Category: Childbirth Educator

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birth Business Canada Childbirth Educator

Insurance Announcement

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1707147428773{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]We are thrilled to announce a huge win in our movement for better access to doula care in Canada. Effective immediately, Sun Life has approved that Doula Training Canada certified doulas are on the list of approved providers whose clients can use their benefits for coverage IF they have that coverage in their plan!

This will make it easier for thousands of people to afford the cost of this life-changing support. Doula Canada is so proud to be considered a leading certification organization for doulas in Canada and find itself listed alongside the two other largest organizations internationally (DONA and CAPPA). As we continue our strategic growth initiatives, we will continue to expand the work we do to advocate for families’ access to doula care in Canada and around the world. 

How to Help Your Clients Get Reimbursement

For your clients to be able to submit receipts for reimbursement from Sun Life, invoices must contain the following information:

  • Your Full Legal Name and company name
  • Address
  • Services provided
  • Service dates

Price (if you collect tax, your tax number is legally required to be on all your receipts/invoices)

The certification/graduation number that was included in your graduation letter from DTC.

Please also keep in mind that not everyone that has SunLife coverage will be able to use their benefits for doula reimbursement. Insurance and benefit plans are complex and vary from person to pereson. Clients should confirm their coverage to be sure of what might be covered.

If you would like us to send you an updated certification document with your certification number please email us at info@doulatraining.ca and we’ll be happy to email you a new certificate.

While this is undoubtedly a huge win for DTC doulas and our clients, we don’t intend to rest on our laurels. We will use what we have learned from our success with Sun Life to continue to advocate for more insurance companies to cover doula care! A reminder that each person’s plan is different and not all customers will qualify. They should check with Sunlife for their specific coverage. 

If you have any questions please feel free to email us anytime at info@doulatraining.ca

Doula Training Canada

www.DoulaTraining.ca[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Business certification Childbirth Educator

Where Can My Doula Career Take Me?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1694438520551{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]As unregulated health care professionals, a doula’s role involves advocacy, education, counselling, collaboration and negotiation to provide physical, emotional and informational support to individuals and families across the full spectrum of their reproductive choices. This role relies on a comprehensive set of skills and knowledge. With the foundation of your doula experience and education you can choose to grow your career path in many different directions. 

So let’s talk about some career options that complement each other. 

Lactation Consultant or IBCLC 

These are two different avenues of support. 

A Lactation Consultant/ Educator works with families from preconception through the stage of weaning offering education, encouragement, counseling, an experienced point of view, and fostering confidence, and a commitment to body feeding. Lactation Educators can be found working in a variety of settings to offer their services to families. Families can find them working as public health educators, WIC peer counselors, hospital/community educators, pediatric support professionals, and in private practice as educators. You can find certifications online for these programs. 

An International board-certified lactation consultants (IBCLC) is an allied healthcare professional who specializes in caring for bodyfeeding parents. They’re qualified to treat common nursing problems along with more serious conditions such as mastitis and clogged milk ducts. Lactation consultants most often support parents in how to increase milk supply, find the best nursing position, and manage breastfeeding pain. IBCLCs are held to strict standards. To be accredited, they must complete 90 hours of training, 300 to 1,000 hours of clinical experience, and extensive health sciences coursework. An accredited lactation consultant must also recertify every five years and continue their education.

Prenatal Fitness Instructor

As a Prenatal & Postnatal Fitness Instructor, you can help educate and train clients in all stages of pregnancy – before, during, and after – about what is safe for them and, conversely, what should be avoided to help protect the health of both the gestational parent and baby. Furthermore, fitness training is a fun way to meet new clients and get to know them in a positive environment. Prenatal fitness certifications are available both online and in-person. Take a look in your area to see what works best.

Perinatal Counsellor

Perinatal counselling provides emotional support and treatment for individuals (and couples) who are having a difficult time adjusting to pregnancy and parenthood, who are experiencing a perinatal mood or anxiety problem, or who are experiencing both. Some of this work can naturally overlap with a client’s pregnancy and birth journey. If you really enjoy the counseling and support side of birth work you may want to become a psychotherapist or mental health professional. You can find certification courses through college or university or through private vocational training schools. 

