Why women need to start talking about money: Q&A with Marie Claire

This Q&A was first published in Marie Claire, in collaboration with the team at Stella Insurance. It appears originally here.

Welcome to our Stella Women series celebrating the game-changing women who aren’t afraid to shatter glass ceilings and drive change for other women. We’re proud to partner with Stella Insurance to amplify the voices of these formidable females. Previously, we sat down with Liz Dawes, founder of the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation. And today, we’re speaking with Jess Brady and Chandel Brandimarti, finance experts, BFFs and the founders of information-sharing platform, Ladies Talk Money.

Most women shy away from conversations about money; it’s a learned behaviour that is steeped in outdated gender stereotypes and misogyny. From a very young age, we’re taught that finance is the domain of men and over time, this attitude chips away at our financial confidence.

But to this we say, no more!

As the co-founders of Ladies Talk Money, Jess Brady and Chandel Brandimarti have made it their mission to name and dismantle the taboo, stigma and stereotypes that still exist for women when it comes to money. As young women working in finance themselves – Brady is the co-founder of Fox & Hare and Brandimarti is the director of strategy + marketing at Pure Finance – the pair thought it was high time that the industry did more to better reflect the realities of women's financial lives today.

Ladies Talk Money is a free online platform that encourages open and honest conversations about women and money, helping to break down the barriers that prevent them from achieving true financial equality, prosperity and autonomy (whatever that looks like for each individual). Brady and Brandimarti tackle everything from cash flow to super and managing money during motherhood via informative videos, guides and opinion pieces. By sharing knowledge and sparking more conversations, they’re on a mission to help level the playing field and help change attitudes towards women and money.

Brady and Brandimarti’s joint venture is one of a handful of female-focused businesses working to empower women, alongside Stella Insurance. In this interview with marie claire, Brady and Brandimarti open up about why they’re so passionate about breaking taboos, building financial confidence, and how our schools could better equip the next generation.

Why is it so important for women to start the conversation around money?

“Because traditionally, society has told women that money is the domain of men, which has been wreaking havoc on women’s financial confidence and stability and perpetuating a sexist status quo. It’s time for women to smash the stigma and stereotypes once and for all, by talking openly and unapologetically about money.”

Who has been your greatest inspiration both personally and professionally?

“There are so many women we meet, every single day, who continue to amaze and inspire us. But we would also say, anyone who isn’t afraid to be authentically themselves, and those who blaze a trail so that others who come after them might tread the path a little easier.”

What should schools be teaching the next generation?

“Definitely more around financial literacy and resilience! If we remove the luck of the draw, and make this compulsory learning for everyone, then we should see some positive changes in the financial literacy gap.”

What’s the best advice you can give to women who want to improve their financial knowledge, confidence and freedom.

“Get talking about money! The more we can normalise these conversations, the faster we’ll break down the stigma, the stereotypes the discomfort and the taboos. Plus, the more we can share our knowledge, the more we can grow our collective power.”

Why do you think businesses such as Stella are so important?

“Women-focused businesses like Stella are so important because so many of our systems weren’t designed with the lives of women in mind. If we want to get serious about improving outcomes for women, then we need to be bold, loud and brave advocates for change at every opportunity.”