Ready to Go Full Time In Her Doula Business with Nikkea Anderson
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Kaely Harrod 0:04
Welcome to doula Tips and Tips. This podcast is a place where we answer one question about doula work, both to support you and to help you support your clients. I'm Kaely Harrod. I've been supporting families in this perinatal space since my oldest was born 12 nearly 13 years ago. I am a birth and postpartum doula childbirth educator, lovely cheerleader and a doula coach. I love guiding and supporting doulas as they work out their doula business. It is a tremendous joy to be trusted in this way. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Welcome back to doula Tips and Tips. I am joined today by my dear friend and doula coaching student Nikkea Anderson. Nikkea is one of the three amazing doulas who went through my beta testing group and the doula biz blueprint program. And so I'm super excited to chat with her today and for you to get to hear some of what she's doing, how she's kind of rolling and making big moves in the doula world. So Nikkea, I would love for you to start by just sharing who you are, and what even made you want to become a doula.
Unknown Speaker 1:18
Hi, everybody, I'm Nikkea. I am a Maryland native. And I've been in the DMV all my life. What made me want to become a doula? Well, I've been in the childcare field since 2008. So like all my adult life, and working with little people, and I found myself in the daycare centers and then around where I live at. And parents always like, asking me for more. And I only do but so much, you know, for my job because I didn't want to make the place liable. And then I discovered being a doula was a thing. Like, why would I do this? So I didn't jumped headfirst.
Kaely Harrod 2:07
That's amazing. So give us a timeline. I already know this about you. But for my listeners, I would love for them to know like, when did you start thinking you wanted to be a doula versus when did you start doula work? How long ago was this?
Unknown Speaker 2:23
Well, I took the training, probably June of 2020. And then I like completed it and you know, I had a, I had a tragic loss. And the pandemic, my dad passed away, so that halted a lot. Yeah, but then, um, so I finished it. I did think I finished it. And it wasn't until I might have got that might have started but it's all like it's been like six, seven months since I started my Doula training. But it's actually I'm coming up on a year. Um, and March of 21 is when I started, so no, March of 22 is when I when I started so March 23. makes one year of being a doula,
Kaely Harrod 3:17
which is now it's March. Yeah. That's so exciting.
Unknown Speaker 3:22
I'm here I've arrived.
Kaely Harrod 3:24
Yes. So um, so part of I met Nikkea when she was like, brand new, just kind of branching into doula work. And so she has been working both in child care and also as a doula for the last year. I would love for you to talk a little bit about like, what you imagined when you started out last year how this transition would go and kind of where you are now in comparison to last year.
Unknown Speaker 3:59
I what I imagined I was just gonna be I was going to be in my bubble and I was gonna, you know, I work a very, I work a physically demanding job, you know, yeah. As your listeners can imagine, they're moms and they only have one or two. Well, I'm a nine to five mom. And I got right 10 to 18
Kaely Harrod 4:24
I got 18 kids.
Unknown Speaker 4:27
I can give them back at the end of my shift,
Kaely Harrod 4:33
just stay at home mom.
Unknown Speaker 4:36
And then I and then I knew what I was doing in my head. I was going to help us family and give them sleep because they were exhausted because they just brought a kid into the world. And I did it for about a year straight. And I don't know how I did it because I If I didn't, I like slept like a zombie like, ya know, you know, during my day job, just put my head down for like 20 minutes like on a random desk, you know, pulled over on the side of the road and the recliner somewhere. I didn't think when I started, that's how it was gonna go. But it was like, kind of, like addicting like, I couldn't stop. I love that I got to serve people in this way. Yeah, it was. So it was rewarding. And I didn't want to stop when I had somebody tells me, thank you for letting me enjoy my kid because you're here. I was like, How do I stop this? I got it. So I just kept going. And I didn't stop. And then I looked up and it's been a year. Yeah, just I just finishing my two weeks off it overnight. And I'm like, Oh, this is nice.
