The Curve

Dani is a chartered accountant who grew up logging every cent in a little book, saving 10% of her allowance and paying for her own toothpaste. So when she says you should be spending more on yourself, it’s worth listening. After years of putting every penny towards future her, she burnt out, quit her job and broke her foot on day five of a silent retreat. This week Soph and Dani get into what she’d spend on now, why saving everything for future you can backfire, how much buffer to give yourself before a big leap, and the lesson she learnt the hard way about starting work without a deposit. Dani is now living off her savings to build Demi, a financial planning platform for women.
Dani’s Instagram … https://www.instagram.com/iamdanigama/
Check out Demi … https://meetdemi.com/
Credits:
Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Victoria Harris
Producer: Kate Callaghan
Editor: Emily Rigby
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)
For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en
Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/
Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/
The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/
⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw
⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform
Chapters

00:00:00 Episode preview...
00:01:03 Dani's unique money upbringing
00:08:50 Money must have a purpose
00:13:08 The financial and physical glow-up
00:15:54 Don’t save at the expense of yourself
00:22:42 Your emergency fund is the first step to freedom
00:26:35 Motherhood, caregiving and perimenopause: the hidden cost to women’s wealth
00:33:18 Rewriting the plan: what needs to change
00:39:01 How to plan for a family before you have one
00:42:57 Career and kids: why it’s both or nothing
00:46:04 What same-sex couples get right about sharing the load
00:47:25 Start planning for your future self today
00:52:47 Thank you for listening!
00:53:07 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Someone in The Curve community sent us a screenshot that sums it up: a supervisor finding out the man they supervise earns £4k more than them. Right now only 51% of UK job ads list a salary, but the government plans to make it compulsory. Soph and Emma-Louise Boynton get into what’s changing and why women and minority applicants are 25% more likely to apply when the pay is listed. They also cover how to negotiate as if the law were already here, using Meggie Palmer’s wish, want and walk numbers. Then, nearly half of Australians think they’re overeducated for their job. Emma brings the data on which degrees pay off and which don’t, and the two of them find out how their own degrees stack up. Not financial advice.
Want to become an expert negotiator? Watch our episode with Maggie Palmer … https://youtu.be/ZTwXB7o3Ps8?si=h0cLM0_QO5n8I9V1
Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve
Credits:
Host: Sophie Hallwright & Emma-Louise Boynton
Producer: Kate Callaghan
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)
For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en
Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/
Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/
The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/
⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw
⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform
Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode …
00:01:15 Generate x The Curve
00:01:33 You need to see the Elizabeth Holmes doc
00:06:52 How pay transparency can help you
00:26:45 Are your qualifications worth anything?
00:47:25 Thanks for listening
00:47:45 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.
Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures.
*Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every quarter since becoming eligible in June 2023. Most recently the fund ranked 2nd out of 10 funds for 10 year returns to 31 March 2026.