Birth Photographer

If you have a creative eye, you can capture the moments of birth for clients on camera. A few of our alumni have combined their creativity with a love of birth. You can either work solely as a Birth Photographer, documenting the pregnancy journey and birth. Or you can have photography as an additional service available through your doula work. It depends what you’re comfortable with and how you’d like to structure your business. Each client is different and you’ll want to work with them to understand what their goals are and what kind of pictures they’re looking for. The great thing about this career path is a relatively low barrier to entry. If you already have a love of photography and a camera you can get started. Alternatively, there are a variety of photography courses available both online and in person.

Midwife

A healthcare professional that assists with the labour and delivery of a new baby. Midwifes are experts in low risk pregnancy and birth, providing care to patients and delivering the baby. In the case where there are concerns or complications, a midwife can transfer care to a physician if needed. A midwife is different from a doula, in that they are a trained medical professional who can deliver a baby. A doula is trained to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to clients. However, a doula is not a medical professional. A question we see a lot at Doula School is does a client benefit from having a midwife AND a doula – the answer is yes! They both provide very important services to clients, and many people find it helpful to have both. Training to be a midwife typically takes between 3 and 4 years, depending on the program and its requirements.

Labour & Delivery Nurse

They work as main points of support for OBGYNs, monitoring of patient vitals, administering medication, and establishing communication with expectant parents. Once a baby is born, the L&D Nurse acts as an informational resource to parents, to monitor neonatal vitals, to ensure the birthing person isn’t experiencing postpartum complications. Nursing degrees can vary depending on where you are located, however they typically take 3-4 years.

Whatever path you decide to take, know you have a foundation of knowledge that will help carry you through. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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About Us birth Business Childbirth Educator community connection Members pregnancy Uncategorised Virtual Webinar

Doula Canada’s Event Calendar November 2022 – January 2023

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1666959463057{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Looking for the upcoming events at Doula Canada all in one place? Look no further! This is a quick look at the upcoming Booster Workshops, Course Start Dates and Webinars for November to January. Check out our website for any updates or additions.[/vc_column_text][vc_images_carousel images=”467896,467897,467898″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_button url=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/nov-jan-dtc-event-calendar.pdf” align=”center”]DTC Event Calendar PDF[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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balance birth Business Childbirth Educator collaboration community connection Labour Doula Postpartum Doula Uncategorised Webinar

Standing out from the Crowd in your Birth Work Business

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1655208046361{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]One of my favourite aspects of getting to know more doulas is hearing everyone’s “Why I became a birth worker story”. While there are common themes, every doula’s story is unique and visceral. Our motivations are often connected to our own experiences of birth trauma or the traumatic experience of a loved one. Others want to disrupt the systemic injustices of the medicalized birth model that have impacted them and their community directly. Others are “birth nerds” who are just fascinated by all things birth and baby. Others remember their own experience of wishing they had had more support and more information and want to provide that for others.

Our specific reasons are as unique as we all are. Yet, many of us struggle to communicate this innate individuality to prospective clients. It can be hard to know how to make what you offer clients sound different from the standard list of doula services: “continuous labour support, informational support, assistance with establishing a good latch, emotional needs during labour, non-medical comfort” etc. All of those services are invaluable, but we also know that parents looking for a doula are not just looking for another clinical person with certain skills. Creating marketing materials that clearly convey how you will deliver those services in a way that is different from any other doula can be very elusive.

This is where brand identity comes into play. To be honest, when I hear the word “brand” the first thing that pops into my head is that shoe company’s swoosh. But branding is actually much more complex than an eye-catching, memorable logo. When we see that iconic swoosh, we have specific feelings and perceptions about who wears those shoes and who we would be in them, as compared to any other athletic footwear.

Similarly, our brand as birth workers needs to make it intuitively clear to prospective clients who we are in the birth room and who our support will affirm them to be. When we connect with our audience using a strong brand identity, our business name, logos, shapes, and colours all fit together seamlessly to tell the story of who we are and how the way we do what we do is different from any other doula in our community.

Another thing I have observed about doulas is that the birth worker community is collaborative rather than competitive. Stemming from our deeply personal reasons for taking up this labour of love, we want our clients to find the best fit for their needs. We want a consistent stream of clients without having to haggle with each other for our share of the market.

