The Swan Effect - Creating and Sustaining Your Financial Wellbeing
The Swan Effect - Creating and Sustaining Your Financial Wellbeing
S4 E11 The Superhero Wealth Equation
It has been a financial marathon this season, with hosts Arthi and Malika delivering a wealth mindset so that you can become your own financial superhero. What listeners may not have known, was that each epsiode this season was building up to a cape fitting ceremony. In this final episode of Season 4, Arthi and Malika unveil the Superhero Wealth Equation—Identity x Behaviour x Time x Community— a simple, multiplicative model that turns scattered advice into a focused plan you can actually stick to.
As a bonus, the hosts guide listeners through a reflective year-end Superpower Audit (click to download) to turn clarity into action. Along the way, they recap key lessons, share listener wins, and wrap with a peek at next season’s deep dive into the DDT: Debt, Death, and Taxes.
Listen in to Arthi and Malika:
- • tying ten episodes into a clear wealth formula
- • explain identity as the base for money confidence
- • unpack behaviour superpowers and why consistency matters
- • extoll about time and compounding as inevitability builders
- • emphasize community as stabiliser, accountability and legacy
- • underscore multiplicative thinking and zero-risk to the equation
- • offer a step-by-step Superpower Audit with actions
and so much more!
Go forth and multiply your wealth in 2026 the Swan Effect Superhero way!
Share 📢and write a review as Arthi and Malika continue on their mission to simplify the complexities of money management to empower you toward financial freedom, becoming your own financial superhero, and passing on your superpowers too!
This #podcastepisode 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 to learn more. Hi there, I'm Arthi Rabikrisson.
Malika Petersen:Hello, I'm Malika Petersen.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Welcome to
Malika Petersen:The Swan Effect Podcast.
Arthi Rabikrisson:We're your go-to podcast to simplify the complexities of money management, investing, and wealth management.
Malika Petersen:So that you can get a confidence in your relationship with money and become financially literally independent and free.
Arthi Rabikrisson:That's the first step towards freedom is knowledge. And you can start regaining that right now by listening to this upcoming episode.
Arthi Rabikrisson:December time is here! Welcome everyone. I honestly cannot believe that this year is almost done, and with it, our current season of the Swan Effect Podcast. My gosh, time has flown by so quickly, and what a season it's been. From unpacking the wealth mindset, diving into key characteristics. I think we've brought it all to you, listeners, from the action, the drama, the thrills, the tears. That would really make any MCU or DCU director proud, actually.
Malika Petersen:We definitely would have had you. We would have made them so proud. Hi, listeners. It feels like we've run a financial marathon with season four. But somehow we still have that energy for a victory wrap, right? Just because today's episode. It isn't just a recrap. No, no, no, no, no, no. We are elevating people. Uh, we are closing this season with a big, bold, beautiful bow. The kindness says, You did the work. Now let's help you understand the transformation that you actually went through.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Ah, yes. And today we also revealed something new. I mean, come on, you know. We love it when we when we do this. And actually, this is our festive gift to you. It's something that pulls all 10 episodes together into one idea. It's a model, a formula, a superhero equation that simplifies everything that the season has taught you.
Malika Petersen:So if you've listened to every single episode or some of them, or even if this is your first time, today's episode is really about your cape fitting ceremony.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Ooh, I like that. I really like that. All right, let's rewind the timeline. Okay, so we're gonna go back to episode one, which was the birth of our financial superhero theme, you know? And it all began with the wealth mindset. And in that episode, we were shifting from scarcity to abundance, understanding and exercising gratitude. And also we were engaging with emotional intelligence. We were demystifying delayed gratification as well. So we tinkered, we played around deeply with these concepts, you know, sort of like your inner Tony Stark tinkering about in the lab.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, absolutely. And then came episode two, which was our march into action episode, right? We introduced the five wealth superpowers: resilience, innovation, resourcefulness, discipline, and generosity. And so too came out relevant superheroes such as Batman, T'Challa, Iron Man, Shuri, Storm, Jean Grey, Alfred, Pepper Potts. Yep, we lined them all up as part of the call to action.
Arthi Rabikrisson:And you know, Malika, episode three I truly loved, I must tell you, where we went into the resilience characteristic episode, right? And this is where, listeners, we reminded you that resilience is a muscle, right? And it's built through setbacks, through delayed gratification, emotional control, and even patience as well.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, absolutely. And then in episode four, which is about innovation, we were in Shuri's Wakandian lab, right? We were solving problems, we were building value, we were mapping the Kasi economy. Remember that was one of my favorite and then highlighting the impact entrepreneurs make in their communities and the ecosystem and just in general the world at large, right?
