Birth Boss Society

In this episode, I am chatting with Ananda Lowe, owner of the Boston Doula Circle agency, about her journey of transitioning from a solo doula practice to an agency model. 

First we discuss the benefits of buying an established agency versus starting from scratch and then go into detail about the importance of organization and putting together the right team.  It's crucial to focus, of course, on doula skills, but also recognize what other things they can bring into your agency.  Building your admin team from within, most times, makes the most sense.

Next we go into the challenges of rebranding and navigating the business purchase process. Ananda shares her experiences and insights on agency ownership, emphasizing the need for effective communication within the business and the value of working with a variety of professionals to get the results your looking for... the ones that align and represent your brand exactly the way you envision.

A recurring theme in this conversation is the importance of building a close network of trusted people that understand and support the nuances of agency ownership.  Throughout the episode we also touch on the financial health of our businesses and why you can never lose sight of knowing your worth as the owner.

You can find Ananda here:

BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/103907/the-doula-guide-to-birth-by-ananda-lowe-and-rachel-zimmerman/

AGENCY: https://www.bostondoulacircle.com/ 

SOCIAL: @bostondoulacircle

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@bostondoulacircle2028

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode I talk all about the transformative power of in-person events! 

I love the unique energy and engagement that comes from face to face interactions and it's impossible to recreate those virtually.  That's not to say that virtual events can't be amazing, because they can, but nothing compares to having your community within arms reach.

I also share the story of how the Birth Boss Society was created, which was to fill the big gap in community and education for high-caliber doula business owners and how, from that, came the Birth Boss CEO Summit, a 3 day transformative event, live in Boston April 5-7.  

I can't wait for the deep personal connections, meaningful relationship building, rich engagement and the unmatchable energy that will be felt from everyone that attends.

For more information about the 2025 Birth Boss CEO Summit or to register: https://www.hiptoheart.com/birth-boss-ceo-summit

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode I am chatting with RN, IBCLC and entrepreneur Leslie Owens about her journey into the field, the importance of lactation support, and the need for more professionals in this area. We discuss the challenges faced by new parents, the benefits of breastfeeding, and the role of education and mentorship in becoming a lactation consultant, which is no easy feat... unless you have Leslie to help! 

Leslie shares how she created her program from her own journey of becoming an IBCLC and how she designed it to make the path to becoming an IBCLC more accessible for everyone.  We also discuss how it expanded her business and brings in passive income. 

We talk about the importance of finding time freedom and flexibility in our business practices, emphasizing the need for intentional family time and sustainable business models. We also explore the transition to an agency model, the significance of planning for the future, and the legacy that our businesses will create. 

All about Leslie:

Her secret podcast: 

https://mothernurture.myflodesk.com/birthboss

They can follow her at:

 www.instagram.com/mothernurtureatl

www.facebook.com/mothernurtureatl

The doors open to enroll in the second cohort of Lactation Consultant Launchpad™ on February 22, however there will be an early birth flash sale for those on the waitlist!

www.lactationconsultantlaunchpad.com

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode, I finally get to share the details on the Birth Boss CEO Summit, a 3 event designed for birth professionals to enhance their business and personal growth. I designed the summit to focus on key areas such as financial planning, business expansion, and personal lifestyle management, three important pieces of the business owner puzzle. 

The Birth Boss CEO Summit came about because I was looking for an event to attend that focused not only on the logistics of building and scaling my business, but also cultivating community and designing the lifestyle I wanted for myself as the CEO.  It was also important to me as a doula agency owner to have a time solely focused on that particular business structure and the unique aspects it brings, so in addition to the 2 day main event, the 3rd day will be exclusively for agency owners.

The Birth Boss CEO Summit will take place April 5-7, 2025 in Boston, with a very limited number of seats available.

More information about the 2025 Birth Boss CEO Summit: 
https://www.hiptoheart.com/birth-boss-ceo-summit

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode I am chatting with Kristin Revere, doula agency owner, author, podcast host and educator.  Over the conversation , Kristin talks about the moves she has made to get to where she is now, sole owner of Gold Coast Doula Agency.  She started in a collective, then moved into a partnership, but ultimately decided being a sole owner fit her lifestyle and goals the best.  

We realized quite a few times in this chat that we run our businesses in a very similar fashion... the way we prioritize tasks, dedicate time to our clients and schedule in breaks that we need.  Those are our keys to success! 

Big takeaway: You don't ever have to be stuck in one place if it doesn't serve you well.  The ultimate goal is to build a business that brings us true joy, allows us to live the life we dream of and affords us the freedom to intentionally divide our time between business and personal/family.  Oh yeah, and grow our bank accounts too!  
No matter where you are in life or business, it's never too late to make moves!


You can find Kristen here:

BOOK: www.supportedbook.com
PODCAST: www.askthedoulas.com
AGENCY: www.goldcoastdoulas.com 
SOCIAL: @goldcoastdoulas
YOUTUBE: Gold Coast Doulas
TRAINING: CONFIDENCE IN PREGNANCY, BIRTH & EARLY PARENTING

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

It’s my favorite time of year!

I absolutely love looking back at the past year and analyzing every part of my business and then looking forward to next year and setting goals.

