The Swan Effect - Creating and Sustaining Your Financial Wellbeing
The Swan Effect - Creating and Sustaining Your Financial Wellbeing
S4 E6 Reframe. Reinvent. Resource Up!
Continuing to uncover the key characteristics of a wealth mindset, hosts Arthi and Malika delve into episode 6 of this season, talking about what separates those who thrive financially from those who stay stuck. It's not luck or privilege—it's resourcefulness. Resourcefulness is a critical component of building a wealth mindset, turning survival into strategy by making the most of what you already have instead of focusing on what you lack.
Drawing inspiration from superhero stories so that you can become your own financial superhero too, Arthi and Malika explore how characters like Peter Parker (building his own suit and web shooters while working side gigs), Shuri (constantly innovating with Wakanda's resources), and Storm (leading with emotional intelligence despite hardship) demonstrate resourcefulness in action. These aren't just fictional examples—they mirror the everyday ingenuity we see in successful entrepreneurs and wealth builders.
The heart of this episode the aptly derived R-E-S-O-U-R-C-E framework—a comprehensive approach to developing this critical mindset.
• Reframing your thinking from scarcity to strategy—shifting focus to what you can do with what you have
• Exploring your existing resources through an audit of your skills, networks, and available time
• Stretching your money and resources to last longer through strategic planning and creative solutions
• Organizing your finances by setting clear goals, priorities, and consistently tracking progress
• Utilizing your community by asking for help, collaborating, and bartering with others
• Reinventing your approach through pivoting, iterating, and experimenting when needed
• Creating multiple income streams, side hustles, and financial pathways
• Executing consistently through daily actions and discipline rather than perfect conditions
Listen in to hear how Arthi and Malika unpack the what and how of this framework to get you even closer to your goals of financial freedom and wealth.
Share 📢and write a review as Arthi and Malika continue on their mission to simplify the complexities of money management and empower you toward financial freedom.
Challenge: take 1 letter in the R-E-S-O-U-R-C-E framework and get started. Tag @theswaneffectpodcast and share your journey!
This #podcastepisode is proudly sponsored by Old Mutual Wealth.
Hello everyone. It's July and summer holidays for many of our listeners, but here in South Africa we're still working our way through winter. With the winter solstice having finished in the southern hemisphere, we're certainly looking forward to longer days and the warm weather that we're so used to, hi Malika, and I hope you're keeping warm too that we're so used to.
Malika:H i Arthi. Hello listeners, I'm indeed layering as needed to stay warm and being quite resourceful with how I spend my time and energy, given this time of year, which is perfect considering our episode this month is on another key characteristic that helps us build a wealth mindset, and that is resourcefulness, which, yeah, if you've perhaps forgotten and need a refresher or listening to us for the first time, we covered this in episode two, marching to action oh yes.
Arthi :So today, everybody, we're tapping into a next level power move for your wealth mindset, something that doesn't rely on having more, actually, but doing more with what you already have. Resourcefulness is the one word that actually turns survival into strategy. So if you're feeling overwhelmed by your resources or finances, then this episode is really going to help absolutely.
Malika:It's a topic that is so crucial and follows on from our June episode on discipline and, before that, innovation as well, right, so being resourceful is where the grit really meets the grind, right? Yeah, especially South Africa in , where many of us are building wealth in very unpredictable conditions. I mean, resourcefulness is really more than a skill, it's actually a lifeline. Um, you know that that you start using your resources in a more strategic way
Arthi :All right, let's give a simple definition, then, of what we mean by resourcefulness. What would you say?
Malika:it's the ability to make the most of what you have, whether that's time, money, knowledge or networks. Right, it's a creative problem solving under pressure. Um, it's that make a plan, or mark a plan, as we say in afrikaans, a mindset that africans are very famous for my, my dad and in my community especially, and, as I'm sure, in yours as well, afti, we stretch things beyond even that for our families and our communities, right?
Arthi :I mean, is there any other way to do it? I don't think so. It truly is a mindset. I think that can really set people apart. I mean examples that come to mind. For me it's like that auntie who's baking, who's got a baking business from her kitchen and she's basically just using whatever she's got on hand. It's the graduate who's got like 100 Rand data bundle and is launching this like cool online side hustle. It's the couple who decide you know what, we're going to build? A bit of a stockvel and we're going to use that to buy land. And then that land can go on to become something commercial, like warehousing, or residential, like flats, or even something agri, like fish farming. You know that for me is everyday resourceful genius.
Malika:Yeah, and in the theme of our season in superheroes, I think it's only fitting if we bring in what we have seen some of our favorite and wealthy superheroes, right? Some of them didn't start with billions, right. They had to think differently, just to survive and survive.
