Business

A Doula’s Best Tool: Effective Communication

Effective communication is a doula’s most meaningful tool when navigating client relationships. We must adjust to each family before us to attune to their needs. Attuning requires us to not only communicate effectively but also to listen. Attuned listening is different than the everyday conversation you might have with friends and family. It requires understanding […]

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Is a Doula Collective Right for You?

After you complete your doula training you may be considering different business models and exploring options, such as: building your own doula practice, working in partnership with another doula, or joining an established doula collective. As you embark on this new journey, there are a few considerations to bear in mind. To begin, research the

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Me First – Part 2: Managing Work Boundaries

One of the best ways to initiate impactful self-care is to begin setting boundaries. Boundaries help us determine what is our responsibility. Perhaps even more importantly, they delineate what is not our responsibility. In their classic book, Boundaries,[1] Doctors Cloud and Townsend explain how boundaries help us keep nurturing things in our lives and harmful

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Videos for Members to Share with Clients!

CAPPA faculty and owner of Chicago Family Doulas, Annamarie Rodney has created materials for doulas and educators who are just starting out to use! For Labor Doulas Share this video with clients so they know what you can provide and offer! You can edit this on Canva and add your own logo! Edit the Labor/Birth

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Top Five Tips for Growing your Doula and Birth Business

Many doulas start their businesses with a deep passion and excitement for this incredible work! Doulas are often caring, loving, thoughtful, passionate and educated, but unfortunately not always business minded! This can become quite a challenge as many doulas work independently and need to find their own way in this field.  Although being passionate is important

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What’s Holding You Back? Fear of Failure and Imposter Syndrome

With ever-changing COVID restrictions, birth businesses are struggling. We can’t work the way we used to. The whole way we interact with society is in flux. But is the shifting cultural climate the only thing that’s holding us back?? Or is there something else? Let me share with you “A Tale of 3 Gyms”. These

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Marketing Your Doula Business

Marketing is part of any doula business. Unlike yoga students or massage clients, our families use our services and then move on. Therefore, publicity, like laundry is never done. Do something every day to promote your business. Remember that every experienced doula was once an enthusiastic new doula, wondering where their clients would come from.

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The Importance of Building Connections for Success

Have you heard the old saying “We are Better Together?” There is so much truth in this statement when it comes to connecting with other doulas and educators in our arena. After working as a doula for nine years, I truly believe “Building Connections” is the single best thing you can do to set yourself

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5 Ways Postpartum Doulas Can Achieve Marketing Success Without Instagram

We all know we have to have a social media presence these days to market ourselves. It is a great way tell the world about us and the services and support we offer. There are many experts that will attest to this and please listen to them to get your presence felt. If you are

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Instagram: The Marketing Tool You Need

One BILLION users!  That is the number of people using Instagram.  Approximately 60% of those users are aged 18-29 and are heavily influenced by businesses on Instagram.  About 58% of users identify as women.  With the average age of birthing persons being 26, this gives us a clue as to why this platform can be useful for birth workers.

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12 Ways to Respond When Your Client Asks for a Discount

Everyone who owns a business of any kind will be asked this question at some point: “Can I get a discount?“ What makes our business unique is that we know the crucial difference that our services make to families’ physical and mental health, and we don’t want anyone to miss out on them! So, how

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The Juggle

As childbirth professionals, we specialize in mastering “the juggle”. We juggle clients or classes, or in many cases both, trying to make sure we don’t over book/schedule, yet at the same time ensuring that we have enough business to make a living. As if that juggle weren’t challenging enough, most, if not all of us,

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The Hustle Culture

“Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.”  This philosophy has become more and more acceptable when it comes to work ethic.  There is a misconception with entrepreneurs that you must be working at all times or you won’t be successful, you won’t get ahead, you won’t beat out the competition. But at what

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Investing Your Doula Time and Money Wisely

One of the greatest opportunities, and downsides, of doula work is the overwhelming number of ways you can invest in your business through expos/events, membership in organizations, and by attending educational workshops, seminars, retreats, and trainings. These choices can benefit your business greatly by exposing you to new potential clients, increasing your professionalism, and expanding

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Winning Your Interviews!

People ask me frequently how to get doula jobs and specifically how to seal the interview. These are capable people with skills; they just really want to know how to shine during a time of high anxiety in anticipation of getting a job (or not)! I also frequently hear the “You’re not the doula for

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Moving from Imagination to Reality – Achieving the CAPPA Vision

The CAPPA Vision Imagine a world…Where women are encouraged to trust their bodies. Where myths about pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, and breastfeeding are dispelled. Imagine a world…Where women are given the tools they need to make informed decisions about their pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and breastfeeding experiences. Imagine a world…Where education does not use guilt

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Working with Your Beliefs and Biases

I’ve seen many internet posts recently on doula support platforms, discussing how doulas should deal with clients who make choices contrary to individual beliefs or strong biases. Topics such as circumcision, religious rituals, marijuana, and alcohol use are often the source of conflict in these posts. As I read through the MANY responses I was

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A Book Review – Round the Circle: Doulas Share Their Experiences

They say that experience is the best teacher. However, another person’s experience can be an even better teacher. That is the idea behind the collection of doula experiences by CAPPA Faculty Member Julie Brill, CCCE, CLD in her book, Round the Circle: Doulas Share Their Experiences. The title gives a great glimpse into what the

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Finding Your Niche

As a former biology instructor I always encouraged students to observe their environments, as they are ripe with individualized roles that are filled by a species with a unique skill. The world of childbirth education is similar. While the variety of options that exists could be endless, with the right research and evidence at your

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The Art of Networking

Networking has changed quite a bit from when I started in this field many, many moons ago.  In a technological world, we are quickly becoming more connected and disconnected all at the same time.  Before the Internet and social media was a thing, we used to have to actually make appointments with others and have

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Make the Connections

For the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the planning committee for a community event: The Birth and Family Wellness Fair.  This fair promotes holistic family health and birthing options. I have seen the positive effects this event has in our community and urge others to sponsor or support events like these in their areas. I worked with

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