The Swan Effect - Creating and Sustaining Your Financial Wellbeing
The Swan Effect - Creating and Sustaining Your Financial Wellbeing
S4 E3 The Resilient Reset - building your financial bounce-back muscles
In this episode, co-hosts Malika and Arthi underscore how resilience forms the invisible backbone of wealth creation, that few discuss openly.
During this transformative episode, they decode how the ability to adapt, persist, and evolve through financial challenges ultimately determines your long-term success more than any investment strategy alone.
Arthi explores the profound psychological dimension of financial resilience - learning to view setbacks as commas rather than periods in your financial story. This mindset shift alone can dramatically alter your wealth trajectory. Malika helps us discover why emotional regulation during market volatility, business failures, or unexpected expenses is critical, and how to maintain perspective when everyone else is panicking.
Drawing inspiration from resilience icons like Rihanna, who transformed from difficult family circumstances into a business mogul, Oprah Winfrey, who converted career rejection into media dominance, and Sarah Blakely, who persisted through countless "no's" to build Spanx into a billion-dollar empire - Arthi and Malika examine how resilience manifests as a superpower in the financial realm.
Listen in to hear:
- actionable strategies you can implement immediately,
- embracing small failures as teachers,
- using the 90-day milestone methodology to maintain momentum,
- prioritizing self-care for better financial decision-making,
- and building a supportive network that sustains you when challenges arise.
Like the superhero examples, your capacity to stretch beyond limitations and bounce forward (not just back) from setbacks will determine your ultimate financial destiny.
Ready to develop your financial elasticity? Join us to discover how resilience might be your most undervalued asset on the path to wealth creation. Subscribe now, share with friends struggling with financial setbacks, and let us know which resilience strategy resonated most with you!
This episode is proudly sponsored by Old Mutual Wealth.
Your legacy isn't just about numbers. It's about the confidence that comes with knowing your wealth is expertly managed. At Old Mutual Wealth, we offer solutions that go beyond investment management. We're your trusted partner in achieving financial success. Together with your financial planner, we uncover what matters most to you, crafting a personalized plan tailored to your unique goals. Backed by a team dedicated to your wealth journey, we provide innovative strategies, in-depth research and award-winning investment expertise. Partner with us to take your wealth further with advice-led, personalized wealth management, offering clients and financial planners a full suite of industry-leading investment solutions. Visit www. oldmutual. co. za/wealth forward slash wealth to learn more. Hi there, I'm Arthi Rabikrisson. Hello.
Malika Petersen:I'm Malika Petersen. Welcome to the Swan Effect.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Podcast we're your go-to podcast to simplify the complexities of money management, investing and wealth management.
Malika Petersen:So that you can gain confidence in your relationship with money and become financially literate, independent and free.
Arthi Rabikrisson:That first step towards freedom is knowledge, and you can start with gaining that right now by listening to this upcoming episode. Happy April everyone, and welcome back to the Swan Effect podcast, where we share those useful financial ideas and trusty tips to help you feel more confident in managing your money and, of course, to get closer to financial freedom. Malika and I are truly having a ball this season as we help you become your own financial superhero, taking some well-known and wealthy superheroes' ideas and translating it into what we could do today. If you've been listening already, we are really here to help you get into that wealth mindset and march into action. And, of course, today we're going to be diving even further into a key trait that's part of our action plans and that is resilience. We want to help you reset that button. So, of course, welcome Malika. I hope you've been having a wonderful Ramadan, hi Arthi.
Malika Petersen:I am doing well. I must admit that Ramadan this year has really taught me a lot about the topic of this episode, which is resilience. A lot about the topic of this episode, which is resilience. There were times through the month where I must admit that my appetite for immediate gratification almost got the better of me oh my gosh. But I dived deep and I found the strength and resilience to continue.
Arthi Rabikrisson:I'm very proud of you, malika, and also thanks so much for being vulnerable and actually sharing something like that and, of course, it much for being vulnerable and actually sharing something like that and of course, it means it's top of mind for you. So I mean, let's dive in, let's actually share with our listeners. What can they expect from our episode today?
Malika Petersen:Well, listeners, you're going to love this resilience reset right, Because we want you to feel strong, to be able to adapt and keep moving forward when they set their obstacles and the inevitable tough times. As we've discussed before, building wealth isn't just about making smart investments or finding a high-paying job. It's really about being able to navigate all of those challenges, the failures and the unexpected moments that can throw you off course, and resilience is really the key to mastering that.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Yeah. So whether it's bouncing back from financial setbacks, delaying your gratification, learning from mistakes or just staying committed to your goals over the long term, resilience is a muscle everyone we all need to build. There is so much to share, from motivation to practical ideas and real-world examples. It's all so exciting. Malika, you know these are things all up my alley.
