Erickson was born and raised in
New Jersey. Her father worked as a Lutheran minister. She graduated from Smith College in 1980 and afterwards worked for the Community Service Society of New York and then for the Department of Employment for New York City. Between 1994 and 2005, Erickson was the Executive Director of
City Harvest (an emergency food program in New York City), during which time the budget of the non-profit increased by five times. After her work in New York City, Erickson became a career coach and author, running the company My Right Fit Job. ==Recognition==