The Benefits of Doula Coaching with Becky Chavez
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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 today's episode.
Hello and welcome back to Dula Tips and Tits. We have a very special guest today who is my very first private coaching client who went through my coaching at the beginning of the year and she is based in LA.
Becky, why am I not saying your name before I say all of that? My name is Becky. She has a business called Birth to Latch and we are going to hear about all the amazing things that she has done this year because truly she has done amazing things.
I'm excited about it. Becky, just to get us started, can you share a little bit about who you are and what your business is? Yes, I'm a labor and a postpartum doula. I've been a doula for about eight years now.
I got into doula work when I suffered from postpartum depressions, postpartum anxiety, and also psychosis with my second baby. I have three babies. My third child, someone introduced me to the concept of a doula and I said, wow, what's that?
And I started researching and I said, wow, I really love this. I was planning on not going back to my full -time job, which was in marketing, actually, kind of funny thing, sales and marketing. I said, you know, I'm not going to go back.
to my job. And so I think I want to do this. So by the time my baby was three or four months old, I had already trained. I trained and started seeing clients once my baby was about nine months and haven't stopped since.
Yeah, so it's been great. But you know, I worked from home for a long time. And May of 2022, I decided to open an office. And a friend of mine said, yeah, let's do it. So we opened up an office and it has continued to grow substantially over the last year and a half.
And yeah, that's where I'm at today now. So I offer breastfeed. We have a breastfeeding clinic. We have childbirth education. We have prenatal yoga. We also have parent -in -me classes here. We have massage therapists and an array of other, you know, workshops that come and go throughout this space.
So there's a lot of things on the horizon coming and the growth has just been amazing since January of this year and that was kind of when we, well actually we first met in September 2023 and I was like no I'm not ready yet, I'm not ready yet and then we talked again in January.
So that's where our adventure started together. So that's a little bit about me, I know I talked a lot about that, but yeah that's great. That's who I am. Yeah I think about that first conversation a year ago, so in September of last year, where you got on the phone just like already knew what you wanted and what you wanted to work with me, like you were like not yet but soon this is what I want to do.
We're going to do it together and this I'm going to let you know when I'm ready and I was like great. I just remember getting off and being like in a few months I'm going to get an email from Becky that's like I'm ready let's do it and that is that's basically what happened.
That's kind of my personality too is like I set my eyes on the prize of like what I want and then I have to figure out how I'm going to get there and then once I get there it's like yay. But sometimes we need that extra helping hand to get there and that's something that I wasn't willing to do in years past.
I always wanted to do everything on my own and I think that kind of is a reflection of my own motherhood journey of not accepting help and learning how to accept help and knowing when we need help because it is a place of vulnerability saying I don't know everything so that's kind of where I was in my growth.
So that's why it took me a little bit of time but I was like no we're going to do this. I also love that you're right away like I don't want to be in a group I want to do it individually just you and me like okay great let me know.
Yeah that was true. True, yes, because you were offering me the group. And I was like, no, because I already have a website. I already have these things. Yeah, you're like, I don't think that stuff. Thank you very much.
Yeah, I was in a different place. And I think that that's why that individualized one -on -one was best for me. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. So I would love, I mean, the thing that I am, I was kind of the most proud of you for, which there's lots of things, was the fact that you so quickly got to the place of being able to quit your full -time job.
And so that's one of the things I want to talk through. I do not take credit for that. You put in so much work to get to that place. And I mean, if there were trophies, right, medals to give out, you are the gold medal of all the private coaching, because...
You, because anything I told you, like you'd be like, what do I need to do next? And I'm like, these four things. And two days later, you'd be like, I did the four things. What next? And I'm like, this is a dream because you're making the progress you're making because you're willing to do the things that get you to that place.
Right. So I would love to hear kind of, or let the listeners here. What was that journey like for you going from like, kind of like wanting to quit your full -time job and then being able to do that a couple of months before you even plan to, you know, so.
That's always the doula dream, right? Is that, yeah, it's not a hobby, right? If you want your business to grow, you can't treat it as a hobby. And that's what I did for like the first six years of being a doula.
It was a hobby. Yeah, I had contracts, but they didn't mean squat because I didn't have a DBA. I didn't have a website. I didn't have a business account. I didn't have any of those things. So yeah. So once I treated it as a business, it was like, no, you know, why am I working?
I'm going to continue working for this company who didn't value my, didn't, they didn't value my time enough to pay me a living wage. And whenever we kept saying, Hey, you know, like, let's have a, you know, order more, you know, and it was always a 1 .5 increase.
And I'm like, that's nothing, you know, the way the economy is like, no way. But yeah, in January was when I was like, no, this is it. New year, new, you know, turned that page over and it was like, okay, I'm going to have a plan.
How am I going to do it? And so really, I just figured out how, how much money do I need a month to survive? And I know that's talked about a lot in the doula world is that, you know, how much money do you need to survive?
That's how you base your rates. But I have a space. I actually have an overhead rent. I actually have to pay the electricity. You know, there's things that I have to pay. So it's, and I don't want to nickel and dime people out there in the world because I want them to have the service.
So that's where the other classes came in. So figuring out how many classes do I need to have? You know, how many participants do I need to have in each class? And to make my monthly budget? And to pay myself a decent wage?
Do I make more than what I made at my old job? I probably make a little bit more monthly, but that's because I'm still in a growth phase right now. So I still restrict how much I pay myself. But from January until May, when I quit, in those five months, I just made sure I had a nest egg of money set aside.
