Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge Review: Paperwork, Introductions, and the Syllabus - Part 2

After agreeing over the phone to become a Challenge Team member and giving my interviewer my credit card info over the phone, I was sent an application via email. It had the usual BS lawyer paperwork that we as Americans have become accustomed to signing these days. Nothing unusual. I signed my life away and signed another paper with my credit card info allowing Tim's team to charge my credit card. I also gave them an address for where they should ship via 2 Days shipping Tim's entire Pennystocking DVD course. Luckily for me they said they could ship to an FPO (for anyone reading this that is in the military). Unluckily for me I was returning home soon and didn't want the package arriving after I had already returned to the States (one never knows when packages will arrive via military mail). I therefore sent it to my US address and had to wait a month or so til I could watch the DVDs. Luckily for me Tim has numerous online lessons that I studied in the meantime, but that will be covered later.

After returning all the paperwork to 'Glenn' my interviewer, I received a shotgun blast of emails from Tim and his team. Now, I won't say the initial emails are over whelming, because I've served as an officer in the Marine Corps (I'm trying not to remember all the emails I received back then) and anyone in some kind of management position these days probably knows and receives a lot more emails than I received during that moment, but surely Tim's team could streamline all the emails they initially send you. Many of the emails asked for the same info and there seemed to be no organization to the emails. Anywho.

Timothy Sykes sent a short email welcoming me in to the Trading Challenge. Michael Goode is Tim's chat room moderator. He sends you his contact info and a whole bunch of useful links from broker info to trading plans. A few other people welcome you and give you "homework" asking, "what your two weakest trading qualities are." I responded and never heard back from them. Fine with me.

The syllabus is pretty straight forward and yet old, in need of updating, and ginormous. The fact that so much info is given to you all at once I think overwhelms people and many don't know where to start studying. Further, the syllabus isn't actually that big, but the amount of material that Tim has for you to go through is in the hundreds of hours. It mentions weekly "homework" assignments that will be emailed out, but really the only homework assignments for you to study are his video lessons. Which is honestly probably all the better. I recommend you just dive in to the online video lessons. The Russian Seminar is a good start if you must have me list a video. From there I'd watch the DVDs following the order listed in the syllabus.

Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge Review: How I Started Trading - Part 1

"Bro, I'm done with this."- Me

"With what?"- Friend

"I can't wait to get back to America."- Both of us.

No, it's not that I really missed America that much...don't get me wrong. I love America. I love Texas, I love having seen the Grand Canyon, Yellow Stone, Pikes Peak, the Red Woods, Big Bend, standing in 4 States at once at the Four Corners, I love ladies with blond hair, beauties with black and every color in between...but I also love seeing the world. And why not? I'm 27. It's the 21st century. Some scientist argue we have population problem, so why not be part of the solution? ...at least for now... 

My issue was the grind. I couldn't do it anymore, and neither could my friend. Wake up, work, go to bed, repeat, and I was in the United States Marine Corps! How can this be! What went wrong?

I joined the Marines to stay away from a desk job, and yet, there I was from 0730 (7:30 am) to 1700 (5 pm) on a good day in front of a computer typing away. Many occasions it was much later, but that is despite the point really. I don't mind working. It just has be something I enjoy. Now, I consider the Marine Corps to be the most efficient bureaucracy in the world. ...Take it or leave it... But the amount of BS I had to do was mind blowing, and to me...intolerable.

My EAS (End of Active Service) as we liked to call it was coming up. So basically my contract was up and it was time for me to leave the USMC. Finally. But what should I do?

I spent a lot of time with my friend on this subject, but basically, it came down to this. In the end, I just wanted $. Didn't really matter how the money came in. I also noticed that I spend an exuberant and unnatural amount of time researching stocks. 

Anyone else here have a AAII (American Association of Individual Investors) Lifetime Membership and Wall Street Journal yearly membership? Yeah, probably a very few of you. 

I has the typical Buffet buy and hold investor. I had read "The Warren Buffet Way" and "The Intelligent Investor" and had all my money in AMZN, P, S, BIDU, and a then I threw in a little excitement by buying ONVO and LNG. 

I had thought of starting a few businesses, but nothing stuck like stocks. I already had the interest, and I knew I didn't want to go find some desk job anywhere. So I started researching. I actually can't remember how I found Tim's site initially. I do remember thinking it was a scam. I almost closed out the window as another pop up. (Oh, so much I would have missed out on) Who was this skinny, nerdy guy saying he could make me a millionaire? 

"Oh please, you're so fake", I thought. And yet, something made me stay long enough to google, "Timothy Sykes Scam".

First two articles didn't look positive, then I saw that he was on a TV show...He can't be on a TV show if he's a scam right? 

Fallen 'Wall Street Warrior' Gets Prison for Ponzi Scheme

Guess that was failed logic...anywho...

He was on TV and therefore legit, so I did a little more research and I found a blog of someone that said he was a Tim Sykes student. His review was more or less positive, but said that you could honestly learn all the things he teaches on your own if you wanted using free resources. 

Now just so you understand my mind-state after reading his blog , to me it basically read, "You could learn it all on your own, but it's always easier to learn from a teacher/professional than trying to learn things on your own". 

That was enough research for me. I didn't think he was a scam (mostly), but I wasn't sure I wanted to pay the fee. I wasn't sure if I could actually do what he teaches. So I signed up for Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge 7 free lessons. I did all of them. Then it said I needed to do an interview. Might as well, can't hurt. He told me the price for the Challenge. $5500 or so. I was defiantly not ready to lay down that kind of money, but the guy that I did the interview (read... sales guy) hooked me up with 2 free weeks of the PennyStocking Silver Membership. I did lessons every day. I was hooked. 

Ask my friend, I used to watch movies all the time with him, and it was right around this time when I stopped. I think he might have held a small grudge against me at the time...hahaha.

I called back towards the end of my two weeks and paid. I became a Challenge member.

Intro to My Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge Blog

Over the coming days, weeks, and months I will post my accounts while taking place in Timothy Sykes Millionaire Challenge. I started Tim's Challenge in October of 2013 and have been studying ever since. I was looking for a new source of income for when I left the United States Marine Corps. On Dec 28, 4 days before I would pick up the rank of Captain I left active duty and have been learning how to trade full time using Tim's Strategy ever sense. I will post my Daily Watchlists and answer many other questions about Tim's Challenge hopefully giving insight for anyone else thinking about joining the Challenge. Good luck to all and thanks for coming!