When You Raise Your Standards

You know that bubbling feeling when you’re ready for more? When something inside you screams that it’s time to demand better—from your business, your clients, yourself?

I’m right there with you. And I’m going to be completely transparent: I’ve been feeling physically sick making some of these decisions over the past few months.

However, I discovered that when you demand more, you receive more.

During my 55-day social media hiatus, my business generated approximately $52,000. Not because of some perfect strategy. Rather, it happened because I finally raised my standards and made uncomfortable decisions I’d been avoiding.

Why Raising Your Standards Feels Like Breaking First

After deciding to step away from social media for nearly two months, I couldn’t eat for days. Sleep became impossible. My mind raced with questions: Did I just destroy my business? Am I making a massive mistake?

My husband talked me off the ledge that first week. Meanwhile, my best friend texted me something that changed everything: “You are on the edge of a breakthrough, and I can feel it.”

She was right.

The uncomfortable truth is that standards are raised through discomfort, not comfort. Your safety zone keeps you stuck. Growth happens when you’re willing to feel sick, scared, and uncertain about your next move.

You’re Playing It Safe (And It’s Costing You Everything)

Most coaches I work with are brilliant at their craft. They transform lives. Their clients get incredible results.

Yet they’re undercharging, overdelivering, and attracting clients who drain their energy instead of multiplying it.

Sound familiar?

Additionally, you’re probably doing at least one of these things:

• Pricing based on what competitors charge rather than your unique value
• Accepting clients you know aren’t the right fit because you need the money
• Giving away too much for free, hoping someone will finally pay you
• Avoiding the conversation about raising your rates because it feels awkward
• Running everything yourself instead of delegating tasks that drain you

You might also be telling yourself stories like:

• “I don’t have $7K to invest in coaching myself”
• “My clients will leave if I raise my prices.”
• “I need to help everyone who comes to me.”
• “It’s greedy to charge premium prices.”
• “I can’t justify hiring help until I make more money.”

The reality? These beliefs create a ceiling you can’t break through. Consequently, you stay stuck at the same income level year after year, working harder but not getting ahead.

The Standards That Changed My Business (And Bank Account)

Standard #1: Taking Uncomfortable Action BEFORE You Feel Ready

My social media hiatus wasn’t strategic planning. It was a download while reading “The Circle Maker.” Everything inside me knew I needed to do it, but everything outside me screamed it was a terrible idea.

I did it anyway.

What happened: Instead of my business collapsing, we collected around $52,000 in those 55 days. More importantly, I validated everything I teach—that social media isn’t required to grow your coaching business.

Your uncomfortable action might look like:

• Leaving your corporate job before every duck is lined up perfectly
• Having the hard conversation with a business partner about what’s not working
• Discussing your goals with a spouse who doesn’t quite understand your vision yet
• Investing in high-level coaching when you’re scared about the money
• Making decisions that don’t make “common sense” to everyone around you

Remember: I didn’t have $7K sitting around when I first invested in coaching either. However, that skin in the game lit a fire under me that changed everything.

Standard #2: Pricing That Reflects Your Premium Value

This one hit me like a sucker punch.

I was on a sales call with a prospective client. We got to the investment conversation, and she said something I’ll never forget:

“That’s it?”

She wasn’t asking for more details. She meant my prices were too low for the transformation I deliver.

Ouch.

That moment reflected something I’d been avoiding; my pricing didn’t match the caliber of client I wanted to attract or the results I help coaches create.

The truth about pricing standards:

• Every time I’ve raised my prices, more beautiful clients have shown up
• The people who complain about price increases weren’t my premium clients anyway
• Pricing positioning attracts the type of client who does the work and gets results
• When you undercharge, you undervalue yourself AND your clients’ transformation

Each increase brought higher-quality clients who:

• Show up prepared and ready to implement
• Ask powerful, high-level questions
• Do the work between sessions
• Get faster, bigger results
• Refer other amazing clients

People without skin in the game don’t show up to the party.

