Why So Many Doulas Quit in their First Year... And How to Persevere
Ever wondered why so many new doulas quit birthwork altogether?
If you’ve been wondering how to persevere through the most common pitfalls of birthwork, then get out a pen and paper, this episode is for you.
Things you’ll learn in this episode:
The reason you need to set boundaries with your clients from day one…
Why you don’t need to be a *salesy-business-hustler* to find clients…
How to make the “running a business” part of being a doula EASY…
… and a whole lot more!
Where do so many new doulas go wrong? What leads to them hanging up their “doula hat” in the first few years of their business?
Three reasons.
1. Lack of Boundaries.
New doulas struggle with boundaries a lot more than veteran doulas because they start their business trying to serve EVERYONE. They’re desperate for clients, and with that comes a lot of saying “yes,” when really, they’d like to be saying “no.”
This can look like:
Offering discounts out of desperation.
Taking on last-minute clients for free just “for the experience.”
Offering packages with 24/7 phone support. (They end up spending so much time replying to clients that there is hardly any time left to run the business)
So, what should it look like instead? In Birthworker Academy, I teach my students to develop and strengthen their boundaries BEFORE they are crossed, and BEFORE they start to resent their business.
Instead of being reactive, be proactive.
For instance—a lot of new doulas start with a REALLY basic contract, and it’s not until shit goes sideways that they start to hash out the details…
Maybe a client fails to call them for birth and demands a refund. After that is dealt with, the doula sets a reactive boundary: “Well I don’t want that to happen again, so let me add that to my contract now.”
Shit doesn’t need to hit the fan. Be proactive and set boundaries now instead.
My *favorite* boundary as a doula is only accepting clients that are fully aligned with my values. I didn't do that when I started—I wanted all the clients and all the experience. I realize now that I am the best doula when my client is a specific type of person. So now, I only say yes to those women. And it feels SO much better!
2. Lack of Structure
This pitfall leads TONS of doulas to step out of birthwork each and every year… So what kind of structure do you need to implement in your business to make sure you don’t quit on your passion?
What, Why, HOW.
When I was a brand new doula leaving my 3-day training, I was absolutely clueless about the “HOW” part.
How do I find clients? How do I lead a good consultation? How to I make a contract? How to I send an invoice? How do I lead a prenatal?
That’s why I’ve made it one of my missions to teach you not only the “what” and the “why,” but most importantly the “how.”
How to network within your community.
How to build relationships that lead to referrals.
How to lead a killer consultation.
How to move someone from a stranger on social media, onto your website, to your services page, and to that initial consultation.
One of my students, Courtney from Journey to Postpartum, said that Birthworker Academy gave her the structure she needed to make the “running a business” part of being a doula EASY so she could focus on what she really loves - helping moms!
That’s exactly what I want doulas in my program to experience. I want them to be able to SERVE WOMEN with all of their heart and energy, and not feel the constant need to network, promote themselves, and do all the salsey-business-stuff.
The structures and systems I teach in Birthworker Academy include:
Systemizing your finances to stay on top of your expenses and income. (So you never feel like you’re drowning in receipts with no clue what to do with them)
Systemizing your content creation process, so you can create all of your social media content in just ONE DAY and pre-schedule all posts for the entire month.
Those are just a couple… but just imagine how much more time and freedom you’ve have back in your life if everything in your doula business was as simple as possible. You can follow the exact steps, set up your structure ONCE, and then get back to what you really love—helping women.
3. Lack of Foundational Business Knowledge.
99% of doulas lack business knowledge. And 99% of doulas quit within the first few years of their business.
And it makes perfect sense! Childbirth is so feminine and flowy, and business can feel very hard and masculine.
…That’s not how we do business here. That’s not what I teach. The doulas I teach don’t need to constantly be “selling” their services. The doulas I teach don’t have to hustle to find clients, or pass out their business cards at cliquey networking events.
You don’t have to do that shit anymore. It’s 2022 and there is absolutely a better way.
There is a strategy to setting up your business so that ALL you have to do is continue to show up authentically...and you’ll have your dream clients reaching out to you.
That’s what we teach inside Birthworker Academy!
You’ll learn about:
Physiological birth
Interventions
Evidence-based care
Supporting birth at every location
Postpartum support
Bereavement support
How to lead consultations and prenatal appointments
How to set up your packages/pricing
But if I ended there… I’d be doing you a HUGE injustice. If I ended there, a lot of women would quit birthwork.
So I don’t stop there.
Inside Birthworker Academy, not only are you getting a comprehensive birth education, but you’re also getting a really high-level business course.
Because while I want you to be able to attract your dream clients with ease, it really doesn’t matter how much you know about birth or how much you love supporting women… If you don’t have the foundational business knowledge, you either won’t be doing this work for very long, or you’ll spend a very long time trying and trying and trying, but never hitting your goals.
New doulas quit because they lack boundaries, they lack structure, and they lack foundational business knowledge.
Newsflash: You don’t have to choose between building a doula career and building your dream life.
You can be a doula AND:
Stay home with your kids.
Make a life-changing income.
Travel the world.
Be a rockstar homeschooling mom.
Have a predictable, stable schedule.
When you join Birthworker Academy, you’re getting my entire A-Z framework so you won’t spend a single second thinking, “Wait, what am I supposed to do next?”
Instead, you’ll be saying,
“I know exactly how to show up in the world to attract my dream client. I know exactly how to support my client’s birth in the best way possible. And I feel confident showing up as an expert and sharing my passion and knowledge with women across the world.”
The question is no longer, “Is it possible?” The question is: “Am I ready to say YES?”
I have two amazing opportunities happening right now, and you are invited to both.
First, I am hosting free workshops all throughout November! I will be giving you the framework to create an entire business around YOUR values and lifestyle. No more following the status quo just for the sake of it.
Click here to sign up for the free workshop. See you there!
Second, the next round of Birthworker Academy is starting in just 3 weeks, and registration is open RIGHT NOW!
Birthworker Academy has taught over 150 women how to become the BEST doula they can be, AND how to do it in a way that ensures they don’t burn out in the process.
You won’t be learning about building a specific type of doula practice. You’ll be tuning into YOUR values, and using my framework to make your dream doula business come to life.
If you’re ready to become a go-to leader in the birth community, and if you’re ready to turn your passion for birth into a profitable business that *lights your freaking soul on fire* day after day, then I want you to listen up.
PSA: This is the last cohort of Birthworker Academy at this price point, so there has never been a better time to join.
As scary as it can feel to say “yes,” I can tell you confidently that all of the little butterflies in your belly are showing you the way. One of my students Allie Rezac said… “If you’re even THINKING about being a birthworker… you’re meant to be a birthworker!”
I am dying to see you inside and would be SO HONORED to mentor you for three months, showing you exactly what to do, every step of the way.
Registration closes on November 23rd, so click here to save your spot today.
I cannot wait to teach you literally EVERYTHING I know about birth and business.
thank you for listening
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Meet your host, Kyleigh Banks, a side-gig doula turned CEO of a multi-six-figure birth-focused business. Her passion? Teaching birth nerds, like you, how to build an incredibly successful doula business that allows you to quit your day job, stay home with your kids, and most importantly, make a lasting impact on the world.