In 2006, after a full year out of college, my hometown friend approached me about starting an investment club.  I was thrilled with the idea so we gathered six more like-minded individual whom we grew up with.  We were all newbies.  We structured the club and we all participated by pooling our monies, bringing ideas and researching many stocks.  Our strategy was long term, (holding over a year). Over the course of six months I was fixated in the way the stock market moved. The portfolio went up, down, break-even, down and up.  After this realization, I suggested to the group in a short-term strategy but they were not ready for the implementation of a new strategy.   Therefore I opened my first individual brokerage account.

Late 2006/Early 2007 I started searching on the internet for any stock related information. I ran into Timothy Sykes’ site, when he just started replicating a strategy he had in college, He provided his watchlist (free) he talked about his thought process and his trade ideas (free).  I was thrilled with the idea of shorting- penny stocks, and how easy he made the strategy appear. I’d learned a lot from actually interacting with him on his blog, participating in certain stocks he would then post on his morning watchlist.  I opened a Think Or Swim account (before TD buyout) per Tim’s suggestion due to easy to borrow shares, while retaining my Scottrade account.

Beginners Luck!! I traded in my brokerage account during work hours while I was working for a Custodial Investments Bank.  I would buy and hold positions for a minimum of one week or a maximum of One months.  Mid 2007, my account grew expeditiously! 2007 was the year for solar stocks such as SOLF and FSLR just to name a few. I bought based on trend and my perception of price movement at the time.  I also started to short certain penny stocks like COIN, and really tried to get a feel of cutting losses and letting the winners run.  In late 2007 my experience and “new traders luck” begun to catch up to me; I lost most of my profit due to my lack of stock market knowledge and greed.  I stopped trading and started studying. I bought a few books and interacted with a lot of other experienced traders. The best part of my advancement was my ability just to watch the markets, intra-day patterns, and times when breakouts or downs occurred.  Eventually I started to apply what I’d learned.  I had consecutive months of gains although 2008 was the downturn of the stock market.  I developed a trading plan/strategy and I adhere to it daily.  Through discipline and constant studying, I became Consistent and therefore profitable. All while working a 9-5.

At the time of my new found consistency and journey into profitability, I started trading in a chat room called “The Green Room” ran by Moody and Nathan Michaud.  It was great to be among some of the greatest momentum traders. We had a lot of great days!

I changed jobs, (revolving door in the financial field) to a higher paying job with another investment bank.  Due to compliance trading regulations for employees (They just don’t want anyone else to make money other than the bank) I could no longer participate in the trading Chat, especially when Nate/Moody formed IU.

I didn’t let the compliance issue stop me.  I simply did a nice work around (contact me directly if you want to know how)  I still traded on the job. Working for an Investment Bank it amazed me that my co-workers had no clue that they were on the back end of a money-making machine industry. They budgeted and analyzed mutual funds expenses (which was my job as well) but I spent most of the time analyzing and trading stocks! I started to coach a few co-workers for months until they became just as profitable and consistent.  

Years of consistency and profitability, there was no better time to quit my day job until the day I had my daughter! Full time day trader and coach was a hard adjustment once my princess arrived, however with my trading plan/strategy trading was easier than ever! My second born arrived a year and a half later and then TradesandTikes was formed. 

I created this website to inspire others, particularly stay at Home Moms who are looking for ways to make extra money.  I also want to inspire and help new traders, for I have put in the effort and paid great money to learn what I know today about day trading.  I want to help those AVOID my costly mistakes which will put you the new trader on the Fast track to success!!!