On Tuesday, June 14 at 7 PM ET, Business Consultant Gaileen Flaman will be supporting us to ensure that our public presence stands out from the crowd. Using a mix of self-reflection, visualization, and storytelling exercises we will emerge with the ability to market with precision and cohesion. This is an invaluable opportunity for anyone building their business who wants to know how to tap into the clients that are looking for you. You can register for the Building your Brand Webinar here!

 

The webinar will be close-captioned. Ticket holders who are unable to attend the webinar live will receive a recording of the session within two business days.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Anti-racism work birth Business Canada Childbirth Educator collaboration community connection Equity fear intersectionality Postpartum Doula pregnancy reducing stigma research shame Trauma understanding bias vulnerabiliity

Recognizing Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1653215730289{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]May is Asian Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on what we mean by “heritage” regarding the history of these two communities in “multicultural” Canada, and what this means for creating cultural safety in birth work.

I’ve lived in the GTA my whole life. Here, a “heritage festival” typically amounts to a street party with food, live music and dance, and other culture-specific entertainment. I am actually a great lover of a good street fair. The food and performances are usually lit. I have also learned a lot about Jewish and Asian history and culture at events like the Ashkenaz Music Festival and Taste of Asia. I also understand that many communities are not fortunate enough to have this level of exposure to culture and diversity. But these cultural displays are not only far from telling the whole story of the “heritage” of Asian and Jewish people in Canada, but they also contribute to “false peace” – the illusion that multiculturalism is working out, that we are all getting along, and that we are all equal.

In truth, there is anti-Asian racism and anti-Semitism at the core of Canada’s heritage. Those of us who remember “Heritage Minutes” from the 1980s and 90s may know about the lethal exploitation of Chinese migrant workers that occurred in the 19th century to support the construction of the trans-Canada railroad. There are many other examples, including the head tax, and internment camps during WWII. 

Anti-Semitism is equally a part of the fabric of Canada’s history. Wide-spread belief in a Jewish conspiracy to achieve global economic domination that originated in Europe and spread to North America made Jewish Canadians an easy scapegoat during the great depression. Additionally, to limit the economic advancement of Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century, Canadian universities implemented quotas that restricted the number of Jewish applicants who could be admitted to the school.

It’s easy to hear these stories and think “this has nothing to do with me”, “this is ancient history”, “I didn’t do these things”, and “let’s focus on the positive and how far we’ve come”. While these sentiments are understandable, the reality is that the present arises from the past. These uglier parts of our heritage are directly related to more recent attacks on synagogues and the hate crimes experienced by Asian Canadians during the pandemic. 

Moreover, this heritage underpins the modern assumptions that manifest more subtly as microaggressions that affect the day-to-day navigation of society and impact the long-term mental and physical health of equity-seeking people. Some of these stereotypes may seem harmless or even positive. But in reality, they fuel the construction of whiteness as the social norm, put people in boxes, and create false impressions regarding people’s realities.

As birth workers, we can create cultural safety regarding the beautiful and the traumatic aspects of each client’s heritage. We can create space for them to share whether they have any cultural or religious traditions that they would like to honour. And we can also be mindful of things like how common stereotypes about Asian women may influence provider perceptions of client autonomy. Or how the intergenerational trauma of Holocaust survivors may impact pain management. There are a number of ways that our identities can impact our pregnancy and parenting journey. Shining a light on the good, the bad, and the ugly of our heritage sets us up to ask the right questions and facilitate the needed conversations with all of our clients.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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birth Business Childbirth Educator collaboration community connection Labour Doula Postpartum Doula

Why YOU matter in business.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1647449189768{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Birthwork is personal. Everyone comes to this work with some level of personal investment. Clients may be drawn to your logo, website, or social media but who they hire is you. 

Imagine you are following a company on Instagram and Facebook. The images are warm and cozy feeling. The person in the images is wearing relaxed clothing and a big smile. So you set up a meeting. You are excited to connect with the person you see every day online. 

When you arrive to meet with this person you walk into an office with modern décor and are greeted by a person in a business suit. How do you feel? Do you stay? Do you continue to want to work with this person?