So every single birth client, I said yes to a lot of birth clients in that five months that I normally wouldn't take. I usually would only take one a month while I was working because I was terrified of, oh, I have to call in sick, or you know, what if I miss the birth, which I never have.
but I took three per month and I was like really heavy for me but I did it and then I said wow I did it and I'm able to put this money aside and I just kept banking the money, banking the money until I was like okay I'm at a really comfortable place right now.
There were some things that were happening inside internally at my employers that kind of pushed me to say no I'm not here for that. There was some restructuring reorganization going on and I wasn't open to taking on more work for the same pay.
So that same day when they made those announcements I said I'm done and I just trusted. I trusted myself that I was able to grow enough and I had a nest egg. I don't know if I want to share how much I saved but I had a good amount of money.
I had three months worth of living expenses for my family. You know I have three kids, a husband and you know I got two dogs, three cats. Oh my gosh I have all these things right and so it's like how am I gonna pay for the cat food?
How am I gonna pay for you know I start I start thinking vet bills you know I'm like how am I gonna pay all this stuff and I said you know I got this it's gonna be okay and I trusted and you know it worked.
It was really scary it was a lot of adjustment and um but yeah now I'm I'm okay I'm doing really good. Since May I have been able to um put my health first and I have been able to exercise more move my body more meditate more um yeah I get to structure my days the way I want them to be but I'm still very busy.
So I'm still taking three clients a month plus at least one or two postpartum depending on what they want. So I'm still very busy um and um yeah it's really good. This summer I think I had my biggest financial months in all of my time being a doula and having my doors open here um which I was very like wow I did that.
And I was scared. And had I not made those moves, I wouldn't have had July and August, and now September projecting to be the biggest months that I had and what my goals were for financially hitting each month.
So yeah, it was like a big work in progress to quit my job. And it was just a lot of trusting, but I couldn't have done it without my husband, without my older adult children, because they are my backups to help me with my little one.
Because my oldest is 22, then I got a 17 year old and then an eight year old. So you know, she's the baby. And being on call, you know, seeing clients in the evening, just trying to accommodate my clients with still setting boundaries.
They are my support system for sure. And then also dealing with my mom. I think I told you my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She had uterine cancer. So like going through all her treatments and stuff.
So I'm still able to support my mom too. So like the freedoms that came with being a full -time doula is great. But yeah, leaving work has been a journey. I'll tell you that. I have those moments where I'm like, should I get a part -time job just to supplement?
No, I think I'll be okay. Just trusting the waves, you know, trusting the waves. Just like I tell my clients, trust your labor. It's going to be okay. And just trusting the process. But I learned a lot through our coaching though.
And I'm sure you have a question about that, right? But no, well, okay. So the things that I learned from my coaching is the marketing aspects of it. The tools that you provided me with to keep my voice in my client's cell phones, not just on social media.
Social media is just one little thing. I don't post that much on social media. I try to post often, but it's not my number one driver. It was the email marketing that you taught me and working on automation.
Yeah, I'm working on the back. I'm still working on my background automation of things like every week. I'm like, okay, I'll do one more step. I'll do one more step because it's a lot. It's intimidating.
Yes, it is. And I definitely can hire somebody to do it, but it's okay. I need to learn the ins and outs of things. So I feel confident in what I'm sending my clients. But yeah, that's where I'm at right now.
And things coming in the future. I'm actually part of a new perinatal networking group in my own community that me and another LMFT, we We started a couple months ago, and we meet monthly, and we're actually going to start doing community baby showers for our families that get serviced by some of the nonprofits in the community.
So we're branching out in other ways to bring more people to my space so they know that I exist, and that is the form of my marketing as well in networking. So yeah, those are some big things that are on my plate, and I'm like, where did I get myself into?
But it's good things. It's good things. It's all good things because I've been that mom. You know, as a young mom, myself with my first, it was like, no, I need support. And yeah, those are some of the things that are on the plate for later on.
And then, yeah, so those are them. And then, yeah, and more doulas coming into this space too. So we have four other doulas. pop in here and help with education. And we have a backup team now, so we're not doing it alone.
We can't do it alone. That's amazing. Whereas before it was just me and another person, we would, you know, back each other up. Now we have doulas in all regions of L .A. County, so that way we can say, okay, we could take more clients further out now.
And not just be within this range because, I mean, L .A., if you're familiar with L .A. County, it's the traffic, you know, for me to get seven miles to my client is 45 minutes, seven miles. It's insane.
Yeah, it's just, it's hard, especially for me as part of clients, you know. So yeah, that's a little bit about how I quit my job. And you know, it's great as I still am in communication with our old director and now possibly having me coming in as a consultant.
I love that. What are new hires? Oh, that's so awesome. So yeah, so like good things, good things are always happening. A lot of times, you know, we, like, like quitting our job or leaving the workplace, we have that feeling like, oh, they're going to hate me.
Or, you know, they're going to dislike me, or they're going to think I'm a failure, or I was a, you know, like, what is the other word I'm looking for? Like a quitter, you know, like, oh, you know, they're quitting, you know, but really it was an opportunity for growth.
And, you know, they saw my strength in it and they were like, oh, I probably should have promoted her a long time ago. And now, you know, we're going to bring her back in. help us with our new employees periodically.
