Input/Output: The Creator System For Experts | with Shawn Buttner

Confidence is a funny thing. My wife recently started her private practice, and in two weeks we built her site: her philosophy, the clear steps to work with her, and how her process works. This summer was her busiest since becoming a therapist. That’s a little frustrating for me, because I had the same goal for my coaching business, and it hasn’t gone as smoothly. So why could I help her get clien...

 I received an unsolicited email about buying the raw audio files to my show. Looking at the terms, It looked like the audio would be used to train AI, and so the length of usage was forever.  I ultimately decided not to do it because it felt like I would give up something I didn't understand.   But in the back of my head I wondered if I was giving up on a huge opportunity for my bu...

It's happened again. For the third day straight, you're producing your episode, pulling your hair out, wondering why you're suffering so much in the process. Sometimes you even think about quitting altogether. If you've ever said to yourself, "Not this again," or "If I just fix this one thing, it'll all be okay," this episode is for you. Workflow is the creative work, and it's for you. Shawn hit t...

Episode 13.  Many things run your expert business. Your content, services, team, and so much more. Before any of that there is you, the expert. Much of what gets done depends on how energetic you feel when it's time to write, record, or get on that call with your next client. Today's guest, Dr. Alicia Newsome, is a functional doctor who runs the tests other doctors don't, to make sure her pat...

Episode 11 If I took a look at your website, would I get a sense of who you are as a person or brand? Many experts struggle with putting themselves in their marketing because they are so focused on what they do. Why?   Most people start with marketing, when they should start with their POV. This episode opens at Shawn's desk, mid website audit: a local therapist whose only line of personality...

The past year has been a journey to rebrand the podcast. But why? In this episode of Input Output, I share the new driving idea for this new show, the journey to get to here, and the realization that changed it all. Two podcasts, more than 170 episodes, and one broken publishing streak led to a single question: across ten years of experiments, what was the one constant input into the business? The...

 This episode, we talk about the difference between busy work and deep work and how understanding that difference and navigating it successfully leads to a better you as a creator, and as a business owner. We talk about what goes into understanding busy work versus deep work. We run it through the lenses of the show: your voice, your workflows, and your confidence. At the end, there's a chall...

Episode 7 (soft-launch) Your team, tools, workflows, and systems all have one thing in common: you. Get clear on your part and everything downstream improves. You are the ultimate input. This is the premise episode of Input/Output. Shawn Buttner lays out the show's core bet: every outcome you chase as a creator traces back to one input, and that input is you. He walks the Input → Signal → Output m...

Episode 5 Most creators are told the way to fix engagement and growth is more volume. So they make more. More posts. More videos. When “more” doesn’t move the needle, then what? In this solo episode, I lay out the contradiction that ran my creative life for a decade: 700 videos, ten years, under 20 subscribers, all while doing everything the playbook said to do. The problem was never volume. It wa...

Finding your creator voice isn't a craft problem. It's an attention problem. If your content feels hollow or sounds like everyone else's, more reps won't fix it. But one story a day might. In this solo episode, I share what happened during a coaching session with my own coach Jeremy that cracked open something I'd been circling for ten years. I was listing out everything frustrating me about my sh...

After creating 700+ YouTube videos, 430 landing pages, 175 podcast episodes, and 10 years of newsletters, I realized the problem wasn't showing up or producing. It was clarity about myself in relation to the work. In this episode, I'm soft launching a new format for the show exploring the creator as the ultimate input into all technology, systems, and processes. I share my personal clarity journey...

  700 videos. 430 landing pages. 170+ podcast episodes. And a decade of newsletters. So why wasn't anything sticking? In this mini update episode, Shawn gets real about what's been happening behind the scenes, and the common thread he found running through all of it. If you've ever felt like you're putting in the work but not getting the traction, this one's for you. Topics discussed: Where S...

