Best Michael Martin / Top Down Strategies Podcasts (2025)

1
306 · Michael Katz - Prop Goes the Trader 55:07

Play Pause

13d ago55:07

55:07

Online funding prop firms have captured the attention of traders in recent years. In this episode, the CEO of Trade The Pool, Michael Katz, joins the podcast to answer key questions and offer perspective from inside one of the leading firms. The conversation explores how these firms operate, what they mean for traders, and the common debates surrou…

1
305 · Julian Komar - When Story, Fundamentals, and Technicals Align 1:30:42

20d ago1:30:42

1:30:42

Growing up in Germany without a financial background, Julian Komar became fascinated by stocks as a teenager. He moved past complex German trading products to concentrate on U.S. equities. Specializing in momentum and growth stocks on the daily timeframe, he blends fundamentals, technicals, and story analysis to uncover opportunities that put him i…

1
304 · Kyle Ng aka JadeCap - $4.5M with Process, Patience, and Prop Firms 1:18:13

1M ago1:18:13

1:18:13

From academic struggles at SUNY Albany to holding the world record for the largest prop firm payouts—roughly $4.5 million in total, Kyle Ng a.k.a. JadeCap’s journey started out like many aspiring traders. Sparked by a childhood friend's success in forex about 14 years ago, he found his way into the financial markets. Like many traders, he went thro…

1
303 · Chris Vermeulen - From Tick to Trend, Day Trading to Wave Riding 1:08:39

2M ago1:08:39

1:08:39

What happens when a teenager growing up without TV in rural Canada stumbles across CNBC in a college dorm and sees people making $100,000 in a day? For Chris Vermeulen, that moment changed everything—and kicked off a 25-year journey of trading triumphs, painful losses, and profound strategy shifts. In this episode, you'll meet a trader who’s lived …

1
302 · Dylan Maltman - Go Where Orders Flow 1:11:51

2M ago1:11:51

1:11:51

Dylan Maltman, an intraday futures and forex trader and founder of Apex Capital, must have had exceptional clarity starting at a young age. Introduced to the markets in a high school presentation by a prop firm, Dylan caught the passion for the potential of the markets and persuaded his way into a position at the firm. Learning about back testing, …

1
301 · Erik Smolinski - Trading Earnings Volatility with Options 1:21:55

3M ago1:21:55

1:21:55

Erik Smolinski returns to Chat With Traders after his first appearance on episode 272, joining Tessa for a trader-to-trader conversation about the intricacies of options trading, a topic Erik is deeply passionate about. In this episode Erik digs into one of Tessa’s own options strategies, offering thoughtful feedback and sharing his expertise and e…

1
300 · Patrick Petersson - We Should Not Die as Traders 1:25:33

3M ago1:25:33

1:25:33

In this episode we catch up with Patrick Petersson, who returns two years after his first interview on Chat With Traders on episode 260, where he shared his incredible story of overcoming hardship to attaining success in trading as a professional trader. Patrick has become best known for his intuitive, price-action, news-based, scalping trading sty…

1
299 · Michael Martin - Intersection of Emotional Intelligence and Tactics 1:33:54

4M ago1:33:54

1:33:54

Michael Martin, raised in a hardworking blue-collar community, embraced the same ethic. An entrepreneur at heart, he hustled from cutting grass when he was 12 to working all types of jobs including golf caddying and waiting at restaurants to starting businesses. Determined to transition into the white-collar working world and being at the right pla…

1
298 · Christian Mayer - The Power in Fixed-Sized, Non-Compounding Plays 1:05:33

4M ago1:05:33

1:05:33

Christian Mayer, with an institutional trading background, transitioned from equities to forex, focusing on fixed sized mean-reversion strategies with fundamental correlations where structural edge is statistically likely. His initial losses led him to a research and systematic-driven approach, and back testing. He trades with fixed position sizes,…

1
297 · Cody Yeh - Slow, Medium, and Fast Money Strategies 1:11:35

5M ago1:11:35

1:11:35

A former engineer turned successful options trader, real estate investor and entrepreneur, Cody Yeh shares his incredible journey from the 9-to-5 grind to achieving financial freedom through smart investing and calculated risk-taking. We unpack his options trading strategies, mindset hacks for building wealth, and how he helps others escape the rat…

