You're Not Burned Out. You're Rootbound.
Listen to this episode on the Purpose + Profit Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the podcast player of your choice.
We’re about to embark on a new 4-part series called “Why Isn’t This Working?” As I have talked to colleagues and loads of fellow entrepreneurs over the last few months - and dare I say the last few years, even - it feels like many of us have experienced real growth and success in our businesses, but then things stagnate.
When that happens it’s incredibly confusing and disorienting because you’ve done everything “right.”
You followed the blueprint, built the offers, served the clients, and even hit the revenue goals you once dreamed of.
But now?
You wake up tired with a bone deep weariness that never seems to go away (and let’s be real, it’s not perimenopause this time).
You find yourself procrastinating on the work you used to love. Your calendar feels like a list of obligations instead of aligned opportunities. And that spark? That fire that once fueled your mission? It’s… flickering.
Most people will tell you that what you're feeling is burnout.
I don’t fully buy that because I’ve been there (embarrassingly, too many times to count), and I know what this really is.
My friend, you’re not burned out.
You’re rootbound.
Meet Mitch.
I have this plant, a beautiful Schefflera, named Mitch. He’s been with me for almost 20 years, gifted to me and my husband after my dad passed away unexpectedly.
Over the years, I’ve watered him, given him sunlight, cried next to him, and talked to him (don’t judge)… but here’s the thing:
Mitch isn’t really growing.
He’s still alive. He sits next to my desk in my office, near the window and a framed picture of my dad.
He’s still beautiful.
But something’s off.
Recently, it hit me. I’ve never repotted him. He’s still in the same container he came in two decades ago.
And just like that, it clicked: Mitch is rootbound.
There’s no more room in that pot. No more space to stretch. The roots have twisted around themselves so tightly that his growth is stunted, even though all the conditions seem “right.”
Sound familiar?
This is what happens to us when we outgrow the business we built.
You’ve Outgrown the Container
Here’s the truth most successful, purpose-driven women entrepreneurs aren’t saying out loud:
I’ve evolved, but my business hasn’t caught up.
The message that once felt magnetic, that fueled everything, now feels flat.
The work and results you’re known for are solid, but nothing about it lights you up anymore.
You’ve outgrown the offers, the audience, maybe even the identity you’ve built your business around.
You are no longer a match for the container you’re in.
And trying to grow, scale, or reignite your momentum inside a business you’ve outgrown? That’s a recipe for feeling stuck, resentful, and yes… exhausted.
Clarity Changes Everything
While it may seem tempting, this isn’t the time to burn it all down.
It’s about getting radically clear on your big idea, the one that’s bold, original, loud, and tenacious enough to represent who you are now.
Not who you were when you started.
Not the version of you that made that six-figure leap.
The version of you now.
When you name that idea, when you build your visibility around it, and rebuild your business from that foundation, it’s like repotting yourself. Suddenly, you’ve got breathing room. Space to grow again.
This is the beginning of what I call The Bold Rebuild™, and it starts with seeing that the problem isn’t you. It’s the pot.
The Visibility Trap
Here’s the kicker: most of the women I work with are already brilliant. They’re experts in their field. They’ve been at this for a while.
But somewhere along the way, they became the best-kept secret in their industry.
They’ve been spinning in the swirl of doing too much, saying too little, and feeling like they’ve lost the thread of what actually makes their work powerful and purposeful.
And the visibility strategies they try? They don’t land. Because when your message isn’t aligned with your current version of impact, no amount of social media batching or podcast guesting will fix it.
Increased visibility alone won’t fix this problem.
You need the right message, and that stems from deep clarity about your big idea.
Ready for a Reality Check?
If this hits a little too close to home, I want you to know: this isn’t failure.
It’s a sign that you’re ready.
You’re not broken. You’re rootbound.
And the only thing stopping you from that next-level growth, from really blooming, is the space to do it.
Let’s start there.
If this resonates with you, download my new free guide, Why Isn’t This Working?
Inside, you’ll uncover the real reasons you’re feeling stuck and how to take the first step toward a business that actually fits.
It’s time to stop stifling and shrinking your roots to fit a pot that you’ve outgrown. It was never meant to contain you.