This person’s marketing was not representative of who they are. For whatever reason, they were trying to be someone else in the marketing of their business. 

Finding your voice in this business can be hard. You want to stand out, you want your ideal client to find you. The best and most effective way of finding your market is by showing up. Be vulnerable and honest about who you are. 

Does this mean baring your soul on social media? Not necessarily. Authenticity is more important than transparency. Clients are not looking for every detail of your life. They are however wanting to meet you, not who you think you should be. 

So what is authenticity? It means staying true to who YOU are, what YOU do, who YOU serve and, most importantly, why YOU do what you do. To quote Simon Sinek of Start with Why, “It means that the things we say and the things we do are things we actually believe.”

Authenticity is the basis of the trust clients develops in your business. A client wants to have some sense that the beliefs and values you express in your business, align with theirs. People are drawn to others who are similar to them in certain ways.  What it means is finding your voice. Finding your people and letting them get to know who you are. 

 

Where do you start? 

Confidence (even if you have to fake it till you make it)

This means believing in the power of you. Trusting that what you offer is so much more than the number of births you have attended, clients you have supported, or classes you have taught. That who you are is unique, and your clients are excited to meet you.

Connection

Getting yourself out there matters, but what matters most is relationships. Relationships with clients, caregivers, and other professionals are what business is built on. Through relationships all things are possible. Who you are matters in these relationships. Your business depends on your integrity of self. 

Find a way to position yourself as the expert in your field. Find where your ideal clients hang out, what groups they are in, where they go to the shop, and build those relationships. Talk to the business owners, organize speaking events, be visible.  

Clients are seeking connection. They want interaction, transparency, and relevance. They want to feel special. If a client likes your Facebook page or gives you their email they are saying “hey I like you!”. How can you say that back? How can you connect with them? Maybe that is as simple as shout-out on your social media platform or maybe that is a gift with purchase.

Consistency

This is more than just regularly posting on social media. This means that who you are and what images and ideas you are sharing align. All the time.  That your brand is consistent. Being authentic doesn’t mean you have to post every day and rack up 1000 likes. It just requires you to deliver a consistent, compelling identity that gets clients talking.

It also means that if you are changing your marketing materials you need to be transparent as to what is to come. People have a hard time with change. Something as simple as a new haircut that makes you appear different from the headshot shown on your website can affect a client’s trust in your business. 

Collaboration

Going back to speaking to other business owners. We have a saying here at Doula Canada. There is no such thing as competition. WHAT?! Shocking I know. Here is the thing. Competition breeds contempt. Collaboration builds business. Your market, your clients are unique to you. Visibility matters. The more birth professionals out there (in a small town or big city) the more clients there are out there looking for service. 

Find like-minded individuals and collaborate. Put on a talk, share space, and find ways to build a market through and with each other.  When you collaborate, you build connections. Connections bring clients. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Anti-racism work birth Business Childbirth Educator Equity Health Care Labour Doula LGBTQ2S+ research understanding bias Virtual Webinar

Why Is Evidence-Based Research a Vital Skill for Birthworkers?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285741139{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

Why Is Evidence-Based Research a Vital Skill for Birthworkers?

