Home Podcasts Creative Courage: The Creative Business Podcast
Creative Courage: The Creative Business Podcast

Creative Courage: The Creative Business Podcast

Matt Essam 114 Episodes Apr 22, 2026

Creative Courage is a creative business podcast hosted by award-winning coach, author, and speaker Matt Essam. It explores the internal battles creative business owners face, from fear of launching to anxiety about life purpose. Each week, the show provides expert insights and proven strategies from inspiring entrepreneurs and thought leaders. The podcast aims to help listeners elevate their creative journey, win better clients, and make a bigger impact.

Episodes

The Formula For Attracting Your Ideal Clients On LinkedIn with Sam Browne Apr 22, 2026 4082 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
If You Feel Lost, Ask Yourself This Question… Apr 15, 2026 1009 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
Are You Undercharging? Use This Number To Find Out… Apr 8, 2026 631 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
Uncovering The Hidden Patterns Holding You Back with Kristy Campbell Apr 1, 2026 3611 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
Scarcity Mode vs. Opportunity Mode - Which One Are You In? Mar 25, 2026 1116 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
How To Stop Fear and Scarcity From Running Your Business with Sebastian Bates Mar 18, 2026 3016 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
Why Your Clients Are Killing Your Business Mar 11, 2026 825 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
The ‘4 Ps’ Strategy That Will Future-Proof Your Creative Business Mar 4, 2026 1021 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
How To Become The Go-To Expert In Your Industry with Sabrina Stocker Feb 25, 2026 2390 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
Scaling A Business Without Losing Your Creativity with Sam Ramsden Feb 18, 2026 3066 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
Why An “Authentic Brand” Doesn’t Exist with James Martin Feb 11, 2026 3030 “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
You’re Paying Too Much Tax (Here’s How To Fix It) with Pali Banwait Feb 4, 2026 3293 You’re probably paying more tax than you need to. And for a lot of creative business owners, that extra tax can become a real burden and slow down growth. In this episode, I’m joined by Pali Banwait, who shares some advice on how you can avoid paying more tax than you should be paying. But our conversation goes a lot deeper than tax. Pali is the founder of Strive, which helps entrepreneurs set up

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