In Episode 13 of the Pipped Off Podcast, Alex and Mike hit record while gold and silver are in full meltdown mode – with silver down almost 16% and gold dumping 5–6% in a single brutal session. They talk through the carnage live: liquidated longs, shorts banking profits, and why this kind of volatility is both a day trader’s dream and a fast track to blowing an account if you mistime the move.​Alex shares how he flipped from longs to shorts on gold, woke up to a personal-account position down $300 on a tiny 0.01 lot, and why he still thinks the whole move could retrace. Mike, looking at his beloved 11‑hour chart, sees a heavy bearish structure and calls out a key area where he expects price to retest for sells, as they debate whether this is just a pullback or the start of a bigger continuation.​They break down why gold right now is a day trader’s dream:🔴Huge volatility, clean highs and lows, and reaction levels that can give 30–40 points in minutes.​🔴The temptation to scalp everything vs simply holding one well-timed position.​🔴How a single wild week can make a trading journal look horrific even if your plan is solid.​The episode then shifts into something deeper: Mike’s big life decisions around trading, content, and focus. After a conversation with their friend Rich, he narrows his entire 2026 goal down to one thing – getting a prop firm payout – and ruthlessly audits everything in his life that helps or hinders that objective.​That means:🔴Parking his “Mental Wealth Trader” content project for now, despite wanting to help traders with mindset and mental health.​🔴Admitting that recording self-facing content feels unnatural and drains more energy than it gives back.​🔴Deleting Twitter and all Instagram accounts from his phone except Pipped Off to avoid doom scrolling, AI FOMO, and shiny-object syndrome.​Alex pushes him on why the payout matters so much, and Mike opens up about identity, imposter syndrome, and belief systems. He reflects on walking away from the corporate ladder to learn trading from scratch, the life it has already created for him even without being consistently profitable, and why he now feels compelled to prove to himself that he can make real money from the markets.​They reference Tom Hougaard’s Best Loser Wins and the idea that your conscious belief (“I can be profitable”) must align with your subconscious belief (“I am a loser in the market” vs “I am a winner”). Mike talks about printing out his best and worst trades into a book, using it as daily prep to reinforce what “good” looks like, and cutting the noise so his mindset and actions finally match the trader he wants to become.​If you:🔴Are watching gold or silver move 5–15% in a session and trying not to FOMO in🔴Feel pulled in 10 directions by content, social media, AI, or side projects🔴Struggle with the gap between your trading goals and your belief in yourself…this episode will feel uncomfortably relatable – and might be the nudge you need to simplify and focus.​👉 Share your own anonymous trading confession: pippedoff.comDisclaimer: The Pipped Off Podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice. Nothing in this podcast should be considered a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any financial product or strategy. Trading and investing involve significant risk, including the risk of losing all capital, and are not suitable for every person. Always do your own research and, where appropriate, consult a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions.