Creative Courage (Matt Essam)

If you want your creative work to have more of a positive impact on the world, but find yourself worrying if it will pay well, then this episode is for you. In this client case study, we explore how Colin grew his studio by niching down and only helping businesses that he really cared about.

In this candid and authentic conversation, Colin shares the struggles of building an agency that did more than just pay the bills. We delve into strategies around pricing, client acquisition, and project fulfilment.

Covered in this episode:

• What to do when your studio hits a business plateau.
• The power of a niche and how it allows you to cut through the noise.
• How to increase a client's budget without using salesy tactics.
• Building a value-first approach to prospecting.

LEARN MORE

Few and Far - https://www.few-far.co/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Colin Grist on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colingrist/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link - https://social.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap-few-far

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Do you ever feel stuck in your business? Like you’re trying all sorts of things, but you’re just not moving forward?

Many business owners have stories they tell themselves in an attempt to justify the challenges they’re facing, but that story often isn’t the truth. 

“I’m just not that kind of person…”

“It works for them, but could never happen for me…”

“People just won’t spend that much on…”

If any of these sound familiar, this episode is for you.

I’m joined by Dave Raybould, Head Coach at The Creative Life. Dave has been working with our clients for over six months and holds a unique perspective on what creative business owners struggle with. We dive into some of the coaching principles that are creating serious shifts and transformational results for our clients.

This is going to open up your eyes to what’s possible for you and help you to understand what’s really driving the symptoms showing up in your business.

Covered in this episode: 

• The key principles that keep people stuck in their lives and businesses.
• How to pinpoint the real causes of friction in your business.
• Recognising the behavioural patterns that are driving symptoms.
• Understanding what you truly want from your business.
• How to break through the limiting beliefs around what you’re capable of.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

Dave Raybould on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidraybould2

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Have you ever felt like you know what you need to do to take your business to the next level, but something inside is holding you back? It’s like you have one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake…

In this episode, I’m going to share a strategy that can help you break through this internal conflict and bring you closer towards landing those higher-paying clients, and saying no to the ones you know aren’t a good fit. 

It’s called ‘parts work’. It’s a type of therapy that’s been transformational for both my personal life and business. It involves understanding what parts of your subconscious brain are trying to protect you from and developing a strategy to get them working together towards achieving your goals.

Once you understand the principles behind parts work, you can resolve these internal conflicts much more quickly and feel frictionless movement in the way you approach goals and challenges.

Covered in this episode: 

• Understanding the internal conflicts that are keeping you from achieving your goals.
• Getting out of your own way so you can show up fully in your life and business.
• How to get all parts of you working together to achieve the same outcome.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle - https://amzn.eu/d/1AOW8eF

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

 

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you looking to land more corporate clients with bigger budgets? Are you tired of having optimistic sales conversations only for your prospects to come back to you with a ‘no’?

Selling to large corporates can be more complex than selling to smaller businesses, but the rewards can be far greater.

In this episode, I’m joined by James Connolly. James is a business development expert and CEO at Forward Foundry. He’s managed accounts at Microsoft and GSK and grew the UK tech unicorn Darktrace from four to thirty two people with a $22 million yearly revenue.

James shares with us the most powerful tactics that he’s developed over his ten years of business development experience. If you want to stay in control of the sales process and build better relationships with bigger clients, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• The key differences between pitching to large corporates vs. smaller prospects.
• The 3 common mistakes people make when pitching to corporates.
• Identifying who’s really making the buying decision.
• How to get prospects halfway to deciding to buy before even speaking with them.
• How to win over the whole C-suite so you can stay in control of the buying process.
• Getting prospects to take notice when reaching out on LinkedIn.
• Avoiding the scarcity mindset so you can push through the ‘no’s.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Forward Foundry - https://forwardfoundry.io/

Forward Foundry on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ForwardFoundry

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/ Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT

James Connolly on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesjconnolly/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Did you achieve your New Year’s resolutions last year? If you’re like most people, probably not, as stats show that 80% of people fail their resolutions by February.

New Year’s resolutions often set us up for failure, but if you’re looking for transformation in your life and business in 2025, there’s a better way.

In this episode, I share a strategy that you can use to give you a far better chance of reaching your goals. You’ll discover the 3-step process I use to avoid repeating past mistakes and set meaningful, achievable goals for the year ahead.

Covered in this episode:

• Why New Year's resolutions don’t work.
• What to do instead to get better results.
• Uncovering what worked and what didn’t in 2024.
• How to build on the successes and avoid repeating past mistakes.
• How to achieve more in 2025 without burning out.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT  

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

There’s a point in every creative business owner’s journey where they feel stuck. You’ve built a strong portfolio, won some awards, but something still feels missing and growth has slowed.

In this episode, I’m sharing a concept that I cover in my new book that I’m currently writing - a phenomenon that I call ‘The Talent Limit’.

After speaking with and coaching countless creative business owners over the past few years, I’ve found that a common cause of these symptoms is that they are focusing mainly on their creative skillset. But once you’ve reached the top 10% in your industry, skill alone won’t get you into the top 1%.

If attracting dream clients feels harder than ever, if you’re questioning your value, or if your business still relies too much on you, this episode will reveal the three key shifts you need to make.

Covered in this episode:

• Why being exceptional at what you do is no longer enough.
• The common mistake that keeps talented creatives stuck.
• The shift that separates the top 1% agencies from everyone else.
• The three areas you need to focus on to break through The Talent Limit.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Does your business often feel heavy? Like it’s something you have to do, rather than want to?

If this resonates with you, then listen to this episode.

I’ve decided to close down my business… for the whole month of August.

I posted about this recently on LinkedIn, and while it was mostly met with positivity, some questioned how this could be possible without having a negative impact on my business.

I would argue that taking a meaningful break from your business can actually have a hugely positive impact on it. Getting my business to the point where taking a break is possible hasn’t happened by chance. And in this episode, I break down some of a strategies you can use to help you fulfil your needs and show up better for your business and your clients.

Covered in this episode: 

• The positive impacts that taking a break can have on your business.
• How to build a business in a way that allows you to take breaks.
• Frameworks to help you understand what you and your business need.
• The negative effects of not taking a break.
• Are you getting what you want from your business, or just what you can tolerate?
• How to notice the signals that indicate a need for change in your business.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk  Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you the leader your business needs to grow? Whether you're a solo founder looking to grow into a small business, or you're an established agency looking to scale… There's 1 thing that's going to determine whether you can make that vision a reality or not—that's is your leadership skill.

In today's episode of the Creative Courage Podcast, I sit down with Dave Raybould who has spent the last decade coaching start-up founders running tech companies valued at $50 million dollars to military leaders responsible for more than 15,000 people, and we're now lucky enough to have him on our team as the head coach here at Creative Life.

In this episode, we dig down into the crucial skill that is: Leadership. You might think, "I'm just a creative; why do I need to improve my leadership skills?" You're not alone. Many creatives assume leadership is a skill reserved for the corporate world or those with "natural" talent, but here's the thing: leadership is crucial, even in the creative industry. Leadership affects everything from how you run your sales conversations and how much you can charge, to how you handle relationships with your clients and your team.

Without a strong leader, your business could be missing out on opportunities to grow and have the impact you want it to have. So, if you're looking to take that vision of your creative business from dream to reality, check out this episode.

COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

• How to recognise and develop the traits of elite performers to excel in your field.
• Why you should apply leadership skills in all areas of life, from managing small teams to negotiating with clients.
• How to effectively align resources and communicate with confidence, ensuring your vision and goals are understood and pursued by others.
• Why taking ownership and responsibility is crucial for overcoming challenges and achieving success in any endeavour.
• How to establish and manage clear agreements to foster accountability and prevent misunderstandings in professional relationships.
• Why embracing introspection and courage leads to transformative personal growth and a more impactful leadership style.
• How to adapt a solution-oriented mindset to navigate complex problems and lead your team or project to success.
• Why building and nurturing relationships through empathetic leadership can significantly enhance team performance and project outcomes.

LEARN MORE

Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT

Dave Raybould on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidraybould2/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a Custom Roadmap to Grow Your Creative Studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link: https://social.mattessam.co.uk/LR98

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What does it take to build a thriving, scalable business whilst only working with your dream clients?

After eight years in the Royal Navy, Josh Gudgeon now runs a multiple 6-figure video production agency and a top 1% podcast.

In this episode, we get under the hood of exactly how Josh runs his agency, how he’s been able to attract his ideal clients, and the 3 secrets to building a business that gives you the lifestyle you want and allows you to be yourself.

