The war in Ukraine came as a surprise to many. Already in the first months of the war, Ukrainian business lost more than in two years of the pandemic. The amount of damage caused and the long-term consequences are difficult to assess because the fighting is still ongoing. Large entrepreneurs are still losing income. Unfortunately, hard times have come for Ukrainian business.

How to stay afloat in such a difficult time? Is it possible to keep income during the war? How to earn from all over the world? These questions can be answered by Anastasiia Pecherskaya, a trader originally from Odesa (Ukraine). Due to the situation in her home country, the girl knows firsthand about doing business during crises. We talked to Anastasiia and learned about her personal experience in trading.

Anastasiia, tell me a little about yourself and how you got into trading.

I’m 26 years old. I am an economist by education. At the age of 17, I opened my first business – a hookah company that provides its services to restaurants, beach clubs, and fairs.

Quite by accident, in the summer of 2020, I started trading. This type of activity has always been interesting to me, and I decided why not try myself in this? At first, I was self-taught, and then I went to technical analysis courses. That’s how it all started.

What about the details of your approach: what is your style, and what strategies do you use?

I use different strategies depending on the market situation. Sometimes I open long-term positions with small leverage, and sometimes I notice a good opportunity to take a profit at a short distance.

However, I approach each transaction thoroughly, I read the news, and I use indicators.

What timeframes do you use? How long does a trade last? What percentage of profits, and risk-reward ratio do you have?

The analysis is carried out on the daily timeframes. And if I trade on the news, then on the hour one. The transaction can work from an hour to several weeks.

As a rule, the ratio of profit to risk is 1-3. Profit for me should be at least three times greater than the loss.

What do you do in case of losses? What would you advise other traders to do?

In this case, I usually try to analyze my mistakes and improve my strategy.

I recommend that all traders during drawdowns do not try to pull out a deal, further increasing the loss, but move on and look for an opportunity to make money on other instruments.

What does your typical trading day look like?

First, I pour myself a cup of coffee to cheer myself up in the morning, and open the economic news calendar and chart. Then I do some technical analysis, open a few tools, then do my thing. During the day I check the market. If I see good entry points, I enter.

What initially distinguished you from the average trader? Maybe some traits or some unusual actions?

I don’t know many average traders (Smiles). But in general, I can say that trading is a ready-made profession that has potential. The most important thing is to take the right steps initially, namely to get trained, consult with experts, and understand why you need trading.

Tell us about your favorite strategy, how it works and why you chose it over others?

Having tried many strategies, I came to the conclusion that the most effective and efficient strategy is the medium-term one. I switch to the weekly period of the chart, determine the entry point, and hold the position from 2 weeks to six months.

If you divide your style into technical and fundamental, what would it look like?

I can say that I skillfully combine both styles. I monitor the news on the instruments I trade, enter the market, and receive confirmations with the help of indicators.

What is your mental approach to trading and what mental techniques do you use to keep your emotions in check?

1. Acceptance.
2. Confidence in your own choice.
3. Remove haste.
4. Do not trade in a bad mood.

Here is my affirmation before trading.

What, in your opinion, should be the conditions for the formation of a prosperous career in trading?

First of all, you need to have capital. Trading with $100 and no preparation is unlikely to help you consistently make big money.

To build a career in trading, you must always be aware of the news related to the assets you trade.

You must set a goal and persevere towards it, as well as have discipline.

What is one skill you would recommend every trader to master in the coming month?  Why would you recommend it? And how best to master it?

I would recommend every trader not to rush. Because of the desire to make money quickly, we stop thinking strategically, greed wins.  Therefore, you need to say to yourself «I will have time», «This is an unjustified risk». 

What online trading resource do you always use?

I always use Tradingview, Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Investing, and Briefing.

What would you advise if you limit your advice to readers to just one?

Treat trading like your own personal business, and learning and practice like an investment in yourself. 

It is impossible to ignore the war in Ukraine. February 24 was a shock day for the whole world, and every Ukrainian has their own story of the first day of the war. What was yours like?

Indeed, it was the most shocking day of my life.

On the evening of February 23, I was already in a strange state. Lots of news, airport closures. Mom called me at 11 o’clock at night with the words: “It’s somehow restless, come to me.” I have collected all valuable things and documents.

We could not sleep for a long time, and already at 4 in the morning, the war began.

The first explosion thundered, at that moment the heart went into the heels. The second explosion, we understand that it did not seem to us. The third explosion, and we realize that the war has begun. Not a second of sleep. At 14.00 we were already at the border with Romania, we stood there until 6 in the morning. Terrible traffic jams, nerves, tears, and the main question “When can I return home? Why is this all happening?”.

Because of the war, you moved to France. Why did you choose this particular country?

I had a long way to France.

The first point was Romania, I lived there for almost 3 weeks.

In March, I moved to Austria, but it turned out that this is not my country at all. And only in June, I arrived in France.

Last year, I had a plan to come here with my daughter for a couple of months on vacation. Now I am extremely happy that we are here. This is the perfect place for me and my child.

Has your work schedule changed due to the move?

On the contrary, I have even more time to work, I have a lot of ideas for my startup. But I will not reveal the cards, you will soon find out everything.

How has this affected your income?

Today the situation in the world is very unstable. I try to trade with maximum risk management. Unfortunately, shocking news comes out every day that affects the market in one way or another.

To date, my income is stable. And I am extremely happy that I am trading; I am glad that my work does not tie me to any particular place.

What do you dream about after winning? Maybe you want something right now, something is missing?

I dream of a peaceful sky in my country and I believe that it will be so. We will definitely win.

Credits:

Photo: Christina Zhigun @christinazhigun
MUAH: Shumko Victoria @shumko_viktoria
Fashion Stylist: Karina Rivera @_karinarivera
Jewellery: Anastasiia’s property
White suit: Stylist’s property
White top and skirt: Semenenko @semenenko.for.women
Black dress: Semenenko @semenenko.for.women