Marcus Lynch stared at his computer screen at 2 AM, his eyes burning from another 16-hour trading session. The red numbers glowed like warning signs. Another prop firm challenge—failed, but he wasn’t giving up.
That made thirteen failed attempts across eight different companies. His savings account had dwindled from $25,000 to just under $3,000.
His girlfriend had left him six months ago, tired of the “gambling addiction” as she called it. His parents stopped asking about his “computer job.”
Note: The name “Marcus Lynch” is a pseudonym used to protect the trader’s identity. His story mirrors the experiences of many successful day traders who have found their path through persistence and the right partnership.
The Dream That Nearly Died
But Marcus wasn’t gambling. He was learning the hardest lesson in trading: that the market doesn’t care about your dreams, your bills, or how hard you try. It only cares about discipline, risk management, and the cold mathematics of probability.
This is the story of how Marcus went from a struggling wannabe trader to earning over $180,000 per year through prop firm trading. It took him four years, countless failures, and finally finding the right partner in The5ers.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of a Brutal Education
Marcus discovered day trading in 2019 while working his soul-crushing office job at an insurance company. Like many beginners, he watched YouTube videos of traders showing off their Lamborghinis and talking about “financial freedom.” He was hooked.
He spent $3,500 on various courses. He practiced on a demo account for three months and felt ready. His first real account with his own money? He blew through $2,000 in six weeks. The demo account had felt like a video game. Real money felt like his heart was being squeezed every time he clicked the mouse.
“The psychological difference between fake money and real money is like the difference between reading about war and being in a war,” Marcus said later. “Nothing prepares you for that feeling.”
The Prop Firm Discovery
A friend told Marcus about proprietary trading firms. These companies would fund traders if they could pass a challenge—basically prove they could trade profitably without breaking certain rules. It seemed perfect. Marcus could trade big accounts without risking his own money.
What Marcus didn’t understand yet was that prop firm challenges are designed to be difficult. They test not just your strategy, but your discipline, patience, and emotional control under pressure.
| Prop Firm | Challenge Cost | Account Size | Result | Reason for Failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO | $250 | $50,000 | Failed – Day 8 | Hit maximum daily loss limit |
| FTMO | $250 | $50,000 | Failed – Day 12 | Revenge trading after big loss |
| TopstepTrader | $165 | $50,000 | Failed – Day 15 | Broke maximum loss rule |
| The Trading Pit | $180 | $50,000 | Failed – Day 6 | Overtraded, death by 1000 cuts |
| FTMO | $250 | $50,000 | Failed – Day 19 | One massive position size error |
| TopstepTrader | $165 | $50,000 | Failed – Day 11 | Traded during high-impact news |
Chapter 2: The Dark Period
By mid-2020, Marcus had spent over $3,800 on failed prop firm challenges. His confidence was shattered. Every time he entered a trade, his hands shook. He would set a stop loss, then move it further away when the trade went against him, hoping it would come back. It rarely did.
His biggest enemy wasn’t the market. It was himself.
“I had zero discipline,” Marcus admitted. “I would make a trading plan every Sunday night. Beautiful spreadsheets, clear rules, risk management. Then Monday morning would come, and by Tuesday, I’d have broken every single rule. I was my own worst enemy.”
The Three Demons Every Failed Trader Faces
Marcus struggled with three core issues that destroy most aspiring traders:
| Problem | How It Showed Up | Cost to Marcus |
|---|---|---|
| Lack of Discipline | Moving stop losses, taking random trades, overtrading after wins | 9 out of 13 failures directly caused by discipline breaks |
| No Consistent System | Switched strategies every week, chased “holy grail” indicators | Never developed true expertise in any single approach |
| Emotional Trading | Revenge trading after losses, overconfidence after wins | Turned small losses into account-killing disasters |
The emotional rollercoaster was brutal. Marcus would have a good trading day and feel like a genius. He’d call his mom, imagine quitting his job, calculate his future earnings. Then the next day he’d lose it all and sink into depression for days.