Josh is able to work on projects he’s passionate about, has scaled his business while staying true to his values, and has mastered the art of attracting high-value clients who are willing to pay premium prices. And if you want to do the same with your business, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode: 

• How to get the attention of your ideal clients.
• Finding a niche you’re obsessed with and why it matters.
• Freelancers vs. employees for an agency.
• Why price is no longer an objection to Josh.
• How to become incomparable to your competitors.
• When should you fire a client and how to get the courage to do so.
• How to deliver value to your prospects before even speaking to them.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

LEARN MORE 

Josh Gudgeon on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JoshGudgeon/ 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Josh Gudgeon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-gudgeon/ 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What would your business be like if you were getting ten new inbound enquiries each week from your ideal clients? Jason Squires has taught thousands of service-based business owners to do just that, and in this episode, he shares how.

Jason has built a multiple 7-figure business using the power of LinkedIn. He's incredibly generous with sharing his data-backed strategies that will get clients chasing you, without you having to chase them.

If you’re tired of sending countless connection requests only for them to be ignored, Jason’s automated connection process will help you get a foot in the door with more of your ideal clients.

And if the connections you do make aren’t leading to conversations, let alone sales calls, Jason’s proven follow-up process will help you to get more of the right kinds of responses.

This is one of the most valuable conversations I’ve had recently, and I know it’s going to bring you a huge amount of value, too.

Covered in this episode: 

• The common mistakes business owners make on LinkedIn.
• Exactly how to set up your LinkedIn profile to generate more inbound enquiries.
• The connection messages that you should be using to get more replies.
• How to ensure prospects are in your sales process and you’re not in their buying process.
• How to craft an irresistible, tangible offer using the language of your clients.
• Why Jason doesn’t include a message in his connection requests.
• Automating the lead generation process whilst remaining authentic.
• And so much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

Jason Squires - www.jasonsquiresonline.com

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/ 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Jason Squires on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsquires3/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

After a serious BASE jumping accident that shattered both his legs, doctors told Sebastian Bates he may never walk again.

During Seb’s 2 years of rehab, he lost 15 of his close friends, leaving him with PTSD and major survivors’ guilt.

After a journey of personal development, Seb is now the founder of Warrior Academy, the largest martial arts academy in the Middle East. Seb teaches thousands of kids worldwide while leading a team of 100. Seb has also built several other six-figure businesses and founded a charitable organisation that’s doing incredible things for disadvantaged children globally.

This is one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had in a long time. Seb shares fundamental principles of courage and resilience that are transformative for creative business owners.

If you want to overcome imposter syndrome, develop resilience, and break through the barriers holding their business back, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• How a near-fatal accident shaped Sebastian’s journey.
• Why courage is the most critical trait for success and how to get more of it.
• Practical exercises to overcome fear and replace anxiety with excitement.
• The impact of a scarcity mindset on creativity and how to break free from it.
• How to leave your comfort zone without becoming overwhelmed and burnt out.
• The biggest mistakes leading to fear-based decision-making and how to avoid them.
• The real indicators of success beyond sales figures.
• And so much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Warrior Academy - https://www.warrioracademy.co.uk/ 

The Bates Foundation - https://www.batesfamilyfoundation.org/ 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Sebastian Bates on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-bates-4b70412b/ 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, Dua Lipa. These are just some of the famous faces that Dan Kennedy has photographed.

Dan is a London-based portrait and fashion photographer who’s worked with some of the biggest names in the world and he joins us in this episode to share his insight.

Not only does Dan share some incredible stories of his experiences of working with his celebrity clients, but he also gives us a look into the way that he captures the confidence of his clients and ensures he’s able to consistently get results to be proud of, often in a very short space of time - these are busy people we’re talking about.

We speak about how, as a creative, to stay ahead of the competition. We learn about the research that goes into each job before the client has stepped through the studio door. We go into strengths and weaknesses as a creative and why it’s important to understand and communicate them. And much more.

Covered in this episode:

• How Dan Kennedy is able to take control and exude confidence in his photography sessions with famous celebrities.
• The major faux pas that Dan has learnt from to avoid losing clients’ confidence.
• The importance of resourcefulness as a creative.
• Training the creative muscle and not getting left behind.
• Knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are and capitalising on them.
• What is the future of photography where AI is concerned?

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Dan Kennedy - https://www.danielkennedy.com/

CONNECT

Dan Kennedy on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dankennedyphoto/

James Martin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dankennedyphoto

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT?si=c5205d3971864d8e

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What are your values? And I’m not talking about your brand values, I mean your personal values.

I ask because in my experience, whenever anything feels ‘off’ in my life or business, a conflict in values is usually the cause. 

This showed up for me back when I was running a remote creative agency. I was travelling the world and had the freedom I thought I wanted, but something didn’t feel quite right. It was an ‘empty’ kind of feeling. And it got me questioning why I wasn’t happy, despite living this lifestyle I’d chosen.

And if you’ve ever felt this, you’re constantly stressed or you feel like your work lacks meaning or purpose, this episode is for you.

In this episode I help you identify the symptoms you’re facing that could result from a values conflict. I share some exercises you can try that will help bring you back into alignment and get you what you really want from your life today.

Covered in this episode:

• Discovering what you really want from your life and business so that you can become more fulfilled every day.
• Exercises that you can take to help you figure out what your values are.
• Identifying the symptoms of a values mismatch.
• How to attract more people into your life who align with your values.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Sales don’t happen without people. So, why are so many creatives so adverse to building relationships?

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Priestley. Daniel is a best-selling author and entrepreneur, who launched his first company at 21 and grew it to a multi-million dollar enterprise by 25. He’s grown businesses around the world, and in this episode, he shares with us his insights on sales, gratitude, and success.

We dive deep into the skills and mindset that creative business owners need to grow their businesses. We speak about the importance of building relationships and how you can build them in a way that works for you. We get a look into Daniel’s mindset that enables him to perform as an entrepreneur and so much more.

Covered in this episode:

• Why your relationships could make or break your business success.
• How to build more relationships as an introvert.
• How to get better at selling as a creative.
• Understanding your worth and what you have to offer the world.
• Escaping a downtrodden view of the world and the impacts that your mindset has on your business.
• The concept of three mindsets: The Empire Builder, The Reptile, and The Autopilot, and how they can affect us as business owners.
• The difference between creativity and imagination and why it’s so important to understand.
• Understanding how to deliver real value that people actually need.
• How using ScoreApp can help you to collect more useful information on your leads.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Daniel Priestley - https://danielpriestley.com/

Key Person of Influence - https://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/

ScoreApp - https://www.scoreapp.com/

CONNECT

Daniel Priestley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielpriestley/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT?si=c5205d3971864d8e

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Your relationship with money could be preventing you from growing your creative business and having a bigger impact with your work.

Many creatives see money as secondary - a necessary evil that comes with doing creative work. But what if the way you think about money is actually stopping you from charging what you’re worth, growing your business, and creating the life you want?

In this episode, I speak with Catherine Morgan, a money psychology expert who spent over a decade in banking and financial planning.

Catherine is an Amazon best-selling author, host of a podcast with over half a million downloads, and someone who understands first-hand how money mindset can make or break a business.

If you’re struggling to raise your prices and feel confident about what you charge, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why so many creative business owners struggle with money.
• Why our relationship with money is so important.
• How to unlearn the money beliefs that are keeping you stuck.
• The science behind money psychology and how it impacts your business.
• What’s really stopping you from charging more.
• The "identity gap" - why seeing yourself as the business is limiting your growth
• A simple exercise to uncover your relationship with money and start changing it today.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

LEARN MORE 

Catherin’s Podcast, ‘It’s Not About The Money’ - https://catherinemorgan.com/podcast/

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Catherine Morgan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-morgan/ 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

It’s getting harder and harder for creative business owners to get new customers. Buyers are more sceptical than ever and it feels like there’s too much competition out there to stand out.

But there’s a way of cutting through the noise and attracting clients that most creatives aren’t leveraging - their personal brand.

This week, I’m joined by Freddie Pullen. Freddie is an expert in story-driven marketing and helps entrepreneurs position themselves as the go-to authority in their space. And in this episode, Freddie shares the strategies he uses with his clients to help them build a personal brand that does the selling for them.

If you want to cut your sales cycle in half, effortlessly attract high-value clients and stand out in a crowded market, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• Why it’s become so essential for creative business owners to build trust with their audience.
• How to build a personal brand even if you don’t think your story is worth telling.
• How to capitalise on LinkedIn before it’s too late.
• Telling your origin story in a way that positions you as an authority without bragging.
• Why customer acquisition is getting harder - and how to fix it for your business.
• The key to attracting top talent and opportunities.
• A powerful exercise to uncover your unique story.
• Freddie’s incredible journey that led him to leaving a prestigious corporate career track for a life of entrepreneurship.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

LEARN MORE 

The Healthy Entrepreneur-  https://thehealthyentrepreneurclub.com/ 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Freddie Pullen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddie-pullen/ 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you tired of sending out hundreds of cold outreach messages on LinkedIn only for most of them to get ignored?