Arthi :Yeah, I mean we'll talk about some of our favorites. I mean, like Peter Parker, we've mentioned him, Spider-Man, a few times in our episodes this season. Look, he didn't have a mansion, he didn't have a tech lab, he literally built his own suit. I mean, do you remember in the comics, in the movies?
Arthi :how he was building his own suit. He created his own web shooters from scratch, he worked side gigs to survive, and all the while, I mean he was still showing up for the people of New York. I mean that is just raw resourcefulness, I think.
Malika:A hundred percent. And then let's not forget about Shuri, or Zuri, as some people say, from Black Panther Young, brilliant and constantly adapting. I mean, she doesn't just invent once, right, she improves, she uses what's available in Wakanda, reimagines vibranium and scales it right.
Arthi :Resourceful and revolutionary yeah, and then who's coming to mind now, For me is like storm, okay, so she went through a lot of difficulty, a lot of hardship. She was orphaned young, you know, coming from cairo um, but you, she led with what she had, you know, things like her presence, her intuition, her wisdom, I mean, I think, was just beyond Right. And her power wasn't just about weather, it was actually emotional and strategic intelligence.
Malika:Yeah, I mean also Pepper Potts. Right, no flashy suits, but she ran Stark Industries during Tony's, well let's say messier, phases. She turned setbacks into solutions. She's the CEO of Contingency Planning. And then we definitely need to mention Groot right, if it wasn't for his resourcefulness, we wouldn't have Stormbreaker.
Arthi :So you know, I guess. I guess what we're saying everybody is that there is something that actually separates people who thrive financially from those who stay stuck. Now, malika, I mean, you and I, we've been reflecting on what that can be, and I think we've come to realize it's not luck, it's it's this layered mindset of resourcefulness. So, oh, okay, I'm so, so, so excited to unveil our simple but powerful model to help you build it. Okay, so drum roll everybody, please for Malika! It's
Malika:<span It's called the r-e-s-o-u-r-c-e framework everybody, the resource framework, everyone. This is your superhero toolkit for wealth, right? So let's break it down by each letter or the word linking to the letter, what it means, and come out with some really practical strategies to get you thinking on how to turn your resources into the tools that you need for success.
Arthi :Yes, I'm excited. Okay, I'm going to start with the first one, right? So diving in R is the first one. The R is for reframe, meaning reframing the situation, reframing from scarcity to strategy. So we're starting with the mindset shift, because everyone, let's face it when you're operating from a place of scarcity, it's so easy to feel stuck and anxious and also like there's just never enough. And you know that feeling, especially around money. It's that you know money is not going to stretch, um, or the sense that I'm always running out of time. We need to shift that.
Malika:It's that sense of I don't have enough right, and it keeps you in this perpetual cycle of worrying about what you don't have rather than thinking about what you can do with what you already have. And when we talk about reframing, we're saying shift your thinking from that's not enough to what do I actually have and how can I use it strategically to grow. For example, instead of thinking I'm never going to have enough money to start my business, ask yourself what skills, networks and time do I already have that can support my business starting today. It's really all about strategy looking at your resources and thinking strategically about how they could work together Even if you don't have millions in the bank, right?
Arthi :Yeah.
Malika:You have skills, you have connections, you have your time, and that's the foundation. So reframe your thinking from scarcity to strategy. Let's consider the example of Airbnb. Right? Did you know that there's actually a group of people making money as Airbnb hosts without owning one single property? All they do is that they rent a property, they get permission from the owner of that property to run an Airbnb from it, and then they take liability insurance and run the property. So they've basically taken they haven't focused on the fact that they don't have a property. They have said I've got a good enough credit score that I will be able to rent a property, and then they rent that out as an Airbnb property.
Arthi :I mean, I think that is so inventive. I've seen the ads running around that and I thought, well, that's amazing. So, yeah, such a good example. Okay, let's move on to the next one. In the acronym the E and the E everyone stands for explore, which is all about auditing your resources. So what does that actually mean? It means taking a bit of a deeper dive into your skills, your networks and your time. So questions that you can be asking yourself everybody is like what are you really good at, who do you know and how much time do you have to allocate towards your goal? You know, people often overlook the step.
Arthi :Malika, I don't know if you've noticed this as well you know we end up getting just so focused on oh, I don't have this and I can't do that. As a result, oh, I don't have this and I can't do that. As a result, we don't actually then take stock of what we actually do have. So when you're focused in terms of OK, you know what I'm going to do, this audit, a skill audit say, that is such a good place to start because you make a list of everything you're good at, whether it's in your career, your side hassles in your personal life go holistic everybody. Your side hassles in your personal life go holistic everybody. Okay, you might be sitting and I can almost guarantee that sitting on a gold mine of skills you haven't thought about or you've actually undermined because you've never really thought about it in that way. Now I use this all the time in my coaching um, malika, um and I must tell you.
