Small, daily habits can turn financial confusion into confidence.

 

Emily Boxall, Founder of the 2Mins App joined Tony on this episode of Get Ready Before Life Happens to talk about how gamification and bite-sized learning can transform financial education.

 

From quirky characters to two-minute lessons, Emily shares how making money more approachable, interactive, and judgment-free can help people build confidence and lasting financial habits. 

 

Key Takeaways

• Financial education works best when it is simple and accessible.
• Two-minute lessons make it easier to build consistent habits.
• Gamification helps people engage without fear or judgment.
• Repetition and interaction improve long-term retention.
• Many people feel money is “not for them” due to how it’s taught.
• Confidence grows when people apply what they learn.
• Financial education should start early and continue over time. 

 

🧠 Tony’s Take: Financial confidence comes from small, consistent steps. When we make money approachable, people engage. And when people engage, they build habits that lead to better decisions.

 

 🎥 Watch this episode below: 

 

🎧 Listen to the podcast below or on your favorite podcast app. 

 

Connect with Emily Boxall: 

 

• LinkedIn (Emily): https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-boxall-ab3b53172/
• Website (2mins app): https://microfact.co.uk
• LinkedIn: 2mins 
• Instagram: @2minsapp
• TikTok: @2minsapp

 

Bio: 

 

Emily Boxall is the Co-founder of 2mins, the app turning financial education into engaging, bite-sized games. Her background spans marketing, communications and journalism, including freelance writing for the Investors’ Chronicle. She co-founded 2mins with her dad, Chris Boxall, and together they are on a mission to build financial confidence through humour, creativity and fun.

 

2mins was recently named runner-up in the Best Fintech/AI by a For Profit Organisation category at the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (MAIAs) 

 

This episode is a collaboration with The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (the MAIAs) which celebrate the increasingly important work being done to help people understand money better. Learn more: https://www.maiawards.org. 

 

👉 Start Your Financial Readiness Plan: A free, practical plan that helps you create your in-case-of-emergency Financial First Aid Kit, organize what matters, and prepare before life happens. Start Your Free Financial Readiness Plan  https://www.tonysteuer.com

 

👉 Support the Mission: Become a Get Ready Insider and receive access to the Get Ready Library while helping support my mission to help people prepare before life happens. Become a Get Ready Insider  

Episode Transcript

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Tony: What if learning about money took just two minutes a day?

Welcome to Get Ready: Before Life Happens.

I’m excited to be joined today by Emily Boxall, co-founder of the 2 Mins app.

Emily, welcome to Get Ready: Before Life Happens.

Emily: Thank you so much, Tony. It’s really exciting to be here.

Tony: I’m excited to share with the audience what you’re up to and what you’re building because I think it’s a great project.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your origin story, and how did it inspire you to build the 2 Mins app?

Emily: Of course.

I love games, and I’ve always loved games. I grew up in a very sporty, competitive household and played all kinds of board games growing up.

My dad has worked in finance most of his life, so I grew up around someone who was able to teach me about investing from a very young age. I was quite comfortable talking about finance from a young age, which is very fortunate.

My mum is an author and was a teacher, so that’s where I get my creative side from as well.

I studied English at university and then went on to do some marketing and communications roles, where I developed this love of turning things that were maybe a bit dry or boring into something really fun and engaging.

It was while I was working in one of these roles that my dad pitched the idea of developing a financial education app together.

We could use his financial expertise and my creative side, put them together, and create something fresh and new.

That was about a year and a half ago.

We launched our app, 2 Mins, in January, and we’re currently trying to grow the audience and get more people excited about learning about finance through the app.

Tony: That’s awesome.

I like that blend of creativity and expertise because a lot of the apps I’ve seen are either built by tech people, built just by people with financial expertise, or built by people who approach it solely as a game.

I think you need all those elements.

As you point out, money can be pretty dry, so it’s great to have a little creativity thrown in there as well.

Emily: One hundred percent.

We really care about doing something that’s new and fresh.

We wanted to distance the app from those dry images you see in a lot of existing financial education, like men in suits representing an investor or an elderly person representing pensions.

We wanted to appeal to people in a way that was more engaging.

That’s why our herd of quirky animal characters was born.

We started with Petal the hippo, who’s this very lovable, friendly hippo. She does get very angry when watching football on TV, but other than that, she’s a super chilled-out character.

The other animals grew from there.

That’s just one example of how we’re doing things in a unique, fresh way.

Tony: The important question from someone in the U.S. is: Is Petal a hooligan, to use a U.K. term?

Emily: I wouldn’t say hooligan.

I think Petal’s more of a grumpy football supporter, which you get a lot of in the U.K. as well.

Tony: That’s awesome.

All kidding aside, it’s nice to see that there’s some emotion with these characters. They’re not flat, for lack of a better word.

