Navigating Growth: When You're Outgrowing Your Own Creation
You’ve got a strong team. Your systems are humming. The fires are out. And yet... something just feels off. Not wrong, exactly—but like you don’t quite fit in the thing you built anymore.
It’s a weird, uncomfortable space. You’ve grown, but the thing around you hasn’t caught up. You’re successful on paper, but low-key stuck. There’s no crisis to fix. You’re just not lit up by it anymore.
Welcome to the liminal space of leadership.
When Growth Feels Like Outgrowing
This isn’t burnout. This isn’t chaos. This is the subtle, creeping realization that the practice you built—yes, the one that once felt like an extension of yourself—doesn’t fully match who you are now. And that realization? It’s disorienting as hell.
The Identity Layer
One of the hardest parts is realizing how much of your identity is tangled up in being the one who created it. You’re not just the owner—you’re the architect. The vision-setter. The fixer. So what does it mean when you want to pull back or shift gears? Does stepping back mean stepping out of who you are?
These are the kinds of internal spirals that can keep even the most grounded leaders up at night. (Ask me how I know.)
Financial Shame and Letting Go
Let’s talk shame—specifically around money. For me, it shows up with payroll. Despite years of running a healthy, growing business, there’s a part of me that still panics at the idea of handing off financial responsibilities. There’s shame about how others might perceive profit. Guilt about not giving more. Fear of judgment if margins aren’t “good enough.”
It’s not rational. But it’s real.
And it’s a block. One I’m working through. Because hanging onto every financial decision doesn’t scale—and it doesn’t serve.
The Fulfillment Question
So here’s the big one: Is fulfillment a good enough reason to change course?
Honestly? I think it is. But that doesn’t stop the inner conflict.
There’s the grounded part of me that says, “Yes—absolutely, you should pursue what brings you meaning.” And then there’s the caretaking part—the one who worries about the team, the perception, the stability. That part of me wants to stay small so no one gets left behind.
And that’s leadership, right? Navigating the tension between our needs and our responsibilities. Owning both parts and deciding what gets to lead.
Movement as Medicine
I don’t do stillness well. (Shocking, I know.) When I feel stuck, I move. Sometimes literally. Since hitting the road full-time with my family, I’ve realized how much physical movement helps me access emotional clarity. Hiking, walking, changing scenery—those things give my brain room to breathe. They help me stay connected to myself when the fog creeps in.
What Would You Build Now?
If no one knew you, if nothing had to be “on brand,” what would you build?
For me, it would be a modern-day salon. Not a haircut kind—a space for deep, unscripted conversation. No small talk, just big questions and bold truths. Real dialogue, real people, real time.
Which, ironically, is still very on brand.
When Someone Doesn’t Fit Anymore
What about when the people around you start to feel out of sync with the new direction? Especially those who’ve been with you since the beginning?
It’s tough. But avoiding it doesn’t help. I lean on feedback loops, real conversations, and bi-annual values check-ins to make sure alignment isn’t assumed—it’s confirmed. Sometimes people grow with you. Sometimes they don’t. Either way, it’s your job to notice and navigate that mismatch with care and clarity.
If this resonates and you’re in that “I’ve outgrown this and don’t know what’s next” space, I highly recommend this related episode of the Culture Focused Practice Podcast: “Outgrowing Your Practice: Navigating Leadership Transitions.” It’s raw, reflective, and full of prompts to help you figure out what comes next.
🎧 Listen to the episode: https://taravossenkemper.transistor.fm/episodes/the-owners-room-when-youre-outgrowing-the-things-you-built-but-dont-know-what-comes-next
And if you’re tired of fog, ready to lead with clarity, and want support from others doing the same work, join the EOS Mastermind waitlist. Spots are limited and doors open soon:
👉 www.taravossenkemper.com/eos-mastermind
You’re not broken. You’re evolving. Don’t shrink to fit. Grow where you’re going.
About the Author
Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is a gently-candid consultant who’s been in the trenches of group practice ownership since 2017. With a hearty blend of depth, irreverence, and a solid dash of humor (or so she hopes), Tara helps practice owners navigate the can-be-messy process of hiring, culture-building, vision generating, people-y issues, and all the other things that keep you up at night. When she’s not consulting, she’s probably wrangling her animals or homeschooling her kids—because why not add more chaos to the mix?
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