Frequently Asked Questions

The Trading Cafe is for people who want to trade the markets profitably but are not consistently profitable yet, whether you’re brand new or you’ve been trying for years.

It’s especially useful if you feel stuck in “information overload” and want a structured path, clear expectations, and a process that does not sugarcoat how difficult trading can be.

Start with the Trading Cafe Free School:

1. Join a live event.
2. Watch sessions from the Vault (recorded training).

The Vault contains a large amount of training, so most beginners should start by watching a handful of key sessions first, then build from there. After that, you can decide whether you want a more structured paid program.

Many trading programs focus on tactics without building a full learning path. Our approach pairs:

• Market expertise (instructors who have traded for many years)
• Education design (curricula and practice projects designed to build skill progressively)

The goal is to reduce noise and give people a structured progression from fundamentals to live execution.

We take instructor selection seriously. Early on, we spoke with thousands of people who joined our community and looked for traders who could not only trade, but teach clearly and responsibly. We then built our curriculum with those instructors and education experts.

Over time, we added additional instructors through the same high bar for clarity, credibility, and teaching ability.

Our instructors are experienced traders with a range of backgrounds and specialties across forex, equities, options, and macro-driven approaches. Each brings a different lens to the markets, so students can learn structured frameworks that match different styles and time zones.

Brent Carlile (USA)

Brent is a macro-focused trader who builds market bias using fundamentals, news, and economic data, then uses technical analysis to pinpoint entries and risk. He is a Trading World Cup winner.

Sid Naiman (USA)

Sid is a retired trader based in Arizona. After a career at IBM, he began trading to supplement retirement income and now focuses primarily on US equities and options.

Denislav Dantev (USA)

Deni is a US-based registered financial advisor and a funded trader. He specializes in forex and is particularly experienced in the structure and process of trading with prop firm funding, including the discipline and risk frameworks required.

Simon Pullen (UK)

Simon is a former financial advisor who became a full-time trader. He trades forex predominantly and is known for reversal/mean-reversion style setups, focusing on identifying where price may move back toward its average.

Alex Morris (Australia)

Alex is a former chartered accountant who now trades full time. Originally from the UK and now based in Perth, he trades forex exclusively and brings a structured, process-driven approach to execution.

We cover multiple markets, with the primary focus on stocks and forex. We also introduce related instruments and concepts (such as indices, ETFs, and selected advanced topics) depending on the program.

We teach approaches that can apply to day trading and swing trading, and we also have investing-focused education for people who want longer-term frameworks.

When we say “learn to trade,” we mean becoming profitable in live markets. Timelines vary mostly based on how consistently you study and practice.

For students in our live trading programs who joined in 2025 (once the live courses were fully built), the average time to reach consistency was 8 months. Across the most recent 100 students who reached consistency, the average time was 9.3 months.

We’ve seen timelines range from 6 to 44 months, but the longer end is typically driven by students taking extended breaks and returning later. 

Some students pause or stop entirely, and some decide trading isn’t for them, so these averages reflect students who continued through the process and reached consistent profitability.

No. You can begin learning without trading live.

Most people should focus on learning and practice first (risk management, backtesting, rule-following, journaling) before putting money at risk. When you eventually transition to live trading, starting small can be sensible because it allows you to practice execution and psychology with limited risk.

(If you want to name a dollar amount like $500, that’s fine, but it should be framed as an example, not a recommendation, and avoid sounding like a minimum requirement.)

No. We are an education company. We teach skills, frameworks, and processes. We do not provide signals or manage client funds.

No. Trading involves risk, and there are no guarantees. Our goal is to provide a structured learning path and the support system to help people build real skills over time.

Performance and decision-making matter in trading. Health and habits can influence attention, discipline, stress tolerance, and consistency, which is why we include wellness-related education alongside trading skill development.

No. The Trading Cafe is a separate company and is not affiliated with “Trading Cafe India” or any business using that name.

No. The Trading Cafe is not affiliated with Trading Cafe India, and we do not post individual trade results in that style.

What we do share is aggregated student outcomes and verification materials published through our platforms (for example, spreadsheets and screenshots that allow people to review and validate the testing and reporting). We also run monthly activities that recognize student progress in both demo and live environments, which are shared through our community and content channels.

Important note: Trading involves risk, results vary by individual, and nothing we share should be taken as a promise of future performance.

Our community is hosted on Skool (skool.com).

We run live sessions across multiple time zones. Our instructors are based in different regions (including Australia, Europe, and the United States), which helps us support members globally.

To start learning, you typically need:

• A computer
• TradingView
• A spreadsheet tool (for example, Google Sheets)

You do not need to open a broker account to begin learning. We encourage students to learn safely first, including practice methods like replay/backtesting, before moving on to demo trading and then live trading.

We can share what our community commonly prefers, but you should always do your own due diligence and ensure any broker is appropriate and compliant for your country.

Based on feedback we’ve seen from students and broader market reputation, many people rate BlackBull Markets highly.

We support members in many regions (including the UK, US, Canada, Europe, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and other parts of Asia). Availability can vary by country due to operational and compliance considerations.

If someone is unsure, the fastest way is to contact support and ask whether we can support their country.

Email [email protected]. Support is available 24 hours a day, with limited coverage on Sundays. We aim to respond quickly, even if you’re using only the free school.

You can find independent reviews on:

• Trustpilot
• Reddit (search “The Trading Cafe”)

We do not control what people say on Reddit, and it can be a useful place to see both skeptical questions and member experiences.

For written reviews, we use Trustpilot, which provides verification processes to reduce the risk of fake reviews.

For video testimonials, some students choose to share their experience. When we use a testimonial in marketing, we request consent through a form and keep the original submission on file.

We generally do not engage in back-and-forth on Reddit threads. Members who know the program often answer questions there organically.

Start with The Trading Cafe Free School.

1. Work through the Classroom

Begin in the Classroom and follow the material in order. This gives you a clear, structured path instead of random information.


2. Watch a few Vault replays

Next, go into the Vault and watch a few live-session replays to see how the concepts are taught and applied.


3. Attend a live event

Register for a live event and attend in real time if you can. Live sessions help you stay consistent, ask questions, and connect the learning to real execution.


4. Optional: read the book

If you want a simple, low-cost way to reinforce the process, you can also pick up our book (around $10). Between the Free School and the book, you’ll be in a strong position to decide whether trading is something you truly want to commit to.

From there, if you decide you want deeper structure and support, you can step into our paid programs, which are designed like an online school: structured curricula, practice projects, exams, live sessions, and direct support.

Trading does involve risk and nothing is guaranteed, but this path shows you exactly how our students have approached the journey from beginner to consistent execution, without hype or shortcuts.