Faux-ductivity: Are you stuck in it?
Picture this: You’ve been “working on your business” for months—maybe years. Your to-do list? Crushed daily. Your logo? Perfected three times over. Your course certifications? Stacked higher than your morning coffee pile.
But here’s the gut punch: Your bank account hasn’t budged.
If that hits a nerve, you’re not alone. After hosting 13 retreats and coaching hundreds of entrepreneurs, I just witnessed something that changed everything. One brilliant attendee at my latest visibility retreat dropped a truth bomb that had the entire room nodding: “Amanda, I’ve been hiding behind the veil of growing a business. What I’m really doing isn’t productive—it’s faux-ductive.“
And boom. There it was. The word we didn’t know we needed.
The Hidden Epidemic I’m Seeing Kill Coaching Businesses
Faux-ductivity (F-A-U-X-ductivity) is the sophisticated art of looking busy while avoiding the real work that grows your business. It’s doing everything except what actually brings in clients.
Think about it. When was the last time a perfect Instagram grid paid your mortgage? When did color-coding your project management system land you a high-ticket client?
Never. That’s when.
Here’s what’s really happening: You’re scared. And that’s okay—we all are. But instead of admitting it, you’re hiding behind a mountain of busy work that feels productive but generates zero revenue.
The 6 Faux-ductivity Traps I See Coaches Fall Into Daily
1. The Perfect Branding Black Hole
You’re on logo redesign number three. Meanwhile, your ideal clients don’t care what your hex code is.
Reality check from me: I built my first six figures with a DIY Canva logo. Your clients want transformation, not typography.
2. The Content Creation Treadmill
Batch creating 30 posts, designing graphics for hours, making everything “Instagram worthy.”
Hard truth: Content without a conversion strategy is just expensive journaling. Nine out of ten coaches I work with are creating content that never leads to a sale.
3. The Learning Loop Prison
Another certification. Another course. Another masterclass.
Listen, you don’t have a knowledge problem—you have an application problem. Stop learning and start doing the damn thing.
4. The Tech Stack Obsession
“This email platform has ONE more feature!” So you spend three days migrating everything instead of sending the damn emails.
My take: Tech should support your business, not become it.
5. Perfection Paralysis
Rewriting website copy for the tenth time. Tweaking your offer details endlessly. Waiting until everything is “ready.”
Here’s my mantra that I live by: Sold beats polished every single time. I’d rather sell something five times at $97 than perfect it forever and never launch at $5K.
6. Organization Overload
Color-coding projects like it’s your job. Creating beautiful spreadsheets no one will see. Organizing your Google Drive while your pipeline stays empty.
Organization only matters if it drives specific action. Otherwise? It’s just pretty procrastination.
Why I Think Smart Entrepreneurs Fall Into This Trap
Here’s the uncomfortable truth I’ve discovered: Faux-ductivity is a sophisticated form of hiding.
When you’re perfecting your website, you’re not risking rejection. When you’re redesigning your logo, you’re avoiding judgment. When you’re taking another course, you’re delaying the possibility of failure.
It’s comfortable. It’s safe. And it’s keeping you broke.
Several attendees at my retreat had PhDs, law degrees, and extensive corporate backgrounds. These aren’t people who lack intelligence or capability. They’re brilliant professionals who found that transitioning to entrepreneurship meant facing a new kind of vulnerability they’d never experienced.
I see it all the time. And honestly? I’ve been there too.
The Million-Dollar Question I Want You to Ask Yourself
Take a hard look at your business right now. I want you to ask yourself:
“Am I in the same place I was a year ago?”
If the answer makes you uncomfortable, good. That discomfort? That’s where growth lives, my friend.
My 30-Day Reality Check Challenge for You
Want to know if something is actually productive? Here’s my bulletproof test that I give all my clients:
Pick ONE activity that scares you:
- Reach out to 5 potential clients daily
- Make an offer in your stories every single day
- Send DMs to people who engaged with your content
- Follow up with past inquiries
Do it for 30 days straight. Track your bank account.
Did revenue increase? Keep doing it. Did nothing change? That’s faux-ductivity. Drop it.
It’s that simple. And that terrifying. And that’s exactly why it works.
The Uncomfortable Truth I’ve Learned About Success
After years of conversations with successful entrepreneurs across industries, here’s the pattern I’ve discovered:
The most successful people accept discomfort as their new baseline.
Think about athletes. Once they accept that soreness and fatigue are part of their identity, they stop fighting it. They embrace it. That’s their steady state.
Entrepreneurship is the same. Vulnerability, potential rejection, the possibility of failure—these aren’t occasional visitors. They’re roommates. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll stop hiding behind faux-ductivity.
Your Next 10 Weeks Can Change Everything
At the time I’m recording this, you’ve got roughly 10 weeks left in the year.
What if—just what if—you spent those 10 weeks doing REAL productivity instead of faux-ductivity?
What if you:
- Had uncomfortable conversations that led to sales
- Posted content even when it wasn’t perfect
- Made offers before you felt ready
- Reached out to people who might say no
What might change?
Everything.
Here’s How I Want You to Think Like a Scientist
You’re the scientist of your business. Every action is an experiment. Every result—success or failure—is data.
When something doesn’t work, it’s just as valuable as when it does. Both point you toward what you need to do next.
Your willingness to fail fast determines how quickly you’ll succeed.
I was just coaching someone on pricing in my Small Bite Offer program. She was confident at $97, so I told her: “Go get so many no’s at that price point. Because with inevitable no’s come yes’s. Then in one month, if you’re ready, raise it to $197.”
That’s how you build a business. Not by perfecting in silence, but by testing in public.
Time to Stop the Bougie Hiding and Start the Real Building
Faux-ductivity is just fear wearing a productivity costume. It’s time to take off the mask.
If this episode hit home and you’re realizing you’ve been living in faux-ductivity land, I want to talk to you. Let’s get real about where you’re actually spending your time and what’s not working.
This is the perfect time to reflect on this year and plan for next. Imagine if 2026 was the year you stopped this bougie version of hiding and started showing up fully as the coach you’re destined to be.
You have brilliance inside you. Sometimes we’re just so good at the coaching piece that we struggle with the marketing piece. I get it. I’ve been there. That’s exactly where I come in.
Your Next Step: Let’s Have a Real Conversation
Ready to drop the faux-ductivity and build real momentum?
Book a free strategy call with me: amanda-walker.com/letschat
Here’s what we’ll talk about:
- Where you’re really spending your time (be honest)
- What’s actually not working (versus what you think isn’t working)
- Your vision for 2026 (dream big)
- The gap between where you are and where you want to be
My Bottom Line for You
You’ve got 10 weeks to change the trajectory of your business. You can spend them rearranging deck chairs, or you can spend them building the damn ship.
The choice is yours. But now you can’t say I didn’t call you out on it.
Did this truth bomb hit home?
Share it with another coach who needs to hear this. Drop the link in your Facebook group. Text it to your accountability partner who’s been “working on their website” for six months.
And if this resonated, DM me on Instagram @awalkMyWay and tell me which faux-ductivity trap you’re guilty of. I promise I won’t judge—I’ve been in all six at some point.
Remember: Your clients need your brilliance, not your perfection.
Now go do the damn thing.
Resources I Mentioned:
Come Find Me:
- Instagram: @awalkMyWay
- Website: amanda-walker.com
- Podcast: Best Damn Coach Podcast
