Erika Kullberg

I met 2 celebrities last week in New York. One was 50 Cent. The other I won't name.

Same introduction from my PR friend: "This is Erika, her 'Erika Taught Me' podcast is one of the top business podcasts in the US."

50 Cent's response? "Wow. What kind of business topics do you talk about?"

He continued to ask ME questions. I was really nervous so I can't remember the other ones.

The other celebrity? A nod. He was clearly scanning the room, looking to see who he could talk to instead. He left without saying goodbye as soon as he found someone.

Guess which one I told at least 5 friends about?

Maya Angelou said it best: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

50 Cent proved this in 30 seconds.

He was curious and asked questions.
He made eye contact.

Most importantly? He was present.

I've met billionaires who made me feel invisible.
I've also met baristas who remembered my name and asked about my mom.

When I look at the empire 50 Cent has built and how he's been able to scale so far beyond the music industry, it totally makes sense.

He has mastered the most important skill in the world: he knows how to make people feel seen and heard.

In our rush to network, we forget:
• A genuine question beats 100 business cards
• 30 seconds of real attention beats 30 minutes of small talk
• Making someone feel seen beats any elevator pitch

50 Cent didn't need to impress me. He's 50 Cent.

But consider me impressed, haha. 😅

1 week ago | [YT] | 2,016

Erika Kullberg

Yesterday at JFK, a stranger taught me something I needed to remember.

I'd just gotten the call: my mom had a seizure in Japan and was unconscious, again. I was rushing to catch the last flight to Tokyo, waiting to see if someone would no-show so I could get on.

A girl stopped me in the terminal.

"I recognize you from Instagram," she said. "I've been thinking about you and your mom."

She had no idea what had just happened.
She had no idea I was desperately trying to get on a flight to see my mom.
She just wanted to say something kind.

And it hit me: You never know what someone is going through.

That executive who was short with you? Could be going through a brutal divorce.
That colleague who's been MIA? Could be dealing with caregiver burnout.
That person who cut you off in traffic? Might be rushing to the hospital to say goodbye to someone.

We're all walking around with invisible battles.

The person making your coffee.
Your uber driver.
That direct report who seems "off" lately.

Everyone's dealing with something.

Look, I'm not saying we need to hold hands and sing kumbaya. But that 10-second interaction at JFK reminded me that small gestures matter more than we think.

• Text that friend you've been meaning to check on
• Thank someone who came through for you
• Cut some slack to the person having a rough day
• Say something nice when you think it

It takes zero effort and might be exactly what someone needs to hear.

To the girl at JFK: Thank you. I know you probably didn't realize the impact of your words in that moment. But they meant the world. Your timing was perfect.

When's the last time a random act of kindness stuck with you?

1 week ago | [YT] | 2,326

Erika Kullberg

I just found out I made the ‪@Forbes‬ Top Creators List for 2025!!

I keep thinking about how proud my mom would be. “Mom, I’ve been named one of the Top 50 Creators in the world by Forbes!”

When I started this YouTube channel years ago, my mom would watch and comment on every video. And she would watch each video at least 10 times to increase the view count, haha. I can’t imagine what she would say if I told her my picture is on the cover of Forbes now. Some of you know if you follow me on Instagram that my mom had a hemorrhagic stroke 3 months ago - I hope she recovers enough for me to be able to tell her one day soon.

Thank you to my mom, and thank you to YOU - for watching, reading, commenting, messaging me, and continuing to support me.

Skip the Carousel

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4 months ago | [YT] | 948

Erika Kullberg

My Japan time was cut short, but when Forbes asks you to speak at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, you do it 😅 Also speaking: Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Ray Dalio, Idris Elba

8 months ago | [YT] | 1,276

Erika Kullberg

It's not too late!! Even if you start investing with just $10 a month, it's a step forward, and I'd love to help you get started!

Join my FREE investing challenge, it starts tomorrow!!

Sign up here: erika.com/invest

1 year ago | [YT] | 222

Erika Kullberg

RSVP to my FREE investing challenge here: erika.com/invest
Date: Monday, September 23
Where: Online
Dress-code: Confident-Casual

1 year ago | [YT] | 196

Erika Kullberg

Thank you so much for 5 million followers on Instagram!

I started posting videos on Instagram almost 3 years ago because I wanted to try to help more people.

I remember on my law school application, I wrote about how I wanted to help people — and be an advocate for people. That’s always been my dream, but I don’t think I had true clarity on how I would achieve that.

There’s NO way I could’ve predicted that my way of helping people would be by creating 30 second videos on social media where I’m talking to myself 😂 but it’s funny how things happen.

Figuring out how to achieve my “dream” of helping people has always just been a process of elimination. I started off my career as a corporate lawyer at one of the top law firms in the world—but after a few years, I realized it didn’t feel right, and no amount of money they paid me was going to change that gut feeling. I was on the wrong side of the equation, helping the big corporations get bigger, instead of helping actual people.

Now, I feel really clear on my “dream”: it’s to help as many followers as possible achieve financial independence.

Why?

Because I remember how it felt to be drowning in $200,000 of debt after law school and feeling like I could never climb out of that. I don’t want others to feel so alone in their financial journeys.

Because I didn’t come from money, and growing up, I thought things like investing were reserved for the rich. Here’s the truth I now know: the finance industry benefits from making these things seem elusive and exclusive (so they can justify their high fees), but my goal is to simplify things like investing to prove to you that it’s not just for the rich.

Because school has failed us by not teaching us about money.

Because understanding your rights can help you keep more of your hard-earned money in your pockets, but a lot of times huge corporations will try to hide what you’re entitled to in tons of hard to read legal language. And that’s why I read the fine print so you don’t have to!

Thank you for following me and supporting me. I will continue to try my hardest to provide value ❤️

P.S. I’m hosting a free Investing Challenge. It’s a 5 day challenge where I’ll teach you how to open an account and start investing. Grab your free spot by going to erika.com/invest - starts Mon, Sep 23.

1 year ago | [YT] | 2,629

Erika Kullberg

❗ Quiz Time! ❗



THREE TRUTHS AND A LIE:

According to Ken Coleman, all of these are crucial for finding career fulfillment except for one.


Haven't listened to it yet? Check out the full episode here 👉 https://youtu.be/ZAy3KHVGQyE

1 year ago | [YT] | 155

Erika Kullberg

What's the most important factor for you in finding career fulfillment? Let us know in the comments! 👇



In this week’s podcast episode, we’re joined with radio show host, Ken Coleman.

We’ll talk about:


⭐Identifying career passions and talents to avoid burnout

🚪 Navigating toxic work environments and setting boundaries
❓ Embracing the unknown and taking risks for personal growth
❤️Choosing a life with no regrets and following your true passions



🎧 Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/ZAy3KHVGQyE

1 year ago | [YT] | 17

Erika Kullberg

🕵️QUIZ TIME!🕵️ Let’s see if you’ll catch the right answer! 🔍


What is one strategy Paula suggests for saving money on big expenses? 🏡💸

Haven’t listened yet? Listen to the full conversation here and discover more tips! https://youtu.be/dmrvJNyHXec

1 year ago | [YT] | 112