Every person I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing has a unique and inspiring story. I find that when I can pull back the curtain and get to know the real person, truths and insights just happen naturally. Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Maria Bartiromo who is arguably the top woman in business television in the United States.
During my chat with Bartiromo, I wanted to understand how she became who she is. What experiences she had that shaped the inspiring woman leader she is today.
To say her story is unconventional would be an understatement. Bartiromo has risen through the ranks of TV and media as a female in a mostly male-dominated world.
I was able to unpack the stories of her college years, learn about her being a rookie TV personality, and what comes next for Bartiromo.
Let’s get right to it, and start from the bottom. How Maria became Maria.
From Journalism Major to CNN
Hearing how Bartiromo rose through the ranks of media is nothing short of inspirational. After all, she was a female in a male-dominated world who worked her way into one of the most powerful places on earth.
The place I speak of is the coveted Wall Street. She became the first woman to broadcast live from Wall Street during a time when women were not a staple in mainstream media.
Bartiromo started as an intern at CNN out of graduating from NYU with a journalism degree. This is where she started to work her way up through the ranks which after many years would land her as a field reporter with CNBC.
She would go on to spend 20 years at CNBC and ended up leaving in 2013 after an offer she couldn’t refuse came from FOX.
Now Bartiromo sits as the anchor of three shows; FOX Business Network’s Mornings With Maria, Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street, & FOX News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
What Bartiromo Has Learned Interviewing The World’s Elite
When you hold a seat at a major media network in a country like the USA, you get presented with high-profile people to interview. Bartiromo has interviewed the likes of US President Donald Trump, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates to name a few.
What fascinates me the most about Bartiromo interviewing some of the most powerful people in the world is what she has learned from them. Being in the presence of people of this stature, after time, you must catch some similarities or nuisances that you pick up on.
Things that probably the average person doesn’t do at the scale they do. Habits or personality types that make them who they are.
What Bartiromo was able to tell me was something I found extremely enlightening. She told me one thing she has picked up on by being in the same room with these types of people is the amount of integrity they display.
Now it’s not that others don’t have integrity, it’s just that they have something special that others don’t.
Bartiromo would go on to say,
“When you surround yourself with people who are full of integrity, it rubs off on you”
This was refreshing to hear because from an outsider’s perspective or only hearing about these types of people in the media, you may only hear the bad things. But to hear Bartiromo say that a vast majority of them hold themselves to a high level of integrity is inspiring.
To peel back the onion some more, I wanted to ask Bartiromo for some advice to young, up-and-coming professionals or entrepreneurs. Something she felt would help them to navigate this world we live in today.
“I would first look for areas where there is growth. Where the concentration needs to be. One area I believe has a lot of growth potential is healthcare because people are starting to live longer. If people are living longer, it creates new challenges for us all to conquer.”
Another area that has the attention of Bartiromo is artificial intelligence and quantum computing. If you haven’t watched it and live in the USA I highly recommend the 1-hour documentary special she did in 2019 titled “Artificial Intelligence: The Coming Revolution” exclusively on FOX News.
So What’s Next for Bartiromo?
She’s conquered business television at the highest level and what’s up next for Bartiromo is even more exciting.
Teaming up with James Freeman of The Wall Street Journal she co-wrote The Cost: Trump, China & American Revival a book detailing the past 4 years under the Trump Administration and uncovering the challenges and conspiracies they have faced.
The book is out now and available to purchase at your favorite online or in-person bookstore.
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