While we spend a lot of time writing about powerful women, we also like to hear from those women, in their own words. Today we spoke with Nicole Lapin, CNBC anchor turned financial media entrepreneur. In September, the 27-year-old left her gig as a CNBC anchor to found Nothing But Gold Productions, a new media company that aims to teach young women about the ins and outs of finance. Think of Lapin as your cool tour guide slash interpreter in the world of jargon-y finance. We spoke about why girls don’t dig chatting about money, and taking advice from Sex and the City’s Samantha.

Writes CNBC anchor turned financial education entrepreneur Nicole Lapin: “For many years, I spoke to everyone but my younger self, whom I would have told to quit waiting for some guy to motivate her to stop hiding behind a cowardly smile and nod. I would have told her to figure out that The Journal meant The Wall Street Journal right after that interview. I would have told her that Helen Thomas would probably have respected her more if she had just asked what shorting the market was, instead of acting like she knew that it meant betting that the market would go down.”