If you’re like most creatives, even when you do get a response, these conversations aren’t leading to enough sales calls.

If this sounds familiar, then this episode is for you.

I’m going to share with you a step-by-step process for crafting a cold outreach message that will help you build your network and your business faster. There are 5 key elements that must be included in your communications when you reach out to a prospect. 

We’re also going to go over the 3 principles that you should keep in mind when doing any kind of cold outreach; principles that helped creatives like Kai Cheng win Bentley as a client through cold outreach.

Once you have this system in place, you’ll be able to tailor your messages in a way that builds rapport and trust, without taking up too much valuable time.

Covered in this episode: 

• The 3 often-missed principles you should keep in mind when building your cold outreach strategy.
• The 5 key elements that MUST be included in your cold outreach communications.
• How to reduce the ‘brain drain’ for your prospects and encourage them to reply.
• ‘Anchors’ that you can take from this episode and use directly in your outreach messages.
• The questions you should be asking to keep the conversation going and book more calls.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What if there was a formula for success? One that was simple to follow and easy to implement? That’s exactly what I discovered (by accident) during this interview with Kristy Campbell from Pink Pony Creative. As I was asking Kristy how she built her following to over 200K on Instagram and secured a speaking slot at Adobe Max in front of 600 people, something became obvious…

She used the exact same strategy to achieve ALL of her goals (without even realizing it). The best part is, she was open enough to share it. In this episode, we delve into so many great topics, from raising prices to hiring a team. All of which can be achieved using the strategy that Kristy shares. If you’re looking for a simple, predictable way to achieve big things this year, then this episode is a must listen.

Covered in this episode:

• The simple and easy to use formula for success.
• Public speaking and how to put yourself out there more.
• Growing a team and the challenges of hiring.
• Branding yourself and standing out from the competition.

If you enjoyed this episode please hit the subscribe button and share it with a friend.

LEARN MORE The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Pink Pony Creative - https://www.pinkponycreative.com/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link - https://social.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap-kristy-campbell

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

If sales and marketing feels unnecessary in your business, this episode is for you. Today, I’m joined by Nick, Andi, and Alex from This is Distorted, an audio branding agency that has worked with everyone from Defected Records to Dedmau5.

In this episode, we delve into the transformative shift that allowed them to fall in love with the sales process and find ways to sell high-value services without resorting to sleazy and cringeworthy tactics.

Discover how they moved away from sending traditional proposals and successfully transitioned to a value-based pricing model. This episode is a testament to the power of prioritizing people over profit and the transformation that comes with embracing change and persisting through challenges.

LEARN MORE

This is Distorted - https://www.thisisdistorted.com/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

This is Distorted on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-is-distorted-limited/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link - https://social.mattessam.co.uk/ep6-roadmap

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Wouldn’t it be nice to attract your ideal clients without having to send hundreds of proposals and spend countless hours on sales calls?

Mark Leruste joins me in this episode to share his strategies for doing just that. Mark is the king of ‘Storyselling’. His TED Talk, ‘What they don’t tell you about entrepreneurship’ has amassed over one million views, and he gets paid five-figure sums to speak for blue-chip clients like Google, Nike, and Adobe.

We have a focused conversation on exactly how you can use your story to attract your dream clients and gain the upper hand in creative pitches. 

Storytelling doesn’t come naturally to a lot of us, but the frameworks that Mark shares will allow you to plug your story into your brand and start truly connecting with your audience.

Covered in this episode:

• How to use your story to attract your dream clients.
• The 3-step framework to transform your portfolio.
• How our attraction to stories is biologically ingrained in us all.
• Why politicians tell stories over sharing figures.
• How to turn client case studies into powerful client stories.
• The 5 types of stories that you can use to connect with your audience.
• How to guarantee useful testimonials from your clients.
• Techniques for building empathy with your clients and making them feel seen.
• How stories can make sales more enjoyable for creatives who hate sales.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Mark Leruste - https://www.markleruste.com/

Storycast - https://www.storycast.co/

Mark’s TED Talk - https://youtu.be/f6nxcfbDfZo

CONNECT

Mark Leruste on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/markleruste/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT?si=c5205d3971864d8e

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What would it be like if you could grow your creative business without having to find new clients? That’s exactly what the ‘realignment process’ can do for you.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the powerful strategy I've been using with my coaching clients to raise prices and increase profits without signing any new business.

Most creative agencies rely on repeat clients, but the stream of work can be inconsistent and it makes increasing prices difficult. By using the realignment strategy, you’ll be able to consistently deliver value, position yourself as an expert (not just a worker), and strengthen your client relationships, while breaking free from legacy pricing.

If you’re not regularly realigning with your clients, relationships can easily fall out of sync. And if you’re like most creatives, most of your conversations with clients happen over email and are focused purely on projects. But if you want to unlock hidden opportunities and keep clients coming back, realignment is essential.

Covered in this episode:

• How realigning with your clients is essential to growing your creative business.
• How to pitch the idea of realignment calls to clients so that they’re excited to be involved.
• Structuring the four elements of a realignment call.
• How to deliver value that positions you as an essential partner, not just a 'nice to have'.
• Ways of getting valuable feedback and uncovering new opportunities during realignment conversations.
• Why giving away your best ideas for free can actually drive more business.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

The Realignment Process free guide - https://doc.clickup.com/9016164712/d/h/8cpfgb8-12016/d5b6344464a29c7

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Not all clients are created equal.

When I used to run my web design and marketing agency, I would work with just about any client who had the budget. But after working with them, some clients would make amazing leaps which would transform their businesses, and some got no results at all.

So, what was the difference? 

And if you can deliver the exact same service to two different clients and get paid the same, why does it matter what they do with what you’ve created for them after?

If you take on too many clients who aren’t getting the results they set out to get, I guarantee you that it’ll come back to bite you in the form of a damaged reputation, and a lack of growth.

In this episode, I’m going to share a strategy that will help you to understand exactly what kinds of clients you should be taking on. The kinds of clients that will value what you do, achieve the results they were after and ultimately elevate your brand recognition, so you can grow your business faster and take on higher paying clients.

You’ll learn how to qualify leads beyond just their budget and discover why saying no to misaligned clients (even high-paying ones) can protect your business in the long run.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why some clients thrive after you’ve worked with them and others don’t.
• Why working with the wrong clients can harm your business (even if they have a big budget).
• How to spot the attributes that determine ‘perfect fit’ clients.
• How aligning with the right clients builds your brand’s reputation in the market.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE The One Page Sales Framework - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/salesframework 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Would you believe me if I told you that with the right networking strategy, you could double your business in just 90 days?

In this episode, I break down a strategy that will make networking easier and more effective, without feeling pushy or ‘salesy’. 

But if networking events make you feel uncomfortable, you're not alone.

Networking can open doors to valuable opportunities, but the pressure to make a flawless first impression and always be “on” can feel overwhelming - especially if, like many creatives, you identify as an introvert.

It doesn’t have to be this way, though.

We’re going to take a deep dive into how to present yourself and your business to others in a way that doesn’t feel canned. I share the questions to ask - and the ones to avoid - that get people to open up and share valuable information they haven’t shared with anyone else. And I give you my follow-up script that gets responses and ensures you continue building those relationships with your ideal clients.

If you struggle with presenting yourself and winning clients at networking events, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• The 2 biggest mistakes people make at networking events and how you can avoid them.
• How to introduce yourself in a way that feels natural
• How to get people to remember you for the right reasons.
• The phrases and tactics you can use to become the most magnetic person in the room.
• Questions to ask that will help you identify the most valuable opportunities - and the questions to avoid.
• The follow-up script that turns prospects into clients.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Have you ever felt like you are holding yourself back and self sabotaging your growth? In this episode, we deep dive into the psychology behind some of our biggest internal limitations and how we can overcome them. Building a business that feels authentic in 2024 requires introspection, courage, and determination. Anneli Hansson, a brand strategist from Sweden, shares how her journey of building a social media following of over 140,000 people hasn't been a smooth ride.

In this open and heartfelt conversation, Anneli delves into the essence of personal branding, the importance of vulnerability, and offers practical advice for those looking to embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal development. Whether you're battling imposter syndrome, seeking to connect with your inner child, or curious about the future of creativity in the age of AI, Anneli's insights provide a guide for navigating the complexities of a creative career with authenticity and courage.

