Burned Out or Burning Out - Reclaim Your Energy - Episode 193

 You didn't start your business to feel drained. You built it to create freedom, impact, and maybe even have a little fun along the way. But somewhere between growing the team, landing next client, and keeping all the plates spinning, your fire started to dim.

Sure, you're still showing up, you're still driving results, but deep down, something feels off. And if you've caught yourself wondering, why does this feel so much harder than it used to? You're not alone, and you're definitely not broken. What you're experiencing might be a lack of passion.

It could be burnout, plain and simple. Not the dramatic collapse kind, but that sneaky, slow creep version that's quietly wearing away your motivation and clarity. Most business owners don't see it coming.

They mistake the signs for a rough patch. They push through and just try to outwork it until eventually they look up and realize they're running on fumes. The good news is, this is fixable.

And today we're digging into the hidden causes of burnout, how to spot it early, and what you can do to reignite your energy and leadership. Welcome to the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast. Good day, and welcome to the Budding Entrepreneur Podcast.

I'm your host, Randy Bridges. In each episode, we dive into practical business strategies that you can put to work in your business right away. We also focus on inspiring stories from leaders who are shaking and making things happen in their industry.

It's all about giving you the tools and insights to take you and your business to the next level. So get comfortable and let's jump right in. All right, all right.

We are on session 193 of the podcast, and today is Friday, April 4th, 2025. Let's dive into the third part of our four-week business reset series, designed to help you shake off the drag and move into the growth that you deserve with confidence. Over the past two episodes, we've covered how to tell if your business is stuck and exposed three silent profit drains that eat away at your momentum.

This week, we're getting personal, because when a business starts to grow, it doesn't always feel good. Sometimes it feels overwhelming. It's like you're the one doing everything while everyone else is just clocking in.

That's what it feels like. But sometimes you're also quietly asking yourself, is this really what I signed up for? That, my friend, is the sign of burnout talking. So today, we're gonna explore the root causes of burnout for business owners.

We're gonna unpack why it's so hard to spot until it's too late, and we're gonna lay out three powerful ways to stop the burnout cycle and get your energy back. Now, next week, we're gonna be wrapping up this short series with a powerful conversation about how to scale without losing control. So let's get to our quote of the week, and this is less of a quote and more of a truism.

You can't pour from an empty cup. This is an unknown quote, if you will. It's a simple truism, but one that cuts deep for business owners.

You're the engine behind your company. We often wear hustle like the badge of honor that it purports to be, until it turns into a burden. But success isn't about sacrifice.

It's about alignment with the limits of your own engine. And if that engine's always redlining, something's gonna break. Keep in mind, burnout doesn't just hurt you.

It drags down your team, your clients, your results, everything that your business is and touches. And today, we're gonna dig into how you can get the alignment back to where you're not redlining constantly in your business. So let's talk about what causes burnout for business owners.

And I know this, and I'm sure you know it as well. Most people think burnout comes from working too many hours. But as a business owner, you know better.

It's not the hours that you spend working on your company. It's the weight of the decisions. Every decision, fixing every issue, carrying the team, delivering for clients, and never feeling like there's enough time, money, or space to rest.

When you wear too many hats, it can become really difficult. You're the technician, the visionary, the operator, and the firefighter all in one place. And because of that, you can never truly disconnect.

Vacations, half the time you're checking email when you're away. I don't know how many times over the past 14, 15 years that I've taken a vacation only to spend most of it attached to my business. And a lot of times there's no clear path forward when you get this.

You know, you're working hard, but it's not really clear what you're building towards. So this creates a silent spiral. You start off energized and excited.

I mean, you know, it's your business. And as it grows, so do the responsibilities. You say yes to everything because you care.

You take on more because who else will? And before long, you're overwhelmed, resentful, and questioning if you want to keep doing this at all. And that's what happens to a lot of solopreneurs. You overload yourself and you overload your ability.

But it's not really something that's easy to spot. It's sneaky. Burnout doesn't come with flashing warning signs.

It comes with subtle signals. You generally feel emotionally flat. You can't really get excited about too much.

You can't get too depressed about so much. And you start getting irritated by just simple questions. The things that you could have overcome two, three years ago without even thinking about it, now you're sitting there with your head in your hands.

And you don't want to talk to anybody because you're afraid of what's gonna come out of your mouth, especially the first time it happens. And you also find that your creativity can disappear. The problem solving is much more difficult.

Everything starts to feel like a chore. It's what brought you to the top of the pyramid in your own business, to start it, to build it, to grow it. But now it's like an albatross around your neck.

