I started trading in 2016, while working full-time as a personal trainer. What began as curiosity quickly turned into obsession. I spent every spare hour studying the markets, testing ideas, and refining a strategy that could hold its own. Over time, that became the foundation of the system I trade with today.

Yes—I founded The Trading Lab. It’s my own creation built from the ground up to give traders what I wish I had when I started: data-backed strategy, structure,  transparency, and a proven framework.

This isn’t a white-labeled course or a team of ghost mentors. What you see is what you get—and what you get is what I use myself to trade the markets consistently and profitably. 

Never. From day one, risk management has been non-negotiable. I’ve never put more than 1% of my capital at risk on a single trade—ever. Losses? Of course. Brutal streaks? Absolutely. But blowing an account? Not even close.

The first rule of trading is staying in the game. That means protecting capital at all costs. If you're not thinking like that from the start, you're already lost.

Enough that trading fuels my ideal lifestyle without working more than a couple of hours a day. I won't be sharing specifics as that's between me and my accountant, but I've never been one to focus on the numbers themselves. I focus on consistency and sustainability. The money I make is merely a by-product of that. My priority has always been discipline, not digits. 

I keep it simple, sustainable, and rooted in data. No hype, no guesswork—just a clear framework built on proven principles. I treat trading like a recipe: follow the right steps, in the right order, and you get results. 

What really sets me apart though? I believe trading can be taught to anyone. I’ve been nominated for awards for commitment to trader education because I'm obsessed with providing a process that people can follow...with full transparency and data behind it. Anyone willing to do the work can learn this. That’s the difference.

It took me around 18 months from first starting to become consistently profitable. Not because I got lucky or stumbled into a winning system by accident—but because I became obsessed with building something that worked. I spent every spare hour developing a strategy that was both statistically solid and aligned with my market philosophies. Once the data backed it—that’s when the results started to follow.

I used to—but not anymore. I loved working with traders one-on-one, and seeing them level up was genuinely rewarding. But now, as a dad, my time outside the markets belongs to my family. Priorities shift.

These days, I focus on creating resources that scale—like my Playbook where I document all my trades in real-time—so traders can still learn from me in-the-moment, without needing me on the other end of a Zoom call. 

I could write an entire blog post on this, but I’ll keep it short. My focus is transparency—not through some public dashboard that anyone can manipulate—but through real, documented performance. Here’s how:

Master Strategy Spreadsheet: My strategy is backed by five years of data—over 3,500 trades across 10 markets. Every valid setup which meets the ruleset is logged, detailing exactly how the system performs. No cherry-picking. Just raw data that every member gets access to, proving the efficacy of the strategy. There's no other educator in the world offering this level of detail.

James' Playbook: On top of that, my Playbook documents all my personal trade executions, logged in real-time before execution. Since launching in September 2024, I’ve averaged 8% a month. All from real trades that anyone could've followed along with. No hindsight heroics. Real profit from real trades. 

Trading happened by accident. I saved up some money from PT and decided to put it to work in the stock market. Through learning about the world of investing, I stumbled upon trading and the mentors who were big in the space. That piqued my interest. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became. I went from casually curious to fully obsessed. I read over 100 trading books, devoured every course and programme I could get my hands on—immersing myself into it. 

The drive for more freedom and control is what got me started, but once I saw the potential—nothing could stop me. 

Yes, but not in the way most people think. I went full-time in late 2018/early 2019, after gradually stepping away from my personal training business.

But full-time doesn’t mean 8-hour days. I’ve built strategies and routines that allow me to treat trading like a high-performing business, not a grind. I’ve structured my day to focus on analysis during key hours, with brief, scheduled market checks throughout the rest of the day. On average, I spend no more than a couple of hours a day on charts—if that.

It’s about efficiency, not hours. I became a trader to have more freedom, not less of it. 

The short answer: because I wanted, not because I had to. When I first started documenting my results and trading process on social media back in 2019, I quickly attracted a small following of developing traders, who by virtue of following my advice (which I made publicly available in a free Telegram channel) quickly started to improve their own trading results. That made me realise I had something truly of value and with the amount of misinformation out there in the space, decided to package together my knowledge into my course, The Pro Trader Programme.

