In Episode 10 of the Pipped Off Podcast, Mike and Alex finally meet in person for the first time and record live from a pub in Holborn, London, just before Christmas. Over pints of Guinness and a bit of background noise (not helped by them eating crisps!), they look back on a wild year of trading, prop firm payouts, blown accounts and crypto disasters.​Across this chaotic, honest pub chat, they dive into:🔴How they first met, the ABL education community, and the infamous Trump/Melania meme coin punt that cost Alex nearly his life savings.​🔴The reality of prop firms in 2025/2026: FTMO warnings, Funding Rock promos, fivers discounts, small vs big accounts, and why rinsing and repeating prop challenges can work if you stay disciplined.​🔴AI, jobs and trading: will AI kill retail trading or just make markets more efficient while human emotion still creates opportunity?​🔴Why community matters more than ever as trading gets lonelier, and how in‑person meetups, masterminds and groups can keep traders sane.​🔴Anonymous trading confessions: chasing the “first win high”, blowing payouts in anger mid-argument, fake female trader accounts, S&P leveraged “money managers”, and dads getting scammed by 18‑year‑old “gurus”.​The audio isn’t studio‑perfect, but the conversation is raw, unfiltered and very on‑brand: trading, mistakes, laughs, crisps and Guinness.

Episode 9 is heavy. Mike's 100k FTMO account that he rescued last week? Blown on Friday afternoon on gold. Then we go deep on identity, life purpose, and whether money actually matters when you're profitable but miserable.

Topics covered:
🔴 Mike blew his 100k account RIGHT AFTER we stopped recording (leverage addiction is real)
🔴 Mike's done trading until 2026 (hard stop for the year)
🔴 Live podcast episode plans for London (pub recordings, Guinness, chaos incoming)
🔴 Gold at all-time highs – is it a trap or the real move?
🔴 Should you trade futures instead of CFDs? (complexity vs. opportunity)
🔴 Steven Vickers funded AGAIN in one day (risk management vs. risk-taking)
🔴 The 9/21/50 EMA strategy that actually works on gold
🔴 Why EMAs work better than 100 indicators
🔴 Copy-trading: Making $67k with zero effort (but is it sustainable?)
🔴 The dark side: Profitable trader who hates his life (depression after success)
🔴 BRUTAL story: Dad lost everything trying to pay for son's medical bills, contemplating suicide
🔴 Trading addiction is REAL and often hidden
🔴 Identity shifts: Corporate ladder climber → pandemic father → trader (mental breakdown real)
🔴 Becoming a parent changes EVERYTHING (why Alex isn't ready yet)
🔴 Social media algorithm feeding you rage bait & negativity
🔴 Mental Wealth Trader curating positive content (Good News Movement, MD Motivator)
🔴 The $1.7M account retired at beach vs. suicidal profitable trader – same money, different outcomes
🔴 Tiny habits compound: CO2 levels, ashwagandha, daylight lamps, water intake
🔴 Never Have I Ever trading edition planned for Christmas pub episode
🔴 Why the UK isn't as bad as social media makes it seem
🔴 Buying his mum a house as a real goal from prop trading payouts
🔴 Relationships, attraction, and why Alex loves the chase

Raw, vulnerable, and honest about the cost of chasing money in markets.

It's Friday and gold is absolutely choppy. Alex told Mike to short, then switched to long himself. Both got wrecked. But the real issue? Discipline and knowing when to STOP trading.

Topics covered:
🔴 Why you shouldn't trade on Fridays (chaos on lower timeframes)
🔴 The dangers of copy-trading your friend's signals
🔴 Monkey brain vs. discipline: Why greed ruins winning days
🔴 Going from +0.5% profit to -4% loss in one session
🔴 The 10R win that made him greedy (and cost him)
🔴 Standing desk podcast moment (Alex's hair mullet revealed)
🔴 Win rate vs. risk-to-reward: The real debate
🔴 Why 0.1 risk on a 100k account might actually work
🔴 Prop firm disaster: Retroactively changing payout rules (30/70 split)
🔴 CME outage chaos & traders who made millions vs. lost everything
🔴 Customer service IS your business (the Thunder Pro fail)
🔴 Why Fivers gets it right (no toxic payout flexing, real community)
🔴 Email vs. face-to-face: Why communication matters
🔴 Trader confessions: Millionaire who hates his life, $1.7M account living in a small apartment
🔴 Why underestimating 10-year progress kills traders

A raw episode about self-sabotage, risk management, and why the prop firm industry needs a serious culture shift.

