Flavia Chin: Stay-at-Home Mom Who Mastered Prop Trading

This 32-year-old trader based in New York is an inspiration to aspiring traders everywhere. Originally from Jamaica, her journey highlights how dedication, discipline, and a well-defined trading strategy can lead to success in prop firm trading. It all started with a desire to be a stay-at-home mom while still contributing to the family’s finances. Now, she stands as a shining example of what’s possible with hard work and a smart approach.

Balancing Motherhood and Financial Goals

The journey began in Jamaica, and the move to New York likely played a big role in developing resilience and adaptability. These qualities are super important for a Forex trader. The decision to start trading came from a desire to find a career that allowed for being present for her children while still pursuing financial goals. “My trading journey began when I became a stay-at-home mom and wanted the flexibility to be present for my family while still contributing financially. I was determined to find a path that allowed me to balance both, which led me to discover trading.” This resonates with many parents who are looking for ways to balance their family life with their professional ambitions.

Being a Mom and a Trader

This story is especially encouraging for other moms who are interested in trading. It proves that it’s possible to be a dedicated parent and a successful trader. Balancing the demands of both roles requires dedication and focus. “Balancing my role as a stay-at-home mom with the demands of trading also required time management and staying focused”.

Learning to Trade: A Mix of Self-Education and Mentorship

Becoming a skilled trader involved a combination of self-directed learning and guidance from experienced traders. The journey started with a company called IML, but ultimately, more knowledge was needed. “Initially, I started with IML, but I didn’t learn much from them except how to calculate pips and use MT4“. So, Flavia took charge of her own learning, seeking knowledge from successful traders online. The “Candlestick Trading Bible” was also a valuable resource to learn more about analyzing price charts. This shows how important it is to be proactive and find resources that work for you.

Overcoming Challenges and Staying Focused

The path to success wasn’t always smooth. Learning to trade and staying disciplined was a big challenge. “One of the biggest challenges I faced was overcoming the learning curve and staying disciplined through the ups and downs of trading“. Learning to manage emotions and avoid making impulsive trading decisions was key. “In the beginning, I struggled with emotional decision-making and overtrading, which led to setbacks.” But with persistence, Flavia figured out how to manage risk and stick to her trading plan.

The Intra-Swing Trading Style

Flavia’s chosen trading style is called “intra-swing,” focusing on capturing price moves that happen within a larger trend. Trades are usually held for a few hours or a few days, depending on how the market is behaving. “My trading style is intra-swing, where I capture medium-term price movements within a trend I focus on entering trades during swing points, typically holding positions for a few hours to a few days, depending on market conditions.”

Technical analysis is the foundation for making her trading decisions. This means studying charts and looking for patterns in price movements to figure out where the market might go next. “My trading style is primarily technical, focusing on price action and market structure“. Important price levels called support and resistance are closely monitored, and a strategy called “break-and-retest” is used to find good opportunities to enter trades. Fibonacci retracements, which are tools that help traders identify potential turning points in the market, are also utilized within the strategy. Keeping the analysis simple and avoiding too many indicators is key.

The Trading Plan: A Roadmap to Success

A detailed trading plan helps Flavia to stay organized and make consistent trading decisions. Here’s a breakdown of the plan:

Market Analysis: It starts by looking at the bigger picture, and analyzing the daily and 4-hour charts to identify important price levels, trends, and potential trade setups. “I also keep an eye on economic events that may impact price movements” adding that awareness of the bigger economic forces that can affect the markets is important.
Entry Criteria: There are specific rules for entering trades, like looking for break-and-retest patterns at support and resistance levels. Fibonacci retracements and candlestick patterns, which are visual representations of price action, are also used to confirm trades.
Risk Management: Being careful with risk is crucial, never risk more than 1-2% of trading capital on a single trade. A good risk-to-reward ratio is also important, making sure that potential profit is bigger than potential loss.
Trade Execution: Match-Trader is Flavia’s preferred platform used to execute trades, taking advantage of its speed and reliability.
Post-Trade Analysis: After every trade, win or lose, she takes time to review what happened. This helps to learn and improve the strategy. “I track my performance with my trading journal in notion to ensure continuous improvement“.
Consistency and Patience: Consistency and patience are super important for long-term success in trading. Sticking to the plan and not letting emotions get in the way of decisions is key.
GBP/USD, GBP/AUD, EUR/JPY, Gold, and sometimes NAS100 are Flavia’s markets of choice. These markets have a lot of movement and are easy to buy and sell. “I focus on these markets because they offer ample liquidity and volatility, which are key for my intra-swing trading style“. These markets are a good fit for her trading strategy.

