The Curve

Should We Be Investing in Matcha?

🌟 WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 🌟Soph is off having a well-deserved break in the woods this week (miss you Soph - plss come back soon 🥲). In her place, we’ve got Emily stepping out from behind the camera and onto the mic, matcha in hand. And speaking of matcha… it’s officially having a moment. Sales have doubled, cafés are going green, and Gen Z is treating it like the new Aperol Spritz (but healthier, Instagrammable, and about 100 shades brighter). We chat about why little luxuries are booming, the economics behind the matcha craze, and what it tells us about shifting spending habits. Plus, Vic weighs in on Trump’s latest visa drama, Nvidia and OpenAI’s eye-watering $100B deal, Pfizer muscling into the weight-loss drug race, and New Zealand smashing a glass ceiling with its first female central bank governor. Happy Monday everyone!WTF Does That Mean? A Guide to All the Jargony Bits:H-1B Visa – US work visa for skilled jobs (techies, doctors).Market Cap – Total value of a company’s shares.AI Chips – Supercharged computer brains for AI.GLP-1 – Protein in weight-loss drugs that kills cravings.Acquisition – When one company buys another.Obesity Drug Market – The $$$ biz of weight-loss meds.Central Bank – The big boss bank running the economy.Interest Rates – How much it costs to borrow money.Inflation – When prices rise and money buys less.⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Investing Club⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠Disclaimer: 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 Art of Asking for More (and Getting It), with Meggie Palmer.

Ever walked into a pay rise conversation, only to feel your brain switch off and your confidence evaporate faster than your lunch break? You’re not alone. In this episode, Sophie sits down with salary negotiation powerhouse Meggie Palmer to unpack how to prep, practise, and push through those oh-so-awkward money chats. From knowing your “wish, want, walk” numbers, to mastering the art of silence, Meggie shares practical scripts, confidence tricks, and even a “fake tunnel drop-out” hack you’ll want to keep in your back pocket. We also tackle why women are conditioned to feel icky about asking for more, and how to rewire that mindset. Spoiler: you’re adding value - time to own it.PepTalkHer: https://www.peptalkher.com/The original episode with Meggie: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ukKYVeZDXfaBz20qal0Gv?si=Edty--14SLuXqRIWxgkkhQWant the step-by-step guide we put together with Lexus on how to actually afford a big-ticket item (like a car that makes you feel as sleek as you look)? ⁠Grab the free PDF ⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Investing Club⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠Disclaimer: 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 Ben and Jerry’s Post That Just Broke the Internet.

🌟 WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 🌟This week we dig into the very viral Ben & Jerry’s saga - Jerry stepping away after 47 years, the Unilever peace-deal-gone-fraught, and what it really costs to put values ahead of vanilla. We unpack the “independent within a conglomerate” merger setup, the Gaza/Israel flashpoint that turbo-charged tensions, and why brave exits can still break your heart (and your P&L). Then it’s a rapid-fire news: TikTok staying in the U.S. via a new consortium and a licensed algorithm (hello, governance plot twist), China easing up on Google, chatter about shifting U.S. company reporting to twice-yearly, Klarna’s float and first-week vibes, Tesla’s big rebound plus a hefty insider buy (cue our “ethics vs returns” debate), and Sophie’s surprise portfolio hero, SharkNinja. Share, rate, and drop your thoughts - would you invest in Tesla or is that a hard pass?WTF Does That Mean? A Guide to All the Jargony Bits:Merger Agreement – The contract when two companies join.Board of Directors – The decision-making bosses.Independence Clause – “We’ll stay in charge” fine print.PE (Private Equity) – Big funds buying companies.VC (Venture Capital) – Startup money with big hopes.Algorithm – Code that decides your TikTok feed.National Security Risk – Gov-speak for “sketchy data.”Quarterly Reporting – Company report cards, every 3 months.Float / Going Public – When a company sells shares.Insider Buying – Bosses buying their own stock.Defaults – Missed payments.⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Investing Club⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠Disclaimer: 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.

Out of The Blue: Lily’s Lesson on Health Insurance.

Sometimes the biggest lessons arrive completely out of the blue. In this episode, we sit down with 26-year-old Lily Foote, who shares the health scare that made her realise just how important health insurance really is. We talk through what it’s like to get an unexpected diagnosis, the overwhelm that comes with medical jargon, and how ADHD and anxiety can make the whole process even harder to navigate. Lily opens up about the financial relief of being covered, the reality of recovery (two weeks horizontal, not ideal for a self-confessed non-chiller), and the mindset shifts that came with it all. We also dive into why admin feels like climbing a mountain, how to make health insurance less intimidating, and that tricky balance between living in the moment and planning for the future. It’s an important conversation that’s honest, supportive, and might just be the nudge you need to finally tick “sort health insurance” off your list.The Income Protection Episode mentioned in this podcast: A guide to adulting - Getting your Plan B sorted before it’s too late What we share on this podcast reflects our own views and experiences, and not the views of Southern Cross Health Insurance. This is not intended to be a recommendation or financial advice. If you’re interested in getting health insurance, please seek appropriate advice from a qualified professional to suit your circumstances.⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Investing Club⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠Disclaimer: 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.

Murdoch Drama, Lulu Karma & an IPO for Klarna.

🌟 WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 🌟This week on The Curve Weekly, we’ve got a very special guest: Lucy Blakiston from Shit You Should Care About is in the studio - and we LOVED HAVING HER. Together we dive into Rupert Murdoch’s real-life Succession drama, Lululemon’s fall from athleisure grace, and the big one: Klarna finally hit the stock market. The giant IPO’d on the NYSE at $40 a share, shot up to $57, and closed at $45.82 - a neat little 15% glow-up on day one. We break down what that actually means, why Klarna is still losing money (but less than before), and whether you’d want it in your portfolio. Plus: Bowie bonds, activist investors, tube-strike survival stories, weddings that drain your bank account, and one very rogue hair intervention. Finance, but fun - and with Lucy in the mix, chaotic in the best way. 💖Subscribe to Lucy's Substack HERE (we highly recommend it 🙏)Watch our previous episode with Lucy HERE. 🎥WTF Does That Mean? A Guide to All the Jargony Bits:IPO – A company’s stock market debut.Ticker – The code a company trades under (Klarna = KLAR).Valuation – What the market says a company’s worth.On its knees – A stock performing terribly.Activist Investor – Buys shares to shake things up.Bowie Bonds – Musicians borrowing against future royalties.Royalties – Cash artists get when their music’s played.Private Equity – Investors buying companies off-market.Trust – A legal pot of assets (Murdoch-style).Succession Plan – Who takes over next.⁠⁠Leave us a message on The Curve Hotline 💌☎️⁠⁠For more from The Curve:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Investing Club⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠Disclaimer: 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.