Meet Chris Bragg

Chris has been with Trading MasterClass for roughly 1,5 years now. In October 2022, Chris made the leap to our TMC Enigma MasterMind program and hasn't looked back since! It is clear that Chris has the discipline, resilience and work ethic to make it in this industry, and we have no doubt that he will achieve all of his goals in trading and in life. He is such a valued & engaged member of the TMC community and we couldn't be happier to be part of his trading journey! Check out the full interview with Chris below, and make sure to connect with him in the club!

When did your trading journey first begin?

At the age of 13 I knew I wanted to be successful. It was at this age I started to take slight but not massive actions that could get me to where I wanted to be. I was all over the place though. No idea where to start, and no idea what to learn. I just took certain actions that I knew could potentially help me. As I grew up, I started to take more impactful actions. Specifically in high school. I really started to work on myself and who I wanted to be.

After high school I joined the military and this is where my work really, really began. This is where I started to educate myself on business, real estate, and investing/trading. I was trying to do all three at the same time trying to “make it”. None of it was getting me the results I wanted and for good reason. I was all over the place trying to do multiple things at once. It wasn’t until I got deployed that I realized this and had to make a pretty hard decision. Give up all the time I’ve spent on getting my real estate license, stop working on this small business I started, or do something I’m unsure I’ll enjoy doing for the rest of my life (this being trading/investing). I had to pursue one thing or fail at all three. I thought long and hard, finally making a decision. It was at this point I told myself I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed at trading and strictly focus on it. That has been one of the greatest decisions I’ve made in life.

What was it that made you want to pursue trading?

The things that it can provide. If used properly, trading can give you time freedom, location freedom, and financial freedom. Not a lot in this world can provide all three.

Another thing that made me pursue trading is the thought of working for someone else. I wanted something where the effort that I put in is what I can potentially get out. Not effort I’m exerting to build someone else’s dream.

Lastly, I pursued trading because it can help me reach my other very ambitious goals.

What is something unexpected that you love about trading?

How hard it makes you work and the impacts it has on your personal development journey. There is nothing more fulfilling than working as hard as possible to make your dreams and goals come true. You need to be at peak-state when trading so your life pretty much revolves around making this happen. The actions that I take always need to be in line with where I want to be in trading and in life because this is what is going to allow me to reach my goals. That's what I love about it. Trading requires you to be the best version of yourself and to constantly keep improving.

"Trading requires you to be the best version of yourself and to constantly keep improving."

What advice would you give to an inspired, driven individual about to step into the trading world?

Wow this is a difficult one, because there is so much I’d like to say.

Keeping it short, to succeed at trading, you need to give it your all. It can’t be a side gig and it can’t be something you just show up to. Showing up is not enough. You need to show up present, focused, and engaged. That and taking the right actions is what will get you results. If you want to succeed at this, then you should be willing to do anything to make that happen. Don’t let this be another thing that you just start and never finish. Stick with it, take the necessary actions, and you’ll reap the rewards you're after.

"Showing up is not enough. You need to show up present, focused, and engaged."

Success is not just going to come to you, you have to go get it. No one is coming to save you other than yourself. Use the tools given here to make things happen in your life. So many people have already done it, so why not you?

How has Trading MasterClass assisted your evolution?

Trading MasterClass is everything to me. It has provided me with so many opportunities to grow and succeed. They gave me the tools (and not just two or three, the whole damn tool box) and it was my job to use those tools to bring whatever success I wanted, to me. I needed high level structured education, mentorship, and a community of traders. TMC over delivered on that just like everything else they do.

"TMC has provided me with so many opportunities to grow and succeed."

When I joined the TMC Enigma MasterMind program, I was astonished to see just how much more value TMC was able to add. Again confirming my belief that they are never satisfied and constantly evolving to be the greatest!

What are one to three books that have deeply influenced your life?

There are so many great  books I would like to put here as reading is something that genuinely helped change and improve my life for the better. There was something that happened to me while in the military that just absolutely crushed me. It felt like one of the lowest points in my life. One way I bounced back from this is by improving myself through books. They taught me the things I needed to learn to become a better man. And that improvement never stops to this day. The most important thing you must do for books to really have an effect on you is to implement its teachings. It will help you grow in ways you couldn’t even imagine.

