You’re Not a New Doula...So Why Is It Still So Hard?
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Transcript
Welcome to Dula Tips and Tits, the podcast where we cut through the noise and get real about what it takes to build a sustainable doula business. I'm Kaylee Harrod. I've been a doula informally for 14 years and full time for seven.
Around here, we don't sugarcoat stuff. We talk autonomy, owning your worth, creating a business that works for you. No fluff, no burnout, just the honest truth on how to be your own best boss. Let's get into it.
Hello and welcome back to Dula Tips and Tits. I want to start by saying, this is our 301st episode. We've had 300 podcast episodes and I am so excited about that. That sounds like just a ton and really exciting milestone and also a humbling milestone.
I want to say to my faithful listeners, I'm so grateful for you. I'm glad that you are listening and learning and supporting me and my business and I'm getting to support you and your business. Today is February 21st and if you are listening to this before 10 a.m.
Eastern time, there is a live class happening today with me at 10 a.m. Eastern time. It is free and the link to sign up is in the show notes. Go do that now and if it's time for the class to start, go grab that space in the class ASAP and then come back and listen to the podcast when you are done with the class.
That class is called Dula Business Growth Framework Masterclass. It's talking about three main strategies to share. or pivot or scale your doula business. So primarily for folks who are looking to shift something in their doula business.
And that's also the topic of today's podcast. So you are not a beginner anymore. So why is growth so freaking hard? Right? Like you've built a doula business, you've had clients, you've attended enough births, you've made some money, but somehow you're still a little stuck.
Maybe you're working too much, you're working too little, you're making too little money, you're feeling burnt out with one or more services, or you're like life has shifted and you need some space from some of the services that you do.
Maybe you need to raise your prices but you're scared to do that. Maybe you need to hire some help because you can't do all the things that you need to do to make your business scale, right? Maybe you are stuck because you're like, I've heard about passive offers, but I don't actually know how to do that.
And to be honest with you, there is a very steep learning curve in that. And so you are kind of in this unique space where what you have happening in your business is good and also needs to grow. And you're a little afraid to change what you're doing because then it feels like what you have right now is going to leave.
And I promise you that is a tricky place to be. I have been there and I think about this so often. There was a day in my life, two years ago, two and a half years ago, that I was sitting in my minivan next to a park, while my children played at the park and they're 14, 13 and 11.
And so they were like nine and 11 and 12 at the time. And I was like talking to myself, trying to think through what to do with my business. And I'm like, what if it doesn't work? Like what if I try something and it fails?
And then even what I do have happening also fails. And it was terrifying. It was terrifying because I just wasn't convinced that I could do it. And I wasn't completely convinced that my growth in my business was because of me.
Which I mean, honestly, the number of doulas I talked to who are just like, I don't know, I started having people hire me and then somehow got here and now I'm like, what do I do? And they really feel like they just like happened upon the business that they're in now.
And it's just not true, first of all, you didn't get to where you are by accident, my friend. you have built what you have. And maybe you have built it in like a patchwork way that is like the best you can for the time that you had and the ability that you had, but you have still built it and it's still there because of you.
And so when you think about like scaling and pivoting and changing, I think part of what you have to start with is, what have I done so far that has worked well? And can I duplicate that or can I change it if it's not working well, right?
So I think about myself at that moment, I was kind of like, okay, what have I done that's working well right now? What I've done that's working well is I give my clients an amazing experience. Like I am really good at showing up, right?
My dear friend who, is here local to me said she's in charge of she's the director of programming at one of the nonprofits I work with and she said we had to cancel my class and I was like they're gonna be so upset with me we've had to cancel it before and she was like no they've already had a class with you and so they love you and they don't mind that your class is delayed and I was like what but it was it's true right like part of my part of my success is interacting with a client or a perspective client I connect with people very well and I inherently want people to have a good well supported experience in life in general so I'm a person who is going to very authentically connect with someone right so you have one class with me and you're like yes I want to keep learning from you you know and the way that you talk about this is awesome like I'm not saying everyone thinks that because that is not true but that was kind of the sweet spot that I was finding in my business like almost everyone I spoke to hired me that's honestly still true like very few people don't hire me who speak to me now there are people who reach out and are like actually I can't afford your prices or they have an interview with me and they're like I'm not sure that we're gonna afford your prices right so there are a few people like that but for the most part the people who reach out have seen my prices and they hire me almost always like truly almost always and I am still constantly turning people away right so when I think about what I was doing well is the connection piece so I'm like okay if I can teach other doulas to do some of that connection piece and get a really high higher rate I can really positively impact them and their businesses,
which is a value of mine, right? One of my values is to have more doulas doing this work in a more successful and sustainable way. Like that is vital, right? And so that is very important to me. So as I was sitting there, I remember thinking through like, okay, you know, I have plenty of clients and I do that because I show up like a boss in the birth space, in the postpartum space and so providers send me clients and past clients refer clients to me and other doulas send me clients and so I'm constantly getting this stream of referrals.
And I'm like, what do I not do well right now, right? One of the things I wasn't doing well and I still kind of struggle with sometimes is my online presence like social media and doula match. I forget to update that thing all the time.