1
296 · Dr. Brett Steenbarger - Playing to Your Strengths 1:06:43

6M ago1:06:43

1:06:43

Few people understand the minds of traders like Dr. Brett Steenbarger. As a psychologist who trades actively himself, he brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and practical experience to the world of financial markets. You might know him from his dynamic presentations at SMB Capital, where he breaks down the psychology of trading with rem…

1
295 · Steve Ruffley - Animal Speed, Size, and Being Right at the Right Time 1:11:24

7M ago1:11:24

1:11:24

Steve Ruffley transitioned from a highly competitive trading floor environment to trading professionally as a retail trader. His entrance into trading was unplanned - a mix of ambition, timing, and the right connections. After leaving university early, he took a finance job and then moved to Gibraltar, where he met traders running a new trading flo…

1
294 · Ross Haber - Stock Leaders and Timeless Strategies Still Effective Today 1:16:36

8M ago1:16:36

1:16:36

Ross Haber’s trading philosophy is built on growth-focused strategies, heavily influenced by William O'Neil. Combining both technical and fundamental analysis, Ross emphasizes the importance of identifying leaders in strong market sectors and adapting to market cycles. Optimizing the use of relative strength, moving averages, and volume analysis, a…

1
Embracing Change and Innovation: The Journey of Bob Bentz, CEO of Purple Gator 19:25

8M ago19:25

19:25

Episode Summary | In this episode of the From the Top Podcast, host Mike Martin interviews Bob Bentz, President and CEO of Purple Gator Marketing Agency. Bob shares his remarkable journey from the television advertising industry to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the tech and marketing world. They discuss Bob's innovative ventures, including …

1
Clearing the Path to Success: Patrick McNichol’s Story as Owner of Mainline Junk Removal 18:09

8M ago18:09

18:09

In this episode of the From the Top Podcast, host Mike Martin sits down with Patrick McNichol, Owner of Mainline Junk Removal. Patrick shares his entrepreneurial journey, from identifying a market need to building a successful junk removal business. They discuss the challenges he faced, the strategies he employed to grow his business, and the impor…

1
Building Strong Business Relationships: Insights from Ed Wallace, Managing Director at Achieve Next 16:59

8M ago16:59

16:59

In this episode of the From the Top Podcast, host Mike Martin interviews Ed Wallace, Managing Director at Achieve Next. Ed shares his expertise in fostering strong business relationships and the role these relationships play in achieving business success. They discuss Ed's career journey, his approach to relationship management, and practical tips …

1
Staying Competitive in the Tech Industry: Dmitry Nullman - Founder of NewConfig, LLC. 20:05

8M ago20:05

20:05

In this episode of the From the Top Podcast, Mike Martin interviews Dmitry Nullman, founder of New Config LLC. Dmitry shares his journey from financial services to tech consulting, offering valuable insights into entrepreneurship, market awareness, and the role of AI in solving business problems. Learn about his strategies for maintaining work-life…

1
From Finance to Entrepreneurship: The Journey of Denny Bohs, Founder of Bohs, LLC. 17:51

9M ago17:51

17:51

In this episode of the From the Top Podcast, Mike Martin interviews Denny Bohs, founder and president of Bohs, LLC. Denny shares his journey from financial services to technology entrepreneurship, discussing the challenges and triumphs of running his own business. They explore topics such as maintaining work-life balance, leveraging technology to s…

1
293 · Rick Bandazian Jr. - The Art of the Wait: Merger-Arbitrage Killer Moves 1:06:27

9M ago1:06:27

1:06:27

Rick Bandazian Jr., a seasoned trader with over 15 years of experience in event-driven and merger-arbitrage strategies, reflects on transitioning from an analyst at JP Morgan and First New York Securities to establishing himself as an independent trader. Rick emphasizes his deep expertise in anticipating market moves based on nuanced corporate acti…

1
From Family Legacy to Payroll Success: Christian Hoyt on Consistency and Growth 20:18

9M ago20:18

20:18

In this episode of "From the Top," host Mike Martin sits down with Christian Hoyt, President of Pay USA. Christian shares the incredible journey of his family's business, from its humble beginnings in the late 1960s to becoming a successful payroll company. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of running a family business, the importance of per…

