Paid to Play 2026: Leaner. Meaner. More Profitable.

Monday marks the official relaunch of Paid to Play, and I want to give you the full picture of why we're making this shift.

2025 By The Numbers:

129 trades closed. Every single one targeting a minimum $500 credit at initiation.

Net profit for the year: $6,421

Now, let me be clear—profits are profits, and I'll never apologize for making money in the markets. But here's the truth: that number doesn't adequately compensate me for the drawdowns I endured along the way.

The wins were there. But so were the teeth-grinding stretches where positions worked against us, tied up capital, and demanded constant attention just to keep them from bleeding out completely.

I've spent 27 years learning one essential lesson: the market will teach you what works if you're willing to listen.

And what the market taught me in 2025 is this: I need to be absolutely ruthless with losses.

Here's How P2P Changes Starting Today:

Every trading day, I'm closing the largest losing position on the books—if there is one. No second chances. No "let's see if it turns around." If it's not working, it's gone.

My capital is only staying in positions that are moving toward their profit targets. Period.

At the same time, I'm entering one fresh short strangle (short OTM put + short OTM call) every trading day in the sector ETF showing the highest implied volatility and juiciest premiums. New premium flowing into the account daily. This is what getting Paid to Play actually looks like.

What This Accomplishes:

• Dramatically reduced risk of large drawdowns (both per-trade and portfolio-wide)
• Smoother equity curves with less volatility
• Capital efficiency—money only deployed where it's working
• Higher percentage net gains relative to the pain endured

This isn't just tweaking around the edges. This is a fundamental recalibration of how we approach income generation through options.

The 2025 results were profitable. The 2026 results are going to be efficient.

Let's get to work.

Sean McLaughlin | Chief Options Strategist, All Star Charts