Erika Kullberg Review: Passive Income Courses, Testimonials, & Alternatives in 2025

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Erika Kullberg is famous as a YouTube content creator for personal finance. Her channel boasts 2.08 million subscribers. She also has a large social media following, with 5.4 million Instagram followers and 9.1 million TikTok followers. Erika herself has 12 income streams, bringing in both passive and active income. She also teaches others with her 3D Money Course and Mastering YouTube for the Busy Professional course.

Reviews for Erika Kullberg are positive. She has received many praises for her programs and courses. Students praise the practical knowledge, actionable strategies, and the balanced content in her courses. They also point out the professional legal advice that she gives. Some criticism her courses received is the emphasis on upsells and lack of personalized support.

In a YouTube video, Erika Kullberg said: “Passive income, as opposed to active income, is where you’re generating income that’s not directly correlated to the number of hours you’re putting in. Passive income is different because since there’s no direct correlation, it tends to be that you put a lot of time and effort upfront and then are able to reap the benefits afterwards.” In my opinion, generating passive income is like the Ingalls family in Little House on the Prairie where they worked tirelessly to build a cabin, dig a well, and plant a field. Once the land settled, it supported them for years. Because revenue keeps flowing without daily effort, you can reinvest profits into new assets. Passive systems break the tie between where you are and what you earn. You can travel, move cities, or take months off, and the revenue doesn’t collapse. Plus, passive income models build equity (something you can sell). A rental property, SaaS tool, or ranked website has resale value far beyond the cash flow. You can liquidate, license, or franchise them. These are options you don’t get from freelance or salaried work.

In this article, we discover who Erika Kullberg is and her 12 income streams, such as YouTube ad revenue and affiliate marketing. We talk about the controversy surrounding her FTX promotion and her courses like 3D Money and Mastering YouTube for the Busy Professional. Finally, we determine the best business model for generating passive income. Is it YouTube monetization, local lead generation, or some of the popular ones?

Who is Erika Kullberg?

erika kullberg review

Erika Kullberg is an entrepreneur and lawyer known for her passion for personal finance. She was born to a Japanese mother and an American father. She attended private schools in the US and Japan as her father served in the US Air Force. Erika earned a degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame and a doctorate of law from Georgetown University Law Center. She is the founder of the Georgetown Law Entrepreneurship Club. She currently lives in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Erika Worked for the FCC and several law firms, including Morrison & Foerster and Foley & Lardner. Unsatisfied with the daily grind and wanting financial independence, she started looking into creating multiple income streams. At 30 years old, Erika has diversified her income through 12 different streams. She started her YouTube channel in 2019 to teach others about personal finance. She also hosts a podcast, “Erika Taught Me,” where she interviews various guests about personal finance, entrepreneurship, and success strategies. Erika founded the legal tech company, Plug & Law, in 2020 to provide online entrepreneurs and small business owners with easy access to essential legal documents and agreements.

Controversy With FTX Promotion

Erika and her husband Eric Kullberg co-founded Creators Agency, a marketing agency for YouTube content creators. The agency worked with several YouTube finance content creators, such as Graham Stephan, Jaspreet Singh, and Kevin Paffrath. They were involved in a controversy regarding the heavy promotion of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. After FTX went bankrupt in 2022, people scrutinized those who had promoted them.

What are Erika Kullberg’s 12 Income Streams?

1. YouTube Ad Revenue

Erika makes money from YouTube by allowing ads to be shown on her videos. YouTube pays creators 55% of the ad revenue. She earns an estimated $700,000 annually from YouTube ads alone.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Erika promotes products or services through special links on her YouTube channel and website. When people click these links and make purchases, she earns a commission. One of her successful promotions is the investing app Webull, which pays her for each sign-up through her link.

3. Sponsorships

Companies pay Erika to mention their products or services in her YouTube videos. These sponsored segments are brief, usually 30-45 seconds. Her first sponsored video earned her between $5,000 and $10,000.

