Taylor Riggs
Taylor Riggs in Cambodia
Taylor Riggs, a small town girl raised here in Merced, has found great success as a financial journalist on the East Coast with Fox Business Network (FBN), even landing herself a spot as a co-host for FBN’s new program The Big Money Show (which debuts Jan. 23) alongside Jackie DeAngelis and Brian Brenberg weekdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (EST)
Although she admittedly felt like a fish out of water when she first made the move to the big city, she feels that it gives her a unique edge and was key to making her who she is today.
“I love that I come from a small town that helped raise me with a good head on my shoulders and focused on family and faith.” says Riggs. “That foundation helped me succeed in a big city, which can be overwhelming and feel like you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off at times. I think I bring an important perspective of having lived in both worlds.”
Both of her parents were also from the valley, with her mother being from Fresno and her father growing up across from the home that she did in Merced. They are both still hard working and active members of the community to this day. Taylor credits them for teaching her about the value of hard work, perseverance, investing in oneself, as well as community. She is grateful that they took the steps and resources to give her the best possible education growing up, including putting her through boarding school.
Another major influence and supportive force in her life from here in Merced is Central Presbyterian Church. Riggs told the Times, “The organization most dear to my heart is our local community church, Central Presbyterian Church. When they say it takes a village to raise you, I’m convinced they are thinking of the village at CPC and how a group of those wonderful folks raised me up.”
Taylor made good use of her education and went on to complete her Chartered Financial Analyst Levels 1 through 3, all by 2018, and earning her Master’s degree in Finance at John Hopkins University’s Carey Business School. Additionally, she is currently a Juris Doctor Candidate at New York Law School. Taylor’s most recent project was co-anchoring a daily show on Bloomberg Television where she would discuss equities, bonds, currencies, and commodities. And, before she did that, she led Bloomberg’s cross-asset market coverage and a municipal bond reporter.
One of Taylor’s favorite thing to do is travel, having visited 26 countries: Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Aruba, Iceland, UK, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Egypt, UAE, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Maldives). Fun fact, Taylor and her husband just returned from their honeymoon in the Maldives! Another hobby of hers, which plays into her love of travel, is that she is an avid marathoner; she has run 15 marathons across many different cities (Sacramento, NYC, New Orleans, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Paris, Berlin, Athens, Los Angeles, Portland, Washington DC.).
One major misconception that Riggs has encountered with her recent position as a host is the publics sense of credibility and responsibility for the content being presented. “People think I have someone doing the work for me, writing my scripts for me, and I just read what is off the prompter and show up a few minutes before we go on air. We have incredible producers who work hard, but anchors are also writing and coming up with our own story ideas. Many times, there isn’t anything in prompt and we are told to just adlib and go off our own knowledge. It truly takes a village to put a show on the air and everyone needs to show up and pull their own weight or it’s not going to work. It’s more hard work than it is glamour.”
For those of you who are still trying to figure things out for yourselves and may pursue a career, Taylor has some advice: “Be kinder and gentler to yourself. And don’t be afraid to chart your own path in your life and your career. Following the mold may seem easy at the time, but doing the hard work to chart your own path will always pay off in the end. Forging my own path and going against the grain is what helped me get to this point! … Invest in yourself and work harder than the person next to you. I lost a lot of friends by going back to school and making sure I had the tools and education to be successful and was spending nights and weekends working or studying instead of going out to dinner. But it is all worth it if you find ways to invest in yourself and work harder than the people next to you. Your boss will notice, and you’ll stand out and be rewarded.”