This 75-Year Old Woman is the Original Hustle Culture Icon

When I was 8 years old, my family took a vacation to the beach. I was walking with my Dad and brother along a shallow reef, watching the fish and sea creatures move about.

We saw a stingray and somehow I got it into my head that it started chasing me across the reef (it wasn’t — but the splashes behind me looked like it was), and I was running back to the shore screaming at the top of my lungs, absolutely terrified. I ran up to my Mum who was totally distracted and oblivious to my terror. What was she so entranced by that she couldn’t hear her own child screaming? It was a Danielle Steel book.

So I understood from an early age that Danielle Steel was a big deal. But I never knew why until I googled “who are the most prolific writers in the world?” And there she is, Danielle Steel. Number 3 on the list and still alive.

And so began my personal journey to understanding the motivations and habits of this eccentric superhuman who has published 170 books in her lifetime. She has actually made a ton of money from it too. Forbes estimates her net worth at a whopping $420M. Now in her 70’s, Danielle Steel is more prolific than ever — in fact much more than in her earlier career.

In this post I’ll share what I have learned about Danielle Steel’s life, motivations, and daily routines, that have led her to this point. There are some counter-intuitive lessons in here, things that break the generally accepted rules of productivity. Danielle is in a…