Kaely Harrod 5:59
Oh, whole new person. Yeah. Yes. And throughout what I mean, one of the things is what you're talking about we call a doula. Hi, because you're like, it's the endorphins and the oxytocin that you get from the roll. That's also part of how you know, this is your lane, right? Because you love it that much. And it makes you really happy to do it. And even when you're kind of like, I'm a little bit of a zombie, there's gonna be a time when you're like, Okay, I'm ready. I'm ready to do it again. Right like that. That's how it goes. Right? Like I am, in fact. Yeah. So one super exciting thing for Nikkea is that she was able to just put in her Two Weeks Notice at the daycare, and you can't see her dancing around during her happy dance, but and so how are you feeling about the fact that you are going to be full time as a doula and that you're kind of branching into this, without having to balance both
Unknown Speaker 7:02
excited, I'm so excited. There is I'm not gonna lie, I've never not had a job. So there's nerves like a little bit of fear of the unknown. But like, before we started recording, we were saying, and this past year, I've gotten clients like me mostly like I Yeah,
Kaely Harrod 7:23
literally in your
Unknown Speaker 7:25
literally in my sleep, more sleep. And I had managed to line up my next client. So being able to do this work, and not have the daycare to go back to and like being able to get like a little more of a life pattern down and that not be so much of a crazy person. It's exciting. And I can't wait. I can't wait for what's to come. I can't wait to serve my families better. Maybe my families and the day, and then I can sleep at night or? I can do, guys. Yeah.
Kaely Harrod 8:03
Well, I mean, I think the beautiful thing too, of what you're highlighting is getting to sort of figure out what this work looks like for you. Where you were truly working two jobs, right. And so you had your doula career happening in real time, while you're also running around with these very active daycare, kiddos, right? Both of those jobs are pretty demanding, you know, so it's physically your body was feeling the strain of that. And now you kind of get to settle into, like, what do I want this to look like, which is pretty awesome, you know? So I mean, I think that's very awesome. Exactly. I think so too. So I want to talk a little bit about your experience with an agency because you are unique in our little group of three that you do you have been working with an agency, and you've had a fairly positive experience there. That is one way that a lot of doulas start out in this doula world because it helps them kind of bridge the gap of not having their own like contracts and hiring process and all that kind of stuff. And it takes some of that pressure off of them because the agency handles some portion of that right. And so I would love for you to share a little bit about what your experience has been like working with an agency and kind of how that has been for you over the last year.
Unknown Speaker 9:28
Wonderful. It's been it's been great for all the reasons that you listed. They couldn't do the back end stuff. But what was really cool, like when I attended my first birth, kind of getting away from not getting away but just experiencing a different side of the doula work. Working overnight. I was the birth doula for a dear friend. And I had I had Kaley in my corner. But I also had this team of doulas i 52. Like ladies that were on the team and, you know, with more than more than the one birth that I was at, yeah, under their belt, and it was just cool and, and just little things like that. If it's just a different experience, it's not all on your shoulders. It's truly a team effort. Yeah, I, part of working with Kaylee, I learned how to you know, I don't necessarily have to be bogged down by the agency. I can you know, if I meet a moment in supermarket, I can take her out, and she wants me to hire me as a doula. I could be her doula. I really have to direct her towards the agency. Yeah, I can. I can have both and, yeah,
Kaely Harrod 10:46
wonderful. Yeah. I think one of the ways that agencies when it's when agencies are done well, one of the ways that they kind of bridge a space for doulas starting out is that they allow you to have consistency of clients while you're building up your private client kind of pool, right? Because part of it is being like I don't I don't know that many people and they don't know me, right. And so initially, you don't have the same kind of pressure of like, all the marketing is on you, because some of the marketing is on the agency, you know, and oftentimes, they're coming with years of marketing, like, you know, exposure and whatnot, to help you also benefit from that, that kind of exposure that they have, you know, so. So I would love to hear what your experience was in the doula coaching group. And what you would share with with folks listening like that, if they're considering doula coaching, what would you consider things that they should think about?
