Ant

Building edges in markets, body & faith | Recovering from a motorcycle wreck while studying discretionary trading | No shortcuts, just reps

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@zodchiii Nice watch

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@TwilioHelp Sent!

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@Twilio ticket #27309019 has been open for 2 days with no response.

Trying to register an A2P Low Volume Mixed campaign under my LLC brand. Getting error 30795 — EIN mismatch. All details submitted.

Anyone able to take a look?

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

SMB DNA Training program Module 4: Daily Routine

This module separates pros from amateurs in ways most traders ignore.

It's not just about chart patterns. It's about the foundation that makes you CAPABLE of executing those patterns.

Here's what stood out:

1. THE FOUNDATIONS (Sleep, Exercise, Diet, Mindfulness)

You can't trade at your peak if your body and mind are trash.

Pros treat trading like a professional sport:
- 7-9 hours sleep (your brain needs to process)
- Exercise (clears your head, reduces stress)
- Clean diet (sustained energy, not sugar crashes)
- Mindfulness (staying present, not revenge trading)

These aren't "nice to haves." They're requirements.

2. TRADERVUE & DETAILED MARKUP

The best traders don't just log trades - they mark them up in DETAIL.

Why? Because detailed notes create recall.

When you face a similar setup live, your brain snaps to action instead of freezing.

The more detail = the faster you recognize it = the better your execution.

3. EZ MONEY TRADES (Lance Breitstein)

This one hit hard.

Your A+ setups won't show up every day.

But you still need to make money.

Enter: EZ Money Trades

These are replicable B+ setups that:
- Pay the bills consistently
- Keep your confidence up
- Let you stay patient for A+ setups
-Allow for more risk on A+ setups

How many times have you blown up your account on mediocre trades, then your A+ setup arrives but you're too shaken to size properly?

EZ Money solves this.

You're not forcing trades. You're executing proven B+ patterns while waiting for A+.

4. HIGHLIGHT REEL

Create a video library of YOUR best trades, best plays of the day, and stocks in play.

Watch them repeatedly.

This trains your brain to:
- Spot setups on tape BEFORE they appear on chart
- Recognize exit points earlier
- See shifts in order flow that predict moves

Pattern recognition isn't born. It's built through repetition.

5. TECHNOLOGY

Use tech to reduce stress and increase edge:
- Alerts for key levels
- Scripts for scanning
- Automation for monitoring

The goal: Let technology handle the grunt work so you can focus on execution.

The lesson:

Most traders think success is about finding the perfect setup.

But pros know: Success is about SHOWING UP in peak condition, CONSISTENTLY.

Sleep. Exercise. Diet. Mindfulness. Detailed review. EZ Money. Highlight reels. Tech.

That's the daily routine that compounds into long-term edge.

#SMBCapital #SMBTRADERDNAPROGRAM

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@lady_valor_07 Lil Big Teeth

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

Module 3: Risk Management

I'm not gonna lie, this module brought up a lot.

2021-2022 wasn't just account blow-ups. It shattered my confidence as a trader.

I stopped for 2 years because I didn't trust myself anymore.

But going through this module made something click:

I wasn't a bad trader. I had bad RISK MANAGEMENT.

Here's what I learned:

THE MATH THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING:

With 1:5 risk/reward setups, you only need to win 30% of trades.

I looked back at my old stats. I was right MORE than 30% of the time.

So why did I blow up?

Because I violated the #1 rule: Never hold a stock against you.

One massive loss erased weeks of gains.

WHAT I DID WRONG (And What I'm Fixing):

❌ Doubled down on losers (learned from bad "mentors")
✅ Now: Cut immediately, reassess later

❌ Oversized positions (chasing the "home run" feeling)
✅ Now: Start small, size up with conviction

❌ Held stocks against me hoping they'd come back
✅ Now: Transaction costs are cheap, being wrong is expensive

THE "CHECKS" FRAMEWORK:

Before every trade, I now ask:
- Stock in play? ✓
- Unusual bid/offer? ✓
- Technical level? ✓
- Support held after washout? ✓

More checks = more size.
Fewer checks = pass or tiny size.

MAXIMIZING WINNERS:

Don't just take profits at 5:1 because it hits your target.

Ask: Is there more upside left? Come up with Reasons2Sell based on the stocks you trade

The 8:1 and 10:1 trades fund your career. Don't leave money on the table.

This module is personal for me.

It's not just about strategy. It's about rebuilding trust in myself.

I'm ready now.

#SMBCapital #SMBTRADERDNAPROGRAM

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

Mike B just dropped this.
It explains why I blew up in 2021,2022
I thought trading was just about making trades.
But a trading business is 5 things:
•PlayBook
•Research
•Skill development
•Collaboration
•Technology
In 2020, I only did #1 if that.
Today (SMB DNA Day 3), I did all 5:
✅ Finishing Up Module 3
✅ Broke down tape reading examples (Risk Seminar)
✅ Identified my skill gaps(Price action reads without order flow= win rate 📉)
✅ Engaged with the trading community
✅ Prepped my tech stack
Not trading live yet. But today was a GOOD day.
Because I’m building the foundation that lasts.
The shift from amateur to professional.

[Mike Bellafiore @MikeBellafiore]

You lost money doesn't mean you had a bad day. You made money doesn't mean you had a good day.

You run a business. You run a trading business.

That business is comprised of:

a) Your PlayBook- trades that create your PnL.
b) Research and development- finding new edges.
c) Skill development- execute better.
d) Colloboration- 1+1=98.
e) Building technology- to improve your trading results.

