WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:03.009 Welcome to Leveling Up with Lindsay, the podcast 00:00:03.009 --> 00:00:05.110 where we dive into leadership, small business, 00:00:05.269 --> 00:00:07.809 and everything in between. I'm Lindsay, your 00:00:07.809 --> 00:00:10.169 host and the proud owner of White Beauty Boutique, 00:00:10.269 --> 00:00:13.250 a space created to empower women, build confidence, 00:00:13.369 --> 00:00:16.030 and foster meaningful connections. Whether you're 00:00:16.030 --> 00:00:18.809 an entrepreneur, a mom, a friend, or someone 00:00:18.809 --> 00:00:21.469 just looking for a little inspiration. This is 00:00:21.469 --> 00:00:24.530 your space to feel seen, supported, and inspired. 00:00:24.750 --> 00:00:27.670 Join me as we share stories, strategies, and 00:00:27.670 --> 00:00:30.190 a little bit of life's chaos while navigating 00:00:30.190 --> 00:00:32.710 what it truly means to level up in starting a 00:00:32.710 --> 00:00:35.229 business, relationship, and personal growth. 00:00:35.390 --> 00:00:38.369 So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's 00:00:38.369 --> 00:00:43.030 level up together. Hi friends, and welcome back 00:00:43.030 --> 00:00:45.409 to Leveling Up with Lindsay. I knew when I sat 00:00:45.409 --> 00:00:47.210 down to record this episode that it definitely 00:00:47.210 --> 00:00:50.560 needed to be personal. Not polished, not perfect, 00:00:50.820 --> 00:00:53.759 but very honest. Because as this year comes to 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:56.420 a close, I don't think I'm the only one feeling 00:00:56.420 --> 00:00:59.359 it at all. This year stretched me. As a leader, 00:00:59.460 --> 00:01:02.479 as a business owner, as a wife, as a mom, as 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.500 a human trying to hold it all together while 00:01:04.500 --> 00:01:06.819 showing up for others. And I wanted to sit down 00:01:06.819 --> 00:01:09.079 today here and talk about that pretty openly 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:11.219 because I know so many of you are carrying your 00:01:11.219 --> 00:01:14.579 own version of that heaviness right now. This 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:17.000 episode isn't about pretending everything is 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:19.739 fine. It's about acknowledging what was hard, 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:23.400 honestly hard, and choosing to rise anyways. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.599 Over this past year, I've had the opportunity 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:28.700 to sit across from so many amazing people. business 00:01:28.700 --> 00:01:32.019 owners leaders employees friends customers parents 00:01:32.019 --> 00:01:35.760 families and one word keeps coming up again and 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:39.500 again heavy for some it's a health journey whether 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:41.560 you're in the middle of one supporting someone 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:45.310 you love or honestly still recovering from something 00:01:45.310 --> 00:01:47.450 you never expected to walk through in the beginning. 00:01:47.629 --> 00:01:50.650 For others, it's financial pressure. Trying to 00:01:50.650 --> 00:01:52.890 make things work, watching costs rise, stretching 00:01:52.890 --> 00:01:54.989 dollars further than you've ever had to before. 00:01:55.269 --> 00:01:58.849 For so many, it's business. Wondering how to 00:01:58.849 --> 00:02:02.230 keep your doors open, how to pivot, how to lead 00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:05.730 when uncertainty feels so constant. And for a 00:02:05.730 --> 00:02:08.729 lot of people, it's questioning themselves honestly 00:02:08.729 --> 00:02:12.479 all together. Am I doing enough? Am I doing this 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.719 right? Am I even cut out for this season? What 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:18.680 makes this heaviness so difficult is that most 00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:21.840 people are still showing up, still smiling, still 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:25.539 pushing forward. But inside, you're so tired. 