Showing up in your business is important, but it doesn’t always have to be perfect. We are humans! As doulas we need to give ourselves space to have crappy days and show up anyway. Or to take the day off because we feel like crap. And none of that means your business needs to be thrown away or even that you’re burning out. Just that you need a break.

Dreams need planning to become reality. I am for a good manifestation, believe me, but I think too often in business we dream and hope without mapping out the journey and taking strategic steps toward fulfilling those dreams and hopes! 

Thanks to Megan for this first question! 

Megan asked: "I'd love to know if you have any thoughts or knowledge on working in a collective of four or five other doulas, how does that work?" Listen to the episode to hear the answer! 

We are honing the Great British Baking Show energy today in this episode. It’s one thing to have all the right ingredients, but without the right instructions how do you know you’re putting those ingredients together correctly? That’s true in baking and it’s equally true in business. 

Part of doula business strategy is knowing where you’re headed so you can continually make sure you’re still on the right road. I have gotten side tracked from my previous desired road SO MANY times in this business life and it is way more common than we think. It’s actually not hard to build-in strategy, part of it takes some dreaming and then some steps, but I believe in you if you join me on this journey! 

Thinking outside the box is an essential part of being an entrepreneur and today’s guest Dr Jalan Burton gives us a wonderful glimpse into her journey into being a pediatrician who works for herself in a way that our current medical norms would call unconventional. I want you to learn from Dr J because she’s amazing, but also let her story inspire you to not limit yourself in how your business and client work can look!

In this episode, we dive into the beautiful truth that there’s no one “right” way to run a doula business—and that’s both the magic and the overwhelm. Reflecting on the many conversations I had with doulas throughout 2024, I was reminded just how uniquely we each show up in our work. That diversity isn’t just okay—it’s essential. It’s what makes this profession vibrant, validating, and sustainable when we give ourselves permission to build a business that actually fits us. We also touch on burnout (again), because while I thought I’d covered it endlessly, turns out I haven’t—and it’s too important not to keep bringing up.

Burnout - a topic doulas come back to often. We need to take it seriously before we are at its doorstep! How we recover and help support our own bodies has a direct impact on our future burnout possibilities. As doulas the work we do is exhausting. It is hard. It is beautiful. It is physically and emotionally taxing and we have to take that seriously and train and rest/recover before and after we are with clients! 

As a business owner life can be tricky and we can let our business run and ruin everything! But that’s not the best way. We need to intentionally set up our businesses to support our life and desires and not the other way around. We need to start in the foundations and then work in moments of crisis as well to set boundaries and live a life that is well supported by our businesses and not the other way around.

Self-care is not a luxury item for doulas! It is a vital part of our work so our body, brain, soul and spirit are all able to show up authentically for this work with our clients. As business owners we can fall into the trap of overworking ourselves and as doulas we do that too…so imagine how bad doula business owners are at this! 

Right now, more than ever, we need to work on self-care in doula work. We need to protect ourselves and help ourselves recover from trauma - birth related and otherwise. So today come on a self-care journey with me and learn about new things coming on the Doula Tips and Tits Podcast! 

Is this your best business era? And that doesn’t have to mean BIG BUCKS (it can, but it doesn’t have to be!). Your best era in how you set boundaries. Your best era in how you show up for yourself and your clients. Your best era can be whatever you want and need it to be, no one but you gets to decide what that is. That doesn’t mean you don’t need guidance along the way!

As we chat with various doulas about their experiences I love showcasing different ways people come to this work and also different ways they do this work! Ayla Hartless is our guest today and she’s sharing her own experience with breastfeeding and also how she has supported her clients! 

You’ve built a doula business. You’ve had clients. You’ve made money. But somehow, you’re still feeling stuck. Maybe you’re working way too much for way too little. Maybe you know you need to make a change—raising prices, hiring help, shifting your offers—but you’re not sure how to do it without risking what you’ve already built.

Our doula businesses are often shaped, for better or worse, by our own experiences in childbirth. Today’s guest shares her experience of birth, which is in many regards quite traumatic, and shares how it has shaped her experience as a doula. Trigger Warning: there is discussion of obstetric emergencies.

Growth is awesome, until it’s not. Sometimes growth comes at the cost of your sanity if you haven’t set boundaries for how much growth is too much. What number of clients can you handle? Are you paying yourself enough money? Is what you’re doing sustainable or a survival strategy?

As you grow in your doula business you have to give yourself space to change and move. That means shifting things in your business. Today’s guest, Evan, shares how she’s evolved her services over the years and what her business looks like today! 

Winging it is not an actual game plan! When you become a doula, you do it for a purpose. You do it for passion, right? You do it out of the heart of assisting people in this time of life, in this season of building a family. 

Our guest today is Melanie. She is based in Canada and is my copywriter and dear friend who has made my newsletters magic for the last what year. Copywriting is important for you to get your message out about your work, yourself and your business. Listen to Mel’s genius today and learn something.

Should I have a team or agency in your doula business? I’m so glad you asked! Today’s episode goes into some aspects to consider when making this choice! Keep listening to hear more.