Yeah. So yeah, it's all really good things. I love that. I also I really love and admire as you were doing it the intentionality, right? Like there's, there's a piece of it that is like, trust the process, like you were saying, right?
Like kind of see the fruits of your labor come to come to be, but also like knowing exactly what your aim is and knowing like how much you feel comfortable having. And even some of that, like I'm going to grind a little and do a little bit more work on this side than I normally do, knowing that this is a temporary situation, you know, and that was going to get me into this new phase.
Because I'm sure three doula clients now all feels very different than three doula clients when you were working full time, correct? Oh yeah, that was insane. That was insane. And even if I don't take three doula clients a month, I'm still okay financially, which is wonderful.
And It's, it's wild how, you know, things just kind of fill in in between, you know, like I, my childbirth education series. I was very surprised I had three more people than I expected in my class. And, you know, it wasn't in my plan and I was like, Oh yes, come on in, you know, and so it was like all these other little blessings that just keep coming, you know, forward.
So yeah, but the intentionality is like, like also like what you mentioned is I am that way. If I write out my schedule ahead of time and I meticulously write out hour for hour, what am I doing throughout my day?
Just because I'm a full -time doulin doesn't mean I'm just hanging out at the coffee shop, going and getting facials and shopping and just like chilling. I'm working, I'm working my butt off. You, you have to put in the work.
If you don't put in the work, it's not going to happen. So, you know, yeah, like I'm going to block out these two hours for social media. I'm going to block out these hours for networking. I'm going to block out this time to, you know, follow, do my follow -ups, you know, blocking out time to do your work and always putting time in to invest, talk into the business because the business isn't going to grow if we don't water it.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I love even the like community baby shower, right? Like that's a way to give back to the community, which very much fits in the heart of why you do this work and where you are, you know, located is a huge, it's a huge need as well.
But that also is exposure for your business, which you highlighted, right? Like more people knowing about your business and coming into your space also opens up and maybe not immediately, right? Like those are networks that we don't always see right away, but later it's like, oh, this person found out about us from the baby shower and then has been telling people about us and now we have a client from them.
And so even just that, I think that speaks to... your intentionality about like how you're continuing to do the things that are sort of like in line with your heart of this work, you know, but things that also grow the marketing and the and the name of the business in terms of familiarity in the area, you know, oh, yeah, yeah, definitely.
And, you know, I, I ordered new shirts I ordered shirts recently like I never thought I was going to order shirts with my brand name on it, you know. But yeah, I kind of went through a couple of different shirt people and I'm like, finally found something that I liked that I could wear on a daily.
So when I am out and about, people will see it and go what is that they're gonna Google it. And Google is my best friend. So, it is that's where I get most of my clients. Yeah. And so, yeah, it's just like all of these little details of the Branding yourself and making sure you put yourself out there.
Because if people don't know, you know, I just joined a new gym recently. And, you know, getting to know people as we're grunting and like, you know, dying, right? But you know, like, it comes out like, Oh, what do you what do you do for work, you know, because I go to the 5am sessions, I'm going, I'm going early in the morning.
And so everybody's like going there to work out and then go to work. And, you know, I tell people, Oh, you know, I'm a first doula. And they're like, what's that, you know, and just me sharing that with them.
And then I'll pull out my QR that goes straight to my business card. It's this really thing. I don't know if you know it. But it's a, it's a contact. And so when they scan that QR, it automatically adds into their contacts, it adds in your business name, your Venmo, your Zelle, like every, the whole thing.
And they're like, Oh, oh, you're hearing my phone now. So, you know, just in that quick conversation, I networked. Yeah. And maybe months from now, she knows somebody who's pregnant, she'll be like, Oh, there was that one girl, and she's going to have my contact.
You know, so I'm always intentionally doing things. I do try to shut off my brain and not be networking or talking about babies or, you know, paradigms, or water drinking. Or nipples. What is your degree of success in that?
You know what, that's when I go to yoga. Okay, that's the one. Okay, so so like my friend has a yoga studio, and they recently moved really close to my house. So I go to restorative yoga. Like I've been going about once or twice a week.
And what's what I like is actually I walk in and I talk to no one. Oh, I love that. Purposely talk to no one. I purposely sit like against the wall off to the corner. I purposely don't make eye contact with people and that is my intentional time.
I do it. I do it. And I really love the meditations that she has set forward in those restoratives. And it's just a really good way for me to reconnect with my brain and just shut it off. So I'm not doing that.
Yeah, that's, yeah. I love that. Closing my eyes and just, you know, being at one with myself. And that has been, that has been my go -to to clear my mind. So I am not in go -go -go mode, because when you're a business owner, you're constantly working.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's an understatement. Yes. Yeah. So like, I've been doing, I've been doing that. And then, you know, of course, like. turning my phone off when I need to turn it off and when I can't, you know, if I'm not on call.
But yeah, you know, making very intentional time frames for myself. And I think that that's the good balance that we all need that. We all need that. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, so one of the things that I think is like an awesome, I don't know, an awesome piece of what you do is that like the automations, right?
I remember that came up maybe in our very first coaching call was talking about like how that would help you kind of have some of the background stuffs going. And it was confusing from the get go. And part of that was tech stuff, right?
Like we kind of sorted through some of those things. But, but like, it's hard to do. I mean, I sometimes take for granted that my brain works that way. And so it like the, the like algorithm of how the automation works work, like make sense to me, right?