The business allows me to build something bigger than just my own trading account. It's not a fallback, it's an natural extension of what I've learned, built and now enjoy sharing with others. 

The reason the Pro Trader Course isn’t free is because it’s not just a few videos or surface-level content. It’s a complete, structured programme built from the exact strategies I trade live—covering entries, risk management, mindset, journaling, accountability...everything someone could need to become a professional trader. 

The price reflects the years of experience, data, and refinement that’s gone into creating a course designed to produce consistent, independent traders—not just followers of signals. You’re not paying for “access” — you’re investing in a system that’s helped others become profitable, with lifetime value and ongoing updates.

It’s not for everyone—and that’s okay. But for traders who are serious about leveling up, it’s worth every penny.

Forex, short for foreign exchange, is a global financial market used to facilitate the buying and selling of currencies. It's the largest and most liquid financial market in the world, allowing individuals to profit from the fluctuations these currencies make.

Start by building a solid foundation. To do that, I've put together a FREE training. It's only about 45 minutes or so but it's packed with value to help you master the fundamentals. It’s designed to strip away the noise and give you a clear view of what trading actually involves. Once you’ve got the basics in place, you’ll be in a much stronger position to make the next move...whether that's joining my Pro Trader Programme or my Playbook. 

Ultimately—nothing. In the beginning stages, when you're still learning and developing your skills, you won't be trading any real capital anyway. Instead, you'd practise and refine your craft on a demo account with no real monetary risk. When you are ready to go live, how much you start with is really a byproduct of your goals. If you're looking for meaningful returns, for most people that will mean going down the funded route. You can get access to anywhere from 10k to 140k through a firm like FTMO by paying for a challenge which will range anywhere from around £50 to £500, subject to the account size being applied for. If you pass, you'd trade their capital and keep 80% of the profit. 

Forex differs from stock trading in a couple of key ways.

- Forex is open 24 hours a day, five days a week, unlike stock markets which have set trading hours.
- The forex market is far more liquid, with higher daily volume and tighter spreads, making it easier to enter and exit trades.
- Forex makes it easy to trade to the "short" side, enabling you to profit in declining markets. 

Overall, whilst what I teach can be applied to any financial market, forex offers the ideal environment for regular trading opportunities and time preferences.  

Absolutely not. Or at least not with the right strategy. My methodology is built for efficiency—structured analysis, key trading points, and minimal screen time. I spend maybe a couple of focused hours a day, max.

If you’re looking for a job chained to the charts, this isn’t it. The goal is freedom, not a second desk job.

If you approach it like a professional with a proven strategy—no.

If you jump into the markets with no training, risk management framework or proven strategy—then yes.

Trading is a skill, and like any skill worth having, it takes time to cultivate and refine it. But when done properly, trading is NOT the same as gambling. 

When done properly—with controlled and calculated risk, it's not risky in the sense that you could wake up one day and lose all your money. The risk you allocate to your trades will be small—no more than 1% of your entire account balance ensuring no one trade or even string of trades has the potential to cause any significant loss.

The real risk in trading is jumping in before you've got a proven strategy and risk management framework. If you're jumping in blind, risking 10% per trade, entering and exiting the market based on intuitions then yes, trading is risky. But if you trade with a proven strategy and controlled risk, then no, it's not risky. 

Yes—while most of the people I speak to aspire to leave their day jobs, it's entirely possible to trade long-term alongside other work or business commitments. The key is choosing a strategy that can be adapted to your lifetime and time restrictions. If you work full-time, you'd probably benefit from a methodology that can be used on the higher time frames (4H charts) or trading between set, fixed windows. What I teach can be done with both! 

You probably could, eventually. But it'd be a long, messy road. 

YouTube can be useful for the basics, but it's often also full of conflicting advice, clickbait strategies that aren't proven whilst providing no structure or support. It'd be like trying to become a professional chef by watching random cooking videos. You'll pick up things, but you won't master the craft without a step-by-step system, proven strategies, the right tools and a community or mentor to guide you through the process. 

Bottom line—serious results require a serious education and YouTube just simply doesn't cut it. 

FTMO is a prop firm that gives skilled traders access to large funded accounts—after they prove they can trade consistently with solid risk management. You pass a two-step evaluation (the Challenge and Verification), and if you succeed, you get funded and keep up to 80% of the profits you make.

