Podcast · Business

Get Started Investing

by Equity Mates Media · English · Business

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026 · 29 minNew

From house-sitting her way to buying property to pivoting after a break up

Larissa thought she knew how to invest. She’d read the books, listened to the podcasts and watched her first investments climb. Then it went downhill. What followed was a shift to simple ETFs and an unconventional plan to buy property with her partner; give up renting and house-sit their way to a deposit. (spoiler; it worked!) This year, a break up changed the future she’d been financially building towards. She joins Jess to share how the financial foundations she built in her 20s gave her the freedom to pivot when life changed. This is ‘How I Got Started’ a series where I sit down with a…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S16 · E3 · 5 Oct 2026 · 30 min

What should I do with a lump sum: Save, super or invest?

Don't let a lump sum sit in the wrong place. So how should you use it? Save it, invest it, pay off debt, put it in super, or spend it? Jess asks Financial Adviser Tom Hayes from Shadforth to run the numbers on every option. By the end of this episode, you'll know the trade-offs of each, and how to choose what fits your goals. Chapters: 00:00:00 What To Do With A Lump Sum 00:04:16 Where Your Money Came From 00:06:56 Building An Emergency Fund 00:11:53 Paying Down Debt 00:14:00 Superannuation And Tax Benefits 00:18:45 Investing Outside Super 00:24:21 Lump Sum Or Dollar Cost Averaging 00:27:01…
S16 · E2 · 30 Sep 2026 · 26 min

How this 41-year-old teacher can afford to retire early

You don’t need a high income to invest your way to a better financial future. Today’s guest is proof of that. Ten years ago, while on maternity leave, Leigh decided to get serious about her families finances. Leigh and her husband aren’t high earners. She’s a teacher and her husband’s an electrician- so they don’t have millions coming in the door. But ten years after her investing journey began; their mortgage is paid off, she’s reached ‘Coast FIRE’ and is in a financial position to take next year off work. How did she do it? Jess chats with Leigh to find out. This is How I Got Started , in…
S16 · E1 · 28 Sep 2026 · 37 min

How many ETFs do I actually need? I’m overwhelmed

Is your portfolio diversified, or just complicated? Jess is only five months into investing and she’s already got seven ETFs and a stock. What is each investment actually adding? She’s starting to think maybe she’s overcomplicated things… Then community member Hamish sent in a question about whether it makes more sense to own one diversified ETF or build a portfolio from several ETFs. Jess took it as a sign to get back to basics. So she sits down with financial adviser Glen Hare to unpack how to think about building an ETF portfolio, including How many ETFs is too many? How to spot overlap…
S15 · E10 · 9 Sep 2026 · 27 min

How this swans player is investing to build a life beyond football

Hayden McLean knows a thing or two about playing the long game. After missing out on the AFL draft twice, Hayden kept going until he earned his place at the Sydney Swans. That same patience has shaped how he invests. At 27, he’s investing with one big goal in mind: creating the freedom to choose what life looks like after football. Hayden joins Jess to share how he went from being a hard-core saver who thought investing was too risky, to dollar cost averaging every month into a building a tech-heavy portfolio. This is How I Got Started, in each episode one community member shares the highs…
S14 · E10 · 7 Sep 2026 · 30 min

4 months into investing: My full portfolio update

4 months into her investing journey and Jess’ life has completely changed. She’s since bought a house, switched her core portfolio to geared investments, gotten a dog and combined finances with her partner. Safe to say- there’s been A Lot™️ on 🤣. With all that change, she’s got a few questions still playing on her mind. Things like: Should dollar cost averaging be monthly, or weekly? How should you invest in a stocks if you’re not dollar cost averaging into them? Why are her Geared ETFS not performing like she thought they would? Jess sat down with Bryce and Ren to share what her portfolio…
S15 · E9 · 2 Sep 2026 · 31 min

From living paycheque to paycheque to a $1M+ net worth in 6 years

Amy has built a $400,000 share portfolio, owns an investment property, and has grown her net worth to $1 million. But just six years ago, things looked very different. She was living pay cheque to pay cheque, had a credit card she didn't really understand, and had no idea where her money was going. So what changed? Amy shares with Jess the choices that turned her financial future around, how she built wealth through multiple income streams and why investing before you feel “ready” is a good way to start. Chapters: 00:00:00 From Paycheck To Paycheck To $1 Million 00:02:43 Growing Up Without…
S14 · E9 · 31 Aug 2026 · 34 min

