The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys

Cashing in is great, but we think banking on yourself is even better. That terrifying plunge into entrepreneurship is real, but you shouldn’t let the fear of the unknown sideline your ambition. Today’s guest can attest to exactly that. Doone Roisin, founder of The Female Startup Club, is on The Pay Off this week giving a masterclass on being bold, building community, and beating the odds. In this episode, Doone opens up about her liberating decision to become a full-time entrepreneur, her slightly mischievous tactics for getting a CEO's attention and why she’s spending plenty of her time “talking to smart women”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear it constantly on this podcast: ETFs are the most powerful tool for building wealth today. But what separates a good ETF from a bad one, and how do you even start? Sebastian Mullins is the Head of Multi-Asset and Fixed Income at Schroders Australia and joins The Pay Off to provide the ultimate guide on becoming an investing powerhouse. Sebastian breaks down what an ETF is, how to harness the power of compounding for beginners, and the real cost of "sitting on the sidelines" in today's market. From Active vs. Passive ETFs, why the traditional 60/40 portfolio is broken, and what a truly modern, diversified portfolio looks like now, Sebastian offers practical advice on how to start investing and what excites him most about the near financial future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you build a billion-dollar beauty empire based on high-end imitation? For our guest today on The Pay Off, Shelley Sullivan, founder of ModelCo and the explosive mass-market brand MCoBeauty, imitation wasn't just flattery—it was a calculated, brilliant, and controversial marketing strategy. Shelley's journey began with an entrepreneurial spark, launching a modelling agency at 21 before spotting a gap and revolutionising the industry with "tan-in-a-can" and the first heated lash curler. But it was MCoBeauty, launched in 2016 with a "luxe for less" mandate, that became a massive disruptor, recently valued at over $1 billion. In this conversation, Shelley opens up about the strategic genius and the intense pressure of her business model, her decision to sell her remaining stake in the company and the power of intuition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a statement that broke the internet—and simultaneously hit the nail on the head. “It is extremely difficult to be a 30-year-old in Australia right now” was the powerful sentiment which sent today’s guest viral online… So let’s talk about it. Advertising giant, podcaster and media personality, Russel Howcroft, joins The Pay Off today for some real talk. Russel doesn't mince words: he explains exactly why it's never been tougher for young people to get ahead financially right now. From the clever tactics companies use to get you to spend your cash to how Gruen changed the trajectory of his career, Russel shares the best advice and most engaging anecdotes we could pack into one episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes life can feel picture perfect – until it doesn’t. In this episode of The Pay Off, Sylvia sits down with financial advisor, professional wealth coach, and author, Gemma Mitchell, to talk about financially rebuilding from the ground up when inevitable curveballs—like divorce or sudden job loss—get thrown our way. Gemma, who built what looked like the 'perfect life'—the job, the house, the investments—only to have it crumble with a sudden divorce at 28, shares her raw, personal journey and how she’s rewriting her money story. Gemma dives into the simple, non-negotiable steps we should all take right now to kick off our own Money Reset, as detailed in her new book, The Money Reset.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.