People can identify with them because there’s some personality.

Do all the characters have their own personality?

Emily: Yes. They’re all really distinct.

You get to know them more as you play the games.

You learn that Potts the panda has a weakness for doughnuts, or that Fetch the border collie, who is actually inspired by my family’s pet dog Shadow, is absolutely bonkers because Shadow is absolutely bonkers as well.

You really buy into these characters.

Our streak system is also a little different from usual streaks.

Usually with a streak, you’ll just get given a number and that builds up.

With our streak system, your animal character increases in happiness as your streak progresses.

We really wanted users to form an emotional connection with these characters, care about them, and want to make sure their characters are happy.

That’s another way we get people engaging with the app and engaging with finance in a more fun, interactive way.

Tony: I like that because streaks themselves are sort of dry.

It actually makes me think of Tamagotchi. I never used Tamagotchi, so I may be way off on this, but you keep your character happy by checking in with them and doing whatever you need to do to help them stay healthy.

Do you think people start to identify with the characters in a way where they’re saying, “Okay, I’m like Petal. Petal’s learning about money,” and that has an impact because we each have our own money personality?

Emily: One hundred percent.

I think people really grow to love and care about these characters.

They relate to the world these characters are living in and can apply their own personal experiences to the experiences of the animals.

This helps make concepts like pensions and investing much more relatable than if they’re abstract concepts that are only explained in graphs and boring, long documents.

I think it’s a really powerful way of getting people to understand these quite complicated concepts that they’re having to understand in their own lives.

There’s a big opportunity to provide a really friendly face to finance with these characters, and that’s what we’re trying to do.

Tony: I like that because I think people often feel fear or shame around money.

A lot of it is simply because they don’t know.

When they meet with somebody from the financial services or insurance industry, they don’t want to say that they don’t know something.

“I don’t know what a premium is. I don’t know what a deductible is. I don’t know what a stock is.”

For those of us in the money world, if I were talking to your dad, we could get very esoteric.

But most people would be saying, “What are you two talking about?”

I think that’s something that gets missed.

That’s what I like about where you’re going with this. It’s approachable.

Using the animals helps people engage without feeling judged for not knowing something.

Emily: One hundred percent.

We’re not trying to appeal to individuals who already know this stuff because they’re already being served by other forms of communication.

What we really care about are the people who have never felt that they can engage with finance, who feel like it’s not for them.

It’s an intimidating world, and they don’t even know where to begin.

With us, we’re that first step.

We invite everyone in and say, “This is how you can learn about finance in a much more approachable, friendly way.”

By doing that, we’re able to get people who had never engaged with topics such as investing or pensions to keep coming back, playing these games, and developing a strong habit of financial education over time.

Tony: I love that: developing a strong habit.

That’s one of the things I’ve seen with some platforms. People download them, go in for a week or two, and then they’re done.

I think that’s a problem.

What I also like is that you’re going after people who aren’t already engaging with their money because that’s a huge part of the population around the world.

A lot of people don’t know much about their money or really engage with it.

Maybe they have a savings account. Maybe they invest a little bit.

One of the things we talked about is traditional financial education.

What do you see in traditional financial education that isn’t working especially well for younger audiences, women, people of color, and other underserved communities?

Emily: I think existing financial education isn’t serving young people as well as it could because it alienates a lot of young people through the language and imagery being used.

We’re really keen to change that, not just with the imagery but also with our gamified elements.

A lot of financial information is also communicated in long-form, really dull formats.

That’s why we’ve gone for the 2 Mins approach: a bite-sized, quick approach.

We’re creating an experience that actually fits into your day-to-day life.

A lot of financial education apps have also relied on simple quizzes as a way of testing financial knowledge.

The issue with quizzes is that you can guess the answer. You can easily click an answer and then forget it a few moments later.

The way we’ve designed our games means that you actually have to think about these topics and apply your knowledge.

That reinforces what you’ve just learned in the storyboard you read previously.

We’re hoping this approach will help these complex topics be better reinforced over the long term.

Tony: I like that because I think that’s something that gets missed.

A lot of financial education has great content, but people can’t really engage with it.

As you say, it’s important to be able to apply and use the knowledge.

People need to be able to say, “Hey, I can use this.”

And they need to remember it a half hour after they’re done engaging with the material.

That’s the trick.

Do people circle back to the material to reinforce it?

Emily: Yes, and that’s partly because we encourage that in the way we design our content.

Our content is structured through weekly themes.

We’ll introduce a topic on Monday, expand on it on Wednesday, and then go back over the full picture on Friday.

There will be three different formats of games so that you’re applying that knowledge in three different ways during the week.

That really helps reinforce it.

It’s very easy for financial topics, especially when they’re new to you, to go in one ear and out the other. That happens to me.

