My journey didn't follow a straight line -and yours probably won't either. I started around 2008 by jumping directly to Level 3, the DIY Learner. After practicing in a demo account, I began stock picking with my own money. I vividly remember the flash crash of May 2009, watching my account plunge in real-time due to a trading algorithm glitch. After about a year, I stopped. It wasn't because I lost money -I actually broke even, but I realized the market was driven more by psychology than logic, and the prohibitive $30 transaction fees made it difficult to maneuver effectively.

I retreated to the perceived safety of Level 0, The Saver, for several years.

My cautious return to investing began with a brief and expensive stint at Level 1 with a bank advisor, which I quickly abandoned for the much lower fees of a Level 2 robo-advisor. This felt like a "no-brainer" solution until the 2020 crash and rally. Once again, I felt powerless as the platform was too slow to react, and I missed major opportunities.

That was the final catalyst. In late 2020, I committed to taking full control, but soon realized that simply having a new broker wasn't enough. I felt unprepared and made beginner mistakes.

Recognizing that I needed a true framework, I invested $2,000 in a professional options trading course in 2022. That investment was the key that unlocked my transition to a Level 4 Process-Driven Investor, as I finally learned how to build a robust, repeatable process based on risk management.

Today, as a Level 5 Optimizer, I navigate the markets with a clear plan. My mission is to use my experience to help you build your own process, avoiding the costly detours and frustrations I had to overcome.