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Live from the FX Summit, this interview features two rising retail traders—Deja and Soukenya—sharing how they found Forex, fought through early setbacks, and built momentum with real structure. It’s candid, on-the-floor energy: why risk management took longer than expected, how mentorship (shoutout Swaggy C/Chris Williams) and community flipped the switch, and why seeing Black women on stage matters for everyone in the game. The vibe is approachable, honest, and useful for any new or restarting trader looking for traction.
You’ll learn the simple but hard truths: risk first, psychology always, and a strategy you actually understand (think institutional concepts/ICT) before size or speed. We talk about why having income reduces forced trades, how to build a winning environment (books like Mark Douglas, courses, live labs, and networking across skill levels), and turning trading into a foundation for freedom rather than a forever job. If you’re searching for a beginner-friendly roadmap—mindset, rules, and a plan you can execute tomorrow—this is your starting line.
Deja Playbook & Strategy: How She Actually Trades
The Core Blueprint: Sessions, Pairs, Conditions
Here’s the simple frame Deja uses, so every day starts the same and ends with clean data. You’ll define when you trade, what you trade, and the exact market conditions you require before risking a dollar.
- Trade windows only: London 3:00–6:00 a.m. New York time; New York 8:30–11:00 a.m.
- Focus pairs with tight spreads and clean structure (e.g., GBPUSD, EURUSD, XAUUSD if volatility is orderly).
- Stand down on major red-flag events unless pre-planned (e.g., CPI/NFP/FOMC) or reduce size to ≤50%.
- Require a directional bias before entries (premium/discount framework; trend via swing structure).
- If the price is mid-range (no clear premium/discount), do nothing until it tags a true location.
Risk & Sizing Rules That Keep You in the Game
Deja’s edge is useless without risk discipline. These hard numbers cap damage on bad days and let compounding work when she’s in sync.
- Per-trade risk: 0.25%–0.5% of account; never exceed 1R on initial stop.
- Max daily drawdown: 2R hard stop; hit it and power down platforms.
- Max weekly drawdown: 5R; if hit, flat for 48 hours and review.
- Scale size only after three consecutive green days and a complete weekly review.
- No adding to losers—ever. Only add on planned scale-ins after structure confirms.
Bias Formation: Institutional Structure Made Simple
You need a repeatable way to say “bullish or bearish.” This is where Deja leans on institutional concepts to avoid guesswork.
- Mark higher-timeframe swing points (H4/H1). Bias is long above the last confirmed higher low; short below the last confirmed lower high.
- Map liquidity: equal highs/lows, prior day high/low, session high/low, obvious stop pools.
- Identify premium/discount zones using the most recent impulsive leg; buy in discount, sell in premium.
- Note confluence: fair value gaps (FVGs), order blocks (OBs), and breaker/flip zones aligned with the bias.
- If confluence doesn’t exist (location + liquidity + structure), skip the setup.
Entry Triggers: From “Idea” to “Order”
Entries are precise. You’re not chasing candles—you’re letting price come to your pre-drawn lines during your session windows.
- Wait for a liquidity sweep into your zone (e.g., stop grab through a prior high/low) and immediate rejection.
- Execute on the retest: OB/FVG or prior structure flip; confirmation via shift in short-term order flow.
- Place a stop beyond the invalidation (outside the swept high/low or behind the OB).
- Target prior liquidity pools: session high/low, PDH/PDL, or measured move 1R–3R, depending on volatility.
- If the entry doesn’t trigger within the session window, cancel the idea—no “just one more candle.”
Trade Management: Clear, Calm, Mechanical
Once in, Deja removes emotion by following predefined rules. Your job is to manage risk and let the math work.
- Move to breakeven at +1R or after the next opposing liquidity sweep in your favor—whichever comes first.
- Partial at +1R or first logical liquidity pool (25%–50% off), then trail behind fresh structure or FVG fills.
- If an opposing OB forms and holds against your position, exit remainder—don’t negotiate with structure.
