2018
Starting with Real Questions
Three former bank employees in Bundaberg noticed
something troubling. Despite working in finance,
they kept meeting people who felt completely
lost when it came to managing their own money.
Traditional financial advice seemed either too
complex or too sales-focused.
Marcus Chen, our founder, started variontaleza after
watching his neighbor struggle with a home loan
that didn't fit her situation. "She understood
her job perfectly," he recalls, "but felt like
an outsider in financial conversations." That
frustration sparked our mission: make money
management feel as approachable as any other
life skill. We launched with just five online
modules and a commitment to plain English
explanations.
2021
Growing Through Real Impact
By early 2021, word-of-mouth brought us to 8,000
active learners. People were sharing stories
about finally understanding their superannuation
statements and feeling confident enough to
negotiate better rates with their banks.
This year marked our expansion beyond basic
budgeting. We introduced modules on investment
basics, property considerations, and small
business finances. What made us proud wasn't
just the numbers – it was hearing from Sarah, a
nurse from Cairns, who used our property module
to avoid an overpriced investment apartment, or
Tom, who finally understood why his mortgage
broker's advice didn't align with his family's
goals. We moved to our current Woongarra Street
office and hired our first full-time educators.
2024
Building Deeper Understanding
Last year transformed how we think about
financial education. We realized that
understanding money isn't just about
spreadsheets and calculations – it's about
confidence, family conversations, and long-term
peace of mind.
We partnered with local community centers across
Queensland and northern New South Wales to run
in-person workshops alongside our online
platform. The feedback was immediate: people
valued the human connection. Our "Money
Conversations" series helped families discuss
finances without the usual stress and arguments.
We also launched targeted modules for specific
life stages – from first jobs to retirement
planning – because we learned that generic
advice often misses the mark when you're facing
specific decisions.
