Sometimes, the story we’re meant to write is the one we never imagined telling. For author J.K. Enfield, that story began with heartbreak—and ended with healing not just for herself, but for others, too.

In this episode of the Project Seed Money Podcast, J.K. Enfield opens up about the grief that led to her first published book, the courage it took to release it into the world, and how she’s now guiding other authors through their own post-publication vulnerability.

Jamie has always been a writer. Growing up, she packed journals in her backpack and disappeared on bike rides, ready to capture whatever ideas came her way. But it wasn’t until she lost her brother to suicide that she began writing with a new purpose: to make sense of the pain—and maybe help others in the process.

“I didn’t set out to write a book. I set out to survive grief. And somewhere along the way, I realized telling the hard stories gives other people permission to rise from their own.” — J.K. Enfield

Her first book, From VIP to RIP: A Sister’s Search for Answers Through a Misunderstood Brain, is part memoir, part resource, and fully raw. Publishing it wasn’t easy. She feared how her family would react, worried about being judged for not being a “professional,” and braced herself for criticism. But she published it anyway.

Why?

“Because my brother would’ve read this book. He needed this book. So I had to write it—even if it was just for him.”

That act of bravery has sparked something bigger. Jamie now helps authors move from writing in the shadows to speaking publicly about their work through her program Pages to Platform. She says many authors are comfortable putting their stories on paper—but freeze when it comes time to talk about them.

“Readers want to hear from you. They want to know why you wrote it, how you survived it, what inspired the characters. They want to connect with the human behind the book.”

Through one-on-one coaching, Jamie helps new authors move through fear and find the language to speak about their stories with confidence—whether they’re launching a memoir, a novel, or something in between.

At the end of the episode, she shares advice for anyone stuck in self-doubt or procrastination:

“You’re not stuck because you’re not talented. You’re stuck because you’re scared. And fear is a human emotion—it means you’re doing something brave.”

She closes with four questions for writers to ask themselves:

1. Are you afraid it won’t be perfect?
2. Are you worried no one will read it?
3. Are you unclear about your message?
4. Are you waiting for more time, energy, or permission?

And then she adds:

“You already have permission. I’m giving it to you right now.”