Chris (@ChrisHyland) from the UK is a successful entrepreneur who founded one marketing agency that went global and is now the head of another company he founded, The Happiness Index. He is an active investor on eToro and a fan of the platform’s Smart Portfolio investment strategies. We asked him to answer a few questions about himself and his trading habits:
65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. This is not investment advice.
- Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in the UK in Sussex. I am an entrepreneur – at the age of 26, I started a digital marketing agency called 4Ps Marketing with a friend/ business partner. The agency eventually went global and was sold to a larger company, NetBooster.
- How did you end up building The Happiness Index?
Through experience at 4Ps Marketing, and having to deal with a lot of people, you kind of learn how important it is for people to be happy and motivated in their jobs. This is what our new business, The Happiness Index, focuses on. The mission is to change the world and redefine work/life balance. We were recently awarded the “New Business of the Year” at the 2018 European Business Awards.
- Why did you choose to invest on eToro?
I originally chose eToro because I loved the idea of choosing my own investments and controlling my own portfolio. I like the fact that I can choose my own instruments to invest in on their own and I can also invest in portfolios made by eToro such as BigTech or Driverless Smart Portfolio. I also really enjoy that I can copy other investors because they are trading on my behalf and I learn so much just by reading their updates. It’s also really just a simple platform, whereas other platforms seemed very confusing to me.
- What is your previous experience in regards to investing?
I’ve been investing in small companies for 5-10 years, however, I’ve only been investing in the stock market for a couple of years. I don’t have so much experience.
- Which Smart Portfolios are you investing in and why?
At the moment I’m invested in a few Smart Portfolios:
The first one is the FoodDrink Smart Portfolio – I chose this one because I wanted something safe and secure with low risk.
Previously I was investing in the BigTech Smart Portfolio but I recently closed it and started investing in the CannabisCare Portfolio. I chose this one because, in my opinion, people are starting to realise that there’s a massive opportunity to legalise cannabis and I see that market growing significantly bigger in the future.
I also recently started investing in the YieldKing Portfolio. This was mostly for dividends. I also like to invest in companies which I believe will grow long term. I like how you can invest in the company and get money back on the way.
- What are your investment goals in regards to these Smart Portfolios?
When things are going well, I sometimes think the Smart Portfolios are too safe, but when the market begins to drop — I think they’re great. They really diversify my portfolio. I like how the portfolios are managed for me and I don’t have to do anything.
- What do you think differentiates Smart Portfolios from investing elsewhere?
I think the themes of the Smart Portfolios, especially the newer ones, are forward thinking- such as the CannabisCare and the CryptoPortfolio. I also do plan to invest in the CRISPR-Tech Portfolio as I believe in it long term. It’s exciting and revolutionary.
- What are your hobbies/interests?
I am definitely a family man. I enjoy spending time with my wife and 2 kids. I also love to eat good food and drink good beer 🙂
65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. This is not investment advice.