Unknown Speaker 11:49
I think that you should actually really get into a coach. Don't do it all on your own. Right have to go crazy trying to figure out all the things. She's right here, and she's really awesome. That's my first thing that I wanted. And Kaely she just has this way about her that she likes. She gets it when you go down the rabbit hole, and you're like, freaked out, and you're like, but this is a fish. She's like, breathe. We're gonna do first we're gonna breathe. And then she and then she doesn't tell you the solution. Yet. She validates your feeling when she told me that she gets it and it's very real. And that's what I appreciated the most, is that I was like, you just get it. And that's just everything. That's the reflection of what I do is a doula is there to mother, the new mother to validate her feelings and let her know that she's not forgotten. She's still important, right where she was so yeah, she's Yeah, I can. I can tell that you're a wonderful doula. The way that you're teaching us how to be a doer. I do.
Kaely Harrod 13:03
Do like you Right, exactly. I mean, that is I do firmly believe and I have said this so many times that we need doulas for every different aspect of our lives. Right? Yeah. Like validate me do some reflective listening, and then help me figure this out? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. No, I love that. What was the experience having other folks going through the program at the same time as you how was it having their kind of camaraderie and also like, accountability and that kind of stuff.
Unknown Speaker 13:38
Sound it was, it was great. Because I, I got to see this work from a different perspective, from people that have that don't get their kids back that have their kids at home.
Kaely Harrod 13:53
nighttime and daytime parents.
Unknown Speaker 13:56
And they're doing this work and just the realness of it like I don't have any kids but both but both the ladies in the group and yeah to y'all y'all shared experiences, your experiences about finding childcare about you know, all that side of it, and I just enjoyed it. I just enjoy the you know, having perspective for when it is my time to be in that space and my season of life. I'll know. Yeah, the recordings to go back to have exactly what I need to make happen when when I get into that season.
Kaely Harrod 14:33
Yeah, right. Yeah, you're gonna go back and be like, Okay, let me watch. Allison's baby who was literally on all of our calls. The miniature doula baby. Yeah, she was oh, no, oh my gosh, we yeah, we have two honorary members of the group that 10 to 10 month olds. So if you kind of had a big vision, a big dream name of a year or two years from now? What are you hoping that your doula work looks like?
Unknown Speaker 15:07
I'm hoping that I'm hoping to generate a, like passive income that I don't have to be on call so much. And driving because I feel like I drive a lot right now. Yes. Okay. Right. Okay. But I would like to drive a little bit less, and I don't mind driving to serve the clients. I just, I hope I, my prayer is that it's a little bit more like, customize. Yeah, I mean, and with all this new time, freedom that I have, I'll have time to build it. Yeah, that will be sleek.
Kaely Harrod 15:47
I do have some diversity too, in how your business looks, which is one of the ways we make this work sustainable, right is not do every single piece of it with our actual bodies. Yeah. Yeah. If you could give one piece of advice to a new doula listening, what would that advice be?
Unknown Speaker 16:13
Get a coach, basically. Because we, I was trying to figure this out after training by myself. Yeah. And getting a coach. Even I even remember, I remember after training was ending. That's how we got connected. Yeah. Because I was like, help. Cuz after training, they're like, Okay, you're ready to go. And then I was like, what? That's when I went to I went in the Facebook group. And that's originally how we got connected. So yeah, we my advice, get connected to a senior jeweler. Somebody to like, show you the ropes, because you're gonna need that.
Kaely Harrod 16:55
Yeah. There's no reason for you to make every single piece of it up by yourself. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 17:00
yeah. Well, you can, you are welcome to do that. Right. But but learning from somebody read that data before you, it will save you a whole lot of headache. It'll save you a whole lot of time, because that's why we began this work. Yeah. Part of it to serve him. Your heart has to be an expert in all those reasons. But to because we started this work, because we want to do something different. We want to be at home with our families. Yeah, make more money. Like me. I want to make more money doing the thing that I love. So I'm yeah, I'm able to do it in a different way. Yeah. And I'm learning a whole bunch of things that I wouldn't learn otherwise, because I'm going before somebody that has done it before me. My one piece of key advice.
Kaely Harrod 17:43
Yeah, I love that. I do think the lowering the amount of making it up as you go, is one of my goals. This program, right? Because I very distinctly remember being like, I guess, I guess I could do this like that. I'm not sure you know, because really, there is a ton of just like, okay, good luck at the end of your training, and you're like, oh, oh, that's all
Unknown Speaker 18:06
Yeah, yeah.
