What determines the person you’re becoming and the life you live? I know that we all have bad days, but it took me exactly that to realize that for things to change, I have to change, and for me to change, I have to rewrite the stories I tell myself.
In 2012, I moved to the States from Russia with hopes and dreams. Russia, with all its vastness, was too small and constricting. I was not myself—I wanted freedom.
I was anxious, but I felt at home from the moment I landed. Maybe it’s because I had nothing to lose. Maybe, I was always meant to live in the U.S. Maybe it was something else. But I believe that we are always in the right place at the right time. Otherwise, we’d be somewhere else. It’s my truth. It’s not universal, but it’s mine.
With $500 in my pocket and two suitcases, I moved to New York for graduate school. Was my English good? Not even close. A year before that, I gave my all to learn it because I needed to pass my exams.
When I first arrived in the U.S., I worked as a housekeeper in a small hotel as part of my exchange program. It taught me humility. Back in Russia, I was working at a bank, but I had to adjust and engage with my new life. Although I had no money, I believed in kindness, and that if I do something for people without asking for anything in return, I will be blessed in return, and that’s exactly what happened.
When I moved to the U.S., I called one person I knew—we met during my exchange program randomly on the streets of New York. She opened her doors for me. I promised that one day I would pay her back. I did.
I lived with her family in Queens, which became my foundation. My room was a converted kitchen space. Instead of a dining table, there was a wall between us. It became my home for the next few years—I was grateful.
It wasn’t my first time migrating. When I moved from a small town in Russia to Moscow, I had a similar experience. I had no money and shared a room with another person for years—for the first two, we slept on the same couch. But I was still inspired by the future.
After a few years in New York, I worked my way up in the finance field and decided to switch careers to public relations. It was a painful and pivotal moment for me. I began to live, which for me, was a constant flow of rediscovering who I am.
Karina Barton (L & R) is a leading strategic communications and crisis management advisor. She tells Newsweek about coming to the U.S. to fulfill her dreams with only $500 to her name and two suitcases…. Karina Barton (L & R) is a leading strategic communications and crisis management advisor. She tells Newsweek about coming to the U.S. to fulfill her dreams with only $500 to her name and two suitcases. More Karina Barton
Due to hard work and dreaming big, I became a world-renowned strategic communications and crisis Management expert, and the CEO of a strategic advisory firm to global leaders, organizations and people of impact.
In hindsight, it’s funny that I write for all these well-known CEOs, prepare them for media interviews, and tell them what to say and not say. Changing the narrative is simple, but not easy. You’ll have to go through resistance, a lot of it, but remember, it shows you that you’re evolving as a person and that’s the goal.
You can’t control many things, but you can control your mindset, your reaction, and your actions.
In one instance, I remember working with Elon Musk on X acquisition. I received a call on a Saturday morning from a partner at the firm I worked for at the time, saying that they had a client for me, a very challenging one, and I’d need to work the entire weekend. The announcement was on Monday. I was excited and curious.
You’d expect a billionaire like Elon Musk to relax and let others run his course for him. But no, he did exactly what everyone minus material wealth of this extent would do. He stayed up late and was intensely working and taking calls. He changed his entire business strategy on Sunday night, although the announcement was on Monday. He was involved in everything.
When he said,
I Came to the US With $500 to My Name. Now, I Advise CEOs Like Elon Musk
