For several years I'd put a cap on $10k a year to spend on seminars and mentors, some I learned much and some hardly at all. I took courses from many who now run hedge funds to guys no one ever heard but truly ingenious individuals. None of them ever offered brokerage statements.
Towards the end when I knew more than mentors, I figured I learned enough. I know I spent over $100k on seminars and mentors. Have spent millions on equipment, data, apps and employees in last 35 years.
I found trading to be lonesome endeavor, so I took students, and I had a fee, but when they pay me small chunk upfront, they received monthly statements for past three years. Backtesting, programmers and quality data costs much. I made my course almost impossible before they would start trading live, if they had put in six months and wasn't getting better, I refunded their money. Those who grasped my concepts, rest of my fee came from monthly profits. When they paid me off I offered they trade for me the monies they had paid me. Still have over 20 people trading for me, some over twenty years. I met George Angell in 1990's and I liked that he refunded people if they didn't like his books or software and made sese I did same for learning to trade.
I no longer take students, too old, have many friends and prefer to develop automation.
Students actually helped me to get better, by me repeating same formations hundreds of times, spotting patterns became split second. It was not easy for students either as most had psychologic problems to overcome, many tears they had as I tried to console them even though I have Asperger's and lack emotions. But even though I feel nothing, I understand logically when I can't solve a problem, I will become lost, student would get lost.
Most of my friends came from trading, but when you are spending countless hours to get good at your endeavor, there are few outlets to form friendships.
The best mentors I found didn't advertise, hadn't made famous indicators, and I had to dig them out.
