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Welcome to that in-between liminal week and a half between Christmas and New Year's. Every so often we get lucky and score two weekends during this stretch, and this year is one of them.

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Despite the commercialization, this period is a rare cultural pause. A collective breath, if you will. For me, it's a time to live unarmored and to make peace with peace.

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During her visit to New York City, my (sweetheart!!!) niece Nylah asked if I could help with a school project on social media and influence.

(She thinks I'm an actual influencer, haha.)

We braved the winter weather and did an interview while walking towards the Museum of Natural History.

I always tell people that if you want to explain what you do, try explaining it like you're talking to a kid. Well, this is my attempt!

I could have explained it to her in way more complex terms and she would have understood me – she's a smart cookie. She asked me some pretty deep questions! But you get what I mean.

Reflecting on our interview, I realized it's really important to have these kinds of conversations with kids. I share some life skills I think will be really important for Nylah, as well as recommended books, the reality behind what people see online, and the pitfalls and opportunities social media affords.

If you're interested in the books that shaped me as a communicator and marketer, here are the originals I studied:

• Ogilvy on Advertising - David Ogilvy
• The Boron Letters - Gary Halbert
• Advertising Headlines that Make You Rich - David Garfinkle
• Influence - Robert Cialdini
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries & Jack Trout
• Great Leads - Michael Masterson & John Forde
• Tested Advertising Methods - John Caples

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Content marketing is dead. "How-to" isn't a differentiator anymore—AI can do that better than any of us. What actually cuts through now is the messenger, not the message.

In this video, I break down why the shift from "How-to" to "How I…" content matters, how connection beats conversion, and why wisdom earned through lived experience is the real currency in a post-AI world.

People don't buy from experts—they buy from humans they believe.

If you're tired of chasing trends and fighting for attention, this is the path forward: share your wisdom, not just your knowledge.

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I played (too many) videogames in college and often sank a lot of time into "character creation" – where you get to pick what kind of character you'll build for the game. Game developers knew players would obsess over getting it "right," so they built in something called a respec — a way to wipe your build, reassign your points, and start fresh without losing your progress.

Turns out, businessa and life can work the same way. Today, I share how I've been re-specing my own habits, business, and direction. You might be overdue for a reset yourself.

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I used to think gratitude was an obligation—something church kids did while passing an offering plate or something people talked about every Thanksgiving. But four years with The Five Minute Journal did something I never expected: it made me a grateful person instead of someone trying to feel grateful.

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In this episode I break down the hidden season high achievers avoid: the quiet "wintering" phase where you subtract, repair, and redirect your energy to what actually matters.

I share how cutting $25k/month in retainers, drinking 70% less, and reclaiming 80+ hours a month reshaped my life, creativity, and identity. If you're feeling the pull to shed old leaves and grow deeper roots, this one's for you.

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Last week, I hosted a live presentation called "From Expert to Author: The Strategic Blueprint for Writing a Book That Builds Your Business." While writing a book has always been a good idea for experts, I believe it's a non-negotiable in today's world. This is a long presentation, but I believe there's a lot you can learn from it. Check out the timestamps below for the different sections.

If you're interested in working with me in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026, go to mikekim.com/writeyourbook

• 02:44 The Role of a Book in Your Business
• 08:15 AI Has Shifted How Experts are Perceived
• 18:54 Crafting a Strong Book Proposal
• 24:26 Platform Audit and Marketing Strategy
• 30:05 Comparable Titles and Differentiation
• 35:35 Leveraging AI for Writing and Proofreading
• 39:36 Building Demand While Writing Your Book
• 49:21 Ways to Work Together and Final Q&A

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This week's episode is a bit shorter because I'm preparing for a live training later this week on How to Write and Market a Bestselling Book (register below).

My thoughts for this week: Just because the work is quiet doesn't mean it's not important. This really just boils down to a fight we all face: foundational vs. frantic.

Just like the autumn season here in the Northeast U.S. has a purpose, it's vital to define the purpose of the season you're in. You define it. Take agency over it.

My definition for Q4: depth of execution, not volume of activity. You might be in a different season. Good. All I'm saying is: define it.

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In this behind-the-scenes breakdown, I share the real numbers and lessons from You Are the Brand: how large my email list grew, how the book hit the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists, and how I turned one book into $250K+ in coaching and certification offers.

You'll hear what it actually takes to hit those lists, what "writing a good book" really requires, and how the process itself rewires your identity and business from the inside out.

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Read this episode: mikekim.com/economy-of-meaning

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What if the next great economy isn't about money, content, or attention, but meaning? In this conversation, I unpack every major shift we've lived through—the Industrial, Knowledge, Digital, Creator, and Attention Economies—and why the next frontier for personal brands is the Economy of Meaning.

It's a wake-up call for entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators to stop chasing optimization and start embodying integration: to share stories that cost them something, lead with honesty, and build brands that matter because they mean something. I believe this is where personal branding is going in the age of AI.

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