How spending 15 minutes on your super could be worth hundreds of thousands

Do you know how much is in your super? Or what it’s invested in? Most Australians know what's in their bank account but superannuation? Not a clue. This lack of attention has a cost- missing out on thousands more at retirement. So today, Jess gives her super a 5-step health check. She'd love for you to do the same alongside her. Walking us through the list is Jen, Head of Technical Services at MLC. Jen explains the small decisions that can make all the difference including; checking your fees, insurances and investment settings. By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly what to check,…
S15 · E8 · 26 Aug 2026 · 29 min

What putting $3K into a mate’s stock tip taught Ryan about investing

Ryan thought he was doing everything right with his money until a stock tip made his ETF feel like the wrong choice. For years, Ryan followed a very traditional approach to money: work hard, save hard and eventually buy a house. Then he discovered compound interest, started investing and found himself comparing two very different ways to put his money to work. What did that stock investment teach him? And how did it shape the kind of investor he wants to be? Ryan joins Jess to share how he got started investing, what his portfolio looks like today, the sleepless nights that came with his…
S14 · E8 · 24 Aug 2026 · 32 min

Can AI help me find more money to invest? I asked a financial controller

What if you already had more money to invest... you just didn't realise it? Jess has spent months manually analysing her spending, trying to free up more money to invest. This week, she wants to know if AI can make the process easier. Together with a chartered accountant and financial controller, Isabelle from Mind Her Money , Jess explores how to safely use AI to better understand your spending (including actual prompts you can use), what patterns to look for and how to spot the money that's quietly slipping away without adding real value to your life. Because the goal isn't to stop…
S15 · E7 · 19 Aug 2026 · 31 min

How Kelly built a $280K portfolio and bought two investment properties before 30

Kelly grew up watching her immigrant parents work two jobs, seven days a week, after arriving in Australia with very little money. She thought the only path to wealth was to work harder. Then she discovered investing and realised her money could work just as hard as she did. Before turning 30, she's built a $280,000 investment portfolio and bought two investment properties. Jess sits down with Kelly to unpack the lessons she learned from watching her parents' sacrifices, why she focuses on growing her income as much as her investments (more than doubling it in just a few years), how she uses…
S14 · E7 · 17 Aug 2026 · 34 min

How should couples manage money and invest? A financial adviser explains

Joint accounts or separate? Split bills 50/50? Invest together or keep it separate? Ask five couples how they manage money and you'll probably get five different answers. After buying her first home with her partner, Jess put the question to the Get Started Investing community and quickly realised there were plenty of different approaches. So she sat down with financial adviser Glen Hare to hear what he sees working best for the couples he advises, and how they navigate everything from bank accounts and budgeting to shared goals, different money personalities (saver v spender) and building a…
S15 · E6 · 12 Aug 2026 · 22 min

How owning 27 ETFs at once taught Gav that less is more

Gav loves spending money. Watches, skincare, Apple products, travel - give him money and he’ll find something to spend it on. So when he discovered investing, he did what came naturally….he started collecting ETFs. At one point, he owned 27 of them. So how did he go from trying almost every investing app and collecting ETFs “like Pokémon cards” to believing that less is more? Gav joins Jess to unpack the mistakes he made as a new investor, how he’s simplified his approach and the system that lets him invest consistently (while still leaving plenty of room to spend.) Plus, they get into Gav’s…
S14 · E6 · 10 Aug 2026 · 18 min

Should I sell my Aussie ETF and just invest in Global Shares?

Australia or the world - where should you be investing? Jess has both Australian and global ETFs in her portfolio, but lately she’s been seeing more investors question whether Australian shares are worth holding at all…..especially when global markets have been performing so well. And she’s not the only one wondering. Community member Anand recently shifted his portfolio primarily into a global ETF and wants to know: what are the strongest reasons to still invest in Australia? Is going all-global a reasonable strategy? Does holding Australian shares actually make you more diversified? And…
S15 · E5 · 5 Aug 2026 · 32 min

How Ally is balancing investing, buying her first home and having a baby

What would make you finally take control of your money? For 29-year-old marketer Ally, it was watching her mum navigate life after divorce. Seeing someone she loved suddenly have to learn how to manage money from scratch made Ally realise she never wanted to be in that position herself. So she taught herself. Through podcasts, books and hours of research, Ally built the confidence to start investing, buy her first home and prepare financially for her first baby - all without a background in finance. In this episode, Ally joins Jess to share how she overcame analysis paralysis, built an…
S14 · E5 · 3 Aug 2026 · 34 min

I have a mortgage now…should I stop investing?

