The Curve

The Curve Platform

The Curve is a platform to learn more about money. To change the stereotype that these conversations are typically boring, and only for men in suits. Victoria has worked in the finance and investing world for 13 years, and Sophie is a total novice. Learn alongside her as she asks all the questions you're thinking, but might feel a little embarrassed to ask. This podcast will give you all the tools and knowledge to achieve financial freedom, as well as (hopefully) having a laugh along the way. New episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! 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

  1. 5 hr ago

    7 Questions to Ask Before You Buy an Investment Property.

    Before Pete West buys a single investment property, he runs through 7 questions - skip one, and it could cost you thousands. Soph sits down with Pete (the property investor she's worked with on two of her own investments) to break down exactly what he looks for before he buys anything. This isn't about finding your dream home, it's a practical framework for assessing an investment property before you buy. Pete shares the Google Maps trick he uses before even visiting a property, why "the best suburb you can afford" beats a bigger house in a worse one, and the expensive fixes that add zero value versus the ones that do. He also covers how to spot asbestos, dodgy foundations, and unconsented work before they become your problem, plus a real case study: $525k purchase, $70k renovation, $715k revaluation. If you're buying your first investment property, or just want to understand how the pros do it, this one gives you a checklist to take straight to your next viewing. Pete’s Links Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/peterwestproperty) Website (https://www.westpropertycoaching.co.nz/) We're proud to be partnering with BNZ, because no two journeys to home ownership are the same. BNZ's home loan experts are there to help you navigate the process with confidence – from search to signing 👉 To learn more, head here. Credits: Host: Sophie Hallwright Guest: Peter West Producer: Emily Rigby 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠Instagram ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠TikTok ⁠Newsletter 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.

    7 Questions to Ask Before You Buy an Investment Property.
  2. 2 days ago

    Do you have "Emma Grede Disease"? Unpacking founder culture's biggest myth.

    "Emma Grede disease" is TikTok's new shorthand for our collective obsession with founder culture - the private jets, the polished business profile, the highlight reel version of building something from nothing. This week, Soph and Emma unpack where the term came from and whether it holds up, using Grede's Start With Yourself as the springboard for a wider conversation about what success in business actually requires: the trade-offs, the years of unseen graft, and why the aesthetic of success is so often mistaken for the substance of it. They cover the rise of the creator economy and Time's 100 Creators list, why personal brand has become a career asset in itself, the case for staying employed longer in your 20s to build skills before going out alone, and why women get punished for failing publicly in a way men rarely are. What do you think of these episodes? Take our survey here to tell us what you think: https://form.typeform.com/to/nAMRC7oj 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: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris Guest: Emma-Louise Boynton Producer: Emily Rigby 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming Up In This Episode… 00:00:39 The Curve x Generate 00:00:57 Birthdays, Watches & Being In the Green (Quick Catch Up) 00:03:34 What We're Unpacking Today 00:05:33 What Is "Emma Grede Disease"? (The TikTok Term Explained) 00:16:51 Inside Time's 100 Creators List: Who's Actually Making Money 00:29:22 Take Our Listener Survey! 00:30:18 Do You Need a Personal Brand to Build a Successful Business? 00:38:23 The Curve x Generate 00:39:00 Your 20s vs 30s: Employed, Freelance or Founder? 00:47:00 The Last Taboo: Why We Can't Talk About Failure 00:56:44 Thank You For Listening 00:57:22 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.

