How do you know you've "made it?" Is it a packed schedule? The nonstop grind? Or freedom and flexibility? Today’s conversation with Susan Boles, host of Calm is the New KPI, explores how creators can design a calm business that runs smoothly without toxic hustle or burnout.

We discuss how to bring "calm" into your business using Susan's four-lever framework, how to unlearn habits that lead to burnout, and strategies to stay creative and focused. Get tips on scaling a creative business, tracking true success, and finding the fun in your business!

Topics discussed:

Susan Boles is the founder of Beyond Margins, creator of the Calmer Business framework, and host of Calm is the New KPI. Her work helps business owners, agencies and consulting firms move from reactive, chaotic operations to calm, sustainable ones so they can scale without burning out.

Connect with Susan:

https://pod.link/1478304620

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesusanboles/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOkwGRBhMzlaxv3ZLP0PQIw

https://www.beyondmargins.com

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://podcastboutique.com 

You are invited to a 30-Minute Creator Strategy Session to help you diagnose what’s blocking your momentum and map out a breakthrough plan -> www.shawnbuttner.com 

Feel like you’re putting out great content, but nobody’s noticing? Meanwhile, others seems to effortlessly attract engagement without even trying?

In this episode of Creators That Crush, Shawn shares the hilarious and frustrating story of Fancy, a neighborhood peacock who’s somehow gained local fame, viral attention, and even an ice cream flavor—without doing anything but being himself.

But there’s a twist: Fancy has all the attention and none of the transformation. And that’s where creators can do better.

Using Fancy’s unexpected success as a metaphor, Shawn explores what real creators can do to not only stand out, but show up with purpose. You’ll learn three ways to stand out authentically—even in an AI-saturated world—and how to use your values to create work that resonates and transforms.

Why copying viral creators is a trap that drains your voice

The problem with attention if there’s no transformation behind it

How to stand out without chasing trends

Why creators must focus on community, novelty, and humanity

A powerful values-based exercise to align your content with your best self

 Links + Resources:

Free 30-min Creator Strategy Session → www.shawnbuttner.com

Connect on YouTube → YouTube Channel

Listen on Apple Podcasts → Apple

Listen on Spotify → Spotify

Are your responsibilities pulling you away from your creativity? Whether it’s a day job, family, or the content engine you’ve built, it’s easy to feel like your best ideas are slipping through the cracks.

In this episode of Creators That Crush, Shawn Buttner tackles the painful tension between obligation and art. Inspired by a quote from creator Jay Clouse, Shawn explores what happens when our energy and time are misaligned—and what creators can do to reclaim their spark.

In today’s episode, we will discuss:

Be sure to listen to the end for a special opportunity to help you crush it as a creator!

Grab your free 30-minute Creator Strategy session: www.shawnbuttner.com

The Truth About Creator Burnout | Episode 17: https://www.shawnbuttner.com/podcasts/creators-that-crush/episodes/2149030444

Burnout doesn’t just happen to creators, it builds slowly from a hundred tiny choices we didn’t realize we were making. In this solo episode of Creators That Crush, high performance coach Shawn Buttner breaks down the hard truth about creator burnout: it’s often a pattern we unconsciously choose, but also one we can reverse.

You’ll learn:

What burnout really looks like for creators (hint: it’s more than exhaustion)

Why obligation to algorithms, audiences, and “being consistent” can secretly drain your joy

The four key steps to move from burnout to high-performance creative living

How to train like an athlete to sustain energy, stamina, and excitement

Why reclaiming your creative agency could be your biggest breakthrough

If you’re tired of feeling like you’re on the content treadmill with no exit, this episode will help you find a new way forward. One filled with clarity, energy, and purpose.

Stick around to the end for a special invitation to book a free 30-minute Creator Strategy Session with Shawn. (www.shawnbuttner.com)

If you’re ready to ditch the burnout and start thriving as a creator, this one’s for you.

Episode 16 | Overcome Imposter Syndrome: https://www.shawnbuttner.com/podcasts/creators-that-crush/episodes/2149021808

You want to earn more, but you hesitate when it's time to raise your rates. Sound familiar? This is a challenge Georgie Darling, business coach and freelance writer, knows all too well. She battled imposter syndrome just like most creators do, and now helps other creatives move past self-doubt and build businesses that actually pay what they're worth.

In this episode, you'll learn simple strategies for growing a business that fits into your lifestyle, tools for choosing the right clients, and tips for pushing through fear and doubt that come with growing a creative business.

Georgie and I discuss:

Georgie Darling is a business coach and freelance travel writer passionate about helping female creatives create confident, sustainable, and profitable businesses. She went from an office job to traveling the world and working with high-profile brands like Tripadvisor, Marriott Hotels, ELLE, and The Guardian.

