The Time Freedom Podcast

AJ Harper Built Her Dream Life Around Authorship

Episode Summary

Today on the podcast, Brian and Kirby welcome AJ Harper. AJ, early 50s and married with one adult child, splits her time between New York City and Madeleine Island, Wisconsin. She's a book coach, collaborative writer, and author of Write a Must-Read. In this episode… AJ shares how she escaped ghostwriting burnout and designed a life around seasonal living, spending summers on a Lake Superior island where she hosts author retreats that fund the whole operation. She and Brian dig into the craft of writing, why believing your creativity can sustain you is everything, and what it really takes to transition into authorship later in life.

Episode Notes

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. You can design your work around your ideal life. AJ built a studio that funds her dream lake home.
2. Thinking in "seasons" beats rigid daily time blocks. Intense work periods are sustainable when you know they'll end.
3. Writing is a learnable craft, not just a natural talent. Commitment to learning matters more than innate ability.
4. The mindset "my art will sustain me" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Limiting beliefs about creative work hold people back.
5. If you want to become an author, start by reading, and get honest about what level of success you actually want.

Chapters: 

• 0:00 – Introduction + Why Sustainable Authorship Matters
• 3:05 – AJ Harper’s Time Freedom Journey
• 8:11 – Inside the Publishing World: From Insider to Strategist
• 12:58 – Taking Risks & Choosing the Entrepreneurial Path
• 15:06 – Seasonal Living: New York & Madeleine Island
• 20:27 – Designing a Flexible, Intentional Life
• 24:59 – Transitioning Fully Into Authorship
• 29:52 – Craft, Mindset & the Making of a Sustainable Writer
• 43:14 – Building a Body of Work (Not Just One Book)
• 47:34 – Creative Freedom + Where to Find AJ

AJ HARPER

AJ Harper is an author, book coach, and collaborative writer behind multiple bestselling books, including her work with Mike Michalowicz on Profit First and the upcoming The Money Habit. She's the author of Write a Must-Read and creator of the Top Three Book Workshop, where she helps authors write books that actually deliver on their promise. AJ is also co-host of the Don't Write That Book podcast.

You can connect with AJ at ajharper.com