[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285895328{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The term “evidence-based” gets used a lot more than it gets explained. “Evidence-Based medicine” is a movement within health care practice that started about 30 years ago. It is a shift in approach to relying on the best available research data to support clinical decision making regarding testing, diagnosis and treatment. It differs from the previous practice in medicine and other health professions where teaching was largely apprenticeship-based, and physicians relied on their personal clinical experience to determine patient care plans (Masic et. al., 2008).[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285507272{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Relying upon scientific evidence to make decisions has the potential to improve patient outcomes because decisions are made based on clinical data that clearly show what happened most of the time when certain choices were made or methods used. It all sounds logical and straightforward, but evidence-based care is actually more challenging to implement than it sounds and it is not without controversy. In reality, evidence-based care happens very inconsistently (Lehane et. al., 2019).[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645286010844{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]This is where doulas have the potential to help. There is no organized system whereby new research makes it into the hands of healthcare professionals. There can be quite a lag between new, credible research being published and health care professionals updating their practice to align with it (Lehane et. al. 2019, Soliday and Smith, 2017). It takes physicians an average of 17 years to change their practice in accordance with new research. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285541602{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Additionally, while unintentional, an evidence-based approach can be in contradiction with a patient-centred, individualized approach to care. The standard 15 minute medical appointment does not make it feasible to conduct research for each individual. This means that even providers who are staying apprised of new research developments may provide “one-size fits all” care due to resource constraints.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285557316{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Institutional policies and legislations are often even slower to change with new evidence. For example, while evidence has been available for quite some time that routine antibiotic eye ointment for newborns is unnecessary, this is still a hospital requirement in many jurisdictions. If providers feel pressured by institutional policy, these interventions are often framed as requirements. From the provider’s perspective that is true, however the patient always has the right to refuse treatment. Often, legislation and institutional policies only change when concerned patients and healthcare providers call for change (Soliday and Smith, 2017).[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285573376{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Doulas who are skilled at evidence-based research can support clients to gather and interpret credible scientific information that is specific to their unique needs and circumstances. Clients equipped with this information are well-positioned to self-advocate by speaking a language the provider understands (Soliday and Smith, 2017). I know from lived experience as a Queer, Black woman that being an informed and educated healthcare consumer makes for much more empowering healthcare experiences.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=”white”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645286312153{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]On February 24 at 6 PM EST, I am hosting a webinar on conducting evidence-based research in birthwork. The webinar will focus on preparing a strong literature review for perinatal informational support. A literature review refers to the process of compiling and synthesizing all of the current and relevant scientific information that is available on a topic. Analysis involves assessing the quality of each source and summarizing the complete body of literature. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285639985{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]During this session, we will discuss what exactly is “evidence”. We’ll go over the different types of health research evidence that exists, as well as how to determine which sources are credible, and how different sources can vary in quality. Participants will also learn about the different types of bias that can crop up in how we search for and analyze information, as well as how to spot and reduce bias in their own research.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285655944{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Using real scenarios provided by DTC members and webinar attendees, we’ll walk through how to turn a client concern into an unbiased research question and find a solid answer that supports your client to make informed decisions and have confident discussions with their healthcare team. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285674079{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]My approach to research draws from a mix of my graduate education in health services research, professional experiences in policy and healthcare research and my lived experiences as a Queer, racialized healthcare user. I am very excited to share knowledge and grow with those who can attend![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Register here for our RESEARCH SKILLS FOR BIRTH WORKERS Webinar” color=”mulled-wine” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fstefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net%2Ftraining%2Fresearch-skills-for-birth-workers-webinar%2F|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1645285701619{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Citations

Lehane, E., Leahy-Warren, P., O’Riordan, C., Savage, E., Drennan, J., O’Tuathaigh, C., O’Connor, M., Corrigan, M., Burke, F., Hayes, M., Lynch, H., Sahm, L., Heffernan, E., O’Keeffe, E., Blake, C., Horgan, F., & Hegarty, J. (2019). Evidence-based practice education for healthcare professions: An expert view. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 24(3), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2018-111019

Masic, I., Miokovic, M., & Muhamedagic, B. (2008). Evidence Based Medicine – New Approaches and Challenges. Acta Informatica Medica, 16(4), 219–225. https://doi.org/10.5455/aim.2008.16.219-225

Soliday, E., & Smith, S. R. (2017). Teaching University Students About Evidence-Based Perinatal Care: Effects on Learning and Future Care Preferences. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 26(3), 144–153. https://doi.org/10.1891/1058-1243.26.3.144[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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balance Business Childbirth Educator collaboration community connection Labour Doula Postpartum Doula Uncategorised

Making Time for Your Business

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1620640152795{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Making time for your business or schooling while starting out can feel overwhelming. Everyone is given the same 24 hours in a day. Whether you’re a busy parent, full-time student, working two jobs, or generally just living life through these crazy times, how you choose to break up your day or prioritize your schedule can help make or break your business or learning. 

