u/Groundbreaking_Ad421

I started trading in 2023 and, like many traders, I blew accounts, got frustrated, and questioned whether I would ever become profitable.

Over the past few years, most of my payouts have come from Apex and Topstep, totaling over $110k combined. More recently, I started trading with Lucid about two months ago and have been enjoying the experience there as well. I’m also including my Lucid stats from last month and this month to show that I’m still actively trading.

One milestone that meant a lot to me was reaching over $40k in Apex payouts, which led to an invitation to appear on the Trader Bacon Show hosted by Apex and featured through Benzinga.

My background is in computer science, which eventually led me to build some of my own tools and algorithms to support my trading process. During the interview, I shared some of those tools that I’ve developed over the years for my own trading.

I’m sharing this not to brag. I remember being the person searching Reddit wondering whether consistent payouts were actually possible and looking for proof that someone could actually make this work.

The biggest difference for me wasn’t finding a holy grail strategy. It was focusing on risk management, consistency, and building a process that fit my personality.

For anyone currently struggling, don’t give up too early. Trading is much harder than social media makes it look, and setbacks are part of the journey.

Happy to answer questions and help newer traders however I can.

Looking for advice from experienced business owners.
I own a specialty dessert café in the West Village of NYC. We’ve been open for several months, have built a loyal customer base, received great reviews, and are continuing to grow.
Like many new businesses, we’ve faced challenges during the startup phase and I’m evaluating whether bringing on a strategic investor or operating partner would accelerate growth.
I’m not necessarily looking for someone to just write a check. Ideally, this would be someone who could contribute experience, operational expertise, industry connections, or growth strategies.
For those who have brought on partners:
What made someone worth giving equity to?
How did you structure the deal?
What red flags should I watch for?
Where did you find the best partners?
If you were running a growing food business, would you bring on a partner or keep pushing forward independently?
I’d appreciate any advice from people who have been through this before.

Started trading in 2023 my journey to $110k+ in prop firm payouts

Would you bring on an investor or operating partner for an existing NYC food business?