    Do you have "Emma Grede Disease"? Unpacking founder culture's biggest myth.
  3. 4 days ago

    Samsonite buys BÉIS, Selena Gomez gets sued & Anthropic's $1 trillion IPO

    Samsonite just bought a chunk of Shay Mitchell's luggage brand Beis; a 116-year-old company getting cool by buying it rather than building it. We unpack why this "buy vs. build" move makes sense (and what it means for celebrity-backed brands generally). Then: Selena Gomez is being sued for fraud by Wondermind investors after 3 years of alleged radio silence, is this a case of where there's smoke, there's fire? And finally, Anthropic's revenue has gone from $9bn to $65bn in six months, putting it on track to be the largest tech IPO in history. We break down what that growth actually means, why valuing it is nearly impossible, and whether founders keeping outsized control post-IPO should worry everyday investors. Plus: our ethical hotline tackles whether it's ethical to invest in space, with Lily from Pathfinder. Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM and if you want to check out any of the questions we've already answered you can find them here! (https://pathfinder.kiwi/pathfinder-x-the-curve/) WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits: Revenue Multiple — What a company sells for, priced as a multiple of its yearly sales. Annual Run Rate — One good month, times 12, dressed up as a yearly forecast. IPO — Going public: selling chunks of your company to literally anyone with a brokerage app. Public Benefit Corporation — A B Corp, but with a lawyer standing behind it. Short Report — A hedge fund trash-talking a stock it's secretly betting against. Cap Table — The receipt for who owns how much of the company. Outsized Voting Rights — Own 5%, control 100% - founder magic. Shareholders' Agreement — The paperwork that saves you from finding out the hard way. Angel Investor — One rich person, one big check, one leap of faith. Credits: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris Producer: Emily Rigby Editor: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming Up 00:00:55 Pathfinder x The Curve 00:01:21 Sophie's Birthday & Catch-Up 00:03:10 Samsonite Buys Shay Mitchell's Beis 00:18:49 Pathfinder x The Curve 00:19:38 Selena Gomez's Wondermind Lawsuit 00:27:54 Anthropic's Trillion-Dollar IPO 00:41:32 Ethical Hotline: Investing in Space 00:48:27 Thanks for Listening! 00:49:02 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.

    Samsonite buys BÉIS, Selena Gomez gets sued & Anthropic's $1 trillion IPO
  4. 20 Aug

    Is your wedding for you, or for Instagram?

    Over 50% of US couples go into debt paying for their wedding, and 1 in 3 regret how much they spent. So what's actually driving the cost up, and what do people wish they'd spent their money on instead? Sophie sits down with Margie Riddiford, co-founder of wedding platform Veil, to unpack the results of The Curve's own audience survey alongside global spending data from New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the US. They get into the "wedding tax," and why spending money on preserving memories is the one investment that pays off every time. Also, don’t miss the unspoken reality of family financial contributions and the strings that can come attached. Whether you have your special day coming up or love being nosey about wedding mishaps, this episode has you covered. Check out the Weddings Survey results here … https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/p/the-true-cost-of-weddings Margie’s links … Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/margieriddiford) Massive thanks to our sponsors for this episode; VEIL Magazine and Milkbooks. 🕊️ VEIL is this gorgeous print mag all about real romance, ritual and modern matrimony - definitely worth a browse at https://www.veil-magazine.com/ 📸 Milkbooks make photo albums you'll actually want to keep forever, not just shove in a drawer, check them out at https://www.milkbooks.com/ Credits: Host: Sophie Hallwright Guest: Margie Riddiford Producer: Emily Rigby 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming up in this episode … 00:01:03 An introduction to Margie & Veil 00:08:40 How did weddings get so expensive 00:13:36 The influence of social media 00:16:21 “The wedding tax” 00:19:20 Margie’s own wedding 00:23:03 What the community do and don’t value spending money on 00:38:55 Family contributions to weddings 00:41:45 The trade off between your wedding vs your future 00:46:09 Final thoughts 00:49:10 Thanks for listening! 00:49:38 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.

    Is your wedding for you, or for Instagram?
  5. 16 Aug

    Alix Earle vs Alex Cooper: the tea is in the balance sheets.