The US midterms sent markets soaring, then a day later they fell hard. Vic explains what spooked investors and what a fund manager actually weighs up when prices drop: buy now, or wait for them to fall further? Then it’s The Curve Fund’s October update. Google’s parent company Alphabet lost US$500 billion in a single day, and Vic explains why using something we all understand, your own pay packet. Plus, the EssilorLuxottica heir airing his family’s business on podcasts, and why investors care. And David Jones, the department store older than Harrods, has gone into administration. We cover what that means for the brands it stocks and anyone still holding a gift card. Not financial advice.
Thanks to Xero for supporting this episode. Get 90% off your first six months of Xero, the all-in-one accounting software for small businesses: https://referrals.xero.com/curve
We're so proud to have created a fund shaped by you, The Curve community. To find out more, visit thecurveinvestments.co.nz.
The Curve Investments Limited is the issuer and manager of The Curve Fund. The Product Disclosure Statement is available at thecurveinvestments.co.nz/pages/the-legal-stuff. The Curve Investments Limited is part of The Curve group, and the hosts of this podcast have an interest in it. This is general information only, not financial advice. Investing involves risk and returns aren't guaranteed.
Wondering whether an investment actually lines up with your values? 👉 Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM 
Credits:
Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris
Producer: Kate Callaghan
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠
For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en
Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/
Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/
The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/
⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw
⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform
Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in today's episode ...
00:01:04 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:01:27 What’s going on in the markets??
00:18:02 Fund update
00:30:59 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:31:31 Xero x The Curve
00:32:51 Is David Jones collapsing?
00:46:48 Thanks for listening!
00:47:07 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Madi Stefanis was introduced to investing by her mum at 18, starting with small, regular amounts from her paycheck. Now 26 and the founder of 35mm Co., she invests every Friday, matches every designer purchase with the same amount invested, and keeps six months of expenses in an emergency fund.
This episode is investing for beginners, told through the lens of someone who started small and stayed consistent: the money beliefs Madi grew up with, what she counts as an investment (and what she doesn’t), and what needs to be true about your finances before you even open an investing app.
We also get into how she’s set up AI as her money soundboard: the information she gives it, the prompts she uses to understand her spending, how it helps her decide where a lump sum should go, and why she never uses it in isolation.
Missed Madi’s first episode? Hear how her side hustle from her bedroom floor became 35mm Co.: https://youtu.be/a2sFHsTUHRk?si=H04XwGjPTggt_Bu0
Madi’s links …
35mm Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/35mm_co
35mmco.com: https://35mmco.com/?srsltid=AYCX9vLhyFUH53eW3x-l4LVjPWWjhQ01jarReWvFjgrnEDbLFbsoXHjy
Madi’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madistefanis
More information on AI and cybersecurity … https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeND7JsOdn7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&exln=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Check out IOU (The Practical Lessons) here: https://thecurveplatform.com/
We’re proud to be partnering with BNZ. There’s an art to starting something new, and like any art form, you need the right tools to make it work. Whether you’re flatting, saving to travel, or making a career move, BNZ has the tools to help you master your money from the get-go.
Credits:
Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris
Producer: Kate Callaghan
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)
For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en
Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/
Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/
The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/
⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw
⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform
Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in today’s episode
00:00:45 BNZ x The Curve
00:01:22 Personal information disclaimer
00:02:11 Madi’s new launch
00:05:21 In the red or green?
00:07:45 Relationship with money growing up
00:17:16 Madi and Soph’s investments
00:24:43 Making the leap into investing
00:29:35 How to use AI as a financial sounding board
00:40:58 How to structure your investments
00:48:47 Extra credit
00:50:39 BNZ x The Curve

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.

Anthropic just filed to go public, and it could be the biggest IPO in history. Vic breaks down what’s actually in the filing: wild revenue growth, a cash pile bigger than Apple’s and Nvidia’s combined, and an unusual share structure. She also has a big question about why Anthropic is listing now. We cover who can actually buy in, depending on where you live. Then, Mark Zuckerberg is creating a new class of Meta shares with no voting rights at all. Soph starts out on his side. She doesn’t stay there.
Thanks so much to Generate for making The Curve Weekly possible. Generate has a really impressive 10-year track record, to find out more about their performance click here: generatekiwisaver.co.nz/performance. But remember, a great track record doesn’t guarantee future returns! If you’d like to speak to an advisor, to see if Generate is right for you, you can book time with someone here: https://www.generatewealth.co.nz/curve
Thank you to our partner Lexus New Zealand for supporting The Curve, and for reminding us that being good with money includes enjoying what you’ve worked hard for.
Credits:
Host: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris
Editor: Kate Callaghan
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/pages/the-curve-hotline)
For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/?hl=en
Substack: https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/
Website: https://thecurveplatform.com/
The Curve Investments: https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/
⁠YouTube⁠⁠: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFT_HdjhtoRIwPTmQy2TNLw
⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform
Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in today’s episode
00:00:52 Generate x The Curve
00:01:11 FinFest debrief
00:04:37 Anthropic’s IPO
00:27:01 Generate x The Curve
00:27:38 Lexus x The Curve
00:27:57 What’s icky about Zuckerberg?
00:45:24 Thanks for listening!
00:45:45 Financial disclaimer

Disclaimer: Raising The Curve has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes. Any information provided and serviced described in this website are intended to be of general nature and provide general information only. The opinions expressed by The Curve do not constitute investment advice.
Generate’s Product Disclosure Statement and Financial Advice Provider License can be found here: GenerateKiwiSaver.co.nz/disclosures.
*Morningstar KiwiSaver Survey March Quarter End 2026. The Generate Focused Growth Fund returns have ranked in the top three of NZ Multi Sector Aggressive Category Funds for 10 year returns every quarter since becoming eligible in June 2023. Most recently the fund ranked 2nd out of 10 funds for 10 year returns to 31 March 2026.