We often hear about “closing the gap” in financing, leadership and opportunities. But there is another gap that we rarely recognize: the financial reliability gap.
When I launched my first company in my twenties, I thought that success was selling, scale and building a brand with cut-through.
And to a certain extent it did that. But it took me a little longer to realize that real success – the kind that you support outside your startup – also means financial independence. Not just income. Not just growth. But wealth.
We don’t talk about this enough. Founders are often so focused on cash flow, growth opportunities and reinvesting in the company that they neglect their own financial future. Women in particular can be an expensive blind spot, especially in a climate like this. At present, the costs of living at record highs are. Inflation is steadily running savings. And Australian women are still retiring with an average of 25% less super annuation than men. Financial literacy is no longer having a nice one; It is a survival skills. Founders, of all people, should think about how they personally build wealth, not only professionally.
When I started my first company, I was a young solo mother who navigated through life without a blueprint – or otherwise. I didn’t grew up talking about money. I did not have a financial adviser on Speed Dial. But I learned myself. I bought real estate. I have built several income flows. I started investing. And I did it all during bootstrapping. What I have learned is this: you don’t have to be a financial expert to build wealth, but you have to be intentionally about it. Because if your personal finances do not grow with your company, you are more exposed than you think.
Here are three things that I have learned that I now believe that every founder must in his strategy factors:
Wealth is the long game, and the turnover is not enough
There is a big difference between making money and building wealth. Your company can generate strong income, but if you do not remove money, protect and put it to work, you still work from a risk.
I learned to treat my personal finances as a second company with goals, structure and long-term thinking. That shift was a turning point.
Diversification applies to life, not just portfolios
As founders we know the risk of trusting one product or market. The same logic applies to your personal income. One income flow – even a flowering – is still one point of failure. I went looking for ways to build early parallel income: investing in markets, creating digital assets and adding secondary product lines. That strategy gave me freedom, not just extra income.
Financial literacy makes you a better founder
How more confident I became with money-it understanding debts, interest, declarations and tax-how sharper my decision-making became. It was not about becoming an expert; It was about building fluency. I knew my figures my leverage in negotiations, team conversations and moments of pressure. It made me more resilient and more resource rich.
We often hear about “closing the gap” in financing, leadership and opportunities. But there is another gap that we rarely recognize: the financial reliability gap. It starts with founders – especially women – who are willing to prioritize their own wealth as part of their growth story.
You don’t have to have it all sorted out, but you have to start. Because the goal is not only to build a successful company; It is to build a life that gives you freedom, safety and options long after the company has been scaled.
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