🎄 Why Christmas music hits us so deeply 🎶 From “Jingle Bell Rock” to “Please Come Home for Christmas”, these songs aren’t just festive — they’re emotional time machines. They remind us of:• Family• Loss• Faith• Joy• Hope That’s why Ray Charles, Bing Crosby, and Nat King Cole still matter. They sang to the heart, not the moment. Great music — like great books — connects across generations. https://open.substack.com/pub/micksmith/p/what-songs-celebrate-christmas?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Subscribe to my LI newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-literary-cpr-playbook-7343709688632381440 👉 If you’ve been thinking about writing a book rooted in meaning, memory, or legacy, my exclusive book coaching business helps turn that idea into something real.

The 60-Minute Book Breakthrough Session Most people don’t need a year of coaching to get started—they need one hour of clarity. In this session, I help you: 📘 Clarify the strongest version of your book 🧭 Identify your core audience 🪜 Build a structure that works 🚫 Avoid the mistakes that derail first-time authors 📨 Receive a written Book Direction Summary afterward 🎯 One hour. One idea. A clear path forward. 💰 PRICING $249 – Popular Premium (includes a 7-day follow-up voice memo review) 🔥 WHAT YOU GET In 60 minutes, you will: Identify the strongest version of your book idea Shape your core message + audience Get a clear structure or chapter outline Avoid the biggest mistakes first-time authors make Receive expert feedback rooted in storytelling, expertise, and leadership Walk away with a Book Direction Summary sent to your inbox TAKEAWAY 📌 Relief of clarity. Removal of confusion. Unlocking of what you've been trying to write for years. If you want to move your book from idea to direction, this will get you there. Message me “BOOK” and I’ll send details + openings. (Limited spots.) Subscribe to my LI newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gdCiiarg

Thought Leadership Is the New Competitive Advantage — And Most Entrepreneurs Still Undervalue It. If you’ve ever wondered how to position your expertise, build authority, attract higher-quality clients, or turn your insights into a book…this is the path. I’m highlighting the course: 👉 Thought Leadership to Grow Your Business (Use code ThoughtLeadershipNOW for 10% off.) Here’s the bonus: If you take the course through my link, I will coach you exclusively as you work through it — helping you turn your insights into a: 📘 book idea 📗 full book 📚 or even a series And you’ll earn a Thought Leadership Certificate you can use as a credibility asset alongside your book. If this is the year you want to speak more clearly, write more powerfully, and grow your business through real authority, this is a smart first move. 🔗 https://www.braintrustprofessionalinstitute.com/courses/thought-leadership?affiliate=3OYlFm 💡 10% off code: ThoughtLeadershipNOW Let’s build something worthy of your expertise. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thought-leadership-grow-your-business-why-authority-still-smith-phd-lbrzc

Billie Jean: A Fictional Woman Who Felt Real Enough to Haunt the World Michael Jackson insisted Billie Jean wasn’t real — yet millions spent decades convinced she was. Why? Because the song does what great character songs do: It traps you inside a very specific fear — reputation, obsession, accusation — and makes it universal. The bassline stalks you. The tension never releases. And the character name? Quincy wanted to change it. Jackson refused. He knew the name was the spell. If you want to see how musicians turn paranoia into pop perfection, come read the full breakdown. https://micksmith.substack.com/p/immortalized-the-characters-who-live?r=e00v8 Subscribe to my LI newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-literary-cpr-playbook-7343709688632381440 Read the full post — and if you're crafting narrative tension in your book, my coaching helps you name and shape characters that stick.