Malika Petersen:Absolutely. Mine too, arti. So let's break down what resilience actually means when it comes to creating wealth. Right, so we all know and understand the basics Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, but in the context of building wealth, it is really about that long-term perspective. It's about being able to adapt to new circumstances and being willing to take calculated risks.
Malika Petersen:Now, when you're creating wealth, you are going to hit walls I need to state this again because I think so many people think they don't and the difference between those who are wealthy and those who are not as wealthy is that those who are wealthy understand that this is going to happen and they bounce back as soon as it happens. So there will be financial mistakes soon as it happens. So there will be financial mistakes. There are going to be bad investments or missed opportunities or sometimes even failures with your business or your career, but truly resilient people don't let those setbacks define them. They learn from those experiences, they tweak their strategies and they keep on moving forward. While creation is not about avoiding failure, it's really about how you respond to it.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Yeah, I think you've put it so well and, importantly, where you said resilience isn't about bouncing back. I mean, it's really about staying flexible. Everyone, we know the financial world changes so fast. Market conditions are shifting all the time, as we know. New technologies gosh, we can't keep pace with it. It's just emerging and evolving so quickly and, of course, in order to build wealth long-term wealth that is you need to be resilient enough to change your approach when it's needed. And you know, actually it's making me think of Spider-Man Malika. You know Spidey I like to call him Spidey, but Peter Parker, that was the character. I mean, he was a broke student right, and then he was a struggling photographer at one point and then he became a tech billionaire briefly and then destroyed everything because he was being controlled by Dr Otto Octavius. Remember that evil character?
Arthi Rabikrisson:that was there, and then he went back to being a salary earner, but he kept deepening his existing skills, he learned new ones and I mean that's what's coming to my mind. There's so much of perseverance and flexibility that kind of went on in that timeline.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, now that you've said it, I actually totally see where the parallels are. Those are nice, that's pretty cool. So resilience isn't just about getting knocked down and getting back up right. It's about evolving and learning new skills and being agile in the face of shifting certain. I always call it failing forward. Right, you have to evolve when you get back up, and that kind of leads us to the next thing we're talking about how to develop that particular kind of resistance. So how do you actually build up resistance? And it's not just like you wake up one morning and you suddenly build a tool for made of titanium. That's not how it works. It really does take practice, mindset shifts and a commitment to personal goals. So, aati, you tell us what's your take on, kind of the first step.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Oh, you've pretty much said it, hay. That first step is really about shifting mindset. Everyone I mean remember, resilience is largely about how you think about failure and challenges. If you view setbacks as a full stop rather than a pause, meaning like a semicolon or a comma, say, then well, you're pretty much going to have an increasingly smaller bubble in which to play in, right. But if you see them as learning opportunities, it means you start to reframe your failures as stepping stones to something even better.
Malika Petersen:So you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and give it a go again. Yeah, exactly, exactly, yeah, like Professor X. Chelsea Xavier's school for gifted youngsters in the X-Men how many times did it get completely demolished in a battle, right?
Arthi Rabikrisson:Too many times.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, yeah, yeah, it get completely demolished in a battle right.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Too many times. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Exactly, but despite that, he kept rebuilding it and enhancing it each and every time.
Malika Petersen:He made it better every time.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Yeah, I love that. That's actually a great example, malika. I mean, he would see the destruction of the school as a failure for him, right, because he couldn't protect, you know, the school, the youngsters, but you know, actually, instead he protect, you know, the school, the youngsters, but you know, actually, instead he embraced this failure as a lesson. Now, of course, in a financial sense, everyone I mean I can think of enough decisions that I made that led to some really interesting financial mistakes. I mean, I'll share one with you, malika, when I was much younger and, I guess, just starting out working, you know, I took out a really costly short-term debt to help out family at the time. But you know, I was young, I was naive and, to be honest, maybe I just wasn't even interested. I didn't read the fine print in terms of what I was signing up to repay and boy oh boy did I get a shocker of actually how much I had to.
Arthi Rabikrisson:And boy oh boy did.
Malika Petersen:I get a shocker of actually how much I had to, how much I actually ended up having to pay. That's crazy.
Arthi Rabikrisson:It wasn't pretty. It was not pretty and in fact, it actually hamstrung me quite a bit in terms of my ability to save for a while for a while, you know. So I mean that taught me some really valuable lessons and, you know, spurred me on to do things far more wisely since then and you know, if I think about it as well it's helped me deliberately refine my wealth building strategy too, which I think brings me to another step in building resilience, which is actually being patient. Everyone, you know, I took on that debt on the spur of the moment, thinking, oh, I can solve this problem pretty quickly. Right, it was there, it was easy, boom, I've got it. But actually I landed up in hot water. So everyone I want to say, patience and timing is really important, especially when building wealth sustainably. Right, it ties into the mindset step that we were just talking about, because when you're resilient, you stop expecting quick wins and you start thinking about the longer term 100%, and I mean, I think, to bold resilience.
