“Who Am I to Do This?” Impostor Syndrome in the Early Days of Babywearing Work

Meet Shannon.
She just completed her Foundations course and is now a trained babywearing educator, yay! Her carriers are at the ready, her demo dolls are lined up, and her heart is full of passion for helping families in her community.

But her Instagram sits mostly empty.
Her website homepage is… well, a draft.
She tells herself she’s “just planning,” but weeks have passed and she still hasn’t announced her services.

Why?

Could it be… Impostor syndrome?

The Spiral

Shannon spends her evenings scrolling Instagram, watching seasoned educators with big followings and slick video content. She silently, and at times unconsciously, compares their polished presence to her own quiet corner of the internet.

She thinks:

• “Their bio is so good and the videos so polished.”
• “They have more followers.”
• “Why would someone book me when they could just watch these reels for free?”

So she keeps ‘researching.’ Tweaking her logo. Rewriting her bio. Everything except actually telling people she’s open for business.

How Impostor Syndrome Shows Up for New Educators

Shannon's experience is incredibly common. Impostor syndrome often surfaces when we step into something new… especially when it’s in a public setting.

Especially when there is risk for criticism and negativity.

Here are some signs it might be holding you back:

• Undervaluing your services: You price your consults and classes too low or offer them for free “until you feel more confident.”
• Over-preparing: You delay launching because you think you need one more training or better branding.
• Avoiding visibility: You hold off on sharing your work because you think your following is too small or your voice isn’t polished enough.
• Comparing and freezing: You scroll, compare, and convince yourself you’re not ready — so you stop before you start. 

Reframe It: Confidence Doesn’t Come First

Here’s the truth Shannon needed to hear… and maybe you do too:

Confidence doesn’t come before action. It comes from taking action. Plus reflection, and building an evidence base that shows you - you can do it.

Those educators with thousands of followers? They were once in Shannon's shoes, nervous to post, unsure what to charge, and wondering if they were good enough.

They didn’t wait until they felt “expert enough.” They started small, showed up imperfectly, and grew from there. Something you can repeat.

How to Reframe the Impostor Spiral

Feeling: “Who am I to be charging for this?”

Reframe with Seligman’s 3 Ps:

• Personal → “It’s not me — this is just a hard part of starting something new.”
• Pervasive → “This moment of doubt doesn’t mean I’m unqualified overall.”
• Permanent → “This feeling is temporary. I’ve overcome uncertainty before — I’ll do it again.”

Pricing from Value, Not Fear

Impostor syndrome is insidious and whispers to you to charge less. To “start low” until you’re more confident.

But Shannon didn’t get trained for free. She didn’t spend countless hours learning how to show up for families because she kinda cares.

Your time, energy, and expertise have value… even if you're still growing.

Start where you are, but don’t undercut yourself. Charge in a way that’s sustainable for you, not based on someone else’s confidence level.

Limit Social Comparison Triggers

Scrolling isn’t research. It’s often just self-sabotage in disguise.

Every time Shannon compared her early days to someone else’s polished posts, it chipped away at her motivation. It didn’t make her feel inspired. It made her feel behind.

Impostor syndrome thrives on unrealistic comparison, especially when we’re consuming more than we’re creating.

Try this:

• Mute or unfollow accounts that trigger doubt rather than inspiration. (You can always re-follow later.)
• Set app limits so you don’t accidentally talk (psych) yourself out of posting.
• Celebrate your own milestones, even the small ones, no, especially the small ones: first inquiry, first DM, first “thank you.”

Your voice deserves space. You don’t have to watch everyone else find theirs before using your own.

Final Words to Shannon, and You

If you’re standing at the start line, full of knowledge but stuck in the self-doubt loop, here’s what I want you to know:

There’s someone — right now — in your community, overwhelmed and looking for support.

• They’re not looking for a social media expert.
• They’re not checking your follower count.
• They’re not expecting perfection.

They just want to feel seen. Supported.

And you can offer that. Right now. As you are.

So take the next small step. Post the thing. Offer the help.
You’re not an impostor. You’re a resource.

And your community needs you. Today.

If you struggle with impostor syndrome, then consider joining the COC the next time it opens. This is common (but mean) feeling, and we have several podcast episodes on this topic. Mentorship and Group support have been proven to be effective in reducing these feelings and improving your mindset, self-compassion, and action-taking.

Learn More About the COC

Want to read more?

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