 because like you said, you know, when I first came to trading 180, you know, so when I first came, I was just, I was focused on the fundamentals, but so it was kind of hard for me, you know, to do the strategies with, you know, with the technicals, you know, that's why, you know, if you remember, when I first came, I was kind of like backtesting them. I was actually trading them, you know, I was just backtesting them, but and it came to me, man, when I see how effective they was, you know, at catching bargain prices, you know, and I try to understand that, you know, the method, you know, of what, you know, of how you trade. And man, it's spot on. Hi, my name is Leon Rowe, Covency trader and trading coach at trading 180.com. And in this interview, I have a trader who has come leaps and bounds with his trading Spencer joined joined what 2020 2021 something like that. He joined me maybe about a year and a bit. Yeah. Yeah. And Spencer's agreed to share his experience with trading 180 his trading journey, and where he is at now with his trading, since being with with me and mentoring, and the trading 180 groups so Spencer, how did you get into trading first of all. Yeah, so how did I get into trading, you know, I had always had this little intriguing attitude with, you know, wanted to, you know, you know, be my own balls or you know, do my own thing or whatever so I got into trading because you know, I was just thinking like man, how can I make that money work for itself and that and me have to work so hard for the money, you know, so, and I actually and and I like to check the GPT, you know, because, you know, you can look it up, you know, so, and it came right up trading, you know, so that's actually how I really got into trading. You know, I'm saying it was investing. You know, I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah. Similar stories, I included myself, you know, so many stories and interviews that I've done with traders and everyone pretty much says the same thing in terms of look just taking control of your destiny, knowing that a nine to five isn't going to be the way that you're going to achieve any kind of you know, quality of life you know I mean you're in the rat race etc. So 100%. So how did you find trading 180. You know, I like want to say that I like YouTube and you know, man, you know, going through those periods, you know where I was going through YouTube and, you know, and I was always into the technical analysis side of trading, because I used to trade options probably, you know, back in 2008. And, you know, they ever lost a lot of money, but I understood so I was looking up fundamentals one day and trading 180 popped up, you know, brilliant. Excellent. So what made you think about what made you think about fundamentals though what was what was the trigger about fundamentals that you thought you know that you needed more with with with with your technicals. What was the moment. Yeah, so the technicals like they work. Don't get me wrong. You know they weren't but it was like it was just it wasn't enough you know I was looking at the market and you know when I was I go and I try to read articles and Lord knows I wasn't understanding nothing at that time you know before I had met you I wouldn't you know I wouldn't I didn't I didn't I didn't know what those articles was saying that you know what is this you know they're talking about jobs and you know CDP and I'm like oh my god what's this you know I didn't know anything about this stuff man so you know man that's another thing trading 180 you know I'm saying you know when I first looked at that first video, you know, man, you know, it was it was about fundamental analysis and all those fundamental indicators that you look at and, you know, and I'm like okay this was that was that was that really bright me up you know I said okay this this why I need to be you know. Yeah. Okay. Oh brilliant. So how I guess specifically has fundamentals, since you've been trading it and applying it to your to the technicals why how has that. I guess, how was the fundamentals really helped with your technicals specifically. So how fundamentals help me, I would I would say you trading blind without techniques, I mean without fundamentals, you know I'm saying now that's what me I would say I would say, I wouldn't even open up a chart now and not look at the fundamentals first. First. Yeah. So how so how, because coming I know my experience and how easy is it to actually or I guess the shift because it takes some time for you to get used to going to the fundamentals first and then the technicals right and then you go open a chart with the people, most traders, they go to the chart first, then they look at the, then they look at the, if they even look at fundamentals that transition, you know, of always looking at the chart first to then going to actually know I'm going to go to Bloomberg or Reuters or, you know, many of the bank analysis that we look at or whatever you look at and read that transition. Quick transition, or was it like a gradual thing that you have like those kind of habits, where you would look at the technicals first and you know I mean. So, you know, while I say man, you know, for traders, you