Media Mavens: In conversation with Anastasia Barbuzzi

Once Cleo’s lead writer, Anastasia Barbuzzi (Stas), realized that empowering herself to learn about money matters changed her life, she knew she had to bring that to others: and that’s when $HMONEY was born. Already a creative, podcasting was a natural platform for her, and many flocked to share in the financial learning episodes. 

We talk to Stas about all things $HMONEY and how she got to where she is in her writing career.

Cleo: How did you get the idea to start your podcast, $HMONEY?

Stas: The idea for the podcast was born from a financial spiral that came after a life-threatening car accident. The incident put me in a position where I had to ask for financial support, and during that period, I began to ponder why it was so hard to ask for help, why we pride ourselves on our financial status, and more. 

$HMONEY was my lightbulb moment! An open, inclusive, and judgment-free zone that promotes educating yourself to empower yourself, $HMONEY is a safe place to discuss money matters without guilt or shame. It makes financial literacy approachable, attainable, and fun to talk about for millennial women.

$HMONEY not only addresses personal finance stigmas and money taboos but also kicks down the door.

Cleo: How do you plan your social media content? What do you use as inspiration to come up with ideas?

Stas: Now that I work full-time with Cleo, I’ve learned a lot of great tips and tricks that help me plan better! Honestly though, the news and social media move so fast that I plan much of my content on the go. Current events, important dates in women’s history, and social/cultural issues and commentary inspire it too.

$HMONEY’s attitude, aesthetic, and mission also inspire content, but I think the audience’s interests inform a ton of it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned when it comes to successfully engaging people, it’s serving them exactly what they want and need, and that’s why a lot of my content gets created in the moment.

Above everything, $HMONEY’s purpose is to help people, particularly women, step into a more financially independent version of themselves, so that’s what I aim for my content to assist them with.

Cleo: How have your social media channels helped you grow your brand and community?

Stas: $HMONEY's social media channels have allowed me to meet, inspire, and collaborate with people worldwide. Creating social media content for $HMONEY has helped me grow the brand by constantly re-establishing the platform's mission and defining the vibe. When that catches people's eyes, they tend to stick around. 

Having access to people far and wide has been tremendously helpful in creating awareness and gaining a better understanding of the real-life challenges women face with their finances from around the world. $HMONEY's presence has made many women feel safe, seen, heard, and understood, and social media has helped me speak to them in ways I couldn't have if we weren't connected via the internet. 

Cleo: Your day job is copywriting for social media (a.k.a. With us! Yay!), what steps in your career took you to this role?

Stas: Double yay! I absolutely love working with the Cleo team. 

I have to start by looking back at freelancing and accepting all different types of writing gigs and assignments. I still do to this day. I also created a lifestyle blog (it wasn’t personal, people contributed to it, and it was very general) in the earlier days of Instagram. I learned a lot about what worked and what didn’t while growing an audience of thousands. 

As a contributor and digital content creator for several different publications, I honed some social media savvy. I got some lessons in marketing, especially at Fashion Magazine and Yahoo (who I still work with today!). But I began to lean into writing for social media even more when I was digital editor at STYLE Canada, where I created content of all sorts, and then with $HMONEY, where I dove into conceptualizing a brand voice and image from scratch. 

When I met Blair, founder of Cleo, I was very grateful she recognized my ability to adapt and improve on different brand voices and ideate on the ready. She saw how much I love using my imagination and building cohesive concepts with real depth.

Side note/tip for writers and freelancers: Always keep an open mind! Try new and different things, which may lead you down fruitful paths. It’s also a great way to find out what you do and don’t like doing creatively.

Cleo: What advice would you give to a fledgling podcaster about growing their social media accounts?

Stas: Consistently posting is key to growing your social media accounts, and so is listening to the people who follow you (or who could follow you). Speaking authentically and putting together a palatable, attractive image is also crucial, but so is being able to grab someone’s attention and keep them reading and scrolling. 

Knowing what people are genuinely interested in hearing about and then serving them that content is majorly essential. Start by creating something people want and need; I think that’s a launchpad for growth.

Cleo: And a fun one to end off, what’s your favourite way to take a break from work?

Stas: Ahh… Some of my favourite ways to take a break from work include grabbing a coffee (with my hubby, if we can!) or going for a nice long walk with a podcast playing in the background.