No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert A. Glover: If there is one book every man should read it’s this one (sorry ladies). I wish I had read it sooner in my life. It taught me so many valuable lessons on doing things for you and why trying to impress others is a detrimental path. This is just scratching the surface. There were so many other amazing takeaways from this book, I’d rather you find out for yourself! I guarantee for most, it will change your life.

The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer: After I read this book, my life was never the same. I viewed life from such a different perspective after reading this it felt amazing. This book will improve the way you think, improve your emotional intelligence, and show you a path to freedom. It will free you from your thoughts and feelings. Give it a shot!

Relentless: From good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S. Grover: I don’t even know where to start with this one. I read this book at such a pivotal point in my life it was like a god send. I’ve taken away so many valuable lessons from this one that it’s improved and is continuously improving me for the better. You want someone to tell you how it is, to get your a** moving, and what it takes to be one of the greats? This one will be impactful for you.

What new belief, behaviour, or habit has helped you gain the most forward momentum since becoming a trader?

The belief of winning. When you work really hard at something you believe you’re owed for it. Winning doesn’t care. You could have put your everything into one thing and someone who worked way less than you could come out on top. It feels unfair, but it’s true. I don’t say this to discourage anyone. I say this so we are all prepared. Prepared to be better than your previous self everyday. Because that’s the one you should be worried about. This is why you can’t compare yourself to others. And saying “if others work way less than me and still make it, why even try” is an excuse you tell yourself because you are either afraid to fail or you want to stay comfortable.

"Be better than your previous self everyday."

Winning is not guaranteed, but wouldn’t you want to have at least tried for it? And I’m not talking about taking little actions once in a while, I’m talking about putting everything you got into it. Your heart and your soul. For me, I want to know I did just that. We all have a purpose, and this is us working towards it. Start making things happen with the life you have. If you fail, there is more than one way to get what you want. Find it and make your purpose come to life.

What do you believe are the three most important characteristics of a successful trader?

Discipline- This is of utmost importance. Without it, you’ll fail. Not just in trading but in life. Discipline keeps you grounded making you continuously take the actions (and oftentimes the hard actions) needed to reach your goals. Saying you’re not disciplined enough is just an excuse. Discipline is something that is built. If you are disciplined enough to wake up every morning for your boss, then you should have the discipline to work on goals FOR YOURSELF. No thinking needs to go into it, no excuses need to be made, no feelings need to be involved, you just go and accomplish what is necessary.

Resilience- The ability to bounce back from a situation that we struggled, faltered, or failed at is extremely important. There are going to be events in your life and in trading that will throw you off course, such as losing a loved one, a breakup, drawdown, not following your plan, etc… It’s important that when these events happen, you don’t play the victim and you begin to work on taking lessons from the situation. It’s at the low points where you can either stay there, or bounce back stronger than you were before. Of course it won't be easy, and it will be easier to blame others and external factors. But ultimately it’s up to you on whether or not you want to learn from this situation and use it to your advantage or let it hold you back. Use resilience to make you stronger, smarter, more capable, or whatever else you want and can make happen from the situation.

Introspection- You have to be aware of the thoughts and feelings that come up during the day, especially before and after a trade. This is how you begin to find your limiting beliefs while also finding your strengths. Capitalize on those strengths while working through your weaknesses. Become mindful, meditate, journal, reflect, etc.. not only for trading, but for your life as it will allow you to see things from a more grounded point of view and will begin to improve your emotional intelligence. Take the time and effort to work on this to avoid emotional trading. Your psychological state will reflect in your results.

What is your next immediate trading goal?

To get out of the military and trade full-time. (8 months left in my contract!)

Any final words of wisdom?

I know I advocated for a lot of hard work in this interview, but you need to experience life too. You don’t want to reach the top and have only money to show for it. Make memories, build relationships, be present, and enjoy every moment you can. Sometimes you’ll have to set aside some of these things or experience little of it, but do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do.

"Make memories, build relationships, be present, and enjoy every moment you can."

It’s all up to you to become who you want to be, and what you want to make happen. Invest in yourself, because you are the greatest asset on earth. It's what you do and it’s the knowledge you carry with you for the rest of your life that is going to make an impact. Especially for the next generation. Take the time to learn and improve to become the best version of yourself possible. Start to become the person you want to be and do anything to get it. A quitter is never a winner and a winner is never a quitter.

How can we keep up with you?

You can reach out anytime in Slack! (Business website, and accounts for social media soon to come!)