But you're still showing up. You're still closing sales, still getting the work done. And you tell yourself, you know, I'm fine.

I'll just work my way through this, right? Burnout doesn't always knock you down. Sometimes it drains your joy until you don't care anymore. I've seen that in myself.

I got to a point early in my first business when I was just like, man, these problems are just driving me nuts. I can't sleep at night. I just lost that passion of running the business.

And you know, it's not sustainable. It's not what you signed up for when you started your business. So let's turn this all around and look at three ways that you can reclaim your energy and passion for the business that is yours.

Number one, reconnect to your why. Remember when you first started this business? There was a reason you jumped at the chance to lead, a vision, a purpose, a desire for something better. Maybe it was freedom.

Maybe it was impact. Maybe it was about building a legacy that would outlive you. But over time, when that original fire got buried under invoices, emails, team meetings, all that other stuff, you found yourself feeling more like shoulds than wants.

This step is about coming home. Pull out your notepad or your notes app or whatever you use and write down answers to these three simple questions. Why did I start this business? What do I want it to do for my life now as in today? What do I not want to go back to? I think like me, when I did this exercise, you will be surprised what surfaces.

When you reconnect to the reason you started, your decisions are gonna start shifting. Now, the burnout that thrives in disconnection, you're gonna find that alignment becomes fuel. Number two, let's redesign your role.

The role you're in right now, it was probably built out of necessity back when you had no team, no structure, and no choice but to do everything yourself. But here's the thing, what got you here won't get you there. It's not just a good quote from a book.

It's a realism that comes as you work on a business. You realize over time, you are always developing. What's the saying? The way to measure your progress is backwards against where you started, not against your ideal.

So what we wanna do is realize you've grown and the business has changed, but has your role evolved with it? Here's another little homework piece for you. Take 30 minutes and write yourself a future facing job description. In the last part, we did what you're gonna do to make you happy today.

Now we're gonna look at the future. This is about what you want to be doing as the owner of a thriving, sustainable business. Three more points.

Ask yourself, what tasks actually require me? What decisions light me up? And where do I do my best thinking? When you clarify what your true role should be, you create space between where you are and where you're going. And in that space, energy returns. You start working in a future pacing way where you are actually accelerated to that rather than having to work your way there.

You're picturing the future and setting the future as it is. And if you believe it strongly enough, that future will drag you toward it. Your leadership will become fun again.

Redesigning your role isn't indulgent, it's strategic. Essentially, it's how you stop reacting and start building with purpose again. And the third thing that you can do, almost everybody knows this.

Delegate, but do it with intention. Intentional delegation isn't about offloading what you just don't want to do. It's about protecting your energy by putting the right people in the right seats on purpose.

And that includes yourself. See, too many owners get stuck in the weeds because they believe they're the only ones who can do the work, or they feel like they're the only ones that can do it without mistakes. Okay, right, well, let's get real.

If everything depends on you, the business isn't growing, it's surviving at best. This is where an operator can help. We've talked a little bit about this.

When you bring in someone who can oversee operations, processes, and help manage people, someone who owns the delivery of your business, you can be freed to lead again. Even delegating 10 hours a week can feel like getting oxygen. I've tried delegating initially, and I found myself always clawing it back.

Employees have to have an opportunity to make mistakes just like you did. You don't have to do it all. You just have to stop pretending that doing it all is a strength.

It's not. It's simply another roadblock to growth that's hidden in a willing disguise. So let's hit our recap and sneak peek for this week.

Burnout isn't just about too many hours. It's about carrying too much weight without the right support. You don't have to sacrifice your health or happiness to run a successful business.

And by reconnecting with your why, redesigning your role, and delegating intentionally, it will put you on the path to reclaim your passion and energy. Now, if this topic hits home for you, let's connect. We can casually look at your business role and see if we can find some simple ways to get your spark back.

Without resorting to blowing everything up in the business, I think it'll put everything back in perspective for you. And I'll have a link to that in the show notes. Just look for an MBI session.

That's a Maximum Business Impact session. Next week, we're gonna wrap up our four-part series with a conversation that many owners secretly avoid. How to scale without losing control.

It's gonna bring everything together. I don't think you're gonna wanna miss it. Until then, take care, take a breath, and keep building with purpose.

That's it for this episode. I hope you picked up some valuable insights and maybe even sparked a few new ideas. If you wanna keep the conversation going or maybe even explore partnerships, don't hesitate to reach out.

And hey, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs to hear it. The steps you take today could be the start of something big tomorrow. For The Budding Entrepreneur, I wish you the best in your health, your wealth, your business, your family, everything about you.

Take care, and we'll see you back here next week.