Arthi Rabikrisson:Then the next episode, the discipline episode, that reminded us all about being focused, right? Like focused like Green Arrow and his arrows. We talked about how consistency matters, but then also you know long-term thinking. And we offered you courage, listeners, so that you could still show up even when no one was applauding you.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And then we spoke about the resourcefulness trait in episode six, and that was where Arthi and I pioneered the R-E-S-O-U-R-C-E-TM framework. Yeah and readness. Yeah. Absolutely. And listeners, you absolutely loved that episode. You know, I don't know about you, Arthi, but I was getting so many messages about how people were being resourceful again. And and kind of we sparked so many what if ideas in others. So resourcefulness is a mindset, everyone.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Yeah, no, I definitely also got such great feedback on that frame work. So it resonated with everybody. And then in episode seven, we talked about equity creating equity. I mean, we went full on Wonder Woman mode with our fabulous guest, Shivani Naidu, and we unpacked your why, your asset allocation, your risk appetite, your IPS as your mission brief. Remember that, everyone? It was jam-packed with ideas to really, really get you started and also to just keep that momentum going.
Malika Petersen:Yeah. And then with the Legacy Through Generosity episode in episode eight, right? We really wanted to, with you, our listeners, explore giving as a multiplier, not as a subjection. And I think that we did that well, right? I think it was one of my favorite episodes. But then again, it's difficult to choose my favorite. They're like my kids. It's very hard to choose.
Arthi Rabikrisson:No, it's true. It's true. We actually outdid ourselves Malika, if I do say so myself. Right. Okay, so two episodes ago, that being episode nine, we enabled you to think very, very deliberately about legacy again, right? And we were talking about worlds, we were talking about life files. We even spoke about the kryptonite, right? The pitfalls that actually derail us. And we used some really powerful metaphors to help explore these, you know, such as Batman's utility belt. We talked about Captain America's Shield. And obviously, we also went a little bit on the villainous type. We said, don't forget Dark seid level family drama as well. We really didn't want that to catch up with you. So we covered quite a bit in that one too.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, and then there was last month's episode, right? Which is episode 10. It's all about the Clarity Arc. And we really wanted you to kind of clear the fog on the visors so that you could see clearly again, right? From doing reflections to reframing and refocusing. We encouraged you to take purpose-based decisions and offered you practical cape activation moments to help you along the way.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Yeah, that was really such a beautiful arc. I think generally.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, sure, absolutely.
Arthi Rabikrisson:So we wanna hope you enjoyed that quick roundup from us because now we want to unveil what I hinted at earlier. You know, that new idea, that new framework, that big reveal of this episode. Because, you know, yes, we covered 10 topics this season. But what if we told you that behind the scenes, underneath every episode, Malika and I were being very sneaky, we were hiding an equation that we were actually teaching you. I wonder if any of our listeners actually cottoned onto this, Malika. What do you think? Maybe they didn't.
Malika Petersen:Okay. Let's not keep the m in suspense any longer, right? I'm bursting for us to share this. We call it
Arthi Rabikrisson:The Superhero
Malika Petersen:Wealth Equation. Because Arthi and I absolutely love formulas. Yeah, is your wealth formula from us? Wealth is equal to identity multiplied by behavior, multiplied by time, multiplied by community.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Ooh, yes. Wealth equals I times b times t times z. Oh my gosh, I love this. Okay, we're gonna break it down, everyone, okay? All right, so the identity one, the first one, right? So this is, remember, we're talking about mindset and purpose, beliefs, even, and the concept of self, okay? And this actually came from episodes one and two. And, you know, again, thinking about our identity, it's about saying to ourselves, you know, what kind of an individual do I believe myself to be? Especially when we're talking about money, okay? Am I fearful? Am I avoiding things? Am I quite uncertain? Or on the flip side, am I quite empowered, strategic, abundant, even capable? So think of identity as the base of this equation. A superhero doesn't wait for the keep to be delivered to them. No. They believe they're the superhero first, and then the keep follows. I think that's really, really important.
Malika Petersen:Okay, then let's talk about number two, which is behavior, right? And by this we mean the resilience, the discipline, the innovation, the resourcefulness that we've all been talking about. So now you're getting it right. That's what episode three to six built on this season. Because identity without behavior is intention without action, right? So let's reiterate behavior, it's about your resilience, your innovation, your discipline, your resourcefulness, your generosity, and then I would almost argue, most importantly, your consistency. These are your observable superpowers. You can't say I'm a disciplined investor, but also I checked my portfolio at 17 times a day because the JSE dipped 0.2%. We see you, we love you, but you need to stop it, okay?