It's Black Friday and the markets are chaos. The CME crashes TWICE, gold shoots up, and Alex is sitting on a gold trade trying to close it before the US holiday. We debate why he shouldn't follow trading signals blindly, and Mike reveals his 50/50 win rate on passing prop accounts.

Topics covered:
🔴 Black Friday trading disasters (CME collapse, gold volatility)
🔴 Why you shouldn't copy your friend's trades
🔴 Technical analysis debate: Bank traders vs. retail traders
🔴 Trader confessions: $110k inheritance blown to $8k
🔴 The prop firm who denied payouts (liquidity issues?)
🔴 Someone made $42k in ONE MONTH and quit their job
🔴 The ex that slides into your DMs after you become profitable
🔴 Should you EVER trade other people's money?
🔴 Trading psychology: Why holding positions overnight sucks
🔴 Aquarobics gone wrong (literal vertigo vomit moment)

A raw, chaotic episode about money, discipline, and why trading is the ultimate player-vs-player competition.

Episode 6 is brutally honest. Mike opens up about his personal journey with depression, suicidal ideation, and why talking about mental health is non-negotiable—especially for men. He also shares his own experiences as a modern dad trying to balance providing, parenting, and staying present.

Topics covered:

🔴 Men's mental health—breaking the "alpha male" stigma

🔴 Depression, vulnerability & why speaking up saves lives

🔴 The coaching/influencing industry scams (& how to spot them)

🔴 Modern parenting: The pressure to provide AND be present

🔴 Leaving limiting beliefs behind (patience, boredom, discipline)

🔴 Phone detox strategies to actually be with your kids

🔴 Prop firms: Who's trustworthy & what's changing

🔴 Why emotional preparation matters more than your strategy.

This isn't just trading talk—it's real life, real challenges, and real solutions.

This week, Jonatan and LJ join Mike as Alex takes a break—delivering some of the most unfiltered, honest truths about the modern trading world! Episode 5 of the Pipped Off Podcast dives deep into:- Trading guru culture, Instagram scams, and the wild promises behind viral funnels- $7,000 “discord access” schemes, fake Lambo lifestyles, and why real proof is never shared- The missing “industry standard”—why retail trading is a minefield and how to protect yourself- What makes a trader actually trustworthy? (Hint: It’s not the flex)- Affiliate marketing, prop firms, and why even regulators struggle to keep up- Jonatan’s stories as a real industry insiderFrom AI sludge to community drama, the guys call out what’s broken, what’s real, and how everyday traders can level up (without losing their shirt). Zero hype, no fake success—we’re here for brutal honesty, shared struggle, and the laughs along the way.Subscribe, join the conversation, and share your own learning the hard way—because trading is tough, and community matters.

Alex and Mike take on the explosion of prop firms: is the industry diluted, or are traders just getting caught in the Wild West of trading? From twenty pages of broker names to drama on X (Twitter), Episode 4 of Pipped Off Podcast exposes the hidden rules, frustrations, and the games played by prop firms.Topics covered:- How “Ultimate Traders” and new brokers flood the market—can you trust them?- Social media drama: the truth behind viral complaint posts and prop firm PR crises- Why complex rules trip up even experienced traders—and what to do about it- Is prop trading helping or hurting retail traders?- Red flags in payouts, instant challenges, and trading “opportunities” that aren’t what they seem- Advice for navigating prop firm madness without blowing your accountReady for blunt talk, real trader community, and no marketing BS? Hit subscribe, join the tribe, and share your own prop firm story at pipedoff.com!

Traders Connect (Alex's Trader Copier): https://tradersconnect.com/?ref=pippedoffAlex and Mike tackle one of the biggest secrets in trading: Are you trading an account too big for your mindset and risk tolerance? This episode goes deep on ‘tilt’—the chaos traders face when scaling up, chasing losses, and losing control. The guys dissect real stories about prop trading, trading psychology, coping with boredom, and the impact of community on your performance.Key topics this episode:- Real experiences with blowing up large accounts and the mind games that follow- The danger of leverage and why bigger isn’t always better—for account size, or ego- Copy trading and the question of staying in control of your risk- Boredom, dopamine fixes, doomscrolling, and the emotional traps traders fall into- Why patient trading (and poker skills) could be your secret weapon- Building a community that saves your sanity and helps you grow—no Lambos, just real talk- Calling out industry clickbait and exposing the real reality of trading onlinePipped Off Podcast is for traders who want genuine conversation, guidance, and a community. No marketing BS, no hype—just laughs, losses, and lessons you’ll actually use. Hit subscribe, join the community, and share your own story at pipedoff.com!