My gender is irrelevant to my trading success

I am a woman, but I have always seen that as irrelevant when it comes to my career. I insist on earning the same as my male counterparts; I insist on getting the same jobs, know why? Because I can do them. My gender is irrelevant.

I started out in the financial markets during the dot com bubble, for me, it was just exciting to dabble at that time, but I quickly learned that I knew nothing about the financial markets. It became clear to me that educating myself on how to trade, when to trade, and indeed when not to trade would be critical to my success.

I am self-taught. I started with the basics of technical analysis, and I’m definitely not a mathematician. This gave me a greater understanding of how history repeats itself in the markets, and if I could understand what moved markets before, then this could help me identify future price action.

So what got me into the markets?

Funnily enough, men did. But don’t let that weaken my message. I had several relationships with men who worked in the banking world, and boy did it seem glamorous, and yet in these giant banks, the females were only taking the roles of assistants. Why, that’s what I wanted to know?

If one of the biggest challenges for traders is controlling your emotions, then boy do I have that in spades. I’m calmer and more controlled than many of my male counterparts. I stick to my trading plan no matter what is going on outside.

My inspiration

My biggest role model is Cathie Woods, the founder of ARKK investment fund. It made massive returns since being launched. She’s not my role model because she’s a woman though. She’s my role model because she’s a powerhouse trader. Like me, she probably never identified a distinction or connection between gender and the ability to trade well. Know why? Because there isn’t one.

So, I trade daily, and I use AvaTrade as my trusted broker. To me, the fact that they are regulated means everything. I do not want to have to worry about working with an unsafe broker. I focus on a few distinct assets in which I master rather than spreading myself too thin. I trade for fun from my mobile when I’m out, or I trade more seriously from home. I love trading, and I am good at it. But it didn’t happen overnight. I learned that when trading, losses are to be expected, but as long as you can turn more profitable trades in the long run, then you can turn it into a feasible career. The keys are education and practice. Start with a demo account, or an amount that you will not miss. AvaTrade lets you start with $100 and there’s nothing like the feeling of trading for real. Use their educational materials. Go to the webinars. The knowledge that you will glean will be invaluable.

If the whole meme stock craze taught us anything, and if you are in any of those social groups, you’ll know they are massively male dominated, it’s that you have to be in it for the longer term and I can tell you what you put in is what you will get out.

Happy and successful trading, ladies!