?? The Journey That Changed Everything - From Hustling to Trading Freedom ??

Close to 20 years ago, I was just like many of you - reading about trading, curious but hesitant to take the leap. I had always been resourceful, selling used mobile phones at 15 just to cover my own school expenses after my mum told me there wasn’t enough to go around.

I scaled that hustle, moving from used phones to iPhones and electronics, and by my first $10,000 month, I thought I had made it. But reality hit hard - bills stacked up, and after paying for home expenses, I was left with just $3,000.

Like any business, I had ups and downs, but at my lowest, my bank account read $325.60 SGD. The last thing I wanted to hear was my parents telling me to "study hard and get a job in the government or MNCs." That wasn’t the life I wanted. The idea of having my income capped by a calculator or being told to "slow down and act busy" during my MNC internship was unbearable.

?? So I searched for a way out.

I considered in searching for Business Partners in Malaysia, where my money would stretch 2.4x further. But when I shared the idea, my friends shut me down immediately. Two Johoreans at the table told me, “Every local either knows someone who got robbed, or they’re lying.” That fear got to me, so I shifted my focus to Kuala Lumpur instead.

I had zero connections there, so I did what any resourceful hustler would do - I went on Friendster (yes, that’s how long ago this was) and shortlisted 20 potential business partners. I traveled to KL, staying in a 40MYR/night Chinatown motel, surviving on one piece of Rotiboy bread and water a day. To save money, I forced myself to wake up after 3 pm because waking too early meant getting hungry sooner.

Out of 20 prospects, only 6 showed up to meet me. Multiple follow-ups later, one said yes and handed me cash to start the business. I thought I had finally made it - but life had other plans.

?? Then It Happened…

The very next day, while crossing the road to Times Square, I was bike-snatched. In an instant, I lost 10,000 SGD - everything I had on me.

For 6 months after that, I had PTSD - flinching every time I heard a motorcycle, even spilling drinks on people in Orchard Road because of it. But that moment changed everything.

?? Because in those 6 months, I realized something… The SGD/MYR exchange rate moved by 20 cents. If I had traded it instead of physically exchanging cash, I could have capitalized on it. That was when I got serious about forex trading.

For the next 3 months, I made 120% returns every month on my $1,000 USD capital. Back then, the USD was 1.48-1.45 against SGD.

And it struck me:

• No need to travel to meet people.
• No need to sell products to anyone.
• No need to risk buying faulty electronics just to flip them.

I had found a way to make money without chasing people, without inventory, and without limits.

?? Fast forward nearly 20 years later - trading has given me the life I wanted. I get to be present for my family, set my own schedule, and live on my terms.

Like any business, trading has ups and downs - I make money when the market moves, and I grow when I make mistakes. But it remains the best decision I’ve ever made.

Sometimes, bad things happen for a reason. If not for that fateful robbery, I might still be doing sales, working multiple jobs, or chasing the next big deal.

If you’re still stuck in the grind, ask yourself: ?? What’s stopping you from taking control? ?? What if your “bad” situation is actually a setup for something bigger?

You don’t need to gamble your savings or quit your job - all it takes is 15 minutes a day. The choice is yours. ??