But also the tech pieces and the plugging them in is not for the faint of heart. Like it takes a second. No, it did. It took some research. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, and even just making the emails, you know, but you haven't stopped doing it.
I think that's the big thing in my mind is that you don't have all of that set up exactly yet, but you are still working on it and kind of plugging away at it. Instead of being like, this is taking too long.
I'm not going to do it. It's almost like, you know, I didn't, I haven't put together the whole enchilada, you know, like I'm still in the rolling phase where you're still rolling the tortillas. All right.
I'm still in that phase. I haven't got it in the oven yet. So I'm still there, but what I have been doing. Yeah. So like, it's like I'm sampling the goods as I'm rolling them, you know, so I do send out a general, Hey, this is what's happening.
Hey, you know, this is what's new. and because if I don't say something, they're not going to remember necessarily. Not everybody is on social media. And just because they delivered last year and they're in my contact doesn't mean that they're not going to get pregnant again, have a cousin or somebody else who is going to get pregnant.
So talking about it, letting them know that, Hey, I'm still here. Remember me? You gave me that really great review and you said you loved me at your birth. Well, guess what? I'm still here and I'm still doing the work.
And, you know, think of me and, you know, so, so yeah, once I get all those automation things done, it's going to be amazing. And I'm really, my goal is to have it done by December. And I know that sounds like far away, but it's actually not.
I'm chipping away. I spend two hours at minimum a week. Yeah. and I do one step. And it's like, yay. I do the little clapping emojis. I give myself clapping emojis and I'm like, good job. And then I continue on with life.
Yeah. Because I know it's a big project. And if I get more than one thing done, yay for me. And that's it. And that's kind of how I got to the place that I'm at right now today. Same thing with all of the other tools that you gave me as well.
Getting my contracts electronic. Getting that going has been huge. Teaching me ways to make life a little bit easier. But ever so often though, okay, I have come across two clients who were like, I don't want to sign electronically.
I want paper. And I'm like, oh, okay. So then I guess I will have to come to you. So we met and we got that sign. So I was like, oh, you don't want to sign this? What do you mean you don't want to sign this?
That's so interesting to me. How many things in life are paper contracts? Very, very few. Like almost everything we're signing online. Yeah. And then I tell myself, okay, don't lose it. Don't lose the paper.
Because I put it somewhere random. Yeah. Because I have my old paper contracts and like a file, like in my file cabinet in a closet. That's just like put away because I don't do paper anymore. Everything is digital.
Even my intakes are all digital now, which is wonderful. Yeah. I try to eliminate as much paper as possible. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, sorry, I was going to say on the, on the intakes and stuff, that is such a game changer.
If you ever have to have a backup, because you have everything in your phone that you can just send to them and be like, here's phone numbers, all the things. Yeah. It's a huge change. Yeah. And just make sure you have good questions on your intake.
Yes. Yes. Because I don't know if you've been on there, but you see the generic ones that are out there for sale or that you go buy. They're okay for a starting point, but they don't have like detailed questions that really your backup needs to know about.
You know, so just make sure you put, don't just take the freebies out there. Yeah, totally. Yeah. But yeah, no, I love, I love using that for my backups. So, you know, I just shoot it off. Hey, I need your back.
You know, this is, this is client's information and they know what to do. Yeah. No, that's amazing. I appreciate you in part because, yeah, because we got to hang out together for so long that we got to know each other fairly well.
But I think. The cool thing about your business is that so many folks have a dream that then they don't make a plan for, they don't strategize for it. And so then it just never happens, right? Because I'm a little Lulu, right?
Like I can do some mindset work and things like that, but also like it's, I'm not just going to think it into reality. Like I also am like, what are the numbers and how much do I need to make and how can I make that?
And do I need to change a service around, right? Like that, that piece of it is really how you did that even faster. Cause I think when you first started with me, your goal was by the end of the summer to stop working at your job.
Is that right? Yeah, it was. You were able to do it in May. Yeah, which was awesome. But again, it was your planning and part of it was like, you got enough clients to have that nest egg there, you know, and that's, that's amazing.
That's great. That's part of how it was financially feasible. But also like you, you have like a good balance of planning and strategy and like trusting the process. That's not all strategy and planning, but it's not all just like manifesting with your brain space, which I don't mean to sound ridiculous about that.
No, I'm sorry, but yeah, let's not get all into that, but you know, you do have to put some efforts in. There is some, you know, boots on the ground type work that we have to do to get the clients and the follow -ups, even the people who reach out to you like just recently, like I had a bunch of doula match inquiries and you know, I call, they don't answer.
Okay, great. And then, you know, I send the email with the info here. You could book a video call, whatever. And they don't, they don't book and then they don't respond. So it's like, no, I'm going to follow up with them again.
Hey, you reached out to me. I just want to make sure that you're okay. Did you find a doula? Did you not find a doula? crying, but you know, it's that follow up. And there was one girl, I just talked to her before we got on this call.
And she called and it was funny because she called and she was like, Oh, thank you so much for following up. I'm so busy. I couldn't get back to you. And you're the only one that followed up with me.
Wow. She said she reached that she's she's gotten and she says some people did send me like, because I said, Oh, you mean like nobody replied to you? Yeah. And she goes, Well, they did. But you're but like, I haven't had time to respond to them.
But you're the only one that followed. Yeah. Yeah. And I go, Oh, it's like anytime I send something out, I put an alarm for two weeks and then two weeks. And that way I can color code them that they are either not interested anymore.
