If you’ve built your business by being capable, responsible, and good at figuring things out, this episode might name a turning point you’ve been circling for a while.

In the early stages of business, the operating mode works. You do the work, solve problems as they come up, and stay close to every detail. That hands-on approach is often what gets the business off the ground.

But as the business grows, staying in operator mode creates friction. Decisions feel heavier. Everything depends on you. And even though you know something needs to change, it’s not always clear what that change actually is.

In this episode of The Solopreneur CEO Podcast, Carin and Marcia talk about the decision most solopreneurs avoid making and why nothing really shifts until that decision is made.

They explore why stepping into CEO leadership isn’t about titles or doing less work, but about choosing a different way to lead, think, and make decisions. You’ll hear why so many solopreneurs stay stuck in the in-between, how indecision quietly increases mental load, and why avoiding the CEO role eventually limits the business.

This is a grounded conversation about leadership, identity, and what it really means to decide how your business will run.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why solopreneurs don’t drift into CEO leadership, they decide into it

• The hidden cost of staying half-operator, half-CEO

• Why knowing what to do isn’t the same as deciding to lead differently

• How indecision increases mental load and complexity

• What the CEO role actually changes in day-to-day decision-making

• Why stepping into leadership often feels uncomfortable at first

• How intentional decisions reduce burnout and create clarity

If you’ve built something real but feel like your business still depends too heavily on you, this episode will help you see where a decision, not another fix, might be the shift you’ve been waiting for.

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