… and just like that, the puzzle is solved! I rarely give 5 stars for anything. Not because there are no 5-star products/services, but because I believe that each star should mean something; relate to a tangible part of the value you get for your money. Think of a restaurant with each Michelin star taking you from high quality to exceptional or a hotel business where the rating grows with features and amenities available. Keeping this in mind, I give the Mentoring Programme a solid 4.7! If you don’t have much time to read, then just get this. In my opinion, the programme: - Completes the theory. - Applies structure and enforces a trading regime. - Puts you on the spot. - Gives you every opportunity to test and ask face-to-face. - Opens doors to more resources. - Enables live trading. - Is worth more than every penny. Bottom line. I cannot recommend this programme highly enough to anyone looking to level up and I can say with brutal honesty it’s a must-have for anyone thinking of taking on trading as a profession. If you can spare a moment, then this is the breakdown of my ranking: 1. My first star goes to the knowledge content. Don’t get this wrong. The PRO course covered the vast majority of the theoretical ground, but the mentoring programme truly completes that journey; and to know that there’s simply nothing else out there is by far the most important benefit one could ever wish to get. Think about it. No more “chasing rainbows.” No more wasting resources on research and tests. Sure, there's plenty of room for further exploration of individual topics, but that’s easier when you know the full scope and that the proverbial “goalpost” simply won’t move. There won’t be any “mentoring 2.0!” 2. My second star must go to the practical push, which in my case was a bit scary at times. If, like me, you haven’t started live trading yet, the mentoring programme bridges the transition gap really well. Still, to break it down: - You get a well-structured focus on preparation, execution, and evaluation with just the right amount of necessary admin plus 2 months of free access to a premium, third-party analytical service… so that helps, because you always know where you are, and the transparency is actually quite remarkable. - Yes, tools get a bit of a boost as well (pre-made charts, layout tweaks, etc.), but most importantly, you get a chance to see how others handle that part and then prep and test your own “blend,” so to speak. - You can pick which of your trades you want to discuss, and by doing so, direct the focus to where you feel the weakest. And yes, if you don’t choose, they will be chosen for you 😅; unless of course, you make it clear you’re not ready; which admittedly I did quite often! … and just in case you wonder, yes, NV shows his trades, as executed on the charts and with his live account. He’s even OK to swipe through them day by day and openly analyse and comment on his own performance - which gave me a proper boost in times of self-doubt, so 👍 3. The third star has to go to the group setting. I found the group I’d got assigned to being a very well-balanced combo of medium to high-level participants with just me as “the weakest link”! (Sorry guys! 😅) - straight out of PRO course with just a bit of SIM under my belt. True, the peer pressure is quite strong. It’s a good thing because it makes you build up a trading regime and stimulates you to perform, but it does come with a cost; since it puts you on the spot and you can easily develop a fear of failure. I had to keep reminding myself “it’s a training, so failing now is actually helpful! - that’s where feedback kicks in and you get to learn the most”. Still, being able to see how others are truly doing to me was priceless and we had a dedicated chat channel where we would exchange thoughts, ask each other questions, share stuff outside of training sessions - I got a lot of live trading questions answered just through that not to mention the mental support, when you know you’re not the only one going crazy at times 😅 4. You really get your weight in gold in support and so here goes the fourth star! - If he can’t dedicate time himself, NV arranges for his team to reach out back to you - so you don’t “chase for the right person” - 2 months of free access to the community chats and educator channels with pre-market forecasts and post-market recaps… found that particularly useful as it allowed me to confirm my own forecasts on a daily basis and build up the confidence I needed for my own judgement calls - Free access to a library of webinars prepped by NV and other tutors and on a variety of topics Put it this way. The programme’s over. I know what I want to do and how to do it, but as I’m not ready to cut the umbilical cord just yet, I appreciate getting every possible help. 5. And an apple for the teacher! Let me venture a guess. Most likely, when completing the Foundation and Pro courses, there were moments when you wished the tutorial was interactive, and with the push of a button, you could somehow turn it into a live session? Well, a mentoring session is when you can do just that. Personally, I believe NV’s greatest trait is his approachability. Despite his clear expertise, he manages to promote two-way communication, where one feels comfortable asking questions and seeking clarification. He is genuinely down-to-earth, humble, and willing to admit when he doesn’t have an immediate answer for you. His passion for markets and trading is obvious and very contagious, making the whole experience empowering. I can see the positive impact it has had on my results, so a BIG THANK YOU and one star... but truly deserved a few times over!" 👍😅 Other than that: - the sessions are not technologically demanding—Zoom meetings with screen sharing; and yes, you can choose if you want to have your webcam on 😅 - be mindful of the time zone you’re in because the training sessions start at 4 pm New York time and can last a few hours. - prep your questions ahead and speak up! NV keeps asking if we have questions, but it’s easy to lose yourself with new material coming in. You get a recording of each session, so nothing is lost or goes amiss. … and you’ll be fine 😅 … So, what made me deduct a bit from the full 5 stars, you may wonder? - Well, you truly learn everything as you go along, and that's fine, but I wish there was an introductory video tutorial you could watch before the mentoring begins. It could cover what would be expected of you, what you could or should do to prepare yourself for what’s to come. Some of that gets covered in the first session, but that time could have been used for the subject matter rather than organisational details. There’s a PDF document you fill out where I could see some indication, but nowhere near what I found necessary. For example, had I known to take screenshots of my trades (should they disappear from the chartbook) and how I would then need to explain them, etc. - Next is the live trading part. Again, I am getting all the information through support channels, but I would prefer having that covered in my one-on-one or a group session, allowing interaction from other members asking direct questions. It would be good to have someone take you through the process on a screen, step by step. But that’s just me. Most of the people have gone through all of that before even enrolling, I bet. - The one-on-one was way too short! I understand why, but still, if I had my way, that would be 2 hours, full stop. Other than that, Dear NV, please: - change your wallpaper to a solid colour so when you scribble over, there are no shapes in the background 😅 - don’t try to fit everything at the very top of the screen 😅 - when you scribble over previous scribbles, change the pen colour 😅 - for the love of everything sacred, either wipe it all clean more often or flip over to a blank page 😅