4. Digital Product - Plug & Law

Erika’s Plug & Law company provides legal documents for small business owners who can’t afford expensive lawyers. Their offers help businesses comply with legal requirements. Erika earns passive income from the legal bundle since it requires minimal maintenance.

erika kullberg review

5. Productized Service

Erika offers a service called the Trademark Bundle, which helps customers register their trademarks at a lower cost than traditional lawyers. She has a team in place to handle the operations, allowing her to earn passive income from this service.

6. Online Course

Erika has online courses that teach people how to handle their finances and profit from YouTube. Creating the course took time, but now it generates passive income. She only needs to focus on driving traffic to the course to make sales.

7. Law Services

Erika continues to practice law, focusing on select clients, including popular YouTubers, helping them negotiate sponsorship deals. Although this is active income, it adds significantly to her earnings.

8. Dividend Income

Erika invests in companies that pay dividends, which are portions of the company’s earnings distributed to shareholders. This income stream requires little effort after the initial investment and provides a steady flow of money.

9. White Labeling

Erika created a product that other companies can buy and rebrand as their own. She earns a percentage of each sale without having to manage the product’s branding and marketing.

10. Rental Income

Erika has been renting out property since before 2020. This income stream takes a significant investment and some effort to set up, but provides a regular source of passive income once established.

11. Speaking Engagements

Erika is paid to speak at conferences and events about topics like personal finance and entrepreneurship. Despite having stage fright, she values the opportunity to provide value to others while earning an additional income.

erika kullberg review

12. Angel Investing

Erika invests in startups in exchange for equity, hoping these companies will grow and provide significant returns. This high-risk, high-reward strategy can potentially yield substantial profits if the companies succeed.

What are the Reviews of Erika Kullberg?

While there aren’t many reviews of Erika Kullberg online, some have shared their opinions and experiences on Reddit.

erika kullberg review

Reddit user, Least-Influence3089, posted about her experience taking Erika Kullberg’s 3D Money course. It was explained that she found the master spreadsheet very useful. They also mentioned that they were able to control their spending and handle their budget better after taking the course.

erika kullberg review

On another post, a Redditor explained that Erika Kullberg’s tips and advice that she gave in her videos were legit. Unfortunately, they found it her obnoxious. Keep in mind that reviews are based on personal experiences and opinions. Always do your due diligence.

What is Erika Kullberg’s 3D Money Course?

Erika Kullberg’s 3D Money Course is a training program that teaches you how to manage your finances, how to invest, and how to achieve financial freedom. The course offers comprehensive lessons on budgeting, debt elimination, credit score improvement, and investment strategies. Below is what you get with the course:

  • Budgeting: Erika provides a 5-step budgeting plan and a budget tracker to help students organize their finances effectively.
  • Debt Elimination: The course includes a 5-step plan to help eliminate debt, including strategies to reduce medical bills by thousands of dollars.
  • Credit Improvement: Learn how to improve your credit score and manage your credit report.
  • Investment Guidance: Erika shares her own investment portfolio that details the ETFs she recommends. She provides guidance on what to invest in to increase your net worth.
  • Travel Hacks: A unique bonus lesson teaches how to use credit card points to fly first class for free.
  • Tax Optimization: Learn strategies to maximize your tax refund using the law in your favor.
  • Support and Community: Lifetime access to the course includes ongoing updates and bonuses, and a financial self-audit checklist. You also get access to the private Facebook group for additional support and networking.
  • Bonuses: Includes Erika’s investment portfolio and credit card recommendations, a 7-day money bootcamp to refresh financial goals, and access to the budgeting mastermind Facebook group.

The course is currently not available. You can apply to be wait-listed.

3D Money Course Modules

  • Module 1: Decode - Introduction to the foundational money principles to help you assess your current financial situation.
  • Module 2: Money Principles - Covers essential financial principles followed by successful individuals.
  • Module 3: Starting Point - Guides students to understand their financial standing, including their net worth and debt situation.
  • Module 4: Net Worth - Focuses on tracking and increasing net worth through targeted financial strategies.

What is Erika Kullberg’s Mastering YouTube for the Busy Professional?

Erika Kullberg’s Mastering YouTube for the Busy Professional is a course that teaches you how to create a profitable YouTube channel. The training is based on Erika’s experience in growing her YouTube channel from zero to over $100,000 in revenue in under a year while working full-time. You will get lifetime access to the 15-module curriculum which tackles the 3-phase process.

