Investing seems like one of those totally intimidating things only real adults too (because being in your late 20s isn't real adulthood yet... right? #thestruggleisreal lol) but Brooke Roberts and her team at Sharesies are on a mission to make it as simple as possible. I loved chatting to her about this because like I said before, I've always felt like investing was something that wasn't accessible to me at this stage of my life so it's good to dispel that myth. Brooke is a total powerhouse and I'm so excited to share with you a bit of what we talked about.
What got you into Sharesies and how did that start?
I’ve always wanted to start a business and had a passion for finance, for how we can really make money easy. Seven of us initially got together to create Sharesies. We wanted to make investing easy and accessible and we all rallied to make it happen.
What was your background before Sharesies?
Before Sharesies I was in Global Product Marketing at Xero and before that I was at Kiwibank heading up their saving, investment, and transactional product.
What drives you and Sharesies?
For us, we really want to create a financially empowered generation so everyone can feel like they can be an investor and investing isn’t only for the rich. We want all New Zealanders to know that investing is now accessible to them and for more people to be talk about money and have these conversations. You don’t need to share how much you earn but you can always share what you’re doing and your experiences and what insights you have that can help somebody else increase their financial awareness.
What’s the best thing about getting to do what you do?
Best thing… There are so many great things about being able to be in this business especially when you’re so passionate about what you’re doing. The key thing though is I’m excited to go in and be surrounded by all these incredible people who do remarkable work at Sharesies. We’ve got a team of nearly 30 now and I just love the energy and passion that you just feel.
What are you looking forward to getting out of the NZ Startup Bootcamp competition?
I just love that people are starting more purpose driven businesses nowadays and I love seeing that energy that people have when they are so passionate about why they would do something. Seeing the hustle and business ideas come to life!
What was the last book/song/or film that’s resonated with you?
There are so many that come to mind! I’m a big fan of what The Spinoff do, I think they have good content that are really insightful. I’ve also really gotten into Mother Father Son. I like the drama of it. I should also probably say Game of Thrones!
A book that I’ve really enjoyed too that I’ve just read recently is Trust Factor: The science of Creating High-Performance Companies. It’s really interesting! It challenges the old definition of what high performance is – it used to be working overtime, work harder, but what I like about that book is that it makes you think about high performance as helping people be their best and making sure that you’re creating an environment that’s inclusive and collaborative and helps people to thrive.
What’s the best cure for a crappy day?
I think for me it’s about managing my energy, not my time. So if you feel like your energy is flat, going for a run, listening to music, or even walking really helps me. Having a laugh with a friend – that’s also really helpful.
What’s your advice to your younger self?
I started businesses when I was in school and I think you’re so much braver in your naivety sometimes. And then you go into University and you learn all this jargon, stuff you probably already intuitively know – not all of it of course. But my advice to my younger self is to just do you.
Any last tips for anyone wanting to get into your industry and follow your footsteps?
If you’ve got a great idea, think about the team you’ll need around you to help make it come to life. For Sharesies, there’s seven people who founded it and I think that has been super valuable in this industry in particular because it’s so highly regulated so it’s important to have all the skills you need to help get your business off the ground. Just go ahead and do it!
Find out more about Sharesies here.
This post was created in partnership with NZ Startup Bootcamp.
Investing seems like one of those totally intimidating things only real adults too (because being in your late 20s isn't real adulthood yet... right? #thestruggleisreal lol) but Brooke Roberts and her team at Sharesies are on a mission to make it as simple as possible. I loved chatting to her about this because like I said before, I've always felt like investing was something that wasn't accessible to me at this stage of my life so it's good to dispel that myth. Brooke is a total powerhouse and I'm so excited to share with you a bit of what we talked about.
What got you into Sharesies and how did that start?
I’ve always wanted to start a business and had a passion for finance, for how we can really make money easy. Seven of us initially got together to create Sharesies. We wanted to make investing easy and accessible and we all rallied to make it happen.
What was your background before Sharesies?
Before Sharesies I was in Global Product Marketing at Xero and before that I was at Kiwibank heading up their saving, investment, and transactional product.
What drives you and Sharesies?
For us, we really want to create a financially empowered generation so everyone can feel like they can be an investor and investing isn’t only for the rich. We want all New Zealanders to know that investing is now accessible to them and for more people to be talk about money and have these conversations. You don’t need to share how much you earn but you can always share what you’re doing and your experiences and what insights you have that can help somebody else increase their financial awareness.
What’s the best thing about getting to do what you do?
Best thing… There are so many great things about being able to be in this business especially when you’re so passionate about what you’re doing. The key thing though is I’m excited to go in and be surrounded by all these incredible people who do remarkable work at Sharesies. We’ve got a team of nearly 30 now and I just love the energy and passion that you just feel.
What are you looking forward to getting out of the NZ Startup Bootcamp competition?
I just love that people are starting more purpose driven businesses nowadays and I love seeing that energy that people have when they are so passionate about why they would do something. Seeing the hustle and business ideas come to life!
What was the last book/song/or film that’s resonated with you?
There are so many that come to mind! I’m a big fan of what The Spinoff do, I think they have good content that are really insightful. I’ve also really gotten into Mother Father Son. I like the drama of it. I should also probably say Game of Thrones!
A book that I’ve really enjoyed too that I’ve just read recently is Trust Factor: The science of Creating High-Performance Companies. It’s really interesting! It challenges the old definition of what high performance is – it used to be working overtime, work harder, but what I like about that book is that it makes you think about high performance as helping people be their best and making sure that you’re creating an environment that’s inclusive and collaborative and helps people to thrive.
What’s the best cure for a crappy day?
I think for me it’s about managing my energy, not my time. So if you feel like your energy is flat, going for a run, listening to music, or even walking really helps me. Having a laugh with a friend – that’s also really helpful.
What’s your advice to your younger self?
I started businesses when I was in school and I think you’re so much braver in your naivety sometimes. And then you go into University and you learn all this jargon, stuff you probably already intuitively know – not all of it of course. But my advice to my younger self is to just do you.
Any last tips for anyone wanting to get into your industry and follow your footsteps?
If you’ve got a great idea, think about the team you’ll need around you to help make it come to life. For Sharesies, there’s seven people who founded it and I think that has been super valuable in this industry in particular because it’s so highly regulated so it’s important to have all the skills you need to help get your business off the ground. Just go ahead and do it!
Find out more about Sharesies here.
This post was created in partnership with NZ Startup Bootcamp.
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