About me, before I started trading
Part 1: A little bit about me and how the Journey starts.
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3/31/2026
About Me – Before I Started Trading
Hey, my name is Peter.
Before I ever got into trading, I spent nearly 14 years in the auto industry—buying and selling cars. The game was simple: buy low, sell high… although sometimes, I’ll admit, it didn’t always go that way.
Over time, I worked my way into owning a small share of the dealership I was part of. It wasn’t a huge stake, but the idea of being a business owner—and owning part of a car dealership—felt like a big accomplishment.
Living in Vancouver, B.C., the car business was booming. Foreign money was pouring in, the housing market was on fire, and people were spending. Selling cars felt easy. I had the chance to drive luxury and exotic vehicles most people only dream about.
At the time, it felt like it would never end.
But everything changed around 2024.
Interest rates started rising, and suddenly financing a car became too expensive for most customers. Sales slowed down. At the same time, competition exploded. When we first opened, there were only about 3 dealerships on our block. Fast forward 10 years—there were over 20, with new ones popping up constantly.
Margins got tighter.
Inventory became harder to acquire.
Expenses kept rising—especially rent.
We were stuck in a race to the bottom: paying more for cars, selling them for less, and working harder just to stay afloat.
It didn’t feel sustainable anymore.
At this point, I was in my late 30s. Everything I knew revolved around cars—sales, mechanics, and running a dealership. I had no real knowledge of investing or building passive income.
So I decided to start learning.
I opened a Wealthsimple account and bought my very first stock—one share of Tesla.
Just one.
That moment taught me something important: long-term investing made sense, but it required significant capital and patience. And at the time, I wanted something more active… something that could generate income faster.
That’s when I discovered day trading.
Not long after, my social media feeds started filling up with traders. People were placing trades on their phones—buying or selling with a tap—watching candlesticks move for a few minutes… and walking away with profits.
It looked simple.
Almost too simple.
I was curious… and that curiosity pulled me in.
Down the rabbit hole I went.
And that’s where my trading journey truly began.