know we come out, you know, especially for us, you know we look at the quick buck, you know, trying to make the quick buck so the technicals is kind of like a little false little buck syndrome where you thinking like, man, you know, I'm going in, you know, I'm looking at the quick dollar and I, you know, so, you know, I would say, you know, I kind of gradually change, you know, because I've got out that quick buck thinking because you know now I'm losing quick bucks, you know, how you, how you, your risk, you know, I mean, you know, how your reward is, you know, the greater your risk. I got started, you know, I'm like, man, you know, and I gradually changed to the fundamentals, you know, and like I say, you know, I wasn't a fundamental guy until I really came, you know, to trading 180, you know, and, you know, and you kind of made those news reports. I mean, you know, the articles, you made them sound so clear to me, man, to the, you know, now we're, you know, like I say, I wouldn't now look at the fundamentals first, you know, before I even pop on the chart, I look at what's going on with the economy. You know, what's going on, you know, and, you know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't surprise nobody to not look at the fundamentals, you know, first. Yeah. Yeah. And I guess as well, fundamentals can be very daunting. Yeah. So you said that, you know, you didn't, you know, you might have been reading some articles and you didn't have a clue, you know, what you were reading, you know, the relationship between jobs and maybe inflation and the economy and how everything works because, you know, fundamentals can be very, I guess, complex and confusing, right. And so, now that you can, now that you understand the relationship and what to kind of focus on, it makes it really, it makes reading those articles and Bloomberg a lot easier, right. And then now, you know, I mean, now you can actually understand what the big money are actually saying. Right. Right. You know, and why they're forecasting what they're forecasting rather than just, you know, taking lead from someone, some random person, an analyst online, right. You know, I mean, they're saying, okay, that person says, but I'm going to buy. In fact, you can make up your own mind, because you know the fundamentals. Right. Right. And then, like I say, man, you know, just, you know, man, and trading 180 man, you know, I say, man, it's a great community, you know, everything is, you know, and we got a good culture, you know, and you know, like I say, and then from when I first came there, you know, and everything like I say, you kind of simplified it, you know, with the GP interest rates and inflation and jobs. Yeah, so, yeah, the way, the way I learned from you, you know, we kind of, you know, simplified it, you know, and made it easier to understand, you know, if that makes sense, you know, where, you know, I was able to just, you know, look at these and understand them and, you know, you know, and if I had questions, you know, you would answer them for me, you know, and that totally made me understand. So, you know, like, like, start to put together, like, right, the relationships between inflation and, you know, jobs and, you know, GDP and, you know, yeah, and you just, and you see it play out in the price in the markets over time, right, you've seen that, you know, you've seen it. Yeah, I mean, you know, seeing them, you know, you know, just say you supply demand zones, you know, we wait, we understand what's going on with the country, you know, and understand what's going on with the fundamentals now. So now we're just waiting on the best price. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so what are some of your, you know, light bulb moments because we all have these light bulb moments and I had many when I was learning, you know, where you just like, Oh my gosh, like your mind just blows and you know, I mean, you get another one and sometimes you get maybe 10 or 20 but maybe some of the light bulb moments where, you know, certain things just clicked. Yeah. So my, so a light bulb moment was for me was when, when I first learned about basically like, you know, currencies, currencies, you know, say, you know, and that might seem so simple, but what is the currency, you know, you know, and there was a light bulb moment like, you know, this is just a means for exchange, you know, where we, you know, countries exchanging currencies for, you know, this currency and that currency. So, you know, we get blinded by, you know, what currencies is, you know, and we, and that's what Forex is, it's just, you know, so I found out that how interest rate differentials, you know, can and capital flows and, you know, it's basically the basis of currency, you know, and, you know, when I found that out that was like, Uh-uh, you know. And I think traders missed that simple fact like, man, what is currency? So, you know what I mean? Like, it's means of exchange, like, you know, store value, you know, like. Yeah. It's a very interesting, very interesting point you make in terms of just that simple fact, right, because not every asset class is the same. So a lot of technical traders will, they will trade the