Arthi Rabikrisson:Indeed, indeed, indeed. Okay, so number three was the time element in the equation. And if you think about it, episode seven and 10, I think, really brought this home. Okay. So time is the multiplier. Tony Stark, he didn't pull Iron Man overnight, you know. Same with Shuri. She didn't create tech in five minutes. Doesn't work that way. So wealth also absolutely does not grow in a day. So time added to what Malika said just now, which is like so important, consistency. Time plus consistency is gonna equal inevitability, meaning things are gonna happen. That wealth is gonna grow. And everyone, we're harping on this again because we really, really want you to benefit from compounding, right? It's really, really important. That alongside patience and long-term positioning, oh, that's really gonna set you up, honesty.
Malika Petersen:So, number four, community is what I like to call the stabilizers in the wealth equation, right? This term in our equation speaks to support systems, generosity, legacies, advisors, relationships. In effect, it's everything that we covered in episode eight and nine. And the reality is that your wealth is not a solo mission. Community is about accountability partners, financial advisors, mentors, right? Your team, your children, your legacy, the generosity that you show, and your network. Let's be realistic, everyone. Even Batman had Alfred, Iron Man had Pepper Potts, Jean Grey had the entire X-Men squad to hold the Phoenix moments, right? And as you can tell, there are some key driver elements here and also positive externalities of beneficiaries from what you do as you build your wealth. So for me, without community, everything else will just collapse. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas carol.
Arthi Rabikrisson:No, absolutely. I mean, everything just kind of falls flat, I think, right? So, you know, here's the mic drop moment, I think, about this superhero wealth equation we've just outlined for you listeners. Okay, remember, we said that this equation is multiplicative, it's not additive. Okay, and that's a key thing to remember. Because what that means is if your identity is zero, wealth is going to collapse. If behavior is zero, wealth is also gonna collapse again. If time is zero, what do you think is gonna happen to wealth? Collapses, yes. And if community is zero, if you don't have all of these lovely partners that Malika has just outlined, what's gonna happen to wealth? Big slide down. Okay, so even if each variable is only, let's say, a two out of a five, if you just multiply it together, you're still gonna get power. So even if you're starting off that low base of a one, a two, a three, it does not matter because it's going to multiply and it's gonna help you grow.
Malika Petersen:Okay? And that's the magic, right? Because people think they need to be perfect. You don't need to be perfect, right? You just need all four variables to be activated. I mean, I've seen women in my community who have invested 500 Rand a month and turned that into financial stability, not because they picked the perfect fund or they came up with this great investment market theme, that they did consistent for years. So behavior and time will always be type.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Yeah, I agree, Malika. I also had a listener who gave us feedback to say that, you know, when she actually started to acknowledge herself as someone who's good with money. Remember, everyone, we spoke about that internal narrative, the stories we tell ourselves. So when she actually said to myself, you know what, I'm good with money, she stopped procrastinating. She started also a small investing initiative. I think it was about 200 Rand that she automated towards a particular investment account. And the feedback she gave was it changed everything for her. It changed everything. So, you know, everyone, that's actually talking to that identity times behavior piece of the equation, coming through so powerfully that it created change for her. Isn't that amazing? It's amazing.
Malika Petersen:That is amazing. I mean, that's just beautiful, dear, to be honest with you. Um, it we always like to hear from our listeners, right? Because it gives us it gives us a sense of of accomplishment. I have a similar one to Arthi, right? From someone in my network who shared that she joined a woman's investment club after listening to episode seven. Now, having a group of sisters learning together changed her confidence. And she realized that wealth is actually a shared journey, right? So that's an example of time community piece of the equation interaction.
Arthi Rabikrisson:I love, love, love, love hearing this, Malika. Oh, that's amazing. So amazing. So, you know, everyone, keep the feedback coming in. We love hearing how things are shifting for you. And as you can see, listeners, this is the Wealth equation taking effect, right? Okay, now take a breath, everyone. All right, because we are about to do something that no other episode has done. And this is what we call the Superpower Audit. Okay. So this is just a quick year-end scoring to help you see where you are. Okay, so grab a pen and paper, open your notes app, whatever you're most comfortable with. And what I want you to do is I'm gonna read out a few things, and we'd like for you to rate yourselves. Okay. And actually, what we're gonna do is we're gonna rate yourself on the equation parameters on a scale of one to five. Okay. So I'm very quickly gonna read out the scale. So one means it's dormant. It means, okay, things are not um quite activated just yet. Two is equal to emerging. We're making a small start. Three is equal to developing. Okay, I'm in my stride, I'm doing some work with this. Four is quite strong, feeling pretty confident. And five is gonna equal absolute supercharge. I'm on fire. Okay. So not to worry if you didn't catch that, because I'm going to share a template of this in the show notes for you. Do remember to download it there. But if you want to try it now, okay, here it is. So the first one on the identity piece of the equation, rate yourself on this question. Do you believe that you can build well? Sounds like a simple question, doesn't it? Right? Okay. For the second one, on the behavior piece of the equation, now I'm gonna read out each of the behaviors below. Rate yourself on that scale of one to five. First one is resilience. Okay. Second one, innovation. Third one, resourcefulness. Fourth one, discipline. Okay, and the fifth one, generosity. Okay. So on those five, you're rating yourself one to five. Okay. The next one in the equation, time. Here's the question. Do you stay consistent long enough to see results? This is an important one, huh?
