You Don’t Have to Carry It All Alone | Solo Episode

What happens when the woman who’s always encouraging everyone else suddenly feels overwhelmed herself?

In this vulnerable solo episode, Penny opens up about feeling foggy, stretched thin, and unexpectedly emotional after running out of pre-recorded guest episodes and realizing: “Oh… this week it’s just me.”

But what unfolds is a powerful reminder that overwhelm does not mean you’re failing. It often means you’ve been carrying too much for too long.

This conversation is for the women who are:
 • Holding everything together
 • Building businesses while supporting everyone else
 • Feeling stuck between excitement and exhaustion
 • Wondering if they’re the only ones struggling with visibility, confidence, or momentum

Penny shares honest reflections on midlife reinvention, imperfect action, asking for support, and why women were never meant to quietly shrink themselves with age.

Key Takeaways:
 • Why “foggy brain” seasons don’t mean you’re off track
 • The mindset shift that helps overwhelmed women move forward
 • How small actions build confidence and clarity
 • Why visibility can feel vulnerable for women entrepreneurs
 • The importance of community, connection, and letting yourself be supported

Key Topics:
 • Midlife reinvention
 • Women entrepreneurs and overwhelm
 • Visibility and confidence
 • Rediscovering yourself after 40
 • Taking imperfect action
 • Community and support for women
 • Building a meaningful life and business

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Transcript

You Don’t Have to Carry It All Alone | Solo Episode

[00:00:33] Penny Fitzgerald: Hello, my friends. This week's episode is going to be a little different because I almost didn't know what to talk about. Last year, shortly before the holidays, 

I had so many requests from amazing women, and a few dudes who clearly didn't do their research into what kind of podcast this is and who it's for, that I stopped accepting requests from new guests. I had so many wonderful conversations with brilliant women recorded and ready [00:01:00] to share, and last week I officially caught up with myself, which means this week I'm here with just me, my thoughts, and maybe a little bit of vulnerability hangover before I even start.

I've been back in Iowa for a little over a week and settling back into the Iowa routine. It has been, well, not routine yet. There are amazing things happening: golf with friends, Sipper Club, Wine Camp planning, grand babies, wedding things, big life stuff, beautiful stuff.

And also, my brain has felt a little like there are 42 browser tabs open and at least three of them are playing music. So this week I sat down to think about what I wanted to share, and my brain basically said, nope, we're gonna stare at the wall for a bit and maybe scroll through social media to see what's going on."

Talk about a bad idea. And maybe you've had [00:02:00] those moments too. You're excited about what you're building. You love the people you serve. You have good things happening, and still you feel a little stuck, a little foggy, a little overwhelmed. That's where I was this week. I'm so excited about so many things: Wine Camp, Sipper Club, the women in my world, and the connections being created.

But I also realized I had run through the bank of guest episodes I recorded, and suddenly I was looking at this week's podcast thinking, "Oh, it's me. I have to talk." Which is funny because y'all know I can talk. But talking by yourself into a microphone is different than having a conversation with a brilliant woman across from you.

I love getting curious and learning about her and supporting her in sharing her voice. It reminded me that two things can be true at once, right? You can be excited about something and still feel overwhelmed. You can be [00:03:00] grateful for support and still feel nervous. You can love what you're building and still feel tired.

You can know you're on the right path and still have a foggy brain day. You can be supportive and know you have wisdom to share and still be afraid to put it out there. You can be thrilled about a new opportunity and still feel nervous when it's time to tell people about it. You can want your business to grow and still feel a little exposed when you post the thing, send the email, or invite someone to work with you.

You can love being the person people count on and still secretly wish someone would say, "Hey, I've got this part. You don't have to carry it all." That doesn't make you flaky. It doesn't mean you're ungrateful. It means you're human. We often think we should be doing more, doing it all, and doing it alone.

We're the caretakers, the problem solvers, the I've got this people. Somewhere along the [00:04:00] way, a lot of us learned that being capable meant being low maintenance. don't need too much. Don't ask too much. Don't be a burden. Figure it out. Keep it moving. Smile while you're doing it. And listen, I love a capable woman.

I'm surrounded by them. I am one of them. But capable does not mean you're meant to be a one-woman production company, a customer service department, idea factory, travel agent, marketing team, emotional support system, and snack coordinator. I see this with women in business all the time.

They're trying to learn the tech, write the posts, follow up with customers, build the relationships, make the offer, manage the household, support the family, and somehow also stay calm, confident, and hydrated. No wonder we get foggy. And I don't want to confuse fog with failure.

A foggy day does not mean you're off track. It may simply mean you're in a [00:05:00] season that requires a smaller step. Not a full life overhaul, not a perfect plan, not a color-coded spreadsheet with matching tabs and a theme song, just the next honest step. Send the email Ask for support. Record the messy episode.