Connect with Georgie:

👉 Join the Momentum community: https://thefreedomroute.com/momentum-magic

👉Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreedomroute_/

If you’ve ever felt like showing up every week with your content is getting you nowhere, this episode is for you. Shawn Buttner shares a deeply personal story about spending years on YouTube—following all the “be consistent” advice—only to see flat results. The problem? Consistency without change doesn’t lead to growth.

In this episode of Creators That Crush, we explore why being consistently inconsistent is the secret to creator growth. Shawn breaks down five key experiments he’s trying this month—from new YouTube thumbnail tests to adding guest episodes and changing up SEO strategy. You’ll learn how small shifts in your creative process can compound over time for massive impact.

Stay till the end for an example showing how to be 'consistently inconsistent.'

Sign up for your 30 minute Creator Strategy Session here: www.shawnbuttner.com

Channel Imposter Syndrome Into Growth, Not Self-Doubt | Episode 2

Ever feel like one mistake derails your entire creative flow? You’re not alone. Too many creators treat mistakes as setbacks instead of what they really are—stepping stones to breakthroughs.

In this episode of Creators That Crush, Shawn Buttner reveals why top creators—from The Beatles to modern innovators—embrace play, experimentation, and yes, mistakes. You’ll hear how the Fab Four spent 70% of their time goofing off in the studio and still produced legendary music. It wasn’t wasted time—it was the key to their genius.

We dive into:

Why perfectionism kills creativity.

How high performers balance structure with playful exploration.

Simple ways to bring more joy and experimentation into your workflow.

A personal challenge to help you rediscover fun in your creative process.

If you’ve been grinding too hard, feeling stuck, or losing the spark in your work, this episode is your permission to loosen up—and thrive because of it.

Listen now and start turning mistakes into momentum.

Links:  

Book your FREE 30-min Creator Strategy Session: shawnbuttner.com

Watch on YouTube: YouTube Channel

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Book your free 30-minute Creator Strategy Session: www.shawnbuttner.com

Ever feel like you’ve done everything—and still made no progress?

In this episode of Creators That Crush, Shawn Buttner unpacks the real cause behind creator burnout and lack of motivation. Spoiler alert: It’s not laziness. It’s overwhelm—and it’s fixable.

Drawing from personal stories and his experience as a certified high-performance coach, Shawn shares five creator-specific habits that shift you from stuck to soaring:

Nervous system regulation (like eye-scanning or meditation)

ASDM analysis to assess your workload

Clear purpose statements and value metrics

High-performance mindset shifts

Operational upgrades to move faster, sustainably

This episode is for every creator who’s tired of feeling behind, burned out, or unsure if they’re doing the right things.

Listen in and take control of your motivation.

- Creator Purpose Statement: https://www.shawnbuttner.com/podcasts/creators-that-crush/episodes/2148996654

- Value Metrics Episode: https://www.shawnbuttner.com/podcasts/creators-that-crush/episodes/2148989262

- Huberman talking about lateral eye movement (not the episode of Huberman Lab Podcast I first heard this, but gets right to it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHHQ0dJ0rcQ

Have you ever sat frozen, scrolling, waiting for the “perfect” idea while your creative momentum fades quietly in the background? You’re not alone. In this episode, Shawn gets real about analysis paralysis — that sneaky trap where creators stall, lose confidence, and start questioning everything.

Shawn shares his personal story of battling resistance, and introduces the 5-Step Creator Checklist. This simple framework helps you make faster, more aligned decisions, so you can keep creating instead of spinning your wheels.

Tune in to learn how to:

Ready to break free from analysis paralysis? Listen now.

The Secret Metrics Every Creator Needs - Creators That Crush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5dTTuhgOxQ

https://www.shawnbuttner.com/podcasts/creators-that-crush

Your Content Is An Argument For Change

If you don’t know what what you want to move people to do:

Imagine the difference YOUR work makes in peoples lives. What if you knew for sure that your latest episode HELPED people live a better life?

Would you show up more fired up, more confidently, more empathically?

In this episode of 'Creators That Crush,' host Shawn Buttner discusses the crucial ingredient often missing in creators' content: the ability to persuade for change. Shawn emphasizes that content should serve as an argument for change to motivate creators and engage audiences.

https://www.shawnbuttner.com/podcasts/creators-that-crush

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPYGHMT5cuFigp3efE8FwNw

I’m opening up five free strategy sessions to help content creators like you get clear, focused, and back in flow using proven high performance tools.

If you’re ready to create with more energy, purpose, and impact, apply now at www.shawnbuttner.com/apply

Let’s make this your breakthrough year—without the burnout.