Welcome to Leveling Up with Lindsay, the podcast
where we dive into leadership, small business,
and everything in between. I'm Lindsay, your
host and the proud owner of White Beauty Boutique,
a space created to empower women, build confidence,
and foster meaningful connections. Whether you're
an entrepreneur, a mom, a friend, or someone
just looking for a little inspiration. This is
your space to feel seen, supported, and inspired.
Join me as we share stories, strategies, and
a little bit of life's chaos while navigating
what it truly means to level up in starting a
business, relationship, and personal growth.
So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's
level up together. Hi friends, and welcome back
to Leveling Up with Lindsay. I knew when I sat
down to record this episode that it definitely
needed to be personal. Not polished, not perfect,
but very honest. Because as this year comes to
a close, I don't think I'm the only one feeling
it at all. This year stretched me. As a leader,
as a business owner, as a wife, as a mom, as
a human trying to hold it all together while
showing up for others. And I wanted to sit down
today here and talk about that pretty openly
because I know so many of you are carrying your
own version of that heaviness right now. This
episode isn't about pretending everything is
fine. It's about acknowledging what was hard,
honestly hard, and choosing to rise anyways.
Over this past year, I've had the opportunity
to sit across from so many amazing people. business
owners leaders employees friends customers parents
families and one word keeps coming up again and
again heavy for some it's a health journey whether
you're in the middle of one supporting someone
you love or honestly still recovering from something
you never expected to walk through in the beginning.
For others, it's financial pressure. Trying to
make things work, watching costs rise, stretching
dollars further than you've ever had to before.
For so many, it's business. Wondering how to
keep your doors open, how to pivot, how to lead
when uncertainty feels so constant. And for a
lot of people, it's questioning themselves honestly
all together. Am I doing enough? Am I doing this
right? Am I even cut out for this season? What
makes this heaviness so difficult is that most
people are still showing up, still smiling, still
pushing forward. But inside, you're so tired.
And I want you to know that if that is you, you
are not weak. You are human. I want to be very
honest with you all. This year challenged me
in ways I didn't fully anticipate. There were
moments where leadership felt incredibly heavy,
where every decision carried weight, where responsibility
didn't stop me, but extended to my team, their
families, and the future that we're trying to
build together. There were moments where I brought
stress home with me, honestly. where I had to
consciously remind myself to be present as a
mom, not just as a business owner, constantly
solving problems. And honestly, that has probably
been one of my biggest challenges this year.
When things get really hard or challenging, I
problem solve. I dig, I research, I try to plan.
But honestly, a lot of times this year, that
was the expense of the intentional time with
my family. And there were moments of I being
really real. Where the emotional weight felt
heavier than the workload itself. And it's not
because I don't love what I do. It's not because
I'm not grateful. But because caring deeply comes
honestly at a cost. Leadership isn't light. Responsibility
isn't light. And when you lead with heart, trust
me, you feel everything. But woven into the heart
always is where there are wins. There are quiet
ones, meaningful ones, the kind that don't always
make it to social media. A little conversation
that honestly mattered more than anything. A
moment of laughter when I needed it, especially
with the friends and family that I love so much.
A reminder that even when things feel uncertain,
purpose does not disappear. One thing this year
taught me is this. Wins don't always look like
numbers or milestones. Sometimes the win is simply
not. quitting. Sometimes the win is choosing
courage on a day you'd rather just retreat and
not do anything. Sometimes the win is getting
back up after disappointment and deciding to
try again. Wiser, stronger, clearer. So if you're
ending this year tired, but still standing, oh
goodness, does that matter? If you've pivoted,
adjusted, or had to completely rethink your whole
path, that isn't failure. That is growth. And
growth doesn't always feel exciting when it happens.
Sometimes it feels like a lot of pressure. But
I promise you, pressure builds strength. If you're
listening to this and questioning yourself as
a leader, I want you to hear this very very clearly.
The fact that you care enough to question yourself
already says something so so powerful about you.
Strong leaders don't have all the answers. They
ask better questions. They reflect. They adapt,
they lead with heart, even when it would be easier
not to. If you're wondering whether you're cut
out for this season, this responsibility, this
calling, maybe the doubt you're feeling isn't
a sign to quit. Maybe it's an invitation to grow.
Not into someone else, but deeper into who you
already are. I believe so. deeply. That strength
isn't given ahead of time. It shows up when we
step forward anyway. Faith isn't about pretending
things are easy. It's about trusting that purpose
still exists, even in the middle of uncertainty.
Resilience isn't loud. Most days, it's very quiet.
It's getting up again. It's choosing hope. It's
believing that this season, no matter how heavy,
is shaping something meaningful. As we move into
a new year, I want you to know this. There is
so much ahead for me, for White Peony, for this
community. We are dreaming bigger, moving with
intention, building something deeply impactful,
not just in business, but in people. But before
we rush forward, I wanted to pause here to honor
the year that stretched us, the year that taught
us, the year that proved again that we are capable
of more than we think. And before I end this
episode, I need to say something very clearly
from the heart. Yes, this year was heavy. Yes,
this year it stretched me in every way possible.
Yes, there were moments I had to sit in the hard.
But I will tell you one thing that's absolutely
certain. I am not someone who stays down and
never will. I do not sit in defeat. I do not
fold when things get uncomfortable. And I do
not shrink when the road gets hard. I learn.
I adjust. I will get back up every single time.
And if you're listening to this and thinking,
I don't know if I have another fight in me, let
me remind you, you don't need to fight harder.
You just need to stand tall again. You need to
remind yourself what you bring to the table.
You need to come back to your why. You need to
own the exact strings that light up this world
when you show up fully. Because the moment you
remember who you are, everything changes. That's
the moment you stop shrinking. That's the moment
you stop second guessing. That's the moment leadership
gets very clear again. And that's where I'm standing
right now. I'm leading with clarity, conviction,
and zero hesitation. White Peony is moving forward
intentionally, strategically, and without apology.
And this season did not slow us down. It refined
how we move. So if you want to see what fierce
actually looks like, what happens next, we're
not walking into 2026 quietly. We're stepping
in sharpened, focused, and fully, fully aware
of who we are. This isn't noise. This is direction.
This isn't survival. This is execution. And what's
coming isn't just big. It's built to last. So
yes, watch closely, friends. Because when clarity
meets courage, momentum is inevitable. Thank
you for listening. If you found this information
helpful, please share it with a friend. If you're
looking for more information on the topics we
covered, please head to the show notes below.
And if you wouldn't mind leaving a five -star
rating and review, this would help this mission
and our journey to get started. Let's make today
and every day an opportunity to level up. Until
next time, keep dreaming, keep striving, and
keep making a difference.