Meet Kim Nguyen
Introducing Kim Nguyen, a passionate trader whose journey into trading began during his studies in Computer Science. Since joining Trading MasterClass in September 2022, Kim has been exploring the complexities of trading psychology while striving for financial independence, and has shown immense growth in both trading and other aspects of life. Read about Kim's insights and trading journey thus far in his interview below.
When did your trading journey first begin?
Although I studied Computer Science in University (and wanted to work for PlayStation one day), I took an intro class on Financial Markets and I was immediately hooked into trading from that day onwards. My trading journey began when I bought my first share (in BHP Billiton) in 2006. Being from Melbourne, Australia, it was all about mining stocks growth (BHP/Rio Tinto).
What was it that made you want to pursue trading?
We were a cliché immigrant family from Vietnam story (parents couldn't afford things, but did the best they could, which I'm truly grateful for). I have a young memory of my dad watching that 1987 film 'Wall Street' with Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko. My dad mumbled something that day, like he was in awe of how these stockbrokers lived a glamorous life, whilst we seem to just get by each day. There was a mystic aura that glamorised all of it for our family, which seemingly weaved my parent's high value on intelligence and doing well in school (belief that good grades = higher education = higher paying jobs = being more capable) to my responsibility and ability to look after family.
Fast forward to today, learning the trading strategies in Trading MasterClass has offered me the greatest challenge to date, the hunting tools to succeed in the mystic markets, in a eat-what-you-kill hunting role, where the game takes away from you when you don't give it your optimal best, but rewards you as a victor with all the preparation and work you put in. Trading demands you to continue honing your craft to reach an ever-moving goal-post. I haven't found anything that pushes me, relentlessly demands, excites me, and fulfils me quite like it.
"Trading demands you to continue honing your craft to reach an ever-moving goal-post."
What is something unexpected that you love about trading?
How trading has led me to seek understanding of myself. The psychology aspect of it, which has inspired me to look further into learning more on how our inner thoughts, values and beliefs are all connected/ reflected/ mirrored/ attracted/ projected all around us, essentially building our own reality and shaping what we think is possible.
Ryan Reynolds's character titled movie, Van Wilder, said it best, "Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it gets you nowhere". The quicker one manages one's own mind and emotions, the quicker one is able to reset emotions that don't serve them, leaving one with the freedom to pick what does. This can apply to relationships, trading (like exiting trades early urghhh!), to almost anything. Gaining that peaceful inner ability to not dwell on the past, overly worry or focus too much or too far into the future can mean we are present, balanced, and focused on enjoying the life right in front of us. There is a beauty in this freed up mental capacity. Like a huge weight lifted off our shoulders.
What advice would you give to an inspired, driven individual about to step into the trading world?
Be an open-minded sponge and immerse yourself in all of it. Open with gratitude when others offer their thoughts and advice (and especially if it's different to your own), as they cared enough to share that view in the first place. This is also likely a newly gained perspective you didn't have before. It's a gift to be able to see other angles.
When the community recommends how to improve, go do it! By showing them how you applied it, you build your brain synapses to think in that way and it kickstarts long term habits. Those habits are the building blocks to the life you want. See a man's steps and you can see their future. To think it all starts with taking that first step. Then another. Then another.
"No one ever got muscles and 6-pack abs by reading every fitness book on earth", I heard somewhere. The quicker you switch from learning to taking action (doing!), the exponentially faster your brain switches into making this a reality. I keep reminding myself to go get those mental pushups and crunches in! It would be a disservice not to put in the time and effort! You deserve this and everything that comes with it….#gogetit/carpe diem!
"The quicker you switch from learning to taking action (doing!), the exponentially faster your brain switches into making this a reality."
What do you believe are the three most important characteristics of a successful trader?
1. Tenaciously self-improves
2. Emotionally balanced under pressure
3. Resilient
What are one to three books that have deeply influenced your life?
Relentless by Tim S. Grover or Winning by Tim S. Grover: Either book will electrify you to take no prisoners and charge ahead 1000%
Healing Your Lost Inner Child by Robert Jackman: This book helps you realize what makes you you today and how to change it if you wish
The 5am Club by Robin Sharma or What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam: Winning starts with the beginning (of your day)
How has Trading MasterClass assisted your evolution?
Whilst I'm still progressing towards it, Trading MasterClass has helped my evolution by offering the tools to create income from trading today and has helped me outline a lifestyle plan from creating an (exciting) roadmap to building the life I want, with goal and steps required to quit my 9-5….and this excites me to my core since it feels like I was always meant to cross/reach this path.
TMC has also helped me evolve by evolving other areas of my life beyond trading, from inspiring me to look at and evolve my inner mind/beliefs, to general financial topics like portfolio construction or investment strategies and ideas, to what does the perfect day look like and how to build that out, to morning "power hour" (aka 20 mins spent across 3 buckets: mind/body/spirt) and intentionally setting up that winning momentum from first light extrapolated to your morning/day/month/quarter/year/years. There is so much more available in TMC I'm surely missing but you get the picture.
What is your next immediate trading goal?
Getting prop firm funded in order to leave my 9-5 job.
I'm sure our little dog Lily preferred when we hung out with her all day rather than working, so really all this is just a means to attending to her royal highness Lily full time. I swear.
Any final words of wisdom?
Take your time in order to speed up and achieve your dreams quicker. It's a paradox (I know), but meticulously laying down the foundations, rather than rush building, you save so much time later on by having a solid base and mental muscle to understand that you can handle anything thrown your way and have the strength to really take off! I've found that when I don't prioritize this approach, it becomes a more expensive and time consuming lesson to redo, relearn, and dig myself out of a hole, versus getting it right the first time.
Also, don't forget to enjoy the journey. At times you might experience impatience, feel burnt out, take losses, and need to reset and find that inner drive & engagement again, so it's important to make sure each day includes something that you want or enjoy. This helps to keep you in the moment as you live out this life. If you love the process, this will be more than just a phase or a new year's resolution....it will last!
"Don't forget to enjoy the journey."
How can we keep up with you?
The TMC Slack Community is the best place to catch me (you are what you spend time on and focus on!).
