Latest / The Curve / RTC62: Jess Quinn talks about the price of losing her leg (literally)

Transcript

RTC62: Jess Quinn talks about the price of losing her leg (literally) · The Curve

0:00
Welcome to the Curve Podcast, a conversation for women who want to learn more about money.
0:07
They are money for the future they want to have.
0:10
We're all busy and the pursuit for financial confidence and increasing your wealth should be a simple one.
0:16
So thank you for being here and for listening because together we really can raise the curve.
0:23
Morning, I would like to welcome in the studio a very amazing young woman.
0:28
We have Jess Quinn in the studio.
0:31
You've got a round of applause that never happens.
0:33
Yeah, I would say I would go as far as saying household name.
0:38
But for those who don't know, there's quite a few achievements.
0:43
How long do we have?
0:47
What if I had to start your Friday that we just have someone else just like see you're achieving this?
0:52
Any time you need the ego fluff and you just pop on and off.
0:55
Firstly, your massive social media presence.
0:58
Which also I actually do think is something to congratulate because there's a lot of people who use social media and potentially are somewhat questionable way.
1:07
And I think that you are one of those people on the internet that make it a kind of brighter place.
1:12
You're reaching new and present.
1:14
Congratulations.
1:16
You've also been dancing with the stars.
1:19
I would never.
1:21
I said I would never as well.
1:23
Oh my gosh, this morning we're like me and some of us article in the New Zealand here this morning and someone sent it to me now like next stop dancing at the stars.
1:30
I was like, no, no, no.
1:33
I had this coordination.
1:35
Absolutely.
1:37
I had spent the first or second lockdown together and I would do these online dance classes just literally.
1:42
And I was like, come join it and be like, she was like, absolutely not.
1:46
I feel embarrassed watching you.
1:49
But also, most importantly, you kick cancer at the age of nine years old, which is absolutely incredible.
1:57
And you're a fitness and wellness advocate and you build a career around helping people through adversity.
2:03
It's just generally a thing.
2:05
There's probably a lot that I've forgotten about.
2:07
Oh, you've just added a new podcast.
2:09
You've just added a new podcast.
2:10
Yep.
2:11
Welcome to the club.
2:12
Thank you.
2:13
We're lucky enough to be on me.
2:14
So I was already barking.
2:15
But welcome.
2:16
Thank you.
2:17
Yeah.
2:18
We're so sorry to be here.
2:19
It feels like we've got a friend.
2:20
I know.
2:21
I know.
2:22
I know.
2:23
I know.
2:24
I know.
2:25
But I'm so nice to have you here.
2:26
I think what I would first like to say is a lot of your work I think is around helping people through challenging situations with uplifting kind of.
2:32
Yeah.
2:33
But does it ever, do you ever feel like, ah, do we have, do we need to mention the leg or is it something that you still feel really happy and comfortable talking about?
2:42
Definitely both.
2:43
Like I have days where I'm like, oh, please don't make me talk about this.
2:46
And then I have days where on not even days like once I talk about it, I always feel so good to talk about.
2:51
And I also remind myself that this is the, the career in the world that I've built in terms of the storytelling that I do is literally what I do for a job.
3:01
And it's a huge part of me, but there's definitely been times like I've been doing this for seven years now.
3:05
I think publicly sharing my story and I think for the first part, I was like, this is also maybe the first three years.
3:11
And then I burnt out really bad because I realized like constantly reliving your traumas also quite bad feeling to help.
3:17
But like therapists that I've seen would definitely probably prefer I was in a different job.
3:21
So I've just set boundaries and I just say, notice things if I'm not feeling up to it, I guess.
3:29
But yeah, definitely when you're especially on social media sharing something so personal all the time and then also receiving back after as well.
3:36
You're carrying the weight of other people's stories and I do that proudly, but at the same time you have to be in a space where you can handle to do that, you know.
3:45
And I think also sometimes when, you know, I remember when I did like gymnastics as a kid, for example, and I was the gymnast and everyone just referred to me as that.
3:54
Also make real wood chocolate pie.
3:56
Do you know what I mean?
3:57
I think there's sometimes an element as well, which I imagine you again come in and out of feeling where you're like,
4:02
can we just be just couldn't I just be just without the other stuff?
4:06
Totally. And also like with my own, I guess in my own mind, like who actually am I if I don't have with my leg?
4:12
I don't have my leg.
4:13
But you know, if I don't have anything wrong with my leg, you know, it defined it defined me a lot.
4:19
And people like say that a lot like don't let your adversity define you.
4:22
And I'm like let it define you, but choose the definition.
4:24
You know, it doesn't have to be like I don't have to be disabled and negative because I think a lot of people put those two things together in the media.
4:30
And it's really not how it is.
4:32
So a lot of my storytelling has been to change that.
4:35
But at the same time it has defined me a lot because yeah, I don't have a career or many things without that because there's a lot of what I talk about.
4:42
And I do deal with that a lot because I'm like, yeah, if I didn't have this, what would I be doing?
4:47
But at the same time, I'm doing these amazing things because I have this.
4:50
So you just pick which side you look at it, I guess.
4:52
Did it take you a while to kind of come to that mindset, you know, that kind of more positive mindset around like I'm going to use this.
4:58
Not to my advantage, but you know, to create a positive story.
5:02
Rather than, you know, because there must have been a whole lot of kind of mental setbacks early on.
5:08
Yes or no, when I was sick, I think, you know, I talk about like nature versus nurture quite a lot.
5:12
I want people like, how are you always so positive?
5:14
And I just think a lot of it was just instilled in me like my parents are just absolutely incredible and how they handled what I went through as a kid is mind blowing.
5:21
And she's pretty awesome.
5:24
She's pretty cool and dead.
5:26
Yeah, pretty awesome too.
5:27
And I think I did just have a really positive attitude.
5:30
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:31
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:34
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:37
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:38
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:39
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:40
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:41
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:42
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:43
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:44
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:45
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:46
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:47
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:48
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:49
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:50
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:51
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:52
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:53
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:54
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:55
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:56
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:57
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:58
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
5:59
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:00
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:06
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:07
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:08
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:09
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:10
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:11
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:12
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:13
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:14
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:15
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:16
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:17
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:18
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:19
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:20
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:21
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:22
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:23
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:24
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:25
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:26
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:27
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:28
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:29
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:31
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:32
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:38
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:40
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:41
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:42
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:43
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:45
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:46
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:47
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:48
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:49
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:50
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:51
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:52
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:53
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:55
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:56
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:57
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:58
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
6:59
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:00
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:02
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:03
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:04
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:07
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:08
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:09
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:11
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:12
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:14
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:15
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
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And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:18
And I think I did have a positive attitude.
7:20
Wow, that's amazing.
7:21
And so a lot of people didn't survive the surgery before you.
7:24
There was a one girl who had it done.
7:25
It was just really rare.
7:26
And she had other complications.
7:27
So she, unfortunately, passed away.
7:28
And then, yeah, I was, I guess, the next one.
7:31
And yeah, I think there's nine, nine to 12 of us in New Zealand now.
7:34
Sorry, but that is just unbelievable.