Covered in this episode:

• How to get out of your own way and stop self sabotaging your efforts for success.
• Why vulnerability is a powerful tool for connecting with your ideal clients and being able to show up authentically.
• Practical steps to begin your journey of self-discovery and personal development.
• Overcoming imposter syndrome and finding your unique voice.
• The significance of inner child work in growing a creative business and serving clients powerfully.

LEARN MORE

Anneli Hansson - https://www.annelihansson.com/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Anneli Hansson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/theannelihansson/

Follow Anneli on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theannelihansson/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link - https://social.mattessam.co.uk/ep9-roadmap

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

In this episode, we break down how our client Kai went from relying solely on referrals to having an outreach strategy that lands him A-list clients in a few months.

Topics discussed:

• How to understand and address client pain points to land clients through outreach
• How to use LinkedIn to uncover client secrets and build lasting rapport
• How Kai landed Bently as a client with an irresistible offer
• Anti Selling and the power of focusing on the client first 
• Mastering follow-up without seeming needy 
• The power of niching down and mastering your industry
• Building a powerhouse team by combining complementary skill sets

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe.

Want help winning high value clients? Apply to work with our team here: https://social.mattessam.co.uk/ep4-work-with-us

 

LEARN MORE

Random - https://www.random.com.tw/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

Connect with Matt Essam 

Kai Cheng on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akaicheng/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link - https://social.mattessam.co.uk/ep4-pod-kai-cheng

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

How to make the transition from being just a freelancer to becoming a studio owner? Erik Herrström, the visionary behind Studio Herrström, takes us through his journey from working as a freelancer, collaborating with giants like Spotify, Beats by Dre, Sony Music, Nike, and Google, to establishing his own studio. With over a hundred industry awards, Erik's expertise is undeniable. Yet, the path to owning a studio, building a team, and achieving business autonomy was filled with challenges, fears, and pivotal moments of growth.

In this episode, Erik shares his initial struggles with setting prices, the overwhelm of managing projects single-handedly, and his battle against imposter syndrome. This episode is packed with advice for freelancers who are tired of working alone and want to build a small team and grow their business. Erik emphasizes the power of focusing on a specific niche, the importance of asking for advice, and changing the way he sold his services, which all played a big part in making Studio Herrström the success that it is.

COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

• How to go from a mere freelancer to a studio owner who can live life on their terms.
• How to overcome imposter syndrome and the fear of transitioning to something new.
• Why niche specialization is key to business clarity and landing clients with ease.
• How to leverage industry experience and awards to build credibility and authority.
• The role of mentorship and community when growing a creative business.

LEARN MORE

Studio Herrström - https://www.studioherrstrom.com/

Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT

Erik Herrström on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikherrstrom/

Follow Studio Herrström on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/studioherrstrom/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a Custom Roadmap to Grow Your Creative Studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link: https://social.mattessam.co.uk/LObB

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you struggling to scale your business, without working longer hours? Are you feeling burnt out and unfulfilled, even though from the outside, your business looks like it’s thriving?

That’s exactly where I was years ago - snowboarding in Canada, living the digital nomad lifestyle. I had friends messaging me, congratulating me on living the dream - but beneath the surface, it was a different story.

I wasn’t happy. I was working with the wrong kinds of clients, feeling overwhelmed, and constantly stressed about money.

But this all changed when the loss of a family friend forced me to rethink everything. I spent months reflecting on my business and what wasn’t working. I invested almost all the money I had in mentorship from some of the most successful entrepreneurs out there, hoping to understand what they were doing differently. And it quickly became clear.

In this episode, I share the game-changing lessons I learned to help you build a business that doesn’t just pay the bills but allows you to thrive and do more of the work that fulfils you.

Covered in this episode:

• How to stop trading time for money and build something that scales without you.
• The three things that move the needle when it comes to doing more work that makes a positive impact and leave you feeling fulfilled.
• How to position yourself as a partner so clients stop asking for discounts and start respecting your true value.
• How to sell your services in a way that can double a prospect’s budget in one conversation.
• The key to standing out in an oversaturated market.
• How to make sure you're actually implementing your ideas.
• Real-world case studies of creative business owners who have transformed their businesses and lives with these strategies.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Case studies - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/success-stories 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/  

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

There’s a hidden force stopping creatives from making more sales and landing bigger deals - it’s called your shadow. The shadow is the part of your personality that you suppress - A part of you that you don't like. It's this part that often inhibits founders ability to sell higher value projects. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to identify your shadow and work out if it's holding you back.

Covered in this episode:

• The real reason you're not closing more deals.
• Why so many creatives feel "anti-sales" and how to get past this belief.
• The mindset shift that will help you show up to sales calls authentically.
• How to stay in control when pitching your services.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Unlock the secret to thriving in creativity and business - with this episode's deep dive into the power of presence. Join Matt Essam as he uncovers how this singular mindset shift can not only enhance creativity, but also transform stress into success, and uncertainty into clarity. In a candid discussion, Matt opens up about his personal journey, revealing how the practice of presence pulled him through tough times in business, inspired by the profound teachings in "The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Delve into the philosophical underpinnings of presence with real-life applications that will impact your creative process.
• Gain practical strategies to harness the power of now, turning everyday challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.
• Discover meditation and listening as tools not just for personal development but as key skills for business growth.
• Transform your approach to creativity and business with the power of presence.

Inspired by this episode? Connect with Matt on LinkedIn to share your journey or suggest topics you’re eager to hear about in future episodes.

LEARN MORE

Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a Custom Roadmap to Grow Your Creative Studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link: https://social.mattessam.co.uk/LR98

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

How much white space do you have in your diary?

If you’re like most creative businesses, your calendar is jam-packed with client work and calls. This may look impressive on the outside, but it’s likely costing you the freedom to grow your business effectively and leads to burnout.

I’ve worked with many creative studio owners in this position and have helped them to take back a day a week in their calendars without breaking their business.

In this episode, I share the exact strategy you can use so that you can get the time back to work on your business instead of in it, and grow a business that serves you.

Covered in this episode:

• Why creative business owners should avoid a full calendar.
• How to get back one day a week without breaking your business.
• The exact formula to work out how many calls and projects you need to grow your business sustainably.
• The key to building a business that serves you.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/  

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you putting your authentic self across in your marketing? Is there something holding you back from telling your story? 

James Martin, Founder of Made By James and Creative Partner at Lincoln Design Co. joins us in this episode to share his journey from accidental entrepreneur to successful agency owner. 

Made By James was a beautiful accident. Once he began to tell his story and started to reveal the inner workings of his talent, James found himself picking up 100+ logo design clients a year through his content marketing. The money was coming in, but something was missing.

I last caught up with James at Adobe Max in 2023. At the time, his partnership with Lincoln Design Co. was a mere concept. Now, that partnership has come to fruition, and it’s been a match made in heaven.

We get the behind-the-scenes on how James has been able to get to where he is today. James opens up about his past and we learn how he has been able to take ownership of his flaws and channel them into positive outcomes. And he shares plenty of advice for agency owners who want to take things to the next level.

Covered in this episode:

• How James Martin was able to overcome the challenges of his past and build a successful agency.
• Becoming a creative partner and not just an order taker.
• How social media has changed the creative business landscape.
• How to be truly authentic on social media.
• The behind-the-scenes on James’ partnership with Lincoln Design Co.
• How James was able to shift to charging fair rates for his services.
• Why creatives and agency owners aren’t sharing their stories and how they can overcome those blockers.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Made By James - https://themadebyjames.com/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

James Martin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-martin-3b594698/

James Martin on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/made.by.james/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT?si=c5205d3971864d8e

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

If you’ve been running your business for a while but you still often find yourself overwhelmed and burnt out, this episode is for you.

I'm joined by David Wakefield and Chris Thorpe, founders of On The Sly, an international audio production agency. On The Sly has worked on some of the world’s most iconic events, from London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks to Coachella and with global brands like Paramount.

But like many creative business owners, David and Chris didn’t always have a great work life balance and relied heavily on work-of-mouth to grow. The team was working on some great projects but with very little time to work on the business or take breaks, leaving them constantly on the edge of burnout.

By implementing a consistent outreach process and building a reliable team, David and Chris have not only landed bigger projects but also regained control over their lives.

If you want to stop playing catch-up with your business and start running it with purpose, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to help you streamline your systems and grow sustainably.

Covered in this episode:

• How On The Sly grew from a small group of freelancers to a professional agency, working on some of the world’s most iconic events.
• The systems you should implement into your creative business to keep yourself from burning out.
• How to delegate effectively so you can do more of the work you love and make more money doing it.
• Becoming a collaborative partner to your clients, rather than a worker.
• How to get better at sales as a creative, even if you hate it.
• How to get your clients to understand the true value of what you do.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

On The Sly showreel - https://vimeo.com/919092763/6312d5bbb3

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

David Wakefield on LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/davidonthesly Chris Thorpe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisonthesly/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Do you ever feel like giving up on your business? Like no matter what you try, or how hard you work, things just aren’t feeling right?

