The Solopreneur’s Burnout Trap: Are You a Serial Fixer?

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What happens when your biggest strength, helping others, starts draining your energy?

In this empowering episode, returning guest Leah Marone, psychotherapist and author of Serial Fixer, joins Carly for a heart-to-heart about why solopreneurs often fall into “fixer mode.” You’ll learn how to stop rescuing and start empowering, how to calm your inner critic, and how to set boundaries without guilt. If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “I’ll just do it myself,” this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

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Connect with Leah Marone

• Buy Serial Fixer

• Learn more about Leah

Favorite Quote About Success:

"You miss 100 % of the shots you don't take."

Episode FAQs

How can solopreneurs tell if they’re a “serial fixer”?
If you constantly jump in to solve problems that aren’t yours, feel drained after “helping,” or struggle to let others handle things, even small tasks, you might be in fixer mode. Leah calls this “micro codependency.” It’s not about bad intentions—it’s about overextending yourself in the name of helping.

What’s the difference between rescuing and empowering?
Rescuing means taking ownership of someone else’s problem; empowering means supporting them to find their own solution. Leah shares her favorite mantra: “Support, don’t solve.” That small mindset shift gives people their own reps while freeing you from unnecessary emotional labor.

How can solopreneurs set boundaries without feeling guilty?
Leah explains that guilt often comes from your inner pleaser, the part of you that fears rejection or judgment. The fix? Recognize that this voice is trying to protect you. Appreciate its intention, but guide it gently toward balance. Sustainable boundaries come from understanding your internal drivers, not ignoring them.

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About Leah Marone

Leah Marone, LCSW, is a therapist, speaker, and consultant with over 20 years of clinical experience helping individuals and organizations cultivate resilience, self-awareness, and sustainable success. A former Division I basketball player, Leah blends her background in competitive athletics with deep clinical insight to empower high achievers to balance drive with well-being.

As a sought-after speaker and corporate consultant, she partners with teams and leaders to build cultures rooted in productivity, grit, and recovery, without burnout. Her interactive, tailored presentations challenge audiences to reframe discomfort, embrace change, and prioritize mental health as a non-negotiable for performance.

Leah serves on a private board dedicated to fostering wellness-centered corporate cultures and is a Yale Clinical Instructor. Her work has been featured in Psychology Today, Newsweek, The Atlantic, and SHRM Executive Network.