1
292 · Laurens Bensdorp - Running 55+ Systematic Trading Strategies Simultaneously 59:40

9M ago59:40

59:40

Laurens Bensdorp's trading journey began with years of losses as a discretionary trader. Frustrated by inconsistent results and mounting stress, he embarked on a mission to develop systematic trading approaches. His goal was simple but ambitious: create reliable systems that would deliver steady returns while minimizing losses. This transformation …

1
291 · Sam Miesse - Small Cap Quant Trader Grows $10K into $3.8M in 3 Years 1:09:47

10M ago1:09:47

1:09:47

Inspired by the impact of predictive analytics on sales at Sam Miesse's tech company, he became interested in applying quantitative analysis to the small cap market. Spending nearly 2 years collecting data and observing how money moved into and out of many small cap stocks convinced him that there were repeating patterns which could be statisticall…

1
Unlocking Success Through The Self-Fulfilling Formula with Mike Martin 32:27

11M ago32:27

32:27

In this episode, we discuss Mike Martin's book, The Self-Fulfilling Formula, we dive deep into the transformative power of belief. Join us as we unpack Mike's powerful Self-Fulfilling Formula framework, designed to help individuals and teams harness mental, social, and execution fitness. From tales of overcoming self-doubt to actionable strategies …

1
290 · Mark Ritchie II - Price-Action, Swing Trading Equities from the Long Side 58:02

11M ago58:02

58:02

Mark Ritchie II shares insights from his trading journey, shaped by disciplined risk management and a strong focus on price action and fundamentals. Growing up with a renowned trader father, Mark’s passion for trading developed later in life through hands-on experience. He prioritizes finding stocks in long-term uptrends, identifying low-risk entri…

1
289 · Alfonso Peccatiello (MacroAlf) - Beyond Being Right - A Shift to Framework Thinking 1:06:29

11M ago1:06:29

1:06:29

Alfonso Peccatiello’s (also known as MacroAlf on X) approach to the financial markets is rooted in macroeconomic insights, identifying market imbalances, and disciplined risk management. Having managed a $20 billion fixed-income portfolio, Alf has seen firsthand how understanding market dynamics and timing can unlock significant value. His strategi…

1
Unlocking Fortune 500 Benefits for Small Businesses: Roger Howell's Revolutionary Approach 21:42

12M ago21:42

21:42

In this episode of "From The Top," host Mike Martin sits down with Roger Howell, President of Howell Benefit Services and founder of Websurance Benefit Trust, to discuss how he's revolutionizing employee benefits for small businesses. With over 46 years in the industry, Roger reveals how his innovative approach makes it possible for even the smalle…

1
288 · Steve B - When Confluences Align, Confidence Follows 1:07:17

12M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

We caught up with Steve B, a seasoned professional independent trader with 10+ years of experience in the financial markets we got to know closely through the Chat With Traders Community. Steve teamed up with our community cohost and mentor at the time, Patrick Petersson (featured on episode 260) to run the CWT Community Live Trading Room. They mai…

1
287 · Robb Reinhold - Consistency Beats Intelligence Every Time 1:08:03

12M ago1:08:03

1:08:03

We're joined today by Robb Reinhold, the Head Trader at Maverick Trading. Robb shares insights from a captivating trading experiment that's sure to intrigue both novice and experienced traders alike. The Flat Earth Trading Society experiment was a year long experiment testing the power of consistent position management and following a systematic tr…

1
286 · Jason Shapiro - Overcrowded Trades: What Everyone Else is Not Seeing 1:00:35

1y ago1:00:35

1:00:35

There’s Contrarian Trading and then there’s Consistent Contrarian Trading. Can you really make money by consistently going against the crowd? Does it take a certain type of personality to be able to trade this way? Jason Shapiro was featured in “Unknown Market Wizards” by Jack Schwager and he returns to Chat With Traders for an update after two yea…

1
Entrepreneurship, Niche Mastery & AI: Insights from Colleen Lennox, CEO of Cyber Job Central 19:29

1y ago19:29

19:29

Join host Mike Martin as he interviews Colleen Lennox, the Founder and CEO of Cyber Job Central, in this compelling episode of "From the Top." With over three decades of experience in IT recruiting, Colleen has built a successful career by focusing on niche markets and staying ahead of technological trends. In this episode, she discusses the critic…

