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

Are you having fun running your business?

I’ve asked myself this question in the past and the answer hasn’t always been yes.

A lot of creative business owners hit a point where their business is ‘working’, but it’s boring. And that boredom drains the energy from their business.

In this episode, I’m joined by Adam Faulkner. Adam has been running a successful video production agency for over five years, but he reached a point where business became boring, and he knew that something had to change.

Adam changed direction with his business and content and attracted the attention of a talent agent, and when he did, he started opening doors he never expected.

We dig into why fun is more than a “nice to have” and how it can become the compass for your business.

So, if you’ve been feeling bored, stuck or like you’re playing it too safe with your business, this is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• Why fun might be the most underrated business advantage you’re ignoring.
• How avoiding being overly strategic can actually help your business.
• How Adam got picked up by a talent agent.
• Why authenticity doesn’t need to mean oversharing.
• The real reason content doesn’t stick.
• Why ‘showing up consistently’ isn’t enough anymore.
• 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

Adam Faulkner on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfaulkner

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

Do you ever feel like something’s missing, despite having a portfolio full of great work?

You’re not alone.

Chris Goor has filmed some of the world’s biggest moments from the headline stage at Glastonbury to Usain Bolt breaking world records.

But behind the camera, something felt off.

Chris had built a successful career, but couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t giving him purpose anymore and 12 hour days, 7 days a week were leaving him at breaking point.

So Chris decided to experiment and made a shift out of the world he knew, building a personal brand with a following of over 100,000 people, where he helps others find their purpose through content creation.

And in this episode, Chris shares how he was able to make the leap and find success.

If you ever feel stuck doing work that doesn’t fulfil you, this is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• How to know when it’s time to make a shift.
• The first steps to moving towards something more purposeful.
• How to build a following online without chasing trends.
• Why your LinkedIn posts are being ignored.
• Overcoming the perfectionism holding creatives back.
• The key to turning followers into clients that’s often overlooked.
• How to move away from work that no longer serves you.
• 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

Chris Goor on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thechrisgoor/

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT

Chris Goor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisgoor/

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

You want better clients.

Clients that pay more, respect your time, and treat you like a partner - not just another supplier.

But most founders are making the same mistake every single week that is holding them back from ever attracting those types of clients.

And in this episode, I share what that mistake is, and the steps that you need to take to make attracting your dream clients feel easy.

Covered in this episode:

• The mistake most founders make when trying to attract dream clients.
• How to pinpoint exactly who you should be targeting.
• How to build trust with clients before the first call.
• 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

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

In a crowded market, many studios are leaning on awards they’ve won to stand out.

Or they find themselves pitching against a dozen other agencies.

But Simon Forster decided to do neither of those things with his branding agency, Robot Food, and has still landed huge global brands like Pepsi, Cadbury and Carlsberg.

Not because they’re the biggest.

Nor the cheapest.

But because they’ve garnered trust and focused on the right things.

And in this episode, Simon breaks down the real reasons global brands choose one studio over another and the strategies that creatives need to consider if they want to play at that level.

If you want to be the studio that big brands pick, this is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• How to get big corporates to trust you.
• The hidden factors that matter far more than creative output.
• How to build a reputation that makes getting corporate clients possible.
• Why Robot Food doesn’t enter design awards.
• How to challenge clients and get them better results.
• And much 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

Robot Food - https://www.robot-food.com/

Work with Matt to grow your agency - https://www.mattessam.co.uk/creative-life-accelerator

CONNECT

Simon Forster on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robotfood/

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

I’ve lost count of how many rejections I’ve collected in my business and life over the years.

From no’s to appearing on podcasts, to no’s from prospects.

I imagine you’ve collected a few yourself.

And it can hurt. Almost like they’re rejecting YOU.

But what I’ve realised is that the amount of rejection that someone faces is in direct proportion to what they’re able to achieve in life.

In this episode, I share the 3-step process I use to reframe rejection and transform it into valuable feedback that helps you get more of what you want.

If you find dealing with rejection draining, or that you hold back from ever asking out of fear of rejection, this is for you.

Covered in this episode:

• Why rejection is required for success.
• Dealing with rejection (motivation for creatives).
• How to detach your identity from the outcome so you can keep going after rejection.
• The question to ask after every rejection to turn it into momentum.

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