7:36
It's such a young age to go through such a huge surgery.
7:39
And also, did you comprehend at the time really what was happening?
7:43
Or do you think there was a level of, like,
7:45
not naivety is bliss, but you know,
7:47
when people who are younger get cancer,
7:49
they often are just like, oh, I'm going to be fine.
7:51
Because you just don't realize the magnitude of what's happening, maybe.
7:56
Yeah, definitely that.
7:57
And I'm always grateful that I went through it as a kid.
7:59
I've been told people who have gone through it.
8:01
Like in their 20s and they've already learned to drive.
8:03
And they have a girlfriend.
8:04
And you know, all of these kind of things.
8:05
And you're like, like, you just know so much more.
8:07
And even me as an adult, like, my fear has gotten so much worse.
8:10
I've gotten older because you know more.
8:12
Whereas when you're a kid, you don't really know anything.
8:15
And so for me, I knew what was going on.
8:17
They kept me really in the loop.
8:18
But I don't think I really understood the implications of what it would mean for my future.
8:23
Like, I remember a point in my teenage years where it hit me.
8:25
And I was like, I want to die without a leg.
8:27
Like, as in like, it just hit me how permanent the situation was.
8:30
After losing my leg, I just jumped straight back to life
8:32
because I just wanted to get back to birthday parties again.
8:34
Naivety of a child.
8:35
It was amazing.
8:36
And I didn't hide away.
8:37
And then I hit my adolescence.
8:39
And it just all stopped.
8:41
I think my body started changing.
8:42
I think I matured and understood what I'd gone through.
8:45
And also, I not only don't have a leg, I have a backwards foot for a leg.
8:49
Like, it is a weird looking leg, right?
8:51
And that was like another layer to that.
8:53
And I went through a really dark place for those, I guess, a couple of years.
8:56
But maybe when I was 13, 14, where I would cry myself to sleep for nights.
9:00
It wasn't until I wrote my book actually that I first shared that.
9:02
I don't even think I told my parents.
9:03
And I would just ask, like, why me every night?
9:05
I just couldn't imagine getting out of this dark place
9:08
because I was always going to look like this.
9:11
Like, how do you get through that?
9:13
And I was dealing with, you know, not dealing with that.
9:15
I got a birthday party when we were older.
9:18
And my friends would be like, oh, this miniskirt makes me look fat.
9:20
Or like, these high heels are too tight.
9:22
And I literally can't wear high heels.
9:23
And I had my leg fat yet.
9:24
So I wasn't wearing anything shorter than my knees.
9:27
And yeah, it became really hard.
9:29
And I couldn't imagine a world where it wasn't holding me back anymore.
9:32
And also a huge part of it wasn't.
9:34
Also what other people thought it was that I just wanted to move on with my life.
9:38
Because when my legs are even to this day, I get asked,
9:40
probably two times a day, what happened to your leg?
9:43
Like, people thinking like, like...
9:44
Just random people on the street.
9:45
Like, I'll walk into a cafe and order a coffee
9:47
and the rest is like, thinking he's being friendly.
9:48
But, oh, what have you done to yourself?
9:49
And I'm like, oh, my God.
9:50
Oh, the time it just...
9:51
It kind of looks like I've had knee surgery.
9:53
Like, it kind of looks like a sports bandage.
9:54
And so I'm like, here we go.
9:56
What?
9:57
Do you sometimes just, like, fold it off with some randomness?
9:59
I do.
10:00
Yeah, I do.
10:01
I feel like you have to be honest.
10:02
Sometimes I'm like, I had cancer.
10:04
And then they're like...
10:06
It's not quite as sorry as the love, but it's like...
10:08
That would shut someone up.
10:09
I'd really be like, you know, yeah, it's just like...
10:11
But also, it would make them realise,
10:13
don't ask those questions next time, you know?
10:15
If you're not ready for the cancer, you're 100%.
10:17
It's an interesting one.
10:19
Just the idea of pointing out people's physicalities in general.
10:22
Whether or not it's like, someone's gained weight,
10:24
lost weight, died their hair, got a piercing, whatever.
10:26
It's like, you actually really have to be quite careful
10:29
with what you say around people's appearances.
10:31
Even if you think what you're saying is a compliment.
10:33
If you give someone a compliment that's lost heaps of weight
10:35
and they actually have an eating disorder
10:36
and you tell them they look really good,
10:38
that's actually going to have a hugely detrimental impact on them.
10:41
So it's like, actually, people need to probably be a bit more aware
10:44
of just commenting on physical appearances.
10:48
And I've had this before where people are like,
10:50
oh, you look like lost weight, you look great, but what?
10:52
And then in my head, I'm like, okay, so then I start putting on weight again
10:54
because our bodies fluctuate and then I'm like, wait,
10:56
do I not look good anymore?
10:57
Because I've not put on weight.
10:58
Because I'm not that...
10:59
You know what I'm saying?
11:00
It just creates that in your head.
11:01
I just think we shouldn't comment on each other's body still stuff.
11:03
But yeah, my journey to self-confidence was a rough one.
11:07
But then I just got to a point I just literally threw on the shorts one day.
11:10
And it's something I talk about a lot because I've realised
11:12
so many people didn't wear shorts for a long portion of their life
11:16
because of however they felt about their legs.
11:18
It's what I found from my online community.
11:20
And yeah, it was quite...
11:21
It was quite mind-blowing.
11:22
But I just got to the squares where I was like,
11:24
cancer has taken so much from me.
11:26
I can't afford to let it take any more of my happiness.
11:29
You know, I've lost my leg.
11:30
I've lost a lot of my childhood.
11:31
I want to live my best life now and not hold myself back because
11:35
I guess I just really understand that I only have one life.
11:38
And I think I learned that obviously at a really young age.
11:41
And I also am really lucky because I was forced to, I guess,
11:45
confront my body at a really young age
11:47
because I had to, I couldn't hide really that well clearly
11:50
the fact that I don't have a leg.
11:51
And so I had to deal with that at a really young age
11:54
probably before I was ready,
11:55
which kind of set me up to be a little bit ahead of my journey,
11:58
maybe, whereas we might not go through that until we're...
12:00
Maybe in our twenties or even thirties or post children
12:03
or whatever that is.
12:04
And so I've had to do that time and time again.
12:07
Yeah.
12:08
But it's also not perfect.
12:09
Like, I have had a lot of days lately where I'm just like,
12:11
I just say to my partner like,
12:12
I just want two legs.
12:13
Like, can I just play for two legs?
12:14
So when you put that on your screen the other day
12:17
and I was like, you know, I just feel like I want to be honest.
12:19
Sometimes I'm really positive and open and fine
12:23
with my leg and how I look and then sometimes I'm in pain
12:26
and this is uncomfortable.
12:27
And I want to new leg.
12:28
And I'm just, and I just resonated with that so much.
12:30
And I just thought, God, good on you for continuously
12:33
putting yourself not in the firing line.
12:35
But like, it's so hard to be vulnerable
12:37
when something such a deep sore.
12:39
And you've worked so hard to get to a point of acceptance
12:43
to then recognize those days that are not so good.