- Never widen stops. If volatility invalidates the setup, take the loss and log the reason.
- Max two active positions per session to preserve focus and execution quality.
Psychology & Environment: No Forced Trades
Deja performs better when trading isn’t paying the rent. You’ll build a routine that keeps your head clear and your standards high.
- Pre-market checklist: sleep ≥6h, 10-minute walk, one-page plan, mark levels, define “do nothing” conditions.
- During market: news feed off after calendar check; music or silence only; zero social scrolling.
- Post-trade: 5-minute decompression; no P&L staring—review structure, not dollars.
- If you feel urgency or FOMO, set a 20-minute timer and step away; re-enter only if the plan still stands.
- Weekly: one accountability call or voice note to summarize rules kept/broken.
Journal & Metrics: What Gets Measured Improves
Consistency came when Deja turned lessons into data. Make every trade feed a small metrics engine you actually read.
- Log fields: date, session, pair, bias note, setup type, entry (time/price), stop, targets, R multiple, outcome, screenshot before/after, emotion tag.
- Core metrics: win rate by session, average R per setup, MAE/MFE, rule breaks per week.
- Promotion rules: size up only when win rate ≥45% and average R ≥1.4 over the last 20 trades with ≤2 rule breaks.
- Prune: any setup with negative expectancy over 30 logged attempts gets parked for a month.
- Tag “avoid days” (post-CPI whips, mid-range junk) and reduce size automatically next time they appear.
Playbook Example (Long): London Discount Reversal
This is the bread-and-butter morning idea—let London grab stops, then fade it back into structure.
- Bias: bullish on H1; price trades into the discount of the last impulsive leg.
- Liquidity: Asia low swept; equal lows cleared; heavy wick rejection.
- Location: long from M5/M15 OB or FVG that forms immediately after the sweep.
- Stop: below the swept low or the origin of displacement.
- Targets: first partial at session high (+1R to +1.5R), runners to PDH or next clean pool (2R–3R).
- Invalidation: clean M5 break and close below the OB + failure to reclaim discount.
Playbook Example (Short): New York Premium Rejection
NY often provides the continuation after London sets the range. You’ll lean into a premium fade with momentum on your side.
- Bias: bearish on H1; price taps the premium of the last impulse.
- Liquidity: morning push runs PDH or session high; fast rejection wick.
- Location: short from M5/M15 OB/FVG that forms at the flip zone.
- Stop: above the swept high or breaker origin.
- Targets: partial at session low (+1R), runners to PDL or next pool (2R–3R).
- Invalidation: strong M5 bullish shift and hold above the flip zone.
News & Volatility Protocol
Red-letter days can help or hurt; the rules decide for you. You’ll standardize behavior so you never improvise under pressure.
- If major news is within 15 minutes pre/post, either stand aside or cut size to ≤50% and widen stops only if pre-planned.
- Post-news re-entry allowed only after the structure re-establishes (fresh OB/FVG + bias alignment).
- First impulse after news is usually noise—wait for the sweep and the retest.
- If slippage exceeds 0.5R on two trades that week, reduce size by half for the next three trades.
Weekly Review Cadence
The week’s job is to learn faster than you lose. This cadence keeps the loop tight and honest.
- Sunday map: mark HTF levels, expected liquidity pools, and three “A-setups” you’d love to see.
- Mid-week pulse (Wed): prune weak ideas, confirm what’s working, and pre-commit to one improvement.
- Friday audit: export screenshots into a single PDF, compute expectancy per setup, and write one paragraph on what you’ll stop doing next week.
Fast Rules Recap (Pin These Beside Your Screen)
Short lists prevent long mistakes. Keep these within sight until they’re automatic.
- Trade only London 3–6 a.m. NY and New York 8:30–11 a.m.
- Risk 0.25%–0.5% per trade; daily max 2R; weekly max 5R.
- Buy discount, sell premium; require liquidity sweep + OB/FVG retest.
