Australian Finance Podcast The million-dollar formula: Small moves, big impact
Dec 15, 2025
In this conversation, Roxanne Calder, a recruitment expert with 25 years of international experience, shares insights from her book, Earning Power. She discusses the staggering lifetime cost of the gender pay gap, emphasizing that individual decisions can compound to lose over a million dollars. Roxanne unveils her 'million-dollar formula' for boosting earning power and provides practical self-advocacy tips for salary negotiations. She also highlights the importance of strategic career moves and encourages small, mindful financial habits for lasting impact.
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Don't Wait For Structural Change
- Waiting for systemic change alone won't close lifetime pay gaps fast enough for most people.
- Roxanne advocates taking proactive career decisions to improve personal outcomes now.
Small Raises Become Massive Over Time
- Small salary decisions compound hugely over decades and can total hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Roxanne Calder shows a missed $10k increase can grow to roughly $400k over 30 years when compounded.
A Decade Without Raises Is Costly
- Ten years without wage growth can cost around $140,000 due to compounding, not just the sum of missed raises.
- Many people underestimate how long they go without increases; it's more common than assumed.
