Cyclone Power
Best known for her on-camera work covering business and finance for CNN, Emmy Award winner Christine Romans considers herself a writer at her core. Romans (’93 journalism and mass communication and French) interviews icons and helps a massive audience make sense of money and markets.
What does being an Iowa Stater mean to you?
My roots in journalism come directly from the Iowa State experience. It was my professor in a journalism 101 class who pulled me aside and said, “Why don’t you work at the Daily?” I was hooked from the very first byline. That experience allowed me to get an internship at the Des Moines Register, which became a trampoline for a career on a national and sometimes international stage.
Do you keep in touch with anyone from your Daily days?
My closest friends in journalism are from Iowa State. They’re my go-to group to ask, “Should I take this promotion? Should I move to this city?” I call us the Cyclone Jobs Council.
What do you wish people understood about money?
Personal finance in American culture is framed around “How would I spend my money if I won the lottery?” It’s “Powerball is at $725 million,” and those kinds of stories. I think that framing is all wrong. You have to figure out how you’re going to grow your money. When you grow your money, then you can spend what is growing and keep that nest egg solid and safe.
Looking back, what’s a standout story you enjoyed reporting?
I went on tour briefly with Dolly Parton when she was in Chicago. Dolly was a favorite of my late grandfather. I found her as a leader and as a business maven to be fascinating. Her manager told me, “When Dolly walks by, if you look around you can see ‘Dolly Droppings.’” He was talking about the pieces of sequins and pearls that drop from her costumes, but it’s also a metaphor. She leaves a room, and everyone feels better and brighter and smarter and heard. I want to leave what I’ll call “Dolly Dust” in my life.