your trading goals, through this post Adam wrote.
  • The NinjaTrader platform is one resource that Adam relies on most of all, to make his job easier.
  • Adam mentions the Peak Performance Home Study Course for Traders and Investors by Dr Van Tharp was a great help for grasping the psychology of trading – more info.
  • Recommended Reading – Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre. The most recommended book by CWT guests, this is the third or fourth time it has been mentioned on the show, available on Amazon.
  • During the interview we touched on profile-charts, this short video created by Adam gives you a little more info on how he uses them, and will help you to visualize.

Did you enjoy this interview?

  • Please leave a 5 star review on iTunes to support the show.
  • Subscribe to receive a free guide and an email when new interviews go live.
  • Post a comment below, what was your greatest takeaway from this interview?
  • Share this interview with your friends and followers.