12:46
It's just...
12:47
And I'm really aware that, you know,
12:49
a huge part of the reason I'm on social media is to try
12:51
be real because we just have put out this world of perfection.
12:54
And, you know, regardless of how honest you are,
12:57
people are only really saying 5% of your life.
12:59
And people have really put this picture together of me
13:01
and also from the media.
13:03
From the media that, you know,
13:05
just Quinn, body positive activist, just Quinn,
13:07
like positive queen and all that stuff, which is true.
13:09
I am really positive for the most part.
13:11
But at the same time, they're...
13:13
I'm human and I have days where I really wish I had two legs
13:16
and I have days where I wish things were different.
13:18
And I like to be honest about that because I don't want
13:20
anyone following me thinking, I lost my leg
13:22
and then I figured it all out.
13:23
And I'm amazing now.
13:24
You know, it's like, I have bad days.
13:25
It's just like everyone else.
13:26
I should have put in the intro as well.
13:28
I thought the same thing.
13:29
I thought it was too early for me.
13:31
Oh, no.
13:32
She was dancing with the stars.
13:33
I thought it was terrible.
13:35
Sorry.
13:36
Totally fine.
13:37
With your leg, is it something that it costs a lot
13:40
in terms of getting a new prosthetic?
13:41
Like, I felt with you did want,
13:42
because I saw on your Instagram something about having to fly.
13:45
You floated the US for your last one.
13:47
So is that a barrier for you to be able to upgrade
13:51
if something more comfortable or something that you feel looks better?
13:53
Is that is money a barrier in that regard?
13:56
Definitely.
13:57
Like, yes and no.
13:58
I'm under the health system and also I was under the health system.
14:01
And I'm now under ACC.
14:03
You just, I was a really long thing to get into.
14:05
But basically I had a medical misadventure
14:07
so I got put under ACC.
14:08
So my prosthetics are covered.
14:09
But they covered to a level of what is offered, right?
14:13
And I am, as I've said, the first person to have gone through this.
14:16
So I've always been a guinea pig for the surgery.
14:19
And there's nine of us.
14:20
People don't really understand it.
14:21
And they do their best at the Lums Syndrome and where I go.
14:23
But at the same time, I'm also someone who I want more.
14:27
And then I want more.
14:28
And then I want more on that because I'm not going to settle for a life
14:30
where I can't be able just because the access that I have isn't quite there.
14:35
And so, and I also am really open to admit that I've also been in a privileged position
14:39
to be able to do that.
14:41
My parents have helped me get prosthetics throughout my life
14:43
because they help make that a priority for me.
14:45
And yeah, so we have kind of pushed for more.
14:48
But to do that, you have to go outside of New Zealand.
14:50
And actually, after I did dancing, I've had a really rough five years.
14:54
I was like, really good after I kind of got better
14:57
through my teenage years.
14:58
And then good for like 15 years.
14:59
And then after dancing, it all kind of just fell apart.
15:02
And I started getting really dancing or dancing with the stars.
15:05
Sorry, dancing with the stars.
15:06
That was the only time I've danced.
15:07
Did you do the dance?
15:08
No, that was the effect.
15:09
Wow.
15:10
That went from the intro too.
15:11
It was a 14 week sentence.
15:13
It was the only dancing I've ever done and willy for do.
15:16
But yes, after that, I think my body was just like,
15:19
and I'd prior to that, been overtraining for years,
15:21
I think it just reached a point.
15:23
And my backwards foot started swelling to a point
15:25
where I couldn't put on my leg every day for two years.
15:27
And I'd have to smush it in there.
15:29
And it was horrific, probably up there with the worst I've been through.
15:32
And I just didn't, I went to every specialist under the sun,
15:35
tried to get the leg fixed here.
15:37
Didn't know if it was coming from me or the prosthetic.
15:40
And then eventually, I was living in LA and I found this prosthetist
15:44
who is a rotation plastic amputee.
15:46
So he has my backwards foot surgery and he builds legs.
15:49
And that was just like,
15:50
I've never met someone who I could relate to on a label like that.
15:53
I've never met someone older than me who's had the surgery.
15:55
And that was...
15:56
Is this your now partner nearly husband or is this?
15:57
No, we can't.
15:58
That would be so.
16:00
And you know, long story short, I got a leg made there.
16:03
And I was at the point where I would have spent any money in the world
16:05
to get a leg made.
16:06
And that cost me $30,000.
16:08
How much were you?
16:09
Yeah.
16:10
And a lot of money.
16:11
Yes.
16:12
That was the most I'd spent prior to that after my parents had said to me,
16:15
when I was younger, I really cared about what my leg looked like.
16:18
Now, not so much.
16:19
It looks terrible.
16:20
But when I was younger, there's this lifelike skin you can get.
16:22
And I wanted that so badly.
16:23
And my dad had said,
16:24
when I stopped growing,
16:25
he would help me fund that.
16:26
And that was $12,000 for a skin.
16:29
So I got that.
16:30
And then you eventually outgrow it.
16:32
And so I got this new leg made in the States.
16:34
And also, I was throwing $30,000 at something that I had no idea
16:37
if it was going to work.
16:38
No idea.
16:39
And so I was living in America.
16:40
So did they make it basically?
16:41
And then you've to pay for, obviously.
16:42
And then you don't know until you try it on and start using it.
16:45
If it's actually successful, is that what you mean?
16:47
Pretty much.
16:48
Yeah, like if it was actually going to help with my swelling and your help
16:50
with my mobility and all of that.
16:52
And so I was living between LA and New Zealand.
16:54
And I got the leg.
16:55
And I had to fly back to New Zealand for a work trip.
16:57
I think it was three days after I got the leg.
16:59
And you need like a good six to nine months to really wear in the leg.
17:02
And Tinker with it and go back and forth and back and forth.
17:05
And I knew, because I was living between, I could get back whenever I needed to.
17:09
Flow home a day later, got locked in because of the pandemic.
17:11
And I've never been able to go back.
17:13
So I didn't get that opportunity to wear in the leg.
17:16
I still wear it now, but it's being adapted by the limbs into here.
17:19
And it didn't quite, yeah, it wasn't quite the plan I planned on having.
17:23
I just kind of saw that he was going to be my prostitutes for the rest of my life.
17:26
And I would fly to LA whenever I needed to, which again, I would prioritize
17:31
saving for because that was huge for me.
17:33
And yeah, and I haven't been back to LA since to get my leg back.
17:36
So pretty crazy.
17:38
So do you have, you have the leg though now?
17:41
Yes, yeah, yeah.
17:42
But you haven't got it adjusted.
17:44
Is that kind of what you mean?
17:45
Well, yes, I wear it.
17:46
They're basically like a constant work and process prostitutes.
17:49
As you change, like I could put on a couple kilos and it will change everything in my leg.
17:52
So it's constantly being tinkered whether I'm like walking around on something's not feeling right.
17:56
So I now do those adjustments at the limb center.
17:58
So they've pretty much morphed this leg into their leg with the bonds of bonds,
18:02
which were to use in the situation.
18:04
But the bonds of what the LA team had made, basically.