I was really keen to help people reinforce information, but in a way that’s fun, not in a way that feels like, “Oh, we’re going over this again.”

We make it slightly different and quirky every time.

We also go back over content over a longer period.

We started the year with a week’s worth of payslip games, and now we’re about to revisit the topic of payslips a few weeks later.

We don’t just deliver these lessons once. We keep coming back to them.

You can also favorite lessons.

If something was particularly relevant to you, we’ve just added a feature where you can favorite it and keep it in your personal profile.

That makes the experience more personal, and you can come back to that information later if it’s useful to you.

Tony: That’s awesome.

I love that because I think reinforcement is so important.

You can hear a talk and remember very little of it 15 minutes later, and a couple of hours later you may barely remember anything besides the topic.

I recently read an article where somebody wrote about their conference experience.

She said, “I go to conferences and take all these notes. I go back and sometimes read through the notes, but I’m not retaining the information from these great conferences and speakers.”

You’re not really engaging with the content. The content is just streaming toward you.

I think it’s important to change that around, like you’re doing, so people can engage with the content.

Emily: I really relate to that.

For me, I need repetition.

I think they say you have to repeat something at least three times in order to remember it.

We’ve taken that philosophy and used it in our lessons because it’s so easy not to remember these topics.

I think our imagery also really helps with retention because it gives you a clear visual that you can come back to in your mind.

That’s super helpful and something a lot of existing financial education was lacking.

There just weren’t enough visuals, or the visuals were dry and disengaging.

We’re trying to do something fresh and different there.

Tony: Let’s ask specifically about women.

Do you think this is something women may engage with more than traditional financial education programs because it changes some of the judgment and shame that’s often associated with women and money?

Emily: I think we have a really big opportunity to appeal to more women.

I’ve spoken to female friends who have downloaded the app and are playing it, and they’re really enjoying the fact that it’s something they can start without needing any existing information.

I don’t think it’s just women who are going to benefit from this.

Anyone who has felt that the financial world isn’t for them can now find a friendlier space to learn about finance through our app.

I think we have a huge opportunity to better appeal to women because there are some serious literacy gaps that we need to fill.

I hope the app can do a good job of filling some of these gaps and better supporting women with financial education.

Tony: I think that’s great because a lot of people, especially women, often feel that the financial world isn’t for them.

Sometimes that can be cultural as well.

It’s a big issue.

From what I’ve seen and how you’ve described it to me, I think the app helps by making money approachable.

People may not even be thinking solely that this is a financial app while they’re engaging with it, and I think that’s a good thing.

How is making financial education more interactive changing behavior?

Emily: I think in several ways.

If you were just to read a piece of financial education and not interact with it, it’s very easy to understand it in that moment but forget it later.

If you’re interacting with it, you’re much more likely to retain that piece of information and then take it on and apply it in a real-life scenario.

For example, we have several games on pension education.

We’re finding that interacting with the game gives people confidence that, “Yes, I actually do understand what a pension is and how I can log into my pension.”

They’re then more likely to go away and actually engage with their personal pension and log into their account, or maybe even consolidate their different pensions.

I think it’s much more impactful if we get people to genuinely interact with these topics and not just read them and cast them aside for months.

We want them to develop confidence and build a long-term habit with the educational side in order to go on and apply that information in their day-to-day lives.

Tony: I think that’s so important.

It’s all about building healthy money habits as much as the information itself.

As we start to wrap up, where do you see financial education going over the next few years?

Obviously, because you’re building the 2 Mins app, you believe in interactive education.

Do you think this is where financial education is going overall?

Emily: I’m really optimistic about it.

In the U.K., there are going to be curriculum changes coming in 2028 where financial education will become part of the curriculum, which is really positive.

It’s great to see that financial education is being given a bigger role and that more importance is being attached to it.

I’m hoping 2 Mins can play a role there and be used more in schools.

We’re also really keen to get 2 Mins into more workplaces.

We recently published a white paper that advocates for financial education being mandatory in the workplace because we see that as a huge opportunity, not just for employees but for employers as well.

There’s growing research showing that employees who have strong financial well-being are more likely to be productive, and it supports retention in companies as well.

There’s a real win-win here.

Financial education in the workplace benefits both employer and employee.

I’m hopeful that it will shift and become a stronger presence in schools and workplaces.

And I’m hoping 2 Mins can be a part of that.

Tony: I agree.

I think financial education should have a role in workplaces.

For example, at least in the U.S., think about open enrollment for employee benefits.

A lot of employees just go with what they had the year before.

They don’t really know what they’re doing, or they do what their friends are doing.

There isn’t a lot of personalization.

Employee benefits may go underutilized or may not be the right ones for that person.

We also know financial stress can affect an employee’s performance.

If they’re thinking about their mortgage while they’re at work and whether they can pay the bills, that impacts performance.