You’re not alone. Many creative business owners hit those moments of doubt, frustration, and burnout. The problem is, many of them give up just before they break through to the other side.

In this episode, I’m sharing three powerful strategies to push through those tough times and come out even stronger. These are strategies that I’ve used myself, and my clients have seen serious results from.

You don’t have to keep feeling like this, and with these three strategies, you’ll be able to guide yourself out of this funk whenever that feeling comes up.

Covered in this episode:

• Why we lose motivation for our business and how to get it back.
• How to reframe the negative stories we tell ourselves that hold us back.
• The questions to ask yourself every week to shift your focus to the positive.
• How to control what you focus on to stay driven.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

 

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8Ljvt 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Will Smith, Jay Shetty, Red Bull and Vice are just some of the names that Tim Fare-Matthews has landed for his video production agency. In this episode, Tim shares a peak behind the scenes of exactly how he has achieved this. If you’re struggling to win over corporates, raise your rates and run your business while producing exceptional results for clients, this episode is for you. Whether you run a video production agency, animation studio or graphic design studio, these are the key foundational principles for running your business and landing better clients. Covered in this episode:

• Secrets to landing higher-paying clients and getting consistent referrals.
• Essentials for surviving as a creative you may not have thought of.
• Tips for winning agency clients and how to keep them happy.
• What big brands are really looking for in a creative professional.
• How will AI affect the creative industry and how to prepare for it.
• Balancing delivering an exceptional service and running a sustainable business.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

LEARN MORE 

Financially Free Filmmaker - https://www.financiallyfreefilmmaker.com/ 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Timothy Fare-Matthews on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timfmatthews/ 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

If you rely only on word-of-mouth and referrals to grow your business, you’re missing a trick.

In this episode, I’m sharing one of the most underrated lead generation strategies I know of - The Partnership Playbook. This strategy is like referral marketing on steroids. If used correctly, it will scale up your lead flow and start bringing in warm leads on autopilot.

Forget spending endless hours creating content and doing cold outreach. This strategy has been one of the biggest growth levers in my business, and in many of my clients’. One of whom used this strategy to attract 40 signups to her online workshop. And in this episode, you’ll discover how to get similar results.

If you’re looking to scale your business faster, this episode will change the way you think about lead gen.

Covered in this episode:

• How to attract your ideal clients on autopilot using The Partnership Playbook.
• How to form relationships with influential people.
• The three types of partnerships you can start building today.
• Practical examples of how my clients and I have scaled lead flow using this strategy.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

 

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Does your business feel like more of a prison than a passion?

That somewhere along the line, it’s drifted off course from the business you envisioned?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dan Bolton, a business coach I paid £10k a month to learn from. It's the most I've ever invested in coaching and I wanted to gift you the experience of hearing some of Dan's lessons as he evolved from youth pastor to multiple 7-figure agency owner.

This conversation isn't really about number though (I just mentioned them to sound impressive). It's really a practical guide for anyone that feels stuck or out of sync with their business.

Dan shares a ton of insight on how to identify the hidden problems in your business, make bold but necessary changes, and redefine success in a way that aligns with you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How to know when your business is out of alignment.
• What to do if you’re running a business you don’t love anymore.
• When to scale and when to pull back
• What you need to fix before you can fix your business.
• The blockers that keep creatives from earning more money.
• Why it’s essential to turn down some seemingly good opportunities.
• And so much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap. 

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Dan Bolton on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bolton/ Dan Bolton on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtscWUoZcVzlOT-76DxMqyA  Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Most creative business owners are measuring success the wrong way.

It’s easy to get caught up in only measuring tangible outputs like how much revenue you’ve taken each month or how your team is performing. But what happens when you spend hours and hours on business development and those results don’t immediately show up? Does that mean you haven’t been successful?

This fixation on the outputs is causing many creative business owners to feel stuck and demotivated because they’re overlooking the real indicators of success. The hidden indicators that, with consistency, would bring them inevitable results.

In this episode, I’m going to help you to reframe how you view success. You’ll learn how to spot hidden signs of progress, so you can stay motivated and keep growing your business - even when the big wins don’t show up immediately.

Covered in this episode:

• Why focusing solely on the tangible outputs can stall growth.
• How to identify and celebrate the ‘invisible’ success indicators.
• The key inputs you need to focus on to make reaching your targets inevitable.
• How consistency and celebrating small wins can transform your business.
• Why many creative business owners are taking their foot off the accelerator too quickly and missing out on success.
• Real-life examples of how inputs have led to major breakthroughs for my clients.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/  

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What is really possible for you and your creative business? This question might be the key to understanding what is genuinely holding you back from reaching your true potential. In this episode, Matt Essam explores some of the key ideas and discussions taken from a client retreat in Tenerife. He shares 3 big ideas that could transform the way you run your business, including:

• The power of possibility and how it holds us back.

• What leadership really means and why you should care.

• One of the most underrated strategies for lead generation that exists.

Let’s turn possibilities into realities! Remember to subscribe for more insightful episodes designed to give you the courage to create beyond boundaries.

LEARN MORE

The Four-Minute Mile Story - https://www.kevincsnyder.com/roger-bannister-how-one-person-changed-the-world/

Extreme Ownership - https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250183863

The Partnership Accelerator Workshop (13 February, 2024) -

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-partnership-accelarator-tickets-815391787787?aff=oddtdtcreator

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link - https://social.mattessam.co.uk/ep6-roadmap

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

It feels like everyone is obsessed with storytelling and personal branding. Especially on LinkedIn. But there’s a good reason for that.

In this episode, I’m joined by Ash Rathod. Ash is a Brand Consultant who specialises in helping businesses attract their ideal clients, retain them for longer, and charge them more using the power of storytelling.

If you’re struggling with attracting your ideal clients, sharing your story might be the answer. But if you’re like most creative business owners, it’s easier said than done.

Knowing how to tell your story in a way that resonates with your ideal clients is an obstacle in itself. And the self-doubt that many feel when it comes to being vulnerable is a whole other challenge.

This is why I invited Ash onto the podcast. Since becoming active on LinkedIn and sharing his experiences, Ash has doubled his business and has grown his following to nearly 70k. Ash has a unique and interesting story and he uncovers the storytelling strategies that have transformed his business.

Covered in this episode: 

• How Ash leveraged his story on LinkedIn to double his business.
• The secrets to building relationships with people you’ve never met.
• How to authentically share your story and link it with your business.
• How to turn self-consciousness into something positive.
• What a LinkedIn following of nearly 70k LinkedIn has done for Ash’s business.
• Who should you be tailoring your content to?
• Content creation ideas for those who hate writing.
• Ash’s top tips for creating content that resonates with your ideal listener.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Ash Rathod - https://www.ashrathod.com/ The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/ 

CONNECT 

Ash Rathod on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashrathod/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Marketing isn’t about attracting everyone to your business. It’s about attracting your ideal clients. The clients that grow your business without growing your stress levels.

In this episode, award-winning marketing mentor, Anna Rumbold, joins us to share her blueprint for attracting the kind of clients who we enjoy working with and pay us what we deserve.

The first step is to get clear on who exactly our ideal client is. And Anna shares her insight into how we can do just that. The next step is to get in front of them. We dive into making authentic content that your ideal client stops scrolling for and that communicates the transformation you can take your ideal clients on.

We talk about having the courage to say no when we know a client isn’t the right fit. And we discuss how we can learn from the results our clients get and the feedback they leave us with.

Covered in this episode:

• How to drill down and discover who your ideal client is…
• …and which kinds of clients you should be avoiding.
• Getting clear on why our clients buy from us.
• Discovering the delayed impacts you have on your clients.
• Getting over the fear of niching so you can tighten your message.
• The best ways of getting useable feedback from clients.
• The difference between messaging and positioning and why it matters.
• Utilising the data you collect from clients to create content.
• How to better communicate the transformation you take your clients through.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

Apricot Social - https://www.apricotsocial.co.uk/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Anna Rumbold on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-rumbold-835ab690/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Agencies are notoriously difficult to grow. They’re often started by a creative who loves what they do but soon finds themselves running a team without the necessary business skills.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jonathan Leafe, who sold his multiple seven-figure agency and now helps others do the same. Jonathan shares his expertise on what it takes to grow a profitable creative business and scale it into a saleable asset. 

If you’re running a small agency and you’re unsure if scaling is the right move, this episode is for you.

Jonathan and I dive deep into the stages of agency growth - from one-man-band to creating a thriving lifestyle business that’s fun and profitable. This episode will give you the clarity around the next steps to take to build a business that’s right for you.

