Creative Courage

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Do, an Emmy award-winning designer, director, and CEO, shares how he overcomes introversion and fear through content creation. He discusses the importance of pushing through fear, seeking out opportunities, finding your niche, and learning to say no. Chris also talks about the benefits of feedback, the drivers behind people choosing to work with you, and a bold move that didn't work out.

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