Growing Up Irooni - Chelsea Fagan on Wealth, Representation, and Why Romance Novels Should Get Political

Chelsea Fagan is best known for The Financial Diet, the wildly successful platform she founded to talk about money in a real, honest, and politically aware way. But in our conversation, we dive into a more unexpected side of her: Chelsea the romance novelist.

Her new book High Dive features a Persian American love interest, and through him, Chelsea explores everything from class and privilege to cultural identity, assimilation, and what it means to "make it" in America. Our conversation took us from the nuances of naming and identity to the ethics of self-promotion during times of global crisis.

This episode goes far beyond finance—it’s about storytelling, responsibility, and finding purpose when the world feels like it’s unraveling.

Related Links

📚 High Dive is out May 27th!
👉 Learn more about Chelsea: @faganchelsea on Instagram and @TheFinancialDiet
🎧 Leyla mentions this video by Chelsea: Watch on YouTube