“Think of Your 401(k) as Punk Rock” with Guest AJ Ayers

Kelton checks in from a van (long story) after a productive weekend spent away in a luxurious hotel thanks to the generous owner. Krisserin shares what she’s changing in her querying. Then Kelton sits down with AJ Ayers, CFP and CEO and co-founder of Brooklyn FI, author of the Substack Money Changes Everything, and author of the upcoming Creative Money from Penguin Random House. AJ walks us through her path from a 16-year-old bookstore clerk to book publishing, Bandcamp, and wealth management. She also explains how a Substack post led to a book deal without an agent, and why “go build a platform” was the advice she didn’t want to hear. Then she gets practical about money for creatives: irregular income, freelance taxes, automating even a dollar a month, and why your 401(k) might be more punk rock than you think. Plus: how AJ writes a book while running a company, why she calls work her superpower, her three books she can’t stop thinking about. **Follow AJ:** Website: ajayers.com Firm: brooklynfi.com Substack: Money Changes Everything Pre-order Creative Money at your local indie bookstore or Bookshop.org. Pub date: November 10, 2026. **Books Mentioned in this Episode:** Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez Traction by Gino Wickman Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman Conscious Spending Plan by Ramit Sethi Write to us: officialpenpalspod@gmail.com Follow us: Instagram: @penpalspod TikTok: @penpalspod YouTube: @PenPalsPod SubStack: penpalspod.substack.com Follow Krisserin and Kelton: TikTok: @krisserin, @keltonwrites Instagram: @keltonkin, @keltonwrites Kelton's Substack: Shangrilogs Krisserin's Substack: krisserin.substack.com Music by Golden Hour Oasis Studios