The more we talk to members of our community, the more we notice some gaps are wider than others. And it’s not just the gap in how much we save and invest because of individual choices and circumstances. There’s a systemic issue many of us don’t realise, and it hits our pockets equally hard.
In case you missed it, Allianz reported that more than one in four Aussies have low financial literacy as of 2023. It’s a haze thick enough to cost Australian households over $7,000 annually.
Now, when you zoom in on these stats, it appears that women are disproportionately bearing this burden. The same study reveals that 34% of women versus 16% of men show lower financial literacy rates. Three in four women (76%) admit they lack confidence in their financial situation. And they often feel at a loss about where to find easy and relatable information on saving and long-term investing.
So, in our latest chat, we talk to two co-founders who are working to change that. Victoria Harris, with a decade in finance, and Sophie Hallwright, with equal time as content producer, combined their expertise to build The Curve . It’s an educational platform where women can talk about money, ask questions, and get ahead of the curve. Together, they are on a mission to help women confidently manage their finances.
Before we go further, here’s a quick run-down of what we explore:
- Building The Curve as a response to the gender gap in financial literacy
- Why wage transparency and money conversations are key to empowering women financially
- Untold truths about entrepreneurship and what it takes to get it up financially
- Personal experiences with the biases and stereotypes that too often influence fair pay
Why Victoria Harris and Sophie Hallwright founded The Curve
We love a good origin story, and The Curve’s is basically born out of a hilarious road trip situation. During their time on the road, they realised there wasn't enough accessible financial content for women. And they recognised it spoke to many financial issues affecting women generally.
The thing about finance is that it contains a lot of jargon. So, initially, Sophie and Victoria tried creating Instagram tiles to answer common questions like “ What is compound interest? ”. However, their first attempts at explaining finance stuff fell a little flat.
Obviously, rewording definitions won’t work for people who are learning about personal finance for the first time. Instead, these folks may need to consume the same content in a different package – maybe through a story or comparison – before it makes sense.
Sophie, having worked on shows like Survivor , decided to approach The Curve like a show itself. What if, instead of one-sided advice, it was a place for open and honest discussions about money? Hence, they started a podcast, and suddenly, everything clicked.
It turns out, when you open the floor for a heart-to-heart on money matters, people have a lot to share. The Curve became the space for bringing our messy money experiences to the table. It’s where those conversations finally happen in a way that’s empowering rather than preachy. Questions are encouraged, and there’s no such thing as a silly one.
More importantly, The Curve has brought representation into a space that’s been, historically speaking, a boys' club. Now, you have two women discussing money openly in a way that resonates with a more inclusive spectrum of experiences and circumstances. And we think that connection matters, especially in closing the super gap and gender pay gap. ( Note: If you’re curious about these topics, definitely check out our past episode, “Why should you care about your super feat. Trenna Probert, CEO of Super Fierce” )
Breaking the taboo of sharing salary or income
A big part of getting your financial ducks in a row is being transparent with the money that comes in. Yet, it's tough to compare notes on salaries, how much (or how little) we saved, or even ask someone to pay their fair share of the bill. Victoria and Sophie completely get it. They even used to avoid money conversations while building a business around…well, talking about money.
But something shifted. They knew how pay secrecy culture holds people back from earning higher incomes and getting better at money. So, they created an anonymous salary spreadsheet. It was a way to break the ice and start talking about pay without all the pressure.
Hundreds of people put their info in, and that data created more understanding around what fair pay might look like. Still, talking about their own pay was tough at first.
For Victoria, she felt uncomfortable because she was a high-earner. And it seemed at odds with helping people learn to manage their money. Would her clients think she was too privileged to get it?
At the same time, she knew the whole point of The Curve was helping people learn about money – including how to get paid more. Thankfully, Sophie helped reframe things for her. She nudged Vic to see her salary as proof of her hard work, her expertise, and a way she could reinvest back into The Curve's mission. Obviously, that mindset flip did the trick.
Why is it so hard to talk about money?
At a glance, money taboo often comes from a place of fear. Victoria’s story earlier proves the point. There’s always the fear of judgment, fear of rejection, and definitely a fear of rocking the boat. And anyone will find it hard to break social conditioning, especially around stuff like how much we earn.
Personally, we may secretly compare ourselves to our friends. And if someone in our circle is doing well, we might feel a pang of envy or insecurity about our own finances. That’s also true the other way around, where if you do well, folks may put unfair expectations on you.
This can easily lead to awkward feelings if money topics come up. It makes it even harder to have honest conversations about our true earning potential or splitting costs equally.
