In This Episode/Blog: host Becky dives deep into the emotional, strategic, and practical challenges of being a “middle-phase” trader—where the system is in place, but the mindset still requires maturity. She shares real-time experiences from a recent Wednesday trading session, offering valuable insights into risk management, emotional regulation, and trusting your edge.

🧠 Key Takeaways from my Mid-Week Futures Day Trading Session

Ok, so here I will describe a crucial phase in trading where the challenge isn’t so much understanding the system—but more so fully embracing and trusting it.
I call this the middle growth zone, where traders know what they’re doing but still hesitate due to fear. And an area that I, fully authentically, am still persevering through!

  • Problem: Hesitation and fear after entering a trade.

  • Solution: Accepting risk as an unavoidable part of trading.

  • Quote: "Without the risk, there is no reward."

Sounds so easy, right? Every trade carries the potential for loss. The key is to accept the risk before entering the trade and use protective stops to keep your account safe. And then work HARD to do your best every session, every trade to honor those rules. It helps me so much to remember:

  • You’re still an evolving trader who is improving week over week, whether this one trade wins or loses.

  • Every outcome—green or red—is a learning opportunity! Not a cut and dry win or loss. But, a lesson!

In this episode, I walk through a couple of real setups that I planned and executed on Wednesday, July 9, 2025:

  • 1st Setup: A 20-minute push up in to a supply zone on the futures instrument for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (/YM).

  • Signal: Bearish engulfing 5 minutes candle.

  • Short Trade Execution: Slight hesitation led to a less-than-ideal fill on my short entries.

  • Lesson: Even if the entry isn’t perfect, the trade is still valid if it aligns with your system. Aka - an engulfing bearish candle at supply in the upper standard deviation bands.

💡 "Sometimes the trade moves fast— an imperfect entry doesn’t mean it’s invalid."

Now, once I got in, my stop loss was less favorable due to the later entry than I would otherwise prefer. My fills were about midway into the bearish engulfing candle. But, I stayed in the trade by reminding myself of my hypothesis and listening to my own trade process audio recording for reinforcement. Get this recording for your own for free with this link: https://www.market-mamas.com/audio-tracks-download

  • Outcome: Scaled one contract out profitably at my first target, managed the runner conservatively inside profits as well.

  • Emotion Check: Disappointment over missing the second leg, but no panic or lingering anxiety - instead, acceptance and gratitude! One trade was logged that was nicely green! Which is seriously such a beautiful color, am I right?

After walking away and regrouping, I identified another opportunity:

  • 2nd Setup: Price sank below VWAP and my Value Area High, then retraced up to retest that resistance at a low volume anomaly/ fair value gap around the VWAP.

  • Signal: Perfect entry for continuation short to lower targets.

  • Execution: Entered short again when price rejected at VWAP resistance and held her straight to the naked point of control (NPOC) - a highly likely target based on my trading system.

🙌 "Because I stayed calm, I was able to see the next clear setup and capitalize on it without hesitation."

~ Becky Gaskell, Market Mamas

In my reflection, I want to emphasize that staying mentally NEUTRAL—especially after a missed opportunity on my 2nd contract of my first short entry when I snugged my stop loss up too close and had it taken out —is what allows traders to stay ready for what’s next. For an additional opportunity from our abundant Miss Market!

  • Mindset Priority: “Peace with my piece” is my literal always mantra! Expecting to take the entire move perfectly is a recipe for disappointment every day.

  • Realization: I won't catch every move—and that’s okay. A solid piece of a great setup or two each day is a realistic and healthy desire!

I need to highlight the importance of years of repetition and learning from “lesson days.” And in that frame, I have to credit my mentor Jermaine for helping shape my system and mindset. A great mentor is worth their weight in gold! I did not learn and am still learning these lessons alone or over night by any means!

  • Year 4 Insight: Confidence and clarity come from cumulative experiences with real risk on the line.

  • Advice to Others: Stick with it! The consistency comes with time and executions, not shortcuts or rushing the process.

I want to encourage listeners who feel alone or discouraged in their trading journey to reach out. Working through the journey of transforming into a consistently profitable trader can be very isolating when you get deep into this world and do not have solid fellow traders in your corner!

✉️ Email me: contactus@market-mamas.com
I am seriously so open to supporting other traders navigating the uncertainty of the early stages. We are stronger together and I know viscerally how hard this journey is at times!

  • Trading is not easy, but it is learnable with the right mindset, tools, and support.

  • Perfection is a myth—solid entries, clear processes, intentional risk management and emotional resilience win over time.

  • This trading day’s success for me was built on past red days and hundreds of imperfect trades over the years.

I promise to keep sharing real-life trade breakdowns and mindset tips. If you found this valuable, please let me know! I thrive on building this community of empowered, system-driven traders.

Thank you to everyone who is subscribing to the podcast, reading the blogs, and providing me with feedback! I am truly grateful to be growing this Market Mamas podcast and community with you all! I love talking about my favorite subject - trading! Miss Market is abundant for those of us that embrace a growth mindset and pursue deliberate practice in learning her tells and our own tendencies. And trading absolutely can be an avenue for the wildest success. But not without diligent work for many many months and years. But to those who show up for the effort and dedication, you are my people and I would love to get to know you better! Please take a moment to shoot me a comment on https://www.market-mamas.com/contact!

Happy trading and I wish you peace with your process and clarity in your next trade.

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Trader Evolution: From Baby to Boss