- Move to BE at +1R or after opposing sweep; partials at logical pools.
- No adds to losers; two trades per session max; review every Friday.
Soukenya Playbook & Strategy: How She Actually Trades
The Operating Frame: Sessions, Instruments, Conditions
This section sets the guardrails so every decision happens inside a controlled box. You’ll define when you trade, which instruments make sense, and what market conditions must be present before you press the button.
- Trade windows: London 3:00–6:00 a.m. New York time and New York 9:30–11:30 a.m.
- Instruments: prioritize clean, liquid majors and gold (e.g., EURUSD, GBPUSD, XAUUSD) with spreads ≤1.5 pips during session.
- Stand down on “messy days”: overlapping ranges, overlapping wicks, or ADR < 60% by mid-session.
- Require a directional context: bullish above the last H1 higher low, bearish below the last H1 lower high.
- No mid-range trades; only engage at marked locations (discount for longs, premium for shorts).
Risk, Size, and Daily Risk Budget
Your first edge is not blowing up. These rules cap downside and add structure to when and how size increases, so good weeks actually stick.
- Risk per trade: 0.25%–0.5% of equity; never exceed 1R initial stop size.
- Max daily risk: 2R; hit it and shut down charts for that session.
- Max weekly risk: 5R; if tagged, pause 48 hours and review before returning.
- Size-up rule: increase risk by 10% only after 20 trades with a win rate ≥45% and average R ≥1.4.
- Never add to losers; only allowed on pre-planned scale-ins after structure reconfirms.
How Soukenya Builds Bias
Bias isn’t a feeling—it’s a checklist. You’ll use a simple top-down pass to decide if you’re a buyer, a seller, or a spectator.
- H4/H1 structure pass: mark the last swing high/low and current trend leg.
- Liquidity map: prior day high/low (PDH/PDL), session high/low, equal highs/lows, obvious stop pools.
- Location filter: draw the last impulsive leg; buy only at a discount, sell only in premium.
- Confluence requirement: at least two of three—location (premium/discount), liquidity (sweep/targets), structure (OB/FVG/flip zone).
- If confluence is missing or asymmetric, pass on the trade.
Entry Triggers That Don’t Feel Like Guessing
Entries are permissioned events, not impulses. Wait for the price to touch your level and confirm with a read you can screenshot and repeat.
- Look for a sweep: quick run through a prior high/low into your zone, followed by rejection.
- Confirm with a shift: M5/M1 breaks and closes through a micro-structure level in your direction.
- Execute on the retest of the OB/FVG/flip; no “market chase” entries.
- Stop goes beyond invalidation (past swept high/low or OB origin).
- Initial targets at nearby liquidity pools: session high/low, PDH/PDL, or measured +1R to +1.5R.
Management: Turn Winners Into Paychecks
Once in the trade, follow mechanical rules. This keeps emotions from rewriting your plan mid-candle.
- Move stop to breakeven at +1R or after the next opposing sweep in your favor—whichever happens first.
- Take partials at logical pools (25%–50% off); let runners aim for the next clean pool (2R–3R).
- Trail behind newly formed structure (higher lows for longs, lower highs for shorts) or behind FVG fills.
- If price builds and holds an opposing OB against your position, exit remainder—no hope trades.
- Limit: two active positions per session to preserve focus and data quality.
News and Volatility Protocol
News isn’t a surprise when it’s on your calendar. You’ll standardize behavior around high-impact releases to avoid one bad spike undoing a good week.
- If a major release falls within ±15 minutes, either stand aside or cut size to ≤50% per your plan.
- No first-impulse entries post-news; wait for the sweep and the retest to re-establish structure.
- If slippage >0.5R occurs twice in a week, auto-reduce size by 50% for the next three trades.
- Only widen stops if pre-planned for that event; otherwise, keep invalidation pure to the structure.
Psychology and Routine
Your process performs best when your head is quiet. Build rituals that make following rules easier than breaking them.
