Meet Erika Carter

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erika Carter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Erika, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

When I was in elementary school in 5th grade there was a girl who accused me and my twin sister of bullying her. I had literally never spoken to the girl before but I hung around a group of girls who were actually bullies causing the problem. The accuser’s father threatened to press charges against me and my sister. My mom immediately decided that it was time for my sister and I to move schools.

That decision was honestly the best of my life now that I look back on it, even though it was a very hard decision for me as a young girl at the time. The school I transferred to exposed me to an education I never would have gotten otherwise, experiences I never would have had and people who were extremely wealthy and successful.

This story is a recurring theme in my life, where negative things come my way but I am able to pivot and end up in a better situation than before. A lot of people are afraid of conflict or afraid of things going wrong in their life. But the things that are the most uncomfortable are the things that grow us the most.

Now here I am, a 3rd year corporate attorney at the best law firm in the country, an Ivy League graduate and a home owner at 27. None of this would have happened without adversity (and perseverance).

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

During the day, I am a corporate associate working at a big law firm in New York. Right now I practice private equity mergers and acquisitions, which just means I help companies with money buy other companies. I love the work that I do because I feel that my work has an impact on business and finance, two things. I’ve always been really passionate about. I also love being in space because there are not a lot of people that look like me and I love providing representation to space that doesn’t have it.

After hours, I am an entrepreneur and real estate investor. I currently own and manage a short term rental and am looking to expand into other housing markets and potentially into franchise businesses. I use my day job to fund these after hours passions and find meaning and value in both .

My ultimate goal in life is to build generational wealth for me and my family. The wealth gap in this country, especially for black Americans, is dismal and extremely disheartening. I want to be the person in my family that changes that. My ultimate goal is to build sustainable wealth that allows for financial independence, away from a W-2 job, so that my future kids and their kids can experience financial independence in a way that has notoriously been closed off to Black people.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Faith, perseverance, internal locus of control

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

My identical, twin sister, Adrianna has been the most helpful and impactful in my journey. I know not everyone is blessed enough to have an identical twin and I’m so grateful to God for her. Adrianna challenges me, gives me raw feedback (even if it hurts my feelings), loves me through difficult times and is dependable. Everyone needs someone like that in their corner.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ehmazingg
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JumelleJD.MD97