She asks a question around working with insurance companies. Do most doulas work with insurance companies or is it too difficult to navigate the system? Is it worth it because of the low pay compared to private clients? Is it a pain knowing how to submit for payment? Lots of different insurance pieces. She says specifically Medicaid is something she's looking at, but any insurance.

Part of my rest time is the prep work! So right now, I’m typing this in June and scheduling it in June and that allows me to rest in July. Rest in business has to be super intentional so that the business keeps running smoothly in the meantime. It shouldn’t be that everything comes to a screeching halt in July, but instead that my body and brain are less needed for that parts that are still happening!

Rest sparks growth and creativity! Remember how our parents used to say you have to sleep so we can play tomorrow? Turns out they were/are right! Rest is the way our bodies and brains get new ideas and new fuel and new desire. So often our businesses get stuck because we don’t have the capacity to dream and change and grow and critically think about what we’re doing.

Doulas are insane. That’s right. You read that correctly. Why, you ask? Because we do the same thing over and over and expect different results! If we don’t stop and shift things our business will never be different. That’s just how it works my friend. Dive into this with me today.

Often when doula work is new to us we kind of suck at it at first! My first year as a full-time doula was a whole dumpster fire. It involved puking, lots of anxiety stomach stuff, tons of extra periods from the hormones, and just general burnout! 

Doula Biz Q&A Time!! Remember to submit your questions for a future Friday episode!!

Strategy doesn’t come overnight. Especially when you’re sometime at a birth or a postpartum shift! Strategy and strategic thinking takes some effort. It takes some work. It is a muscle that needs to be flexed in our businesses in order to grow! 

Knowing the next step, where it is and how to take it can be so challenging in your business! It’s 1000% easier to get that information from an outside source vs you trying to figure that sh*t out on your own. Today’s episode dives into how to decipher your next step and have some guidance along the way!

Business doulaing is my second love! I love supporting families through birth and helping to welcome babies earthside. But I really really love doulaing doula business owners into their business glory! You are full of magic my friend, and you may just need someone to show you that.

Business systems are necessary, but not necessarily expensive! Just like anything in business you need some guidance on which ones you need for what you’re looking for. I share all my favorite business systems in this episode! 

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!