Creative Courage: The Creative Business Podcast

“Be authentic.” You hear it all the time in the branding space. But what if authenticity wasn’t actually possible? In this episode, I’m joined by James Martin (Made By James) for a very different kind of conversation. We dive into the idea of why “authenticity” when it comes to branding is misleading, why so many creatives end up bored of their businesses, the shifts happening in the creative industry and a whole lot more. You’re either going to love this conversation, or hate it. And if you’re a James Martin fan, and want to hear him take the p*ss out of me, you’ll probably love it. Covered in this episode: Why “authentic” brands don’t exist. Evidence vs. perception and why you need both. Why followers don’t equal success. What a brand really is. Why creatives get bored more easily than most. The shifts that are happening in the creative industry. Defining your own version of success. 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 James Martin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-martin-3b594698 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

Business is hard. With delivery, sales, marketing, and everything in between, there’s too much to do, and not enough time to do it. That’s why I tell creative studio owners that the first hire they should make is a virtual assistant. And in this episode, I’m joined by Richard Woods - a three-time bestselling author, serial founder, and finalist on The Apprentice - to dive deep into how to leverage VAs to scale twice as fast. Richard runs Million Dollar Sprint, where he helps small businesses get to a million dollars as well as Sprint VA, a global virtual assistant business with nearly 200 people. If you don’t have a VA yet, this will help you figure out what to look for and where to start. And if you already do, you’ll learn how to stop managing them so closely and get hours back each week. Covered in this episode: Why most creative business owners wait too long to hire a VA. How to find the right VA. The first task you should outsource in your business. The common mistakes that cause outsourcing to fail. Management strategies for those who hate managing people. How to know when a team member isn’t working out. What will separate businesses from the rest in 2026. 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 Sprint VA - https://sprintva.co/courage Million Dollar Sprint - https://milliondollarsprint.com/ LinkedIn For Breakfast - https://www.skool.com/linkedin-for-breakfast/about Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator CONNECT Richard Woods on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardwoodsofficial/ 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

Should you run your business solo? Or is it better to build an agency? It’s a question I hear often from creative business owners. You started your business for more freedom and flexibility. But somewhere along the way, things changed, and you end up with less freedom than you’d get from a 9 to 5 job. In this episode, I’m joined by Shoaib Ahmed, who’s lived the agency life, and as a solopreneur. He built an agency doing £30k months with a full team, but realised he could never truly switch off. So he burnt it down and went all in on his freelance business, where he specialises in helping people build their personal brand. We break down the trade-offs between staying solo and building an agency and how to find real freedom in your business. If you’ve ever felt torn between scaling up and simplifying, this is for you. Covered in this episode: The symptoms you’re building the wrong size business. The ‘freedom trap’ most creatives fall into. How to make a solo business work without doing everything yourself. What people never measure when they talk about freedom. How to structure your business so you can take time off. The one thing more important than client acquisition that most creatives miss. How to build trust and win business without constant outreach. What most LinkedIn content gets wrong. How to know when it’s time to change your business. 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 Shoaib Ahmed on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

Most creatives see stress and burnout as a time-management problem. Or a team problem. So they hire more people. They implement new systems. But nothing changes. And if you find yourself burning out regularly, you’re probably looking in the wrong place for an answer. Stress can completely break your creativity. And if you’re like me, you probably compare yourself to the Hormozis and Bartletts of the world, wondering why you can’t handle stress and pressure like they can. But what I’ve come to understand is that not all personalities are built to handle stress in the same way. Yet so many of us are modelling our lives and businesses on these serial entrepreneurs who are wired completely differently. In this episode, we dive into why this is dangerous for your business, and how to build a business that works for you. Covered in this episode: Why stress shuts down creativity. How different personalities process pressure and why it matters. Why comparing yourself to other entrepreneurs is burning you out. 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

Are you having fun running your business? I’ve asked myself this question in the past and the answer hasn’t always been yes. A lot of creative business owners hit a point where their business is ‘working’, but it’s boring. And that boredom drains the energy from their business. In this episode, I’m joined by Adam Faulkner. Adam has been running a successful video production agency for over five years, but he reached a point where business became boring, and he knew that something had to change. Adam changed direction with his business and content and attracted the attention of a talent agent, and when he did, he started opening doors he never expected. We dig into why fun is more than a “nice to have” and how it can become the compass for your business. So, if you’ve been feeling bored, stuck or like you’re playing it too safe with your business, this is for you. Covered in this episode: Why fun might be the most underrated business advantage you’re ignoring. How avoiding being overly strategic can actually help your business. How Adam got picked up by a talent agent. Why authenticity doesn’t need to mean oversharing. The real reason content doesn’t stick. Why ‘showing up consistently’ isn’t enough anymore. 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 Adam Faulkner on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfaulkner 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

You want better clients. Clients that pay more, respect your time, and treat you like a partner - not just another supplier. But most founders are making the same mistake every single week that is holding them back from ever attracting those types of clients. And in this episode, I share what that mistake is, and the steps that you need to take to make attracting your dream clients feel easy. Covered in this episode: The mistake most founders make when trying to attract dream clients. How to pinpoint exactly who you should be targeting. How to build trust with clients before the first call. 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

I’ve lost count of how many rejections I’ve collected in my business and life over the years. From no’s to appearing on podcasts, to no’s from prospects. I imagine you’ve collected a few yourself. And it can hurt. Almost like they’re rejecting YOU. But what I’ve realised is that the amount of rejection that someone faces is in direct proportion to what they’re able to achieve in life. In this episode, I share the 3-step process I use to reframe rejection and transform it into valuable feedback that helps you get more of what you want. If you find dealing with rejection draining, or that you hold back from ever asking out of fear of rejection, this is for you. Covered in this episode: Why rejection is required for success. Dealing with rejection (motivation for creatives). How to detach your identity from the outcome so you can keep going after rejection. The question to ask after every rejection to turn it into momentum. 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

It feels like everywhere you look online, content creators and influencers are telling business owners they need to build a personal brand. But there are thousands of successful businesses without personal brands behind them, so why does everyone talk about personal branding like it’s essential? In this week’s episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes on my own personal branding journey. I recently had with Chris Do (The Futur), where we got into the truth about what personal branding really means and at what point should creatives consider building theirs. I also share insights from another conversation I had with James Martin (Made By James), who had a very different take, that might make you rethink how you see personal branding. If you’ve ever felt conflicted, or unclear about personal branding, this episode will help you find an approach that works for you. Covered in this episode: What is a personal brand? And do creative business owners need one? Where to start with building a personal brand. Why personal brands might not be as ‘authentic’ as they claim. Why people misunderstand personal branding. 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 Matt’s conversation with Chris Do - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE8qfhD4b8I 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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV