The Curve

El Niño is back, and it is already happening. Last time a weather event this strong hit, the global economy lost nearly $6 trillion. This time it is arriving on top of post-war inflation, elevated energy costs, and supply chains that are still finding their feet. We break down what El Niño actually is, why the timing is brutal, and where Vic sees a genuinely interesting long-term investing opportunity sitting inside all of it. Plus: the biggest IPO in history just landed, Elon Musk is officially a trillionaire, and the UK has finally banned social media for under-16s. We get into the financial side of that too, including which platform is going to feel it most.
💍 Getting married, been married, or just been to a lot of weddings? We want to hear from you, fill in our anonymous wedding cost survey here (https://form.typeform.com/to/TUGcMgSC).
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/)
The views expressed by Pathfinder via the Ethical Hotline are of a general nature and are not specific to Pathfinder's product, to learn more about Pathfinder and what they do, please visit their website at www.pathfinder.kiwi
Credits:
Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright
Social & Digital Manager: Lucy Munro
Editor: Isabella Reeve
⁠⁠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://the-curve-rkwjhw.myklpages.com/l/RkcXTd)
Substack (https://thecurveplatform.substack.com/)
Chapters

00:00:00 Coming up in this episode…
00:01:30 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:07:22 Sneak Peak: Wedding Costs
00:09:04 SpaceX: The biggest IPO in history
00:18:14 The Tesla-SpaceX merger rumor
00:20:06 Middle East ceasefire and oil prices
00:21:57 UK bans social media for under 16s
00:28:02 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:29:04 El Niño is here and it's hitting your wallet
00:34:53 The investment opportunity in water infrastructure
00:38:36 Your community question answered
00:42:09 Exciting announcements and what's coming
00:42:55 Thank you for listening!
00:43:33 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.

We've heard Sophie talk about money on this podcast hundreds of times. But this episode? This is different. For the first time, Emily (Podcast Producer) and Lucy (Social Media Manager) here at The Curve sat down with Soph to go deep, from stealing as a six-year-old, to blowing her dad's credit card after the Christchurch earthquake, to arriving in Italy with literally no money despite having 24k in investments. We also hear from Sophie's actual parents (yes, we went there), get the full story on her relationship with money inside a relationship, and land somewhere that honestly made us a little emotional. This one's for the long-time listeners and the brand new ones alike. We hope you love it!

The episode with Vic & Soph’s dads: https://youtu.be/xS75WsX9huo?si=iSl7Q0G_bs4lLbQh

Credits:

Hosts: Emily Rigby & Lucy Munro

Guest: 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 Episode preview…
00:01:05 Welcoming our guest, Sophie Hallwright
00:02:22 How The Curve went from a fictional idea to a real business
00:06:50 Sophie's relationship with money today
00:09:40 The first money memories Sophie has never shared before
00:15:39 Her message from Soph's dad
00:19:28 The Christchurch earthquake, a credit card, and a spiral
00:23:59 How competitive gymnastics shaped everything that came after
00:26:43 A message from Soph's mum
00:28:03 The Italy story: 24k in investments and no money for a bus ticket
00:32:01 The moment everything finally clicked
00:35:08 How she bought two investment properties
00:36:28 Sophie's latest acquisition… a boyfriend
00:42:11 What she'd tell her younger self
00:42:49 Where to from here
00:49:12 Thank you for listening!
00:49:39 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.

