Maria Bartiromo on working hard and doing what you love

(gentle music) - Well, if you would, could you walk us through your career a little bit. What do you tell people who want to be you, someone is, she's in college, she says I want to be like Maria, I want to be Maria. What's your advice to someone like that? - I hear this question a lot actually because I speak with students a lot and young people about their careers. First one is, you've got to work hard, and you've got to understand that there are no shortcuts. When I started out my career at CNN, I was willing and able to do whatever they needed. So I did three shifts overnight once, I was in a 2:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Next shift, it was like 4:00 a.m. to noon. And then I did midnight to 8:00. I mean I've done all the shifts imaginable from CNN, CNBC to Fox now. So you've got to work hard. Number two, I think you have to love what you do. I as a kid had dreams of being a backup singer, I always wanted to be a backup singer because I liked the moves that they had, the dance moves. I'm not a singer, I can't sing. I am very well aware of that. So I don't think I'll ever be a singer. And you have to really understand what you're actually good at and and what you can do. And then you have to do what you love. I tell students all the time as much as you can and I know this is hard, but as much as you can take money out of the equation, take that compensation out of the equation, and just take the job because you love it. I think that will serve you well. And I think the third must rule is always do the right thing. Because no matter where you go in your life, whether it's different countries or different sectors, one thing will always follow you, and that is your reputation. And so you have to protect your reputation, and you have to cherish it, and you have to make a decision right now that when you are faced with the dilemma, you've got to do the right thing because that will be also differentiating you from the crowd. So those are sort of my rules for success. But I also think that when I was on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and I first got down there, and there were a handful of people who didn't want me there. You have to believe in yourself and understand that you are here for a reason, you want to own this. You have to own your job. In other words, know that cold better than anybody else, and work hard at it. - And was there ever a time where you didn't think you would make it? Were you confident that you were going to always become the money honey that you were going to be? Someone that people could recognize on the street? Or was there a period where you weren't totally sure? - No, no, not at all. In fact, I never, I mean this is totally the success that I've had, I'm grateful for, incredibly humbled and grateful for. And I think that I've always had low expectations. I mean I, yes I'm a very hard worker, but I never really had a thought that I'm going to be a journalist on television, and sort of recognizable, I never expected that at all. All I did was focus on the here and now, and focus on working really hard. So I can't say that I ever had any picture of where I was going with this. - You were Dobbs's producer, right? - Yes I was, I started as a production assistant in the morning show at CNN, so I was an overnight PA, entry-level position, moved up to writer, producer, was an Associate Producer on Lou's show Moneyline. And then at the last job before I was promoted, and that's why I left. But I had a job on the assignment desk. And basically what I did on the assignment is I was an assignment editor. So I would write scripts, come up with ideas, write scripts, go out, shoot the piece, interview people, and then give them to someone else who would go on the air with them. And I loved it, I finally found what I felt like I was good at, and that was going out, interacting with people, I was building a little rolodex at CNN Business News, and I felt like I knew exactly who to call when a subject matter came up. And then Lou decided to change the scope of the department around. And he didn't, he wanted to change the assignment desk. And so he promoted me, he promoted me to producer of the morning show, senior producer on the morning show which meant I had to go back on the overnight shift but even more than that. It meant I was in the studio, I could no longer go out on shoots and come up with story ideas and write a script. And I remember meeting with him, and he said to me, Maria, you're not going to get anywhere in life if you are in the shadows of Terry Keenan, God rest her soul. She's passed away last year. Terry Keenan and Jane Hopkins and all these other women who I was writing scripts for. But I still felt in my heart of hearts that that's not what I wanted to do, I wanted to be that person who was writing the scripts for people, I wanted to be an off air reporter, it never occurred to me that I could go on air. So I just figured, okay, I just want to keep doing this, but that wasn't possible, he was moving me off the desk, promoting me to producer for the morning show. And so at that point, I had to make a decision. And this is why I always recommend to people to do what you love and know what you're good at. And I said to myself, okay, I'm, whatever, 25 or 20, 24, and I've hit ceilings at CNN Business News. There's no other job that I actually want here. So I'll have to leave. But I knew that economic data at the time came out at 8:30 in the morning. So I said to them, I said, "Here's a compromise. "Since I am done with my shift at 8:00 a.m, "my show was from 7:00 to 8:00, "can I leave at 8:00 a.m. and go out with the crew "and get all the economic sound bites?" Because at that time, we didn't have cameras at all the training desks. So they said, "Okay, you will go get us our econ sound." I said "Perfect, I'll be the econ sound person." So I would go down to trading desk and I would interview economists and get their take on what the latest durable goods number said, what-- - So you said, "I'll do this job "as long as you let me do even other jobs on top of it." So I want to make sure I understand that right. - Exactly, exactly, so. - Good negotiating. - Exactly, (laughs). - That's great. So I was doing extra. So what did I do during that extra time? I would go get my sound bites for the network, and then I would ask my cameraman, "Can you just shoot me on camera?" And so I used it as an opportunity to get myself a tape together. And then I put the tape together and I sent it to CNBC. And they said, "Oh we like your work "and we want to put you on on-air." And I said, "Okay." So then I went to Lou and I said, "Lou, I have to talk to you, I'd like to leave "because I got an offer to be on-air on CNBC." And he said, "Maria, this is going to be the worst "career decision you ever make in your life." - And did you decide, did that make you second-guess yourself? - Yeah, I mean it didn't because, but I understood Lou. I mean Lou Dobbs was the greatest boss, he really was. I always tell people, I went to the Lou Dobbs School of Economics because it was, you are dedicated to excellence or you are out, and I love that. And so I was dedicated to excellence. And so I understood what he was saying. He was saying "Look, this is the place "that we're doing real business news, "we're doing fantastic." Every day, a show, Moneyline, and two morning shows, and we're giving people an encompassing look at business and the markets. And he thought CNN Business News was the best place and there was no competition. So I understood what he was saying, that going to CMBC was a bad move. But I also had to listen to my own heart and understand what I was good at. Maybe CNN Business News was better than CNBC at the time, but in my heart I knew that I wanted to be in the field. And so it took courage, it definitely took courage because I grew up at CNN, I loved CNN, and I loved Myron Kandel and Lou Dobbs. But I did leave and it actually turned out to be, well a really smart decision. - It sounds like one other piece of advice you might want to add to your normal list is, don't be afraid to take risks because you definitely have not been afraid of the course you created yourself. - It's true. And I took another risk when I left, and went to Fox. And I have to tell you, it's been a fantastic year, it's been a great transition. I think the people at Fox represent a real team. It's such a team culture that that's probably one of the things that I'm most proud of and most happy with.