“I have a college degree in accounting and financial management, volunteer experience in personal finance, and just generally always been interested in personal finance and ‘money savvy.’ But, for the last 16 years, I’ve mostly been a trailing military spouse with small odd jobs, and ‘Mom’ for the last 10 years. The imposter syndrome is real, lately.”

This forum post comes from Shannon, who was among 1,175 “externs” participating in my 8-week externship program Externship—Amplified Planning for new and aspiring financial planners. Shannon’s post started a conversation that continued throughout the summer as other externs weighed in on their own thoughts about imposter syndrome. 

People with imposter syndrome struggle with persistent doubt regarding their abilities. They feel like a fraud and often wonder if their past successes were flukes or just good luck. 

The Michael Scotts in the room who bank on their gregarious personalities while they bungle through their workday—you know, the actual imposters—aren’t the ones with imposter syndrome. In some twisted turn of fate, it’s actually the people who have what it takes who doubt that they do.

As for me, I have also wrestled with my fair share of imposter syndrome. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way.

Do It Scared
I vividly remember the moment I signed on the dotted line and purchased two financial planning practices before the age of 30. I was terrified.

I always viewed myself as the helper, the one who others could rely on to get their work done. The thought of me being the lead planner, deciding how to get work done, felt wrong. That’s not who I was.

I so vividly remember the thoughts running through my head:

Who am I to be a leader?

Who am I to be the one running a meeting?

Who am I to be the one helping someone who’s had more financial success than me?

But I signed anyway.

Was there a learning curve? Yes.

Did I make mistakes? Of course.

Did I let the voices telling me that I wasn’t good enough or old enough or experienced enough or smart enough stop me? I did not.

This year, imposter syndrome came calling again. In October of 2024, I officially launched The Residency, a teaching-hospital style program for a cohort of financial planners ready to launch their careers. Once again, the thoughts came.

• Who am I to create something like this? 

• I’ll be working closely enough with the residents that they’ll see my flaws and weaknesses.

• I’ve never managed this large of a team before.

Rather than succumbing to feelings of self-doubt or unworthiness, I’ve learned to take a step back and to speak truth over situations…and over myself.

• I am the right person to create this program because I am a visionary who sees things differently and knows how to solve big problems in my profession.

• Yes, the residents will see my strengths and weaknesses…and that’s okay. My team and I are doing this so we can create new pathways for training financial planners and establish best practices for that training. This vision simply can’t be accomplished without letting people see my weaknesses.

• I’m going to learn to manage my team and get the help I need to do it.

When I spoke to myself like that, I was able to lower the volume of my imposter syndrome. I’ve learned to acknowledge those thoughts, to have compassion with myself, and to not allow lies and fears to determine my limits. It’s always hard. Sometimes it requires taking a step back. But with practice, it gets easier. 

Say It Out Loud
Shannon, who I quoted at the start of this piece, was so wise to voice her fears in The Externship forum space. This is a private community, a “safe space,” so to speak. By giving voice to her concerns with people in the same boat, she gave other externs the chance to express their own feelings about being imposters.

When I reached out to Shannon to ask her more about her experience, here’s what she said: 

“During the first few weeks of The Externship, I found myself a bit disconnected. Because I was also studying for my Accredited Financial Counselor exam, I didn’t have the capacity to jump in as much as other people. I began to doubt my place and ability. From years of personal counseling, I know that naming the feeling was the first step. That was my motivation for my post in the forum—to say both “I’m doubting and overwhelmed” while also saying to others, “I know what it’s like down here, and we’re not alone.”

Did you catch the part from her initial post where she says that she has a degree in accounting and financial management? Shannon is more than qualified. What’s more, she’s spent the last 16 years using her experience to help her family as a military spouse tasked with the logistics of moving every few years. Shannon is no imposter, and I’m so glad she was courageous enough to speak up. Nearly twenty people responded with their own fears of being “found out” and their tools for conquering those fears.

Shannon spoke her fears out loud, and in doing so, she found a lifeline for herself…and others. 

Being Honest…With Ourselves
Honesty is one of my company’s core values: We tell the truth to ourselves, to one another, to our clients, and to people who hold power.

Being honest with myself when I’m not qualified for something is difficult and humbling. Sometimes what feels like imposter syndrome might be my intuition saying not yet. There is wisdom in knowing when the season is right to take a leap. 

For me, the question becomes: am I being guided by wisdom or fear?

Because when I am qualified—that’s when the hard work really begins. It’s a lot harder to accept that I am capable than it is to admit that I’m not the one for the job.

I think it’s because facing fears of being an imposter requires bravery. When I face my imperfections or reject the thoughts saying I’m an imposter, I remember why fighting through these things matters.

It matters to my clients, who depend on my knowledge, instincts and skills.

It matters to the future financial planners trying to find a place in this profession.

It matters for my three kids, two of whom are little girls. I want them to see their mom doing brave things.

I don’t know where you are or what you are struggling with, but what I know is that you have something to offer the world. The world needs what you, uniquely you, have to offer. So let’s be honest, and let’s be brave. And together, let’s uninvite imposter syndrome. 

Financial Planner and creator of The Externship, Hannah Moore, CFP, is considered one of the profession’s leading voices on training the next generation of financial planners.