Svetlana Kim CFP

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Svetlana Kim Quick Facts

Main Areas:Stress Reduction, Productivity, Intuition, and Meditation
Best Sellers:Consultant, Speaker, Author
Career Focus:Speaker, Consultant, Author
Affiliation:Pacific Coast Immigration Museum, Library of Congress, NAAAP, NAAAW, Areva

Svetlana Kim, International Speaker, Spokesperson for the 2011 Macy's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Bestselling Author, Counselor, and Community Advocate.

Svetlana Kim is the author of White Pearl and I: A Memoir of a Political Refugee , which chronicles her journey from Russia to the United States, where she arrived with only one dollar in her pocket and not a single word of English at her disposal; today, she is a leader among her peers in the business world, and has been honored with numerous awards citing her commitment, skill, and integrity.

Svetlana Kim's remarkable story opens in Leningrad, Russia, on a frigid winter afternoon. Standing in the bread line for the third day in a row, she listens as her neighbors discuss the impending fall of the Berlin Wall. Life as a student in a crumbling country offered few possibilities for the ambitious young woman, so when a former classmate offers her a plane ticket to the US., she jumps at the opportunity.

She arrives in New York speaking no English, with only a dollar in her pocket. With the help of a good Samaritan, she travels by bus to California, hoping to connect with an acquaintance from home. Yet when she mistakenly disembarks in San Francisco instead of Sacramento, she finds herself penniless and alone. What unfolds is a miraculous story of survival as Svetlana encounters kind strangers while she struggles to cobble together a meager existence working as a cleaning lady. Determined to succeed, she lands a job selling cosmetics. Within a few years, her hard work carries her up the corporate ladder. She earns American citizenship after living ten years as a political refugee, and gains the opportunity to become a stockbroker. In her career as a stockbroker Svetlana is introduced into the realm of powerful businesswomen and politicians.

Through it all, when her nerve threatens to fail her, she returns to memories of her grandmother, White Pearl, whose parents immigrated to Russia from Korea. As a girl, White Pearl was among 200,000 Soviet Koreans deported to central Asia by Joseph Stalin, who feared they would spy on behalf of the Japanese. Svetlana reflects often on her grandmother's tales of that hard time, drawing on the strength of her beloved babushka to enable her to make the very best of her own life. White Pearl and I is a modern and uplifting account of Svetlana's tireless search for the American dream.

Svetlana Kim LLC features workshops and seminars to help your organization achieve the ultimate results. A signature training and personalized system developed by Svetlana Kim, assisting individuals and teams in achieving stellar results by enhancing performance, reducing stress, driving innovation and creativity, and expanding vision. Her specialties include Stress Reduction, Overcoming Fears and Phobias, Sleep Disorder, and Mood Disorder. Learn how to lead and position yourself, build productive companies, and result-driven teams in this rapidly changing global marketplace. Deliver maximum results under any circumstances.

Svetlana believes that productivity and happiness has a high correlation. The happier you are, the more productive you are.

National Association of Professional Asian American Women (NAPAW) honors Ms. Kim for her tremendous accomplishments and outstanding contributions to the community with the 2012 Asian American Women of High Achievements Award at the 20th National Training and Small Business Conference at U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

For more than a century, Asians have overcome obstacles to make significant contributions in the United States. Their contributions have added tremendously to the success and prosperity of America. The National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) is a leadership development organization that provides a broad range of professional and educational services. Svetlana Kim is a recipient of the NAAAP 100 Award.

In February 2010, Orphan International Worldwide honored her with its Global Citizenship A ward for her work towards saving the lives of children in Haiti.

Kim's stellar leadership, ethical business practices, and community service was recognized when the Euro-American Women's Council bestowed her with the Goddess Artemis Award. The EAWC brings together women of diverse backgrounds and accomplishments to work together toward the advancement of women's access to positions of leadership and to pave the way for the next generation of women business leaders.

In 2009, the International Leadership Foundation paid tribute to Kim with its Leadership Award, selecting her from among a group of potential honorees including congress members, presidential cabinet secretaries, and other high-ranking officials.

In 2008, Kim became an Asian Academy Hall of Fame inductee. She shares this acclaimed honor with Norman Mineta, the former Secretary of Transportation, and with the nation's 24th Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao.

Having left the communist world behind, Kim has fully embraced the freedoms of the American political and social system, and has actively been involved in the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; the Hillary for President presidential campaign; the Women's Campaign Forum; the Women's National Democratic Club; AARP Women's Leadership Circle; and Calvary Women's Services. She has held committee or officer positions with the Junior League of Washington, D.C.; the Asian Leaders Association of the Asian Academy Hall of Fame; the National Press Club (authors' committee); Capital Speakers Club; and the Asian American Justice Center.

Kim has been featured and profiled in The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, MSN Money, MSNBC, Women's Life magazine in Seoul, Korea; the Asian Fortune ; Networking Times ; NASDAQ's Closing Bell ; and The Gazette , a publication of the Library of Congress.

Kim shares her business acumen and managerial experience by serving on several boards of directors, including: the Asian Division Friends Society of the Library of Congress (Board Vice President, 2007 – present); the Global Advisory Board of the Euro-American Women's Council (2007-present); the National Council of Asian American Business Associations (East Coast president, 2009 – present); Pacific Coast Immigration Museum (Board member, 2009-present); and Korean American Women's Chamber of Commerce (Board member, 2009-present); National Association of Professional Asian American Women (Board of Directors, 2012-2013). She also serves as a steering committee member of the Global Coalition for Korean reconciliation.

Committed to giving back to her local and worldwide community, Kim has donated over 180 hours in eighteen months to the Calvary Women's Services in Chinatown in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she volunteers at the Office of Presidential Correspondence in the White House. F. Michael Kelleher, Special Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence wrote about Svetlana Kim: "Your time and conscientious attention to every American who contacts our President is inspiring. Thank you for your hard work and your commitment to our office, to our President, and to our Nation."

