How This Entrepreneur Founded His Own Trading Firm At 27 And Made Millions, A Founder’s Story with Angelo Ciaramello
Angelo Ciaramello of The Funded Trader, a proprietary trading firm, works with experienced traders and allows them to purchase a challenge to display their profitability. The company includes an evaluation, and if they are able to pass, The Funded Trader will fund them up to $600k. The company has some traders making upwards of $100k in a single month, and they’ve paid out over $10 million in the past year.
Tell us about your childhood and where you grew up
I grew up in New Jersey, which is often affectionately referred to as the Garden State. I was raised in a small town, and I spent my childhood exploring the woods and fields that surrounded my home. It was a great place to be a kid. There were plenty of things to do and places to explore. I was always outside playing and riding my bike. I was an adventurous kid, and I loved to climb trees and build forts. I also loved spending time with my friends, and we would often ride our bikes into town to get ice cream or go to the playground. Even though it was a busy place, it always felt safe and welcoming. I have so many happy memories of growing up there. My parents were always very supportive, and they encouraged me to pursue my interests. As a result, I had a happy childhood, and I have fond memories of growing up in New Jersey.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
At 21, I found myself tired, burnt out, and lacking the clarity to see the vision of what my future would be. I was finishing up an internship at my University and in the final days, I realized I needed to prioritize my own well-being first in order to shape what my future would include. Upon graduating college instead of taking a job like every other college student, I took 1 year off, focusing solely on working out, doing yoga, reading books, and finding the niche that he would be passionate enough about to build a business. In the 12 months to follow, I became certified in kettlebell training, read 50 books, and discovered the niche of retail trading. It was not all roses from there, as I needed to get a job in order to pay the bills and decided to start driving Uber. Upon meeting a sales rep while driving Uber, I got my first job as a sales development representative for a shipping company. This is where I learned the foundations of email marketing and sales which would later be an asset to me in building my social media company. Fast forward to 2021, I left my job in corporate America with one goal, to gamify the retail prop trading industry. In less than 12 months the company has paid out over $10 million dollars to retail traders across the world and I’ve gone from an entry-level IT role to a millionaire.
What is one business lesson you would tell a startup founder?
One important business lesson for startup founders is to always be learning. The business world is constantly changing, and what worked last year might not work this year. As a result, it’s essential to always be reading industry news, attending relevant conferences, and networking with other professionals. Additionally, it’s important to have a growth mindset and be open to feedback. Founders who are open to feedback and willing to learn from their mistakes are more likely to succeed than those who are resistant to change. Finally, it’s important to remember that running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be ups and downs, but the goal should always be long-term sustainability.
