Achieving More Freedom as a Creative, With Matt Essam

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Marcel is joined by Matt Essam, founder of The Creative Life and bestselling author of Create and Prosper, to unpack how top-level creatives can build businesses that actually serve their lives rather than drain them. Drawing from his own journey from agency work to coaching, Matt shares why so many talented professionals feel unfulfilled despite impressive portfolios and big-name clients, and how to break free of that cycle. Together, he and Marcel dive into Matt’s three-pillar framework for creative entrepreneurs: differentiating in a crowded market, clearly communicating value to clients, and building scalable delivery systems that don’t trap founders in day-to-day work. With practical stories, mindset shifts, and tools like Matt’s one-page sales framework and his upcoming Creative Studio Roadmap, this conversation offers creative professionals a roadmap to greater freedom, fulfillment, and financial security while designing a business and lifestyle by choice, not default.