And so that like consistency in those things I wasn't thriving in. and they were things that needed to improve and still do need to improve because I do have offerings that are online offerings and so I need to be able to build that same kind of rapport with people who don't have a class with me or don't have a meeting with me or don't meet me in person right and that was the piece that was like really missing in my business and so when I kind of break that down for myself I was able to be like okay what do like can I grow the thing that's going well no I can't because what's going well is I connect with people and they really like me and then they hire me but I'm already being hired by more people than I want right so no I can't scale that so what can I scale another thing that I'm doing really well and that I really like is I was teaching classes and I am still teaching classes so how do I teach more classes and how do I teach classes like at either like more classes or longer or get paid more or whatever right like that piece of like how do I that thing can change and scale and then I have a kick-ass online class that I just don't market very well right so all of my own clients are going through it and they love it and I have lots of good feedback but I don't do a good job of marketing it and I need to do a better job of that right and so what I what I think we can walk away from that with is some concrete validation for one like I actually am really good at part of this and then for two we can walk away with some thought of like okay there are things I can do better and there are ways that my business can grow like I have not reached the max of what my business can do that is the thing that I think is so awesome like you work for yourself no one decides how big or small your business gets to be except for you and I'm not saying that is not me coming from a place of like pull yourself up by your own bootstraps bullshit right that's no no I do not believe that and that is not what I'm saying what I'm saying is that there's always space to grow and and scale and pivot and add new services and be a more expansive big space that you are right now right so when I think about helping people have safer births part of that for me is helping doulas do a better job of helping people have safer births right helping doulas be more sustained in their doula work so that they can continue helping people have safer births so I am still perpetuating that vision of safer birth more supported birth better informed birth patient-centered birth,
trauma-informed birth, right? Like all of that that I am so passionate about, I'm still impacting when I meet with my individual coaching people, right? I'm still impacting folks when I meet with the group coaching that I do, right?
When I have one-on-one calls with doulas, I am still impacting that vision of making birth better and safer for everybody who wants to have a baby, that is still something that I'm doing even as I coach doulas, right?
And so for me, that's part of how my business is growing and expanding is business coaching and mindset coaching and those things that I think are so vital to what you need to succeed, right? And there's also like more classes that I'm teaching and also I have doulas on my team who do postpartum care that I don't do.
So my team can also like be an expansion of me, right? So there are layers to what I'm doing that are expansive in a way that my birth work and my in-person support cannot be. And all of that is equally valid as part of my business, right?
And so when you think about this, I think part of what can be so tricky is that we don't know what we don't know, right? And it's really easy to plateau in your own business when you're like, I don't have any idea what to do next.
And I also don't know how to pivot this thing. Like maybe I don't know how to have an online presence. I don't know how to start teaching classes. Like where do I go for that? And how do I get into that and all of that, right?
That is the piece that you're missing along with of course, imposter syndrome, because anything new is new. And what you're doing now and what is working now feels familiar and safe. But staying in that safe place is a place that is small for you.
And what I want for you is an expansive, soft, business-owning doula life. That is what this can look like. So the takeaway today is if you are ready to scale and to pivot and to have a bigger, more expansive business, today is the day to start that, my friend.
Today is the day to start that. There is not a better time. If you currently feel stuck, you feel like you're spinning your wheels, you feel like something needs to change but you don't know what it is, you feel like something needs to grow but you don't know how to grow it.
This is the time. One of the things that I'm going to start talking about a lot on the podcast is that I have a new offering that is starting in March. It is called the DULA Growth Accelerator Mastermind.
It's a 90-day program designed specifically for DULAs who are past the beginner stage, but they need strategy, they need support, they need accountability, they need to have brainstorming and collaboration.
And so that program is made for you, my friend. If you are feeling stuck, you're feeling like you don't know where to go from here, that's exactly what this is for. There's a link in the show notes to have a quick chat with me if you'd like to have a chat about what that looks like and how to kind of learn more about it.
There's also the program link, so you can check that out. Please do reach out to me on Instagram at hiradulah or via one of those links so that I can answer your questions about this. There's only 10 days to sign up.
So from today it starts to fill. We already have two people in it actually because there was a scholarship offered earlier in the month or actually last month I guess. And so there's already two spots filled and so from there we're only going to have a couple more spots because it's going to be a fairly tight group of folks, like a pretty small cohort.
So I would love to hear from you. I would love to answer your questions about it and I would also love to see you in there so we can get you out of this stuck place and help you continue through 2025, thriving as your own best boss.
All right, I'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for joining us for this episode of the Dula Tips and Tits podcast. If you learned something today or had an aha moment, we'd love for you to share that on Instagram and tag us at hiradulah 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 a 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 your health and your business.
We'll see you again soon.
If you’re feeling stuck in your doula business now’s your time to act! Sign up for the Doula Growth Framework Masterclass happening TODAY February 21st at 10am Eastern. https://harroddoulaservices.thrivecart.com/doula-business-growth-expand-pod/
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.
Quote from the show:
“What you're doing now and what is working now feels familiar and safe. But staying in that safe place is a place that is small for you. And what I want for you is an expansive, soft, business-owning doula life. That is what this can look like. So the takeaway today is if you are ready to scale and to pivot and to have a bigger, more expansive business, today is the day to start that, my friend. Today is the day to start that. There is not a better time. If you currently feel stuck, you feel like you're spinning your wheels, you feel like something needs to change but you don't know what it is, you feel like something needs to grow but you don't know how to grow it. This is the time.”
CONNECT with Kaely on TikTok or Instagram
https://www.tiktok.com/@doulacoach
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If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me @harroddoula
Doula Tips and Tits is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
It is sponsored by The Doula Biz Blueprint Self-Paced Class for Doulas Launching Successful and Sustainable Businesses!
Music by Madirfan: Hidden Place on Pixabay