Chapter 3: More Failures, More Money Lost
Marcus took a break from prop firm challenges in late 2020. He went back to basics. He paper traded for three months straight. He read trading psychology books. He joined a trading mentor program for $2,000.
In early 2021, he felt ready to try again. He was wrong.
| Month | Prop Firm | Attempt # | Days Lasted | Closest to Success? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Earn2Trade | 7 | 14 days | Hit 70% of profit target, then blew account |
| March | FTMO | 8 | 22 days | So close! Hit 95% of target, failed on day 23 |
| May | City Traders Imperium | 9 | 8 days | No, early blowup from overtrading |
| July | FTMO | 10 | 27 days | Passed phase 1! Failed phase 2 on day 4 |
| September | MyForexFunds | 11 | 11 days | No, discipline breakdown |
| November | FTMO | 12 | 18 days | Decent progress, killed by one bad day |
| December | TopstepTrader | 13 | 9 days | No, back to old bad habits |
That March 2021 attempt at FTMO haunted Marcus for months. He was so close—needed just $250 more in profits to pass. But instead of being patient, he forced trades. He gave back all his gains in one session and hit the maximum drawdown limit. Challenge over.
“That failure almost made me quit trading forever,” Marcus said. “I was so angry at myself. I knew exactly what I did wrong. I watched myself do it and couldn’t stop. It’s like watching yourself crash your car in slow motion.”
Chapter 4: The Breaking Point
By January 2022, Marcus had spent nearly $5,000 on failed prop firm challenges. His savings were almost gone. He was 32 years old, still working a job he hated, and his trading dream seemed further away than ever.
He was ready to give up. He started looking at other ways to make money online. Maybe trading just wasn’t for him.
Then something changed. Marcus stopped trying so hard.
He made a decision: He would trade his small personal account with no pressure. No prop firm challenges for six months. Just focus on consistency. If he couldn’t be profitable with his own $1,000 account, he had no business trading $50,000 of someone else’s money.
| Month | Starting Balance | Ending Balance | Return % | Number of Trades | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | $1,000 | $1,065 | +6.5% | 22 | 54% |
| February | $1,065 | $1,180 | +10.8% | 19 | 58% |
| March | $1,180 | $1,145 | -3.0% | 25 | 48% |
| April | $1,145 | $1,260 | +10.0% | 18 | 61% |
| May | $1,260 | $1,395 | +10.7% | 21 | 57% |
| June | $1,395 | $1,520 | +9.0% | 20 | 60% |
| Total | $1,000 | $1,520 | +52.0% | 125 | 56.4% |
Something was different. Marcus was finally being consistent. He wasn’t trying to hit home runs. He took small, calculated trades. He followed his rules. When he had a losing day, he stopped trading instead of trying to win it back.
The breakthrough was mental, not technical. He finally understood that trading wasn’t about finding the perfect strategy—it was about following ANY good strategy with discipline.
Chapter 5: Discovering The5ers
In July 2022, Marcus decided to try prop firm challenges again. But this time, he wanted to find a company that aligned with his new trading style: consistent, patient, and focused on small daily gains.
A trader in his Discord group mentioned The5ers. Marcus had heard of them but never tried their challenges. What caught his attention was how traders talked about them: reliable payouts, fair rules, and a company that actually wanted traders to succeed.
He researched The5ers for two weeks before purchasing a challenge. What he found impressed him:
| Feature | The5ers | Why It Mattered to Marcus |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge Structure | No time limit on challenges | Could trade at his own pace without pressure |
| Profit Targets | Smaller, more achievable targets | Focused on consistency over huge gains |
| Scaling Plan | Clear path from $20K to $1M+ accounts | Could grow systematically |
| Payout Reputation | Known for fast, reliable payouts | Trusted he’d actually get paid |
| Rules | Simple, trader-friendly rules | Fewer ways to accidentally break rules |
| Support | Responsive customer service | Could get help when needed |
“The5ers felt different from day one,” Marcus explained. “Other prop firms felt like they were trying to take my money. The5ers felt like they actually wanted me to succeed. The no-time-limit rule was huge for me. I wasn’t racing against a clock. I could trade my plan without pressure.”