FTMO works through a three-phase process designed to test and reward disciplined traders:

Step 1: Challenge
You’re given a demo account with rules:
- Hit a 10% profit target
- Stay within daily and overall loss limits (5% and 10% respectively)
- Trade for a minimum number of days

Step 2: Verification
Same rules, but lower 5% profit target. This phase confirms you're consistent, not just lucky.

Step 3: Funded Account
Pass both steps and you get a real account with FTMO’s capital. You trade—they fund—and you keep up to 80% of the profits.

No—you won’t owe FTMO (or any prop firm) any money if you lose.

Worst-case scenario? You fail the evaluation and lose the one-time fee you paid to take the Challenge. That’s it. No debt. No hidden charges.

If you’re on a funded account, a violation of their loss limits would simply mean a removal of your funded status—but you’ll never owe them money. They cover the losses. 

Your earnings will depend on account size and the profit you make.

For example:
- £140,000 account with a 6% return = £8,400 profit.
- You keep 80%, so £6,720 would be your profit share. 

With the maximum funding (£280,000):
- £280,000 account with a 10% return = £28,000 profit.
- You keep 80%, so £25,200.

Your earnings depend on your consistency, risk management, and how well you trade, but it’s possible to make a significant income with the right strategy.

The cost is contingent on the size of the account you apply for. The larger the account, the higher the fee. Worth noting though that this fee is refunded back to you, on your first payout if you're successful in passing the funding process.

For a current list of their up-to-date fees, simply check out their site. 

The maximum initial funding you can get from FTMO in the UK is £280,000.

That depends on your financial goals. Are you trading just make some supplementary income or are you looking for life-changing 10k months? I'd typically suggest applying for the account size whereby an assumed 5% return (realistic but not aggressive) would facilitate your ideal monthly income. 

For example:

- Ideal income: 5k per month
- 140k account at 5% assumed monthly return = £5600 profit (after FTMO's profit share)
- The account size lower (70k) would only yield a £2800 profit at 5% and so the minimum account size you'd need is 140k. 

It depends on your commitment. Getting funded isn’t a sprint—it’s a process. As a beginner, you need to prove that you have the skills, discipline, and mindset to handle risk and trade effectively. With the right strategy and education, I've seen that happen in my programme in as little as 3-6 months. 

But it’s not just about rushing to get funded—it’s about developing the habits and knowledge that will allow you to sustain that funding once you have it. And that's why getting the right education is so important. You need the infrastructure, the tools, and the resources to trade for longevity and that's exactly what my programme will provide you with. 

Here's the step-by-step process:

1. Account selection:
- Choose an account size (for GBP) that's between 10k and 140k. 

2. Meet the trading objectives in the trading Challenge:
- Profit Target: make 10%.
- Maximum daily loss: You cannot lose more than 5% of the account balance in one day.
- Maximum overall loss: You cannot exceed a 10% loss of the total balance.
- Minimum trading days: You need to trade for at least 4 days.
- Time limit: None. Take as long as you need. 

3. Meet the trading objectives in the trading Verification:
- Profit Target: make 5%.
- Maximum daily loss: You cannot lose more than 5% of the account balance in one day.
- Maximum overall loss: You cannot exceed a 10% loss of the total balance.
- Minimum trading days: You need to trade for at least 4 days.
- Time limit: None. Take as long as you need. 

4. Funded:
- If you hit the profit target and follow the risk rules, over both the Challenge and Verification phase, you'll pass the evaluation and receive the account details to your funded account. You'll trade this account as if it's your own and keep 80% of the profit you make. 

At this time of this writing, I'd only personally recommend FTMO. They've been around for a while, establishing themselves as one of the household names in the space. Here's why: 

1. Established Reputation: FTMO has been around for years and is well-respected in the trading community.

2. High profit share: FTMO offers up to 80% profit share, enabling traders to keep a large majority of the profit they make. 

3. No challenge time limits: Unlike some other firms, FTMO has removed the time limits on the Challenge and Verification phases, allowing you to take your time and trade at your own pace.

4. Scalable accounts: Allows you to scale your account size up to £1,400,000 through their scaling plan. This provides long-term growth potential if you're consistent.

