From English Major to Full-Time Trader

You’ll hear me say this once in a while: some days are for taking it easy. I don’t go into every trading session with guns blazing. For one reason or another, there are days I’ll either step away completely or just dial it back. Today is one of those days.

So why the light touch today? Years ago, before the internet made everything accessible, one of the only resources I could find on trading was a magazine called . For a budding trader living in relative isolation, that monthly issue was a party—a confirmation that I wasn't the only one on this path. It feels surreal, then, to be asked to do an interview for their forex special. I had to be peeled off the ceiling.

I share this because my journey wasn't conventional. It feels like just yesterday I was an attendee at trading expos, and now I’m the one presenting on stage. I wasn't born knowing any of this. In college, I was an English major studying Dante, not derivatives. Trading is a skill you can learn and learn to do well, whether as a or something more. It's a path you can build for yourself.

The Day's Main Trade

Around 7:30 A.M. EST, I put my plan into action. I shorted the EUR/USD pair right as it pierced the uptrend line on its daily chart. I had been watching for prices to break through the psychological barrier of 1.1950, and once they did, it was my cue to get in.

I’m now keeping a close eye on the 1.1900 level for support. You always have to respect the "00" pip levels; they're the most significant ones we track, along with the "20," "50," and "80" markers. Notice that my entry trigger at 1.1950 wasn’t random—it lined up perfectly with the trendline I was waiting to see break.

For my protective stop, I’ve set it at 1.2045, which corresponds with the middle line of the Wave indicator. I like this spot because it gives a daily chart setup the breathing room it needs. When you’re managing a trade on this timeframe, you have to account for the price fluctuations over a full 24 hours. The 1.2045 level is also reinforced by the 1.000 full retracement, giving me two solid reasons to believe it will hold as resistance. My first profit target is 1.1900, followed by 1.1867, which is the 1.618 Fibonacci extension level. This is how starts to look like a structured plan.

Watching the Market for More Opportunities

The Crude Inventories report is scheduled for 10:30 A.M. today, an event that usually moves the U.S. dollar. With that in mind, I’m looking at the two charts most affected: USD/CHF and EUR/USD. I’m scanning the 30-minute and 60-minute charts, as they’re usually best for finding setups before a big news release.

The USD/CHF isn’t quite at an entry trigger, but you can see where support and resistance are waiting. The MACD histogram is already above the zero line, which is a positive sign for a potential long position. As long as it stays there, placing an entry order just above the 1.3000 resistance level is a reasonable move. We’d need to see the price break through at least 1.3003 or 1.3005 to confirm the breakout, accounting for the typical spread.

Meanwhile, the daily chart for the euro has already presented the short trade I took earlier. The MACD confirmed that entry, and now we’re seeing a potential second-chance entry develop. Anyone managing this as a loves the flexibility multiple timeframes provide. If the price moves back up through the downtrend lines, the short setup is no longer valid. You could take both the daily and the 60-minute entries, managing each on its respective chart, or just choose one. It’s all up to you.

Setting Up and Stepping Away

By 11:00 A.M., my positions are set. I decided to take both short setups on the euro because each chart offered a compelling reason to enter. It wasn't a stretch; the intraday weakness on the 60-minute chart complemented the larger breakdown on the daily chart. These are two distinct setups that work together, showing how a single can have multiple layers.

My interview is in an hour, so I’m going to relax. My limit orders are in the market, which means my positions are managed automatically. This is the beauty of this kind of ; with a solid plan, you don't have to be glued to the screen. The system handles the execution, letting you focus on other things—like a surreal, full-circle moment with a magazine that started it all.