Intro – Rob

[RobGiles]

Hi All

I’ve just joined the mentor program and am looking forward to sharing ideas, experiences etc with you all. Here’s a bit about myself:

Currently:
I’m 47
Married with 3 kids (4, 7 & 9 years of age)
I grew up on a farm on the south coast.
Live in Perth, WA
Own 2 retail business, one traditional bricks & mortar, the other an importing direct to retail customer e-commerce business. I do the buying and marketing, the rest is run by my team.

Passions:
Surfing, fishing, hiking, travelling, art, drums, cooking, keeping fit, markets.

Markets experience:
I started out in agricultural risk management in the cotton industry in 1994 which is where I learned about FX, commodity and basis trading & risk management. Started advising growers on cotton price hedging and progressed to managing the firms derivatives risk book in FX and commodity risk. It was here that I got introduced to & developed my passion for technical trading, as well as options, futures, spot & forward FX trading.

I then took my skills the the AWB and set up an FX risk management profit center for the domestic trading division. I eventually got asked to run the AWB national wheat pool’s hedge book, where I had control of some ridiculously large order flow into the CBOT futures pit. Interestingly, there were very few people who took technical analysis seriously in the ag commodities space back then, but we soon relied on it for pricing and trading decisions as much as the fundamental analysis that we had access to.

I then ran a prop trading book out of Geneva for the company, before heading back to WA. I then ran the derivatives risk management for the CBH Group. After a long career in Ag Risk Management and trading I decided I’d had enough of the corporate world and bought a retail business that I could renovate, and soon did an e-commerce start up. I thoroughly enjoy working for myself.

Personal Trading / Investing:
I run a family equities portfolio and I trade CFDs on what I call a rule based discretionary approach – top down fundamental overlay on chart patterns. I’ve done the Van Tharp Peak Performance course which has helped with the psychological challenges of trading, read a mountain of trading books, but to date I have struggled with developing a system for the various market types, which of course is why I am here.

I am hoping to develop a longer term capital trading system, as well as a shorter term, end-of-day system that augments the longer term approach.

Look forward to chatting with you some day soon.

[Nick Radge]

Welcome aboard Rob. You certainly have some experience so hopefully we can help close the loop for you.

[LeeDanello]

Rob, I wouldn’t know the first thing about the instruments you are trading. Sounds interesting and seems like you know the financial scene pretty well. Interesting to hear about the diverse cross section of people doing the mentor course. It’s interesting to know how others are getting on. I got a copy of Tharps Peak Performance course a few years ago from eBay – pretty cheap but haven’t gone through it. I was told that Mark Douglas book covered Van Tharps course at a fraction of the cost.

[RobGiles]

Hi Maurice

The Disciplined Trader by Mark Douglas was actualy the first trading book I ever read. It was recommended to me by my technical analysis “mentor” (a younger guy who I worked with at Colly Cotton who was a real student of the market). Awesome book. The Tharp course just takes it way deeper and gives you tasks to do, but it does get a bit out there, and yes, the Tharp stuff is getting expensive. Happy to chat with you about it. robgiles6000 is my skype ID.

cheers
Rob

[KevinPenny]

Hello Rob, Where on the south coast? I farmed at Lake King 1975 to 2000 .. I cut my teeth trading Dec wheat on CBOT Mid 90’s .
Your name rings a bell, WA is small place. Welcome aboard !!
Kevin.

[RobGiles]

g’day Kevin & thanks. I grew up in the pumping metropolis of Youngs Siding…the old man bred angus cattle. I was the regional manager for the AWB I Katanning straight out of uni, so we’ve probably met! Give us a call next time your in Perth.

[KevinPenny]

Hi Rob. Thats probably where I knew your name. AWB Katanning.. Theres a flash back! was a student at the infamous Katanning hostel 72 / 74 .
I live in Bedfordale, been here for 22 years.
You must have a few stories about Trevor Flugge ?
Cheers

[ZachSwann]

Hey what was the contact I missed

[Author]

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