Her Money Matters

As we wrap up 2025, we’re revisiting the episode that resonated more than any other this year - Episode 16: Are You a Spender, Planner or Avoider? The 5 Money Personas and the Limiting Beliefs Holding You Back.

This conversation struck a chord because it helped women see themselves clearly, in the behaviours, habits, and the stories we carry about money. In this episode, we unpack the five core money personas, how they show up in everyday life, and the beliefs that can either support your progress or hold you back.

What really made this episode a standout was the pop-culture reference we used to tie it all together. With Sex and the City as our theme, we explored how Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha each represent a different relationship with money, and why recognising yourself in one of them can be surprisingly powerful. It was a heap of fun, and gave language to something many women feel but rarely articulate.

If you’re hearing this for the first time, this episode will help you understand why you make certain money decisions and where small shifts can make a big difference. If you listened earlier in the year, this is a great moment to reflect on what’s changed and what you might want to take with you into 2026.

This is our final episode for 2025. Helene and I will be back in person next week to kick off the first episode of 2026, and we cannot wait to continue the conversation with you.

And please remember… Your Money Matters, Your Future Matters, and You - You Matter.

As we ease into the Christmas break — that magical time where no one knows what day it is and leftovers count as a meal — we’re revisiting one of the most popular episodes of the year.

Coming in as our second most-listened-to episode is Why Super Needs to Be Your Super Hero. And we are not surprised this was one of the most listened to episodes.

Superannuation is one of the most powerful financial tools available to women — yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this replay, Naomi pulls together 20 minutes of the very best moments from the original episode, breaking super down in a way that’s practical, relatable, and actually makes sense.

Using the idea of super as your financial cape, this episode explores why we want super to be the hero of your future — not the villain quietly eroded by fees, poor performance, or neglect. Naomi also challenges listeners to think differently about their super by giving it a superhero identity of its own (hers? Lara Croft — bold, strong, adventurous, and absolutely not here to play small).

Why super really matters — especially for women

Why you need to actively care about it (even if retirement feels far away)

What makes super such a tax-efficient structure

How much choice you actually have when it comes to your fund

The different types of contributions you can make

How and when you can access your super

And the pop culture tie-in to Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero — because your super really can be exactly that

We’re taking a short festive breather, but Naomi is still around if you need support over the break. And from both Naomi and Helene — thank you for being part of this community.

🎄 Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy festive season.

Because your money matters — and so do you.

If there was ever a time to channel Madonna and belt out Holiday — it would be so nice! — it’s the festive season. Between the Christmas chaos, end-of-year burnout, and the annual migration to beaches, airports, and relatives’ spare rooms, the silly season can be a very expensive time to “celebrate.”

In today’s episode, we’re talking all things festive travel — the real costs, the hidden costs, and the “I did not budget for this!” costs. Whether you're heading up the coast, flying interstate, or just trying to escape your own kitchen, we’re breaking down how to plan, budget, and enjoy your holiday without coming home to a financial hangover.

We are taking a page straight out of Madonna’s book, because if Holiday taught us anything, it’s that taking a break should feel joyful, simple, and liberating — not stressful, guilt-ridden, or funded by a credit card you’ll resent until Easter.

We’ll cover:

So grab an iced latte, put on your favourite summer playlist, and let’s make this year’s holiday feel less like a financial avalanche… and a little more Madonna-level fabulous.

When we think about insurance, most of us picture paperwork, premiums, and things going wrong. But behind every policy is something far more meaningful: real people, real families, and real moments where life suddenly changes, and the right cover becomes the difference between crisis and stability.

In this episode, Naomi sits down with Jacqui Lennon, Chief Technology and Transformation Officer at Zurich Insurance Australia, to explore the deeply personal side of insurance — the part we don’t talk about enough. Jacqui has seen first-hand working with customers at their most vulnerable: illness, injury, loss, recovery, and everything in between. She’s encountered what happens when people do have the right cover… and when they don’t.

Together, they dive into:

The life moments where insurance steps in and holds things together

Real client stories that show how a claim can change someone’s path, from medical crises to unexpected life twists

Why GoFundMe shouldn’t be your financial plan

The emotional decisions we make about insurance, and why so many women put it off

What the four major covers — Life, TPD, Trauma, and Income Protection — are actually designed to protect

This episode is all about understanding the heart behind the cover — how insurance supports you when the rest of life feels uncertain, and why building this safety net is one of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself and the people you love.

If you’ve never been to a live podcast recording, picture this: fifty powerhouse women, a packed pub, a few glasses of wine, and a whole lot of laughter, energy, and inspiration flying around the room. We recorded this podcast in one take, with a LIVE audience - the audio fed straight into our computers.  