A Harvard study of 50,000 people across 25 countries has revealed something surprising about working mothers, and the data is hard to ignore. Soph and Vic unpack the findings, why they're still so relevant in 2025, and what it means for the way we think about work, family, and money. They also get into the lab-grown vs natural diamond debate (it's more divisive than you'd think), and break down the biggest IPO pipeline in history: SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI are all going public within months of each other, adding a combined $3.6 trillion to the US stock market, and Vic gives her honest take on whether retail investors should pay attention or sit this one out.
💍 Getting married, been married, or just been to a lot of weddings? We want to hear from you, fill in our anonymous wedding cost survey here (https://form.typeform.com/to/TUGcMgSC).
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/)
The views expressed by Pathfinder via the Ethical Hotline are of a general nature and are not specific to Pathfinder's product, to learn more about Pathfinder and what they do, please visit their website at www.pathfinder.kiwi
WTF does that mean? A guide to all the jargony bits:
Valuation – What people agree a company is worth. Not always rational.
NASDAQ – A US stock exchange. Where the big tech companies live.
ASX – The Australian stock exchange.
Retail Investor – Everyday people investing their own money. Hi, that's you.
Capital – Money used to grow a business. When companies "raise capital," they need cash.
Motherhood Penalty – The hit women take to their career and earnings after having kids.
Credits:
Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright
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…
00:01:29 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:01:55 The lab-grown vs natural diamond debate
00:08:46 What a Harvard study revealed about working mothers
00:18:21 Why Chemist Warehouse wants to buy Boots
00:32:31 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:33:14 OpenAI's IPO - hype or opportunity?
00:49:42 Your ethical hotline question answered
00:56:48 On Raising The Curve this week…
00:59:14 Thank you for listening!
00:59:52 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.

CONTENT WARNING This episode touches on fertility struggles and the emotional weight of balancing family planning with career ambitions. If this is a sensitive topic for you, please take care of yourself, it's okay to come back to this one when you're ready.

What if the tension between your career and your personal life isn't a you problem, it's a system problem? In this episode, Soph sits down with Dr. Ellen Joan Ford: leadership expert, solo mum, army veteran, and author of Work School Hours. They get into the big, messy, deeply personal question of how we're supposed to build careers we care about while also having a life, and why the way we currently work is making it nearly impossible.

From the motherhood penalty and egg freezing to output vs. hours and why your boss's 8:30am meeting might be ruining someone's morning, this one is full of honest conversation, real research, and genuinely actionable ideas. Whether you're a parent, thinking about becoming one, or just someone who's ever felt like work and life are constantly at war with each other, this episode is for you.

Ellen's free resources + book: ellenjoanford.com Use code TODAY00 at checkout to get the e-book for free!

Credits:

Host: Sophie Hallwright

Guest: Ellen Joan Ford

Editor: Lana Byrne

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 Content Note
00:00:14 Leaving Yourself at the Door: Why "Being Professional" Got It Wrong
00:04:03 The Career vs. Family Dilemma Nobody Prepares You For
00:07:54 This Isn't a Personal Problem — It's a Collective One
00:11:12 Still Ambitious After Kids: Ellen's Story
00:13:11 The Three Uncomfortable Boxes Parents Get Pushed Into
00:16:42 What Egg Freezing Really Says About Your Company
00:21:02 The Motherhood Penalty, Explained
00:24:35 From the Army to Afghanistan to Changing How We Work
00:26:37 Why Investing in Your People Is Never a Waste of Time
00:33:12 Hours Don't Equal Output (And We Need to Stop Pretending They Do)
00:39:39 A Fairer Way to Think About Efficiency at Work
00:41:42 What #WorkSchoolHours Actually Means
00:47:55 Small Changes That Make a Big Difference
00:54:13 The One Thing That Will Make You Better at Work and Life
00:55:17 Where to Find Ellen
00:56:53 Thank you for listening to Raising 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.

Everyone's talking about Anthropic (the AI company behind Claude), and it’s plans to go public at a valuation of nearly a trillion dollars. But is this the dawn of a new era, or are we living through dot-com déjà vu? We break down what Anthropic's IPO actually means for everyday investors, why a company that's only just turning profitable could be worth that much, and whether we should all be very, very nervous. We also dig into Warren Buffett's successor making his first big moves at Berkshire Hathaway, including a $10 billion bet on Alphabet (Google) and what that signals about AI's staying power. Plus, Jay Shetty has just signed a $100 million deal with both Spotify and Netflix simultaneously, and Sophie reports back from South by Southwest London on what it means for the future of podcasting.

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:

Credits:

Hosts: Victoria Harris & Sophie Hallwright

Producer & Editor: Emily Rigby

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…
00:01:29 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:02:00 Did you see us on TV?!
00:03:56 The Trillion Dollar Anthropic IPO
00:26:26 Pathfinder x The Curve
00:27:19 Berkshire Hathaway’s making it rain!
00:36:47 Netflix & Spotify purchase a new podcast
00:43:56 This week on Raising The Curve...
00:45:37 Thank you for listening!
00:46:15 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.