The best thing YouTube does for creators has nothing to do with views — it's the 1% improvements you make every single time you hit record. In this episode, freelance videographer Joseph Burda shares what that growth looked like as a stay-at-home dad and how a no-niche sandbox approach helped him avoid burnout as a new creator. You'll learn how to escape the sunk cost trap that keeps so many creat...

Your creator identity is the foundation of every creator system. If your content sounds like everyone else's, more tactics won't fix it. This conversation explores the creative DNA behind sustainable creator growth. Jeremy Enns joins me for a deep conversation about what actually makes a creator unique. We break down the three forces that shape creator identity: your experiences and beliefs, how y...

  If you’ve ever wondered why some creators stay consistent, grow their work, and keep loving the process while others quietly burn out, this episode will show you the difference. In this solo reflection, Shawn Buttner shares his initial case for enthusiasm as the true currency of creativity,  why sustained excitement for your craft predicts long-term success better than hustle, algorith...

Tired of overthinking? Doubting your work and letting fear hold you back? Mindset can only get you so far. What you really need is the resilience to show up and build real confidence. Resilience coach Carlos Garcia is an expert in resilience training and performing under pressure — especially when you're stuck in a cycle of anxiety and self-doubt. In this episode, he shares actionable tools and re...

  Feel like you're creating but your content isn’t landing? The solution could be as simple as treating your content like a product. Not sure what that means? In this episode, Diana Ordoñez explains how to define the “job” of your content, clarify your audience, and create content that connects. You’ll learn a simple exercise to discover your core values and how to use empathy as a strategic...

If your publishing feels heavy, your positioning probably is. In this episode, Shawn shows professional creators how to define their audience using AAM —Audience, Aspiration, Method—and a 10-second one-liner you can actually say out loud. When AAM is crisp, creation gets easier, outreach lands, and platform changes don’t shake you.     You’ll hear clear AAM examples (Creator Science, Cal...

You know your stuff... so why are you still struggling as a creator? Are you undervaluing your work or confused about your message? In this episode, branding coach Christine Blosdale breaks down how confidence (not talent) is holding you back and what it takes to own your expert power. If you're afraid to charge more for your services or call yourself an expert in your niche, her tips will help yo...

  Most creators are told the answer to slow growth is more output, more tactics, or more courses. But what if the real breakthrough comes from looking inward? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own podcast and walking you through the nine things I believe are wrong with Creators That Crush. From a name that might be sending the wrong signal to unclear episode expectations, in...

Remember when podcasting used to be fun? If you're feeling uninspired or like your show is running on autopilot, you may be due for a creative reset. Kev Michael of Grow the Show is a podcast growth expert, but even he found himself stuck in the 7-year creator burnout cycle. In this episode, he shares what he did to get excited about being a creator again and why he decided to reverse his podcast...

Free Strategy Session: If you want help breaking through creative burnout, grab a free 30-minute strategy call at https://www.shawnbuttner.com/clarity-call   ------- You were the creative star — the ideas, the voice, the energy that made it all happen. But somewhere along the way, success turned your spark into caution. And here’s the truth: caution kills creativity. In this episode, I’ll sha...

Creative burnout isn’t about laziness or lack of ambition—it’s a signal that your creative process is out of alignment. In this episode of Creators That Crush, Shawn Buttner breaks down why the standard advice of “just push harder” isn’t sustainable, and introduces the one path that actually works: finding your performance edge . You’ll learn: What a performance edge is (and what it feels like) Th...

What if the reason you’re stuck isn’t what you think? In this solo episode of Creators That Crush, certified High Performance Coach Shawn Buttner shares a powerful 10-minute diagnostic that has helped hundreds of creators and professionals get unstuck, reclaim their energy, and take real action. Drawing on a decade of coaching and his own YouTube journey (700 videos before things started to click)...

If fear has been stopping you from publishing, launching, or even hitting record, then this episode of Creators That Crush is for you. Host Shawn Buttner shares the story of how one terrifying moment in high school helped him build real confidence. By saying “yes” to a last-minute musical performance  as an anxious introvert, Shawn discovered that courage isn’t about eliminating fear. It’s ab...