    Sophie and Vic get into why Alix Earle might be one of the smartest businesswomen on the internet right now, quietly building her own VC firm off the back of her TikTok reach. They put her playbook up against Alex Cooper's, whose media company Unwell just hit a $500 million valuation, and break down who's actually building the bigger empire. Plus, El Niño is compounding the global warming effects we’re already witnessing, and it's about to hit your coffee and chocolate. But first, Spotify could soon be revealing your favourite artist is secretly AI …  Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM and if you want to check out any of the questions we've already answered you can find them here! (https://pathfinder.kiwi/pathfinder-x-the-curve/) WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits: VC (venture capital) Money invested in early-stage companies with high growth potential. Cap table The list of who owns what in a private company. Valuation What a business is worth on paper, not what's in the bank. Private equity Investment firms that buy stakes in more established companies. Return on investment What you get back compared to what you put in. Angel investing Early money from friends, family or individuals before VCs get involved. Credits: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright & Vic Harris Producer: Emily Rigby Editor: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming up in today’s episode … 00:00:55 Pathfinder x The Curve 00:01:25 Vic has betrayed us 00:10:00 Spotify’s new AI badges 00:17:16 Alix Earle’s new VC firm 00:28:11 Alex Cooper’s media empire 00:34:00 Pathfinder x The Curve 00:35:01 El niño and Global warming 00:36:15 Community Question 00:50:35 Thanks for listening 00:51:45 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.

    Alix Earle vs Alex Cooper: the tea is in the balance sheets.
  6. 6 Aug

    Money buys freedom, not things: a financial coach explains.

    Hannah Mayfield swapped a career in fashion for financial coaching, and now teaches thousands of people how to build real financial freedom, not just save for the sake of it. In this episode, she and Sophie talk about why there's no single "right" way to manage your money, and how to invest ethically without it becoming all-consuming. They also unpack the "singles tax," the invisible financial gap women face after having kids, and why the healthiest relationship with money might be a fluid one rather than a rigid, rule-bound one. If you've ever felt like money is something to survive rather than something that buys you options, this conversation might just change that. Hannah’s links … Website (https://www.whatiswealth.io/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hannahwhatiswealth/) LinkedIn (https://www.instagram.com/hannahwhatiswealth/) Credits: Hosts: Sophie Hallwright Editor: Kate Callaghan Producer: 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming up in this episode … 00:01:05 Hannah’s money journey 00:07:54 The UK property market 00:16:19 Analysing your attitude towards money 00:21:05 Demystifying ethical investing 00:29:26 Quickfire Questions 00:43:53 Thanks for listening 00:45:03 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.

    Money buys freedom, not things: a financial coach explains.
  7. 2 Aug

    50k guaranteed or flip for a million? (The answer says a lot about you).