I’m with you on that. I think that’s a huge consideration.

Emily: I think it could be really powerful.

It might take a bit of time for there to be any real political change around financial education in the workplace.

But workplaces themselves can play a role in prioritizing this within their benefits packages.

I’m feeling optimistic for the future of financial education.

I think we’re heading in the right direction.

Tony: I believe so as well.

A quick question about the white paper: Is it available to the public?

Emily: Yes, it is.

You can find it on the Microfact website at Microfact.co.uk under our research and insights.

I can share a link if that’s helpful.

Tony: If you email me the link, I can put it in the show notes.

For everybody watching and listening, you’ll be able to go to the show notes and find a link to the white paper.

Emily, to wrap up, I have what’s called the Get Ready Hot Take Trio.

These are three quick questions I ask all of my guests.

The first one is: What’s one money myth you’re trying to break?

Emily: The biggest one for me is that finance is boring.

I would love to change perceptions around that because I think if people start thinking that finance is exciting and empowering, we have a massive opportunity to change long-term habits.

I don’t think finance is boring.

I think it’s just been communicated in a boring way for far too long.

Hopefully, we’re doing something that changes that.

Tony: That’s fantastic.

I think what you said about money being empowering is important, but it’s really the knowledge about money that’s empowering.

As you point out, the jargon and everything else can make it very unapproachable.

Breaking it down in a way that connects with how people talk and think is brilliant.

I love that you’re building it that way.

Let’s get out the time machine for a minute.

If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now about money, what advice would you give your younger self?

Let’s say your younger self at university.

Emily: That’s a good one.

I think it would be to just start engaging with it.

Don’t be so intimidated.

Even if it’s a small bit of progress every day, that really adds up over time.

I would say: Just start.

Look at different resources as well.

Get involved in your financial education from a younger age.

I think that can be really powerful.

Tony: You probably won’t be surprised to hear that’s one of the most popular answers to this question.

Emily: Oh, really?

Tony: Getting started early.

I think there’s something there when you talk about youth financial literacy.

That’s the way we’re going to get young people thinking about money.

A lot of us didn’t have any financial education as we were going through the school system, yet it’s one of the most important parts of our lives.

That’s definitely a great point.

The final question is: What’s your number one tip to change the way we think about money?

Emily: My number one tip is that you have the power to set your own definition of financial success.

I think that’s really important, especially today with social media.

There’s a lot of pressure from looking at the successes and financial situations of others and thinking, “That’s the goal. That must be what I need to do.”

But if you can remove yourself from that and set your own personal financial goals, it becomes much more attainable, realistic, and motivational.

That’s one of our key lessons in the app: learning how to set your own personal financial goals.

I think that can have a really big effect on individuals and help people have a much healthier relationship with money.

Tony: That’s awesome.

I completely agree.

Especially with social media, people look and think, “My friends are on this trip,” or, “They’ve bought a new car.”

You’re only seeing the best moments of their lives.

You don’t know how they’re affording those things, whether they’re going into debt, or whether they have poor money habits.

You have to have your own definition of financial success.

It’s not necessarily retiring at a certain age or doing anything else.

As one of my guests put it: What’s enough for you?

I think that’s so important.

Emily: It’s much more exciting to think about money in that way because then we’re working toward something that’s deeply personal to us, which is really special.

If we can help people change their money mindset in that way, that will be a big success for 2 Mins.

Tony: That’s awesome, and I think that’s a great place to close.

Where can people learn more about you and the 2 Mins app?

Emily: There are a few places.

If someone is interested and would like to download 2 Mins, just type the number 2 and then M-I-N-S into the App Store or Google Play, and you can download us there.

We recently launched our Instagram, which is @2minsapp.

We’re also on LinkedIn as Microfact, and our website is Microfact.co.uk.

Tony: For everybody watching and listening, if you have access to the show notes, you’ll be able to find all those links, as well as the white paper we talked about earlier.

Emily, thank you so much for coming on Get Ready: Before Life Happens.

This was a great conversation.

Emily: Thank you so much for having me, Tony.

I love speaking about 2 Mins. I hope my passion came through.

I hope some people connected with the things we were talking about and will be up for downloading 2 Mins.

Tony: Awesome.

I think this is a really interesting and valuable conversation because we really do need to change how we’re talking about money.

That’s the whole point of the show.

I think 2 Mins is really doing that.

Even if you’re in a country where you can’t download the 2 Mins app or where it isn’t available, I would still recommend checking out the website to learn more about the approach.

Especially if you’re building your own financial wellness program, you can definitely find some interesting ideas there.

Thank you, everyone, as always, for tuning in to this episode of Get Ready: Before Life Happens.

You can go to my website at TonySteuer.com to join the Get Ready Movement and receive my newsletter and free resources

Because when life happens, the way we think about money matters.