The Life of Brian
After our interview with the small-cap king himself, Ian King, Great Ones sent up a resounding roar for more Q&A’s — more behind-the-scenes peaks with your favorite faces here at Banyan Hill.
Thank you for the kind words!
Far be it for me to deny the Great Ones what they desire … what you desire.
And what you desire is more…
Today, we have another interview fresh out of the oven and ready for you to devour.
Great Stuff’s version of Between Two Ferns is back, this time with Banyan Hill editor Brian Christopher in the hot seat. Brian’s the powerhouse investor, researcher and trader extraordinaire behind Profit Line and Flow Matrix Alert.
Brian is the living embodiment of a no-BS approach to the market — the Oz behind the financial forensics curtain, if you will, when it comes to sniffing out a blowout gain from a bogus trade.
If you’re one of those “just cut to the chase” kinda investors, no problem. Great Stuff is running a 65% off deal for Brian’s Flow Matrix Alert service!
I’m pretty sure you won’t find this deal anywhere else, so click here to sign up now!
But, if you need a bit more of an introduction … a little wine and dine with meaningful market conversation and some witty banter … keep on reading. You’ll have another chance to sign up for Flow Matrix Alert at the end.
So, without further ado … let’s get this party started!
Great Stuff:
Welcome to Great Stuff, Brian! Before we get started, why don’t you give the Great Ones a little background info on yourself? Spin the yarn a little, if you don’t mind.
Brian Christopher:
Joe, is that you? How are you?
I’m a huge fan. Thanks for asking.
I am a stock market junkie. You can ask my wife. We don’t go on many vacations … but if we’re traveling during trading hours, I’m still watching the markets.
I learned several years ago that you should do what you like — what you’re passionate about.
I’ve worked for a Fortune 100 company and as a turnaround consultant.
Great Stuff:
Turn around?
Brian:
Yeah, a turnaround consultant.
Great Stuff:
Turn around? Briiiiii-an?
Brian:
We’re starting already?
Great Stuff:
Turn around … Briiiiii-an!
Brian:
You know, it gave me a great perspective — we worked with companies across a range of industries … and lots of other professionals as well. We helped companies in bankruptcy, but we also sold companies, negotiated on behalf of retirees, pitched potential clients for new business … stuff like that. Today, all those experiences help me analyze different stocks in different industries.
Great Stuff:
I can see that. Every now and then, businesses fall apart. And they need you now, tonight — and they need you more than ever. And you’d only be making it right … well, when it comes to insolvency, I presume.
Anyway, I just wanted to highlight for folks at home that being a turnaround consultant is no small ‘taters. You’re the guy that businesses call when everything’s FUBAR, right? Debt problems, restructuring, crisis management, cash flow funkiness … that’s like being the Gandalf of financial recovery.
Brag a little, Brian! Go on?
Brian:
Well, as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) in industry, I created our financial statements and managed a Spanish-speaking team on-the-ground in a foreign country.
As a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Adviser and a professional Certified in Financial Forensics…
Great Stuff:
Oooh, financial forensics? So, you were kinda like CSI Wall Street?
Brian:
Yeah, kinda. I learned how to really read the financial statements. You know, to learn what they really mean.
But being a solid investor requires more than that. It demands focus.
I left the corporate grind to follow the markets full-time. That was almost a decade ago. But I’ve been buying and selling stocks, bonds, options and warrants for almost three decades.
Great Stuff:
So, how’s the pandemic treating your portfolio? Riding the Big Tech or green energy waves? We’re kinda fond of both here at Great Stuff.
Brian:
I’m jealous of your abilities and Great Stuff and your style.
Your readers should know that sometimes I have to fire off a message to you expressing my appreciation. “Wait, you know Mother Love Bone?” And: “That’s an amazing way to put it; I never thought of it that way.”
You’re well-versed in the current version of classic rock (isn’t grunge now considered Classic Rock Part Deux?) and just plain smart.
Great Stuff:
Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Brian. Who am I kidding? It’ll get you everywhere. But you’re the “Stardog Champion” today. Continue…
Brian:
I believe in (most of) what you preach. Though, I’ll humbly admit that sometimes you lose me.
Great Stuff:
Well … nobody’s perfect.
Brian:
But “Even the Losers” get lucky sometimes. Am I right?
Great Stuff:
Right. Wait. What?
Brian:
And I’ve become more adept at profiting from the names you guys follow. But I’m industry agnostic. I’ll buy whatever makes sense.
I even like to buy the stuff that nobody cares or even knows about. When you do that, you make money when it becomes known … and even more when it becomes popular.
Great Stuff:
So, what’s your take on the perennial puzzle: How do you find the unknown before it’s known … the unpopular before it’s popular? You know, get in the ocean before its current?
And do you have a way that my readers can follow you through these murky market waters?
Brian:
In Profit Line, we follow insiders and institutions into trades.
