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Grow Your Network: Jim Carroll Is A Volatility Whisperer
Here's HOW and WHY to connect with Jim
Matt Zeigler
May 08, 2025
For years, I've been connecting with interesting people and documenting insights that might help my clients and myself. What was once private is now (mostly) public.
People often ask: "How do you know all these people?" and "How do you connect these (re: random) ideas?" The answer is simple: consistent relationship cultivation and thoughtful note taking. My north star is trusting my instincts, my maps are the constellations in these reflections.
Find my Personal Archive on CultishCreative.com, watch me build a better Personal Network on the Cultish Creative YouTube channel, and follow me on social media (LinkedIn and X).
This approach has helped dozens of clients strengthen their networks and unlock new opportunities. You can:
Steal these ideas directly
Create your own combination that works for you
I can't promise you'll learn from me, but you'll definitely learn something with me. Let's go. Count it off: 1-2-3-4…
Do you know Jim Carroll? The volatility expert behind Vixology who deliberately sought out market niches others avoid? The former investment banker who switched to advisory after the internet bubble, who “found” volatility in 2015, and who created his own system when everyone told him he needed to just trade options?
If not, allow me to introduce you. Jim has transformed complex market volatility into an approachable strategy while weaving in musical references from acid rock to the blues (with a Spinal Tap snapshot that won me over long ago). I wanted to connect with him because he embodies something I value deeply: the courage to find a specific niche where others aren't looking and the wisdom to develop expertise there, all while maintaining a rich appreciation for the music that infuses his work with humanity.
Our conversation is LIVE now on the Cultish Creative YouTube channel (and this Cultish Creative Playlist). Listen and you'll hear how he navigated from psychology major to Army officer to investment banker to volatility expert, bringing his musical sensibilities along the entire journey.
In the meantime, I wanted to pull THREE KEY LESSONS from my time with Jim to share with you (and drop into my Personal Archive).
Read on and you'll find a quote with a lesson and a reflection you can Take to work with you, Bring home with you, and Leave behind with your legacy.
WORK: For Every Pathology, There's a Profession
"For every pathology there's a profession... It took me a while to find my pathology, but it turns out that my pathology was everything about the markets and Wall Street."
Key Concept: Your quirks, obsessions, and even weaknesses can become your greatest professional assets when channeled properly. Rather than trying to "fix" what makes you different, the key might be finding the environment where those differences are valued.
Personal Archive Note-To-Self: I get bored so easily. Like, sooooo easily. The solution is, I need a lot of stimulus. But, I have to be careful not to have too much. When I was in college, I was playing in my band on the weekends and traveling all over the northeast, going to class during the week, giving guitar lessons, playing solo gigs, working at a recording studio, and, as a line cook/dishwasher/prep person in a kitchen. People thought I was crazy.
Later, when I tried to just do one thing like - be a bank teller, and later a financial advisor, it felt so, limiting. It wasn’t until a few years ago when I started to put lots of variety back into my approach that I felt like me again.
Now, I know (I know!) that most people won’t operate this way. But, I’m also deeply aware of the people around me and how much they like vs. how much they hate various volumes of activity. And that’s the magic trick - I know my pathology, and I make it my job to understand the pathologies of the others I work with, for, and take care of.
Work question for you: What part of yourself do you constantly try to "fix" that might actually be pointing toward your perfect professional fit?
LIFE: Find Your Uncrowded Pond
"I let the smart kids do all the option stuff and I stay in this little pond over here with these arcane volatility exchange trader products that nobody wants to use... The pond that I play in is too small for Citadel and millennium and NY and all these smart guys, I have no interest in competing with them."
Key Concept: Success doesn't always mean competing in the biggest arenas. Sometimes finding a specialized niche where fewer people are paying attention allows you to develop unique expertise and value without facing overwhelming competition.
Personal Archive Note-To-Self: I thought I might be a good markets strategist years ago. I read all the books, listened to all the podcasts, and even tried my hand at writing that type of thinking to bear it out. I put a lot of effort into it. And you know what? It wasn’t for me. It was already crowded with great talent that, while I truly admired them, I wasn’t one of them.
Over the past few years I’ve realized my version of a much less crowded pond was to be friendly with those strategist type people, because I’m still deeply interested in how they think about the world, but then help them how to reach the regular folks. I’m a translator in that way, because I can speak both languages. It’s a gift to help others figure out where they fit in, and then how to connect / who helps them connect with others. You just have to figure it out for yourself first.
Life Question For You: Where in your professional or personal life are you struggling by competing in overcrowded spaces when you might thrive by finding a smaller, more specialized "pond"?
LEGACY: Use Writing to Test Your Ideas
"If I spit it out and read it again, [if it] doesn't make sense, you know, [then] what am I missing? What am I leaving out? What am I putting in that doesn't belong there?... It helps me to better understand, to better contextualize what it is I'm trying to do in the world."
Key Concept: Writing isn't just about communicating with others, it's a powerful tool for clarifying your own thinking. By articulating your ideas and then critically examining them, you can identify gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities for refinement.
Personal Archive Note-To-Self: I don’t just believe in writing stuff down to record it, I believe in adding your reflections to the thoughts too. The only person experiencing this moment the way you are experiencing it is you. The events that happen, and the reactions you have, are actually durable. You, writing them down, tests the ideas. It’s the first step. But then there’s another step.
You can share them with others, and even if they don’t share the same sentiment, they will notice that you were OK with sharing what you shared.
So yes, writing is a great way to test ideas. But, taking one more step (as Jim does too), and sharing your experiences, sharing your reactions - that helps teach others it’s OK to stick your neck out in the name of context AND connection too.
Legacy question for you: What complex idea or strategy are you currently implementing without having first "tested" it through writing? How might articulating it help you identify its strengths and weaknesses?
BEFORE YOU GO: Be sure to…
You have a Personal Network and a Personal Archive just waiting for you to build them up stronger. Look at your work, look at your life, and look at your legacy - and then, start small in each category. Today it's one person and one reflection. Tomorrow? Who knows what connections you'll create.
Last thing: Don't forget to click reply/here and tell me who you're adding to your network and why! Plus, if you already have your own Personal Archive too, let me know, I'm creating a database.