Forex trading is a unique undertaking in that it is based in hard numbers, yet turns on human emotion. And while the physical act of trading on a laptop is solitary, most people agree that it takes a strong community around you to be successful.
Navigating this divide between human relationships and accurate data analysis is tricky, but it can be done. Just ask 27-year-old professional trader Ben Barker.
Ben’s first real experience with forex trading was not great. He lost a staggering £20,000 in the first couple of months and even more after that. As a result, his loved ones begged him to stop. That sort of pressure is challenging, because we understand that our friends and family want to protect us. But Ben recognised a deeper truth.
“When you begin this transition period, people who know you as the old you can be taken aback. But what they’re really reacting to is that they can’t see that path forward for themselves. It’s fear-based, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect on you and the choices you’re making,” he says.
Distinguishing between the sort of people who worry because they want the best for you and those who seek to actively drag you down is critical to ultimately finding success in the financial marketplace.
“The forex world can be toxic,” Ben acknowledges, “and in the end, it’s better to go it alone than to be surrounded by snakes.”
Ben’s own journey to financial freedom through forex trading was difficult, and he found himself let down along the way by teachers who promised results they never delivered. He put a lot of effort into backtesting multiple variables and market combinations, journaling everything he did. Eventually, he developed a rules-based system that began to deliver consistent results. In the process, Ben discovered his own identity in the market.
Ben may have lacked a close mentor to guide him, but there were experts and friends who helped him grow into the powerhouse investor that he is today. So rather than keep his hard-won knowledge to himself, Ben decided to establish an educational community to help others find their footing.
BsappsFX is a training course designed to teach the strategies that Ben has developed over the years. Launched in May 2019, the course has had 1,500 graduates already, many of whom went on to receive funding for their trades from an organisation that’s partnered with Ben and BsappsFX. Always looking to add more value, Ben also shares tips and motivation on his Instagram each week for over 25,000 followers.
If there is anything to be learned from Ben’s experience, it’s that business is personal. It has to be, because it’s driven by humans with a mess of complex emotions and ideas. But if you can step back and avoid taking it personally, you’ll see the numbers behind the trades more clearly. It may take a while to be truly successful in forex trading, but Mom and Dad will eventually stop worrying. In the meantime, a community like BsappsFX can go a long way toward providing the education and encouragement you need to get there.