18:07
And I spent like two years dealing with the LA team over the zone trying to get it right.
18:11
But yeah, so that was, that was a hard investment to make.
18:15
But also my swelling has gone away probably a year after that all happened.
18:19
So I do think that that helped.
18:21
And then I get prostitutes made as well.
18:24
I actually get them made at wetter workshops where they do all the Lord of the Ring stuff.
18:28
Very cool.
18:29
Very cool.
18:30
But so I've had those made since I was 12 because I obviously have my calf muscle is my thigh,
18:35
which is about the size of my arm.
18:36
And your calf muscle is your leg.
18:38
Got it.
18:39
Yeah, that's good.
18:40
And it's literally the size of my arm.
18:42
It hasn't grown that much since I was nine.
18:44
And so when you were, if I was wearing skinny jeans, you just can't really, it's really skinny.
18:49
And so that was the size made and they, they cost me probably about $3,000 a thigh,
18:54
which I get every six months.
18:56
And then if I need a new mold, it's about 13 grand.
18:59
So how do you plan for this financial?
19:02
I mean, as an adult, because obviously when you're younger, there's the, hey, mom,
19:05
can you help me?
19:06
And as you see, it's super privileged to have that total backstop.
19:09
Firstly, it just makes me feel so sad for anyone that doesn't have money to be able to pay for things like that.
19:14
It also isn't paying and has to deal with, you know, suboptimal leg because they can't afford, you know,
19:20
like that ability to save and, yeah.
19:23
Yeah.
19:24
And yeah, guess now as an adult, have you had to like weave this into your financial plans?
19:28
Has it changed the way you spend money?
19:30
I mean, you're getting married soon.
19:31
Have you had to like pull back in certain areas to know I need certain amounts every six months?
19:36
Yeah.
19:37
Yeah, I think I just, it's definitely been, I probably need to get better at my actual financial plan.
19:42
My goal at the moment is actually to book in with a financial advisor, because I really want to get that right for these kind of reasons.
19:47
But I've always had in the back of my head that I need, I need this kind of access to money.
19:52
I think it's prioritized my need for saving.
19:55
I don't have like a separate leg account or anything, but I do know that it's there.
19:58
And also like every week I'm seeing, I see osteos, I see sometimes massage therapists physios.
20:04
So it's insane.
20:05
Public health physios, you know, and like the list goes on.
20:09
So it's covered by ACC, but let's say.
20:11
To a point.
20:12
Yeah, and after your appointment might be $100 and sit there for subsidizing, I'm still paying $75 a week, right?
20:16
So it's a lot of money.
20:20
And it's constant as well.
20:22
I feel like it's just so shit like the idea of, you know, you went through such a traumatic horrific experience,
20:27
but it's like it is something that in your everyday life, you're actually constantly having to deal with.
20:32
And that's not just like a physical emotional, it's also financial.
20:35
Yeah, definitely.
20:36
It's not like it's, yeah, for a period of time.
20:38
I'll go to the osteo and then fix.
20:39
Yeah.
20:40
You know, there's no fixing.
20:42
Yeah.
20:43
And I think that's what really makes me upset because right now, and I have been in the past able to afford this,
20:47
but and the people will say, well, that's optional.
20:49
She's like wanting to live beyond what she probably needs to.
20:51
But I'm like, if I don't go to the osteo every week, I get migraines.
20:54
Like if I push it out to two weeks, I'll get a migraine because of the way my body is trying to hold myself.
20:58
And so yes, I could not do these things and I'm not going to die, but also my quality of life drops dramatically.
21:05
And it breaks my heart that there's people out there that can't afford the stuff because it is,
21:10
I could not actually add up how much I could live from Southern Cross last year.
21:14
And I had a big year last year in terms of health, which we can go into.
21:17
But and they were like, thanks for choosing Southern Cross.
21:20
You last just spent $26,000 on life.
21:23
I can't believe I was a client anymore.
21:25
I took stand, I was like, wow.
21:27
And really bad year last year.
21:29
Oh my god, remind us what are your insurance.
21:33
Insurance.
21:34
Of course.
21:35
Yeah.
21:36
The conversation for another day.
21:38
Get out the dry head.
21:39
I need insurance and all areas of my life.
21:41
I think I don't even think I've got car insurance.
21:43
Well, I do now with the curve cap.
21:45
Oh, it's good.
21:46
So.
21:47
I would be leaving now.
21:50
I would be trauma now.
21:52
Be so bad.
21:54
Insurance.
21:55
Totally.
21:56
With your, because congratulations on your engagement.
21:59
Thank you.
22:00
Thank you.
22:01
Gary, exciting.
22:02
Can you tell us how you met your son to be husband?
22:05
Yes, we met on home.
22:06
Oh, yes.
22:07
Oh my god.
22:08
Oh my god.
22:09
Okay, that gives me heart for it.
22:10
Don't do it.
22:11
Don't do it.
22:12
Honestly, I.
22:13
I recall from a hundred percent.
22:14
Actually, she texted.
22:15
She was like, hey, but can you give me a call.
22:17
And Mum never texted me that.
22:19
So I was like, panicked.
22:20
I was like, shit, called her.
22:21
She's like, I was just going to call from a friend.
22:23
She said that this is an app called HINN.
22:25
And I was like, in the middle of work.
22:27
And I was like, is that all?
22:29
Like thank you.
22:30
I remember my mum when I was single for a long time.
22:33
And she was like, you know, there's apps for this.
22:35
And I was like, oh my god.
22:36
But yeah, I was terrible on daily apps.
22:38
Like, I would download them and delete them.
22:40
I lived with my sister for a while.
22:41
We actually bought our first house together.
22:43
My sister and her partner and I.
22:45
Because that's how you buy house and Aucklanders with great people.
22:48
I wish I had someone I could do that.
22:49
It was a great move.
22:50
But anyway, and so they were all loved up.
22:53
And so they'd go on date.
22:54
And she was like, when I come home,
22:55
the apps still better be on your phone.
22:56
Because I would download it swipe once or twice.
22:58
And then just delete it.
22:59
I'm like, I have a little look.
23:00
Yeah.
23:01
Okay, now I'm done.
23:02
Yeah, I've done.
23:03
Or if it matches with something,
23:04
I think just never talks.
23:05
Yeah, I do that.
23:06
It's called the ego boost.
23:07
Oh, they do like this.
23:08
Yeah, bye.
23:09
And like, leading up with it,
23:11
like I never told was my first online.
23:13
Or is it a high net thought?
23:15
Yeah.
23:16
Because then I was like, I've been on Seaman already.
23:18
So it was like, that shit for me has sailed.
23:20
No, but it's because I just didn't give it a go.
23:22
Like, he was my first person.
23:23
And I actually said yesterday going on a date with him.
23:25
And the only reason is because I kind of know.
23:26
Like I knew of him.
23:27
I knew his sister closely.
23:29
But like I knew he wasn't a serial killer.
23:31
So I went on a date with him.
23:32
Green flag.
23:33
Yeah.
23:34
Yeah.
23:35
Not a serial killer.
23:36
So that was, that was good.