    Would you take a guaranteed 50k or flip a coin for a shot at 1 million? A new YouGov poll reveals a huge gender gap in who's willing to take the risk, and Sophie and Abi discuss whether it's really about risk appetite, or just financial education. Then: why billionaires are buying up land in New Zealand, and how a Kiwi rocket company just spent $8 billion trying to take on Elon Musk. Plus, an AI model "hacked its way out" of a locked test environment (yes, it's as creepy as it sounds), why Apple just became the world's most valuable company while the rest of the Magnificent 7 wobble, and how Dior single-handedly propped up LVMH's entire luxury empire. And in this week's listener question, Abi breaks down the UK's triple lock pension, and why she thinks it's quietly unsustainable. We are so proud to have created a fund that has been designed essentially by you - The Curve Community. To find out more visit https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ Submit your money and morals question to The Ethical Hotline: https://form.typeform.com/to/BZHujjGM and if you want to check out any of the questions we've already answered you can find them here! (https://pathfinder.kiwi/pathfinder-x-the-curve/) Abi’s Links ⁠The Money Manual Book⁠: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/46857... ⁠Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/abigailrosefoster/ ⁠TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@abigailrosefoster ⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmvbS2HZTs72pst13nBEmJw/videos Substack: https://elent.substack.com/ WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits: Expected value - Maths' posh way of saying "just flip the coin." Loss aversion - Why losing £20 hurts more than finding £20 feels good. Golden visa - Buy a big enough house, get a passport thrown in. Magnificent 7 - The 7 US tech giants worth more than whole countries. Sandbox testing - Letting an AI loose in a locked playpen to see what it breaks. Circular financing - Mates' companies paying each other and calling it growth. Triple lock - The state pension's built-in "always go up" button. Double lock - Triple lock's cheaper, less generous sibling. State pension - The government's weekly hand-me-down, currently ~£241. Workplace pension - The pot you and your employer actually build up. Universal Credit - The state pension's cousin, minus the good PR. Inflation eroding savings - Same money, shrinking spending power. Credits: Host: Sophie Hallwright Guest: Abi Foster Producer: Emily Rigby Editor: Kate Callaghan Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro ⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠ For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 Coming up in this episode… 00:01:14 Pathfinder x The Curve 00:01:43 It's official: The Curve Fund has launched! 00:03:35 In the red or green? 00:04:11 Would you flip a coin for 1 million? 00:12:34 Why billionaires are buying up New Zealand 00:21:54 Pathfinder x The Curve 00:22:35 The AI model that hacked its way out 00:29:14 How Dior single-handedly saved LVMH 00:34:42 Your question: is the triple lock pension sustainable? 00:41:50 Thanks for listening! 00:42:27 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.

    50k guaranteed or flip for a million? (The answer says a lot about you).
  8. 31 Jul

    Introducing… The Curve Investments.

    The secret's finally out: The Curve Investments is FINALLY here. If you've been with us since the dusty, windowless studio days, this is the moment we've been building towards since episode one. If you're new here, welcome, you've picked a big week to join. In this episode, we sit down to unpack the biggest announcement The Curve has ever made: why it's taken years (and a lot of behind-the-scenes tears) to get here, what it actually means to invest alongside us, and why Vic left a career in funds management only to walk straight back into it, this time, on her own terms. Expect honesty about the hard bits plus all the detail on how the fund works, who it's for, and just how little you need to get started. This one's a big deal. Get comfy. We are so proud to have created a fund that has been designed essentially by you - The Curve Community. To find out more visit https://thecurveinvestments.co.nz/ ‘Why now is never the right time to invest.’ : https://youtu.be/mt6Q4-wRvIY?si=9ULFhcl4yjcrP424 Credits: Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright Producer & 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:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ (https://thecurveplatform.com/) ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ (https://www.instagram.com/thecurveplatform/)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ (https://youtube.com/@thecurveplatform?si=nlCWqqqySWOzYlj3) ⁠TikTok⁠⁠ (https://www.tiktok.com/@thecurveplatform)⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Newsletter⁠⁠ (https://thecurve.co.nz/pages/sign-up-to-the-curve-weekly) Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/) Chapters 00:00:00 The announcement we've been sitting on 00:01:05 Fund vs fund manager: what's the difference? 00:07:53 Why Vic wanted a different route 00:13:12 Recording our very first episode 00:15:42 Raising capital + the investing club 00:25:09 How the fund actually works 00:35:05 Who can invest? 00:36:10 What the fund will invest in 00:39:16 Fund investing vs DIY investing 00:40:56 How Vic's feeling about it 00:49:06 Thank you for listening! 00:49:33 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. The Curve Investments Limited is the Manager and Issuer of The Curve Fund. Product Disclosure Statements are available at thecurveinvestments.co.nz.

    Introducing… The Curve Investments.

About

The Curve is a platform to learn more about money. To change the stereotype that these conversations are typically boring, and only for men in suits. Victoria has worked in the finance and investing world for 13 years, and Sophie is a total novice. Learn alongside her as she asks all the questions you're thinking, but might feel a little embarrassed to ask. This podcast will give you all the tools and knowledge to achieve financial freedom, as well as (hopefully) having a laugh along the way. New episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! 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