- Fee loss: The one-time fee you paid to enter the Challenge is non-refundable if you don't pass their Challenge and Verification stages. 

- No further obligations: You won't owe any additional money to FTMO. Your only financial commitment is the initial fee.

- Opportunity to retake: You can purchase another Challenge to try again. There is no limit on the number of challenges you can take.

I trade two signature strategies: a price continuation setup, and a price reversal setup. Both are fully rules-based, mechanical, and built around clean market structure—not lagging indicators or guesswork.

Both have been extensively tested, documented and proven over years of data and live trading. Both setups use defined entry parameters—no room for emotional or impulsive decisions.

Absolutely! My entire success as a trader is predicated off of knowing the numbers and it's what I've built my education brand around. Here's some key insights pertaining to the strategy as a whole and my personal performance from trading it. 

Strategy performance
(This is data derived from EVERY valid setup across 10 fixed markets over a 4 year period.)
- Strike rate: 72% (including breakeven trades)
- Average profit: 2.7R

James' Performance
(Derived from documented performance from James' Playbook since Sep 2024.)
- Strike rate: 75% (including breakeven trades) 
- Average profit: 2.7R
- Average monthly return: 8%

Yes—if they’re willing to treat it seriously. The strategies are designed to be teachable and repeatable. They’re mechanical, rules-based, and backed by clear data, not gut feeling. That makes them ideal for beginners who want structure.

But let’s be clear: they are not magic. You’ll need to learn the foundations, follow the framework, and put in the practise. If you can do that, you’ll be more than equipped to trade them with complete clarity.

Both strategies are structure-specific, not market-specific. What that means is these setups will work on any asset class or financial market. Whether you want to trade EUR/USD, GBP/JPY, DAX or Gold—these setups can be deployed anywhere.

The powerful thing about these setups is their flexibility—they work on any timeframe. I personally trade them on the 1-minute to the 1-hour charts, depending on market conditions and my schedule.

The entry logic, structure, and rules remain consistent regardless. As long as there’s clear higher timeframe context, these setups work. Whether you’re looking for a quick intraday move or a more measured swing, you can find a way to make the strategy work for you. 

It's incredibly hard to give a one-size-fits-all answer here as it's dependant on many different variables. However, as a general rule, in the UK, trading profits, be from prop firm payouts or profits from personal capital are seen as personal income and will be taxed at the standard tax brackets.

Other considerations: 

Trading via a limited company:  In this scenario, the rules are different. Profits are subject to corporation tax, and any personal income you draw (through salary or dividends) will be taxed accordingly. It’s a more formal structure, often used by more serious traders. It comes with more admin, but for many serious traders making big money, it’s the right setup—especially if you're building a long-term business around your trading.

Again, there’s no one-size-fits-all. It depends on your trading style, income goals, and how you want to structure your financial life. As always, speak to a qualified accountant before making the call.

In the UK, yes—spread betting profits are currently tax-free. That means no capital gains tax, no income tax. It’s one of the reasons many UK traders use spread betting accounts.

But there’s a catch: if trading is clearly your main source of income, or you’re running it like a full-time business, HMRC could take a different view. It’s a grey area, and tax laws can shift—so it’s always worth speaking to an accountant who understands trading.

Bottom line: yes, it can be tax-free—but don’t assume that applies to every situation forever.

If you're simply just learning and dipping your toe in, you'll only need a TradingView account. This is a charting software that will let you analyse different financial markets. Once you're beyond learning and want to trade for real, you'll also need either a broker account to trade personal capital from or a prop firm like FTMO if you're going down the funded account route. 

Right now, I use OANDA and IC Markets—specifically their Razor account for tighter spreads. But brokers aren’t permanent. If something better comes along in terms of execution or pricing, I’ll switch.

I’m not loyal to brands. I’m loyal to what works. The broker’s just the middleman—I care about speed, cost, and reliability. That’s it.

No, a paid TradingView plan isn't essential to begin trading. The free version offers all the essential features making it a solid starting point for beginners.

However, as you progress and require more advanced tools—such as multiple chart layouts, back-testing functionality, or real-time market data—a paid plan is beneficial. I personally have never used anything beyond the Pro version which works out to be around £10-£15 a month.