23:38
But yes, we met there.
23:39
And then it all moved really quickly.
23:40
We have moved quite fast because we met during the pandemic.
23:44
So we, I think we'd been dating for three weeks.
23:47
And we had one of those like flash lockdowns.
23:49
And we stayed apart.
23:50
That would be too soon.
23:51
The first you bubble and go and stay with them.
23:53
No, he was so far away.
23:54
Did you burst the bubbles?
23:55
I lasted but I'm quite good at following rules.
23:57
But I was like, actually, we can just hang out.
23:59
Like, you know, I know you're safe.
24:00
And he was, you know, just working from home.
24:02
And he was like a stickler for the rules.
24:04
So he would not come to me.
24:05
Hey, like.
24:06
Come on.
24:07
Yeah.
24:08
The door's open.
24:09
That, yeah.
24:10
I'm speaking out.
24:11
Come on.
24:12
I tried so bad.
24:13
But only.
24:14
He was locked.
24:15
Oh my god.
24:17
I was locked.
24:18
Oh my god.
24:19
I actually forgot about this until now.
24:22
And then, yeah, one of the next lockdowns.
24:24
So my sister got pregnant while I was living with them.
24:26
And we owned the house.
24:27
So we ended up parting ways.
24:29
We're their friends.
24:30
But we parted ways in living together.
24:32
Cause I wanted to be cool.
24:33
Aren't they?
24:34
Not stay on them.
24:35
And so, and house babysitter.
24:37
Yeah.
24:38
So I did that.
24:39
And I bought my own house.
24:40
And Todd lived five minutes down the road.
24:42
So he moved in.
24:43
It's convenient and super from UGS.
24:45
Yeah.
24:46
All the houses available.
24:47
All by this one.
24:48
Yeah.
24:49
It was quite creepy.
24:50
Oh my god.
24:51
I can see you from the road.
24:52
Oh my god.
24:53
Oh my god.
24:54
Oh my god.
24:55
And this is two weeks after we met.
24:56
Oh my god.
24:57
Yes.
24:58
Yes.
24:59
See you at all.
25:00
The rest was history, really.
25:02
Oh, cool.
25:03
Then we got engaged.
25:04
Congrats.
25:05
That's really exciting.
25:06
Thank you.
25:07
And so, with you.
25:08
So now, you'd love to give obviously.
25:09
Yes.
25:10
Yes.
25:11
We've now since bought a house together.
25:12
Somebody else?
25:13
Yeah.
25:14
I don't know.
25:15
I don't know.
25:16
I don't know.
25:17
Three houses just to clarify.
25:18
I only own the one house.
25:19
Um, and actually just on that.
25:20
The reason I sold my last house was because I bought my first house on my own.
25:24
Like without my sister.
25:25
That was my first house.
25:26
And it had two stories.
25:27
And my dad was like, you're going to hate this.
25:29
I'd never really lived in a two-story house.
25:31
And I was like, Dad, I'm fine.
25:32
Like, I can handle things.
25:33
I'm not even able to say what it's totally fine.
25:35
Um, and then, yeah.
25:37
I really hated that.
25:38
We'll be having a one-story house for the rest of my life.
25:40
We'll be having a one-story house for the rest of my life.
25:41
Like, I just hold on the market.
25:42
I just hold on the market.
25:43
It's small.
25:44
Um, how did that conversation come out?
25:45
Because obviously you had your first, you had your house.
25:48
Yes.
25:49
And he didn't.
25:50
Yes.
25:51
Yeah.
25:52
How do you have that conversation?
25:53
I guess he had savings.
25:54
And then you just sell yours and combine and, yeah.
25:56
Yeah.
25:57
Because I always wonder when, you know, you've got different levels of taxes.
25:59
Whether it be a house or investments or what.
26:02
Yeah.
26:03
In the future planning, that's what this question's for.
26:04
Yeah.
26:05
When we first met, he was, had been home from London a couple of years and had moved on with his parents, um,
26:10
helps them so that he could save for a house. And so when we met, he was pretty
26:13
ready to buy a house. And then I obviously had a house that there wasn't much
26:17
point. So we looked at him getting an investment property instead. And then we
26:22
realized that we just kind of didn't and the pandemic happened. And then we
26:26
realized my house wasn't ideal for me. And so we and also the market been crazy. So
26:29
we needed both the fund money to buy even a portion of house. So yeah, we did that
26:34
last year. And how was that conversation around like money and finances and
26:39
like, did you feel awkward or like, how did you kind of approach that? Because
26:45
that is something that a lot of people don't want to have, but need to have. And
26:50
and so yeah, we're really open. We've split everything from the get go. We
26:54
used to blow wise. Yeah. Which made Tuesday. It was really good. And the early days
26:59
of relationship when it was like when we got our dog and like, you know, we were
27:02
wanting to share things and not like, you know, because we both working people
27:05
wouldn't expect him to pay for everything. And I didn't expect me to pay for
27:08
everything. So we wanted to find a way to make it fair. And we evened out quite a
27:12
lot. We spoke about money a lot because I owned the house. And for I think most
27:16
of the time, I didn't really ask much of him except the bills because I was
27:20
planning on living there on my own anyway. So it didn't feel too different. And so
27:23
he picked up a slack in other areas. So we started speaking about money quite
27:27
quickly, I guess. And I'm just I'm quite open about it. And he was too. And we
27:30
both knew what each other earned and roughly like how we felt about money. And
27:34
and I I'm a real like, honestly, you're I think you must hate driving with me because
27:38
then then I get in a car and weirdly just start talking about money sometimes.
27:41
I can just like, it's like, you know, like literally, you know, we just like, you're
27:44
not talking, looking at so much. You just kind of start y'all to be about it. And I do
27:46
that a lot. Like we're having conversations today. Like I like to, I like to
27:49
future think I'm not necessarily tripping. Like I can't get away. So like we don't
27:56
we don't always action everything. But I'm like, you know, we're talking about
27:58
like when we have kids one day, what we would expect to have had by that point or
28:03
you know, whatever. So we just have these conversations a lot and keep them super
28:06
open. But yeah, the house thing happened pretty naturally. And we both just
28:11
basically put in what we could and found a house within what we had basically.