- Pre-market: 5-minute breath/box breathing, mark levels, write the exact “do nothing if…” condition.
- During session: mute social feeds; use a single checklist before entry (bias, location, trigger, risk).
- Post-trade: 5-minute debrief focusing on structure and execution, not P&L.
- If you feel FOMO or tilt, set a 20-minute timer and step away; resume only if the original plan still qualifies.
Journal, Tags, and Promotion Rules
If you can’t measure it, you can’t scale it. This section turns trades into data you can trust and build on.
- Log fields: date, session, pair, bias, setup type, entry time/price, stop, targets, R result, MAE/MFE, screenshots, rule keeps/breaks.
- Tags to track: “sweep-OB-retest,” “breaker-flip,” “news-reentry,” “mid-range-avoid.”
- Expectancy checks every 20 trades; retire any setup with negative expectancy until a new month.
- Promotion only when the last 20 trades show ≤2 rule breaks and the variance of R is narrowing (lower MAE spikes).
- Build a one-page weekly dashboard: win rate by session, avg R by setup, drawdown depth/duration.
Playbook Example (Long): London Discount Reversal
This is the morning mean-reversion play after Asia or early London runs stop. You’ll lean on location first, then a clean trigger.
- Bias: bullish on H1 with unfilled discount zone.
- Liquidity: Asia or early London low swept; stop run wick into discount.
- Trigger: M5 shift + OB/FVG retest forms immediately after the sweep.
- Stop: below the swept low or OB origin.
- Targets: partial at session high (+1R to +1.5R), runner into PDH or next pool (2R–3R).
- Invalidation: M5 closes back below OB and fails to reclaim the discount.
Playbook Example (Short): New York Premium Continuation
NY often extends London’s path. You’ll sell from premium after a manipulative push into liquidity.
- Bias: bearish on H1; last impulse’s premium tested.
- Liquidity: run through PDH/session high; rejection wick.
- Trigger: M5/M1 shift down, retest of flip zone/OB/FVG.
- Stop: above the swept high or breaker origin.
- Targets: partial at session low (+1R), runner to PDL or deeper pool (2R–3R).
- Invalidation: strong bullish reclaim above the flip zone with closes.
Fast Rules Recap (Pin These)
Short lists prevent long mistakes. Keep these visible until they’re automatic.
- Trade only London 3–6 a.m. NY and New York 9:30–11:30 a.m.
- Risk 0.25%–0.5% per trade; daily max 2R; weekly max 5R.
- Buy discount, sell premium; require sweep + shift + retest.
- Move to BE at +1R or after opposing sweep; partial at nearest pool.
- Two trades per session max; promote size only after stable expectancy.
Start With Risk: Size Positions by Volatility, Not Hunches
Deja keeps it simple: risk first, everything else second. She sets a fixed percent risk per trade, then lets volatility decide the lot size—if the market is wild, size shrinks; if it’s calm, size can breathe. Using basic measures like ATR or ADR, Deja translates distance-to-stop into position size so every trade risks the same R. That way, one spiky candle can’t erase a week of discipline.
Soukenya backs the same approach with hard daily limits and pre-planned cutoffs around news. If the spread widens or the bar range doubles, he scales down automatically instead of “hoping” the setup still works. Both traders stress that consistency in R risk beats chasing fixed lots, because your losers stay small and your winners aren’t diluted by guesswork. The result is a steady equity curve that survives bad days and compounds on the good ones.
Trade the Mechanic Setup, Not the Prediction—Rules Before Opinions
Deja treats setups like an assembly line: location, trigger, stop, target—same order, every time. She marks the level first, waits for a sweep and a clean retest, and only clicks when invalidation is crystal clear on the chart. If one piece is missing, Deja passes without drama because skipping bad trades is a win for her stats. She’s not trying to predict the day; she’s trying to repeat a process that pays over a hundred trades.
