Jon Friedman writes: “It’s time to give CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo her due.

Thanks to good, old-fashioned hard work, Bartiromo, 38, has outgrown the frivolous ‘Money Honey’ label that the nickname-loving media stamped on her a decade ago.”

Bartiromo says: “My long-term approach is to bring the biggest names in business on the air and have the viewers get direct access,” she said. “I ask questions that viewers want answers to — (but) not in a ‘gotcha!’ kind of way. The viewers of CNBC are the smartest, most sophisticated on the planet. You can’t fool that audience.” She adds: “I’m having the time of my life…”