Covered in this episode:

• Is growing an agency right for you? Or should you stay where you are?
• The secrets to building a multiple seven-figure agency.
• The fear of growing beyond 13 people and how to break through it.
• What kind of business owner you need to be to scale.
• How to stop getting pushed around by clients and start challenging them so you can get them the results they’re after.
• Strategies to escape the day-to-day grind of your business.
• How to stay one step ahead of your clients - and your competition.
• The difference between a struggling boutique agency and a thriving lifestyle business.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

Jonathan’s book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agency-Owner-get-out-here/dp/1914195841

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Jonathan Leafe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanleafe/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you tired of working endless hours with little reward to show for it?

In this episode, I sit down with Robin Waite, a bestselling author, award-winning business coach and former agency owner. Robin is an expert at productising and pricing services and has helped countless creative studio owners gain freedom while growing their business

Robin shares his journey from running a successful agency to experiencing burnout and ultimately transforming his approach to business.

Now, he coaches creatives to break free from outdated models and challenge limiting beliefs so they can charge what they’re worth, and build businesses they truly love.

This episode is packed with actionable insights to help you stop trading your time for money and take your agency to the next level.

Covered in this episode:

• How to avoid burnout as an agency owner.
• Why productising your services is essential to scaling sustainably.
• The massive opportunities agency owners are missing by not productising their offering.
• The 3 principles of productisation and how to apply it to your business.
• The questions you need to ask all your clients if you want to raise your prices.
• How to stay creative while building a profitable business.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/roadmap.

 

LEARN MORE 

Get Robin’s book for free - www.fearless.biz/tys 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Robin Waite on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinmwaite 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What do you do when your biggest client walks away and they’re the only one keeping the lights on? This week, I’m speaking with Sergey Pantileev, a client was on the verge of closing his business and getting a job after losing one of his biggest clients. Fast forward two years, and Sergey is now closing multiple six-figure deals with ideal clients through Upwork and is no longer worrying about when the next opportunity will show up. In this episode, Sergey shares the exact mindset shifts and sales strategies that helped him:

• Win multiple six figure deals using Upwork
• Lead sales calls that put you ahead of lower-cost competition.
• Spot red flags from prospects before it’s too late.
• Keep an abundance mindset - even when cash flow is tight.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

 

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT Sergey Pantileev on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergeypantileev/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam 

LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Picture this: you're faced with a daunting challenge, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, you feel empowered and in control. How is this possible? Join Matt Essam as he uncovers three powerful strategies that can help you reduce stress, reframe negative situations, and envision the success you deserve. In this episode, Matt reflects on his personal journey, where he faced significant challenges that took years to overcome. He emphasizes that it's not the events themselves but our interpretations of them that dictate our emotional responses; he shares insights gained from cognitive-behavioral therapy and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), highlighting the profound impact of our thoughts on our emotions and behavior.

COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Understanding the impact of interpreting events on emotions.
• Harnessing mindset to achieve goal-aligned actions and success.
• How to understand emotional intensity and its interpretation.
• How to embody specific behaviors and mindsets to influence desired outcomes.
• Techniques for regaining control over emotions and thoughts.
• Reframing perceptions and visualizing success using NLP techniques.

LEARN MORE

Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a Custom Roadmap to Grow Your Creative Studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link: https://social.mattessam.co.uk/LR98

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Looking to stand out from the competition and transform your creative business into something truly remarkable? Then it's time to “Stand the Flock Out!” with Jacob Cass, the brilliant mind behind Just Creative. Jacob's extraordinary path from aspiring design student to branding powerhouse, collaborating with giants like Nike, Disney, and even Jerry Seinfeld, serves as an inspiring blueprint for daring to be different.

In this episode, Jacob pulls back the curtain on how he made his mark in the world of design. He shares the engaging tale of how a pro bono gig sparked the creation of his now-signature flamingo logo and bright pink branding, setting his business apart in a crowded market.

Jacob doesn't just stop at his story. In this episode, he delves into the impact of aligning your business with your deepest values—empowerment, freedom, and curiosity. He offers golden nuggets of wisdom for creatives eager to scale, highlighting how leveraging your unique story and genuine self can establish meaningful connections with your audience and beyond.

Covered in this episode:

• Strategies for creative businesses to distinguish themselves from competitors.
• The importance of aligning your brand with your values and the message you wish to convey.
• The backstory of Just Creative's flamingo theme and its impact on brand recognition.
• Insights into Jacob's personal growth, focusing on empowerment, freedom, and curiosity.
• Practical advice for creative professionals on how to use storytelling and authenticity to connect with their audience.

LEARN MORE

The Just Creative Branding Briefcase: Get access to 100's of free branding & design resources - https://justcreative.com/branding-briefcase/

Just Creative - https://justcreative.com/

Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT

Jacob Cass on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justcreativedesign/

Follow Jacob Cass on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/justcreative

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

Want a Custom Roadmap to Grow Your Creative Studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link: https://social.mattessam.co.uk/LCBP

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

If you’re like most creative agency owners, chances are most of your work comes through word of mouth and referrals.

And that’s not necessarily a problem - referrals can be one of the best lead generators. But what I’ve discovered is that most people don’t have a referral strategy, leading to inconsistent results and a lack of control over the flow of projects.

In this episode, I’m sharing an underrated strategy that can transform the way you win projects, giving you a steady stream of inbound inquiries without that uncomfortable feeling that you’re ‘begging’ people for work.

We’ve implemented this strategy with our clients and it’s led to them paying for an entire year of coaching within 30 days of joining. And this can work for past clients and those you never ended up working with, too.

I share the exact questions to ask that allows you to give more value, rather than take it and create a consistent referral machine.

If you want to take back control of your project pipeline and become known in your network for delivering value, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• How to build a referral strategy that gives you control over your lead flow.
• Flipping the referral process so you’re giving, rather than ‘begging’.
• The questions you should be asking to generate more consistent referrals.
• How to demonstrate your value and keep clients coming back for more.
• How to position yourself as the go-to expert in your network.
• And more...

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Saying no to unfit clients, knowing and charging your worth, and productizing your services are your crucial foundation to success. Being open to reevaluating and challenging the rules you set for yourself, especially in areas like pricing, will unlock greater business potential.

Today, we're joined by the incredible Robin Waite – public speaker, bestselling author, and business coach. Discover Robin's journey from running his own design studio for over a decade to the transformative mindset shift that propelled him towards seeking business mastery.

In this episode, we unravel the secrets of productizing services, charging more, strategically positioning yourself in the market, and the importance of having enough mental capacity for decision-making. Robin shares what he learned from building a successful agency; he emphasizes the need for a scientific approach to business and understanding why clients need your services.

Covered in this episode:

• How courage is about taking action towards achieving goals, despite the fear of potential consequences.
• Fear of rejection and fear of failure are common barriers to taking the first step in business.
• Recognising that the worst outcomes in business are not life-threatening—either not making enough money or looking less successful—can help overcome the fear of rejection and failure.
• Saying no to unfit clients and making necessary changes are normal challenges for established businesses, which actually lead to growth.
• Increasing prices can be a courageous decision that leads to higher profitability and better clients.
• The value of learning through input and repetition for success.
• Asking for help and seeking guidance from mentors or coaches is essential for personal and business growth.

I hope you find this episode valuable. If so, remember to hit the subscribe button for more content like this.

 

LEARN MORE

Robin Waite - https://www.robinwaite.com/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Robin Waite on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/robinmwaite

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you feel like everything in your business is in flow? Where everything feels easy, it feels fun, it feels exciting… 

In this episode, I’m joined by Hannah Power, to discover how we can reach this feeling of flow more often within our business and our lives. Hannah is a personal branding and performance coach, best-selling author and the founder of Amplify. She’s coached over 500 people to help them to find meaning in their lives and achieve their potential.

We unpack how to recognise the symptoms of a lack of balance in our lives and the steps we can take to find that balance so that we can start attracting the clients that bring us success and make our business more easeful.

This is one of my favourite conversations that I’ve had on Creative Courage, and if you’re feeling stuck and unfulfilled in your business, I think it’ll be one of yours, too.

Covered in this episode: 

• How to find flow in your business and life so you can achieve more whilst feeling less stressed.
• Recognising the symptoms of a lack of message and purpose.
• Are you in dreamer mode, achiever mode or performer mode and how do these states affect your business?
• How to stop relying on external factors to find balance in our lives.
• Why do some achieve happiness and success and others don’t?
• Why so many of us are out of balance.
• How to identify the next steps for achieving flow.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

The Dreamers Digest - https://www.amplifyu.io/thedreamersdigest

Flow Podcast - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/flow-with-hannah-power-5335967

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT Hannah Power on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahipower/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Let’s talk about money.