They hired another doula, or they were busy like this lady and it works. And so she was like, yeah, let's schedule something. So we're scheduled this evening. So that way we can do a quick interview.
But, you know, I really feel like if you're not doing your work and your homework on the follow -ups, I think that's a big part of it too, you know? Yeah, I think I might actually start mentoring people too, Kaylee.
I mean, so secretly, I think like in a year from now, possibly I'll probably start doing some of that. Uh, once I grow this space to what I need it to be, because like, there's like all these little details that have worked for me and I'm actually keeping track of them.
Um, and one is hiring a coach. Hiring a coach is invaluable. I was just talking to the massage therapists here that we share space with. And she has a coach, she meets with her coach regularly and she is, you know, working on growth right now.
And she's made leaps and bounds in her business. Um, you know, and she goes, I really love my coach. Cause I was telling her, I was going to come on here with you. And I was like, remember how to coach?
And she goes, yeah, and she has her coach. So like everybody that is doing well in their business or you see them growing and you're like, Oh, wow, you know, we have that little bit of jealousy inside.
Guess what? They have a coach or they have somebody that they can lean on that understands how to grow a business. Mm -hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe that'd be their husband or somebody else. That's fine.
Cause there are some that do, they're like little teams, but they have coaches. Yeah. Yeah. So coaches are valuable. You're valuable. Yeah. Oh, I think, um, I think one of the things that I, one of the, there's lots of memories I have and I want to, after this, I want to chat about like, what are your dreams going forward?
Cause I'm excited to hear that. Um, but one of the things I remember us chatting about, I don't remember if it was maybe on Voxer. that you sent me a message like I've been out all day dropping off business cards from different providers and I was like perfect because the thing that I see so frequently and this is across lots of businesses but especially for doulas is I'll hear people say I just need more clients I just need more clients I just need more clients and I'm like okay have you done the three things that we talked about that would potentially get you more clients well I haven't had time to I didn't do it I haven't done the thing and with you any time I was like I really think it would be worthwhile to do this this and this you would send me a message like I did that thing and you're like I spent the whole day going around all these pediatricians and you know like massage therapists and chiropractors and whatever giving them my information and that's what I did all day today and I'm like amazing because that eventually is going to pay off in your business but you're the only one that can decide to actually do that step you know and if you're not doing that step It's not really a surprise that you're not growing because you're not actually doing the stuff that helps you grow,
you know. And so that, I think also like so much attributes to your success is that you're like, okay, this piece will help me grow. Let's figure it out and get it done, you know, and maybe I can do it today, but I'm going to do it in the next couple of weeks because that thing is going to help my business and I need to actually put this into practice in order for it to see a return, you know, so.
Yeah, it's funny as I was actually driving to my office and I passed by a couple chiropractors offices that I've stopped at before. Yeah. And I never heard anything from them, you know, which is fine.
Yeah. But as I was driving up the road, I was like, I need to do that again. So it's so funny that you brought that up, but my new strategy that I'm going to do, I was going to, the last time I was going to drop off donuts with everybody's visit, but that was going to be a little pricey.
But now I have a little budget set aside for my marketing because I do, I set aside money for marketing because it costs, you know. Yeah, so yeah, I have like a, it's a 1% bucket in my bank, so it just kind of keeps going there and, um, but yeah, I think I'm going to check and see.
I think I'm going to do doulas and donuts and just drop off donuts and then I'm going to make something cute on Canva that says like, you know, hey, I'm your local doula. And here's my info. I'd love to meet with you and have coffee or something, you know, enjoy your adult donut.
Have a good day. Yeah. Just, just so then it's a gimmick, you know, it is a gimmick, but it gets them to remember you like, oh, she brought me a donut. I don't eat donuts, but whatever she cares, you know, I love that.
So yeah, that's something that you brought that up. You need to trademark that slogan. And then there's also bagels with babies. Oh, look at you. I'm going to hire you to name all my things from here on out.
Bagels and babies. Yeah, but bagels cost more money than donuts. Yeah. If we're talking about budgeting, donuts are cheaper. Yeah. But you know, you have to think about those things and everything's an investment.
It's all an investment. And you know, the return comes back full fold. So yeah. Yeah, it is. And that's also where that that new perinatal networking group comes in. Yeah. Yeah, we have some really good.
We have a couple pediatricians. We have an OBGYN that delivers breach birth. But that is in our community. I'm not saying names because I don't know if you want to say a unicorn. He is. He's absolutely a unicorn.
He was wearing a shirt the first time it said I love I like breach butts and I cannot lie. and I looked and I was like who are you and then he yeah and then we started introducing each other and I'm like oh my gosh you are a unicorn and you live in my community now so I'm not saying names because his office isn't set up yet but um but yeah we're starting to build a nice community of perinatal networking so we don't end yeah not to be mean but we you know we love our local chamber here and we love like the other networking groups but they're all insurance brokers and realtors and they are wonderful yes they deal with families but they I don't feel as though they understand the importance of our role and how we're making a difference in the world and making birth a safer thing for families yeah for mothers and for babies so they're not seeing that big picture they're just like oh so you're a labor coach I'm like no it's different it's just different you know and um you know I don't yeah we'll just leave them in their groups and so that's why we started this group so we have we have you know social workers LMFTs we have some um infant uh physical therapists that we found that they're like oh yeah we love this and so we have an array of different um uh businesses and the goal is to continue to bring more in um so we can have uh give each other referrals you know and we get to know each other a little bit better so the door knocking has worked so with the door knocking is also an invitation to our group too yeah so yeah I love that if you don't have one in your community make one yeah 100 yeah that's I've learned that my community failed me in a lot of ways and so um you know make it yeah do it yourself you know put it out there and sometimes it's not fun to be the one in charge But then find other people that want to be in charge,
too. Yeah, you can start small, right? Like if there are any perinatal professionals that you do know in your area, start getting coffee once a month and go from there, right? Like you don't have to organize a whole network to begin with.
