Transcript

Crystal Renee Hayslett (0:00)

Coming up on Keep it positive, sweetie. We live in a culture where everyone is trying to teach, have all these courses and things like that. How did you cultivate your course to make sure that people understand it's not a scam? Because there's our people out here really scamming people. How did you, like, really build that and say, I'm gonna keep this integral and make sure that I'm teaching people and that they get what they need out of it?

The Wall Street Trapper (0:26)

I use the same mentality that we had in the streets. It was give it away for free.

Camille Rose (0:32)

Wow. Wow.

The Wall Street Trapper (0:33)

Give it away for free. And if it's good for free, they'll pay for it. Foreign.

Crystal Renee Hayslett (1:02)

Hi, I'm Crystal Renee Hayslett, and this is Keep it positive, sweetie. A safe space to heal, laugh, grow, and love. In last week's show, I talked about creating and maintaining a money making mindset with Camille Rose, founder and CEO Janell Stevens, and serial entrepreneur the Wall Street Trapper. My conversation with the Wall Street Trapper was so layered. It took us a little extra time to get through it all. So this show is a continuation of that conversation. You are world renowned for your financial tips. My brother actually called me. It was a few years ago. I didn't even know who you were.

The Wall Street Trapper (1:39)

Right, right.

Crystal Renee Hayslett (1:39)

He called me. He said, hey, sis. Like, I really. Probably during COVID okay. He's like, I want to learn about stocks and bonds and about finance. And he was like, there's this guy named Wall Street Trapper. And I paid for him. Did not know you, but I paid for him to take classes so that he could learn more. And then later on, we had mutual friends. And I was like, that's the guy.

The Wall Street Trapper (2:01)

And he was like, yeah.

Crystal Renee Hayslett (2:02)

Like, oh, my gosh. So, yeah, where did that even come from? Like, to learn about finances and then to say, hey, I want to spread this and teach people.

The Wall Street Trapper (2:12)

Yeah. I'm in prison. I'm six. I had just made 17, and I'm staring down a 10 year bed and I wound up having this fight with this guy, my two guys. So it was me and two guys. And then the CEO came and we go to the hole. We go to solitary confinement. They put me in a cell with this white dude. And I'm so frustrated because I thought they was my homies. But I realized quick that in prison, like, that don't work like that.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Keep it Positive, Sweetie

Episode: The Money Mindset Part Two w/ The Wall Street Trapper

Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett
Guests: The Wall Street Trapper, Camille Rose
Date: January 26, 2025

Main Theme

This episode continues Crystal Renee Hayslett’s deep-dive with The Wall Street Trapper (WST), a renowned financial educator known for making wealth-building accessible—especially to underserved and street-affected communities. The conversation explores Trapper’s personal financial awakening, his methods of authentic teaching, overcoming street cycles, the foundations for generational wealth, and actionable steps for financial freedom. Through raw storytelling, The Wall Street Trapper illustrates his journey from incarceration to multimillionaire status, emphasizing transparency, integrity, and tangible impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From the Streets to Stock Market: The Origin Story

Trapper’s awakening began in prison after a cellmate convicted of embezzlement explained how "wealthy people stop trading time for money" and taught him the basics of finance, business, and real estate.
- “He said, wealthy people stop trading time for money. They learn how to make their money work for them, and they learn how to give value to people because people will always be the asset.” — The Wall Street Trapper [04:13]
The realization that the "real gangsters" were not on the street but in boardrooms, and that the stock market was a system creating passive wealth, not just for the elite.
Reading “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” was a turning point, opening his mind to money mindsets and possibilities outside of illegal activity.
- "My first book was Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad... it was a mindset about money." [05:36]

2. Cycles & Challenges of Leaving the Streets

Trapper reflects on the difficulties of executing new ideas after prison; falling back into old cycles was not about ignorance but familiarity and survival.
- “It ain't that a person ain't tired of going to jail. That's all he know…it's what makes them feel like they have control of their destiny, even though it ain't right.” [08:13]
Experience with police raids and near-death encounters ultimately convinced him to leave illegal ventures for good.
- “I can't keep beating the game...I ain't ready to die, dog. You can have it. And that was the last time.” [12:54]

3. First Steps to Authentic Entrepreneurship

Transitioned to working as an ironworker and began investing seriously in 2014.
Made the leap to full-time financial education in 2019, after realizing his story resonated and inspired others, especially when people saw his results.
- “The goal was just to get dudes in the street, out the street. It was the girls who I know was dancing and stripping to get them out of the club… But the thing about us is, you can't teach us something if it ain't working for you.” [16:25]