00:02:25.699 --> 00:02:29.599 And I want you to know that if that is you, you 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:33.150 are not weak. You are human. I want to be very 00:02:33.150 --> 00:02:35.430 honest with you all. This year challenged me 00:02:35.430 --> 00:02:37.870 in ways I didn't fully anticipate. There were 00:02:37.870 --> 00:02:40.870 moments where leadership felt incredibly heavy, 00:02:40.990 --> 00:02:44.009 where every decision carried weight, where responsibility 00:02:44.009 --> 00:02:47.669 didn't stop me, but extended to my team, their 00:02:47.669 --> 00:02:50.009 families, and the future that we're trying to 00:02:50.009 --> 00:02:53.330 build together. There were moments where I brought 00:02:53.330 --> 00:02:55.669 stress home with me, honestly. where I had to 00:02:55.669 --> 00:02:58.129 consciously remind myself to be present as a 00:02:58.129 --> 00:03:01.030 mom, not just as a business owner, constantly 00:03:01.030 --> 00:03:03.969 solving problems. And honestly, that has probably 00:03:03.969 --> 00:03:06.569 been one of my biggest challenges this year. 00:03:06.669 --> 00:03:10.030 When things get really hard or challenging, I 00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:13.550 problem solve. I dig, I research, I try to plan. 00:03:13.669 --> 00:03:17.229 But honestly, a lot of times this year, that 00:03:17.229 --> 00:03:19.990 was the expense of the intentional time with 00:03:19.990 --> 00:03:22.530 my family. And there were moments of I being 00:03:22.530 --> 00:03:25.469 really real. Where the emotional weight felt 00:03:25.469 --> 00:03:28.370 heavier than the workload itself. And it's not 00:03:28.370 --> 00:03:31.430 because I don't love what I do. It's not because 00:03:31.430 --> 00:03:34.849 I'm not grateful. But because caring deeply comes 00:03:34.849 --> 00:03:38.889 honestly at a cost. Leadership isn't light. Responsibility 00:03:38.889 --> 00:03:41.449 isn't light. And when you lead with heart, trust 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:44.780 me, you feel everything. But woven into the heart 00:03:44.780 --> 00:03:48.259 always is where there are wins. There are quiet 00:03:48.259 --> 00:03:51.080 ones, meaningful ones, the kind that don't always 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:53.400 make it to social media. A little conversation 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:56.240 that honestly mattered more than anything. A 00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:58.419 moment of laughter when I needed it, especially 00:03:58.419 --> 00:04:00.979 with the friends and family that I love so much. 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:03.340 A reminder that even when things feel uncertain, 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:06.900 purpose does not disappear. One thing this year 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:09.759 taught me is this. Wins don't always look like 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:12.520 numbers or milestones. Sometimes the win is simply 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:14.699 not. quitting. Sometimes the win is choosing 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:18.079 courage on a day you'd rather just retreat and 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.120 not do anything. Sometimes the win is getting 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.519 back up after disappointment and deciding to 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:28.019 try again. Wiser, stronger, clearer. So if you're 00:04:28.019 --> 00:04:31.379 ending this year tired, but still standing, oh 00:04:31.379 --> 00:04:34.360 goodness, does that matter? If you've pivoted, 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.199 adjusted, or had to completely rethink your whole 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:40.459 path, that isn't failure. That is growth. And 00:04:40.459 --> 00:04:42.420 growth doesn't always feel exciting when it happens. 00:04:42.500 --> 00:04:44.800 Sometimes it feels like a lot of pressure. But 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:48.579 I promise you, pressure builds strength. If you're 00:04:48.579 --> 00:04:50.240 listening to this and questioning yourself as 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.279 a leader, I want you to hear this very very clearly. 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:56.060 The fact that you care enough to question yourself 00:04:56.060 --> 00:04:59.879 already says something so so powerful about you. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.660 Strong leaders don't have all the answers. They 00:05:02.660 --> 00:05:05.920 ask better questions. They reflect. They adapt, 00:05:06.139 --> 00:05:08.439 they lead with heart, even when it would be easier 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:10.339 not to. If you're wondering whether you're cut 00:05:10.339 --> 00:05:13.079 out for this season, this responsibility, this 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:16.379 calling, maybe the doubt you're feeling isn't 00:05:16.379 --> 00:05:18.819 a sign to quit. Maybe it's an invitation to grow. 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:23.019 Not into someone else, but deeper into who you 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:26.490 already are. I believe so. deeply. That strength 00:05:26.490 --> 00:05:29.069 isn't given ahead of time. It shows up when we 00:05:29.069 --> 00:05:31.870 step forward anyway. Faith isn't about pretending 00:05:31.870 --> 00:05:34.689 things are easy. It's about trusting that purpose 00:05:34.689 --> 00:05:37.689 still exists, even in the middle of uncertainty. 