Soukenya runs the same mission with a four-step checklist he can recite in his sleep: bias, location, trigger, risk. If the candle prints but the checklist isn’t complete, he does nothing—no FOMO entries, no “just to see” probes. Soukenya says the chart doesn’t owe you movement; your job is to wait until it speaks in your language. In practice, that means fewer trades, cleaner screenshots, and a P&L built on repetition, not opinions.
Diversify by Pair, Strategy, and Timeframe to Smooth Equity Curves
Deja spreads risk across a small basket—think GBPUSD, EURUSD, and XAUUSD—so one choppy instrument can’t sink the day. She also diversifies by playbook: a London mean-reversion setup and a New York continuation setup, each with its own rules and stats. When the market favors one style, the other sits on the bench, keeping its equity curve from yo-yoing. The effect is simple: steadier wins, shallower drawdowns, and less temptation to force trades.
Soukenya layers timeframe diversification on top—H1 for bias, M15/M5 for location, M1/M5 for trigger—so she’s not married to a single view of the market. If H1 bias is unclear, he’ll skip the strategy entirely rather than compressing everything onto one chart. She treats each combo (pair × strategy × timeframe) like a product line with separate expectancy and risk limits. That way, when one line underperforms, Soukenya throttles down just that line while the rest of the portfolio keeps working.
Define Risk on Entry: Hard Stops, Preplanned Partials, No Exceptions
Deja sets the stop first, entry second—always beyond the true invalidation, never inside the noise. She sizes the position to that stop, so the risk is a fixed R, then maps partials at nearby liquidity (session high/low, PDH/PDL) and plans to move to breakeven at +1R or after the next opposing sweep. If price doesn’t trigger during her session or the structure shifts, she cancels the order—no chasing, no widening.
Soukenya follows the same discipline: stop past the swept high/low or the origin of the order block, partial 25–50% at the first clean pool, then trail behind fresh structure only if momentum confirms. She never adds to a loser and never shifts the stop “just this once”; the plan wins or she accepts the full R loss. Together, Deja and Soukenya keep execution binary—either the market respects their level, or they’re out—so one trade can’t snowball into a bad day.
Daily Process Discipline: Session Checklists, Max Drawdowns, Instant Shutoffs
Deja runs her day on rails: a pre-market checklist, marked levels, and a written “do nothing if…” rule taped to the monitor. She picks a session, defines max daily drawdown in R, and commits to an instant platform shutoff the moment that limit hits. No revenge trades, no “make it back” logic—just a hard boundary that protects the next day’s opportunities. The routine frees her brain to execute instead of negotiate.
Soukenya keeps the same structure with a simple loop: prep, trade, debrief. She logs each decision, tags rule keeps and rule breaks, and reviews them on Friday regardless of P&L, so progress isn’t luck-dependent. If she breaks a rule twice in a week, she auto-drops size for the next three trades and adds a friction step (timer or checklist) before any entry. Between Deja’s shutoff rule and Soukenya’s friction system, discipline becomes a habit the market can’t bully.
In the end, Deja and Soukenya make trading feel simple in the best way: define risk, wait for your setup, and execute without negotiation. Both women build every decision on structure first—bias from H4/H1, location in premium/discount, and a clean trigger like a sweep and retest—so they’re reacting to mechanics, not forecasting headlines. Stops go at true invalidation, position size flexes with volatility, and partials are preplanned at logical liquidity, so “hope” never sneaks into management. That combination—fixed R risk and rule-based targets—keeps drawdowns shallow and lets winners do the heavy lifting.
They also reject the one-size-fits-all hustle. Deja diversifies across a small, clean basket and two distinct playbooks (London mean reversion, New York continuation), so she’s never forcing the market to be her setup. Soukenya layers timeframe diversification and a strict session checklist to keep her screenshots—and results—consistent. When conditions are messy or news is about to hit, they throttle down or stand aside; when emotions rise, they add friction (timers, reviews, shutoffs) rather than doubling down. The biggest lesson from both: professional outcomes come from boring, repeatable rules. Trade less, measure more, and let the math—not your mood—compound.
