It’s Not Impostor Syndrome…It’s this.
Here’s my bold statement: I don’t actually think impostor syndrome is what’s holding you back.
You have incredible experience. You know you can help people. You’ve already helped people transform their lives. You literally have results to show for your expertise.
So why do you still feel like a fraud?
In this episode, I’m challenging the common narrative around impostor syndrome in entrepreneurship. After watching hundreds of coaches make major shifts in my programs, I’ve discovered it isn’t because they suddenly “overcame impostor syndrome.” Instead, they got something different that they didn’t know they needed.
What you’re actually struggling with is completely fixable – and I’m going to show you exactly how to fix it.
Why I Don’t Think You Have Impostor Syndrome
Let me paint a picture of who you really are:
- You’re brilliant
- You have years of professional experience in another career
- You’ve made bold moves in your life
- You’re now entering the coaching world with courage and determination
The common default is to say “new level, new devil” and blame impostor syndrome. However, that’s not what I see happening.
Here’s what I know about you: You’ve solved complex problems in your life. You’ve created real transformation in yourself and others, even if it wasn’t in a formal coaching relationship. Moreover, you’ve gotten measurable results in high-stakes environments.
My bold statement: You don’t have impostor syndrome. You’re confused.
The Massive Difference Between Impostor Syndrome and Confusion
What Impostor Syndrome Actually Looks Like
Real impostor syndrome makes you think you’re not enough. It makes you believe you don’t have the qualifications, experience, or right to help people.
But I don’t believe that’s what’s happening with most coaches.
You know you can help people. You believe that in your heart. You have credentials, lived experience, probably certifications under your belt. You also have results in yourself and you’ve helped friends get real outcomes.
What Confusion Actually Looks Like
Here’s what I think you’re actually experiencing:
- You’re confused about how to explain exactly what you do in a way that makes sense without spending 10 minutes over-talking
- You’re confused about how to turn your unique genius into a repeatable, structured approach
- You’re confused about how to package your approach into a coaching model that actually makes money
- You’re confused about how to position yourself as THE person for your specific solution
Why This Difference Matters
Impostor syndrome makes you think you need more credentials, experience, and validation. It makes you believe you’re not enough.
Confusion means you just need clarity. And confusion? That’s completely fixable.
This is the light bulb moment that happens when coaches work with me – we create clarity around the confusion, and they can step forward as the expert they already are.
Why You Feel Like You Sound Like Everyone Else
When someone asks, “What do you do?” you probably stumble through explanations that sound generic:
- “I empower people”
- “I support professionals with work-life balance.”
- “I coach high achievers to reach their full potential.”
None of these are inherently wrong – they’re a starting place on the road to clarity. However, you know in your heart these descriptions aren’t crystal clear. They’re vanilla, which prevents you from fully introducing yourself or confidently discussing your services.
The Friend Who Needed Your Help
I recently talked with a coach whose friend was struggling with a problem she could solve. Instead of offering her expertise, she said, “Oh, you should go read this book.”
I said, “But you’re the expert! You know how to help parents navigate adult children’s decisions. That’s exactly what she needed, and you sent her to read a book.”
Her response: “I just didn’t know exactly how to explain what I could do.”
That’s confusion, not impostor syndrome.
What Coaches With Clarity Have That You Don’t
The coaches who get recognized, stay booked out, make a profit, and charge premium prices have one thing in common: they have clarity on exactly what they do.
They don’t just coach – they know precisely what they do. Moreover, they have a framework that proves what they’re known for.
The Framework Examples
- Brendon Burchard: Known for his High Performance Habits method
- Brooke Castillo: Known for The Model
- Marie Forleo: Known for her B-School method
What you don’t see is that these people started in the same place you did. They didn’t have more or less expertise than you have right now. They had the right amount of expertise to meet themselves where they were.
What you’re missing isn’t more experience – it’s the framework that packages it all together.
When You Have a Framework, Everything Changes
When you have your signature framework:
- People don’t just remember you as “a good coach”
- They remember you as “the person with THE method”
- They start talking about your methodology: “Amanda teaches this reverse design method – it’s wonderful”
- You become referable and recommendable
- You stand out in conversations
- People talk about you when you’re not in the room
- You can charge pricing that’s sustainable and indicative of your expertise
Why Smart, Brilliant People Struggle With This
You’re too close to your own expertise. You can’t see what makes your approach unique because it feels obvious to you. You’ve been doing it for so long that it’s become second nature.
My Meal Planning Example
Back when I did health and nutrition coaching, I had a section in my planner where I’d write out my weekly meals broken down by protein, carb, fat, and veggie. I’d post pictures of this every Sunday.
People went “gaga” over it: “How do you do this? How do you teach this?”
My response: “What? This is just meal planning. This is so easy.”
But it was incredibly life-changing for my clients. I had to bottle it up and create a framework to teach them, because what was obvious to me was revolutionary to them.
The Google Drive Systems Example
One of my clients is a systems coach who organizes everything in Google Drive. She said, “Yeah, but some people don’t want to buy systems.”
I told her, “You don’t need to go any further. You’re so close to it, you don’t see the power of Google Drive. If you could just teach people how to leverage and organize Google Drive, you’d be blowing their minds.”
She was too close to see her own expertise.
Your Previous Career Holds the Keys
If you look at your previous profession, you’ve probably had methodologies, systems, and processes you used to get results. But you threw all that out, thinking, “I’m a coach now. It’s different.”
Actually, it’s same candy, different wrapper. We just need to reposition it into your new coaching process.
Your framework is simply the systematic approach to transformation – it just needs to be extracted, organized, and positioned.
What Clarity Actually Looks Like
Instead of generic statements like “I help people with confidence,” you say something specific:
Generic: “I help women get more confident.”
Clear: “I help female mid-level executives command respect when they walk into meeting rooms without being intimidating.”
Generic: “I help with work-life balance”
Clear: “I help corporate mothers leave the office by 6 PM without taking work home.”
When you have this clarity:
- Your confidence soars because you’re not trying to be somebody else
- Your marketing becomes easier because you’re explaining YOUR method
- You can justify your pricing because you’re the only one with this specific solution
- You stop being just another coach and become THE person with the method
The Transformation You’re Looking For
You’re not an impostor. You’re an expert who’s been stuck behind generic coaching language instead of leading with the authority you’ve earned in your life.
When you get clear and eliminate confusion by building your framework:
- The confusion disappears
- Confidence returns naturally
- Premium clients start saying “YES! You’re exactly what I needed.”
- You stop undervaluing your expertise
- You stand out instead of blending in
Your Action Steps Right Now
- Stop calling it impostor syndrome – recognize it’s confusion that needs clarity
- Identify your “obvious” processes – what do you do automatically that others struggle with?
- Look at your previous career – what methodologies did you use to get results?
- Get specific about outcomes – who exactly do you help with what specific problem?
- Join the live training at amanda-walker.com/live
Resources Mentioned
- Framework Training: amanda-walker.com/live – October 7-9
- Free Resource: 10 Powerful Questions Every Coach Should Know
