“Follow the plan and trade the plan”: Lessons from a trading pro

Learn how a movie spark, a market crash, and 15 years of lessons shaped Jorge Luces, mentor to hundreds of traders across LATAM.

Trading specialist Jorge Luces, trading trainer at the Novatos Trading Club - Escuela Profesional de Traders, never imagined that a casual interest in financial markets would eventually turn into a full-time career and a life of teaching. Today, he trains students across Spain and Latin America through technical analysis, psychological discipline, and a strong belief that trading is a skill built through patience—not promises.

In my interview with him for Exness Insights, Jorge shared how he got started, what’s changed in the trading culture of Latin America, and why the next generation must ignore the hype if they want to succeed.

From movie fascination to market reality

A Hollywood spark

Jorge’s interest in trading began the same way many traders start—with a movie. The 1987 classic Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, was his first glimpse into the fast-paced world of finance.

The idea of making money with skill, analysis, and strategic thinking captivated him. But soon, he would discover that the real world of trading was far quieter and far more disciplined than Hollywood promised.

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Lucky beginnings in a post-crisis market

He began trading in 2009, right after the global financial meltdown. Without knowing it, he entered a bullish rebound.

“The market recovery was quite good. Every stock you bought went up. It made me think trading was easy.” 

Like many new Spanish traders at the time, he began buying local stocks, such as Bank Santander and Inditex, as they were easily accessible through his bank. Those early successes boosted his confidence—but also taught him a hard lesson later.

Self-teaching, challenges, and professional training

Trading without a mentor

At first, Jorge learned entirely on his own, reading books in English and experimenting with mid-term stock positions.

However, intraday trading quickly humbled him.

“It wasn’t as easy as swing trading. Trying to day-trade with a full-time job was extremely hard.”

A turning point: Studying technical analysis

To become more professional, Jorge pursued a global qualification: CFTE (Certified Financial Technician). The two-year certification provided him with structure and required him to pass rigorous exams that covered real-world decision-making.

Discovering the world of prop trading

After earning his certification, Jorge joined R&B Prop Traders in Madrid.

He still remembers walking into a room full of traders with six or eight screens each:

“It felt like a movie. I went to the office every morning smiling.”

There, he began absorbing real techniques from seasoned traders. And it was the other traders—not himself—who first noticed something remarkable about him.

The unexpected teacher

Becoming a mentor in a room full of traders

Other traders approached him and encouraged him to teach because he explained concepts with patience and clarity. What started informally later became a professional mission: helping beginners become consistent, disciplined, and independent traders.

Today, through Novatos Trading Club, Jorge trains students in Spain and Latin America both one-on-one and in group programs.

How trading has changed in 15 years

More retail traders, smaller accounts

Jorge has seen a massive surge in small retail traders in Latin America and Spain.

“Before, you needed 5,000 USD or 10,000  USD to start trading. Today, you can open an account with 100 USD.”

This democratization is positive, but there is a downside.

Too much information, too little guidance

Platforms, YouTube influencers, and content from “millionaire day traders” confuse beginners rather than help them. Many new traders come to Jorge already overwhelmed and lost.

“They don’t know where to start, what strategy to use, or who to trust.”

The trade that changed everything

A painful lesson in risk and brokers

Early in his career, Jorge opened a highly leveraged EURUSD trade without realizing that a major US economic announcement was about to hit.

When the market moved rapidly against him, he attempted to close the trade—but his broker refused.

“Every time I tried to close, a message popped up asking if I accepted a new updated price. This happened maybe 15 times.”

By the time the order was finally executed, he suffered a massive loss. That moment changed everything. That day taught him some very valuable lessons. It was, as he calls it, a lifelong lesson paid in money.

Psychology: The most important skill beginners ignore

Why traders fail even when they know what to do

Most students who come to Jorge already know strategies. What they lack is discipline.

“They don’t follow their plan. They know what they should have done. They just don’t do it. That’s psychology.”

He swears by Mark Douglas’ classic book Trading in the Zone because it teaches traders how professionals think.

Teaching patience in an instant-gratification society

Jorge believes that modern culture makes trading more difficult. People want instant results. They believe they can get rich by copying a guru.

“They want to be millionaires in six months. They buy a book and expect it to change their lives instantly.”

A mentor, he argues, doesn’t build a trader. A mentor builds patience.

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Suggestions for beginners: Where to start and what to skip

When it comes to getting started, Jorge’s perspective is simple: begin with markets that move more steadily and leave the highly volatile ones for later. He favors long-term positions in indices like the S&P 500, along with swing trading stocks, especially US equities, which offer strong growth potential and clearer trends for new traders to learn from.

On the other hand, certain markets can be unnecessarily punishing for those still building discipline. Forex, with its sharp moves and heavy influence from central banks, often traps newcomers in emotional and impulsive decisions rather than thoughtful ones. The same is true for traders who jump in with high leverage. As Jorge put it: 

“Stay away from Forex in the beginning, and use leverage wisely—never go all in.”

Latin American traders: Fearless but at risk

Jorge has noticed a distinct style among many traders he works with across Latin America: they tend to trade boldly, taking large risks even when working with very small accounts. High leverage often becomes the tool they turn to in hopes of scaling quickly, but instead of accelerating growth, it frequently leads to blown accounts. Still, he sees genuine talent and ambition behind this approach. 

The real obstacle, he believes, isn’t motivation—it’s access to capital. Limited funds create pressure to “make it fast,” and this pressure pushes traders toward risky decisions. Those who manage to slow down, build consistency, and grow small amounts steadily are the ones who eventually find real opportunities. As Jorge summed it up: 

“If you can’t make money with 500 USD, you won’t make money with 50,000 USD.”

How teaching has changed his view of trading

Working with hundreds of students has shown Jorge that most traders struggle not with strategy, but with mindset. Again and again, he sees the same emotional patterns: hesitation, fear of loss, and difficulty following a plan. He recalled a psychologist telling him that many of us are raised to protect money rather than risk it—a mindset that works in daily life but becomes limiting in trading, where accepting losses and managing risk are part of the business.

He also rejects the idea that trading resembles gambling. For him, it’s closer to professional poker, where losing some hands is expected, yet consistency wins over time. 

The next generation of traders

Jorge views trading as a cycle where some succeed, many give up, and a determined few keep pushing forward. That pattern won’t disappear, but he believes technology and quality education are giving the committed minority a better chance than ever before. In his words, “There will always be a small group who don’t give up. Technology may help that group grow.”

Books on trading that Jorge recommends

The resources that influenced him most come from classic technical and psychological foundations:

• Technical Analysis of Financial Markets by John Murphy
• Trading in the Zone by Mark Douglas

A quote he lives by

As a teacher and trader, one line sums up his philosophy. Though the author is unknown, it’s a rule he practices daily and passes on to every student he mentors.

Final thoughts

Speaking with Jorge reminded me that trading isn’t a race toward a secret strategy or a shortcut to fast money—it’s a slow build-up of skills that most people overlook. What stood out most in our conversation wasn’t his technical knowledge (although that’s extensive), but his emphasis on discipline, psychology, and patience.

He made it clear that success does not come from finding the perfect indicator or copying someone else’s trades, but from showing up consistently, managing risk, and sticking to a plan even when it feels uncomfortable.

What I took away from our chat is simple yet powerful: trading rewards those who think long-term, stay humble, and take responsibility for their decisions. As Jorge teaches his students, the real edge isn’t on the screen—it’s in the mindset behind the trades.