Kaely Harrod 18:12
So, um, Nikkea I'm gonna put your Instagram information on the shownotes so people can get in touch with you. Is there any other kind of information that you want people to know about you?
Unknown Speaker 18:28
I can't think of anything.
Kaely Harrod 18:30
That's okay. No, her businesses birth to five right birth to five business, doula services or birth services. How am I saying it right? Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 18:41
birth to five doula services. Sorry. I am I do a lot of things. I haven't delved into birth yet, but I would love to serve you. Postpartum after baby. After baby comes to get here. I can help with sleep training. I can help with the lactation piece. I mean, even help if you have bigger siblings. Yeah, my with all my experience. I would just love to connect.
Kaely Harrod 19:09
Yeah, I make sure that that Nikkea's contact info is in the show notes so that anyone who's wanting to connect with her is able to and one of the awesome things if you do decide to join us in the doula biz blueprint is that you will get to meet Nicaea because the community portion of it includes past groups and current and future groups. So you will have the joy of meeting this lovely human along with our other two people that were in this group. So until the next episode, I wish everyone a wonderful consent filled doula business experience. I have. Thanks for coming. Nikkea You're welcome. Thanks for joining us for this episode of the doula Tips and Tips podcast. If you learn something today or had an aha moment. We'd love for you to share that on Instagram and tag us at Herat doula, so we can celebrate alongside you. If you found this podcast helpful, we would so appreciate you taking a second to leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast app that helps other doulas find us as we do this work together. This podcast is intended as educational and entertainment it is not medical advice or business advice. Please consult your own medical or legal team for your own needs around
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Nikkea Anderson and I first connected when she was already trained as a doula but figuring out what she wanted to do and how to get started in this work. She was working full-time in daycare services and had been for many years. Fast forward to today and this is her final work in a daycare because she’s doing full time doula work in an agency and taking on private clients.
Nikkea was trying to find a way to make being a doula her full-time job, but needed
a clear game plan to do that without financial fallout.
Nikkea had full-time career in daycare services and had just trained to be a birth and
postpartum doula.
She was struggling with imagining how work as a full-time doula could look. She
knew she loved this field, but branching into a new career felt very daunting. She questioned her ability to find clients and sustain her life without significant financial issues. It seemed that keeping her current job was the safest option, but her desire was to be a doula and support new families in that precious season of life.
Nikkea was looking for someone experienced in the doula industry who was approachable and funny. She needed some guidance but also wanted to see what a successful doula looked like in real life. She joined my 6 week program because she knew it would get her where she wanted to be in her doula career.
In just 6 weeks Nikkea had put in her two weeks notice at her daycare job and had a plan for being full-time as a doula. When she finished the program she celebrated having brand colors, a clear set of services and prices, a new strategy for marketing and an excitement about her blossoming doula career. She finally felt clear on her business strategy and had a solid financial plan to get her there.
Meet Nikkea Anderson of Birth 2 Five Doula Services
Nikkea is the doula behind Birth To Five Doula Services. She started as a preschool teacher in 2008. She began teaching preschool for the DOD in 2015. She left what I knew behind and became a Doula in 2022
After giving all she had in the classroom she jumped all in at the chance to take her impact beyond the classroom and right into family’s homes as a postpartum doula, sleep consultant, and lactation consultant
CONNECT with Nikkea on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/birthtofivedoula/
CONNECT with Kaely on TikTok or Instagram
https://www.tiktok.com/@doulacoach
https://www.instagram.com/Harroddoula/
This podcast is hosted by the Birth Prep Blueprint - comprehensive Childbirth Education for expectant parents to feel calm, prepared and confident about labor and birth. Podcast listeners (that’s YOU!) get 10% off! Use the link below and coupon code PODCAST
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/birth-prep-blueprint
** The Birth Prep Blueprint is offered for only $20 to anyone who qualifies for any kind of social services (meaning that a family has a lower income to the point that they would qualify for WIC or SNAP or Medicaid, etc.). No need to disclose your income, just which service you qualify for and the link can be sent right over. Just email kaely@harroddoulaservices.com to learn more.
If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me @harroddoula
Kaely Daily is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
It is sponsored by The Birth Prep Blueprint Childbirth Class
Music by Madirfan: Hidden Place on Pixabay
