Life in the Pits: My Time as a Trader on the Rough and Tumble Exchange Floors

What does it take to thrive in the wildest arena of modern capitalism, the open outcry trading pits, where fortunes were shouted, signalled, and seized in seconds?

In this Final Cut Premiere episode of The Quiet Warrior Show, Tom Dutta sits down with Brad Schaeffer, author, musician, and former commodities trader, to journey through his book Life in the Pits: My Time as a Trader on the Rough and Tumble Exchange Floors.

Brad pulls back the curtain on the grit and glory of a bygone era, the Chicago and New York trading floors where men and women fought for profit and pride in a maelstrom of voices and volatility. He recreates the sights, sounds, and sweat of a world long gone, offering a firsthand portrait of camaraderie, chaos, and character.

But beneath the roar of the market lies a deeper story, the human journey of loss and resilience that forged Brad’s perspective on money, risk, and meaning. From personal tragedy to triumph on the trading floor, his story embodies the spirit of a Quiet Warrior: tested by fire, yet defined by grace.

🧭 Inside this conversation:
• The electric energy and unwritten code of the trading pits.
• Lessons on discipline, ego, and survival in high-pressure arenas.
• How loss, grief, and perspective shape our relationship with success.
• Why human connection still matters in a digital world of algorithms and screens.

🎧 Experience the story that merges adrenaline and introspection, a portrait of life in the pits that echoes far beyond finance.

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