This was recorded the day after Melbourne Cup, and we packed out the room with 50 incredible women from the Balmain Rozelle Chamber of Commerce who were ready to swap champagne flutes for goal sheets and channel their 2026 ambitions.

With The Power by Snap! as our pop culture reference, we turned up the volume (literally) on what it means to set goals that align with your values, habits, and vision for the year ahead. We went through a couple of activities live which you can find in the resources below and talked about the importance of setting your goals early, and making sure they are SMART.  

Now while the concept of setting SMART goals sounds simple, turning broad intentions into clear, measurable goals is often the hardest part and where most of us get stuck.

Then came the magic moment: we asked everyone in the room to write down their 2026 goals. Some focused on fitness and wellbeing (including a future yoga teacher in the making), others on home renovations or creating more balance with family, and some were focused on growing businesses, increasing income, or taking brave steps into new ventures.

Different goals, same thread — each reflected courage, clarity, and the determination to make next year count.

Keep the momentum going with our free downloads:

📝 Goal Setting & Values Activity Sheet – https://www.thinkbowl.com.au/wheel-of-life-her-mindset-matters?qr=view

🎯 DL Flyer + QR Code –

🎧 Press play and feel the power.

👉 Listen now, and use the QR code in the flyer to send us your 2026 goals.

For most of us, opening our super statement lands somewhere between “mildly overwhelming” and “absolutely not today.” In this very real and surprisingly empowering episode, Helene opens her actual superannuation statement live on the podcast — giving all Avoiders a soft place to land.

Naomi walks through the 6 key things your super statement is trying to tell you — Fees, Investments, Performance, Contributions, Insurance, and Beneficiaries — breaking down what they mean in simple language, why they matter, and how to turn a yearly dread into a moment of clarity.

Together, they unpack why our brains avoid financial information, how curiosity rewires money confidence faster than you think, and the small mindset shifts that turn “free-falling” into taking back control of your future self.

This week’s pop-culture throwback is Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” (1989/1990) — the perfect anthem for the emotional rollercoaster of pretending you’re fine while things feel chaotic underneath. Just like Tom, many of us look calm while quietly avoiding the numbers… until today.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know exactly what to look for on your super statement, why even one small action counts, and how awareness always costs less than avoidance. Your future self will thank you.

Ever caught yourself wondering whether to stay, renovate, or move - but felt unsure where to even start?

I’m joined by professional Property Valuer Belinda Botzolis, who takes us inside the world of property valuations.  We cover off what they really mean, how they’re done, and why understanding your home’s true worth can help you make every decision with more clarity and confidence.

Inspired by Flo Rida’s hit “My House”, we’re talking about what it really means to own, love, or leave your home, and how a proper valuation can help you decide whether to marry it, spruce it up, or move on.

We’ll break down why valuations differ from real estate appraisals, the surprising factors that influence your home’s value, and the practical steps you can take to get the most accurate result. Whether you’re refinancing, renovating, downsizing, or just curious, this episode will help you make informed choices about your biggest asset.

🎧 So kick back, press play, and welcome to your house — because knowing what it’s worth is the first step in shaping your financial future.

Let’s be honest: Christmas shopping can bring out the best and worst in us. One minute you’re full of festive cheer, the next you’re panic-buying matching pyjamas, random gadgets, and “funny” mugs that no one actually needs and it all just ends up wasted, in landfill.

In this episode, we unwrap why we keep giving our kids shitty Christmas presents and how to stop this perpetual pattern. We’ll dive into the psychology of giving (spoiler: it’s more about us than them), why buying “stuff” makes us feel momentarily generous, and how to rewire our thinking so gifts become meaningful, not mindless.

We cover off three buckets of gifts depending on your budget: 

<$100

$100 - $500

$1,000+

So listen in to discover gifts that will help your kids into the future, or why the gift of giving to charity can be so fulfilling.  We do have lots of fun in this episode and we will have you laughing, reflecting, and maybe cancelling that Amazon cart.  The best gift you can give this year isn’t necessarily something they’ll open… it’s something they’ll grow from.

So pour the eggnog, crank Mariah, and let’s make this the year we end the reign of crappy Christmas gifts — for good. 🎄

In this episode of Her Money Matters, we’re diving into one of the most accessible and empowering ways to invest — Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs.

Whether this is your first time hearing the term, or you’ve already got a few on your radar, this episode will break it all down — what ETFs are, how they work, and how you can use them to build a diverse, affordable portfolio.

Naomi is joined by Jessica Leung, Portfolio Manager at Global X, to explore the ins and outs of ETFs, including:

And yes — we even have a little fun with Madonna’s Material Girl along the way.

💬 Want to learn more about your own investment comfort zone?

📊 Keen to explore the latest ETF insights and trends?