No, just coffee shops. So yeah. And then you'll also see like, okay, well, when I'm called to a birth, does Becky want to sometimes lead it, you know, like that. And you're, the only thing that you're committing to is showing up at the coffee shop in case anyone else shows up at the coffee shop, you know, like the level of commitment is so low, you don't need to be the expert on all the things.
You're not teaching webinars to these folks, you know, like you're just networking and getting to know people. And that trust factor is huge. I mean, truly doulas are one of the biggest sources of clients for other doulas, because when they are full, they're going to send two, three, four names of people they actually trust and that will last forever.
Like that network is hugely important to your business and client flow. It is. And like where I'm at in Los Angeles, there's not a lot of doulas. I feel, yeah, the culture in my city in LA County, my city is not doula friendly.
And so, you know, I feel like sometimes I feel like I'm on this island because I have to drive an hour away to find doula circles. And that is another reason that I created this space. So then that way we can start growing that that community here.
And it just it takes that first step and just finding, you know, and there was a training I took recently. And, you know, I was talking with the trainer and telling her what I'm doing. And she's like two hours away from here.
And she goes, just do it. She goes, keep doing what you're doing. Just build it. They will come. They will come. They will, it will work. Yeah, she she has a birth center and very, very successful birth center.
And, you know, it's it's like, okay, yeah, just keep on going. Keep on going. So even though I've been a doula for eight years, my space is only a year and a half old. Yeah. So there is that that difference with getting my name out there, you know, getting my name out there and meeting people and growing.
But we've got to do the back end stuff. That's important. Well, yeah, because that back end stuff, too. I mean, I think I'm not going to keep harping on the automations because because if you're listening to this and you're a brand new doula, automations is not where you need to be yet.
But for Becky and the growth that she's expecting and the growth that she's looking for automation set up is going to be a huge piece of that being easier. And so your goal of having them finished by the end of the year is amazing because then as things grow and expand, that piece, that infrastructure is there, and so much easier to duplicate once it's already there.
So if you add another class, you can duplicate that and tweak the language a little bit, but you don't have to create the whole thing from scratch, you know, because you already have it. And so you're setting yourself up for years of having backend stuff working for you in a way that then takes a lot off your plate in terms of connecting with people and doing that continual marketing, you know, which is huge.
It is huge. It is huge. Yeah. No, it is. It'll all be worth it. I promise. I know. And we're all going to clap with you when the automations are complete. Not that that's really a thing. You might keep working on them forever.
Oh yeah. You might. Yeah. Oh, I definitely see. But I feel like once I have it built and I understand the process, maybe I. I will hire somebody to help me in that back end stuff. Maybe I will be at a place because I've done some growth with it.
And it's helped me to put my voice into everybody's cell phone. Oh, hey, Becky sent a newsletter. Oh, Becky's doing this. Oh, Becky's doing that. Her space is growing. I'm so happy for her. They're going to say, hey, honey, remember that doula we hired?
She's doing great. You know, they're going to see that and that growth is going to come with it. I really believe in it. And then at that point, I'll hire somebody to deal with some of that automation stuff.
Oh, totally. Yeah. It was a lot. Yeah. Well, when we think about big, big brands, right? Like in this, in the birth space, we think about like, bye, bye baby. We think about like Lamaze. We think about some of those companies that people have never had a baby or don't plan to have a baby have heard of.
That is why they've heard of them. Is that like being in everybody's home kind of marketing that just the more people know about you, the more your company is known. That person might not actually ever purchase from that thing, but the familiarity of the brand is part of what grows that business.
You know, not about every single newsletter recipient being a customer at some point paying for something, but more about the fact that when someone is saying something and they're like, oh, childbirth classes, I was just reading, Becky, you know, that is, those are the pieces that are going to start kind of making the web of continual referrals and continual client, client acquisition.
Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. And yeah. Oh yeah. Definitely. It's all those impressions. So impressions, impressions, impressions. So we're, you know, whether it's audio impression, like you're in the car, you're hearing a radio commercial, and then all of a sudden you see a billboard they've, they've done two impressions.
You're going to remember them. So. That's, yeah. I hope my shirts get in soon so I can wear my shirts proudly. Marketing all over the LA area. Yeah, I do already have two and I wear them to the hospital, like, of course, if they're clean.
But, you know, I put them on as, you know, my birth shirt. They're just t -shirts. But, you know, I really hope that, you know, it helps with continuing this marketing and this branding for my space.
And, you know, eventually, you know, we've been talking because we have another year lease here in this space. After that year's up, like, should we look for something larger? And which is great, because we have a chiropractor that just started with us.
And, yeah, so it's like she's now just building her practice. And, yeah, you know, it's like we're all in this growth phase and having a bigger space. where we can have more, you know, working with us will be wonderful, but we don't want to push it too fast.