Once you buy a house, where should your next dollar go? Should you build your offset account? Pay down your mortgage faster? Or keep investing? In this episode, financial adviser Sam Hunt from Shadforth joins Jess to unpack one of the biggest financial questions homeowners face. Using Jess's own situation as a real-life case study, they explore the decisions she's now facing after buying her first property. Jess and her partner recently purchased the home together, using equity from the sale of his previous property, and now share a 50/50 mortgage. It's Jess's first time owning a home, and…
S15 · E4 · 29 Jul 2026 · 32 min

Why this MasterChef star wishes he'd started investing at 18

Most Aussies know Hayden from MasterChef. But away from the cameras, he's gone from growing up with a fear of debt to building businesses, backing founders and investing in property. In this episode, Hayden joins Jess to share how that transformation happened—from working at Woolworths as a teenager to discovering investing later than he wishes he had. He also explains why he's already started an ETF portfolio for his five-week-old daughter, Rosie, determined to give her the investing head start he never had. Talk about getting started early... time in the market, right? 😉 This is 'How I…
S14 · E4 · 27 Jul 2026 · 30 min

What’s the the best way to invest in AI? A financial adviser teaches me.

Everyone says they want to invest in AI... but what should you actually buy? Do you buy Nvidia? An AI ETF? The Nasdaq? Or are you already getting AI exposure through the investments you own? After hearing about AI infrastructure and wondering whether she'd missed the semiconductor boom, Jess found herself asking the same question many beginner investors face: where do you even start? This week, Jess is joined by Owen Raszkiewicz, Financial Adviser at Rask and host of The Australian Finance Podcast, to unpack the different ways investors can get exposure to AI, helping you understand what…
S15 · E3 · 22 Jul 2026 · 22 min

How this 24 year old turned a four year plan into $162,000

At 18 years old, in the middle of the pandemic, today’s guest gave herself 4 years to complete the following: Save 150K Graduate with two bachelors degrees Buy an investment property Build a share portfolio Secure a remote job Spoiler - she actually did it and has the portfolio to prove it. Today Jess learns how she got there and where she hopes investing will take her next. This is 'How I Got Started' a series on Get Started Investing. Every Thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give…
S14 · E3 · 20 Jul 2026 · 31 min

Should I replace my ETFs with the geared version?

To gear, or not to gear- that is the question... Geared ETFs have had a bit of a moment in the past few years. Plenty of popular ETFs such as NDQ, A200 and DHHF now have “geared” versions. But what does that mean? How do geared ETFs work? And if their long term performance is expected to be better- should you be buying them instead? Today Cam Gleeson, Senior Investment Strategist at Betashares, joins Jess to answer community member John’s question; how he should invest in the geared version of ETFs he already owns? Plus Jess walks though her portfolio and get’s Cam’s take on switching to…
S15 · E2 · 15 Jul 2026 · 19 min

“I don’t want to retire, ever”: why this 30-year-old actor invests

PJ has five jobs, so his pay is almost never the same two weeks running. Working in a creative field, pay can be scattered and unpredictable. So how does he invest consistently? Jess learns how PJ, an actor juggling four other jobs, built a percentage-based system that invests a slice of every paycheque no matter when it lands. Plus the lithium stock punt that led him to ETFs and how he uses investing to fuel the pursuit of a dream career. This is 'How I Got Started' a series on Get Started Investing. Every Thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their…
S14 · E2 · 13 Jul 2026 · 25 min

The next big IPO is coming, should I Invest in it?

Jess' been seeing the headlines about Anthropic and OpenAI entering the stock market later this year and keeps thinking, “should I buy that?” Looking back on the recent Space X IPO she feels intense FOMO. It made a historic $75 billion in it’s first day on the market. Yes, billion with a B. But how can you decide if something is a good investment, when it’s new to the market? What actually is an “IPO”? And why do companies decide to go public? Bryce joins Jess to explain all this and to answer an important question- is investing at IPO a good investment or just FOMO? Chapters: 00:00:00 What…
S15 · E1 · 8 Jul 2026 · 18 min

How this 29-year-old nurse paid off $25K debt and started investing

For years, Bree hid her credit card debt from the people closest to her. "It's not just really wealthy people that are investing," she tells Jess. "It is everyday people like you and I." Jess gets into how Bree, a nurse and content creator , went from hiding $25K in debt to a fully automated investing system. Plus, what she'd tell her younger self along the way. This is ‘How I Got Started’ a new series on Get Started Investing. Every thursday Jess sits down with a community member to hear the highs and lows of their journey to investing. These are real stories that we hope will give you…
S14 · E1 · 6 Jul 2026 · 26 min

Where should my next $500 go: Super or my portfolio?