same strategy on every single asset class. But in fact, you actually have to treat assets differently because they have different fundamentals, right? Right. I mean, and so you have to know, I mean, yeah, we do have intermarket analysis and everything is related. Bonds are related to Forex, Forex, you know, is related to, you know, stocks, etc. In terms of interest rates and things like that. But typically, you know, it's important to keep that in mind, you know, what moves the exchange rate and what moves an exchange rate. Yeah. It's not going to be the same as if you're trading stocks. So the fundamentals of stocks is different and indices are different to Forex. And just remembering that point that in fact, this is what actually moves Forex market. It's not the technicals. It's, you know, I mean, what's going on behind it, right? Right. Right. You know what I mean? It definitely was a light bulb moment, man. Yeah. Like, whoa, like, okay, this is, you know, that's right. And you've got to explain that, like, you know, Bennett, I don't know if you was putting it in a layman's term, you know, where, you know, this is currency, but, you know, you made this clear to me, like, where, you know, like, how to trade it. Yes, sir. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what other light bulb moments did you have? Can you think of any other ones? Okay. Oh, well, look, I guess figuring out, figuring out your strategy, you know, and how effective it is. Man, you know, you know, those supply and demand strategies and, you know, when, you know, and because, right, before I got to trading 180, you know, I'm trading other strategies and other technicals and, you know, things like that. And, you know, and I got into it and, and I was looking at, looking at your strategy doing back testing and, you know, and I'm, you know, man, you know, and this is the strategy. You know, this is his own or something. You know, this guy knows this. Check them. I always tell you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I think you sent me a message the other day about stop hunts. You know, and you were just saying that, you know, stop hunters really buying at value, right? It's like the most bargain price, the cheap price, the most discount price you can buy it, right? When you, when you put it into its proper context, that's what stop hunting is. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it is, when it does work, like, for example, with today, I mean, yeah, sorry, today with the New Zealand dollar, right? Because you got in on that pound New Zealand trade and you posted it yesterday and you said your analysis was, you know, you're at, you're anticipating the, just in case the RBNZ actually are a bit hawkish, which they turned out to be, right? Right. Right. But where it was on a price chart looked like a brilliant buy in anticipation of that. You could have been wrong. But if you were right, the risk reward was. Man, I'm talking about, hey, man, can't, hey, man. Yeah, let's look at that. Highly affected. Yeah, let's look at that on the price chart. So I did a kind of circle this as well. So that was, this was, this was the, the trade setup, right? And you got in up at the top. Yes, sir. Yeah. I remember you posted that, that trade and you got in up there. And you made a little, I guess a little, a little error in terms of taking, taking profit and not setting, not setting, not setting any take profits. Yeah, I had, was working in, you know, running out the house and, you know, running out the office and, you know, my girl bugging me. That's why I tell her don't bug me without trading. And, you know, leave me alone and do this, you know. Now, but you know what? You're still up at the end of the day. And it was, it was, it's just proof that, you know, I mean, the fundamentals, once you, when you get them in line and then they go in your favor, you know, the risk rewards are, you know, are, are, are brilliant, right? Right. Because who would think of really buying up here unless you're anticipating a change in the fundamentals like nobody, you know, is going to, you know, it's going to buy, especially in the face of that price action, nobody, but you did, you bought the New Zealand dollar, right? So people might say, oh, you faded that, but to have the confidence to do that. Yeah. When this is all you're seeing, most retail traders are never going to stand in the front, in front of that, right? Right, right. And that's kind of like a light bulb moment again, you know, because like you said, you know, when I first came to trading 180, you know, right? So when I first came, I was just, I was focused on the fundamentals, but so it was kind of hard for me, you know, to, to do the strategies with, you know, with the technicals, you know, that's why, you know, if you remember when I first came, I was kind of like backtesting them. I wasn't, I wasn't actually trading them. You know, I was just backtesting them. But, and it came to me, man, when I seen how effective they was, you know, at catching bargain prices, you know, and I try to understand that, you know, the mandate, you know, of what, you know, of how you trade, you know what I'm saying? And then it spied on, spied on. Yeah. And that was a, that was a really good trade. If only you were taking some profits, you know, I mean, around here, but you're still in that trade, right? You're still in that trade. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, cool. Um, so actually added a position when it came back up. Oh, really? Yeah. Brilliant. Gap in, I'm kind of adding. Brilliant. I could post that because that's probably not a, you know, I mean, it's, it's, it's a bit of a gap CPR, I think. Yeah. So that would be a gap CPR, um, probably somewhere around here. Anyone who was, anyone who was, uh, long trying to get long at this area here on a pullback would have been caught, right? And caught in their trades, capture the gap down pain. And then the relief right there. So yep, that's it. Perfect. Perfect. Gap CPR. Perfect. Gap CPR. So, um, a recent fundamental, apart from this, a recent fundamental trade idea that you are really proud of, like one of those trade ideas that you just, you know, you, you, you think to yourself, I got it. You know what I mean? I planned it and it worked out brilliantly. What was, uh, what was the, uh, your most, one of the most proudest trade ideas? Um, so we go back to the Euro trade. Uh, I don't think we was going to record. You're a dollar. Yeah. Remember, we had the conversation. Yeah. Yeah. It was last year when Euro fundamentals is changing. Do you remember, do you remember roughly when it, exactly when it was, because I got in on this slightly late. I say slightly late. I got it on late, later than you did matter of fact, because I know you were one of the first to kind of, um, to, to, to, to jump on this and, and switch your bias to. I'm thinking, I'm thinking October. Was it October was somewhere around here? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Brilliant. Yeah. So you got in at these lows. Yeah. I think it was a, uh, it could have been a stop on it down there. Okay. It could have been a stop on it down there. So, you know, right. So, so what was it fundamentally? Do you remember that was just, you were saying to yourself, you know what, I probably want to be a buyer of the Euro or a seller of the dollar. Do you remember? Yeah. So, so like as I, as you know, uh, me and Ken like the PMIs, you know, we can, we can, you know, I guess that's a good gauge of basically it goes into GDP. Absolutely. I've been figuring that out as I was, you know, as I, you know, when, when I did come to trading 180 and learn about GDP. So I just wanted to understand like, you know, um, what could go into GDP where, you know, I can see the fundamentals or the economy is changing and getting better, you know, and the PMIs do a good job at that, you know, and, uh, so I was, uh, you know, at the PMIs and, you know, um, they started, uh, you know, uh, uh, turning, you know, not, not, I wouldn't say positive, but they started getting better, you know, uh, from contracting, you know, and, uh, yeah, that's what kind of got me on board with the year. Well, you know, I was looking at the fundamentals and you know, the jobs kind of was, you know, okay, you know, stable and, you know, uh, they wouldn't deteriorate and, you know, uh, and then, you know, so the fundamentals was changing. So that changes the reddit about, uh, the central bank being able to hike the rates or not. And if the economy could support that, you know, you know, it's through. And that's what that was like a changing moment that I got in on, you know, I, it had to be, uh, it had to be a stop or a trade. I think I got, you know, you know, maybe about, uh, I'm going to say 500 pips. 500 off that. Well done. Well done. I remember as well is that one of the reasons I was, I was short on this, around this time as well until, um, probably later in the year, maybe around about December, I think, and towards the end of December, maybe coming in January, I thought to myself, something's not right. Well, say not right, but I didn't necessarily, um, uh, catch on was one of the things was the weather as well. Because remember, I think we were expecting really cold weather and with the cold weather would have, uh, basically, um, not been great for, uh, the euro because of, you know, maybe, you know, the, um, the Ukraine war, Russia was rationing, et cetera, and things will may have got worse for the euro economy, but because the weather was really good as well. Yeah. As that started to change, we had a mild winter, very mild winter. Um, it didn't affect GDP as much. So as you say, you know, the PMIs with, with, we're coming in okay, the warm weather. And then by the time we, you know, we got to maybe, you know, uh, towards the, uh, December, you know, into January is when I started saying, ah, you know what? Yeah. You know, I mean, and then, and it's nothing, right? We were talking about this. We were discussing this earlier, right? There's, there's times where in fundamentals where, where we're not going to see eye to eye. Doesn't happen too often, right? But it can happen. It has, it happens from time to time where it might just be a timing thing, right? It might be a timing thing. You might see something, you might share it with the group. I'm saying there's certain things that I maybe want to see first