The Camp Is Open—Training Begins!
Four years of content. Little-to no-growth. Creating is no longer the bottle neck, clarity is.
Since late 2020, I’ve been showing up.
My content output has been consistent—I was getting reps in!
I’ve done everything, tried everything, published many (many) things in every format across all the channels.
2 Rap projects
6 quality music vids
7 content pages
20+ digital/physical products
80+ newsletters/articles
100s of reels/short content
150+ podcasts
And almost nobody saw any of them.
Every one of my channels has stalled at the same number for 3 years. Every project I’ve released has been heard by a small, important, but small group of close associates and friends. Video views top out at 30 views, X posts get no engagement, and the 100s of hours I’ve spent building digital products have amounted to a total of 6 sales over 4 years.
Showing up under these circumstances is frustrating.
I allow myself to become frustrated momentarily, but that is not going to fix the problem. So I use the frustration as fuel to help propel me toward a solution.
It’s easy to blame external factors.
Bad timing…
The algorithm…
Short attention spans…
An uneducated audience…
But I don’t, so I do as Marcus would do—I look within.
People didn’t know what to connect to because I never gave them clarity.
I was a rapper posting stoicism carousels. A podcaster dropping MMA commentary. A mindset creator releasing music. All through the same channel, under the same name, with no clear signal about who it was for or what I stood for.
Content is not the problem. Creating is not the bottleneck.
Clarity is.
The world is changing fast—clarity is no longer optional
So if you haven’t read the news lately, there is a thing called AI floating around.
It’s not coming—it’s here, and it’s reshaping how content is created, distributed and consumed. The barrier to entry has never been lower. Quality, specificity, value and clarity are now at a premium, and the creators who avoid these will perish.
Generalists are exposed right now, but not in the way that you think.
Being a multifaceted creator is a real benefit because you can now use AI to fill the gaps that would’ve required big spend to deliver.
The defining factor here—you have to have a clear value proposition and identity!
I’ve spent years getting my reps in—and I don’t regret a single one. Those reps taught me that I am someone who shows up and does the work. But reps without direction are just motion. I want movement. I want to build something that actually reaches people and improves their lives.
So I made a decision. This is the year I master something.
And you guys are the first to hear about it…
One final bit of preamble
I’ve started MMA content pages, faceless Stoicism channels, music-based communities, and tried to combine them into one and everything in between.
I’ve picked up momentum every time.
And just when I started getting momentum… I would pivot.
This can be put down to several factors: fear, shiny object syndrome, ADHD, etc…
But really, it was a lack of clarity and a shortage of discipline.
So before making this decision, I had to step back and really think about things from a bird's-eye view. I had to weigh up who I am now and where my life is placed, what I have capacity for, as well as who I want to be in 5 years from now.
So I examined the options one by one:
Rap music
Making rap music is something I will never stop doing; I’ve been releasing music for 20 years, it is a part of my identity, but can I talk about it every day for the next 5 years? Can I relate to the young guy coming up? Do I want to be a famous rapper? Probably not.
MMA/UFC
MMA is something that I love and enjoy creating content around/chatting about frequently, but for the next 5 years? Can I be the MMA guy? Do I have an edge here? Probably not.
Entrepreneurship/Sales
Something I do find fascinating from time to time, pulling on the threads of the mindset required to succeed in certain settings and what they can tell us about life. I believe I can provide some value here, but do I want to be known for this? Can I be an expert in this? Probably not.
Gratitude
Ok, we are getting a little warmer here! A powerful tool that I have used and talked about extensively over the last 5 years. Do I believe I could have an edge here? Yes, actually. But do I believe that it is something I can base a brand/identity around and build content around every day for the next 5 years? Probably not.
Stoicism
Ok, this is by far the warmest we have been. Stoicism is unique; it is misunderstood, it is powerful, and I could literally make content about it til the cows come home. I could definitely have an edge in Australia, so it is ticking a lot of the boxes. But do I have a fresh enough angle? Do I feel confident enough leaning on the Stoics as the base of my content every day? Do I want to be known solely for Stoicism (eg. Ryan Holiday)? Probably not.
After examining all possible trajectories and consulting my buddy Claudius Loopius Maximus (aka Claude), I landed on an idea.
And here it is…
CHAMP CAMP…
CHAMP CAMP is not only the name of my previous rap project (listen here), but it is also a powerful learning tool that I have borrowed from the MMA world.
In the fight game, the champ camp is the training camp you undertake in the months leading up to becoming a world champion. Fighters go through hell to leave no stone unturned, and it’s their job to drag themselves into the deep end to ensure they can still swim when shit hits the fan.
This is the point.
CHAMP CAMP is similar in that we choose the pain, we choose the hard.
So many of life’s challenges are chosen for us, but now we are choosing to wade out into the deep end with no assurance of safety, and in the process, revealing who we really are in preparation to become the champion of our own lives.
Not the highlight reel version that overpromises.
The 5 am version that over-delivers.
The version where you’re sitting with discomfort, but doing the work anyway.
Choosing discipline and conviction when motivation and hope have packed their bags and left the building. That’s where champions are made — not in the fight, but in the preparation.
This intersection of MMA, mindset, my grinding rap journey, stoicism and self-improvement is where I thrive.
What the rebrand looks like
Every week, from now until the end of time (or I see another shiny object), I’ll bring you one piece of content worth your time:
The podcast — formerly The Sav Show, will be rebranding as CHAMP CAMP. Same honesty, same conversations, sharper focus. One life lesson or powerful conversation, every Wednesday evening on my new YouTube channel, or anywhere you can get podcasts.
This newsletter — where I go deeper. The thinking behind the podcast. Frameworks you can apply this week. Stories from the journey, including the parts that didn’t go to plan.
The socials — if you do not mind giving the new page a follow @champcampau for daily doses of stoicism, gratitude and wtf moments.
Everything feeds one goal > sharing raw takes and lessons in order to help you in your own training.
Final thoughts...
Ima keep it G right quick…
I want to build an audience that engages with this work. I want this brand, these channels, to grow. I want to impact the lives of people who have been too afraid to get out of their own way.
I haven’t got it all figured out, far from it, but I know the version of me from 5 years ago could have benefited from someone like the current version of me.
And that’s why I’m going all in.
Don’t worry, Savilian is not going anywhere! I make rap music, that’s what I do, probably until I’m old and wearing an adult diaper, but it’s time for an adjustment.
This is me fixing the positioning.
This is me getting clarity.
Whether you came here for my rap journey or trading content, been here from the start of The Sav Show or even Slap Happy—thank you! You were early. Stick around, we just getting warmed up, baby!
If you’re new—welcome to the camp. You showed up at the right time.
Training starts now.
Matt Savelberg | The People’s Champ
If this resonated with you at all—subscribe to get every newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. One week at a time, one rep at a time.
Join the camp at champcamp.substack.com 👇
If you want to go deeper, the CHAMP CAMP Podcast drops every week—find it on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
LESGO CHAMP!
SAV