It's a mess, we know, but it gets easier. The more you talk about money, the more comfortable the whole thing feels. Here’s are some ways to approach it:
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Put a dollar on it
It comes down to taking that first uncomfortable step and being open about salary or business finances. Each time you put a dollar figure on your work, a bill, or that splurge-y weekend trip, it gets a little easier. This way, we’re making honest money conversations the norm, so we can all figure out our worth and stop getting the short end. -
Check your mindset
Do guilt, worry, or the fear of judgement creep in when you think about sharing your financial stats? Try reframing things. If you’re good at what you do, you deserve to be compensated fairly. Being open about that empowers you and others.
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Start within your circle
Start with small, safe conversations in your inner circle. Discuss splitting bills more equitably, or practise talking about your savings goals with people you trust.
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Financial transparency is a two-way street
While talking about your money is key, also learn to listen without judgement when others share theirs. Celebrating each other's financial progress creates a culture of honesty and support.
Opening up about The Curve’s business finances
Starting your own business is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. We get fascinated by successful businesses, but what did it really take to get there, financially and emotionally? Sophie and Victoria share lessons learned from their own experience of building The Curve.
Lesson #1: Build a cash buffer or keep your day job while building a business
Starting a business isn’t cheap, especially when you're bootstrapping like Sophie and Victoria did at The Curve. Sophie was the first to work full-time for the platform. She dropped down to a contractor salary so they could pay for the content they needed.
Meanwhile, Victoria kept her full-time job while building the business on nights and weekends. She did this for two and a half years to save $100k. That became her safety net, a financial cushion in case The Curve didn't work out (although it hasn’t been needed).
With limited funds, Sophie and Victoria juggled paying salaries and expenses. Victoria sometimes chipped in a little of her savings to keep things afloat. It was tough, but having that shared purpose – building something they loved – made the sacrifices easier.
Now the business is more stable, but that doesn't mean they're flush. They still have to be careful about managing money and timing payments. The dream of attracting investment and speeding up their growth keeps them motivated.
Lesson #2: Passion makes the grind more bearable
If you're passionate about what you're building, the late nights and the compromises aren't so bad. That doesn't mean every day is an easy one, though. From the stories we’ve heard here, running your own business doesn’t literally mean you'll never work a day in your life. It's still work – it's just work you love, and hopefully, one that will eventually pay off big-time.
Lesson #3: The grass isn't always greener
Of course, there's always that "grass is greener" feeling between business owners and those with traditional jobs. Sure, business owners set their own schedules, but we also forget there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Cashflow worries, late nights, missed holidays – it's all part of the process.
So, it’s fair to say that entrepreneurship is not for everyone. The way we see it, the grass is only greener when you figure out your Why and build a career or business around that. Whichever way you go, there will always be tough days. And those are the times when that passion for your Why keeps you going.
Gender and racial biases and stereotypes affecting fair pay
When we asked Sophie and Vic about their previous creative jobs, they both acknowledged being severely underpaid. Sophie remembers her time working on Australian Survivor , where the work was incredible but the pay was “intern level”. It highlights an uncomfortable truth – that creative roles are often undervalued and underpaid. (That’s not to mention the gender pay gap which permeates many industries.)
For many folks in these fields, it's easy to fall into a scarcity mindset. They start feeling like there's never enough, and that they’ll never earn a decent living doing what they love. It's a tough spot to be in, and it makes it so much harder to build a secure financial future.
If we dig deeper here, a big part of the problem comes down to the stereotypes and biases. Even when we totally don't mean to, we may unconsciously undervalue creative work compared to, say, finance or medicine. And sadly, those biases extend to both gender and race. For instance, we might picture a specific person when we hear "founder" or feel surprised when we get charged the same amount by a female electrician.
It’s not entirely your fault, though. These biases are baked into the system long before we even notice our knee-jerk reactions. But, how do we change that?
Again, it starts with an open conversation. We get it – talking about what’s in your bank account or negotiating a wage can feel like you’re walking into a cold shower. Unpleasant, shocking, but ultimately…it’s refreshing.
Talking about what we earn and what we think others should earn can be a powerful tool for uncovering unequal pay practices. Sophie and Vic encourage us to lean into the discomfort, because on the other side of that awkward chat is a little more fairness and empathy. We learn to challenge the status quo and push for fairer compensation across the board.
Where to find Sophie and Victoria
If this has been an eye-opening session for you, definitely check out Sophie and Vic’s The Curve Weekly podcast. An episode comes out every Monday to give a roundup of news and updates related to business, inflation, money and investing. They also do a longer-form series called “Raising the Curve” where other financial minds share lessons about money and investing. (They did an episode with Ana, so watch out for that one!)
Of course, we'd be so grateful for a little love too. If this episode helped you in any way, consider sharing this with a friend or writing a review. Those little things can help more people discover long-term investing, and it also helps us make our show better.
And if you want to reach out with a question or topic suggestion, you can find us on Instagram at @tashinvest or @anakresina .
Happy investing!
Tash & Ana