28:16
And did you sign a prenup or did you sort out like a contracting out agreement
28:20
based on what you each put in or anything? No, we didn't. We we thought we
28:24
definitely talked about it. And we came to the agreement, which I know is like
28:26
probably not what you should do. But I guess I just trust Todd on a really
28:30
deep level that we knew that if anything was to happen, we both would we
28:33
said in a verbal agreement that we would just take out what the percentages of
28:36
what we'd each put in to the house, which ended up being relatively
28:41
similar. I can't remember. So yeah, we we had the conversation, but we didn't
28:45
make anything official, which is probably not what I advise because you never
28:48
know what kind of relationship you're getting into. But I just like I do
28:51
really trust him. And I know that if anything would happen, we would handle
28:56
it. I feel it. Fairly. Fairly. And I mean, we dealt with the way it's
28:59
and everything. We just don't have anything like super officially in writing
29:02
in terms of a prenup. And so when you say you like things are quite
29:06
even, you split things now, do you put a certain amount of money into a joint
29:10
account and then both get paid into your separate accounts? Yeah. So we I get
29:14
paid my pay. He gets paid his pay and we deal with that as we want. But we
29:18
both have our mortgage amount. And then we've added bills onto the mortgage
29:21
amount plus some breathing room. And that's what goes into our joint account
29:25
which is actually a separate bank, which is quite nice. We can keep it
29:27
separately because we got our mortgage with a different bank from where we're
29:30
at. And yeah, that that's works really well for us. I think things will
29:34
change once we have kids probably. I think that's when it would start to
29:37
change. But I am yet to make this decision final. But at the moment, I would
29:42
quite like to keep a portion of our money as our money. I don't want to
29:44
completely tie our money together. We would definitely have different
29:47
spending patterns. And I don't think it's fair that I spend this money. I
29:51
could just spend my money. And yeah, yeah. Hope paid for the first day. Do you
29:56
remember how that was? Thank God paid for the first day.
29:59
It's such a weird one is that I really want to say I want to split the first day
30:03
and I always go and offer and I always do. I definitely honestly there's a
30:06
part of me that's always just like if someone does. I'm like, thank you so much.
30:10
I can pay for it myself. But then I'm like, oh, but if you get it,
30:13
that's so sweet. I know. Isn't it so bad? I did believe for a lot, not
30:17
fought as in we fought just like in my mind a lot at the beginning because I
30:21
had to stop being like because when he was quite keen to split quite a
30:24
lot of the time, like we'd go out and I'm like, you know, in the initial kind of
30:27
first month kind of thing. And then I was like, oh, maybe he doesn't really like me.
30:30
But I was like, that is such a lie that I've been told. Like he's a show they love
30:33
by like, oh, you know, it's it works with we're both earning money. Like if we can
30:36
just split the thing and it's like, why is it on him to like fund his
30:40
relationship? It's funny. Like even some friends, they're like he did not pay
30:44
for the first date. And they're going on a second date with him and it's like,
30:47
oh my gosh, come on. I saw a great show. I hate it though when you're at
30:53
you're paying the bill. Even with friends, it's like, oh, get it. I'll get it. I'll get it.
30:57
I'm like, oh, I just like, oh, just get it. I'm just paying because I hate that
31:00
situation. And the way it is like, hurry the fuck up. I hate it. I'll get it.
31:04
Because I just like, I don't want to get one of the awkwardness.
31:07
Yeah. And I often do that when I blatantly have one or two.
31:10
I don't do that. And I don't worry. I'll just get it. And then I'm like, oh, go on.
31:14
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
31:15
Like the other day we went for a meeting and the girl, she was lovely.
31:18
She'd forgotten her car. And she was like, can you just pay for mine and I'm
31:20
to transfer you? And I was like, oh my god. No, no, no, no. Don't worry about it.
31:23
But then I'm like, it's 27 dollars.
31:26
Yeah. And I'm like, oh my god. Yeah. She had transferred me.
31:29
But I was just like, I'm sold. Can I'm like, never I?
31:31
Yeah. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. But I don't got it.
31:37
It's hard to get mine.
31:41
Oh, god. One thing I wanted to talk about was, um, and you don't have to,
31:45
I love that we keep profusing. I don't know.
31:48
That's fine. If you don't, it's like, just, you can just tell us.
31:51
Do I have to keep doing it? But it's like, um, just around like income.
31:55
And in terms of, um, like, I've just been in a salary job my whole life.
31:59
And I know that I'm getting, you know, I know the amount that's coming in each month.
32:03
And I'm making an assumption here, but I assume that yours is a lot more lumpy.
32:08
And I'm just trying to, like, figure out how do you even like start to have a financial plan
32:13
or a budget or, you know, when you kind of don't know what or when the next amount of money is going to come.
32:18
And so where is the money coming from?
32:20
Yeah. How do you make money?
32:23
Yeah. This has been definitely a hard part.
32:26
Like, being self-employed is definitely glamourized.
32:28
Like, it's also definitely amazing.
32:30
I don't mean that, but it's, no, it's, it is awesome.
32:32
But it's just quit her job.
32:34
I'm sorry, in a panic zone.
32:36
So just be careful how you respond to this question.
32:38
Oh, I'm, I'm like, seven or eight years old.
32:40
I'm still going, so I can't be that bad.
32:41
But yeah, it was, um, and also my career change really quickly.
32:45
Like, I was in a salary job, um, just out of unique kind of thing.
32:48
And then my Instagram blew up and, and that all happened really fast.
32:51
Um, like, it literally happened overnight.
32:53
Um, and so I was forced to, what was that from?
32:55
That's about the start.
32:56
No, I did a photo show and it went, like, I literally woke up with like,
32:59
10,000 followers the next day.
33:00
It was like 70 and then it was like, 170 and it just like,
33:02
it was, and that was like seven years ago.
33:04
We've done photoshoots and they hasn't.
33:06
What's going on here?
33:09
What kind of photoshoots did you get to see?
33:11
Yeah, photoshoots, yeah.
33:14
And they can photoshoots on.
33:16
I just want to say, I didn't even tell myself.
33:17
Yeah, I'm like, was this one?
33:18
And my only fan is Robin, is it?
33:20
Oh, that was, uh, was it?
33:22
We're not, we're not, we're not shaming already.
33:24
Sorry, I don't know, I don't know.
33:25
I don't know, I have to consider it.
33:26
Yeah, consider it.
33:27
Oh, come on, a nice show.
33:30
Oh, don't even start me on the fake fetish people.
33:33
Cause I share my fate for a living.
33:35
So as a true, my legs.
33:38
So yeah, it all kind of happened really quickly and I was in this world
33:41
and then eventually I made a decision to leave my job,
33:43
which was really scary.
33:45
But I just felt like it was the right.
33:47
And I was still really young.
33:48
I think I was 23, 24.
33:49
So I was like, what do you really pay for?
33:50
I can, 23.
33:51
I can afford to take the risk.
33:52
You know, I was totally fine with that.
33:53
And I had a degree behind me.
33:54
I knew I could go back to my old career.
33:57
And then yeah, I just, it just also kept growing,
34:01
which I'm really lucky for.
34:02
So I was earning a good amount of money.
34:05
You're good at what you do totally.
34:08
And I just, I also got into the social media world
34:10
at a really good time.
34:11
So most of my income did come from social media collaborations.
34:14
But you like the OG social media girl?
34:17
It was, it was early on.
34:18
And I think I remember my most exciting first sign
34:23
was when I signed along a year long contract.
34:25
And before that, it was really um, um,
34:27
lumpy and that was, it was fine
34:30
because I didn't have a huge amount of expenses.
34:31
Um, where it's now lumpy is quite stressful.
34:33
But yeah, then I got my first contract.
34:35
And I'm, I have worked my career in a way
34:39
where I mostly will only sign long term contracts
34:42
because I like the authenticity of a brand
34:44
that I really like.
34:45
And I want to work with them long term
34:46
opposed to just promoting random stuff.
34:48
And I think the stuff that I promote
34:50
is often aligned with my story.