I’ve heard from so many creative business owners that “it’s not all about the money”. And that more money will only create more stress.

But money gives you freedom, space, and the ability to better serve your clients. Like one of my clients Cey, who was able to release a feature film in cinemas after changing his perspective around money.

If you’re struggling to attract the income you want, it may come down to the way you think about money.

In this episode, I break down some of the most common limiting beliefs around money and share practical ways to shift your mindset and increase your income - without adding more stress.

Covered in this episode:

• The hidden ways your mindset around money is keeping you from earning more.
• How money can allow you to do more impactful work.
• Why making more money doesn’t have to mean more hours and stress.
• How to 10x your prices without 10x the skill.
• The decisions that separate struggling creatives from those who thrive.
• Exercises to help you shift your relationship with money today.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Waiting for the next project to land on your lap? Do you feel like you're not in control of your business due to the unpredictability of sales and marketing? If you're anything like me, you've probably even found yourself feeling at the mercy of the market at times. We both know the drill: you're out here offering your big-ticket projects, usually in the $30k to $50k range, and it's great when clients come knocking with a specific need. You jump in, do your magic, and they're thrilled. But once the project wraps up, it's back to waiting for the next big thing. It's this cycle that, while rewarding, doesn't exactly make for the most consistent cash flow. And let's be honest, that can be pretty stressful. It's a tough spot because, more often than not, you can't just sell your main service straight off the bat. Clients need to have that very specific need, and timing is everything. That's where the concept of the "Logical Next Step" comes into play. It's something I've got to say, it's been a game-changer for me and all my clients. The gist is, instead of waiting around for clients to come to you with those big needs, you take a step back and look at their current situation. Get to know their immediate pain points, their challenges, and then offer something that might not be your core service, but still uses your skill set to solve their immediate problems. Think of it as a way to keep the conversation going, to provide value and build a deeper relationship with potential clients before they're ready for your main thing. If you're curious about what your Logical Next Step could be or how to use this strategy to get some cash into your business… Check out this solo episode of the Creative Courage Podcast where I show you how the Logical Next Step strategy works and I give real-life examples of how my clients have used it to keep generating revenue even when the market seems to be working against you. LEARN MORE The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/ CONNECT Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ Want a custom roadmap to grow your creative studio? Get yours for FREE in less than 10 minutes by clicking this link https://social.mattessam.co.uk/LR1O LISTEN Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLiyYtBLe03JBC8LivI Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Do you ever feel like your creativity is just a ‘nice to have’ for your clients, and that your services are the first to go to when budgets are cut? If you are bored of taking on projects just to pay the bills and finding clients that give you the creative freedom you truly desire feels more like fantasy than reality,  this episode is for you.

I’m joined by illustrator and author Ben Tallon. Ben has been running an illustration studio for over 16 years and has worked with big-name clients like Channel 4, The Guardian, The Premiere League and The New York Times.

I invited Ben onto the podcast because he’s incredibly generous when it comes to sharing the strategies he’s used to land these projects, but more importantly, to keep his creative autonomy in the process.

Alongside his business, Ben has written two books and founded several passion projects whilst being a father of twins.

Ben’s unique perspective on the power of creativity is inspiring and he offers a wealth of invaluable insights into building a creative business that aligns with your values and creative passions.

Covered in this episode: 

• The real value of creativity(that you might not expect).
• How to keep dream clients happy.
• Finding the projects that light you up and make use of your whole skillset.
• How to keep your personal projects moving even when you are busy.
• Getting to know yourself better and finding the hidden strengths in your flaws.
• How to leverage your personality as an introvert.
• How to stay ahead of AI and future threats to creativity.
• And so much more.

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

Ben Tallon - https://www.bentallonwriter.com

Email Ben - hello@bentallon.com

Creative Condition book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Condition-Understanding-Embracing-Creativity/dp/1838135464

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT 

Ben Tallon on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-tallon-a822a725

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you a creative business owner? Do you ever feel like you’ve got more to give? That there’s a bigger impact you could make? Or is there an innate fear that’s stopping you from achieving your full potential?

In this brand new podcast series, award-winning coach, author and speaker Matt Essam explores the internal battles we all face as creative business owners.

From the fear of launching to the anxiety we face around our life purpose, Creative Courage is the first podcast series that will dive deep into the physiology of courage and its key part in our success as business owners, leaders and creatives.

Each week, we bring you expert insights and proven strategies from inspiring entrepreneurs and thought leaders who have conquered their creative challenges. 

If you’re ready to elevate your creative journey and unlock your full potential, so that you can make more impact, win better clients and ultimately be proud of what you’ve built, then subscribe to Creative Courage now on your favourite podcast platform. 

Join us as we redefine what it means to thrive as a creative business owner.

 

LEARN MORE

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Many creative business owners get stuck for the same reason…

They’re focusing on too many things at once.

But the most successful entrepreneurs don’t do everything. They double down on the one thing that moves the needle.

Recently, I spent time with 50 incredible entrepreneurs, some making multiple 7-figures a month, at a retreat curated by Daniel Priestley. I saw first hand what separates those who scale effortlessly from those who stay stuck.

If you feel stuck in your business and unsure where to place your focus, this episode will give you the clarity you need to break through.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• Why using too many strategies is killing your progress.
• How to figure out what ONE thing to focus on.
• The question to ask yourself to unlock clarity.
• The secret to crafting an irresistible offer that attracts more clients and doesn’t feel like work.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What season of business are you currently in? This is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself as a creative studio owner.

I used to believe that there were good times and bad times in business, but what I came to realise is that these are just ‘seasons’. And like the seasons in nature, by understanding them and preparing for their arrival, you can weather the worst storms and benefit the most when the sun is shining.

In this week’s episode of the Creative Courage podcast, I unpack the four seasons of business, and how each one impacts your projects, clients, and mindset. Knowing which season you’re in can reshape how you make business decisions and help you to avoid frustration and burnout.

If you ever find yourself stuck as to where you should be putting your priorities, or your business tends to rapidly switch from ‘way too busy’, to ‘desperate for work’, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode: 

• What are the four seasons of business and which one are you in?
• How to avoid the cycle of burnout that traps many creative business owners.
• Why limiting your capacity can actually be a benefit to your business.
• How to avoid panic mode when the leads dry up.
• Why marketing is a year-round priority - even when you’re fully booked.
• When is the right time to seek outside support?
• How taking time to celebrate wins can fuel growth.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE

Apply to work with Matt - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Are you using design thinking in your business? If not, you’re missing out on a powerful tool that can help you land better clients with bigger budgets.

In this episode, I’m joined by Matt Anderson, a design consultant with over 20 years experience in operational roles within some of the world’s largest corporates such as Virgin Mobile Australia.

Many creatives struggle with the operational and logistical side of business. By leveraging design thinking, creatives can communicate the value of design more effectively, win higher-value clients, and ensure they’re addressing the real issues that people are facing.

Matt shares actionable strategies to help you position yourself as a trusted partner to potential clients, and better communicate the value of what you do. If you even find approaching and communicating with corporate clients a challenge, you won't want to miss this episode.

Covered in this episode: 

• What is design thinking and how you use it to grow your business.
• The keys to getting a foot in the door with big corporates.
• How to communicate the value of creative services to corporate clients.
• How to get clients to share their real challenges so you can offer the solutions that align with their needs.
• Building closer relationships with clients without them dictating the process.
• How to challenge clients’ assumptions without coming across as pushy
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Think Startup - https://www.thinkstartup.com.au/ 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Anderson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattandersonaus/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

As a creative business owner, your time and energy are two of your most valuable assets. If you want high-value clients and a business that’s fun and profitable, learning to say this one word is essential. NO Saying no doesn’t come easy to most creative business owners. In this episode, I will help you to figure out which opportunities you should say yes to and give you the confidence to say no to what’s not serving you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why saying no to big opportunities can help you grow your business.
• The ‘If, When, Then’ paradox and how it keeps you stuck.
• How to stick to boundaries without feeling guilty.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

If you’ve been running your business for a while, deep down, you probably know what you need to do to grow faster and make more money.

Over the past decade, I’ve coached some of the world’s leading creatives, and often they’re coming to me for permission, rather than answers. They know they shouldn’t have taken on that client or hired that team member.

So what stops them from trusting their intuition?

Fear.

Their intuition is trying to steer them in the right direction, but fear and other external factors are holding them back.

In this episode, I’m diving deep into the power of intuition, why it’s crucial for creative business owners, and how to start trusting yourself so you can make better decisions.