Making Informed Trading Decisions

Before entering any trade, several factors are carefully considered:

Entry Criteria: Does the trade opportunity meet the specific rules for entering a trade?
Risk Management: How much money could be potentially lost on the trade, and is it within risk limits?
Stop-Loss and Take-Profit: A stop-loss order is always set to limit potential losses and a take-profit order is to lock in profits if the trade goes in the right direction.
Emotional Control: Ensuring a calm and focused mindset before making any trading decisions is essential.

A Comprehensive Approach to Risk Management

Flavia’s risk management plan to help protect her trading account:

Risk Per Trade: Never risking more than 1-2% of the account on any single trade helps avoid big losses.
Risk-to-Reward Ratio: Aiming for a profit target that’s at least twice as big as the potential loss (1:2 RRR).
Position Sizing: Calculating the right position size based on the stop-loss level.
Stop-losses: Always using stop-loss orders, which are orders that automatically exit a trade if it reaches a certain level of loss.
Trade Management: Flavia prefers to close trades when she is happy with the profit rather than trying to squeeze out every last bit of potential profit, which can sometimes lead to losing profits.

Mastering the Mental Game of Trading

Openly admitting that losing trades isn’t enjoyable is important. “I’ll be honest, I’m a sore loser, but I’m actively working on improving my mindset” she says. Flavia is committed to improving her mental game and is reading books like “The Mental Game of Trading” and “Best Loser Wins” to help manage her emotions. Remembering past trades that were close to hitting the stop-loss but ended up being winners helps reinforce confidence in the trading strategy.

Trading on the Go: Flexibility is Key

A flexible trading setup allows for trading from anywhere. Using a MacBook for in-depth market analysis on the weekends, an iPad to keep an eye on the markets during the week, and a phone to actually make trades ensures that trading can be done from anywhere. “I prefer a flexible and mobile trading setup that fits my lifestyle. On weekends, I dive into market analysis using my MacBook to prepare for the week ahead. During the week, I switch to my iPad for ongoing analysis, allowing me to stay on top of the market. For trade execution, I rely on my phone—it’s always with me, and I set alerts so I never miss a trading opportunity“.

Finding Inspiration and Purpose in Trading

Flavia’s biggest motivation for trading comes from the desire to achieve financial freedom and create a secure future for her family. “What inspires me to pursue trading is the desire for financial freedom and the ability to provide my family with a flexible lifestyle“. There’s also a desire to pass on trading knowledge to her children, empowering them to be financially independent.

The Foundation of Long-Term Trading Success

Consistency, discipline, continuous learning, and emotional resilience are according to Flavia essential for achieving long-term success in trading. “The key to long-term success in trading is consistency and discipline. Staying committed to a well-defined trading plan, managing risk effectively, and making decisions based on strategy—not emotion—are essential for sustainable growth. Continuous learning and adapting to market changes also play a big role. It’s not about making quick profits but about building a solid foundation and being patient through the ups and downs. Developing emotional resilience, especially after losses, and sticking to the process, regardless of short-term outcomes, is crucial for lasting success.“

Advice for New Traders: Focus on Learning

For those who are new to trading, prioritizing learning and skill development is key. “My advice to a beginner is to focus on developing your skills first—the money will follow. Take the time to learn, understand, and practice your strategy consistently. Don’t rush into trading for profits; instead, focus on mastering risk management, emotional control, and staying disciplined. Trading is a journey, and the more you refine your skills, the more success you’ll see in the long run. Trust the process and let the results come naturally with experience.“

