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Hi ladies! We’re so excited to speak with you both, given your impressive and inspirational influence on how we, as females, feel about those dinner conversations that tend to end up around stock markets, rent prices, NFTs.. dare we say crypto? All of that noise. What was that moment for you when you realised you have really made a change to a whole collective of Kiwi women?
Sophie: Wow thank you - it’s flattering to hear that you think we are having an impact! I think the anonymous salary spreadsheet we created, hugely resonated. Over 500 people filled out their personal details and I guess the fact that there were so many people who trusted us with their personal information, made me realise how much our community has grown to trust us, which feels really special.
Vic: I feel like we have only just touched the surface with New Zealand, let alone the rest of the world. But what we have achieved to-date, has already been SUPER humbling. We get messages from people who have listened to the podcast and have changed their KiwiSaver, or how a mother now listens to our podcast on the way to school with her daughters, as she doesn’t want them to be in the same position she is. Those comments - motivate us to keep doing what we are doing. It gets me out of bed each day. One day, I hope we hopefully aren’t talking about an investing knowledge gap.
We’re sure The Curve didn’t happen overnight. What are your backgrounds, how did you get from there to here?
Vic: I have been in the finance industry for over 12 years and throughout those years I constantly had friends grabbing me for five minutes to chat and ask questions about what they should be doing with their money. I kept hearing the same complaints; “Why is investing so confusing?”
“Is it always so complicated?”
“Why isn’t there one place to go to learn this stuff that isn’t overwhelming!”
We thought, hey, let’s create a place like that. I have also always had such a passion to educate women about investing, and break down the ‘exclusive boy’s club’ image of the finance industry. Everyone should have access to the tools and knowledge to grow their wealth.
Sophie : I worked as a producer for almost ten years before starting The Curve. I created mainstream content for radio, television and record labels. About two years ago I decided to leave my full time job at Sony Music in Sydney, and commit to making content that has a positive impact. Content that makes people think, learn and change their perspectives on important issues. The closer I got to 30, the more I realised how much confidence and education I lacked when it came to my finances. Although there had been a few conversations about investing between Vic and I, I still felt like there was an overwhelming amount to learn, and nowhere to go. Then we founded The Curve.
Money is a tricky and sometimes scary thing to talk about with your girlfriends. How could we build the confidence to make it something that we can bring up over a martini (or two)?
Sophie: This is such a great question. My step sister who is a doctor told me something recently which hit home. She said that 10 years ago, asking a patient if they smoked or drank alcohol was incredibly uncomfortable (for both the patient and the doctor). Now it’s a standard and expected question when you’re seeing a medical specialist. Even though conversations about money, salaries and investments are awkward now, I truly believe that the more we talk about it, the less uncomfortable it will get. We have to be brave and step outside of our comfort zone if we are wanting to create change. Having simple conversations about money and asking questions is a great place to start.
Money is also something that brings us joy to spend. We all know that rush when your parcel arrives with a new pair of shoes, or a bag (of course). How do you find the balance between treating yourself and also making sensible decisions around savings, KiwiSaver and all that serious stuff?
Vic: This is really difficult & something I personally still struggle with. We were born in an age of instant gratification so ‘saving for your retirement’ or ‘investing for the long-term’ can be really difficult for many. We try to phrase it like prioritising ‘Future You’, over ‘Current You’. Pay Future You first, then Current You. Also, it’s important to figure out how you feel when you spend money on certain things; if you feel instantly guilty after buying a new dress, try to avoid those purchases. Whereas if you really love going to restaurants and catching up with friends, do that. Just make sure that you are also looking after Future You too.
What is something that you have learned about the Curve collective (or local wahine) that would be interesting for us to know?
Sophie: I love this question. I think the sheer amount of messages we get from our community, thanking us for creating a safe space to learn about finances has made me realise how many wahine have been craving something like The Curve. It feels like there is a real collective energy shift towards caring about being more educated when it comes to our finances. What has traditionally, been such a masculine, boring conversation - is starting to emerge as a feminine, interesting conversation that we give each other permission to indulge in. That’s f*cking cool, because that means we are starting to see a collective shift in attitude towards money.