If you ever struggle to take the steps you know are right for your business, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• What intuition is and why it’s so vital for decision-making in your business.
• The reasons people ignore their intuition.
• Why it’s so difficult to say no to opportunities that aren’t right for us.
• How to find the courage to trust yourself.
• The emotional patterns keeping you stuck and how to break free from them.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

Don’t Trust Your Gut book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Trust-Your-Gut-Really/dp/0062880918

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

What would it feel like to be featured in major publications and have your ideal clients knocking at your door?

In this episode, I’m joined by Lucy Werner who specialises in helping founders get famous and attract their dream clients.

Lucy has 20 years of communications experience, and it shows. She’s been listed in ALT Magazine’s Power 100, worked with The Futur, written two best-selling books and her Substack publication is in the top 50 business newsletters on the platform.

Lucy breaks down exactly how you too can get more PR, more exposure and more opportunities to get in front of your ideal clients.

If you ever feel hesitant to promote yourself on social media, the tactical strategies that Lucy shares in this episode will give you the confidence to get started.

If you want to secure PR opportunities and don’t know where to start, or you’re not getting the responses you’re after, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode: 

• What stops people from ‘hyping themselves’ and growing their personal brand?
• What most business owners get wrong about PR.
• How to identify high-impact PR opportunities.
• How to pitch to journalists.
• Finding the fun in self-promotion - even if you’re an introvert.
• Where you should be promoting yourself to get in front of your ideal clients.
• How to attract your ideal clients with your content and not just your peers.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

Hype Yourself newsletter - https://hypeyourself.substack.com/ Hype Yourself (book) - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hype-Yourself-no-nonsense-toolkit-businesses/dp/1788601238

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT 

Lucy Werner on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucywernerpr/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Is your business feeling a bit stagnant and you’re not sure why? You’re not alone. And it can be difficult to identify what’s causing things to slow down and where you should focus your efforts to get things moving again.

When I meet a business owner and they’re finding themselves stuck, we look at 5 key metrics to figure out what’s creating the holes in their business. And in this episode, I share those 5 metrics that you need to measure to figure out how to move your business forward and grow. 

This exercise is super simple and you can follow along as you listen. We’re going to score your business out of ten in these 5 areas and in under 20 minutes, you’ll have a solid idea of where you should be focusing your energy first in order to get things moving again.

Covered in this episode: 

• The 5 metrics you need to measure to find out where your business is stuck.
• How to know if you’re generating enough leads.
• Strategies for keeping your clients and increasing their lifetime value.
• How to know what part of your business to focus on first.
• The fastest way to increase your prices.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE 

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Would you love to work on more impactful projects, but the day-to-day running of your business gets in the way?

Cey Sesiguzel was in the same boat, running a successful video production agency while eager to produce the documentary he’d dreamed of making. Five years later, Cey’s film is days away from its release in cinemas nationwide - and his agency's turnover doubled in just 12 months whilst creating his film.

In this episode, Cey shares his journey of achieving his creative dream, without sacrificing his business. Cey opens up about overcoming the obstacles that stood in his way, and how he managed to raise a large amount of funding off the back of a single piece of content.

As Cey was a past client of mine, I got goosebumps several times throughout this episode. Cey’s story of making his passion project a reality is an inspiration and for creatives looking to do more impactful work, I know you’re going to get a huge amount of value from it. 

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck between growing your business and pursuing something bigger, this episode will show you how it’s possible to achieve both.

Covered in this episode: 

• How to get started on your passion project while growing your business.
• The strategies that helped Cey’s business grow while producing a feature film.
• How Cey was able to raise investment from his network and existing clients.
• The steps to getting a personal project off the ground and into cinemas.
• How to rethink money in a way that fuels your creativity and impact.
• The connection between sales, funding, and turning your creative vision into reality.
• A much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

The Divided Island - https://www.thedividedisland.com  

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Cey Sesiguzel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cey-sesiguzel-a88b9b22/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Is there something holding you back from putting yourself out into the world? Perhaps it’s a fear of judgement. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence.

In the inaugural episode of Creative Courage, we delve into the mindset of pushing through fears and resistance and seizing opportunities with Chris Do, an Emmy award-winning designer, director, CEO, and self-proclaimed ‘loud introvert’. 

Chris has struggled with his introversion, but this hasn’t stopped him from amassing nearly one million followers on Instagram. Chris uses the power of content creation to compensate for his introversion. And he shares with us how he consistently pushes through fear and resistance so that he can share his message with the world and grow his brand.

Covered in this episode:

• How Chris Do uses content creation to push through his introversion.
• How to push through the fear of putting yourself out there.
• Making use of feedback in a way that’ll help you to improve.
• How to seek out opportunities.
• The benefits of finding your niche and the barriers that hold business owners back from doing so.
• Why your leads are ghosting you.
• Learning how to say no to projects that you know are a poor fit.
• The 3 biggest drivers to whether or not people choose to work with you. 
• The bold move Chris made that didn’t work out for him.

If you enjoy this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

 

LEARN MORE

The Futur - https://thefutur.com/

The Creative Life - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/

CONNECT

Chris Do on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by your business that it feels like you’re on the brink of collapse? That’s exactly what Kai Cheng was going through after leaving a job at one of Taiwan’s top video agencies to start his own business. 

Two years ago, Kai was taken to hospital because he thought he was dying. What was really happening was that he was experiencing panic attacks due to the extreme stress of running his own business alongside starting a family.

Since then, Kai has gone from barely surviving to thriving, and in this episode, he shares the three strategies that allowed him to win huge clients like Bentley, stand out from his competitors and generate hundreds of inbound leads.

For Kai, it was crucial to create a business that not only supported his family but also allowed him to do more meaningful, impactful work. After sending out thousands of cold messages and getting no response, though, Kai realised that something had to change.

This episode is filled with actionable strategies that will help you to grow your creative business faster and more sustainably, so that you can find more fulfilment in your work while avoiding burnout.

Covered in this episode: 

• Three strategies to take your business to the next level, while giving you more free time.
• How to position yourself to stand out in a crowded market.
• The crucial mindset shifts that transformed Kai’s business.
• The cold outreach technique that allowed Kai to secure Bentley as a client.
• How to use tools like ScoreApp effectively to generate hundreds of inbound leads.
• How to create a compounding pipeline that fills your sales funnel on autopilot.
• A strategy for creating irresistible ads targeted to your ideal clients.
• How to present your services as essential, rather than a ‘nice to have’.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE Apply to work with Matt - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

ScoreApp - https://scoreapp.com/ 

CONNECT 

Kai Cheng on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/akaicheng/ 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT  

Apple Podcasts - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

If you’re like most creatives, sales probably isn’t your favourite part of running your business. But what if you could change the way you think about sales - and the results you get?

In this episode, I break down The 10 Commandments of Sales - key principles that have helped my clients close more deals and land higher-value projects, even if they haven’t had any formal sales training.

These are fundamental principles that you can refer back to before any sales conversation that will make you feel more confident and get you better results.

From how to get clients selling themselves to you, to making sure you never get ghosted again, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to make sales feel lighter, more effective, and even enjoyable.

Covered in this episode:

• 10 fundamental principles that you should take into every sales conversation.
• How to motivate prospects to get them excited to work with you.
• How to keep prospects from ghosting you after a sales conversation.
• Handling objections and getting value out of the “nos”.
• Identifying whether or not a prospect is a good fit.
• Why budget doesn’t matter and what you should be qualifying leads on instead.
• The exact questions to ask that make sales feel easier, without feeling pushy.
• And much more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

LEARN MORE 

Apply to work with Matt - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator CONNECT

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam

Do you feel stuck in your business, like things have stagnated? Maybe you’re not growing as fast as you’d like or feel like creativity isn’t coming to you as easily as it used to.

Your surroundings might be the cause of all of these problems.

In this episode, I’m sharing a powerful idea that completely changed how I think about business, success and myself - that who you surround yourself with and where you spend your time has a huge impact on you and your business.

This idea is one of the key drivers that initially grew my business to six figures.

Not everyone has the resources to travel the world, but you don’t need to. There are simple, practical ways to shift your environment and create the space needed for growth - and I share them in this episode.

In this episode, we cover:

• The hidden ways your surroundings impact your business growth.
• How to identify the environmental factors holding you back.
• Simple changes you can make to spark creativity and build momentum.
• And more…

If you get value from this episode, follow Creative Courage on your favourite podcast app for more transformational content to help you thrive as a creative.

PS: If you want a custom roadmap to grow a creative studio that works for you, rather than the other way around. Click this link - https://resources.mattessam.co.uk.

LEARN MORE 

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT 

Matt Essam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

LISTEN 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2LSpLIyYtBLe03JBC8LjvT

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/creative-courage/id1721515799

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Matt_Essam