Standard #3: Releasing Who You Used to Serve

This one hurts, I won’t lie.

I have this “save everyone” tendency. When someone tells me they’ve been working at building their coaching business for years without results, my first instinct is: “I’m going to be the one who breaks them through!”

But here’s what I’ve learned: I can’t want it more than my clients.

Neither can you.

As you elevate, you’ll need to make hard decisions about who you serve. Consequently, you might need to:

• Let go of clients who aren’t doing the work
• Stop accepting people who aren’t ready for your level of support
• Have difficult renewal conversations
• Release people who ask to “pause” their coaching (when that’s not in your agreement)
• Create boundaries around who enters your sacred programs

The Best Damn Coach program is sacred ground. If I let the wrong people in, it shifts the entire energy and dishonors the committed coaches already in the room.

Same with The Framework Builder Lab and the Small Bite Offer.

Your programs deserve protection. Your paying clients deserve to be in a space with other committed, action-taking humans. Furthermore, you deserve to work with people who energize rather than drain you.

Standard #4: Building Your Support Dream Team

Most importantly, at this level of business, success isn’t about what you do—it’s about who you have in the right seats on your bus.

I see coaches staying stuck in solopreneur mode, doing everything themselves because they think:

• “I can’t afford to hire help yet”
• “Nobody can do it as well as I can”
• “I need to make more money first”

What actually happens: You create a ceiling by keeping everything on your plate.

Think about it. If you’re spending hours on:

• Scheduling social media posts
• Managing your inbox
• Formatting documents
• Setting up tech systems
• Doing tasks someone else could handle for $15-20/hour

Then you’re not spending time on:

• Sales conversations that bring in $2,000-$10,000+ clients
• Creating transformational content
• Delivering exceptional coaching
• Strategic planning and vision casting
• Relationship building with ideal clients

The investment creates the catalyst. When I invest in support (whether team members or high-level mentorship), it lights a fire under me. That’s when magic happens.

As we close out this year, I’m crystal clear: I don’t have all the answers for my next level. Therefore, I’m investing in the people who can help me get there.

Standard #5: Making Your Marketing Magnetic

When you raise your standards for who you want to work with, your marketing naturally becomes more magnetic.

Think about it. If you’re speaking to:

• The coach who’s ready to go all in (not dabbling)
• The woman who wants coaching as her forever thing (not a side hobby)
• The client who’s willing to do the work (not just talk about it)
• The person who values premium support (not bargain hunting)

Your copy, content, and conversations shift. You stop trying to convince anyone. Instead, you demonstrate through your coaching and client results that you’re the place for transformation.

What changes:

• Your sales calls convert at higher rates
• You feel more excited talking about your offers
• You attract people who are already pre-sold on working with you
• Your marketing feels authentic rather than pushy
• You experience more joy in your day-to-day business

Additionally, when you use language that speaks to ready-to-invest clients, you naturally filter out tire-kickers and freebie seekers.

The Transformation: What Happens When Standards Rise

I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Raising standards can feel like breaking.

• You might feel physically sick
• You’ll second-guess yourself
• Imposter syndrome might hit harder than ever
• You’ll wonder if you’ve ruined everything

But that discomfort is the sign you’re on the right path.

Comfort keeps you stuck where you are. Discomfort propels you forward.

I’ve had moments of being an emotional puddle on the floor, questioning every decision. Then I realize: there’s a greater elevation coming. The breakdown precedes the breakthrough.

The Ripple Effect of Higher Standards

When you raise one standard, everything else shifts:

Personal standards → Better morning routines, healthier choices, more intentional time management
Client standards → Higher-quality people, better questions, faster results
Pricing standards → Premium clients, energetic alignment, sustainable business
Team standards → Support that frees you up, delegation that works, scalable systems
Marketing standards → Magnetic messaging, authentic voice, aligned audience

Consequently, the level you operate at determines the level you live at.