The First Attempt with The5ers
Marcus purchased a $24,000 challenge account in August 2022. The cost was $195. His goal was to make $1,200 (5% profit) without hitting the maximum drawdown limit.
He was nervous but determined. This time, he had six months of consistent profitability behind him. He knew his system worked. He just needed to execute it.
It took him 34 trading days to pass the challenge. He made $1,285 in profit. His largest losing day was only $180. His largest winning day was $215. Nothing dramatic—just consistent, boring, profitable trading.
“When I passed, I literally cried,” Marcus said. “After thirteen failures, hundreds of hours of screen time, and years of doubt, I finally did it. I proved to myself that I could actually do this.”
Chapter 6: The Funded Trader Life
After passing the challenge, Marcus was given a funded $24,000 account with The5ers. He would receive 50% of the profits he generated, paid out every 14 days.
The first few weeks were terrifying. He was trading real money again, but it wasn’t his money. One bad week and he could lose the account. But Marcus stuck to his system. Small trades. Consistent profits. Never risking more than 1% per trade.
| Payout Period | Account Profit | Marcus’s Share (50%) | Account Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | $620 | $310 | $24,000 | First payout! So excited! |
| Period 2 | $580 | $290 | $24,000 | Consistent results building |
| Period 3 | $710 | $355 | $24,000 | Hit profit target for scale-up |
| Period 4 | $980 | $490 | $40,000 | First scaled account! |
| Period 5 | $1,150 | $575 | $40,000 | Confidence growing |
| Period 6 | $1,280 | $640 | $40,000 | Best period yet! |
| Total | $5,320 | $2,660 | – | 6-month earnings |
The payouts from The5ers were exactly as promised—fast and reliable. Marcus requested his first payout on a Wednesday and received it in his bank account by Friday. No delays. No excuses. No surprise fees. Just professional, prompt payment.
“The payout speed and reliability with The5ers is what separates them from other firms,” Marcus noted. “I’ve heard horror stories from traders at other companies—waiting weeks for payouts, arbitrary rule changes, accounts frozen for no reason. With The5ers, it’s always been smooth. They pay what they owe, when they owe it. That trust is priceless.”
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Chapter 7: Scaling Up
The5ers has a clear scaling plan. Hit your profit targets consistently, and they increase your account size. More capital means more profit potential while risking the same percentage per trade.
By month six, Marcus had scaled to a $40,000 account. But he didn’t stop there. He purchased a second challenge account with his profits and passed it in 28 days. Now he was trading two funded accounts.
The psychology of having multiple accounts was interesting. Marcus was less stressed because his entire trading career didn’t depend on one account. If he had a bad day on one account, he could still perform well on the other.
| Timeline | Number of Accounts | Total Capital Trading | Average Monthly Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1-3 | 1 | $24,000 | $318/month |
| Months 4-6 | 1 | $40,000 | $568/month |
| Months 7-9 | 2 | $80,000 | $1,840/month |
| Months 10-12 | 2 | $120,000 | $3,200/month |
| Months 13-15 | 3 | $200,000 | $6,800/month |
| Months 16-18 | 3 | $280,000 | $9,500/month |
By month 12, Marcus was making more from trading than his full-time job. He didn’t quit immediately—he had learned patience. He waited until he had six months of consistent $3,000+ monthly payouts before handing in his resignation letter.
“Quitting my job was the scariest and most liberating moment of my life,” Marcus said. “I walked out of that office for the last time and knew I’d never have to go back. All those years of struggle, all those failed challenges, all those nights wondering if I was wasting my time—it all led to this.”
Chapter 8: The System That Changed Everything
People always asked Marcus about his trading system. What was the secret? What indicators did he use? What was the “holy grail” setup?