00:05:38.250 --> 00:05:42.129 Resilience isn't loud. Most days, it's very quiet. 00:05:42.449 --> 00:05:45.490 It's getting up again. It's choosing hope. It's 00:05:45.490 --> 00:05:48.089 believing that this season, no matter how heavy, 00:05:48.209 --> 00:05:51.410 is shaping something meaningful. As we move into 00:05:51.410 --> 00:05:54.250 a new year, I want you to know this. There is 00:05:54.250 --> 00:05:57.269 so much ahead for me, for White Peony, for this 00:05:57.269 --> 00:06:00.189 community. We are dreaming bigger, moving with 00:06:00.189 --> 00:06:03.209 intention, building something deeply impactful, 00:06:03.410 --> 00:06:06.110 not just in business, but in people. But before 00:06:06.110 --> 00:06:09.250 we rush forward, I wanted to pause here to honor 00:06:09.250 --> 00:06:12.129 the year that stretched us, the year that taught 00:06:12.129 --> 00:06:15.870 us, the year that proved again that we are capable 00:06:15.870 --> 00:06:18.600 of more than we think. And before I end this 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:21.040 episode, I need to say something very clearly 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:24.620 from the heart. Yes, this year was heavy. Yes, 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:27.500 this year it stretched me in every way possible. 00:06:27.779 --> 00:06:30.160 Yes, there were moments I had to sit in the hard. 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:32.819 But I will tell you one thing that's absolutely 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:36.360 certain. I am not someone who stays down and 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:39.319 never will. I do not sit in defeat. I do not 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:42.019 fold when things get uncomfortable. And I do 00:06:42.019 --> 00:06:45.620 not shrink when the road gets hard. I learn. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:50.670 I adjust. I will get back up every single time. 00:06:50.990 --> 00:06:52.990 And if you're listening to this and thinking, 00:06:53.110 --> 00:06:55.389 I don't know if I have another fight in me, let 00:06:55.389 --> 00:06:58.089 me remind you, you don't need to fight harder. 00:06:58.350 --> 00:07:02.870 You just need to stand tall again. You need to 00:07:02.870 --> 00:07:05.230 remind yourself what you bring to the table. 00:07:05.389 --> 00:07:08.470 You need to come back to your why. You need to 00:07:08.470 --> 00:07:11.889 own the exact strings that light up this world 00:07:11.889 --> 00:07:14.910 when you show up fully. Because the moment you 00:07:14.910 --> 00:07:18.470 remember who you are, everything changes. That's 00:07:18.470 --> 00:07:20.689 the moment you stop shrinking. That's the moment 00:07:20.689 --> 00:07:23.009 you stop second guessing. That's the moment leadership 00:07:23.009 --> 00:07:26.209 gets very clear again. And that's where I'm standing 00:07:26.209 --> 00:07:29.209 right now. I'm leading with clarity, conviction, 00:07:29.389 --> 00:07:33.129 and zero hesitation. White Peony is moving forward 00:07:33.129 --> 00:07:35.649 intentionally, strategically, and without apology. 00:07:35.949 --> 00:07:39.410 And this season did not slow us down. It refined 00:07:39.410 --> 00:07:42.250 how we move. So if you want to see what fierce 00:07:42.250 --> 00:07:45.490 actually looks like, what happens next, we're 00:07:45.490 --> 00:07:48.949 not walking into 2026 quietly. We're stepping 00:07:48.949 --> 00:07:53.509 in sharpened, focused, and fully, fully aware 00:07:53.509 --> 00:07:57.069 of who we are. This isn't noise. This is direction. 00:07:57.430 --> 00:08:01.569 This isn't survival. This is execution. And what's 00:08:01.569 --> 00:08:04.990 coming isn't just big. It's built to last. So 00:08:04.990 --> 00:08:08.410 yes, watch closely, friends. Because when clarity 00:08:08.410 --> 00:08:12.170 meets courage, momentum is inevitable. Thank 00:08:12.170 --> 00:08:14.189 you for listening. If you found this information 00:08:14.189 --> 00:08:17.149 helpful, please share it with a friend. If you're 00:08:17.149 --> 00:08:18.769 looking for more information on the topics we 00:08:18.769 --> 00:08:21.149 covered, please head to the show notes below. 00:08:21.589 --> 00:08:24.209 And if you wouldn't mind leaving a five -star 00:08:24.209 --> 00:08:26.769 rating and review, this would help this mission 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:29.870 and our journey to get started. Let's make today 00:08:29.870 --> 00:08:33.570 and every day an opportunity to level up. Until 00:08:33.570 --> 00:08:36.669 next time, keep dreaming, keep striving, and 00:08:36.669 --> 00:08:38.149 keep making a difference.