1
285 · Greg Magadini - Cashing in Through Exploiting Volatility 1:20:31

1y ago1:20:31

1:20:31

Greg Magadini began his career as a proprietary trader for DRW Trading and Chopper Trading in Chicago and traded with SMB Capital as well. He later took a bold step, venturing out to trade his own book, bootstrapping crypto volatility with options and turning $50,000 into a staggering $1.3 million in consistent profits over nine years. In addition …

1
From Villanova to Industry Leadership: Gary Greco on Business Transformation & Relationships 47:06

1y ago47:06

47:06

In this engaging episode of "From The Top," we sit down with Gary Greco, Chief Development Officer at Sientia Consulting LLC and proud Villanova alum. Gary shares his incredible journey from Villanova University to becoming a pivotal leader in business transformation and artificial intelligence. Discover how the values and relationships formed at V…

1
284 · Sam Daghash - Rising Above a Trader’s Inner Turbulence 1:21:12

1y ago1:21:12

1:21:12

We often hear that having “Discipline” is the key to trading success. But many of us traders continue to struggle developing discipline and good habits for trading no matter how hard and how long we’ve tried. Could there be a deeper reason for this? As fellow human traders, we are commonly faced with our own programming that we are often unaware of…

1
From College Grad to CEO: Cristina O'Rangers on Building Bella Vita Media Marketing 16:47

1y ago16:47

16:47

In this episode of the "From The Top Podcast," host Michael Martin sits down with Cristina O'Rangers, the innovative founder of Bella Vita Media Marketing. Cristina shares her inspiring story of transitioning from a college lacrosse player to an entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of conscious consumption, strategic planning, and leading by ex…

1
283: Trading Football Dreams for Stock Market Touchdowns 57:27

1y ago57:27

57:27

Michael shares his journey from aspiring NFL athlete to successful day trader. After a sports injury dashed his football dreams, he turned to day trading, teaching himself the ropes and overcoming early financial losses with the encouragement of his entrepreneurial mother. His trading strategy evolved over the years, focusing on short-selling highl…

1
From Risks to Rewards: Bhaskar Kende on Navigating Tech in Life Sciences 28:00

1+ y ago28:00

28:00

Dive into an enlightening conversation with Bhaskar Kende, COO and co-founder of Prana Life Sciences, as he shares his journey from a tech enthusiast to a leader in the life sciences industry. Discover the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation, the challenges of technology adoption in a highly regulated field, and the importance of work-lif…

1
282: Tony Greer - Staying Selective and Being Adaptable in the Trading Landscape 1:15:15

1+ y ago1:15:15

1:15:15

Tony Greer, a Long Island native, ventured into Wall Street trading inspired by his father. With a background in business management from Cornell University, he honed his skills at Sumitomo Bank, UBS, and Goldman Sachs. He and his team meticulously diagrammed every aspect of the markets, from liquidity to potential swings, which allowed him to expl…

1
CEO Journey: Dr. Fiona Jamison's Rise from Researcher to Leader 21:01

1+ y ago21:01

21:01

Join us in this episode of From The Top as we chat with Dr. Fiona Jamison, CEO of Spring International. Fiona shares her incredible journey from being a research associate to becoming the CEO of a thriving people analytics firm. Learn about her transition process, the importance of having mentors, and how she maintains work-life harmony. Fiona’s st…

1
281: Marsten Parker - The Purely Systematic Wizard Trader 1:08:27

1+ y ago1:08:27

1:08:27

Starting in classical violin and computer programming, Marsten Parker's path took a transformative turn when he ventured into trading. Despite a rocky start, his disciplined, algorithm-driven approach led to consistent returns, earning him recognition in Jack Schwager's book, "Unknown Market Wizards". We get to learn about his transition from discr…

1
Unfiltered Business Wisdom: Lance Bachmann's Journey from Digital Marketer to Multi-Millionaire Entrepreneur 20:44

1+ y ago20:44

20:44

In this compelling episode of "From The Top," Mike Martin interviews Lance Bachmann, the founder of LB Capital. Lance opens up about his journey from a lifelong digital marketer to successfully selling four companies to private equity groups. He shares his unique approach to business, emphasizing the value of discipline, the power of replicating su…