A better way to measure a trading day then is:

1) Did I execute well?
2) Did I make progress on my research?
3) Did I do the work to improve my skills as a trader?
4) How would I grade my collaboration?
5) Did I make time to build technology?

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@liljekrans @sspencer_smb In DNA now. Considering Inside Access next.
Main question: Does Inside Access go deeper on execution and tape reading, or is it more about strategy development? Follow Up: What main difference has it made for you?
Trying to understand if it's redundant or complementary to DNA.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@JensKlattFX @smbcapital Sounds like an amazing environment; bucket list update!

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

SMB TRADER DNA PROGRAM - DAY 2
Module 2: The Seven Fundamentals of One Good Trade
This module hit different.
It's not just about trading, it's about building a professional routine that eliminates amateur mistakes before the market even opens.
The 7 Fundamentals:

Proper Preparation - Game planning, chart review, scanner setup
Hard Work - Watching Level 2, gathering information, staying open-minded
Patience - Fighting for price, not forcing trades
A Detailed Trading Plan - Multiple scenarios mapped out before open
Discipline - Staying within risk limits (non-negotiable)
Communication - Calling out A+ setups to the team
Replay - Reviewing important trades to build your playbook

What stood out most:
The "Trader's Day" breakdown. It's a minute-by-minute routine from 8am to 6pm showing exactly what winning traders do while everyone else is guessing.
Pre-market: Game planning. Visualizing scenarios. Reading the room. 9:30-11am: Complete focus on the open. Midday: Reviewing trades, finding new setups, preparing for the close. 3-4pm: Complete focus on the close. After hours: Trade review, journaling, visualization for tomorrow.
This is why trading is hard.
You're not just competing against algorithms. You're competing against people who have a professional routine, people who are working when the market isn't moving, who are prepared before the bell, who review every trade after hours.
My realization:
I've been treating trading like a side hustle. But CPTs treat it like a professional sport.
Film study. Practice reps. Mental preparation. Physical health. Visualization.
If I want to join them, I need to adopt their routine.
Currently reading: One Good Trade by Mike Bellafiore (audiobook).
Hearing the character traits of elite traders at SMB is a gut check. I can be doing more. I should be doing more.
The goal isn't just to trade. The goal is to build a process that makes good trading inevitable.
Day 2. Let's build.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

Just finished DNA Module 1: Stock Selection & Game Plan.
Then read @sspencer_smb 's pinned post "Putting a Trade Together."
The timing couldn't be more perfect. Everything clicked.
Here's what hit different:
1. Understanding where buyers/sellers are positioned
Steve maps out where investors bought/sold in the weeks BEFORE the catalyst. This tells you how motivated they'll be to add or exit positions.
This is my weak point. I've been focused on the catalyst itself, not the positioning leading up to it.
2. Multiple support/resistance levels (S1-S3, R1-R3)
After months of chart study, I can spot where stocks typically bounce or reject. But I wasn't systematically defining 3 levels in each direction.
Now I see why: You need multiple targets because you don't know WHICH level will hold. The stock tells you through price action.
3. Stocks that enter a range tend to fulfill the range
The KMX example: Once it pushed into the October consolidation range, it had significant upside to the other side of that range.
This is a gem I'll be watching for. Ranges aren't just support/resistance, they're magnets.
4. Visualize how the stock will trade BEFORE the open
"If you can see the potential paths a stock may take, it will make it easier to be aggressive at the right time."
This is what separates pros from amateurs. Pros are mapping out 3-4 scenarios before market open. No panic, no hesitation just execution based on which path unfolds.
I've been reacting. I need to be anticipating.
Module 1 of SMB DNA and I already see the gap between where I was and where I need to be.
Time to put in the reps.

[Steven Spencer @sspencer_smb]

"Here is a checklist I use for developing an intra-day trade idea." $KMX https://t.co/LTqQfATgW2

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

Started SMB Capital's DNA Program today.
Module 1: Stock Selection and Game Plan.
Key insight: I've been scanning for runners randomly. The pros have a systematic approach to finding A+ setups BEFORE the market opens.
Real money comes from proper stock selection + tape reading + price action. Not from chasing every mover.
I used to blow up accounts trading whippy volatile stocks. Squeeze out $1 when right, lose $1-2 when wrong. That destroys both your account and your confidence.
Now I'm learning to hunt with precision.
This is my mission to learning and understanding the markets such so I can extract money from it.
Let's document the entire journey.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@AT09_Trader Amazing Job Alex, I’ve been in your room this is your classic day 2 short against VWAP. Way to nail it!

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@modern_rock @AT09_Trader @MyInvestingClub What triggered you to flip long? Most would probably stay stubborn given the covers you had. Amazing job playing both sides.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@InvestorsLive @TheOneLanceB @IUTraders Looking forward to learning how to spot the play before it happens like you do so well.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@InvestorsLive @TheOneLanceB @IUTraders Your post are great lessons to manually backtest - providing a basket of charts with the same patterns are tremendously helpful. Thank you for adding value to the community; had to join the room because of it.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@trdr_d One huge volume day followed by no volume days =shorts stuck after then breakout level causes short squeeze. In this case we also had the biotech theme run with it which probably caused a bigger push.

[Ant @iamtonyleon]

@PackRacket It seems like an attention play. Rapper Toosii is making headlines for the school which in turn may steer talented recruits to consider Syracuse. Most of these schools are survivng from their sports program. Great opportunity for him nonetheless.