Betty Liu – Host of Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop” November 29, 2010ArchivesOff

Anchor, Bloomberg Television

By Muriel Vega

The award-winning host of Bloomberg Television’s business morning show “In the Loop” and formerly the Taiwan bureau chief for Dow Jones newswires (the youngest ever in Asia!) found success on two continents. “I was born in Hong Kong and I moved to New York when I was 3 so I’m used to both cultures. I always feel like I have two homes,” says Betty Liu. For the past 2.5 years, Liu has anchored on Bloomberg Television and offered coverage of U.S. markets before the opening bell by through interviews with top financial, economic and political news makers– all while drawing big audiences during the two-hour morning block.

The former Atlanta bureau chief for The Financial Times also had her book, Age Smart: Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond turned into a month-long weekly series on CNBC Asia called “The Good Life” and also wrote a bi-weekly personal finance column in The South China Morning Post.

Here, she talks to PINK about the art of resilience – and aging smart.

PINK: How do you incorporate technology to connect with your viewers?
Betty Liu: We have joined Twitter and Facebook here at Bloomberg and it’s really catching on. I tweet from @bettyintheloop about guests who are coming up or big issues in the market. It’s a combination of promoting the show but also, stirring up the internet and discussing the current news. I try to keep it relevant to people who are watching the market and keeping up with regulations. A big part of the social media stint is viewers get a behind-the-scenes look so I tweet photos of us filming the show.

PINK: What’s an important lesson women can take from your book?
B.L.: When you look at your finances, you have to think also about the other aspects of your life – health, marriage, relationships. We wanted to write a book that took a holistic look at your finances. It’s not just about making a lot of money or even being at the top, it’s about having balance in your life.

PINK: What’s your leadership style?
B.L.: I strongly encourage participation. We have a team meeting after the show and everyone contributes their ideas. I also lead by example. I try not to ask the producer, “Oh could you this or that?” Instead I like to do it myself and involve myself in projects. It makes people feel like you are part of the team and not just sitting there. I always try to get involved in things others don’t expect me to get involved in. I’m always ready to get my hands dirty and pull my weight when I can – that means a lot to people.

PINK: What’s your success secret?
B.L.: Resilience – especially as a journalist. Staying resilient through career challenges and knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It will also help you through hard financial times and even motherhood. Raising 5-year-old twin boys with a full-on career certainly tests your resilience [laughs] as you are changing diapers and answering work phone calls.

PINK: Do you see other women facing these challenges too?
B.L.: It’s always going to be an issue for women to balance their careers with being mothers. How do you juggle everything you need to do and still be happy with yourself at the end of the day? The other issue is having a voice in the office. As women continue to climb the corporate ladder, they have more difficulty being heard. It has to do a lot with your attitude: being uplifting, being driven but not overbearing and full of ideas. Research indicates that people who have an optimistic outlook on life were much healthier. There is a direct relationship between our health and our moods. It involves both your physical and psychological state.

PINK: What is the best business advice you’ve received?
B.L.: It was advice Cathie Black told me while I was pregnant and interviewing her for my book. It’s hard to raise kids and have a full career. You’ll be in meetings all day and bring work home, but if you take 10 minutes out of your day to spend with your kids, block everything else out and focus only on your kids and what they are doing. It’s not how much time your kids have with you, but the quality of the time they spend with you.

PINK: What are your Life/Work balance tips?
B.L.: It’s always good to have the grandparents around! [laughs] Don’t get worked up on getting everything perfect. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Once you accept that, everything will be fine. As long as everyone is happy, everything is working out. I also love going to the spa with my girlfriends or going to watch Broadway shows.

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