Vic: Unfortunately, there is still a lot of shame, isolation and stress when it comes to money and finances, but knowing that there are SO many women who are in exactly the same boat, can be hugely beneficial to others. Also - you have never ‘missed the boat’. A lot of women think that they are too old to start learning this stuff, and they are absolutely not. Even if you’re 90 years old, you can still start investing!
The stock market sounds like a pretty scary place, filled with older and mature folk in suits and ties. Is this the case? To put it lightly, most of us are sitting there like - where do we start and do we really need to?
Sophie: I mean, of course there are lloyds of mature folk in suits and ties - but that’s starting to change. Online trading platforms have made it so much easier for anyone to get a foot in the door. Honestly if we were all taught this in school - we would all be so much better off financially. It baffles me that this information isn’t more readily available. The thing is you have to start somewhere, and you can start with as little as $5. If you’re thinking about getting into investing but you have no idea how to start, literally chuck $5 somewhere and see how it moves. Watch the stock markets movements, and take baby steps until you feel more confident investing more. You’re so much better to start, than avoid because the longer you don’t invest, the more potential gains you’re missing out on.
Vic: I’ve noticed throughout my career, that women bring a different set of skills to the table. We are half the population. We consume products. Therefore we can actually spot unique investing trends, just as well (or better) as the next person - we don’t have to be old folk in suits. Especially younger women who are at the forefront of change and going to see, use and understand new technologies (hello TikTok), well ahead of anyone in a suit…
With silly season just around the corner, it can be quite the tough month on the coin purse. What are some top tips and tricks you would recommend with that balance of spoiling your loved ones, making the most of social gatherings but making sensible decisions?
Sophie: Get creative with your gifts! When I was low on cash after travelling a few years ago I made everyone kimchi. I bought beautiful jars and gifted them. Prioritise your calendar. What events do you HAVE to go to (or want to go to)? I don't feel guilty for saying no. If you don’t want to go to something or you can’t afford another night out - look after you and your bank account first. There is no shame in that.
Vic: I agree. Plan, plan, plan. Start putting away a bit of money now so it’s not such a burden come Christmas time. Then you can actually enjoy the holiday rather than worrying about your money! Personally, I find Christmas a very polarising time; it really separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have nots’ with regard to money, family etc. It creates unnecessary stress and pressure for a lot of people. With regards to the social gatherings, don’t restrict yourself to the point you become a recluse. Try to flip your mindset and view saying ‘no’ as empowering - you are saying ‘no’ as you want a better financial future - it’s hard at first, but it works eventually!
You have such a superpower and knowledge in your field, what would you say to someone that might think they have a real gift or passion that they want to turn into a side hustle?
Vic: Do it! And do it now. It can be super scary but try your best to channel the fear. I hated public speaking before I had to do it for The Curve. I still get super nervous but I always try to think about the feeling afterwards, which feels incredible. Our ‘side hustle’ has been a success so far, but it wouldn't be a success without our super supportive community. I definitely underestimated how supportive my friends, colleagues, family members and even NZers in general would be. People talk about ‘tall poppy’ syndrome in NZ, but there is also a very very supportive community of people that want to see others succeed. I personally am kicking myself that we didn't start The Curve sooner after seeing everyone's response.
Lastly, sure you are constantly on your feet, jumping from boardroom to boardroom - what are the top bits that are always sitting in your week day bag, how does it change for the weekend?
Sophie: Oh I’m always on the move, going from meetings, to cafes, to co-working spaces. I always have my hard drive, laptop, charger, diary and journal with me. Weekends I ditch the tote and strip it back to basics. Wallet, phone and lip gloss.
Vic: I am quite the same. I always have SO much in my weekday bag; diary, laptop, phone, a million hair ties and tbh my weekend bag looks pretty similar. When you own business the weekdays and weekends tend to merge into one. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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