Creative Courage: The Creative Business Podcast

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 just temporary obstacles and opportunities show up in unexpected ways.

Consider this episode a gentle nudge to re-examine the choices you’re making: are you chasing security, or are you chasing something that lets you show up fully alive? A small but courageous decision can change everything.

I would love to know what you think of this episode. You can connect with me on Instagram @matt_essam or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/ 

PS: Next month I'm opening up five spaces to work with me 1:1. If you are interested in finding out more, send me a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn

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 after seven days. If you enjoyed this please share this episode with a friend. 

Connect with me on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattessam/

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 closing the the gap between what you think you want and what you actually want. 

You'll learn:

Why stress-testing a goal beats logically reasoning your way to it

How to compress the time between clarity and experience

A simple framework for testing big life goals (more free time, relocating, buying property) in weeks instead of years

Why the people who already have what you want are your best and most honest source of information

How I reward myself along the way to a long-term goal, instead of only at the finish line

Whether you're craving more time, eyeing a lifestyle change, or just chasing a goal you've never actually tested, this episode gives you a practical way to find out if it's really what you want.

I'm Matt Essam the business coach to creative studio founders and author of The Creative Studio Roadmap.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes on courage, creativity, and building a business (and life) on your own terms.
🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn.

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 someone that isn't even around anymore.

These patterns can show up in your pricing, your sales calls and even your positioning. In this episode I explore how to spot the patterns and break them once and for all. 

Whose permission are you still waiting for? This episode is a warm invite to look inward, update your script, and get out of your own way so you can do the work you actually want to do.

Please hit the subscribe button if you found this useful and share it with a friend.

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, please hit subscribe and share it with a friend.