Career change to execution trader success story

Here is my success story.
I got into this business later in life, in my thirties. I have no graduate degree, no CFA, nothing. My undergrad degree was an unrelated major with a weak GPA. I am a Trader at a Hedge Fund.
I started in the back office, and worked my way to the trading desk over time, across several years and several firms. I have been laid off three times, including last year. Each time, I fell up.

How did I do it? By staying positive. When my former firms' AUM plummets after an event and people started to get laid off, I tried to keep positive and believe in myself that it would work out. It did. I am better off at my new firm than had I not been let go at my old firm. (Much better)

To find my current seat, timing and luck played a part, but it was really finding a niche that my new shop just happened to have an opening for someone with this one particular experience. Nothing glamorous, but I focused on that in the interview. Most candidates try to be all things to all people, cast a wide net...not me. I identified the one thing that the firm was looking for and told them that, "I am good at that, that is what I want to do, that is what I have been doing at my last place."

If a guy like me can succeed in this business, so can you.