Avoid Strategy Hopping

New traders are cautioned against jumping from one trading strategy to another without giving any single strategy enough time to work. “I think the biggest mistake new traders make is strategy hopping. Many beginners jump from one strategy to another without giving any one approach enough time to develop or show results. This creates inconsistency and prevents them from truly understanding how a strategy works in different market conditions. The key is to stick with one strategy long enough to refine it, learn from the outcomes, and make adjustments based on real experience, rather than constantly chasing the next “best” strategy.“

The Power of Systems and Habits

Flavia’s favorite quote is from the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” This quote emphasizes the importance of building good habits and routines to support trading goals. “This really resonates with me because it emphasizes that success doesn’t come from setting big goals alone, but from creating solid systems and habits that help you consistently work toward those goals. In trading, it’s about building the right processes and sticking to them, day in and day out.”

Resources for Traders: Books, Podcasts, and Movies

Here are some of her favorite resources for traders:

Books: “The Mental Game of Trading” by Jared Tendler, “Best Loser Wins” by Tom Hougaard, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, “The Mountain Is You” by Brianna Wiest (which is on her reading list), and “The Candlestick Trading Bible.”
Podcasts: “Trading Nut” and “Forex Beginner Podcast.”

Why E8 Markets Was the Right Choice

E8 Markets was her choice because it offers a supportive community for traders, a clear evaluation process, and good opportunities to earn profits. “I chose E8 because it offers a flexible and supportive environment for traders, with a realistic evaluation process and attractive profit-sharing opportunities. The structure aligns well with my trading goals, and I appreciate the ability to grow as a trader while managing a funded account.”

Finding Success with E8

Impressive results have been achieved with E8 Markets, earning over $6,000 in profit, with the biggest winning trade being $4,000! “So far, I’ve made a total of $6,293 at E8, while my biggest trade was $4,000, which was a great achievement in terms of both profit and confidence in my strategy.“

Overcoming the E8 Evaluation

The E8 evaluation process was challenging, especially the temptation to overtrade to try to reach the profit target quickly. “The most difficult part of the evaluation process was resisting the urge to rush and overtrade in order to pass quickly“. But she stayed focused on her plan and didn’t let the pressure get in the way.

Advice for E8 Traders

Traders are encouraged to take the E8 challenge if they have a solid trading plan and are confident in their abilities. “My advice to traders attempting the E8 challenge is, as long as you have a solid strategy and trading plan, go for it! Focus on consistency, risk management, and sticking to your plan. Don’t rush to hit the target—let the trades come to you. Stay patient, disciplined, and remember that it’s about proving your skills, not making quick profits.“

The Impact of E8 on Trading

Passing the E8 challenge has increased confidence and reinforced the importance of discipline and patience in trading. “Passing the E8 Challenge has definitely been a significant step in my trading journey, It has given me more confidence in my ability to manage larger accounts and reinforced the importance of patience and discipline. While it hasn’t dramatically changed my life yet, it has provided me with the opportunity to grow as a trader and potentially create more financial stability, which is a big motivator for me and my family.“

An Inspiring Story

This journey is a powerful reminder that with hard work, dedication, and a well-thought-out plan, it’s possible to achieve success in trading while balancing other important aspects of life, like being a parent. This trader’s story is an inspiration to aspiring traders everywhere!

Inspired by Flavia’s Story? Discover More Trader Journeys!

Flavia’s journey is just one of many inspiring stories within the E8 Markets community. If you’re eager to learn more about how other traders have achieved success with E8, be sure to check out our E8 Traders category. You’ll find a collection of interviews with talented individuals who have conquered the E8 Markets evaluation and are thriving as professional traders. Get inspired, gain valuable insights, and discover the diverse paths to trading success!

Source: E8Markets