If you want 2026 to be a 10/10 year, you don’t need resolutions.

And you don’t need SMART goals.

In 2025, I wrote a book, hit 100 podcast episodes and launched a new coaching programme, all while running my multiple six-figure coaching business (and still took two months off).

And in this episode, I’m sharing the 3-step process I followed to make this happen. This is the same process I use with my clients to turn vague intentions into measurable results.

If you want 2026 to be a year you can look back on and be proud of, this episode will give you the exact framework to make that happen.

Covered in this episode:

• Why goals often fail.
• How to get clear on what you actually want.
• Mapping out the exact actions you need to take next year.
• How to keep yourself from giving up on your goals halfway through the year.
• Why SMART goals don’t work for most creatives and what to use instead.
• Why it’s easier to show up for clients than for yourself and how to fix it.

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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

Most creatives see stress and burnout as a time-management problem.

Or a team problem.

So they hire more people. They implement new systems.

But nothing changes.

And if you find yourself burning out regularly, you’re probably looking in the wrong place for an answer.

Stress can completely break your creativity. And if you’re like me, you probably compare yourself to the Hormozis and Bartletts of the world, wondering why you can’t handle stress and pressure like they can.

But what I’ve come to understand is that not all personalities are built to handle stress in the same way.

Yet so many of us are modelling our lives and businesses on these serial entrepreneurs who are wired completely differently.

In this episode, we dive into why this is dangerous for your business, and how to build a business that works for you.

Covered in this episode:

• Why stress shuts down creativity.
• How different personalities process pressure and why it matters.
• Why comparing yourself to other entrepreneurs is burning you out.

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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV

Most creative businesses aren’t struggling because they’re not good enough.

They’re struggling because they’re invisible.

And in a world where AI can produce decent deliverables in seconds, visibility is becoming the difference between the businesses that grow and the ones that get left behind.

In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Fernandez, Co-Founder of The Growth Guys and Social Pitch AI. We unpack the truth behind what exactly creative businesses need in order to stay relevant.

If you’ve been feeling shift in the creative industry, this conversation will give you the clarity you need to stay one step ahead.

Covered in this episode:

• How to stay relevant with AI replacing creative work.
• The real reason creative experts are going unnoticed and how to fix it.
• Why “know, like and trust” isn’t enough anymore.
• How “unconscious incompetence” silently limits your growth.
• Will AI replace creative jobs?
• How to use AI in a way that builds trust instead of eroding it.
• What creative businesses must offer to clients to survive.
• 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

Paul Fernandez on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-a-fernandez/

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/playlist?list=PLcf0CcYK3MtnITQCyGXoVVR-eTu8SEbAV