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If Disney adults were to have their own Magic Kingdom, AJ Wolfe would be their queen. Back in 2009, Wolfe launched the Disney Food Blog, a site focused on reviewing the theme parks’ snacks and meals, while working as a grant writer. This was before the influencer era, when Disney didn’t publish restaurant menus online and many visitors would book months in advance without knowing what they would eat at the parks. In the years since, Wolfe has expanded the blog into a content empire, managing 50 employees who cover every new merch drop (like the new Lilo and Stitch popcorn bucket) and snack item (such as thisS’mores Cake at the Magic Kingdom) across multiple platforms with millions of followers. She’s turned her obsession with Disney and travel into a lucrative career path: “I’m always thinking, How can I make other people’s lives better, and how can I do that in a new way they’ve never seen before?” she says.

She also has a new book, Disney Adults: Exploring (and Falling in Love With) a Magical Subculture, hitting shelves on August 5. It’s an in-depth exploration of one of the internet’s most reviled fandoms that explains just how the multibillion-dollar conglomerate has managed to build such a devoted following, and why fans from all over the globe spend tens of thousands of dollars to return to its theme parks over and over. Wolfe lives in Dallas with her husband and 11-year-old son; here’s how she gets it done.

On her typical workday: 
When my kid’s in school, I get up at 6 a.m. I am usually in meetings all day from nine to five, and then after five is when I actually get to do my work. During the day, I’m managing people and relationships and contacts. From five on is when I get to do the creative stuff, like figuring out: What’s the new trend that’s about to take over? How are we going to restructure this particular part of the company? How will we connect with this partner? And then I’m basically working until 1 a.m.

On how her job has changed over time: 
Right when I first started, it was me covering everything. I was at the parks twice a month, going to every single booth, buying every single food item. Now, I’ve hired a team who is in the parks every day. So when I’m there, which is about every four months, I’m going to meetings and managing partnerships and relationships from nine to five. After that, I’m trying not just food, but also new rides, restaurants, and tips and tricks that we’re testing out.

On managing stress as an entrepreneur: 
You don’t have a “do not disturb” button if you are running a company like this. I have high anxiety, and I am stressed all the time. Being in this business, I see it as a growth opportunity to figure out how to deal with stress and balance my life while still kicking ass. I’m an introvert, and I have to interact with people a lot in this business, which makes me uncomfortable. I’m actively trying to make myself better by doing things that make me uncomfortable.

On dealing with challenges: 
We rely on being in the Disney parks to create content, and Disneyland was shut down for over a year, while Disney World was shut down for months, during COVID. We were like, “What the hell do we talk about now?” I vividly remember sitting there talking to my team and figuring out, “Okay, what are we going to write about that’s going to be useful to people while they’re stuck at home? ‘Here’s some crafts you can do with all of the toilet paper you stockpiled,’ or ‘Here’s how you can bake Disney desserts at home’?” We got countless emails from readers and viewers and followers who were like, “Thank you so much for giving me a Disney space, even though we’re in the midst of this turmoil and upheaval.” We didn’t lay anybody off. We paid everybody, even the people whose entire job is going into the parks. We pivoted so that we could continue to add value for the people who followed us, and it was incredibly successful.

On her biggest win: 
Our company has been successful in increments. When Disney first recognized us as existing, when we first got invited to a media event, when I had a New York Times feature written about me, those were wins. I can’t point to any one thing that was pivotal, and I think that’s good advice for entrepreneurs: There may not be a big, dramatic success story. It may just be you doing things well and trying to create value for the people that follow you, and you will consistently gain.

On the responsibility of having a big audience: 
We know that as soon as we write about something, everybody might do it and it might ruin this little special thing. Back in 2009, I wrote about how I found a Coke machine that was way cheaper than any other Coke machine; I could never write that today, because Disney would give you pushback and because thousands of people would descend upon that Coke machine. Right now, we’re getting a ton of traffic for an article we wrote about a dress at Walmart that one of my team members bought, and it’s packable and really good for a Disney park. That dress is sold out on Walmart. We have a significant impact. We have a big audience, and we don’t want to write about something so that it affects cast members [Disney employees and staff] in a negative way.

On the people who help her get it done: 
I have a housekeeper who cleans my house, and she’s been with us since my kid was a baby. I have a personal assistant who helps me manage my household, who goes through and files my mail and makes sure that my HOA dues are paid and does all of that stuff. Day-to-day management of the household is not something I’ve ever been good at. I’m outsourcing my weaknesses so that I have more time to sit here and go, “Wait a minute, what’s the best Dole Whip?”

On what she’s learned as a manager: 
We’re an entirely virtual company, so we’re not in an office and we have people all over the world. I’ve had several situations where things were happening in DMs where someone was being rude to others, and I just didn’t know. No one said anything. Eventually, that person quit, and everything got better. If you as a manager are seeing that people seem like wounded animals, somebody’s doing something that’s making them feel that way, and it’s your job to go figure it out. Which I didn’t — I totally screwed up. That was a learning experience: If it feels like there’s an undercurrent of poison, go figure out what that toxicity is, and get rid of that person.

On winding down after a long day: 
I’ve been watching a lot of Travel Man, which is a British show hosted by Richard Ayoade. He takes a bunch of other comedians for a two-day trip to a different city. You will often find me consuming content that has to do with travel or history, usually British or European-based.

On the advice she wishes she’d gotten when she started out: 
Influencers want the spotlight; they want to be important. But you’re not important. What’s important is how you can affect other people and make their lives better. So start thinking about how what you think can affect other people. Do that first, and you will find success.