1
The Revolutionary Way to Search and Hire Tech Talent: An Interview with Jared Tang 34:26

1+ y ago34:26

34:26

Mike interviews Jared Tang, founder and CEO of Gaggle Social, a revolutionary platform for hiring enterprise tech talent. Jared shares his entrepreneurial journey and inspiration behind Gaggle Social, which solves inefficiencies in traditional tech recruiting through hyper-segmentation and a recruiter-free model.…

1
280: Steve Hanke - Decoding the Drivers of Inflation and Markets 1:16:03

1+ y ago1:16:03

1:16:03

Trading commodities since 14 years old, Professor Hanke started learning the importance of closely following macro economic factors which impact the prices of currencies, commodities and consumer goods. His evidence-based approach uncovers the deeper forces driving inflation and market fluctuations and challenges prevailing narratives as it relates…

1
Pat Palmer President and CEO of PDS 18:55

1+ y ago18:55

18:55

Mike Martin interviews Pat Palmer, CEO of Personnel Data Systems, who shares her 40 years of leadership lessons. Discover the secrets to PDS's 50-year success, from customer focus to adapting to change. Pat offers invaluable advice for entrepreneurs and leaders on navigating challenges and driving innovation. An inspiring episode packed with insigh…

1
279: Saad Filali - Front-Running News Flow Trading 1:08:09

1+ y ago1:08:09

1:08:09

Saad Filali, worked for Goldman Sachs, specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions, then left and became a Trader. Understanding the thinking and trading styles of the many different market players is key to his trading, including those of institutions, sell side brokers, CTA’s, retail, and meme stock traders. Studying how they trade the volatility an…

1
278: Ben Greenfield - Elevate Your Mental Game With Better Brain Power 1:09:14

1+ y ago1:09:14

1:09:14

Unlock the secrets to superior mental sharpness and explore groundbreaking strategies to boost your cognitive function, from nutrition hacks and exercise tips to innovative biohacking techniques. Ben Greenfield, a renowned expert in the health and fitness sphere, reveals his top methods for optimizing brain health. Whether you seek to enhance focus…

1
277: Garrett Drinon - Musician Turned Trader Trains Algos to Find Unicorns 1:10:15

1+ y ago1:10:15

1:10:15

The lure of the markets seduced a successful musician into full time trading at a prop firm. Collaborating with other traders, Garrett Drinon learned the market signals, and other ingredients which go into great setups. Wanting to expand his reach, he uses his programming skills to create new algos which help him and his colleagues find the Unicorn…

1
276: Will Gogolak - Contextualization Within a Framework of Conditional Probabilities 1:00:21

1+ y ago1:00:21

1:00:21

As a risk officer with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Will Gogolak was setting margin requirements and saw a wide variety of traders’ accounts and what separated the winning traders from the losing ones, before leaving to pursue his own trading and obtaining a PHD in finance and share his knowledge of quantitative analysis and market experience w…

1
275: William Lam - The Best Operating System for Elite Performance: Our Minds 1:07:50

1+ y ago1:07:50

1:07:50

Experiencing the noticeable communication differences between his childhood culture and his new home in the U.S., William Lam was driven to become aware of how his limiting thoughts imprinted from his family drove unhealthy unconscious actions. Learning how to shape his mental thought process played key roles in fulfilling big desires and creating …

1
274: Gary Norden - Keeping the Lost Art of Order Flow Trading Alive 1:14:36

1+ y ago1:14:36

1:14:36

A humble beginning as a gopher in the intense trading pits of Japanese warrants was shocking for Gary Norden when he was a teenager. As this volatile market was beginning its meltdown, Gary saw how easily star traders lost immense amounts of money as past overconfidence and sloppy risk control undid their previous gains. This impressed upon Gary th…

1
273: James Fishback - THIS TIME It’s Different…or Is It 1:03:45

1+ y ago1:03:45

1:03:45

James is the co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of Azoria Partners, a global macro investment firm. Prior to Azoria, he served as the Head of Macro at Greenlight Capital, a two-billion-dollar hedge fund led by David Einhorn. He is also the founder of Incubate Debate, America’s fastest-growing high school debate league. As a former national hig…