Bonuses include content from successful YouTuber Nate O’Brien, checklists, templates, and access to the private community for networking and support. You also get a 3 months subscription to TubeBuddy Legend, the 1.5-hour TikTok workshop, and a 2-hour video editing tutorial. Mastering YouTube for the Busy Professional costs $497 and comes with a 14-day refund guarantee.

Mastering YouTube for the Busy Professional Modules

  • Module 1: Getting Started: This module introduces you to the basics of YouTube, including Erika’s journey to earning over $100,000 in a year. It covers the importance of goal setting, finding your niche, and understanding the factors that influence your earnings on YouTube.
  • Module 2: The Set Up for Success: This module focuses on setting up your YouTube channel correctly. It highlights the significance of branding, posting schedules, content planning, and analyzing your competition. It also provides a 10-step checklist for preparing videos and a template to plan content for the first three months.
  • Module 3: Phase 1 - Planning a Video: Learn essential techniques for planning videos, such as keyword research, creating engaging titles and thumbnails, and scripting. This module includes tips for planning viral content and maximizing viewer engagement.
  • Module 4: Phase 1 - Planning a Video (Time Savers): This module offers timesaving strategies for creating video thumbnails, organizing the video production process, and outsourcing tasks like thumbnail creation.
  • Module 5: Phase 2 - Recording and Equipment: Explore the different levels of recording setups, from budget to professional. Learn tricks to make any setup look professional. This module also covers the best cost-effective quality equipment.
  • Module 6: Phase 2 - Recording and Equipment (Time Savers): Discover how to streamline your recording process with tips on reducing recording time and organizing your workflow efficiently.
  • Module 7: Phase 3 - Editing and Uploading: This module covers the editing process, including where to find music, images, and graphics. It provides secrets for quick editing and a step-by-step guide for uploading videos effectively.
  • Module 8: Phase 3 - Editing and Uploading (Time Savers): Learn whether to edit videos yourself or hire an editor. This module offers a guide to outsourcing editing, including how to hire and work with video editors efficiently.
  • Module 9: Getting Subscribers (0 to 1,000): This module provides 11 strategies to gain your first 1,000 subscribers. You will learn the importance of a channel trailer and techniques to build a community and promote your channel outside YouTube.
  • Module 10: Getting Views: Understand the types of videos that attract views, how to create viral content, and optimize videos for the YouTube algorithm. This module also covers analytics, press outreach, and email pitch templates.
  • Module 11: Saving Time (YouTube for People Who Don’t Have Time for YouTube: Learn about automation tools, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and techniques to handle online trolls efficiently.
  • Module 12: Advanced - Making Money from YouTube: This module explains various income streams, including the YouTube Partner Program, affiliate marketing, and sponsored videos. It provides negotiation tips, lists of potential affiliate programs and sponsors, and pricing guidelines for sponsored content.
  • Module 13: Advanced - YouTube to Grow Your Business: Discover how to use YouTube to generate leads, create effective video scripts, and convert viewers into customers. This module emphasizes building credibility and authority through YouTube.
  • Module 14: Legal Aspects of YouTube: Gain insights into complying with FTC regulations, avoiding copyright issues, and protecting your online business. This module includes templates and legal advice tailored for YouTubers.
  • Module 15: Final Tips: Erika shares key mistakes to avoid, the reasons behind her success on YouTube, and her motto of treating YouTube as both a hobby and a business. This module offers practical advice for sustaining long-term success on the platform.

What are the Top Passive Income Streams While Working Full-Time?

The top passive income streams while working full-time are:

  • Local lead generation
  • Stocks
  • YouTube Automation
  • Crypto
  • Real estate

Selecting the best income stream while working full-time will depend on your capabilities and goals. Each of these requires different knowledge and skill sets. You also have to take into consideration the risks and requirements in both time and capital.

What are Some Passive Income Courses Available Online?

