Spanish
In the first meetings where he shared what little he knew about trading with a group of friends, Sebastián Rodríguez Matos did not imagine that a joke would become an essential part of his professional life. At 24 years old, this young Dominican trader by choice is known as El Sensei, a nickname that was born spontaneously and that today identifies him in the Latin American financial industry.
Sebastián lives with alopecia universalis, a condition that prevents hair growth on the entire body.
During those informal sessions, while explaining charts and basic strategies, someone commented that his appearance was reminiscent of a monk. Amidst laughter, one of his colleagues called him “Sensei.” No one took it seriously at the time, but over time the word gained traction and ceased to be a joke, becoming a hallmark.
In Eastern cultures, the term sensei means teacher. And although Sebastian was just starting to learn at first, the nickname led him to take on a greater commitment. "That name made me understand that I had to lead by example," he explains. Since then, he not only dedicated himself to perfecting his knowledge in the markets, but also to transmitting it with discipline and coherence.
The transition from a casual nickname to a professional identity was gradual. First his friends called him that, then his students, and finally the entire community that follows him on social media. Today, when someone mentions El Sensei, they are not just referring to a young trader, but to a figure associated with teaching, perseverance, and responsibility.
For Sebastián, the name is also a reminder. Every time he hears himself called Sensei, he remembers that what he conveys must be backed by practice. It's not just about teaching theory, but about showing with facts that discipline is the true pillar of trading. That consistency between what he says and what he does has been one of the factors that allowed him to gain credibility in an environment where quick promises and supposed experts abound.
The nickname also represents how what could initially be seen as a physical difference ended up playing in his favor. Alopecia, which makes him unmistakable, became part of a recognizable and authentic identity. That authenticity has been key to connecting with a community that values not only financial results, but the transparency of those who teach from real experience.
Over time, El Sensei went from being a personal nickname to becoming a recognized brand within the trading world in the Dominican Republic and other countries in the region. The students who participate in his programs not only see a mentor who shares strategies, but someone who symbolizes the possibility of growing in a complex environment with effort and discipline. In practice, the nickname ended up synthesizing the philosophy with which Sebastián understands his profession.
In his view, being a sensei doesn't mean having all the answers, but accompanying others in their learning process. "A teacher also makes mistakes and keeps learning," he acknowledges. This way of understanding the role of the educator has allowed him to generate closeness with his students, who do not see him as an unattainable figure, but as someone who went through the same mistakes and who today shares the lessons learned.
The construction of his identity also reflects a frequent reality in the world of entrepreneurship: many personal brands are not born from an elaborate strategic plan, but from simple circumstances that, over time, take on meaning. In this case, a casual comment was transformed into a symbol, but the true weight was given by the trajectory of Sebastián, who turned that nickname into a synonym for discipline and teaching.
The recognition he receives today under the name El Sensei is not only due to his work in the markets, but also to the impact he has had on his students. The more than 13 million dollars withdrawn by his community over the years are proof that his approach has yielded concrete results. That type of achievement reinforces the sense that the nickname is not just a catchy title, but the representation of a training model that has left its mark.
Looking ahead, Sebastián is aware that this name will continue to accompany him. It is not a simple alias on social media, but an element that identifies him inside and outside the financial field. His goal is that, upon hearing El Sensei, people think of serious teaching, a lifestyle based on discipline, and the possibility of achieving real changes through effort.
Although it all started as a joke in a small group, time transformed that word into an inseparable part of his professional life. Today, when his students call him Sensei, they do not evoke a funny anecdote, but rather the trajectory of a young man who turned a physical difference into a symbol of authenticity and who assumed the commitment to teach by example and coherence.
Sebastián Rodríguez Matos has learned that a name can be much more than a label. It can become the reflection of a personal story, the synthesis of values, and the basis of an identity recognized by thousands of people. And in his case, El Sensei is no longer just a nickname: it is the way the world identifies him and the way he decided to assume his role in an industry that demands credibility and consistency.