The Standards Evaluation Questions

As we head into the final stretch of the year, ask yourself:

About Your Time:

• Where am I spending time on tasks that could be delegated?
• What would I focus on if I had an extra 10 hours per week?
• Am I protecting my highest-value activities?

About Your Clients:

• Who energizes me versus drains me?
• What’s the common thread among my best clients?
• Who am I serving out of obligation rather than alignment?

About Your Pricing:

• When was the last time I raised my rates?
• Am I charging what my transformation is truly worth?
• Do my prices reflect where I want to be, or where I’ve been?

About Your Business:

• What uncomfortable conversation am I avoiding?
• What decision would I make if money weren’t an object?
• Where am I playing it safe instead of going all in?

About Your Support:

• Who do I need in my corner for my next level?
• What gaps exist in my business that the right person could fill?
• Am I surrounding myself with people who challenge me to level up?

Making Your Standards Non-Negotiable

Step 1: Identify Your Next-Level Standard

Choose ONE area where you know it’s time to raise the bar. Don’t try to change everything at once.

Maybe it’s:

• Finally hiring that VA
• Raising your prices by 30-50%
• Letting go of a client who isn’t the right fit
• Investing in high-level support
• Creating stricter boundaries around your time

Pick one. Make it non-negotiable.

Step 2: Expect the Discomfort

You’re going to feel uncomfortable. That’s part of the process.

The first few days after my social media hiatus decision were brutal. I questioned everything. But my friend was right—I was on the edge of a breakthrough.

When discomfort hits, remind yourself: This feeling means I’m growing. I’m expanding. I’m on the right path.

Step 3: Operate As If It’s Already True

Start making decisions from your new standard today.

If you’re raising your prices, start quoting the new rate now (with appropriate notice to existing clients if needed).

If you’re being more selective with clients, start screening more carefully in discovery calls today.

If you’re delegating tasks, identify the first three things you’ll hand off this week.

Don’t wait until you feel ready. You’ll never feel ready.

Step 4: Find the Right Support

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

In fact, that’s exactly the opposite of what this conversation is about. Raising standards means surrounding yourself with people who’ve been where you want to go.

Whether that’s:

• Hiring a coach who can see your blind spots
• Joining a community of coaches who get it
• Bringing on team members who can take tasks off your plate
• Finding a mentor who’s several steps ahead

The investment is the catalyst. It’s the skin in the game that changes everything.

My Personal Commitment: The 2026 Vision

As I close out 2025, I’m making these commitments to raise my standards:

✨ Pricing Alignment: We’re increasing BDC investment to match the premium transformation we deliver

✨ Client Selection: Only working with coaches who are all-in on building their forever coaching business

✨ Team Support: Getting the right people in the right seats, even when it feels scary to invest

✨ External Mentorship: Finding the people who can help me see what I can’t see yet

✨ Sacred Program Protection: Maintaining the integrity and energy of my programs through selective enrollment

✨ Marketing Evolution: Continuing to refine my message to speak directly to ready-to-invest clients

Most importantly, I’m choosing discomfort over comfort because that’s where transformation lives.

Let’s Talk About Your Standards

I know you have a massive vision for your future. Maybe you’ve created a safety bubble around yourself, and you’re in that middle space of knowing you want more but not being sure how to get there.

I see you. I’m there with you too.

This feeling doesn’t go away when you hit six figures or multiple six figures. It’s just the next level of standards to raise. And honestly? That’s part of the beautiful, challenging process we’re all in together.

Three Ways I Can Support You:

1. Book a Discovery Call. If you’re feeling that pull to raise your standards but need support figuring out what that looks like for you, let’s talk. My calendar is always open for discovery sessions. Book your call here: amanda-walker.com/letschat

2. Join the Best Damn Coach Community. Surround yourself with other coaches who are committed to excellence, raising standards, and building sustainable coaching businesses. Connect with me on Instagram: @awalkmyway

3. Grab the Coaching Questions Resource One of the most important things you’ll ever do as a coach is ask powerful questions. Download my free resource of 10 powerful questions every coach should know. Get it here: amanda-walker.com/questions