If you’ve built your business by being independent, capable, and self-reliant, this episode might put words to something you’ve been feeling for a while.

Doing it alone often works in the early stages of business. You figure things out as you go, make fast decisions, and rely on yourself to keep everything moving. That independence can feel empowering, and for a time, it is.

But as the business grows, the complexity grows with it. And at a certain point, self-reliance quietly becomes the bottleneck.

In this episode of The Solopreneur CEO Podcast, Carin and Marcia talk candidly about why doing this alone eventually stops working, even for very capable solopreneurs who are already doing many things right.

They unpack the hidden cost of isolation at higher levels of business, how decision fatigue builds when there’s no sounding board, and why over-availability often creates burnout instead of real support. You’ll also hear why many solopreneurs mistake this stage for personal failure instead of recognizing it as a leadership transition.

This is a grounded conversation about leadership, sustainability, and why support and perspective aren’t luxuries at this level, they’re infrastructure.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why doing everything yourself works… until it doesn’t

• How business growth increases complexity and decision fatigue

• The emotional cost of carrying leadership in isolation

• Why over-availability often creates more problems than it solves

• How unclear structure leads to burnout for founders and clients

• The difference between support and constant access

• Why environment and perspective matter at higher levels of business

If you’ve built something real but feel like you’re holding too much alone, this episode will help you understand why that feeling isn’t a personal failure, it’s a signal that you’re operating at a new level.

🌿 Keep the conversation going in the Solopreneur CEO free community at thesolopreneurceo.com

If you feel like you’re constantly running out of time, this episode might change how you see the real problem.

Most solopreneurs assume capacity issues are time issues. They buy new planners, try time blocking, and search for the perfect productivity system. But even with all that effort, the business still feels full, heavy, and hard to grow.

In this episode of The Solopreneur CEO Podcast, Carin and Marcia break down why capacity is not the same thing as time and why managing your schedule won’t fix a structurally overloaded business.

They unpack how complexity quietly creeps in as businesses grow, why decision fatigue and mental load drain capacity faster than hours on the clock, and how unclear communication, onboarding, and boundaries turn you into the default for everything. You’ll also hear why many solopreneurs subconsciously avoid growth because their business isn’t actually set up to support more clients.

This is a grounded conversation about designing a business that can grow without exhausting you, not by doing more, but by simplifying how the business runs.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why capacity problems are often mistaken for time problems

• How business complexity limits growth even when you “manage your time well”

• Why planners and productivity tools don’t fix structural issues

• How unclear communication and onboarding drain your capacity

• The hidden ways solopreneurs become bottlenecks in their own business

• Why client capacity matters just as much as your own

• How to start creating capacity without burning everything down

If you want to grow your business but feel like you’re already at your limit, this episode will help you understand what’s really holding you back and where to start redesigning for more ease and sustainability.
🌿 Keep the conversation going in the Solopreneur CEO free community at thesolopreneurceo.com

“If your business falls apart when you step away, is it really working for you?”

This is a conversation we’ve been having with solopreneurs for years, and it does not get talked about enough.

If you’ve built a successful business but feel like you’re carrying all of it alone, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, we break down why so many solopreneurs are working harder than ever, making money, and still feeling exhausted and stuck. We talk about why systems get such a bad reputation, and why avoiding them actually keeps you trapped in reactive mode.

Friend, systems aren’t tech. They’re leadership decisions.

We’re chatting about:

• Why solopreneurs resist systems and what it’s really costing them
• How panic-buying tools creates more chaos instead of clarity
• The mental load that comes from running everything manually
• What high-touch, systemized businesses actually look like
• How systems help your business support you, not consume you

We’ve learned these lessons the hard way, through burnout, rebuilding, and helping other solopreneurs untangle the same problems. And we’re sharing them so you don’t have to repeat them.

🌿 Keep the conversation going in the Solopreneur CEO free community at thesolopreneurceo.com.

You’ve built something real.Clients, revenue, momentum.

But behind the scenes, you’re carrying more than you want to be. The business works, but it depends too heavily on you. And deep down, you know it shouldn’t feel this hard.

In this first episode of the Solopreneur CEO Podcast, Carin Kilby Clark and Marcia Sheehan reintroduce the show and share who it’s really for: established solopreneurs who love what they do but are tired of operating in constant reaction mode.

This episode sets the foundation for what’s to come. Honest conversations about the mental load of solopreneurship, the emotional rollercoaster no one talks about, and how mindset, systems, structure, and support work together to create a more sustainable business.

No hustle culture. No pretending. No “just do more” advice.

If your business looks successful on the outside but you’re one bad day away from burning it all down, you’re not broken. You’re just carrying too much.

And you’re in the right place.