The Surprisingly Simple Self-Test For Impostor Syndrome

Linda was launching a new business. She was about to hang out her virtual shingle as an executive coach to professional women. Her first offer would be a nine-month program with a $12,000 price tag.

She’d worked with a marketing coach to set up timelines for the launch. Now she wanted me to help her write a sales letter.

“I’d be happy to,” I told Linda. “But I’ve got a few questions. What’s your client’s backstory — why are they coming to you? What’s your curriculum? And what’s your background for doing this?”

Linda hadn’t planned the content; she figured she’d play it by ear, session by session. She wasn’t sure where her clients were coming from.

Most important, she hesitated when I asked about her background. Had she been coaching one-on-one for a while? If she wasn’t certified, did she have other experience, perhaps as a therapist?

Linda’s background was a little hazy. I gathered she worked for a large corporation in HR. But she hadn’t made the connection to her new business.

When I asked Linda why she was even considering this option, Linda said, “I wasn’t sure at first. My coach told me I needed more confidence. She said I needed to overcome impostor syndrome.”