330 · Steve Quirk - From Chicago Pit Trader to Robinhood Exec

Andrew Perry spent over 35 years at the intersection of institutional macro research and active portfolio management, including five years as a portfolio manager at Tudor Investment Corporation under Paul Tudor Jones. Managing up to $450 million, Andrew developed a disciplined, multi-dimensional framework to understand where global markets are going and how to structure trades with strict risk management.

Tim Furey went from surviving the high-intensity floor trading pits of the Chicago Board of Trade to surviving a near-fatal medical emergency, ultimately building TradeView Markets into a global financial brokerage.After getting his start as Merrill Lynch's youngest commodity broker hire in nearly four decades, Tim risked everything to move to Chicago and learn the craft of floor trading. Through grueling pit battles, he learned the ultimate lesson in market survival: mastering defense and managing risk above all else. Years later, while running his firm and raising a family, Tim survived a sudden medical crisis where doctors gave him a 5% chance of living, an experience that further cemented his relentless drive, resilience, and vision as a leader.In this conversation, Tim breaks down his "hungry dogs run faster" mindset, the lost art of pit trading, why defense creates offense in the markets, and how he turned adversity into fuel to build a global financial services brand.

Steve Nison came to Wall Street as a technical analyst in the late 1980s, discovered an obscure Japanese charting methodology, and spent years translating rare texts to introduce candlestick charting to the Western world.Through his landmark research, bestselling books, and institutional training at major firms like Merrill Lynch and Daiwa Securities, Steve opened the eyes of global investors to the power of price action and market psychology. Today, candlestick charts are the universal standard across virtually every financial trading platform in the world.In this conversation, Steve pulls back the curtain on how candlesticks first arrived in the West, sharing the cultural and military roots of candlestick patterns, market psychology, and his foundational Trading Triad framework.

Jeff Holden was once a kid watching his father get laid off during a department cut, realizing early on that he never wanted to be at the mercy of unpredictable market shifts, he wanted full control over his own destiny. Today, as the Head of Trader Development at SMB Capital, Jeff has transformed that drive into a career of identifying, recruiting, and mentoring prop traders into multi-million dollar, seven- and eight-figure performers.
After starting as an independent trader working to find his own way, Jeff built his philosophy around structure, baseline consistency, and rigorous risk allocation. Rather than relying on guesswork or emotional "gut feelings," Jeff developed actionable frameworks like the "ASET" protocol to help traders systematically identify edge, manage risk, and scale capital.
 In this conversation, Jeff pulls back the curtain on how top-tier prop traders are actually built from the ground up. He breaks down the mechanics of price action and tape reading, why scalping serves as the ultimate baseline foundation, and how traders can bridge the gap between steady baseline income and aggressively swinging the bat on high-conviction A+ setups. In this episode, we explore:• How Jeff Holden develops high-performing 7- and 8-figure prop traders at SMB Capital• Jeff’s personal backstory and how a childhood lesson in market volatility shaped his trading philosophy• Why beginner and developing traders must focus on building a consistent baseline strategy first• The "ASET" Protocol: Allocation, Stop, Entry, and Target framework explained• Matching your individual personality and trading psychology to the right archetype and strategy• Jeff’s perspective on trading discipline, daily report cards, and long-term risk management

Peter Brandt entered the commodity trading business in 1976 with ContiCommodity Services, survived years of market shifts, and turned a passion for price action into a legendary career spanning over 50 years as one of the world's premier classical chartists.After starting with Conti handling large institutional accounts like Campbell Soup Company and Homestake Mining, Peter went on to found Factor Trading Co., Inc. (now Factor LLC) in 1980 to trade proprietary capital. Author of the classic Diary of a Professional Commodity Trader and featured in Jack Schwager’s Unknown Market Wizards, Peter has spent over five decades navigating inflationary booms, market crashes, and the transition from open-outcry pits to electronic markets. Today, his edge is built on process, discipline, and classical charting principles that have stood the test of time.In this conversation, Peter pulls back the curtain on his five-decade journey, sharing the specific principles that have allowed him to navigate the markets for half a century. He breaks down why high win rates are a myth, how he caps risk at 60–70 basis points per trade, and how he transitioned from searching for quick wins to building a career as a master craftsman in speculation.