About this episode

Jeff Holden discusses his journey and methods for developing high-performing prop traders at SMB Capital.

Jeff Holden was once a kid watching his father get laid off during a department cut, realizing early on that he never wanted to be at the mercy of unpredictable market shifts, he wanted full control over his own destiny. Today, as the Head of Trader Development at SMB Capital, Jeff has transformed that drive into a career of identifying, recruiting, and mentoring prop traders into multi-million dollar, seven- and eight-figure performers. After starting as an independent trader working to find his own way, Jeff built his philosophy around structure, baseline consistency, and rigorous risk allocation. Rather than relying on guesswork or emotional "gut feelings," Jeff developed actionable frameworks like the "ASET" protocol to help traders systematically identify edge, manage risk, and scale capital. In this conversation, Jeff pulls back the curtain on how top-tier prop traders are actually built from the ground up. He breaks down the mechanics of price action and tape reading, why scalping serves as the ultimate baseline foundation, and how traders can bridge the gap between steady baseline income and aggressively swinging the bat on high-conviction A+ setups. In this episode, we…

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