Malika Petersen:you need to practice emotional regulation. It is really important, right? The reality is, wealth creation can be stressful, because very often we're needing to make certain decisions and sacrifices that enable us to create wealth, and when that doesn't go right, your emotion gets out of getting in the way of your decision making and you can feel very, very stressed about it. So when the market crashes or you face a business setback, you really can't afford to panic and I know that's very, very difficult to say, but you can't afford to panic. It is important to learn to stay calm, to focus on what the next move is going to be, and also not to make hasty decisions based on fear or frustration. That's a skill that will serve you well in the long term, not only about finances, but everything.
Arthi Rabikrisson:In general as well. I mean, I think you're underscoring such an important point here.
Arthi Rabikrisson:I mean staying calm, focusing on the long-term goals instead of just the short-term emotional rollercoaster. I think it really makes all the difference. And I mean, to that end, another key component of resilience is surrounding yourself with the right people. So people who will support your goals, people who will challenge you as well when it's necessary to do so and, of course, keep you accountable. So having that strong network of mentors, of peers, of advisors, that can also make a huge difference. So here's it everyone. Resilience doesn't mean that you have to do everything on your own. If you can tap into a really supportive community, it can give you that huge boost, especially when times get tough. I mean, if we think about like our superheroes right, that's why we have the X-Men, they're a collective the Defenders, the Guardians of the Galaxy, you know, the Justice.
Malika Petersen:League, the Avengers as well, yeah, yeah, yeah, there's definitely, you know, strength in support and numbers. So developing resilience is about mindset, emotional control and a strong support network. But let's not forget, resilience also comes from taking care of your health. Very important. Physical and mental well-being play a huge role when it comes to you being able to handle feedback, and you can't push through obstacles if you're running on empty.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Oh for sure. I mean, you're just going to be so drained out. Oh, it impacts everything, marika, everything. Okay, it sounds like we've covered the foundational pieces of resilience. Now let's get into some real world examples of people who have demonstrated incredible resilience on their path to wealth creation. So you know who actually comes to my mind?
Arthi Rabikrisson:Malika and this is something I was reading about like fairly recently, but it's an inspiring story of Rihanna, right. So I mean, she came from a home where there was addiction, you know, in the family unit. It was obviously causing a lot of marital issues with her parents. I mean, you know, as a child growing up in that environment, I'm sure it must not have been easy in any shape or form. So she turned to music as a way to cope, as a way to, you know, extract herself from that situation and escape, if you want to call it.
Arthi Rabikrisson:And you know, as it would have it, you know she was part of this little teenage band group from school and you know, kind of luck was in her favor a little bit, because her band was like, doing like pretty well. But you know, one of the members did an introduction to a music producer when he listened to the band and I think Rihanna must have just like stood out. He just realized, oh wow, this is a really talented young lady and you know it landed up her, you know, moving from her home country, barbados, into the US and a whole host of things, and ultimately, yeah, cut a long story short we know where she is right now. Right, she's a savvy businesswoman, she's a philanthropist and she, of course, diversified her income streams away from music into beauty, into fashion, as well as other ventures too. So for me, I mean quite inspiring in terms of where you could start and where you could actually continue your, your wealth journey and your growth you know, absolutely, and I mean for me.
Malika Petersen:Another example that stands out is obviously oprah winfrey, right she went from being fired from a tv station but you know, to kind of becoming one of the most successful and influential women in the world. I always say to my kids that you should build buildings and houses and mansions on the bricks that others throw at you, and I think Oprah's definitely achieved that right. Her story is truly a testament to resilience. Achieved that right, her story is truly a testament to resilience. I mean, yes, so many challenges poverty, discrimination, abuse, failure each and every experience as fuel to grow stronger and more focused on her visions. Yeah, she's another example yeah, oh, nice, nice.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Also, I don't want us to forget someone like Sarah Blakey. Remember her, the founder of Spanx? Yeah, we love her. Yeah, we do, we really really do. I mean, we appreciate her Exactly In the face of rejection, right Again, rejecting her product, trying to get it into stores. You know, it's so easy. I mean, I understand this as a founder If people are rejecting you, I mean you're going to want to crawl into your hole and, just like you know, not want to come out. But you know, instead of giving up, she persisted. She learned the ropes of her business and I mean, look at it today, it's an empire, right. So her resilience allowed her to turn a small, simple idea that was going to help women into now well, it's helping men too, I believe turn it into a multi-billion dollar company, malika.