Which is better in the long run- adding extra cash to super? OR to your own portfolio instead? Jess wants to know. Jess’ Superannuation balance is smaller than it should be, for her age. As those who’ve followed her investing journey will know, deciding what to about it- has been tricky for her. And she’s not alone. Community member Matt also wants to know the benefits of over putting extra cash in super over in the market himself. So Julie Bullen, Financial Advisor at Fox & Hare joins the show to run the numbers. Can she convince Jess that she’ll be rewarded in the long run for investing in…
S13 · 22 Jun 2026 · 29 min

From beginner to investor: I reveal my final portfolio. | Jess Gets Investing

Three months ago, Jess wasn't an investor. That has changed through out the past 12 episodes- in fact, she has a whole new lease on her financial life. Clear goals, a solid portfolio and and the confidence in herself to keep investing. In this final episode of ‘Jess Gets Investing’ Jess sit’s down with Bryce and Ren to reveal her final portfolio; (including her first ever stock pick and a thematic ETF), what she learned from finally getting invested and what is next for Get Started Investing. Chapters: 00:00:00 The Portfolio Reveal 00:02:27 The Three-ETF Core Strategy 00:07:06 Turning Sushi…
S13 · E11 · 15 Jun 2026 · 38 min

I made my first Investing mistake - here’s how to avoid it | Jess Gets Investing

Jess just made her first investing “mistake”. A purchase she made, regretted and then almost immediately sold. She thought starting investing was the hard part! It turns out that staying invested- despite what life or the market throws at you- is the hardest part. To avoid making the same mistake again, Jess wants to automate the investing process. To find out how, she sat down with Jess Brady, a former financial adviser turned money educator and author of Get Growing. They walk through how to set up systems and techniques to help you stay invested long term. Plus friend of the show and…
S13 · E10 · 8 Jun 2026 · 41 min

A professional investor teaches me how to pick stocks | Jess Gets Investing

Jess wants to venture beyond ETFs to the world of stocks. Eeek- intimidating! After deciding to set up a Core-Satellite portfolio, she is keen to explore adding that some individual companies to the Satellite. But she’s never bought a stock before, let alone analysed a company. So where on earth should she begin? Who better to answer that then a professional investor who picks stocks for a living. Anna Milne, Deputy Portfolio Manager at Wilson Asset Management joins to the show to teach Jess what an absolute beginner needs to know about buying stocks - things like: How to start researching a…
S13 · E9 · 1 Jun 2026 · 29 min

I’ve built my ETF Portfolio - what’s next? | Jess Gets Investing

Jess has officially started investing! After months of setting goals, learning the ropes and building confidence- she’s finally started a portfolio of well diversified index ETFs. But now she’s wondering…what’s next? Should she look at buying stocks too? Thematic ETFs? Once you've got your foundation in place, how do you build upon it without turning your portfolio into a random collection of ideas you heard online? So Jess sat down with Host and Financial Advisor at Rask, Gemma Mitchell, to find out about the core-satellite approach to investing. And it might just be the perfect way to keep…
S13 · E8 · 25 May 2026 · 23 min

I made my first investments - here’s what I bought | Jess Gets Investing

Today is the day Jess makes her very first investments!! Bryce and Ren are back to hear what she has decided to buy. She’s spent weeks learning the ropes - working on her mindset, building a budget, setting goals, understanding ETF’s… But hasn’t actually put any money into the market. Until now. Chapters 00:00:00 First Investment And Goals 00:04:03 Cash Versus Super Strategy 00:08:10 Emergency Buffer And ETF Mix 00:11:31 Long Term Growth Projections 00:13:45 Emerging Markets Discussion 00:17:15 Live Trades And Investor Mindset Links Mentioned in this episode: 📩 Sign up to the Get Started…
S13 · E7 · 18 May 2026 · 27 min

This checklist helped me finally pick my investing platform | Jess Gets Investing

Jess has downloaded countless investing apps. You name the broker and she’s probably set up an account. But there’s a catch- she’s never actually used any of them. She sets up the account, gets overwhelmed and doesn’t open it again. To start investing- that has to change. It’s time to choose a brokerage platform; the place where she will buy ETFs. So Jess put together a checklist to help her choose one that suits her needs. Rather than just talk the checklist in theory, she wanted to run a real platform through it. BetaShares Direct, who is supporting this series, agreed to let her do…

About Get Started Investing

Hi! I'm Jess. This year, I finally started investing. After years of indecision, I took a leap and began documenting my journey, bringing you along to learn the investing ropes together. Designed to build your confidence, our short, easy-to-understand episodes make investing approachable- so you can make the most of your money. New episodes drop every Tuesday & Thursday. On Tuesdays: I tackle real questions from a beginner investor- whether my own or sent in by our community. We cover everything from ETFs & shares, to super, property and personal finance. On Thursdays: Our series, How I Got Started where I chat with a community members to hear the highs, lows and lessons from their investing journey- proving that investing really is for anyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get Started Investing is a English business podcast from Equity Mates Media. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Equity Mates Media
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1484760064
Rights: Equity Mates Media

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