Creative Courage

You know what you need to do to grow your business, but something’s holding you back from taking action. Maybe it’s fear of how people will react... Maybe it’s the voice in your head that tells you you're not good enough. In this episode, you might just learn how to break through these invisible barriers. I sit down with my friend and Coach Adil Hussain who shares a powerful story that allowed him to stop people pleasing, push through fear and start leading his life and business with confidence. Covered in this episode: The real reason most people stay stuck. The formula for building true confidence. How to double your prices. The power of archetypes and understanding yourself better. 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  Adil Hussain on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilhussain001/  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

I know what it’s like to feel trapped in your business. You’re desperate for a holiday, but you know that things will fall apart if you take more than a couple of days away. The team can’t match the level of quality your clients expect. Operations become chaotic. And you tell yourself it’d be easier to keep handling it on your own. But this isn’t sustainable. It leads to burnout, and makes scaling much harder. That’s why, in this episode, I’m sharing 3 key principles that will help you remove yourself from the day-to-day without your business breaking. So you can focus on the work you want to do and take time off without stress. Covered in this episode: Why so many creatives feel stuck in their business. How to ensure your team matches the level of quality you expect. The 3 principles to free yourself from day-to-day operations. How to stop micromanaging and still get results. How to grow your business without creating more stress in your life. 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

Losing a project to a competitor can be gutting. You know your work is good. You know you can solve the client’s problem. But for some reason, they picked someone else. I’ve been there. Back when I ran my creative studio, I’d come across competitors with great work - sometimes even better than ours - often charging less. And I’d wonder why a client would choose us over other studios. I was assuming clients only cared about the work. But I was wrong. And in this episode, I’m sharing what really matters when it comes to winning clients. It’s a strategy I call ‘The River of Life’, and it’s going to help you cut through the noise, make the competition irrelevant, and charge what you’re really worth. Covered in this episode: - What clients actually care about when choosing who to work with. - Why your skills alone won’t win 6-figure projects. - How to position yourself as uniquely fitted to solve your ideal client’s problems. - How one creative business owner quadrupled his revenue with this approach. - And more… 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

Marcel Petitpas, a profitability expert who helps agencies boost their profit margins, joins the conversation with valuable insights for creative entrepreneurs. They discuss major pricing pitfalls creatives often face and the three essential levers every agency owner should master. Petitpas reveals why many creatives underprice their services and the real issues behind low profits. He also emphasizes the importance of balancing creativity with financial sustainability, encouraging listeners to understand their business metrics for improved earnings.

How do you find new clients when things go quiet? Ask for referrals? Send cold emails or DM's? Post content on social? All of these things work. If you know how to work them. And in this episode, I want to show you how to create content that attracts ideal clients. Most people create content that attracts peers not prospects. They get likes and comments not projects. It can feel frustrating and demoralising. It makes you want to give up. That’s why I’m unpacking what makes the difference between content that flops and content that wins 6-figure deals. Once you understand the 3 simple concepts that I share, you’ll be able to create content that pulls in ideal clients on autopilot. Covered in this episode: How to create content lands five and six figure deals. How to get your ideal clients to practically write your content for you. Why you might not be getting recognition for your work and how to fix that. How to position yourself as the go-to expert with your content. 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  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 building your dream business or someone else's? Are you doing the things YOU need in order to be successful or what someone else has told you to do? It's easy to look at high-performing entrepreneurs and feel like you aren't doing enough. They seem to always be winning awards, getting invited on podcasts and having their work featured in all of the high profile magazines. Maybe they get up at 5am and have a crazy morning routine. Is that you though? Is that what you really want? I think we are missing an important concept. We aren't comparing apples with apples. It's a powerful idea that doesn't get spoken about enough. I just spent 20 minutes unpacking it in my latest podcast episode and it might be the difference between you feeling inferior and feeling content. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to entrepreneurship. And if you want to achieve the life and business you set out to, this episode is going to help clarify whether or not you’re on the right path - and how to get back on track. Covered in this episode: What your personality type says about the kind of business you should run… …and how to figure out what your personality type is. The hidden cost of building a business that you aren’t in alignment with. Understanding what success looks like for you. 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

Grant Hushek, an expert in helping marketing agencies scale without expanding teams, shares invaluable insights in this conversation. He discusses how to eliminate tedious tasks through automation, allowing creatives to focus on their strengths. Grant reveals strategies for using AI to generate targeted content ideas and streamline the sales process without sacrificing personal touch. He also emphasizes improving client experiences through automated onboarding and shares essential tools that can transform agency operations for the future.

What if your next six figure deal was right in front of you? What if you don't need more leads, you need to get better at finding the opportunities in your existing network? This is how Daniel Ocock landed a six figure deal in less than 90 days after we started working together. Before that, his branding agency was ticking along, but the spark wasn't there. His business felt stale, and he knew he wanted more. More revenue, more growth and more impact. But doing more of the same wasn’t moving the needle. Instead of looking for new opportunities, we focused on what already existed within his network. In this week’s episode of the Creative Courage podcast, Daniel shares behind the scenes of his coaching journey and explains how he landed a multiple six figure deal from an existing client. If you want to learn how to close more 6-figure deals and find more opportunities within your existing network, this episode is for you. In this episode, we cover: The mindset shift that helped Daniel break out of a business rut. How to uncover hidden opportunities within your existing network. The secrets to boosting revenue without working longer hours. The key to staying motivated and knowing when to make a change in your business. Why you need a mentor and how to find the right one. 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  CSTMR - https://www.cstmr.com Daniel Ocock - https://www.danielocock.com  Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator CONNECT  Daniel Ocock on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielocock/  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

How well do you know the numbers in your business? If you’re like many creative business owners, time spent worrying about your accounts is time spent away from being creative. So you avoid it. But because of this, your business likely isn’t as profitable as it could be. You’re making money but you’re not sure where it’s going, how much you can safely reinvest, or what’s really holding back your growth. In this episode, I’m joined by Rayhaan Moughal, Founder of Sidekick Accounting - a specialist firm helping creative and marketing agency owners take control of their finances, create more freedom, and build a business that’s both profitable and sustainable. If you want more freedom, clarity, and confidence when it comes to money, this episode is essential. Covered in this episode: The most common financial mistakes creative business owners make. What profit margin you should be aiming for. How to manage financial risk as a business owner. Why your first accountant/bookkeeper shouldn’t necessarily be your last. What you need to do to start reducing your tax bill this year and stop bleeding cash. 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  Sidekick Accounting - www.sidekickaccounting.co.uk Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator CONNECT  Rayhann Moughal on LinkedIn - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rayhaanmoughal Rayhann on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rayhaanmoughal/ Rayhann on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbkeVd8URp-KT4mkiWO92eA 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