before I jump in, but you're, you and Ken or Lawrence or whoever might say, oh, do you know what? I think I want to be a buyer here. And then, you know, I will jump on board. You know what I mean? You know what I'm saying? I'm following you, right? You know what I mean? It comes out, right? And vice versa, right? So there's times where I might say I'm, you know, I'm, I'm sure on the, on the, on the end, for example, I might think, oh, well, I'm not really too sure because da da da da da. And then eventually, you know, there are times where the timing and the fundamentals just line up and everyone, it's just a no-brainer to go long or go short. But there are times with, with the fundamentals and this is just being honest to anyone who's listening, where it's not always going to be clear to everybody, right? It doesn't make, you know what I'm saying? It couldn't, you can't, it's not always a buyer. It's not always a sell. There's always going to be, even if you go to, you know, you read certain articles, there might be one analyst that might say, well, we want to be a buyer of the dollar. And there might be another analyst that might say, you want to be a seller of the dollar, right? There was a times where it might be just like, you think it's of, hmm, shall I stay in, shall I stay out? Right? Because I think you showed it was a video work on a group called back probably this year where you had a little situation where, you know, this analyst was calling for, you know, to buy and this analyst called for the sale and I'm not quite too sure but I think it was the dollar though. Yeah, it was the dollar and that's okay as well. There's going to be moments like that, right? But there are also going to be moments where everything is as clear as they, where it's just, you know, the dollar is a screaming sell or the, you know, the yen or the pound is a screaming buy, etc. And so, you know, part of the group is that we all are continuing even though, yes, I'm mentoring you guys, I'm still learning, right? I still learn and it's, I'm not so ignorant and closed minded to not include, for example, now I've got PMIs on the spreadsheet, have you noticed before? I've got PMIs, right? You know what I mean? So, those types of things, we all, as a group, you know, we lift the chavarra up and that's what we want to do, right? That's exactly what we do, you know, in the community. Yeah, so great, great trade idea, great trade and, yeah, brilliant man, that euro dollar, yeah, that definitely took a lot of people of guard and then, you know, we had the pullback we were talking about. I think I got, again, long on that euro towards the end of December and then it was just a case of, alright, then wait for that pullback, right? The pullback comes. I didn't actually get in on the euro dollar, I ended up getting on that euro CAD. Did you get in on that euro CAD trade? Yeah, yeah, the euro CAD. The euro CAD was a really nice one as well. That was the one where, that was one where, like you said, you know, sometimes, you know, where we'd be, you know, you know, indecisive, you know, or, you know, not really sure, or lining up with each other, but that was clear, you know, clear, you know, where we, you know, we can't, you know, be wrong on this trade here. Yeah, yeah, we got in, we got in around here and then literally rolled it up. I took profit around here. I think, you know, I think is it you can, I think maybe Daniel ends up getting in around that demand zone there again and then it just went higher, right? Yeah. So, yeah, there were clear obvious trades and that's where you want to make your money, and what we're trying to do is on a trade idea, you know, just rinse it, squeeze it as much as we can, you know, add that trade. Brilliant, brilliant, man. And so last question is how would you describe the difference between learning from videos, let's say for example, YouTube, TikTok, and actually, you know, being with a mentor, how is, you know, what's the difference between those two when someone is learning? For me, I was telling my artist that this morning, I'm like best of the both worlds, you know, because you know, I don't want to nag no one all the time, you know, because I can have a lot of questions. Yeah, yeah. So I don't want to be keep on raising my hey, hey, hey, you know. That's what I'm here for though, right? That's what I'm here for. Yeah, yeah, so I like to do videos first and, you know, put them on repeat how many times can I understand it, but I love having you there as a mentor, you know, where I can I can say, act, you know what I'm saying? You know, let me be on, I just don't get this, you know what I'm saying? And, you know, I'm trying to make sense to it because I hate where I don't understand something, you know, and, you know, and man, you know, I can say that you that's, you know, that's why I love the idea of, you know, here at Trading 180 because, you know, even if you, you know, probably don't know it, you're going to find out how to know it and give us the best advice about it. I'm saying for sure, man. Absolutely. And you and I like how you do it because you don't back it up with just what you say, you know, it's about what others say that's experience that this, you know, I'm saying, you know, so I like that about your life, you know. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. I mean, yeah, mentoring and trading, I guess, can be quite lonely and it's difficult to kind of, you know, we've all been there where we've been at the screen by ourselves and it's like, what do we do today? And a lot of times watching videos on YouTube and TikTok can be very confusing as well because you've got conflicting strategies, you've got conflicting ideas and some people want to trade the lower timeframes and scalp, some people want to trade the higher timeframes and it's very difficult sometimes for a trader to be by themselves just watching videos, right? Whereas with mentoring and I know for me having mentoring with Mark Chapman, you know, it keeps you, it kept me anyway focused, right? I could say I could ask him anything he would answer, we would have conversations, do you know what I mean? We'd have group calls and we have group calls and when I'm saying ask me anything, do you know what I mean? And it does, it makes a difference you know, rather than just yeah, that's exactly it, whereas a video, you can only get so much from a video you know what I mean? Yeah, right, right, you can't like we say you just can't get, you know so sometimes, you know, the video works like, ah, you understand it and like you said now you're going from another video to another video, yeah just being able to let's just X that out and hey man, what's this? You know what I mean? I don't understand it, you know and so having the mentors you know, I would say it's terrific man, you know what I'm saying? Brilliant, brilliant. Thank you so much for doing this interview and your review of Trading 180 and I really do appreciate it Spencer, I really do appreciate it and I'm glad you've been getting the results you've been getting, you know, you turned your trading around, I was saying, you know before this, I remember when you first came in and you know, where you are now is just a different person man, different person, different analysis, you know, you're a valued member of the community your analysis is top notch and you know, I appreciate you and I appreciate you know, what you bring to the community thank you man, thank you man, I ain't getting any blessing I like that you know, give me your flowers I give you your flowers man, for real though man, you've been a great a great inspiration and a great mentor man and a great coach towards my you know, career man and you know, I want to say man that you know, trading 180 is everything to me you know what I'm saying and I really like it I really love the community man you know, I just you know man, God bless you thank you and you too thank you again and for anyone who doesn't want to join the trading 180 community go to the website if there's an opening you can join if not, then there will be one probably in the future at some point and yeah that got me too, I like that too how you do the opening role man that's what they do for me and make me it make you kind of like intrigued to find out what is this about this guy got the opening role man where you know 30 days out I want to do it now you know yeah but I like but you know what I I used to but I used to keep it open 24 seven and I found that it doesn't work because a lot of some people come in because they're coming in maybe at different points I get asked the same questions and while I don't mind repeating myself it's a lot of work when you have people coming in every day I have it in batches you know I mean if I have and then I know okay I've got maybe you know maybe 10 people 15 20 people that's joined so then I know now I can kind of you know I mean focus on them and bring them through and when you think about school right no one doesn't join school with every single every single day you don't get new students joining a club right you have semesters you have terms and so it's in that's because you know the teachers right you know it's easy for them to keep everybody on the same page etc so you know it's a little better with you know the work right that's exactly it you know I mean so so it's so it's it's that it makes my work easier you know I mean and you know and again it gives you an opportunity I guess you know if you don't want to join today or you know next week and join next month or the next time I have the opening but um but yeah for anyone who wants to join there is an opening I think at the moment I think it was the fifth seventh it closes and then from then maybe in June July maybe possibly I'll have another opening but um but yeah Spencer thank you again much appreciated and I'll see you in the group call tonight it's gonna be in a what is it in an hour and a half just over an hour and a half yeah so are you coming yeah yeah I'm gonna I'm gonna get ready for it now probably do a little bit of day training and then yeah I'll be in there cool I'll see you later and um yeah to everyone else watching the video thank you for what for listening and watching this long and staying to the end and take care hope you have a blessed training week come on in guys come on in training you're the best man you know alright take care now take care man