Ex-Meta Employee Shares How She Grew Income From $40,000 To $400,000

Sora Lee has worked with some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, from Netflix and Meta to TikTok, earning six-figure paychecks along the way. Now, at 34, the Korean-American entrepreneur has built a million-dollar career and is helping others do the same.

In 2023, Lee launched Kurated Agency, aimed at connecting Korean beauty brands with influencers and media outlets in the US. But her journey to the top didn't begin in beauty or even in tech. A graduate in economics and political science from the University of California, Berkeley, Lee started at a startup, TubeMogul, and steadily climbed the tech ladder over the next decade.

From a modest $40,000 starting salary, Lee grew her total annual compensation to nearly $400,000 by the time she exited TikTok. Alongside her full-time roles, she added to her income through public speaking and content creation - a combination that made her a millionaire in 2024, thanks to disciplined investing and strategic job moves.

Now, Lee shares her top advice for anyone looking to supercharge their career:

• Build Skills That Travel Across Industries: Lee says it's less about your college major and more about acquiring skills that adapt across roles and sectors. "Be adaptive and focus on building skills you can translate to other companies easily," she advises. In fast-evolving industries like tech, staying updated on new tools and platforms can open doors, even in areas like AI, where Lee leveraged her past experience without holding an AI-specific role.
• Treat Interviews Like Networking Opportunities: Lee likens job interviews to dating: "The more interviews you do, the more you'll learn about what excites you." She encourages job seekers to view interviews not just as tests but as opportunities to refine their goals and understand industry expectations.
• Focus on Profitable Skills, Not Just Passion: While following your passion sounds ideal, Lee warns that not every passion pays the bills. "Identify what you're good at that people will pay for," she says. The sweet spot? Skills that align with both your strengths and the market's demands.
• Be Unapologetically Yourself: Authenticity, Lee says, is a career asset. Rather than moulding yourself to fit every role, she recommends building a personal brand that showcases your unique strengths. For her, content creation not only boosted her confidence but also made her a stronger candidate at platforms like Meta and TikTok, where understanding both the technical and creator side is a plus.