When you are beginning training in birth work it often feels safer to hide behind books and other learning materials instead of taking the plunge to start your side business. It’s always great to educate yourself, and important for your certification; however, sometimes you just have to put the book down and test things out for yourself. Reading or listening to audiobooks can take up a lot of time. They also don’t sink in as well as learning on the go. It’s okay to be afraid of failure, just don’t become paralyzed by the fear. No book will give you the magic business answer you’re looking for. Everything you need to succeed is already in you. Take a leap of faith and go for it. 

 

So how do you start? Here are some time management techniques that may help you get organized. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1620639964218{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The Pomodoro Technique

A time focused technique to help you find time to start a side business is the Pomodoro Technique. This technique requires you to first prioritize your daily tasks. Then, you can set a timer for 25 minutes and take a five minute break between sets. After completing four 25-minute sets you can take a 20 minute break. This allows you to have laser focus on a task for 25 minutes and allowing you to disconnect from your work for a five minute break. This is helpful for those who need to check their phones constantly as it works in time for quick breaks. You can use your phone’s timer or you can search ‘timer’ in Google and a timer will pop up[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/pomodoro-tech.png” image_size=”full”][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1620640473548{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]80/20 Rule

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, suggests that 80% of your results comes from 20% of your output. To find time to start a side business, you need to determine which things are producing the results to focus time on only those things. You can also use this principle to determine which part of your daily routine isn’t producing results for you. For example, if you spend your weekends marathoning shows on Netflix, sleeping in or going out, you may have better results cutting back to make time for your side business.

 

Now for the tips on how to keep going: 

Be aware of Time Wasters

Avoid spending time on things that don’t bring results. Some people spend an entire week designing a logo or crafting the perfect 20-page business plan. However, those tasks don’t generate money for your business. A business plan can start off as a one-pager and be modified along the way. If you lack design skills, you can outsource your logo, or use a tool such as an online logo maker which can be extremely simple to use, and will help you save a lot of time. Or If the task can be modified or changed along the way, there’s no need to overspend time on it. Create a list of priorities such as creating ads, partnering with influencers, producing unique content such as blog posts or social media posts or managing your finances. Then, focus your workload on the top priorities which yield the best results.

 

Set Firm Deadlines

Setting firm deadlines for projects forces you to make time to work on your business. By not allowing yourself to be flexible, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen such as waking up earlier or avoiding distractions. What goals do you want to achieve? When do you want to achieve each goal? Write down exact dates. You’ll find that more often than not, you’re able to achieve your goals by the deadline.

 

Don’t Waste Time on Social Media, Maximize It

Without a doubt, social media is a very powerful tool. It reaches out to hundreds upon thousands of people at once. Make sure your business is engaged in social media. This helps you stay relevant. Your content must provide some type of value to your audience. That value could be education, increased productivity, entertainment, or cost savings. It also needs to be in your voice. Share who you are and engage with your audience in an authentic way!

Social media can be addicting. Most of us have the tendency to check our news feed repeatedly throughout the day. You can download a tool like the Chrome extension News Feed Eradicator to help prevent you from getting distracted for hours on Facebook. The tool blocks your news feed without you having to delete or deactivate your Facebook account. If you know social media is slowing down your business’ progress this is a great quick fix solution. Stay focused on your goal, and don’t let yourself get distracted.

 

Learn to Say No

Richard Branson once said, “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” So while it might be tempting to say yes to every opportunity, saying no often may actually work in your favor. Saying no gives you time to work on things you say yes to. It can help improve your productivity while also creating boundaries. Avoid agreeing to every opportunity or trying every tactic at the same time. Having a laser-like focus can help you achieve your goals faster because you’ll learn how to master things quickly.

 

Hang onto your Enthusiasm

If you ponder over what differentiates an average person from one who has achieved stupendous success, you will realize that it may be the intensity of enthusiasm that has helped the highly successful person reach such great heights. Those who could accomplish great things in their chosen fields could not have done so without enthusiasm.

If you are enthusiastic about a particular goal, you will be so excited that you will do your best in order to achieve it. It will keep you motivated to go on and on with it. This does not mean you will work on it all the time, but even if you are not your mind will constantly be thinking about the goal you are enthusiastic about. It is exactly your subconscious mind that will be focusing on the things you are passionate & enthusiastic about. A lot of research has taken place about the power of the subconscious mind and these researches have revealed that it has enormous powers. When it constantly works on a thing you are enthusiastic about, you will get great ideas and this will fast-track your success.

