Two Content Creators Who Built Thriving Businesses by Being Themselves

Why This Matters

Every freelancer and creative business owner has heard that tired mantra: “just be yourself.” But when it comes to building an audience or making content that actually pays the bills, most people panic and reach for quick fixes. Should you copy what works for someone else? Studio lighting, on-trend edits, artificial personalities – all tempting shortcuts to seem more “professional” or to “crack the algorithm.” The truth is, that path rarely leads anywhere you want to go.

There’s a high price for faking it, beyond the cringe. It’s exhausting to maintain a persona that doesn’t fit. Worse, it makes your work blend into the noisy mass of interchangeable content, making it that bit easier for clients and customers to forget you exist. Even the most polished content won’t land properly if you’re not actually solving real problems for the people you want to help.

If you’re stuck in an endless loop of planning, tweaking, and mimicking, it’s not because you lack talent. You’ve likely caught the most common disease in freelancing: the belief that what works for others must be better than your genuine approach. Some of the most quietly successful creators show just how wrong that thinking can be.

Take Ed Lawrence of Film Booth and Stephen Pope of No-Code Academy. On paper, they’ve taken wildly different journeys, with no shortage of technical and stylistic twists along the way. Both ended up at the same destination: a loyal audience, real business results, and personal brands built on solid ground. Their secret? Boring old authenticity, used consistently, with very little fanfare.

Let’s pull apart the workable parts of their stories, then show you step by step how to get out of the copycat cycle and create a business that really grows with you.

Common Pitfalls

There are patterns you see again and again in freelancers who stall out:

1. The Persona Trap

It’s easy to think that the only way to stand out online is to build a bigger character. You see others turning every video into a performance or every blog into a TED Talk, so you dial everything up to eleven. Soon, you feel like you’re cosplaying as a YouTuber or some LinkedIn “thought leader.” The mask never quite fits, and your audience can tell.

2. Chasing Algorithms

Too many creators obsess over the current trend: jump cuts, five-second hooks, neon graphics, that one audio everyone’s using. You produce for software, not people. Maybe you snag a spike in views, but it rarely leads to long-term trust or income.

3. Perfectionism Paralysis

Impossibly high standards kill more businesses than bad competitors. You convince yourself only flawless content counts. For Ed, that meant early videos dripping with cinematic effects. For others, it’s spending weeks tweaking fonts and transitions, thinking someday it’ll be ready. Spoiler: Someday never arrives.

4. Ignoring Real Feedback

You’re working away in isolation, guessing what people want, rarely bothering to talk to your intended audience. Feedback rolls in, sometimes blunt, other times subtle, and you ignore it because it stings or doesn’t fit your vision. You keep making what you think people should want, then wonder why nobody bites.

Spot yourself yet? Don’t worry, you’re in excellent company. The path forward is simpler and more effective than the internet wants you to believe.

Step-by-Step Fix

Here’s how genuine, audience-first creators like Ed Lawrence and Stephen Pope make authenticity work as a business strategy. Each step includes a vital lesson from their journeys, with a Pixelhaze Tip at the end for practical action.

Step 1: Start With What’s Natural For You

Trying to sound like someone else is exhausting. Ed Lawrence began Film Booth with content that reflected his filmmaking roots: clever edits, rich camera work, tightly scripted tutorials. It was what he knew best. Stephen Pope, on the other hand, didn’t bother with flashy intros or forced charisma. His knack was explaining complex web tools in plain, unpretentious English. Both attracted early fans by sticking to their own strengths.

Step 2: Solve Real Problems (Not What You “Want” to Teach)

This is where most creators lose steam. Ed’s early, beautifully shot videos often focused on topics he thought were interesting. Growth was slow until he pivoted to answering the exact questions his audience struggled with: thumbnail click rates, easy editing tricks, how to stop videos flopping. Stephen’s breakthrough came from the same place: no frills, just meaty, actionable answers to Skool users’ real bottlenecks, delivered in just-the-facts style.

Step 3: Build Your Feedback Loop

The most successful creators aren’t psychic. Instead, they rely on systems. Ed and Stephen both made audience feedback their north star. Ed course-corrected his style when viewers tuned out of his longer, more ambitious pieces. Stephen let comments and DMs shape the next week’s email or tutorial topic. This isn’t bowing to every whim, but rather using responses as data on what’s truly needed.

Step 4: Drop the Quest for Perfection, Embrace Relentless Consistency

Neither Ed nor Stephen became known for studio magic or production value. Ed’s later videos, while still clean, moved towards fast production and clear answers. Stephen’s were friendly, sometimes unpolished, but always reliable. The focus wasn’t on impressing people; the goal was to show up, week after week, and offer more value. The reward? When clients needed help, they already knew and trusted who could deliver.

Step 5: Evolve Only Where It Counts

Ed’s channel morphed: less time spent on effects, more on simplifying advice, tighter edits. Stephen adapted his teaching as Skool’s features changed and his members’ problems evolved. They didn’t cling to old methods out of pride. Instead, they changed what needed changing just to make things more relevant and helpful for their audiences.

Step 6: Let Business Flow From Trust

Over time, both creators reached the point where their communities started to ask for more: paid groups, coaching, courses, and professional services. Ed built paid YouTube coaching. Stephen grew his No-Code Academy within Skool. The money didn’t show up after a viral hit. It came as a natural extension of useful content, consistency, and familiarity.

What Most People Miss

Here’s the trick nobody shouts about: the content creators who “make it” didn’t hack some secret formula. They simply made themselves easy to trust.

Most people obsess over reach and growth hacking, hoping the right hashtag or one “big break” will rocket them to the top. But if the content isn’t honest, and if it doesn’t solve problems, your growth turns out short-lived.

The real difference is that long-game creators like Ed and Stephen act more like hosts at a dinner party than actors on a stage. They’re present, listening, adapting, and genuinely invested in helping those around them. This leads to a stable business, one referral at a time.

The Bigger Picture

Here’s what happens when you commit to this way of working:

• No more guesswork: Content planning becomes easier. Audience questions hand you topics on a platter.
• Increased stability: When a trend shifts, you aren’t left scrambling. Your core stays solid.
• Better leads: People who come into your orbit via helpful, authentic content become high-trust clients or customers.
• Sustainable growth: Instead of burning out with trending stunts or forced personas, you’re building an asset. Your reputation compounds.
• Freedom: Once people trust your expertise, you set the terms. Your business supports your lifestyle, not the other way round.

Creators like Ed and Stephen show you don’t need to fit some archetype. Show up ready to be useful, trustworthy, and open about who you are—even if you’re never the loudest voice in the room.

Wrap-Up

To build a business that lasts, follow the pattern set by Ed Lawrence and Stephen Pope:

• Lean on your natural skills and experience.
• Prioritise solving real problems over flashy production.
• Use feedback constantly to refine what you offer.
• Publish on a schedule, not when it feels perfect.
• Let business opportunities emerge from proven trust, not empty audience metrics.

Keep it simple. Keep it honest. And always, always, listen before you talk.

What’s next? Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.