Work

"The woodcutter Works in all seasons. Splitting wood is both Action and inaction" January 23, I received news that I am officially a Chartered Market Technician. A Chartered Market Technician (CMT) is a designation for professional technical analysts awarded by the CMT Association.

• CMT holders possess the knowledge and skills to be able to conduct research, author research reports, and recommend trades from a variety of financial instruments and markets.

• Candidates must pass three levels of exams to earn a CMT designation.

• Candidates who pass CMT Levels I and II qualify for an exemption from Series 86, which is one of two exams to become a registered research analyst.

The CMT certifies that its holders possess a comprehensive body of knowledge of Technical Skills to be able to conduct research, author research reports, recommend trades and investment programs from a wide variety of financial instruments and markets, and even trade their own accounts.

The CMT encompasses more than the ability to read a chart. Preparation for the CMT Level I exam takes in subject matter such as the basic principles of technical analysis; Dow Theory; breakouts, stops, and retracements; moving averages; bar chart patterns; volume analysis; confirmation; point-and-figure charting; wave principle; and Elliott Wave Theory among other areas.

From there, in preparation for the CMT Level II exam, candidates begin to concentrate more on theory and analysis. This includes chart development and analysis; volatility measures; behavioral finance; statistical applications for technical analysts; technical methods and market selection; and designing and testing technical trading systems.

By the time candidates are preparing for CMT Level III, they are learning to integrate what they learned from several knowledge areas. This includes risk management; asset relationships; portfolio management; behavioral finance; volatility analysis; and classical methods of technical analysis.

The Exam encompasses 2 years and over 500 Hours of study, I began my study in January 2023 and completed the exam process in December 2024. Throughout this 2-year period, I worked full time at Life Time Ashburn as a personal fitness trainer in 2023. In 2024 I improved my performance as a full-time elite coach at Equinox Tysons Corner. In my tenure at Equinox, I became the fastest trainer in the company's 15+ year history to hit full time status (90 1 hour sessions per month) within 2 months of starting. The expected time period to reach this status is 6 months - 1 year.

My work hours at Equinox for 200 days straight were Monday-Friday 5am-8pm Saturday-Sunday 7am-7pm I managed to study the CMT, trade, and perform work at Equinox at a level of excellence. The key takeaway is that trading is an art form and a science. The most successful traders have one quality in common: discipline. They are self-motivated individuals who view time as an opportunity to further refine oneself. Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. I have spent over 10 years learning the art and science of trading. When I began, I had no direction and no idea how to get into the markets. I began reading charts and formulating trading ideas based off of fundamental intuition and my knowledge in medicine - at the time I had completed my master's degree in Physiology from Georgetown University and was working as a NASM certified personal fitness trainer. Eventually I went to medical school in the UK. During my course of study, I watched the markets from the sidelines and traded infrequently as my primary focus was medicine. COVID came in 2020, and I was following the news of COVID since late 2019 as it was a subject of emerging infectious disease related to my academic pursuits. In the midst of my 3rd year of medical study, I had my USMLE exam scheduled in March 2020. The preparation for the exam is 2 years of academic study of medicine, and it culminates with an 8-week intensive study period. During my intensive study period, COVID became a global pandemic, and my exam was indefinitely postponed. A state of total uncertainty, confusion, and a feeling of foreboding that lasted for months. In April 2020 many individuals began receiving pandemic unemployment assistance as a financial support from the government. Being a student, I was not eligible for this financial compensation. The irony was palpable. A blessing and a curse. I had no income and a huge tuition debt with no way to support my living costs. I decided to utilize my analytical skills and experience in medicine to dive headfirst into the financial markets. I tracked every new technology and vaccine effort. I researched all major vaccines in their accelerated clinical trials from start to finish - Novavax, Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna became my first major fundamental analysis-based trades in 2020. I invested in major streaming platforms (Netflix, Roku), electronic communications (Zoom), chipmakers (AMD & Nvidia), and online retailers (Amazon). I eventually invested in telemedicine (Teladoc). Cryptocurrencies. Anything related to the new norm became a trading vehicle. Eventually my trades became the catalyst for my eventual departure from medicine. I found freedom in creating my own ideas and making profits from research. In 2020 I decided to move to Mexico for 1 year where I studied Technical Analysis, Fundamental Analysis, and philosophy. It is now 2025 and I am back in Mexico continuing to refine myself in mind, body, and spirit. Trading is a journey - especially when you are on your own. I've always wanted to help people be their best selves, whether it be through medicine, health and fitness, and now in their ability to take control of their finances. I teach trading to individuals who realize that work is not meant to entrap you - it is meant to free you. To individuals who are curious about the markets and have no idea where to start. To people who want a different course in life. I am here to help you avoid the pitfalls that I made as a naive inexperienced market participant who gained and lost 10s of thousands of dollars in my learning curve. The market is a storm. Let's ride the lightning. "Even when it is snowy, the woodcutter must split wood. Unless he does, he and his family will not stay warm, and those who depend upon him will not survive. But the woodcutter does not work simply on a piecemeal basis. He labors in concert with the seasons: He worked hard to store wood prior to the first cold so that he would have the luxury of merely splitting kindling now. His work seems slight in one season, because he was industrious in the previous one."