You know his songs. Now meet the man behind them.
You may not recognize the name Tim Nichols. But you know his songs, and so does most of America.
For more than thirty years, Tim has been the songwriter behind some of the biggest country hits of a generation, writing for Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Keith Whitley, Dustin Lynch, and Cole Swindell. He has written more than 3,000 songs. About 300 have been recorded. Roughly 30 have been hits.
And a handful have changed people's lives.
Keynote Speaker · New York Times Bestselling Author · Grammy Award-winning Songwriter
The song that says it all
In 2004, Tim co-wrote "Live Like You Were Dying" with Craig Wiseman. Tim McGraw made it the title of his album and the first single. It stayed at number one for ten weeks. It won Song of the Year at both the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards, and it took home a Grammy for Best Country Song.
It remains the only song to win every major country award presented for songwriting.
Picture: Tim Nichols (right) and co-writer Craig Wiseman (left) accepting a CMA Award for "Live Like You Were Dying."
A career built in the room
In 2017, Tim was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is a New York Times bestselling author. He has written alongside legends, from a brand-new artist working on his first single to Burt Bacharach at the piano in his living room.
That range taught Tim something most people never get to see up close: how creativity actually happens. Not in theory. In the room, with real people, under real pressure, when the clock is running and the song has to get written.
Today Tim is still writing hits for some of country music's biggest stars. And he is taking what four decades on Music Row taught him to stages across the country.
Why teams book Tim
Tim doesn't give a music lecture. He gives your people a way to work.
His keynote, "You Belong in the Room," is built on one hard-won truth: before a team can create anything great, every person in it has to believe they belong there. When they do, the best ideas come out of the back pocket and onto the table. When they don't, those ideas sit in a box in the garage until somebody hauls them to the dump.
The music is the proof. The lesson is one your team can use Monday morning.
Moving, genuinely funny, and backed by live performance, Tim's keynote sends audiences out believing they belong, with a framework they can actually run: the Four Rules of the Room.
Any room is better when Tim's in it.
TTim Nichols is now booking keynote engagements for corporate conferences, leadership and culture events, sales kickoffs, and association meetings. Based in Nashville, speaking nationwide.
Email tim@timnicholskeynotes.com or submit the form to invite Tim to speak at your next event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tim Nichols?
Tim Nichols is a keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and Grammy Award-winning Nashville songwriter. Over a career spanning more than thirty years, he has written for Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Jo Dee Messina, Keith Whitley, Dustin Lynch, and Cole Swindell. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. Today he brings four decades of lessons from the most collaborative business on earth to stages across the country.
What does Tim speak about?
Tim speaks about collaboration, belonging, and creativity. His keynote, "You Belong in the Room," shows teams how to build the conditions that produce great work, drawn from how Nashville hit songwriters actually create together. The core idea is simple: before a team can create anything great, every person in it has to believe they belong there.
What is the "You Belong in the Room" keynote?
It's Tim's signature keynote on what it takes for any team, anywhere, to collaborate and create at their best. Audiences leave with the Four Rules of the Room, an easy-to-remember framework they can apply to writing rooms, meeting rooms, boardrooms, and beyond. It's moving, it's genuinely funny, and it's backed by live music.
Is there live music in the keynote?
Yes. Tim performs live during the keynote, including the story and song behind "Live Like You Were Dying." The music isn't a separate performance. It's the proof behind the framework, showing collaboration in action.
What kinds of events is Tim right for?
Corporate conferences, leadership and culture events, sales kickoffs, and association and industry meetings. Tim is based in Nashville and speaks nationwide. The keynote works equally well as an opening keynote to set the tone or a closing keynote to send people out inspired and ready to act.
Did Tim really write "Live Like You Were Dying"?
Yes. Tim co-wrote it with Craig Wiseman in 2004. Tim McGraw recorded it as the title track and first single of his album. It stayed at number one for ten weeks, won Song of the Year at both the ACM and CMA Awards, and won a Grammy for Best Country Song. It remains the only song to win every major country award presented for songwriting.
How do we book Tim?
Email tim@timnicholskeynotes.com with your event date and details, or submit the booking form on this page to check Tim's availability.