More and more part-time traders are sitting down in front of the charts after their day jobs. However, balancing full-time work and trading while consistently securing Payouts is no easy feat.
Today's spotlight is on Cherry Park, a 3rd-year part-time trader. Managing two $50,000 Basic Plan Reward Accounts, she has received approximately 5 million KRW in Payouts so far. At the time of this interview, she had already submitted additional Payout requests for both accounts.
Once in a trade, she steps away from the screen; if proven wrong, she cuts losses and waits patiently. We sat down with Cherry Park to hear how she scales her accounts at her own pace between work and trading.

Q. Hello, Cherry! Please introduce yourself to our readers and fellow LifeUp traders.

A. Hello. I'm Cherry Park, balancing a corporate career with prop trading.

Q. Which accounts are you currently trading, and how much have you received in Payouts?

A. I currently trade two 50K Basic Plan Reward Accounts and have received about 5 million KRW in Payouts so far. Last week, I requested Payouts on both accounts, so an additional 3.3 million KRW is scheduled to be deposited next week.

Q. How was the Payout process? How did it feel when the funds actually hit your account?

A. Once I finished trading on Monday and met the Payout criteria, I requested it on Tuesday and received the funds that Friday.
Once the money was deposited, it motivated me to scale up my accounts and aim for larger Payouts. I am steadily scaling up now.

Q. How did you get started with prop trading? How does it differ from your previous trading approach?

A. An acquaintance introduced me to prop trading. Compared to standard platforms, using NinjaTrader allowed me to follow trading rules with discipline and execute easily, which was a huge plus. I haven't encountered major drawbacks yet, though managing execution might become slightly more complex as the account count increases.

Q. Among various prop trading firms, why did you choose LifeUp?

A. Initially, a friend recommended other prop firms. However, I decided that LifeUp was the best fit for execution because of its native Korean support and smooth communication.

Q. What have you liked about LifeUp, and what areas do you think could be improved?

A. The rules and general guidelines are clearly organized on the website, and the support team provides prompt answers and issue resolution on Discord.
As for improvements, nothing major comes to mind, other than wishing shortened trading days would count toward the active trading day requirement.

Set the Trade, Step Away from the Charts

Q. What is your trading background? What prompted you to start?

A. I've been trading for about 3 years. I realized that a standard corporate salary wouldn't build the life I wanted, which led me to invest and trade.

Q. What assets do you primarily trade?

A. I trade domestic equities and Nasdaq futures.

Q. Could you share your favorite technical indicators or trading setups?

A. I trade using ICT (Inner Circle Trader) concepts and primarily use RSI as a secondary reference.

Q. How do you manage your risk and trading psychology?

A. When a high-probability setup aligns with my bias, I enter the market, set my profit target and stop-loss, and deliberately avoid micromanaging the chart. That keeps my emotions in check.
If I'm wrong, I take the stop, wait, and look for the next entry. If an unexpected catalyst triggers extreme volatility, I manage the position immediately.

Q. Managing your time alongside a day job must be tough. What does your daily routine look like?

A. I generally trade whenever I can between 4:00 PM and midnight. Because of my day job, I usually can't trade the regular cash session open.

Q. Do you see prop trading as a viable path to becoming a full-time trader?

A. Once I scale my accounts, achieve consistent performance across multiple live accounts, and reach my monthly income targets, I would definitely consider going full-time.

Q. What are your future goals and long-term vision in trading?

A. My short-term goal is to transition all eligible accounts to Reward Accounts and secure consistent income. Long term, the vision is to achieve financial and time freedom through steady, disciplined execution.

Q. Finally, what advice would you give to beginners or traders considering prop firms?

A. There is no holy grail in trading. Don't trade with money you can't afford to risk, leverage LifeUp prop accounts, and focus on building your own edge.
If you focus on building edge, managing risk, and maintaining mental discipline, consistency will follow. Best of luck to everyone!

"There is no holy grail in trading. Manage your greed and develop your own edge."
Our interview with Cherry Park highlighted substance over hype. Setting the target and stop, stepping away from the screen, and scaling two accounts methodically while working a day job—these are lessons every part-time trader can apply.
LifeUp will continue to back Cherry Park as she works toward her next milestone: transitioning all accounts to live funded status.