Delyanne Barros On Making Finance More Inclusive In CNN Podcast - Exclusive

Delyanne Barros is a money coach who has made a successful career for herself sharing advice and explaining finance topics on her TikTok and Instagram. As a self-taught investor who has paid off her law school debt and is now on track to retire by 45, Barros has a lot of personal understanding that she shares with her audience. It's always been important to her to make conversations about money accessible and to help people make their own financial goals.

Now, Barros has an even bigger audience to share her message with through her new CNN podcast, "Diversifying." Speaking about her opportunity with CNN, Barros said, "People are really surprised in a good way that CNN has taken this project on. It was very unexpected, bringing somebody from outside of CNN ... They went outside the company. They specifically wanted somebody of color to come and represent people." In an exclusive interview with The List, Barros explained why that representation is important and how she's working to open up personal finance to everyone.

As a Latina woman, Delyanne Barros has a different point of view than many experts in the finance industry. She sees her perspective as a way that she can add nuance to her podcast and bring more women and people of color into the conversation. "If you look around the personal finance space, you're going to see that we are very much a minority in the space," Barros said. "That's why CNN wanted to launch this kind of podcast because they wanted to provide a platform for people who have been left out of the conversation, and specifically, it's been women and people of color."

Although her race and background might seem separate from finances to some, Barros said that's ignoring many important factors. "There are so many issues that we all face when it comes to money, but there are going to be other historical factors, and cultural factors that specifically apply to women and people of color," the money expert explained. "You can't talk about money and not talk about the gender wage gap and not talk about the racial wealth gap. You can't talk about money and not talk about discrimination. Those things are all intertwined."

To make her podcast accessible, Delyanne Barros knew she wanted to address topics holistically. She explained her overall style in her approach to their student loans episode. "We really wanted to show why student loans have become such a huge problem. Why are we in this situation? What has led us here? How has it impacted, again, women and people of color? What would forgiveness mean for those people? We dig deeper into the topics," she said.

That more thorough and empathetic approach is how Barros addresses every conversation on "Diversifying." "We can't just be telling people, 'Save and budget and invest,'" she said. "That's what the financial industry has been doing for ages, and people are tired of it. They don't see themselves in those stories. They don't connect. And because of that, it's hurting them financially." 

Barros is hoping to bridge that disconnect by creating a shame-free place for people to learn regardless of how much or little they already know. She believes personal finance is not black and white and wants to help people feel comfortable with their money. "I am like you, too, and we can learn these concepts together," Barros said. "I try to put myself in their shoes, and I think that's what's missing in a lot of personal finance content — empathy for other people."

You can listen to "Diversifying" on CNN Audio or anywhere you listen to your podcasts. New episodes drop each Monday.