Creative Courage: The Creative Business Podcast

Most creative agency founders don't have a problem delivering exceptional work. They have a problem getting clients to recognise what that work is worth. Prospects question their fees, proposals go unanswered, and conversations that seemed promising suddenly go cold. In this solo episode of Creative Courage, Matt Essam explores a different approach to selling creative services, introducing his One...

In this episode, I look at common sales frustrations among agency owners, including slow decision-making, repeated follow-ups, concerns about price, and conversations that focus on deliverables instead of strategy. I explore the idea that how we buy high-value services often shapes how we sell them. For example, how avoiding pushiness means prospects have no reason to make a timely decision. I als...

I believe the future of design is shifting away from phones toward wearables, voice agents, and more physical, tactile experiences. This episode breaks down what that could look like and why it matters for your career. I talk about the macro trends I'm noticing in design and consumer behaviour in general, and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.  If you found this episode valuable, please h...

Have you ever found yourself in that weird in-between space between familiarity and a new compelling future? You know there is more available to you, but it's difficult to let go of the comfort and familiarity of your current reality.  In this episode I explore “the gap”. The scary space between the life you know and the one you want. I then break down three key principles for closing the gap and...

If LinkedIn still feels like an enigma, this episode is for you. I sit down with Maria Ledenstova in Hyde Park to unpack how she grew 40k+ followers and now gets steady inbound clients and brand opportunities. We break down exactly how she has done it and how you can aply it to your business.  We cover:  How to show up authentically without being cringe  What to post and when  The importance of fi...

If you are still pitching with your experience and portfolio, you need to listen to this episode. I had a crazy experience the other day. I posted on LinkedIn asking for help writing some case studies, and I was inundated with DM's. What blew my mind was that not a single person led with any value. They all just shared their experience and portfolio. In 2026, this only gets you drowned out in the...

Do you remember the feeling of sending the proposal and then patiently waiting to see if you won the project? What if you never had to feel like that again, and there was a better way... In this episode, I break down why PDF proposals lose projects and what to do instead. I talk about framing, uncovering the real objections and moving people from "let me think about it" to "When do we start?"  You...

What would it be like if you could eliminate procrastination by improving the relationship with your inner child? Sounds like  a strange concept right? That's exactly what happened to Lucio in this session. This episode pulls back the curtain on a real coaching session. What starts as business stress quickly becomes something deeper: a childhood wound, a lonely 6‑year‑old, and a surprisingly simpl...

If you’ve ever found yourself choosing the "safe" path over the one you really want to pursue, this episode is for you. I break down why security is actually an illusion and how to avoid falling into the trap.  I've personally found that the energy you bring to what you do, is far more important than what you actually do. When you choose work that lights you up, you’ll find that challenges are jus...

Imagine feeling like every day is one of your best days. In this episode, I walk you through my “When Life Works” list: a handful of controllable habits and inputs that reliably make your days feel more energized, grounded, and joyful. No long rituals or 5am fads just practical, personal things you can use to see subtle but real shifts in how you feel day to day. Give it a go and see what changes...

Humans are terrible at predicting what will actually make them happy. So how do we avoid wasting years of our life chasing things that won't give us what we are actually looking for. Today I'm breaking down "goal renting", which involves deliberately testing a goal in real life before committing years of sacrifice to it. I walk through my own experiment as well as many other examples. Ultimately c...

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your business or life and didn’t know why, this episode might be worth a listen. This week I threw thousands of hours of coaching calls into Claude and one common pattern came up... The one thing that keeps most founders stuck is waiting for permission. Most of us know what to do but we have subconscious patterns that keep us stuck, often waiting for permission from so...

Are you struggling to make a decision or simply feel overwhelmed with options?  In this episode, I discuss my own struggles with decision making and break down four principles that have helped me to make decisions faster.  Whether you are at a crossroads or just feel overwhelmed with options, these principles might get you unstuck and making better decisions.  If you found the episode valuable, pl...

I'm back with another episode of the Creative Courage Podcast. Today I'm talking about why I closed my business, what freedom means and how to build a financial buffer in your business.   If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you are subscribed and share it with a friend. Connect with me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/  

If you’re like most creative business owners, you’ve probably dabbled with posting on LinkedIn, but you’ve found that even with consistency, no-one pays attention. Sam Browne is an entrepreneur and LinkedIn strategist who has built multiple six-figure businesses and has grown an audience of over 100,000 followers. Sam spent nearly 20 years operating his creative businesses in silence before steppi...

It’s understandable if you feel a bit lost right now. There’s more noise and pressure than ever for business owners. And we try to make the right decisions, but the right path isn’t always obvious. In this episode, I wanted to do something a bit different. This is more of a conversation I wanted to have with you. I share the crossroads that I’ve faced over the last few years in my business and the...

It might feel like you’re charging the right amount. Your close rate is good. The business is running smoothly. But what if you could charge more without increasing your hours? Most creative business owners wouldn’t say no to that. And there’s a number most creative founders are missing that can easily tell them whether or not they’re undercharging. In this episode, I share what that number is and...

Most creative founders think their business needs them to survive. That if they step away, everything will slow down or fall apart. But what if the opposite is true? In this episode, I’m joined by Kristy Campbell, Founder of Pink Pony Creative. Kristy has built a social media following of hundreds of thousands. But what makes this conversation interesting isn’t just what Kristy has built, it’s how...

As a creative business owner, it can feel like there’s a lack of opportunities out there. Like you’ve exhausted all possibilities, or, people “just aren’t buying at the moment”. But often, the opportunities are there, we’re just not in the right mindset to see them. We’re in ‘scarcity mode’, rather than ‘opportunity mode’. And when we’re in scarcity mode, our brain switches to fight or flight. We...

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. This is one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had on this podcast (back in 2024), so I wanted to share it again for anyone who hasn’t heard it. After a jou...

Your clients are slowly killing your creative business. Not the market. Not the algorithm. I recently ran a poll asking creative business owners what their biggest frustration is. Over 60% said inconsistent income and project flow. The feast and famine cycle. But the truth is that this usually isn’t caused by the quality of your work or how much promotion you’re doing. The difference between studi...

Does business feel a bit slow at the moment? You’ve got the portfolio, but enquiries and referrals aren’t coming in like they used to. And with AI rapidly evolving, a lot of creatives are asking themselves if things are only going to get worse. In this episode, I break down the shift I believe every creative business owner needs to make if they want to stay relevant, profitable and in demand over...

You do great work. You have all the case studies and testimonials. But you still feel invisible. This is a problem most creative founders face. They want to be seen as the go-to expert. The name that gets mentioned in rooms they’re not even in. But instead, they’re constantly chasing projects and wondering why people with less experience are getting all the attention. In this episode, I sit down w...

Most creative founders don’t struggle because their work isn’t good enough. They struggle because the business they’ve built, or the role that they play within that business, isn’t right for them. In this episode, I’m joined by Sam Ramsden, Founder of film production studio, Dojo Films. Sam has been employed in the creative industry, he’s freelanced, and now he’s running an agency. But throughout...

“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 indu...