I started a local trading meetup group back in 2013. At the time, I just wanted to create a space for people like me—people obsessed with markets, charts, setups, psychology—to gather in person and talk shop.
What I didn’t fully realize at the time was how much we all needed more than just trading talk.
Over the past 12 years, more than 1,300 people have come through this community! Some became regulars, others just passed through. Some showed up once and never came back. And yet, every single one left a trace—on the room, on me, on the people they happened to sit next to that night.
And that’s the beauty of it.
Because let’s face it: Trading can be lonely. We spend a lot of time in our own heads. We second-guess. We obsess. We get frustrated. And it’s easy to feel like we’re the only ones struggling with those emotions.
But then we get in a room (virtual or in-person) with others walking a similar path, and it’s like a deep breath you didn’t know you were holding gets released.
This game isn’t just about charts or strategies or execution. It’s about resilience, and clarity, and staying grounded. And one of the best ways I know to stay grounded is to find others who get it. People who understand the ups and downs. People who don’t expect you to always have it together, but who’ll sit with you when you don’t.
That’s what this group has become over the years. A place to learn, yes—but more importantly, a place to belong. A place to realize that wherever you are in your journey—beginner, pro, or somewhere in between—you’re not walking it alone.
So whether you’re deep in the weeds of a trade, licking your wounds from a bad month, or just looking for someone to bounce an idea off of… find your people. It doesn’t have to be my group. But find a group. Find a rhythm. Find a space where you can show up exactly as you are.
Because we weren’t meant to trade alone. And when we do it together, something shifts. We start to see things more clearly. We start to trust ourselves more.
We start to remember why we started this path in the first place.
And that’s where the real edge begins.
P.S. If you or your business would like to sponsor my Colorado-based meetup group, hit me up!
Sean McLaughlin | Chief Options Strategist, All Star Charts
