The Weight of Being the One People Look To

In this episode of What Holds, Carla Royal speaks with Daryl Dittmer, entrepreneur, coach, author, and host of The Show Up Podcast. Daryl talks about getting sober at 19, building a successful career, learning to face fear rather than avoid it, and what it has meant to become someone others look to for leadership, direction, and help. This conversation moves through family role, achievement, recovery, marriage, self-trust, the body-level cost of overriding yourself, and the relationships that made it possible for Daryl to stop carrying everything alone. In this conversation [02:05] Daryl’s early life, sobriety, and choosing to engage with life [07:30] How fear shows up in his body and why he chooses to face it [11:00] The unseen weight of being the person others look to [13:35] How family role, achievement, and guilt became early drivers [16:20] When drive became costly and began affecting his body [19:45] Letting someone in through recovery, mentorship, and marriage [28:40] The comfort of being fully himself with his wife [31:30] Learning to trust the body as a source of guidance [33:20] Leaving a lucrative business when it no longer felt true [39:45] Learning to treat himself well enough to feel safe [45:00] What Daryl would say to someone still carrying everything alone About Daryl Dittmer Daryl Dittmer is an entrepreneur, coach, author, and host of The Show Up Podcast. He is the author of When I Stopped Fighting and When You Stop Fighting and works with people through coaching, sales training, writing, and conversation. Links Daryl Dittmer: daryldittmer.com Carla Royal: carlaroyal.com About the show What Holds is a podcast about the work that holds what founders and leaders are building. Each conversation looks beneath performance, self-sufficiency, and success into what people carry, what it costs, and what becomes possible when they are no longer carrying it alone. Share this episode If this conversation brings someone to mind, send it to them.