We go with the growth as it comes. Yeah, I love that. So on that note, you want to share a few things that you are dreaming about for the next like five years for this business? You already mentioned a few.
Well, that's yeah, that's really one of them is to have, because like our space, we're not we're not street front. So, you know, in our community, we have this really cute old town. We call it uptown Whittier.
And it's like an old, it's, it's like this big strip of a bunch of small businesses, little boutiques and stuff. But we're not street front. Because rent's more expensive when it's street. We're inside of a large building, we're upstairs.
So in within five years, I mean, our goal will be to have a street front view and have, you know, at least five other collaborators to, you know, offer their services that all complement each other. Like our neighbor that just moved in, she's an acupuncturist and she services, she does pediatrics.
So like, yeah, it's just a good compliment. But like, she's in her own space. But ideally, it would be wonderful if we were all in one space. Yeah. Or one, you know, building of its own to say, Oh, just go down the hall to so and so, you know, that would be the dream.
And then the other dream, of course, which is everybody else's is to work less and make money, right. So I am actually going to start recording YouTube videos to start like a subscription base on my classes because I teach so much.
Yeah, I'm a child development specialist. So I also teach child development to birth to one year old. I mean, know older but that's my favorite age range. So that's what I stick with because I can't.
And so yeah, I'm going to start recording different things like breastfeeding, childbirth, education, and my parenting. But I don't know what you want to start with first, but it'll be a subscription based.
So if you want access to, you know, these educational videos, you'll jump onto my subscription base. It's I'm looking, that's kind of where I'm leaning towards right now. But if not YouTube, some other platform that doesn't cost me a gazillion dollars.
Because they cost money. They do. Yes, they do. They do. So yeah, so that's what I'm working on right now. And like writing out my game plan. Like I literally have it right here. Like I'm writing it out.
You know, what's the game plan for that? And how am I going to utilize my my downtime in between births efficiently to maximize that time because long term, if it does work and I can make revenue through that, that is a huge game changer for me.
So yeah, doing all that fun stuff in the behind the scenes and making the time to do them and being intentional so that with the same drive that I had to quit my job, I'm working on it in the same way.
So yeah, I love that. I'm also just so incredibly proud of all the progress that you've made because I think sometimes we think about doula businesses as this like teeny tiny little business that doesn't really make much profit and like can't sustain your life.
And I mean, as a person who lives in DC, similar to the LA area, super expensive, right? And so you can't just kind of like do this on the side unless you have a partner who makes bank doing something else.
And even then maybe you want your business to be crazy profitable, you know, but that is possible. Like it is possible to get to the place that you want to be as a doula and as a small business owner.
And you're just like such a shiny example of that, which makes me really happy. Well, I mean, a lot of that is also privileged. I was, you know, like I am a Latina, but I also, my mom is white and I have privilege because I, you know, we, my mother owns properties and I don't have to pay a big overhead for my living expenses.
So I mean, that is out there. I also have met doulas that are like, oh, my husband is a, I don't know, millionaire, you know? Like they don't have to do doula work. They do it because it's fun. It's a hobby for them.
And they're, they don't, if they don't have a client one month, it's not a big deal. They have food on their table and money is not a thing. I do struggle. You know, my husband's on disability. So, putting that in there that, yeah, I am making this money to support my family.
It is possible, but you also have to have realistic expectations for yourself. You're not going to go out and buy yourself a brand new Highlander at Toyota, which I want, but you're not going to go out there and buy a brand new car.
I still drive my old minivan. I'm a minivan mom and I still drive it, you know? But like, you have to put these things into reality. You don't make a ton of money at first, but yes, you will make more money as you grow.
And it is a sustainable business if you really put the time and efforts into it, just like you would when you punch in at a job 9 to 5. The same effort that you're putting in to get that deadline done for that employer.
Put that same effort into your business, set a deadline, and be like, oh my gosh, I have to get this done. It's due on this date. And that's kind of how I've seen it. I'm sure we've all had a job. We have to have certain things done by a certain time.
That project needs to be done. And yeah, we just have to put the pedal to the metal and handle our business. So it is possible to live on this income. I like all of that that you're highlighting, because I think the marketing that I do not love is like when someone is saying something like, imagine only working three days a week.
And I'm like, how many years did it take you to get there? Because I'm dreaming of that too, but I'm not there yet. Right. And then also, did your husband, did your husband support you in the family, even if you didn't make that money every month?
I'm sure. Yes. Or did you inherit Grandpa's farm and like, you know, you have all this like money. Yeah, there is a lot of that. I have met, because I've been doing a lot of networking. I have met some people that share that.
Yeah, I have, I travel, I travel state to state and I'm a doula. And I'm like, how do you do that? Like, and then, you know, they're renting in a very high, high priced area in LA. And I'm like, how do you pay rent?
And for fun, they're in these like drama clubs and stuff. And I'm like, you're an adult. Like, how do you do this? Yeah, because they're, because it's generational wealth that they're living on. Yeah.
Yeah. That's what this one person told me. She goes, Oh, it's generational wealth. Like my family is very wealthy. I get a certain amount every month. And this is what I do. And I'm like, wow, like how, how, like, what is that life?
Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. I'm a first gen here. from my father's side. My mom is very poor and she's just very lucky with what she has right now. And it's just like, wow, like different playing fields than I'm on.