Fewer insiders are buying these days, so that makes the signs we do see that much more relevant. We rely on the buys of hedge funds we trust to lead us to certain names as well.
Our performance really ratcheted up post-COVID-19.
We closed out several triple-digit gains in the past couple months. We made the most money buying into the cannabis, gold and crypto sectors … but we made money on good old industrials, too. And we expect to close more soon.
Great Stuff:
Brian, you’re way too humble about this 280% gain. GrowGeneration Corp. (Nasdaq: GRWG), wasn’t it?
Brian:
That’s the one — it happened over just eight months, too!
GrowGeneration is a roll-up of stores that provide supplies to cannabis producers. Some call it the “Home Depot of Pot” because former Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) CEO Bob Nardelli is an advisor to the company.
Here’s the chart during our holding period:
We had to let the story develop, and then we had COVID-19 to contend with. But the result was solid.
I love to get feedback from people who’ve benefited from this trade—especially those who bought near the lows.
Great Stuff:
Now that’s Great Stuff! Nicely done.
So, where do you see opportunities in this crazy market now? Are you worried something like COVID-19 or China will pull the rug out from under the market’s current strength?
Brian:
I worry about a lot of things.
For example, I worry that people don’t take their duty to become self-sufficient seriously.
I worry that people in the U.S. don’t realize the damage the government has done to our future.
And I especially worry about the people who don’t realize that … and aren’t saving for their future. Some even expect the government to take care of them!
I tell my readers all the time: The government doesn’t have any money!
It’s just a redistributor of dollars (thus far). It takes money from some groups and gives it to others. But there is a limited supply.
And, yes, the U.S. dollar is the world’s reserve currency, and we can print a lot of it. But if we continue to increase the supply, any decrease in demand can have ugly effects on its value.
But most won’t worry about this until it’s a big problem. And then it will be too late. Mark my words: It’s already a problem.
So, in addition to picking stocks that go up in price, consider how you’re going to live in the future. Can you afford not to own Bitcoin or some cryptocurrencies? Or even gold? (Sure, you can call me an old-timer in this respect.)
If the world decides U.S. dollars aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, what will be? And if you think the world doesn’t want the U.S. dollar to be less important in global goings-on, you haven’t thought very hard about it.
Great Stuff:
I hear you. China’s been getting a little uppity this year. A number of our readers write in wanting to know more about the world of currencies … and the geopolitics and economics that underpin them.
Now, I hear you’re the head honcho at Flow Matrix Alert. Have you met Neo or Morpheus? How are they doing? And what should the Great Ones know about Flow Matrix?
Brian:
There are some things I can’t discuss with those who aren’t my paid subscribers — not many things, but some.
So, to answer your initial question in as few characters as possible: Neo and Morpheus are fine. And, thank you for asking.
Great Stuff:
I knew it!
Brian:
In Flow Matrix Alert, we buy options. And we don’t care. You know, I saw Cobra Kai on Netflix the other day. We’re more like John Kreese than the newly moral Johnny Lawrence in this respect. Speaking of, can you believe Daniel and Johnny basically became buddies at that Mexican restaurant? For about a minute.
But I digress…
No, we’re not crazy. We just take what the market gives us. We’ll buy any options — calls or puts — on companies in any industry. Yes, even energy!
In fact, right now, we’re short on one of the happiest places you can go. But it isn’t personal. It never is. We’re here to make money.
Great Stuff:
All’s fair in love, war … and investing. Am I right? So, what kind of opportunities would someone hear about if they checked out your Flow Matrix Alert?
Brian:
We follow the trends. We track and trade based on momentum.
We will also buy beaten-down names that are coming back to life. Those can be SUPER lucrative.
We’ve had solid success so far. Our legal eagles don’t let us divulge a whole lot of details on our percentages, but our average gain is in the double digits. Hopefully, that’s vague enough.
Great Stuff:
Wink wink, nudge nudge. A nod’s as good as a wink to a blind bat!
Brian:
One highlight, though, is we’ve successfully bought call options twice on PAR Technology Corp. (NYSE: PAR). They provide point-of-sale systems (that aren’t POS’s) to quick service and fast-casual restaurants. They’re in demand right now.
The first trade on PAR, we locked in a gain of 179% in three weeks. The second was a 112% gain in under a fortnight.
Great Stuff:
You’re an absolute madman on the trading floor, Brian. Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us, albeit virtually.
So, dear Great Ones … the time has come to make a decision.
Great Stuff has finagled you a chance to get in on Brian’s Flow Matrix Alert for 65% off the regular retail price! I know, I know, you can thank me later…
But, I’m not sure how long we can keep this up — I don’t know how much more she can take, Captain!
Click here now to get with the flow in Flow Matrix Alert!
Finally, for more great stuff, be sure to like and follow Great Stuff on your social media platform of choice: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Until next time, be Great!
Joseph Hargett
Editor, Great Stuff