Malika Petersen:I mean, these are just absolutely incredible stories, and they all demonstrate that resilience isn't about being perfect. It's about being willing to fail, to learn, to adapt and just to keep going, no matter what, no matter how long it takes, no matter how often you need to keep picking yourself up, do it, just don't give up right. It's also just about that ability to bounce back, but not necessarily to where you started. Sometimes you come back even stronger, more equipped for success. In fact, most times you come back more strong and more equipped for success. In fact, most times you come back more strong and more equal for success. So you know, now that we've heard some of the inspiring stories, let's just get into some practical tips, because I think that our listeners always love the little practical tips that they share, definitely For building resilience in our own wealth building. So, aiti, what is, you know, one thing that someone can do right now to build more resistance in their financial life?
Arthi Rabikrisson:I think you and I we got more than one thing. So let's see what we come up with right. The one that really tops for me is you know, everyone starts by embracing. I think like these small failures. I know this sounds counterintuitive, like how does one embrace a failure? It's a difficult thing to do. Basically, it means just don't run away from the failure. Lean into it. For example, if you've made a bad investment, take the time to understand what went wrong. Think about what lesson can you learn from that. So view each lesson as a valuable teacher. Work with what is currently on your plate at this moment in time you know I'm sure we've all got different things going on currently in terms of our financial situation and figure out well what positive could come from the situation that I'm in. You know it's going to be difficult, but keep thinking in this way and actually see what comes forward from that everybody.
Malika Petersen:Absolutely great advice. I'd also say right, practice self-care and manage stress. Now, I know that there are very many people out there who try to avoid their stress All together. They pretend it's not there. You know, they're kind of like, oh no, it doesn't exist. Take the time each day to de-stress, whether that's through exercise, meditation or just simple taking a breath, even if you feel like you've had a good day. Right, yeah, take time to just close your eyes, think through the events of the day, because if you're physically and mentally strong, you'll be able to have times a lot better. Dust off some books you've been meaning to read. Start with chapter one, right. Block out time in your evening. Put your phone down, please. Yeah, I'm begging. Block out time in the evening or morning to get that physical activity in fact. Block out time in your calendar this week to just be mindful. Right, mindfulness and and presence does this for stress alleviation.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Oh, yes, I mean Malika, the research is out there about that. Right, it's there, it's true, everyone. So I love that tip. I would say an additional one would be not to forget to set those long-term goals. Keep your eyes on the prize, everybody, but at the same time you can still break those goals down into smaller achievable steps and then celebrate the wins along the way as you get to them. Right, resilience grows when you see the progress, no matter how small. So keep track of your progress. Be sure to reward yourself for hitting those milestones. I would say you know, go now open up your Word document or your notebook whatever it is that's your preference Write down some of your goals you know today as you're listening to us and then use the 90-day methodology to work through. So what that 90-day methodology is break your longer-term goal over a shorter period into 90-day milestones, three-month sprints, everybody, and then that will help you as you get to those three-month goals, gets you closer and closer to that long-term goal.
Malika Petersen:That's a great one, Aki. I really like that. Lastly, I just want to add that we should stay open to learning always and forever, whether it's reading books, listening to podcasts or networking with others. Keep developing your knowledge and skills. They'll help you to stay adaptable and resilient in the face of changes.
Arthi Rabikrisson:You know I'm loving I always love these practical steps of ours and I think with that, malika, we're actually at the end of our episode. What would be your parting shot for today?
Malika Petersen:So I think, for me, Arthi, there was something that you said that really stood out for me today, and it was about embracing those small failures. Right, it's something that I have difficulty with and I certainly do need to focus on, and I think that if we can embrace small failures, it will teach us how to become more resilient when those bigger failures hit us. So that's kind of my parting shot. My parting shot is embrace the little failures. It's all good, it's okay. I could potentially lose to my kids in 30 seconds once or twice, it'll be okay. It won't be the end of the world. What about you, aunty? What is your parting shot?
Arthi Rabikrisson:Okay, I would say you know everyone. If you could imagine being as elastic as Mr Fantastic or Elastigirl, if you remember those characters, then I mean you can become it. So in other words, if you imagine it, you can become it, that manifestation process both in life and in your finances. So stretch yourself to be able to achieve more than where you're currently at. I mean you will be very, very surprised everybody at how these deliberate actions you take can lead to mindset shifts and, of course, build that resilience, that slingshot to success is being rich everybody.
Arthi Rabikrisson:That's so cool indeed, and it starts with you listeners. So reset, revive and let's move forward to thrive. Until next time, everyone, ciao, until next time, ciao.
Malika Petersen:Thanks for joining us. We hope you found these ideas and guidance useful.
Arthi Rabikrisson:We're both seasoned in the investments industry. Malika is at the coalface of how, where and why people invest the way they do.
Malika Petersen:I certainly am, and you, Arthi. You've witnessed different types of investor behaviors around money too, and now work as a global award-winning coach to free us from the mindsets that stop us from becoming financially free.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Do subscribe, share and write a review, or send us comments. We would love to hear from you. Catch you on the next episode After Swan Effect podcast. Bye for now, ciao.