34:51
And it's not just like about a product thing.
34:53
It's about like a whatever brand messaging they have.
34:55
And I think you can't just do one post on that.
34:57
You need to grow a deeper relationship.
34:59
So that was a portion of my income.
35:01
And then all the other stuff speaking books,
35:02
you know, all of the stuff that went around that.
35:04
But it was all um, pre-lancy, I guess.
35:08
And it's interesting what you say about the brand stuff
35:10
because we all three of us just recently
35:12
did the Nespresso for the show.
35:14
And it was so funny when we saw the run too.
35:16
We were like, yay!
35:17
It's good to get anyone like, damn it.
35:19
Or on the wrong day.
35:19
I was like, Dan,
35:21
it was so fun to make it work together.
35:23
So I was also very excited that Teaks was just a fun one.
35:26
Oh, I know.
35:26
And Dan, I had to get my makeup done first.
35:28
So I actually took all my makeup off while Teaks was there.
35:32
And I was just sitting there with these clips
35:33
in my hair to feel like a goblin.
35:35
I was like, damn it.
35:37
Anyway, I agree with what you're saying
35:39
about the brand alignment.
35:41
Because that's the same for us.
35:42
Like I do all of our sponsorship deals
35:44
and manage that side of things.
35:46
And with the Nespresso, for example,
35:48
often brands want just like a one-off post or something.
35:51
But for us, it's like, we don't want to just,
35:53
we don't want to be influencers.
35:54
We want to be teaching and giving things to our audience.
35:56
So for us, we were like, we'd love to be involved
35:58
with Nespresso, but we want to do it.
36:00
It's a part of a big campaign.
36:01
Like, do they want to sponsor our podcast?
36:03
Which for us just feels way more aligned and authentic.
36:07
I feel like nowadays,
36:09
you know, people can see through that.
36:10
100 like, you know, hashtag ads.
36:13
You know, they can see, wait,
36:14
like they can see through that so easily.
36:15
And it's way more authentic partnership
36:17
just has so much more.
36:19
Yeah, wait.
36:20
Definitely, like I've had brands that I've watched
36:22
for four to five years, which is pretty awesome.
36:25
And, yeah, I've, and I did speak for a long time as well.
36:29
I'm in a speaking break at the moment
36:30
because the panicking experience I had.
36:32
Can you help me add some, like, bloody.
36:33
I need help at the moment.
36:34
I need, no, I don't want to get gigs.
36:35
I need help with public speaking.
36:37
No, they don't, they don't.
36:38
Oh, okay.
36:39
I've just gotten in this anxiety phase
36:41
where I freak out, which is just stupid.
36:42
Like, can I still get a woman in business
36:44
at the university?
36:45
For five minutes each.
36:46
Expect our time.
36:47
And so if there's been panicking about this for about two weeks,
36:49
wait, I find short, really hard.
36:51
I'm like, wait, five minutes, I won't be able to shut you up.
36:53
You'll be like, no, I'm just like, can you from in the first
36:57
to be able to truly try it after it?
36:59
I do. I mean, like, you were so nervous
37:02
and I had to be your one woman.
37:03
And now you give me zero.
37:04
I'm like, can we pledge?
37:08
Like, oh, I'm too busy to do all of this.
37:09
I'm like, how? I'm so scared.
37:12
Yeah, we're so fun.
37:13
Five minutes.
37:14
So you do all of the speaking engagements
37:15
and then there will be like, yeah.
37:17
So you get the base kind of,
37:18
and I was modeling as well.
37:19
So modeling was another kind of arm of my career.
37:23
So yeah, there's just like, there was many arms
37:25
and I have a management team who saw all of that out.
37:28
So I don't actually deal with the financial side of it.
37:30
I mean, I agree with,
37:31
I'll see me through this as what they're thinking you want to get paid.
37:33
And this is the deliverables and I'll go,
37:34
go, I'm happy with that or I'm not happy with that.
37:37
And then they deal with that.
37:39
The hardest part is I often do a job.
37:42
Maybe let's say I do a job this month.
37:44
I might not see that money for like three months.
37:45
Yeah.
37:46
And I'm actually in a phase,
37:48
happy to be honest about, I'm in a phase at the moment
37:50
where I have less longer term contracts
37:51
because I am also transitioning out
37:53
of social a little bit at the moment.
37:54
I'm just in terms of I have had a big few years
37:57
of a lot of contracts coming through
38:00
which was amazing and they were so aligned.
38:02
Whereas right now I'm just in a place
38:03
where I'm not sure if this is what I want to keep doing
38:05
in the capacity that I was doing it in.
38:07
Because it's people don't think it's much work.
38:09
It is when I'm doing six brands a month,
38:11
like that's a lot of stuff.
38:13
And especially when it's really a lot of them
38:14
are really emotionally deep.
38:16
Yeah, so I'm actually working on a business at the moment
38:18
that we've been working on for about six months.
38:20
So I'm going to transition into that space a little bit
38:23
and still keep doing this.
38:24
I don't want to fully let go of the storytelling
38:27
and the work that I do in advocacy.
38:29
But I'm ready for there to be more of a mix, I think, in that.
38:33
Probably also financially to be able to grow
38:36
and have more control over where your money's coming from
38:39
and how much.
38:41
And to just have like something that's consistent.
38:44
Both financially and also in what I do each day
38:47
because it's quite weird just getting up and being like,
38:49
cool, what is my day?
38:50
What is my day?
38:52
There's like misconception about freelancing in terms of how
38:56
that I reckon it has a massive impact on my mental health
38:58
and I'm freelancing.
38:59
It's just it's lack of routine and consistency.
39:02
And you can try and make as much of that as you can.
39:07
But with the nature of doing different bits and bobs,
39:11
it does sometimes feel a little bit all over the show.
39:13
So I get there.
39:14
And it's exhausting.
39:15
Like one week, like last week was mental for me.
39:17
It's just a crazy week and then this week's a quieter.
39:19
And it's like, which is cool.
39:20
We're having a bit of both, especially with my health
39:22
that I have to deal with.
39:23
But yeah, it's just...
39:25
You can't prepare for that though.
39:26
You don't necessarily know when it's going to be a busy week,
39:28
which I think is difficult, totally.
39:30
And I think, yeah, if I had something else
39:31
that I'm focused on and then I can, yeah,
39:34
I'm just ready for that.
39:35
I also, I've always been reasonably entrepreneurial,
39:39
I guess, and what I'm interested in.
39:41
So I'm really interested to start something new.
39:43
And also talk about my leg just slightly.
39:46
The leg area.
39:47
Yeah, exactly.
39:47
Do you invest any of your money?
39:51
I do.
39:51
I...
39:52
Woo!
39:53
We love this!
39:54
I know.
39:55
I was like, if not, why not?
39:56
Why not?
39:57
Why not?
39:58
I don't know how long I've been investing.
40:00
I'm like a real newbie.
40:01
Like, real newbie.
40:02
I love that.
40:03
I have to be like, no, I need to.
40:04
And it's like, everyone knows they need to,
40:07
but like the fact that you have is awesome.
40:08
Yeah, no, I haven't.