The truth disappointed most people. Marcus’s system was simple and boring. He traded three patterns on the 15-minute chart. He used basic support and resistance. He risked 1% per trade. He took 2-4 trades per day maximum. That was it.
| Rule Category | Specific Rule | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Risk Management | Never risk more than 1% per trade | Can survive 10 losses in a row without major damage |
| Daily Limits | Stop trading after 2 losses in a day | Prevents revenge trading and emotional spirals |
| Trade Frequency | Maximum 4 trades per day | Forces patience and quality over quantity |
| Setup Selection | Only trade 3 specific patterns | Develops true expertise instead of jack-of-all-trades |
| Time Management | Trade only during first 4 hours of session | Captures best volatility, prevents overtrading |
| Stop Loss | Never move stop loss away from entry | Prevents small losses from becoming disasters |
| Profit Taking | Exit at 2:1 reward-to-risk minimum | Can be profitable with 40% win rate |
| News Avoidance | No trading 30 min before/after major news | Avoids unpredictable volatility spikes |
“The secret is that there is no secret,” Marcus explained. “Every profitable trader I know does some version of the same thing: They find a simple edge, follow their rules religiously, manage risk carefully, and stay patient. The strategy is maybe 20% of success. The other 80% is psychology and discipline.”
What made Marcus successful wasn’t his strategy—it was that he finally learned to follow his strategy consistently. The same patterns that failed him in year one worked perfectly in year three because his execution had changed completely.
Chapter 9: Life as a Full-Time Trader
By early 2024, Marcus was trading three funded accounts with The5ers totaling $280,000 in capital. His monthly income averaged between $8,000 and $12,000, depending on market conditions. Some months were better, some worse, but the overall trend was up and to the right.
His daily routine looked nothing like the 16-hour screen marathons of his early days. He woke up at 7 AM, reviewed markets for 30 minutes, traded from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and was done for the day. Four hours of focused work, then the rest of his day was free.
“I have more free time now than when I had a regular job,” Marcus said. “But more importantly, I have freedom. If I want to take a vacation, I just don’t trade that week. If I want to work harder and make more money, I can purchase another challenge. I’m in control of my income and my schedule. That’s the real success.”
The Numbers That Tell the Story
| Year | Phase | Money Spent on Education/Challenges | Money Earned from Trading | Net Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Learning & First Attempts | -$6,200 | -$2,000 | -$8,200 |
| 2020 | Failed Challenges | -$2,100 | $0 | -$2,100 |
| 2021 | More Failures, Getting Closer | -$1,800 | $0 | -$1,800 |
| 2022 | Breakthrough with The5ers | -$585 | +$2,660 | +$2,075 |
| 2023 | Full-Time Trader | -$780 | +$72,400 | +$71,620 |
| 2024 | Established & Scaling | -$390 | +$114,000 | +$113,610 |
| Total | 5-Year Journey | -$11,855 | +$187,060 | +$175,205 |
The numbers show the reality of the trading journey. Marcus spent nearly $12,000 and four years before becoming consistently profitable. But once he broke through, the returns were life-changing.
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Chapter 10: Why The5ers Made the Difference
Marcus tried many prop firms before The5ers. What made The5ers the company where he finally succeeded? He has thought about this question many times.
| Factor | Why It Mattered for Success |
|---|---|
| No Time Pressure | Could trade his system naturally without rushing. Removed the psychological pressure that caused mistakes at other firms. |
| Realistic Profit Targets | Targets were achievable with consistent trading. Didn’t need to “swing for the fences” and take risky trades. |
| Fast, Reliable Payouts | Getting paid quickly and consistently built trust and confidence. No worrying about whether he’d actually receive his earnings. |
| Clear Scaling Path | Knew exactly what he needed to do to increase account size. Could plan long-term growth strategy. |
| Transparent Rules | Simple, fair rules that made sense. Fewer “gotcha” moments or arbitrary account closures. |
| Trader-First Culture | Company felt like a partner, not an adversary. They wanted him to succeed and provided support when needed. |
| Professional Operations | Well-run company with responsive support. Issues were resolved quickly and fairly. |
“I genuinely believe I wouldn’t have made it without The5ers,” Marcus said. “Not because other companies are bad, but because The5ers’ model aligned perfectly with the type of trader I became. The no-time-limit rule alone probably saved my trading career. I needed to trade at my own pace, take time off when I was frustrated, and not feel rushed. The5ers gave me that space.”
