If only there were someone sort of 'specialist' who you could hire to separate yourself from these people... wait, that's you. You're that person.

I'm half-joking here, but you have to be able to beat these people with your own Marketing for anyone to take you seriously in the first place.

There will always be people out there trying to half-ass what you are doing, but there will also be people who look like 'a hun', don't go to college, stumble around and keep working, and don't pay attention to what anyone else is doing (except to get better). Humility and not being afraid to ask a million questions will get you further than any degree from my experience...