It’s important to create different categories for your analysis. I would start with growth in terms of your email list, Instagram followers, members of your private groups, etc. Then I would move over to basic numbers like gross revenue, net revenue, and then figure out your profit margins. I would list out all of your offers and services and see which one performed best, which was the worst and then hopefully it aligns with which you love the most and which drain your energy.

Now looking forward to 2025, it’s time to make appropriate adjustments! Set realistic goals for yourself based on the different categories of years past and take into consideration anything that you are adding or taking away. The things that are your best sellers, ask yourself if they need any updating and then plan for that. You also need to figure out if you are adding anything new and if so, will add more work to your week or will you be delegating to someone else so you stay within the boundaries of the time you want to commit to working.  Now it’s time to set your schedule!

To be able to go more in depth with you, I am hosting a free 2025 Strategic Planning workshop Tuesday December 17 at 1pm EST.  To register, click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlf--pqD8tE9KNRGsVar7jhVidoTRlfTad

Things I mentioned:
Birth Boss Society
https://www.hiptoheart.com/birth-boss-society-landing-page

Birth Boss CEO Summit
https://www.hiptoheart.com/birth-boss-ceo-summit

Profit First
https://www.amazon.com/Profit-First-Transform-Cash-Eating-Money-Making-ebook/dp/B01HCGYTH4

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode I am counting down the top 10 things I do in my life and business to stay happy!

#10 Recognize your importance- You're ALL the things... CEO, COO, CFO, MVP, VIP... you get it.  Treat yourself as such.

#9 Be extremely picky- Choose clients and colleagues wisely.  If they don't align with how you operate, say no.
 
#8 Have a biz bestie- have someone you can count on and that can count on you to talk business, set goals and be each other's biggest cheerleader.

#7 CEO day- take one day each week to work ON your business, not IN it, and use that time to focus on long term goals and projects, things that will grow your business, increase revenue and broaden your impact.

#6 Have clear boundaries- say NO often.

#5 Find a schedule that works for you- design your schedule so that you have ample time for your personal life in addition to your business obligations.
 
#4 Mini self care- take time to care for yourself in small, but frequent, ways.

#3 Love your workspace- create an office space that makes you happy, which in turn will increase productivity.

#2 Plan for food- dedicate time in your work day to slow down and have a healthy and hearty meal.  It will feed your busy and mind!

#1 Be productive, not just busy- make sure that you are intentionally working to check off the boxes and finish important items on your to do list.

For more tips and tools on balancing your business and personal life harmoniously,  join me in Birth Boss Society, a membership community that is solely focused on building your dream business and you as the matching CEO.

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

Block off your doula calendar for January 13-15, 2025 so you can join me at The Birthworker Retreat in Clearwater, Florida!

In this episode, The Doula Darcy and I will share all of the details about The Birthworker Retreat 2025!  We could not be more excited to be co-hosting again this year!

Imagine spending 3 days surrounded by like minded birth professionals, all looking for ways to grow their business in a sustainable way, rest and restore their mind and body and create new, long lasting connections. 

Your time at the Birthworker Retreat will be full of guest speakers, workshops, sun and sand!

Use code RETREAT100 to get $100 off for being a loyal listener of the Birth Boss podcast!

www.thebirthworkerretreat.com

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode, I talk you through setting goals for yourself and making long-term plans... and then taking that big goal, reverse engineering it to figure out exactly what you’re going to need, the skills you will have to learn, and potentially who is going to help you along the way to achieve the magic. 

Think about where you are in your business right now and what your big goal is. It probably looks significantly different than what you’re doing now, which is exactly what you want!  Eventually, as your business grows, you grow as the business owner! You become the CEO, COO, CFO, MVP and obviously the VIP. It’s really important to prepare for that because you will not be the same person that you are right now. 

Thinking and dreaming about what you want your business to look like and what your life will be like as the owner, you definitely want to make a list of the things that you should know or will need to know to make all of those dreams come true. You don’t want to be a fly by the seat of your pants leader! It’s not the time to fake it til you make it. There’s a time in a place for that, but not when you’re running a multi six or seven figure business!

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program

In this episode, Kaely Harrod and I talk (at length!) about preventing burnout, but its not the conversation that you're used to.  

We of course, recognize that burnout is a real threat in our industry. The statistics of doulas who start their businesses and end up doing something else is staggeringly high. Being a doula is not easy! It is physically taxing, as well as mentally and emotionally draining sometimes, and the long hours and late nights can easily take a toll on you.

So the question is, how do we prevent that from the start? How do we build a business that never allows us to work more hours than we want to, putting us at risk of not being able to take the best care of ourselves and keep our health and wellness a priority?

This episode is rich with tips, tricks and strategy to stay on a path of growth while balancing the lifestyle that you want for yourself and your family. 

It’s not hard, but it definitely takes some planning!!


Where can you find Kaely:
Doula Tips and Tits Podcast
Instagram.com/harroddoula
Free Business Strategy session! https://calendly.com/harroddoula/doula-coaching-30-minutes?month=2024-10&date=2024-10-31

Follow Birth Boss Society:
Instagram

Register for the 2027 Birth Boss CEO Summit: https://www.birthbosssociety.com/summit

Create Your Six or Seven-Figure Doula Business: 

Birth Boss Society (for Solo Doulas and Agency Owners)

From Solo Doula Business to Agency:
Hip to Heart Agency Program