The Day Trading Show

Desi joins me to tell the story behind a Tesla options position he says was up roughly $750,000 after the election—and the years of trading that came before it.
Options Prop with Vanquish - https://www.asfx.biz/vanquish - code ASFX
We talk about starting with penny stocks, trading around a full-time job, and the $30,000 SPY put trade that helped him build his capital during COVID. He also explains why he now prefers futures for everyday scalping while keeping options for individual stocks with a clear catalyst.
Then we get into position sizing, managing 0DTE risk, choosing contracts, and knowing when bigger size starts affecting your decisions. Desi also shares why trading his own money hasn’t automatically translated into passing prop firm evaluations.
We finish with selling options for premium, covered calls, building a long-term portfolio, and how he creates the supply and demand levels behind his daily watchlist.

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01:18 Meet Desi: How He Started Trading04:27 Trading Around a Full-Time Job05:49 The $30K SPY Put Trade During COVID09:40 The Tesla Options Position That Reached a $750K Gain13:20 Family, Business & Learning to Work Hard14:53 Pursuing Trading When Friends Didn’t Believe in It17:04 Why He Started With Options20:21 When He Chooses Options vs. Futures24:35 Managing Options Risk & “Sizing for Zero”26:37 Using Delta & Price Levels to Estimate Risk28:47 Choosing Contracts for Scalping31:01 Prop Trading vs. Trading Your Own Capital33:47 Why Desi Has Struggled With Prop Evaluations35:42 Scaling Position Size With Performance39:06 Finding Your Limit With Bigger Positions40:54 What New Options Traders Should Focus On43:01 Selling Premium: Capital Requirements & Risk45:21 Building a Portfolio & Selling Covered Calls49:51 Levels: Watchlists, Preparation & Chart Analysis53:10 Learning to Mark Your Own Levels55:15 Gamma, GEX & Different Ways to Read the Market57:08 Why Your Execution Still Matters Most58:36 Trading Events, Community & Closing Thoughts

Krista, known as Fit Mom Trader, joins me to break down her reported $165,000 in prop firm payouts, the strategies she trades, and how she balances trading with raising three kids.We talk about her $62,000 payout month, what she spent on evaluations, and the mistakes she’s still working through. She explains why she prefers evaluations over instant funding, how she uses journaling to catch emotional patterns, and why chasing payout requirements led to blown accounts.

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00:00 Preview
01:24 Meet Christa: Fit Mom Trader
03:26 Balancing Trading & Raising Three Kids
06:22 From Gym Owner to Futures Trader
07:52 Her Initial Balance Strategy Explained
12:17 How She Trades the Asia Session
14:36 Opening Range Setups & VWAP
15:30 Managing Trades, Stops & Profit Targets
18:18 Getting Started With Prop Firms
21:17 Evaluations vs. Instant Funded Accounts
24:24 $165K in Payouts: The Numbers & Evaluation Fees
26:38 Cutting Spending & Keeping Accounts Longer
27:22 Going Live vs. Trading Your Own Money
30:39 Overtrading, Revenge Trading & Emotional Triggers
33:43 Journaling Tips & Daily Report Cards
35:57 Mental Preparation Before Trading
39:13 The Compound Effect & Fixing One Mistake at a Time
41:59 NQ Chart Breakdown: Initial Balance & VWAP
45:46 Taking Partials & Using Extension Targets
46:30 Asia Session Gold Chart Breakdown
49:45 Choosing a Trading Session That Fits Your Life
50:54 Who Christa Helps Through Coaching
51:52 Final Thoughts & Questions for Part Two

I sat down with the MenthorQ CEO to discuss the reality of data access and the evolving market landscape of 2026.

Check out MenthorQ -- https://menthorq.com/?aff=ASFX

We break down the challenges traders face when trying to utilize massive amounts of data effectively. It is no longer just about having the information; it is about how you process it in a market dominated by rapid AI advancements. The MenthorQ CEO offers a realistic perspective on what stays relevant when technology moves this fast.

We also look at the current state of popular trading platforms, including TradingView, NinjaTrader, TrendSpider, and ATAS. Whether you are focusing on futures trading or looking to upgrade your day trading tools, this conversation highlights where the industry is heading and what you actually need to stay competitive.

Subscribe for weekly trading strategy breakdowns. Let me know in the comments if you want to see more interviews with software developers.

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The cheapest prop firm account can end up costing you the most. Payout buffers, consistency rules, and fine print can change whether your profits ever reach your bank account.In this episode of The Day Trading Show, I sit down with Luna, Zarb, and Alex from Prop Firm Match TV for a candid conversation about the futures prop firm industry.

We debate Flex vs. Pro vs. instant funded accounts, explain why getting payouts takes more than passing evaluations, and discuss how affiliate relationships influence recommendations.

We also share our takes on Topstep, Lucid, Tradeify, Top One Futures, and what separates a transparent trading educator from someone selling a dream.Which prop firm account fits your trading style—and which rule has cost you a payout? Tell us in the comments.Subscribe for more futures trading interviews, strategies, and industry discussions.

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00:00 Prop Firm Hot Takes
01:20 Meet the PFM TV Hosts
04:34 Perpetual Futures Explained
08:20 Prop Firm CEOs & Affiliate Bias
12:13 Prop Firm Red Flags
18:12 Flex vs. Pro Accounts
23:01 Trading the Rules for Payouts
27:51 Instant Funded & Consistency Rules
30:49 Topstep Debate & Industry Changes
46:01 Trading Influencers & Proof

Can futures traders actually make money trading options? Tanner Owings (The Strong Trader) sits down with Austin Silver, Evan Dyer and Randy Bains in New York City to break down the jump from futures to options — and why options prop firms make it low-risk to learn.
Options Prop - https://www.asfx.biz/vanquish - code ASFX
We cover why fixed risk makes options easier to manage than futures, why you should start with QQQ and SPY if you already trade NQ and ES, how to find stocks in play using volume and post-earnings catalysts, and why implied volatility can make or break your trade.
Tanner also tells the story of the $3K NDX 0DTE trade that would have turned into $600K — and why he cut it 20 minutes early.

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Plus: gamma hype vs. keeping it simple, paralysis by analysis, hiring a trading psychologist 7 years in, and what walking onto the NYSE floor meant to the crew.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Highlights
1:23 - Intro: Tanner, Evan & Randy in NYC
3:43 - Fixed risk: why options can be safer than futures
8:24 - NQ = QQQ, ES = SPY: the easiest transition
13:44 - Volume: the #1 way to find stocks in play
15:47 - The $3K trade that could've been $600K
19:16 - Is options trading just gambling?
22:21 - Implied volatility explained (GME vs Home Depot)
25:34 - Is gamma overhyped?
28:23 - Selling premium & theta decay
36:53 - Why most traders fail: time in the game
42:43 - Walking into the New York Stock Exchange