What do you do when someone offers you $2 million to change what your story stands for?

Mysti Cozart Smith walked away.

In this episode of The Vertical Reach Podcast, Pauline Gray sits down with the award-winning writer, producer, director, actress, and songwriter behind COZY Faith & Family Films. Mysti's path runs from nearly two decades in the Nashville music scene to the Tisch School of Film, and from 28 years in nursing to building her own studio in Texas, where she creates uplifting, family-friendly stories she is proud to put her name on.

At the heart of this conversation is Mysti's testimony of faith. She shares how she was raised in her father's small-town church, how she drifted from her faith while chasing a music career, and how rededicating her life to God became the foundation for everything she creates today. Her faith and her values are her north star: they shape which stories she tells, which deals she takes, and which ones she walks away from. Her simple gut check says it all: would my husband, my dad, and my son be proud of this?

For Mysti, reaching higher doesn't mean letting go of what grounds her. It means rising while staying rooted.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why she funds her own films instead of taking on investors
• How her faith-adjacent holiday romance Love Comes Home to Holly landed a distribution deal, and why she wrote it as a three-film franchise
• Ash & Pine, her East Texas mystery series made for the whole family to watch together
• The advice Willie Nelson gave her at 19: write what you know
• The story behind the COZY name and the father who inspired it
• Her motto: live deliberately, and never let a challenge become a defeat

Whether you're an independent filmmaker, a creator wondering if you have to compromise to get ahead, or a viewer who wants stories the whole family can enjoy, this conversation is a reminder that you can reach higher without losing who you are.

Be in the world, but don't live the drama.

Connect with Mysti Cozart Smith:
🌐 Website: https://www.cozyfaithandfamilyfilms.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mochaandtheflame
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mochaandtheflame
🎬 IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10947246/
✉️ Email: info@cozyfaithandfamilyfilms.com