Arthi :There's such big aha moments that come through from the individuals, so I would encourage our listeners to look at that. And then, of course, there's the network piece. Okay, so some of the questions you just want to prompt your thinking around is who are the people in your life that can help you? And maybe I mean you don't need to hire a big team or a consultant or anything like that. It might just be someone in your circle who can give you advice or even potentially collaborate with you on a project. You might be surprised at how many people would be in a position to support you in what you're thinking or what you're doing. And then the last one on the explore is let's think about your time Questions, to ask yourself again what are your time blocks looking like, and am I actually prioritizing the right things for my time in my schedule Right? Sometimes we need to be honest about that. So if you're constantly running around feeling busy but not actually being productive, then maybe it's time for that time audit.
Malika:I'm definitely one of those people who need a time audit. I'd be, perfect, okay.
Malika:Next, let's talk about stretching your resources, and that's where the S comes in right Make money and resources last longer. This one's crucial, especially when things feel tight financially. It's really about being resourceful and getting more mileage out of what you do have. It's about maximizing the value of your money, your time and your energy. So let's say that you only have a small budget to invest in your business or project. How can you make that money stretch? Is it possible to barter with someone for these services? You know, is there a way to cut down on unnecessary expenses or even stretch your time? You know, if you've got 15 minutes to work on something, you know how can you make those 15 minutes as effective as possible? Maybe it's really about setting specific goals for that block of time or doing deep work without distractions. The idea is that you don't always need more resources. You really just need to get more out of what you already have.
Arthi :Yeah, super, super important, right, and I think that that really links up nicely to the O in the acronym of resource and the O standing for organize. And that is exactly what you've just said setting clear financial goals, priorities and then, obviously importantly, consistently tracking your progress. Everyone, you know you can't hit a target if you don't know where it is right, and this isn't just about tracking your income and expenses, it's about understanding where your money is going and then prioritizing that against your goals. I mean, what's the most important thing for you to be focusing right now? Everyone, I mean I'm sure there's lots of things coming to your mind I mean it could be paying down debt.
Malika:It could be.
Arthi :I need to build my emergency fund. It could be. I need to instigate that side hustle. I want multiple income sources.
Arthi :So, whatever it is, you then have to set a plan to keep moving forward, whether it's weekly check-ins with your finances or setting up that budget for the month, Just being organized helps you to stay on track. You can't just hope things are going to work out. You need a plan everyone. So come on, set those financial goals, automate some savings, track your expenses. One thing I can say is resourcefulness loves structure. Just helps things go smoothly.
Malika:That is so true. So now we come to utilize right, which is about leveraging your community asking, collaborating and bartering. One of the most underused resources is the community around you. We often forget that there's so much power in the people around us, whether it's for collaboration or bartering, or just asking advice, collaboration or botching or just asking advice. You don't always have to do things alone, right, and one of the most powerful ways to leverage your resources is just simply to ask for help. Look at your community friends, family, colleagues who can you collaborate with? Maybe you can swap skills or help each other in ways that could save time or money for you both. Help each other in ways that could save time or money for you both. Don't be afraid to ask. It can be a little bit uncomfortable at first, but it means so many people are willing to just help and give advice or even just provide services in exchange for something that you can offer.
Arthi :Absolutely. I mean, we just have to ask, as you said, absolutely.
Malika:Okay.
Arthi :So let's move to the next R in the resource acronym, um, which stands everyone for reinvent. Reinventing meaning things like pivoting, iterating, experimenting. You know, sometimes we just get so hung up with the fact that, but what if I fail? Right?
Malika:what if?
Arthi :it goes wrong, and it's true sometimes your original idea or your plan, it's not going to work out. But here's the thing it's okay because in that process of going through iterations you can end up finding something that really works for you, and it might not even look anywhere close to the plan right. So think about the opportunity that can come from that. Don't let that deter you. So you might need, for example, to maybe pivot your business or your side hustle. You might need to experiment with some new strategies. You might have to change your target market. The key is to keep going. Everyone, stay open to feedback, be willing to make adjustments along the way. I mean, I must say I'm talking from experience here, malika, I learned this for my own business and also my own financial goals, especially during COVID.
Arthi :Oh gosh, covid was such a difficult time on many fronts, but provided me with such great learnings and, thanks to some really sound advice, I actually went to the utilizing my community. So I used my community. I got some really great sound advice and that helped me to renew my focus and I was able to pivot successfully. So I cannot put this forward any more um than what I'm doing now everyone. It's worth it's worth going into that.