4. Keeping it Real: Teaching Without Scamming

Trapper’s teaching philosophy: Give authentic, actionable knowledge away for free first—mirroring the ‘tester’ mentality from street hustling.
- “If it's good for free, they'll pay for it.” [19:37]
Realized that being transparent about wins and losses, as well as showing actual accounts, would build trust and dismantle skepticism.
- “Everything was surrounded around street talk… but I would let them see my account though. And that was the transparency. It wasn't that I was just teaching. I was doing exactly what I said I was doing.” [22:14]

5. Breaking Down Generational Wealth

Fundamental advice for families: Open custodial investment accounts for children instead of only bank accounts; automate investments into broad-market ETFs (e.g., S&P 500 via VOO/SPY), not mutual funds.
- “If you have a kid, you need to go to Charles Schwab or ETRADE… open up what’s called a custodial account…allowing money to work for them.”* [26:25]
- “My daughter, eight years old right now, she got seven figures in the market. I've been investing for her since she was one, so I bought her freedom early.” [26:00]
Dismantled the “buy what you use” myth for investing, explaining that index funds are a better foundational step due to lower fees and more reliable returns.
- “Don't buy what you use…just buy the entire stock market just to start off…S&P 500…don't complicate it.” [27:36]
Highlights the importance of exposure and environment:
- Every Christmas, Trapper rents a mansion and teaches his family financial literacy, recognizing that “being in that environment makes it easier for them to learn.” [30:22]

6. Tips for Beginners

Automate regular investments: “Every time you get paid, put 10% into this S&P 500. Now, I'm not paying a broker, I'm not paying a fund manager. I'm paying myself.” [28:41]
Study the portfolio of the world’s wealthiest: “Go look at the top 10 richest people in the world, find out what companies they own, and buy stock in them.” [31:35]

7. Purpose Beyond Money: The Freedom Center

Trapper’s upcoming “Freedom Center” will serve as a financial literacy hub in underserved neighborhoods, with Atlanta as the first location, then expanding to cities like New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas.
- “The goal behind that is to revolutionize the way people experience financial literacy…to put a Freedom Center in every hood in America.” [33:01]
Advocacy for self-responsibility: “If you allow them to feed you, you give them permission to starve you…nobody cares more about your family’s financial stability than you.” [33:24, 33:52]

8. Personal Growth & Healthy Relationships

Discussed moving into a new phase of life that includes seeking spiritual growth and being intentional in building a relationship:
- “Every time I see a new realm that I'm getting into, I know I need more guidance…growing spiritually first.” [32:41, 33:00]
- “I'm not dating, but I am pursuing a woman…working on patience, understanding, communication…I went to therapy for a year and worked on myself.” [34:31]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“The real gangsters ain't us on the street. The real gangsters is the dudes in boardrooms, the dudes that's building businesses.” — The Wall Street Trapper [06:50]
“We really junkies…and that's how the market started making sense to me.” — The Wall Street Trapper [06:43]
“If you can't teach it and walk it, don't teach it.” — Essence of Trapper’s method [22:27]
“There’s information in the losses.” — The Wall Street Trapper [29:17]
“If you allow them to feed you, you give them permission to starve you.” — The Wall Street Trapper [33:24]
“My daughter is generational wealth…not me. I’m the one who is going to establish what freedom looks like, but she is.” [27:03]

Important Timestamps

01:02–06:43: Trapper’s financial awakening in prison and meeting the embezzlement cellmate
06:43–08:25: Realizing the stock market’s power and street consumerism
08:26–13:03: Cycles of recidivism, near-death experiences, and final break from street life
13:16–15:59: Transition to ironworking, early investments, and peer-to-peer teaching
16:00–18:12: Building credibility and trust in the community
19:30–24:09: Philosophy of free game, transparent teaching, and course development
25:05–27:06: Concrete example—buying real estate through stock market gains, tax strategies
26:00–29:34: Setting kids up for wealth, custodial accounts, index fund essentials
30:01–30:28: Family exposure and practical, relatable financial education
31:35–32:21: Actionable tip—invest where the richest own
32:32–34:46: Building the Freedom Center; vision for community empowerment
35:20–39:12: Healthy relationships, accountability, and personal transformation

Tone and Delivery

The conversation is raw, personal, and laced with street authenticity; Trapper uses accessible analogies, shares losses and wins, and counters typical “guru” facade with vulnerability and proof. Crystal and Camille’s warm affirmations create a supportive, encouraging vibe throughout.

For Listeners

If you’re new to wealth-building, start by creating a custodial brokerage account for your children, and by automating investments into a simple S&P 500 ETF—not complicated products or high-fee mutual funds.
Build or seek financial education from transparent sources who walk the walk, and demand proof before buying into educational content.
Remember, exposure and environment expand what seems possible, for kids and adults alike.
Recognize that real change and freedom start with you—financially, spiritually, and relationally.

Summary prepared from the full episode transcript, with direct speaker attributions and timestamps for reference.

The Money Mindset Part Two w/ The Wall Street Trapper