  • Infinity Investing by Toby Mathis Esq teaches individuals how to build long-term wealth through passive income from stocks, real estate, and business ownership. The course focuses on cash flow over speculation, showing students how to earn consistent income through dividends, rental properties, and tax-efficient investing.
  • Passive Income Geek by Morten Storgaard focuses on creating niche websites that earn money from ads and affiliate marketing. The program focuses on creating content-driven websites that rank on Google and generate recurring income from organic traffic.
  • Passive Income Pathways by Sadie Smiley helps individuals, especially women and stay-at-home entrepreneurs, create multiple passive income streams online through digital products, blogging, and print-on-demand. The program emphasizes authenticity and mental wellness alongside financial growth.

Final Verdict: Is Erika Kullberg Worth Learning From?

Erika Kullberg is worth learning from if you’re a beginner or working professional looking to achieve financial freedom through practical, actionable strategies. Her background as a lawyer and entrepreneur gives her teachings real-world credibility, and her courses simplify complex topics like budgeting, investing, and YouTube monetization into easy-to-follow steps.

If you’re ready to put in the effort and want guidance from someone who has built multiple income streams, from YouTube to legal tech, then yes, her approach can work. However, for those seeking truly passive income or a model that doesn’t depend on algorithms, social presence, or constant content creation, her methods can feel time-intensive and require consistent effort to scale.

If you’re a beginner or someone wanting a lower-risk model that compounds without ongoing work, consider local lead generation, where ranked websites create consistent, hands-off income from local business leads.

Is Local Lead Generation More Profitable Than Other Passive Income Models?

In my experience, local lead generation is more profitable than other passive income models because it scales horizontally where each new site becomes another rent-producing asset like Walter White in Breaking Bad. He didn’t get rich cooking one batch. He got rich replicating the process in multiple labs. With local lead gen, margins are 80%-95% because there’s no inventory, shipping, or ad spend. It’s a biz model where control, compounding, and true semi-passivity actually intersect. Let’s compare the top 5 money-making models vs local lead generation.

  • YouTube Ad & Sponsorship Revenue: Ad revenue depends on algorithms, watch time, and constant content churn. The CPMs fluctuate wildly, and missing uploads tanks your reach overnight. You’re effectively working for YouTube’s platform rules, not building an asset you control. In contrast, lead gen sites stay ranked and keep earning even if you stop posting.
  • Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate links are middleman income. You drive traffic, but someone else owns the product and payout terms. One policy update or commission cut can wipe out your revenue stream. You have zero leverage because you don’t own the customer relationship. In lead gen, you own the site, the rankings, and the leads, and your partners depend on you.
  • Productized Services: They sound scalable, but fulfillment, revisions, and customer churn make it another operations-heavy business. Each order resets your workload. You’re trapped in delivery cycles just to maintain revenue. Lead gen flips the equation: once a site ranks, the same traffic sells 24/7 with no extra labor.
  • Online Course Creation: Courses sound passive but require constant marketing, refund management, and reputation defense. You have to build an audience, run ads, and handle customer service. None of which are hands-off. One bad review or platform policy change can pull down your conversions. Lead gen doesn’t depend on popularity or social proof, just ranking and local demand.
  • Dividend Investing: You need hundreds of thousands of dollars to make meaningful passive income ($200K for $500 per month at a 3% yield). That’s slow compounding, not freedom. You’re exposed to market volatility and inflation eroding real returns. A $500 lead gen site can produce that same monthly cash flow at a fraction of the cost.

Why Local Lead Generation is the Best Passive Income Business

Local lead generation is the best passive income business because it offers low risk, high scalability, and stable recurring income by owning digital assets that generate leads for local businesses with minimal ongoing effort. For instance, my lead gen site Garden Grove Elite Roofing 14096 Brookhurst Street Garden Grove, California 92843 714-699-9737 https://www.gardengroveeliteroofing.com/ brought in 21 new leads just last month to my client’s business. I drove $58,680 in revenue, which paid me $2,934 for a 5% commission even without the daily grind of posting, stock analysis, or digital marketing.

A local lead generation business is also highly scalable. You simply have to repeat the rank and rent process. Once a site is ranked and rented, you can earn $500 to over $2,000 a month. A site can stay ranked on Google for years before needing an update. This means you earn completely passively. Local lead generation has the potential to be your main income stream that creates time and financial freedom.

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