But dual work is, it is a possibility. You can make the money, but you got to put the work in. You got to put the work in. And you also have to price yourself right too. So I remember when we first talked too, you were like, I think you need to increase your prices.
And I'm like, every single package. And I did. And I actually now that my fall, like I'm almost fully booked through all the way to the end of December. I have a few spots open. But I already increased it for 2025.
The website's already updated because I'm like, no, the way that the economy is going, I need to put gas in my car. I can't. Yeah. And then some of these hospitals, man, parking fees. I mean, just ridiculous things that are coming up.
No, I need to increase. I'm sorry, but that's what it is. And it's not because I'm greedy by all means. I don't have my nails done. You know, I don't, I don't have my lashes done. I don't have any of those things.
You know. Yeah. Yeah. So, so yeah, no, it is possible, but you have to increase your prices. You do. Yeah. And they will come. They will come. I know I had somebody say, well, if you out price yourself, then nobody's going to hire you.
And I said, no, the right person's going to hire me. Yeah. Yeah. That has never happened to me so far. That might happen. I mean, it does happen, I think in smaller areas, especially smaller communities and communities that have like generally lower cost of living, but that's also an area that, that your business doesn't necessarily need to make what it takes to live in a bigger city, you know?
So there's, there's some ebb and flow there. Like there has to be some context of where you are and what kind of clients you're serving, but mostly what we see like as a broad sweeping statement is that doulas under charge, no matter where they're located.
And that is an issue across the whole industry, you know? Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. Definitely. Yeah. No, the, the undercharging is definitely a thing. Card of the problem too, is I know with insurance coming in and Medi -Cal paying, they don't pay enough for birth.
Yeah. So, you know, I feel like some people are trying to drop their prices to help people, which is great, but at the same time, you're not going to be able to sustain yourself as a business owner. Yeah.
And our insurance companies need to understand that. And like even my prices, my prices are not on the higher end and they are not on the lower end. I'm still within mid range of what the area is for pricing.
Um, yeah, I'm not overpriced, but I'm not underpriced. Um, yeah, but I am out of range for a lot of people, um, to pay. So, you know, it's just, it's, it's a tough one. It's a really tough one for sure.
Um, yeah, but increase your prices, girls. Definitely do it. That's the takeaway today. Yeah. Increase your prices. Um, you know, it's okay. The right client's going to find you. Yeah. Yeah. They are.
Yeah. I so appreciate you taking the time to hang out with me. Um, again, I haven't chatted with you or caught up with you in months. So It's lovely on a personal level to hear all the amazing things you're doing, and also I know the listeners will really get a lot of value out of it.
So thank you for taking time out of your busy day to hang out with us and share so much about what's going on in your business. Yeah, no, it's a pleasure. I'm glad to see you again and, you know, have this conversation from across the country.
I know. I feel like half of our text initially was like, what time zone is that for you? What time? If we do it at this time, what is it in your life? Exactly. Yeah, so it's been a pleasure. Thank you so much for having me here.
Of course. Everyone listening, you can expect to hear a solo episode on Friday, and then we'll have another guest next Wednesday, and we will 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 hiradula 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.
Doula Business Coaching is not just a fancy, unnecessary thing. It is specifically designed to grow you and your business using the expertise of a doula who’s been there done that many times over! It’s not about making you into me and my business, but it is about helping you grow using tools I know to work and not making you figure that out on your own!
Quote from Becky
“That's kind of my personality too is like I set my eyes on the prize of like what I want and then I have to figure out how I'm going to get there and then once I get there it's like yay. But sometimes we need that extra helping hand to get there and that's something that I wasn't willing to do in years past. I always wanted to do everything on my own and I think that kind of is a reflection of my own motherhood journey of not accepting help and learning how to accept help and knowing when we need help because it is a place of vulnerability saying I don't know everything so that's kind of where I was in my growth. So that's why it took me a little bit of time but I was like no we're going to do this. I also love that you're right away like I don't want to be in a group I want to do it individually just you and me like okay great let me know. ”
Meet Becky Chavez:
Becky Chavez, a first-generation Latinx mother, is married and has three bicultural children, residing in Whittier, CA, with early childhood roots in Nayarit, Tepic, Mexico. Proudly identifying as Mexican American, Becky dedicates herself to her community, offering workshops, support groups, and personalized birth and postpartum care to families in-person.
Founding Birth to Latch studio with a deliberate focus on creating a nurturing space for families, she aims to address postpartum depression and ease the transition into parenthood through birth support and perinatal education. Birth to Latch operates as a collaborative practice, uniting doulas, lactation professionals, and other healers committed to holistic self-care. With five years of experience in home visiting with Los Angeles County, Becky served at-risk families during the perinatal period, providing essential skills such as childbirth preparation, infant massage, non-violent parenting methods, and resource connection.
Inspired by her own struggles through postpartum depression, Becky's passion for aiding others blossomed, propelling her vision for the past eight years since her doula training in 2016 and the inception of her inaugural postpartum support group. Continuously pursuing educational growth, Becky remains dedicated to self-reflection, learning, and personal evolution to best serve the families she encounters. Follow her on social media at @birthtolatch and her space continues to grow.
Connect with Becky:
https://birthtolatch.com/
https://www.instagram.com/birthtolatch/
CONNECT with Kaely on TikTok or Instagram
https://www.tiktok.com/@doulacoach
https://www.instagram.com/Harroddoula/
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