40:09
To the club hall.
40:10
Yeah.
40:10
I just do shazies, which I think is like a super basic place
40:13
to start.
40:15
And it was just because I just needed to like rack my head
40:17
around something, but it's done really well.
40:19
It's been, what I did is I set amount of money aside,
40:21
and it's been an auto transfer every month
40:23
into that account.
40:24
Oh, my God.
40:24
And that is really paid off.
40:26
Dollacost effriging.
40:28
Yes.
40:28
And that is what's...
40:30
It goes down to the ground.
40:31
Yes.
40:32
That's what I found.
40:33
We can put in the actresses.
40:34
Yeah.
40:34
Dollacost effriging.
40:35
Yeah, that on my look.
40:38
Put it in your bio, guys.
40:41
Yeah, it's been...
40:42
I'm ready for the next phase, which is why I'm just
40:44
in a place right now, where I'm...
40:45
Because at the beginning of the year was freelancing to it.
40:48
There's like a few little months.
40:49
And then as of like March,
40:51
April, I start to kind of understand what my year's
40:52
going to look like financially.
40:54
And that's when I really want to go sit down with someone
40:56
and be like, cool, what can I do now?
40:58
Also, once I pay for my wedding.
41:00
You know, all of that kind of stuff.
41:01
So, yeah, I like everything.
41:03
For me, it's like a savings account.
41:04
I also don't have a key.
41:05
We say that at the moment,
41:07
I had one, but then I don't.
41:08
Because I've been self-employed
41:09
and I just haven't kind of got it going.
41:11
So...
41:12
We will talk later.
41:13
Yeah.
41:13
That's my next job.
41:14
You got brownie clothes and these little stuff.
41:16
No, I was just being honest.
41:17
You know?
41:18
It's true, true, true.
41:18
No, I had one.
41:20
It's just like a...
41:21
You know, I'm sorry.
41:22
I never knew.
41:23
That's fine.
41:24
I haven't kind of got it back up.
41:25
So, to see if we get it back going.
41:27
Oh, yeah.
41:28
So, I saw...
41:29
What do you invest in?
41:30
What is your order, your Dollacost effriging going into?
41:33
Is it stocks or funds or ETFs?
41:36
Funds?
41:37
A lot of funds.
41:39
And...
41:40
So, at the beginning, I started odd cheeses
41:42
and I was like, that's a cool company.
41:43
No, that's actually not true.
41:44
My partner's, I host a lot of time
41:45
and my sister's partner was quite good,
41:47
but that's why he was kind of helping me
41:49
and showing me how to tell by like the graph
41:51
if like a company looks like it's going to be
41:52
hitting in a good direction
41:53
and you know, see the trends and stuff.
41:55
And so, I just like threw some things
41:57
just to start learning.
41:58
That's the thing that I thought maybe we're going to go, okay?
42:00
And they were mostly good decisions.
42:02
And then Todd helped me get into some,
42:05
like the bulk ones, like the top New Zealand 50,
42:08
what do you call those ones?
42:09
I love that.
42:10
Yeah, just like, so that I've got some that are like
42:12
in like a bit more risky
42:14
and because I'm quite risky in my life.
42:16
So alive.
42:17
On my shows, it's like, you're like a risky investor.
42:19
It was risky.
42:19
You're like, yeah, which is probably not that great.
42:23
So yeah, they kind of like spread across,
42:25
but yeah, I really need to sit down
42:27
with someone because I'm still planning.
42:28
You're kind of just checking shit.
42:29
I'm checking shit at all.
42:31
And I'm lucky that it's kind of been okay.
42:33
It's better than not checking shit at all.
42:34
Yeah, and some savings account for me.
42:37
Like it's, you know, because some people are just like,
42:39
oh, but I don't have enough money
42:40
or you don't know where to start.
42:41
It's like, just start small start with anything.
42:43
And then you naturally start to be interested.
42:46
And it'll go down, it'll go up, whatever.
42:47
But it's like, you'll realize like,
42:50
you're kind of learning without realizing.
42:51
So congratulations.
42:53
Thank you, we love to hear it.
42:54
Gee, thank you so much for your time.
42:57
And it's just, I know that you're probably just so used to
42:59
sharing so openly, but we're very grateful
43:02
that you felt comfortable and wanted to do with us.
43:03
So thank you for coming on the podcast.
43:05
And thank you.
43:06
Yeah, thank you so much.
43:07
Dola Koss, Abraja, published author.
43:10
Yeah.
43:11
All of the songs will be about.
43:13
Yeah, and you just let us know
43:15
what the dress code is for the waiter.
43:16
Yeah, we'll see you on the What Deck Wizard again.
43:18
Yeah.
43:19
Yeah.
43:21
It's just, just, just, just, we can go.
43:25
Oh, thank you.
43:28
Thank you so much for joining us,
43:30
but today's episode of Raising the Curve.
43:33
Please subscribe and leave a review
43:34
on what ever platform you're listening on.
43:36
And we would also love for you to share this podcast
43:38
with anyone you think would benefit from it.
43:41
For more information about the curve
43:42
and how you can learn more,
43:44
head to the curve.co.nz or find us on socials.
43:50
Hey, Vic, I want to bribe our audience.
43:53
Oh, and I know that it's maybe like questionable behavior.
43:57
Do it.
43:57
The amount of people that follow and subscribe this podcast
44:02
is so low, comparatively, the amount of people
44:04
who listen every week.
44:05
How low?
44:05
It's 2%.
44:06
So if you look at our follows, even on like Spotify,
44:09
it's like 500 people follow.
44:12
But then there's like thousands and thousands
44:13
and thousands that listen every week.
44:15
And I was like, holy shit.
44:16
Excuse me.
44:20
But I don't think people realize how much it helps
44:23
by hitting the follow button or the subscribe button.
44:25
And we didn't know it all recently either.
44:26
So if you listen to this podcast regularly
44:29
and you like the conversations we're having,
44:31
we would love to ask you the tiniest favor.
44:34
Please, please, please click follow or subscribe.
44:38
Gosh, that sounds very desperate.
44:39
But we are desperate.
44:40
We would love to.
44:43
And it only takes two seconds and it helps so much.
44:46
So please.
44:47
And you also want to miss out on any episodes
44:51
of our lovely voices, which, heaven forbid,
44:54
you might miss out on an episode and not get the content.
44:58
Gosh, do you know what I've just realized though?
45:00
I said at the beginning of this, it would bribe them.
45:02
What are we bribing them with?
45:03
Click follow or subscribe and you'll find out.
45:06
I know what it is.
45:06
If you hit and follow subscribe, whatever it's called.
45:09
Oh gosh, what are you giving away?
45:11
No, no, I was just going to mean because it means
45:13
our show can get better and we can spend more money
45:15
in the production and we can get better guests.
45:17
And like it just makes such a difference.
45:18
So if you like the show, it takes two seconds to follow.
45:22
But then what that does in terms of how we can then
45:24
grow the podcast, phenomenal, phenomenal.
45:28
So that's the bribe.
45:29
If you wouldn't mind, we'd really love that.
45:31
Thank you.