Malika Petersen:It's a big one.
Arthi Rabikrisson:It's a big one. Yeah. And then lastly, on the community term in the equation, here's your question. Do you have support in the form of advisors, other forms of accountability, or even legacy tools to help you? Okay.
Malika Petersen:All right. Now put a star next to your highest score. And that is your power zone, right? That's your superpower going into 2026. And then circle your lowest score. And this is your growth zone, the part of your cat that needs to be strengthened.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Ah, yeah. And now, you know what you're gonna do is you're gonna choose one action to activate each of these, right? So, for example, on the identity one, your action could be maybe I'm gonna rewrite one belief about myself. On the behavior action, for example, you could pick one of the five, depending which one it was that you scored lowest on. And you could then say, you know what, I'm gonna start a small one-week, seven-day habit to help me build some uh momentum on that. On the time one, the action that you could choose is maybe you want to automate something, or maybe you want to set a long-term rule around what it is you want to be achieving. And an example of a community action that you could take is well, you know what? Maybe let me bolster my team. Let me add someone to my accountability team. Or maybe I could teach someone, pay it forward with what you're hearing on the podcast, you know, share it with someone. If you're not sure about something, hey, why don't you go and ask somebody for some guidance? And, you know, if you're struggling or if you've experienced something really, really cool that you've been doing, maybe go out and tell someone, share with them. Yeah?
Malika Petersen:Yeah, there's some very practical examples, I think, right? And let me also remind listeners that we offered some cool cape activation ideas in episode 10. Yes, which were yes, the clarity arc, right? So I just want to refresh some of the names of them. We had the mirror moment, the budget reboot, the Values Compass, the Iron heart Build, the Legacy letter, the Okoye Discipline Drill, the America Chavez Portal, and the Storm Reset. Re-listen to what these are, and then choose the one that lights up your chest like Iron Man's Arc Reactor.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Or like vibranium in Sushi's lab. Oh my gosh. Okay, so I mean we've we've I think we've done so much already in this, right? We've we've done the recap, we've set out the equation, which I hope everyone is jumping for joy about, and we've given you a little bit of a reflection moment with that superpower audit, right? Okay, before we close, everybody, season five is coming.
Malika Petersen:And season five is you guys hold on to your capes.
Arthi Rabikrisson:DDT. What's that, Malika?
Malika Petersen:Debt, Death, and taxes.
Arthi Rabikrisson:You know, when I think of the DDT, I think of the classic wrestling move. Hey, remember good old wrestling? You know, we all know it, everybody, okay? It's when you're in that headlock in the ring, right? And it's then that big crashdown that happens. And before you know it, it's lights out, and the ref is counting you out too, okay? Guess what? It's the same in our financial lives, also. The DDT, the death ,debt and taxes literally and figuratively can wipe us out. Yeah. And also our legacy for our future generation. So, yeah, next season, we're gonna go straight into that real stuff, okay?
Malika Petersen:This the tough stuff,
Arthi Rabikrisson:the avoided stuff,
Malika Petersen:the wealth-shaping stuff, though.
Arthi Rabikrisson:This is going to be our most practical, most vulnerable, and probably our most liberating season yet. And with that, Malika, I think it's time for our parting shot. What's yours?
Malika Petersen:So I think arthi my parting shot is, when you understand the equation, you understand your power and you can own it. Right. So don't forget, identity multiplied by behavior, multiplied by time, multiplied by community. Activate even one variable and your life shooks. Activate all four and your life transforms. How about you, Arthi? What is your parting shot?
Arthi Rabikrisson:Oh my goodness. Okay, so I think mine is everyone, you didn't just listen to a season, you actually keep with us, right? You're able to keep thread by thread, episode by episode. And now it's time to fly, everyone. Because clarity isn't the end, it's just the beginning.
Malika Petersen:Yeah, absolutely. Have a wonderful festive season, everybody, and a cracking start to 2026.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Stay heroic, everyone, and we will catch you on the other side. Ciao for now.
Malika Petersen: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 coal face of how, where, and why people invest the way they do.
Malika Petersen:And you Arthi, you've witness ed different types of investor behaviors around money too. And now work as a global award-winning coach to free us from the mindset that stops 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.
Malika Petersen:Catch you on the next episode
Arthi Rabikrisson:of the Swan Effect Podcast
Malika Petersen:Bye for now.
Arthi Rabikrisson:Ciao.
