Ali Kriegsman burned it all down—then self-published her debut novel. After walking away from a toxic startup and a stalled traditional book deal, Ali brought The Raise, a sharp, satirical thriller set in the girlboss world, to life on her own terms. In this episode, Danielle sits down with the author, entrepreneur, and former Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree to discuss how she built a cinematic book launch from scratch, what she learned about identity and self-worth, and why burning it all down was just the beginning.

Book Mentions:

The Raise by Ali Kriegsman

How to Build a Goddamn Empire by Ali Kriegsman

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Alan Singer

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron 

Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

No One’s Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

Ali Kriegsman’s Questions to Reinvent Her Life and Work:

• How did I want to fill my time in the next few months?
• Who did I want to become?
• What problems excited me?
• What desires had I not fulfilled?
• What skills did I want to deepen?
• What signals did I want to send the universe?
• Is there a world in which the answer supports my income in the long run?

You can explore more of her reflections on Substack →