 

Divide your Time: For Work, Family and Yourself 

Schedule in family time, downtime and work time. When it’s on the calendar, that means you’ve prioritized it and planned for it. Once it’s on the calendar, defend it at all costs. If you have work tasks to do, focus on them distraction-free. If you said you’d stop working at a specific time and relax with family, be sure to stick to that and completely unplug.

That means it’s more likely to happen. For example, if you want to plan a weekly date with your spouse, it’s much better to put it on your calendar set to a specific day and time instead of just saying you’ll get around to it when you can.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1620639940087{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]As much as investing in your business is important, investing in yourself will make the business thrive. 

Success doesn’t happen overnight- it takes time to build a successful business, and there certainly isn’t a secret formula to success. It takes passion, and a lot of determination and resilience, not to mention confidence, and an appetite to take risks. Invest in yourself, schedule and keep your enthusiasm high and you will achieve great things! [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Business Childbirth Educator community connection Health Care holistic nutrition Labour Doula Menopause Postpartum Doula pregnancy rebranding Uncategorised Virtual Webinar

Free Social Media Content Calendar for Birth Professionals – May through August

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1618935599948{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Here is your birth related social media calendar for May through August! Fill in the blank days with content about you, your business, your services or other special dates.

This is a great place to start when building your social media platform! Need more support? Send us an email and let help you fill your calendar![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1.png” image_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2.png” image_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/3.png” image_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/4.png” image_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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birth Childbirth Educator Equity fertility intersectionality Labour Doula Postpartum Doula understanding bias

Using Inclusive Language in Birth Work

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1617899935998{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Let’s start with this: not all birthing people are women.

The birth world is full of ideas about who can get pregnant, give birth, and parent.  This is reflected in the images we see on social media (hello, white dresses and flower crowns), the materials available to us (the classic La Leche League text, “The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding”), and the language that automatically gets applied to pregnant people (“Hi mamas!”)

If you’re somebody whose understanding or experience of parenthood fits into these ideas, you might not have even noticed that they exist. If you’re somebody whose understanding or experience of parenthood exists outside of these ideas, you’re probably painfully aware that they are there.

If your own personal connection to pregnancy and birth is rooted in being a woman, that’s okay. If your passion for birthwork, your reason for becoming a doula, and your personal brand are all rooted in working with women, that’s okay too.  What isn’t okay is forcing these ideas on to people who don’t fit into them.

As doulas, our work is meant to be client-centered.  This means listening to our clients’ needs and doing what we can to meet them. As well as being about which resources you share and which comfort measures you offer, being client-centered is about how you recognize your clients and the language that you use. If you are working with a client whose experience of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood don’t align with your understanding of these things, then it is your job to shift your framework to include them.

Some suggestions:

  1. When introducing yourself to a client, share your pronouns as well as your name: “Hi, my name is Anna and I use she/her pronouns.” This creates space for your clients to share their pronouns too.
  2. Think about the language and images you use in your own materials and brand.  Who does it include?  Who does it exclude?
  3. Share the terms that you use, but acknowledge that clients’ may use different ones.  “I generally use the term breastfeeding, but let me know if you would prefer chestfeeding, nursing, or something else.”
  4. Recognize that we are always learning and growing and sometimes that means we will make mistakes.  If you are challenged on something that you’ve said or done, say thank you and move on: “Thank you– parent, not mom.  I’ll try to not make that mistake again.”
  5. When possible, challenge other service providers’ language and assumptions too.
  6. Find opportunities to celebrate a range of identities, experiences, and families.  You can do this through your conversations with colleagues and clients, your social media, and events like Pride.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_image src=”https://stefanie-techops.wisdmlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/instead-of.png” image_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1617915869980{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Building an inclusive doula practice means being intentional about the way you understand and reflect who can get pregnant, give birth, and be a parent. Unlearning and expanding these ideas can be challenging, but also rewarding.  Doing this work means that you’ll be ready to work with all clients, not just all mothers.

What are you doing to make your work inclusive?  Let us know in the comments![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]