Creative Courage

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 businesses in Dubai and he’s also founded and invested in many other businesses over the last 20 years, which has given him a unique perspective on what makes a business thrive.

We dive into how to run your business like an entrepreneur and not just a creative, how to spot risk early before things go wrong, and why so many businesses are moving overseas.

If you want to keep more of what you earn, build a healthier business and stop wasting money through avoidable mistakes, this episode is for you.

Covered in this episode:

Why you’re probably paying too much tax and how to fix it.

The biggest misconceptions people have about setting up a business in Dubai.

How to know if moving your business is worth it.

The hidden risks most founders miss when making financial decisions.

Why you need more than just a bookkeeper to manage your business finances.

How a SWOT analysis can help you avoid upcoming risks and capitalise on your strengths.

Why reporting is essential for any business and how to get it right as a creative.

Getting feedback from clients and using it to grow your business.

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 

Strive - https://www.strivedubai.com/ 

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

CONNECT 

Pali Banwait on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/palibanwait/ 

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

Business is hard.

With delivery, sales, marketing, and everything in between, there’s too much to do, and not enough time to do it.

That’s why I tell creative studio owners that the first hire they should make is a virtual assistant.

And in this episode, I’m joined by Richard Woods - a three-time bestselling author, serial founder, and finalist on The Apprentice - to dive deep into how to leverage VAs to scale twice as fast.

Richard runs Million Dollar Sprint, where he helps small businesses get to a million dollars as well as Sprint VA, a global virtual assistant business with nearly 200 people.

If you don’t have a VA yet, this will help you figure out what to look for and where to start.

And if you already do, you’ll learn how to stop managing them so closely and get hours back each week.

Covered in this episode:

Why most creative business owners wait too long to hire a VA.

How to find the right VA.

The first task you should outsource in your business.

The common mistakes that cause outsourcing to fail.

Management strategies for those who hate managing people.

How to know when a team member isn’t working out.

What will separate businesses from the rest in 2026.

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 

Sprint VA - https://sprintva.co/courage 

Million Dollar Sprint - https://milliondollarsprint.com/ 

LinkedIn For Breakfast - https://www.skool.com/linkedin-for-breakfast/about 

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

CONNECT 

Richard Woods on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardwoodsofficial/ 

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

Should you be creating content?

It feels like everywhere we turn, we’re being told we need to regularly pump out content to attract more clients.

And yet many creatives I talk to feel stuck when it comes to content.

They overthink it.

Or they post a couple of times and they decide it’s not for them.

But the reality is that most creatives don’t have a content problem.

They have a clarity problem.

In this 100th episode of Creative Courage, Chris Do returns for a conversation that goes way deeper than ‘how to get more followers’.

We talk about what people are missing when it comes to content, the first mistakes people make, why so much content gets ignored, and what stops people from sticking around.

We didn’t agree on everything… which made this one of the most valuable conversations I’ve had in a long time.

Covered in this episode:

Should every creative business owner be making content?

The first content mistakes most people make.

How to overcome the internal blockers that stop you posting.

What really makes people buy (and what doesn’t).

Why there’s more to content than marketing.

The missing “thread” in most content.

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.

 

LEARN MORE 

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

CONNECT 

Chris Do on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/ 

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/@Matt_Essam

Should you run your business solo? Or is it better to build an agency?

It’s a question I hear often from creative business owners.

You started your business for more freedom and flexibility.

But somewhere along the way, things changed, and you end up with less freedom than you’d get from a 9 to 5 job.

In this episode, I’m joined by Shoaib Ahmed, who’s lived the agency life, and as a solopreneur. He built an agency doing £30k months with a full team, but realised he could never truly switch off.

So he burnt it down and went all in on his freelance business, where he specialises in helping people build their personal brand.

We break down the trade-offs between staying solo and building an agency and how to find real freedom in your business.

If you’ve ever felt torn between scaling up and simplifying, this is for you.

Covered in this episode:

The symptoms you’re building the wrong size business.

The ‘freedom trap’ most creatives fall into.

How to make a solo business work without doing everything yourself.

What people never measure when they talk about freedom.

How to structure your business so you can take time off.

The one thing more important than client acquisition that most creatives miss.

How to build trust and win business without constant outreach.

What most LinkedIn content gets wrong.

How to know when it’s time to change your business.

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 

Shoaib Ahmed on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaibahmed21 

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

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