Malika:No, absolutely. And then next in our acronym resource is the C for create right, build, multiple paths, side hustles and multiple income streams. Now you know we speak about this all the time on this podcast Please go back and listen to previous episodes but it really is all about building multiple streams of income we cannot reiterate that not enough and having different financial pathways to reach your goals. You will never want to be too reliant on just one stream of income, so side hustles are really a great way to get started and as you scale, you can find other opportunities that align with your skills and interest. But the more streams of income you have, the more stable your financial future will definitely be.
Arthi :Oh for sure, Instead of letting it go, let it, let it flow, everybody, let it flow towards you, you know multiple, multiple streams, I. That's so important that c on the create and then the final letter in our acronym for resource is e everyone and e again, malika, you and I, we. This is the whole sort of theme of our series it, it is execute everyone, meaning taking action, and not just stop.
Arthi :Start action. We want consistent action. It's about showing up every day, doing the work, staying disciplined. See how it links into our previous episode. You can plan all you want, everyone. You know, without that execution, nothing's gonna happen. So what I would advise and malika, I know you would, you always say this as well set small, small, tiny, achievable goals, either each day or each week, and just keep building and moving forward towards attaining those. The key cannot it reiterate this enough is consistency on this. It's not perfection, okay. Perfection that's just going to derail us. So remember, it's not the ideas, um, that actually build wealth, it's the action that we take behind those ideas, okay. So one step a day actually keeps regret away.
Malika:I love that absolutely, absolutely use 30 minutes a day that you normally spend on Netflix to bolting your new sign. All right. So what does this look like right here in South African context?
Malika:in terms of the resource framework right. Here's some really good practical steps that Arthi and I would like to share with you. To get started in South Africa, use platforms like Yoko or WhatsApp business to test your business ideas. That's really the best way to get feedback and see how things are going. Join a stock file or an investment club for collective action. Guys, we are South African. We all know that together we achieve anything right, so really, the Stokvel and Investment Club space is a really good space to be.
Malika:Use apps like VAL 22, which was previously called 22seven to track your spending. Make sure that you stick to those goals, that you understand where you haven't necessarily stuck to them and that you can address that going forward. Offer services in exchange for mentorships or referrals. It really is a barter market out there and you are able to offer the things that you are able to do, which are unique, in exchange for what other people can provide you with and services that you may need. Learn from local content creators on financial YouTube channels or TikTok. This really will steer you in the right direction.
Arthi :I love these. These are so, so practical. It's things we are seeing people doing and you know what. It's not just them, everyone, it's you. You could be doing these too, you should, right? I'm going to add in one more, Malika, because this is also something I've been doing very deliberately. So everyone sharing a little bit of what my journey has been.
Arthi :But I believe that you can even use your voice as a resource. Take this podcast, for example. Right, you're listening to our voices, but use your voice to maybe host a workshop, become a peer educator, run, you know, weekday or at the end of the business day kind of classes, or even on a weekend, saturday classes. To be honest, you don't need the perfect conditions. Again, what we said about perfectionism, right, it's just going to derail us if we're looking for that. What you actually need, everybody, is our R-E-S-O-U-R-C-E resource mindset. Can't say that. Enough Standing for reframe, explore, stretch, organize, utilize, reinvent, create and execute. Okay, that was pretty exciting and I think with that that we are at the end of this conversation for our episode, but hopefully at the beginning of our listeners and subscribers resource journey can hope oh, I definitely hope so.
Malika:so I think my parking shot is that every superhero started with what they had, and so can you. Let your imagination, strategy and the courage do the building right, Whether you're looking to grow your business, start a side hustle or just improve your financial situation. Remember, it's all about being resourceful and smart with what you do have. So what's your parting shot, Aati?
Arthi :Oh, ok. So I think for me, resourcefulness isn't plan B, it's actually the engine of your wealth plan. It's how you survive today and then build that legacy of tomorrow. So resourcefulness is the decision to see limitations as a launchpad. You don't need more, no, you just need to move with what you've already got in your hands.
Malika:I absolutely love that. That is so cool. Listeners, if this episode sparks something in you, we challenge you. Take one letter from the R-E-S-o-u-r-c-e method and implement it. This way, we cry. Just just focus on one of those things this week. Then tag us at the swan effect podcast or comment, and we'd love to see your resourceful moves definitely.
Arthi :I think we're going to get flooded. Malika, what do you I? Hope everyone takes it yeah, all right, wonderful, I love that challenge. So until next time, everybody, keep stretching, adapting and creating wealth with what you've got. You're more powerful than you realize. Ciao for now. Ciao.
