Some seasons of leadership don't feel loud or dramatic. They feel heavy. Quiet. Exhausting in a way sleep doesn't fix.

If you're leading a practice right now and finding yourself thinking, "I don't have the energy for one more conversation," or "Why does this feel so hard when I'm doing everything right?"—this episode is for you.

Today, we're talking about what it really looks like to lead when you're tired. Not just physically tired, but soul tired. The kind of fatigue that comes from carrying responsibility for clients, staff, finances, and vision—often without realizing how much weight you've been holding.

This is the third episode in our January series, Staying the Course: Faithful Leadership in Seasons That Ebb and Flow, and it's one of the most honest conversations I've had about leadership. I'm sharing from a very real place—walking through family health challenges, a demanding season of business growth, and my own need to slow down and pay attention to what my body and spirit are asking for.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• How leadership fatigue actually shows up (often before we name it)
• Why burnout doesn't mean you're failing—it often means you care deeply
• The hidden cost of self-sacrifice in faith-based leadership
• What Scripture shows us about rest, boundaries, and sustainable leadership
• And how caring for yourself is one of the most loving things you can do for your team

If you're navigating a slower season, feeling worn down, or questioning your capacity to keep going—this conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and lead yourself with the same compassion you offer everyone else.

Let's dive in.

02:30 What "Soul Tired" Actually Feels Like for Practice Owners
04:12 "I Don't Have the Energy for One More Thing" (Normalizing Fatigue)
05:23 Even Jesus Got Tired… Faith, Rest, and Leadership
06:50 When Fatigue Creeps In Quietly (And Then Hits Like a Truck)
08:22 Signs You're Leading While Burned Out
10:29 Leadership Gets Heavy Before You Notice
13:21 Why Self-Sacrifice Isn't Always Faithful Leadership
15:20 Rest Is a Rhythm, Not a Reward
16:28 Leading Yourself Before Leading Others
20:24 Faithful Leadership Looks Different When You're Tired

Links and Resources

Get my book, The Practice of Becoming, at my website https://www.wisepracticeconsulting.com

Looking for support and connection: Join the Wise Practice Community

Learn More about Wise Practice Consulting

Connect with Wise Practice on Instagram

Connect with Whitney Owens on Facebook

Check out all of the podcasts on the PsychCraft Network

Wise Practice Mastermind

There's a moment every practice owner faces—the numbers wobble, referrals slow down, and fear quietly whispers, "Maybe now is the time to pull back."

In today's episode, I'm continuing our January series on faithful leadership during the ebbs and flows of private practice, and we're tackling a decision I see practice owners make every single year: pulling back when things feel uncertain—and how that choice often costs more in the long run.

We're talking about why slowing down feels responsible, how fear can disguise itself as wisdom, and how to lead your practice with discernment instead of reaction. I'll walk you through the real impact of pausing marketing, delaying systems, stepping away from support, and taking everything on yourself—plus how Scripture invites us into patience, consistency, and long-term vision.

If you're in a slower season, feeling unsure, or wondering whether the decisions you're making now will help or hurt you later, this conversation is for you. My hope is that this episode helps you stay rooted, steady, and faithful—without burning out or retreating from the very things that help your practice grow.

Let's dive in.

2:33 The Hidden Cost of Slower Seasons
5:07 How "Responsible" Choices Can Hurt Long-Term Growth
7:26 Marketing, Support, and the Places We Pull Back First
9:06 The Long Game: Why Consistency Beats Quick Relief
11:58 Cause-and-Effect Delays Every Practice Owner Misses
14:01 Lost Time, Lost Money, Lost Impact
16:33 Staying the Course When Fear Says Retreat
18:25 Discernment Questions for Uncertain Seasons
24:17 Faithful Leadership Is Consistency, Not Intensity
28:00 What to Do Differently in the Next Slow Season

Links and Resources

Looking for support and connection: Join the Wise Practice Community

Learn More about Wise Practice Consulting

Connect with Wise Practice on Instagram

Connect with Whitney Owens on Facebook

Check out all of the podcasts on the PsychCraft Network

Wise Practice Mastermind

As we step into a new year, it's easy to feel pressure to move faster, do more, and fix everything all at once — especially as a private practice owner. But what if faithful leadership doesn't look like reacting quickly… and instead looks like staying steady?

To start 2026, I'm sharing a January solo podcast series called Staying the Course: Faithful Leadership in a Practice That Ebbs and Flows. This series is all about slowing down, discerning wisely, and leading your practice with consistency, faith, and stewardship — even when the numbers feel uncertain.

In this first episode, Faithful Leadership When the Numbers Feel Unsteady, I talk openly about the fear that can surface when profit drops, caseloads fluctuate, or staffing changes shake your confidence. Drawing from my own experience as a solo and group practice owner, I explore why ebb and flow is not a sign of failure, how fear can disguise itself as "wisdom," and what it actually looks like to lead faithfully during unsteady seasons.

We'll talk about:

• Why fluctuating income is normal in private practice
• How to avoid making reactive, fear-based decisions
• When to slow down — and when not to pull back
• The role of discernment, leadership teams, and faith in business decisions
• Why consistency matters more than intensity over time

This episode is an invitation to pause, breathe, and reframe how you view uncertainty in your practice. Faithful leadership isn't about controlling outcomes. It's about steady stewardship, wise investment, and trusting God through every season of growth, loss, and change.

If your practice feels uncertain right now, you're not behind. You're right where many faithful leaders find themselves, and you don't have to navigate it alone.

02:13 Slowing Down Is Not Quitting, It's Leadership
03:22 When the Numbers Get Weird, and Fear Shows Up
05:03 Ebbs, Flows, and Why This Is Completely Normal
06:59 The Year Half My Team Left and I Didn't Quit
11:12 When Fear Disguises Itself as "Wisdom"
13:49 My 24-Hour Rule for Big Decisions
19:08 Faithful Leadership Is Consistent, Not Flashy

Links and Resources

Looking for support and connection: Join the Wise Practice Community

Learn More about Wise Practice Consulting

Connect with Wise Practice on Instagram

Connect with Whitney Owens on Facebook

Check out all of the podcasts on the PsychCraft Network

Wise Practice Mastermind