Invite the friend. Take the walk. Drink the water. Open the laptop. Close the 17 tabs you do not need. Bless and release the rest. and I'm smack dab in the messy middle of building things that matter. Wine Camp, Sipper Club, my podcast, supporting women, and sharing my voice too, to share what I've learned, to lift others up, to serve my community, to serve you, and to be brave and vulnerable, to be real.

because when you're building something or even when you're at a stage of life where you've been there, done that, and are figuring out what's next, some [00:06:00] days or weeks or even stages that may last longer, it's not a linear trajectory, right? We don't just have it all figured out. We don't have better days and then better days and then better days.

We will go through seasons where we just don't feel like us, and I'm right there. Like, I'm on the cusp of something. Like, this is the point where it would be really easy to just scroll social media or binge-watch America's Test Kitchen. But here's what I know. When I let myself chill for too long, I don't feel good about it.

It doesn't lift my mood. It doesn't accomplish anything. It doesn't make me healthier. It doesn't make me a better me, so I can make a greater and more positive impact in this world. I've been thinking a lot about the season of life too, this stage where women are told directly or indirectly to get quieter, smaller, more practical, and less visible.

I just don't buy it. [00:07:00] Through the podcast conversations I've had and with some of the women I've coached, I see women making a choice. Some choose not to experience new things. They choose to remain comfortable, And that becomes a vicious cycle, right? It gets too comfortable, putting one foot in front of the other, and the fear of growing or trying something new keeps them small, so much so that they shrink.

We're not done learning. We're not done growing. We're not done building strength, physically or emotionally. We're not done having fun. We're not done making memories, and we're not done making an impact. That's part of why Wine Camp matters to me and Sipper Club and this podcast. Yes, there's wine. Yes, there are cocktails.

Yes, there will be laughter and probably a few stories that should never be repeated outside the group. But underneath all of that is something deeper, women choosing [00:08:00] connection Choosing joy, friendship, and new experiences in a season of life where too many people expect us to quietly fade into the background.

Nope, not on my watch. And maybe this isn't about that for you. Maybe for you, it's finally posting about your business after lurking and overthinking for weeks. Maybe it's inviting someone to coffee or to a Zoom or to an event that you're excited about. Maybe it's saying yes to the trip or the class, the networking group, the podcast interview, the coaching call, the new offer, or the thing that your future self keeps whispering about.

Maybe it's something as simple and brave as saying, "I want more of this." Then your brain jumps in with all the reasons you should wait. Wait until you have more energy. Wait until the kids are settled. Wait until work slows down. Wait until you lose the weight. Wait until the website is done. Wait until you know exactly what [00:09:00] to say.

But here's the thing, waiting until everything feels clear and calm or perfect may keep you waiting forever. The clarity comes after you move. It's one of the things I say all the time, action brings clarity, And I wish action always felt cute and inspired and perfectly timed, but sometimes action looks like opening the document and writing a messy first sentence.

Sometimes it looks like recording the episode before you feel ready. Sometimes it looks like sending the invitation, asking the question, booking the call, making a decision, or saying, "I don't know exactly how this is gonna work yet, but I'm taking the next step." We don't become confident by waiting until we feel confident.

We become confident by proving to ourselves, one small action at a time, that we can move through the awkward part.

And this is where I had to remind [00:10:00] myself, I'm not actually doing this alone. I have women around me who are excited, women who have said, "How can I help?" Women who are inviting friends, sharing ideas, showing up for happy hours, joining Sipper Club, and helping create the energy of Wine Camp before we ever pack a bag.

That's not accidental. That's community. And sometimes we forget that the very thing we've been building is allowed to support us back. So let me ask you, where are you trying to be the only strong one? Where have you convinced yourself that because it's your dream, your business, your family, your project, or your idea, you have to carry every piece of it by yourself?

And if you're in one of those foggy brain seasons, I want you to hear this. You are not broken. You're not behind. You're not too old, too late, too scattered, too tired, or too much. [00:11:00] You may simply be carrying too many things alone. So today, take one small step. Ask for one bit of support. Let one person in.

Say yes to one thing that lights you up. Because we're not meant to shrink. We're not meant to disappear into everyone else's needs. We're not meant to spend the rest of our lives only checking boxes And being fine. We are here to learn, grow, connect, laugh, create, serve, and have a ridiculous amount of fun along the way.

And if nobody has reminded you lately, let me be the one. You still have wisdom to share. You still have experiences to create. You still have women to encourage. You still have things to learn, and you absolutely do not have to do it alone. If this stirred something in you, if you wanna be part of an amazing community, or you just wanna learn more, [00:12:00] become an insider at pennyforyourshots.com/insider.

And if you're feeling overwhelmed in your business, or you know you're ready for a next step, but you're not sure what that looks like, I'd love to talk with you. You can schedule a complimentary connection call with me at pennyforyourshots.com/call. See you next week, my friend. Cheers. 

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