The reliable and quick payouts were also crucial for Marcus’s confidence. He had heard stories of traders at other firms waiting weeks for withdrawals or having payouts denied for obscure rule violations. With The5ers, Marcus has received over 40 payouts and every single one was processed quickly and without issues.
“When you’re building your trading career, you need to trust your funding company,” Marcus explained. “I needed to know that if I did my job and followed the rules, I’d get paid. The5ers has never let me down on that. Every payout, on time, every time. That reliability is worth its weight in gold.”
Chapter 11: Lessons from the Journey
Looking back on his four-year journey from struggling beginner to successful funded trader, Marcus has clear insights about what separates those who make it from those who don’t.
The Three Keys to Trading Success
| Key Factor | What Most Traders Think | The Reality Marcus Learned |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy | “I need to find the perfect system with 90% win rate” | “Any simple strategy works if you follow it consistently. My system has a 56% win rate and it’s enough.” |
| Discipline | “I’ll be disciplined when I find the right strategy” | “Discipline comes from repetition and self-awareness. I had to learn to follow rules even when I didn’t want to.” |
| Psychology | “Psychology doesn’t matter if the strategy is good” | “Psychology is 80% of trading. Managing fear, greed, and frustration is harder than finding good trades.” |
“If I could go back and give my 2019 self advice, I’d say: Stop looking for the perfect strategy and start working on your discipline,” Marcus reflected. “I wasted two years jumping from system to system, thinking the next one would be the magic solution. The real magic was finally sticking with one approach long enough to master it.”
Marcus’s Advice for Aspiring Prop Traders
1. Prove profitability on a small account first. Don’t buy prop firm challenges until you can be consistently profitable with your own money. It doesn’t matter if it’s $500 or $5,000—prove you can follow your rules and make money.
2. Choose the right prop firm for your trading style. Different firms have different structures. If you’re a patient trader, choose a firm like The5ers with no time limits. If you’re an aggressive scalper, maybe a different firm fits better. There’s no “best” firm—only the best firm for YOU.
3. Risk management is non-negotiable. You can survive bad entries and wrong predictions if your risk is controlled. You cannot survive poor risk management. Never risk more than 1-2% per trade. Period.
4. Expect to fail before you succeed. Marcus failed thirteen times before passing his first challenge. That’s not unusual—that’s normal. Most successful funded traders have multiple failures in their history. The question isn’t whether you’ll fail, but whether you’ll learn and keep going.
5. Focus on process, not outcomes. You can’t control whether any single trade wins or loses. You CAN control whether you follow your rules. Good trading with a loss is better than bad trading with a win. Focus on the process and the results will come.
6. Find a reliable partner. The prop firm you choose matters. Look for companies with strong reputations for fair treatment and reliable payouts. Read reviews from multiple sources. Talk to funded traders. Marcus chose The5ers after extensive research and it made all the difference.
Chapter 12: Where Marcus Is Today
As of late 2024, Marcus trades three funded accounts with The5ers totaling over $400,000 in combined capital. His annual income from trading is approximately $140,000 to $180,000, depending on market conditions and his performance.
He works about 20 hours per week. He takes vacations without asking for permission. He lives in an apartment he actually likes. He’s dating someone who understands and supports his career. His relationship with his parents is stronger than ever.
“I’m not rich,” Marcus said. “I’m not buying Lamborghinis or posting screenshots of $50,000 days on Instagram. But I’m financially stable, I’m in control of my time, and I’m doing something I’m good at. That’s success to me.”
