A powerful way to flex in today’s stock market is to constantly remind ourselves, “I’m worthy. I’m more than capable of winning every trade.”
For “The Master Investor” Ian Dunlap, there is no better time than now to “train our brains when we are in business,” whether the market is booming or in a crash.
“Affirmations code how we think and how we behave, and especially growing up in this country, we always are subconsciously made to feel less safe,” Dunlap told BLACK ENTERPRISE in an exclusive interview.
Less fear, more wins
With continued inflation and banking jitters on the rise, headlines have predicted that the market may soon tumble. The dollar’s value relative to other currencies is also depreciating due to the prospect of the U.S. economy weakening.
Dunlap, the creator of Market Mondays, makes it his business to empower the Black community of traders and investors to profit from generational opportunities. The seasoned investor has worked to help dismantle generations of fear, lack of knowledge, and ego through affirmation and community resources.
“The conflict that we have or lack of conflict resolution that we have in the community is driven by the social media part getting us to compete against each other,” Dunlap explained.
“The phone, even though it’s a tool that can be used for us, we’ve replaced our living room for the phone, and it’s a huge mistake,” he said, adding that “it comes from not being seen in society” and “we need spaces to love on each other.”
The founder of Red Panda Academy, Dunlap, and his co-hosts bring unmatched expertise to the weekly show in Earn Your Leisure’s network called Market Mondays and the new “Market Mondays World Tour,” which will hit London in June, Chicago in October, and then Ghana in December. Get your tickets here.
Silicon Valley Bank, which has catered to the tech industry since the early 1980s, collapsed on March 10, 2023, after the Santa Clara, California-based lender suffered from an old-fashioned bank run. Since then, other financial stocks globally have taken a beating over concerns about their ability to handle the rising cost of money.
“IN THOSE MOMENTS, I WANT US TO BE MORE EMPOWERED AND GO INTO INDUSTRIES, BECAUSE ANYTIME WE ARE ALLOWED TO BE IN THE INDUSTRY, WE END UP TAKING OVER. SO THAT’S WHY I WANT TO PROGRAM THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO THIS, WE CAN WIN. WE CAN WIN BIG. WE CAN WIN TOGETHER,” DUNLAP SAID.
He suggests putting our money into safe investments.
“Anytime that I’m investing in something, I want to make at least $5 back because if not, you can make $2 back, but then once you factor the taxes, profit is not enough,” he added.
But Dunlap’s winning streak didn’t come without losses, missed opportunities, and learning self-discipline.
HE SAID, “WHEN IN HISTORY IN AMERICA HAVE THEY EVER COME TO BLACK PEOPLE AND BE LIKE, ‘THIS IS THE MOVE TO INVEST IN. I’M GOING TO TELL YOU GUYS FIRST?’”
Missed opportunity turned into drive
Growing up in East Chicago, Indiana, Dunlap was driven to learn.
“I didn’t grow up in a financial epicenter. [My] family struggled for a while, but I knew there was a way out for us, and I wanted to just put all the lessons that I learned together and be able to give back,” he said.
“I’M JUST A BLACK MAN TRYING TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE US NAVIGATE THIS MARKET AND HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN IT.”
During his college years, Dunlap learned an important lesson during the stock market crash in 2008, which wiped out nearly $8 trillion in value between late 2007 and 2009. He had already been an entrepreneur but didn’t realize his potential in the money-making possibilities of a crash.
“Imagine if everything, and Manhattan, every building was on sale for 1 cent on the dollar, miss the move. But I’m here now, and I’m here to help other people not miss that mistake either,” Dunlap explained.
Dunlap shared a few trading and business gems:
- “Invest early enough.”
- “The market falls, and we are able to make money as the market’s going down.”
- “Apple, Microsoft, and Google are three of the best.”
- “Only take four trades per month because the fewer trades you take, the more you’ll make.”
- “Risk to reward matters.”
- “Build a business.”
- “Find an advantage you have in the world that no one else has.”
It’s Live at Market Mondays
Coming off the heels of the Toronto show, Dunlap takes pride in helping curate the HBCU experience at Market Mondays LIVE and providing an investment format where guests feel comfortable learning and having fun at the same time. This is where culture meets community and exchanges financial literacy information on trading, how to invest short and long-term, and more.
From Floyd Mayweather, Don King, and Jadakiss, Market Mondays LIVE has invited celebrity heavyweights to sold-out shows in major cities, including New York City’s Madison Square Garden, last year.
“It’s a lot of people who have come to the shows, met their business partner there, or built an investment group together because it’s all like-minded people. I’m giving different tips on how to win in the market at the right time.”