Svetlana Kim's passion for helping young Asians achieve their own American dreams fuels her daily work and volunteerism. Svetlana resides in Washington, D.C.

Svetlana Kim Books

White Pearl and I: A Memoir of a Political Refugee

Other Programs & Highlights

Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Svetlana Kim

Svetlana's Endorsements

"This institution of the Presidency is larger than any one person, and I am proud of the staff and volunteers for all the hard work you have put in as a volunteer at the White House."

-President Barack Obama

"Congratulations on releasing your recent memoir; you have my best wishes for a successful publication. Please know I remain grateful for your commitment to community service and businesswomen's mentorship. It is my hope you will continue to stay involved in your community and look forward for every opportunity to help fellow women business leaders find their way to success."

-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

“It requires more than soaring prosewriting to produce a wonder such as White Pearl and I. Svetlana Kim and her book are one and the same. The passion, willpower, resilience, humor and abiding faith expressed on the pages are the same qualities found in Ms. Kim. Here is a book to remind us all of the powerful call of America across the oceans and to be better people and not take all that we have for granted. I’m a better person because of fellow writer Svetlana Kim.”

— Ron Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the critically acclaimed Mark Twain: A Life. With James Bradley, he co-wrote the 2000 #1 New York Times Bestseller Flags of Our Fathers

In writing his memoir Last Compass, late Senator Ted Kennedy collaborated with Ron Powers.

“Asian-Pacific Americans have had a tremendous impact on our nation and we are proud to celebrate these achievements with our Asian-Pacific American Heritage month events nationwide,” said Corliss Fong, Macy’s vice-president of Diversity Strategies. “We are also thrilled to welcome back author, entrepreneur and community leader, Svetlana Kim to Macy’s, as she helps us empower our valued guests with her stories of success and achievement.”

-Corliss Fong, Vice President of Diversity Strategies, MACY'S

"Your rags-to-riches story is inspiring. I really enjoyed your speech and your sharing of yourself to the Asian professional community."

- David Lum, Director, Asia/Pacific Regulatory, Product & Support OperationsMotorola Solutions, Inc.

"Your speech was inspiring and a true American success story. Congratulations on being one of the 100 NAAAP Honorees!"

-Ronald W. Chang, Vice President, Global Head of Mergers&Acquisitions, UPS

"Your story of coming to America with a dollar in your pocket is so sad – but with your tenacity and perseverance, you’ve accomplished so much for which I have the greatest respect."

-Sachi Koto, former anchor for CNN Headline News

“A political refugee who escaped communism and came to America with just a dollar in her pocket and not a word of English in her vocabulary, Svetlana Kim will take away your excuse for not making the most of your potential. Follow her basic roadmap; the willingness to give of yourself and focus on providing value to others, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by friends who love you and a huge increase in income.”

-Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver

“This passionate saga of one woman’s journey to find freedom illuminates the deepest good in the human soul. Svetlana Kim’s unlikely path takes her from Leningrad to Wall Street and beyond, reminding us that pursuing our dreams remains our most powerful path to success.”

— Sarah Miller Caldicott, great grandniece of Thomas Edison, co-author, Innovate Like Edison: The Five-Step System to Breakthrough Business Success

“Enlightening and entertaining...All at the same time! Svetlana writes with vivid emotion, humor, and hard-hitting and uplifting messages. White Pearl and I is a story of love, perseverance, persistence, and happiness as well as meaning and a sense of purpose.”

— Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, American Tae Kwon Doe Founding Father, and Martial Arts Instructor for Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali

“Profound. Provocative. Moving. Prepare to be inspired as you read this page-turning story that showcases what can happen when you face life with initiative, determination and, above all, a commitment to excel and serve others. Read it and reap.”

— Sam Horn, author of Tongue Fu! and POP! Create the Perfect Pitch, Title and Tagline for Anything

“An extraordinary personal account about an unknown history of people displaced by the great political events of the twentieth century. Svetlana Kim’s White Pearl and I is a true human drama which adds greatly to our understanding of the legacy of forced migration and cultural birth.”

— Y. David Chung, film director, and co-producer of Koryo Saram: The Unreliable People, winner Best Documentary National Film Board of Canada

“Told with honest simplicity and delightfully innocent humor, the plot of White Pearl reads a bit like a fairy tale. There is a sort of ogre, a few white knights and fairy godmothers, as well as a heroine who, armed with little more than great courage, good luck and a protective aura from her ancestors, triumphs. But this ogre, these knights and magic-makers, and, most of all, this heroine surpass their fictional counterparts because they are real. All of it actually happened, which not only makes the author, Svetlana Kim, worth reading, but also worth knowing.

“And like the wondrous fairy tales we were fed as children, this one, too, has a deeper meaning. It is not only an amazing memoir about a penniless Korean-Russian immigrant making her way in America, it is also a testament to what is great and noble about this country. It shows us at our best—a place and a people willing to embrace and empower someone who works hard to educate herself, find meaning for herself and take advantage of the opportunities offered her. And for me, that’s a whole lot better than happily ever after.”

— Simon T. Bailey, author of Release Your Brilliance

“The book is inspiring and interesting as an historical document as well as an autobiography. We have read many immigrant stories coming from Europe but never one from the Soviet Union and never from a Korean perspective. Kim’s strength—and, at the same time, her sentimental attachment to her grandmother’s memory—is a reminder of the need of family support and identity. It should be very meaningful to all the Korean refugees as well as for all of us building a new identity in our new country.”

— Philanthropist Eva Haller, with Oprah Winfrey, on the Schools Initiative and Free the Children