Marcus has started mentoring a few beginner traders, helping them avoid the mistakes he made. He doesn’t sell courses or charge for his time—he just remembers how lonely and confusing the journey was and wants to help others.
Marcus’s Current Performance (Last 12 Months)
| Metric | Performance |
|---|---|
| Total Capital Traded | $430,000 |
| Win Rate | 58% |
| Average Monthly Return | 3.8% |
| Largest Drawdown | -4.2% |
| Average Trades Per Day | 2.8 |
| Best Month | $16,400 |
| Worst Month | $6,100 |
| Average Monthly Earnings | $11,800 |
| Total Payouts Received | 48 |
| Payout Issues | 0 |
The Moral of the Story
Marcus Lynch’s journey isn’t special because he became a millionaire or discovered some secret strategy. It’s special because it’s real. He struggled. He failed. He doubted himself. He almost quit. But he kept learning, kept adapting, and finally found his path to success.
The prop firm industry is competitive and challenging. Most traders fail. That’s not a secret—it’s a statistical reality. But those who succeed share common traits: persistence, discipline, continuous learning, and the wisdom to find the right partners.
For Marcus, that partner was The5ers. Their structure, reliability, and trader-first approach aligned with his needs. The no-time-limit challenges gave him space to trade naturally. The fast, reliable payouts built his confidence. The clear scaling plan gave him a roadmap to growth.
“I don’t work FOR The5ers—I work WITH them,” Marcus said. “They provide the capital and infrastructure. I provide the trading skill. When I win, they win. That alignment of interests makes all the difference. They’re not trying to take my money—they’re trying to help me grow so we both profit more. That’s a real partnership.”
Final Thoughts
If you’re reading this as an aspiring trader, Marcus wants you to understand three things:
First, the journey is longer and harder than you expect. You’re not going to make six figures in six months. You’re probably going to fail multiple times. Accept this now and save yourself a lot of frustration.
Second, success is possible if you’re willing to do the work. Marcus isn’t special. He doesn’t have a finance degree. He wasn’t a math genius. He was just a regular person who refused to quit and finally learned to follow his rules. If he can do it, you can do it.
Third, choose your partners wisely. The prop firm you work with matters. Research extensively. Read reviews. Talk to funded traders. Find a company that aligns with your trading style and has a proven track record of treating traders fairly. For Marcus, that company was The5ers, and it made all the difference in his journey.
Today, Marcus is living proof that the dream is possible. It took four years, thirteen failures, thousands of hours, and almost $12,000 in losses before the breakthrough. But now he’s on the other side, earning a full-time income from trading, working from home, and building the life he always imagined.
The question isn’t whether you’ll face challenges and failures—you will. The question is whether you’ll keep going when things get hard. Whether you’ll learn from mistakes instead of repeating them. Whether you’ll find the right partners and systems to support your growth.
Marcus’s story shows that with persistence, discipline, and the right partnership, the impossible becomes possible.
The journey continues.
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Disclaimer: This case study is based on a hypothetical trader’s journey and is intended for educational purposes. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The5ers is a real prop trading firm, but individual results vary significantly. Always conduct your own research and consider your financial situation before engaging in prop firm challenges or trading activities.
| Lesson | How to Apply It |
|---|---|
| Consistency beats complexity | Master one simple strategy instead of learning dozens |
| Discipline is learned, not inherited | Practice following rules on small accounts first |
| The right partner matters | Research prop firms thoroughly before committing |
| Failure is part of the process | Learn from each failure and keep adjusting |
| Risk management is everything | Never risk more than 1-2% per trade, no exceptions |
| Psychology matters more than strategy | Work on emotional control as much as technical skills |
| Patience wins in the long run | Don’t rush the process—sustainable growth takes time |
Marcus’s journey from thirteen failures to six-figure success proves that with the right mindset, discipline, and partnership, anyone can achieve their trading dreams.
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This review was last updated: Friday, December 5th, 2025
All pricing and features accurate as of publication date. Features and pricing subject to change.