We started in a shared office with five people and one idea

Most financial professionals struggle to explain complex concepts in ways that actually connect with people. We spent years watching brilliant minds lose clients because they couldn't bridge that gap.

That frustration became our focus. Since 2019, we've helped over 800 professionals across Australia learn to communicate financial ideas without the jargon.

Financial professionals working collaboratively on communication strategies

The problem we kept seeing everywhere

Our founder, Maeve Thornbury, spent twelve years working in financial advisory firms. She watched talented advisors lose potential clients during the first meeting. Not because their advice was wrong. Because they couldn't explain it without making people feel stupid.

One advisor she worked with in 2018 had brilliant investment strategies but kept using terms like "capital allocation efficiency" and "risk-adjusted returns" in client meetings. His conversion rate was terrible. After three months of working on simpler explanations, his client retention jumped by forty percent.

That's when she realized this wasn't about dumbing things down. It was about respecting people's time and intelligence by speaking clearly.

How we approach financial communication

We don't teach scripts or templates. We help you develop a communication style that feels natural and builds genuine understanding with your clients.

Real scenarios only

Every exercise uses actual client situations. We workshop conversations that happen in your practice, not theoretical examples from textbooks that don't match reality.

Record and review

You'll record yourself explaining concepts and watch it back with guidance. It's uncomfortable at first, but participants tell us this single practice creates the biggest improvements.

Small group sessions

Maximum eight participants per cohort. This isn't a lecture hall where you sit passively. You'll practice, receive feedback, and refine your approach throughout.

Building something that actually helps

We started small and stayed focused on one thing: making financial professionals better communicators.

2019

Weekend workshops in Sydney

Maeve ran the first workshop from a rented meeting room in North Sydney. Twelve financial advisors showed up. The feedback forms all mentioned the same thing: finally, practical advice instead of theory.

2021

Expanded to Melbourne and Brisbane

Two facilitators joined the team. We started running monthly sessions in three cities. The waiting list for spots grew to sixty people, so we added evening options for advisors who couldn't take time off.

2023

Virtual programs for regional practitioners

Financial professionals outside major cities kept asking for access. We developed online cohorts with the same small-group format. Turns out, the intimate workshop approach works just as well over video.

2025

Specialized programs for different practice types

Investment advisors communicate differently than mortgage brokers or accountants. This year we launched focused tracks for specific financial disciplines. Next cohort starts September 2025.

Who runs these programs

Small team. Deep focus. No corporate nonsense.

We're not a massive training company trying to be everything to everyone. Three core facilitators run all programs. Each has at least ten years working directly in financial services before teaching communication.

We know what actually happens in client meetings because we've been in thousands of them. That context matters when you're teaching someone to explain superannuation to a retail worker or investment strategies to a business owner.

Maeve Thornbury

Founder and Lead Facilitator

Spent twelve years advising clients at three different financial planning firms before starting caloriventa. Got tired of watching good advisors struggle with explanations that made perfect sense to them but lost everyone else.

Started running workshops on weekends in 2019 while still working full-time. Left her advisory role in 2020 when demand made it impossible to do both. Now facilitates every program and still reviews participant recordings personally.

Based in Sydney but travels for in-person cohorts. Drinks too much coffee and has strong opinions about PowerPoint presentations.

What guides our work

These aren't corporate values we made up for a website. They're how we actually operate when deciding what programs to run and how to run them.

No certificate theater

We don't hand out fancy certificates or badges for your LinkedIn profile. You leave with practical skills you can use the next day, not credentials to collect dust.

Honest feedback only

If your explanation isn't clear, we'll tell you. Kindly, but directly. Politeness that avoids truth doesn't help anyone improve their communication.

Small stays small

We could run bigger cohorts and make more money. But quality drops when groups exceed eight people. We're not expanding beyond what works.

Real examples always

Every case study comes from actual client situations. We change identifying details but keep the messy reality. Sanitized examples teach you nothing about real conversations.

Ready to communicate financial concepts clearly?

Our next cohort starts in September 2025. Eight spots available for financial professionals who want to explain complex ideas without losing their audience.

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