Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kathleen Stern, owner of Boston Area Doulas, located in Swampscott, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Boston Area Doulas is a team of birth and postpartum doulas and educators who support the seismic shift into parenthood. Our clients include anyone on their journey to growing a family– people trying to conceive, those who are already pregnant, and those who have just had babies. We offer birth and postpartum doula support, sleep consulting, and private and group classes in childbirth and labor, newborn care, and infant feeding.
As birth doulas, our goal is to instill strength and reduce fear in pregnancy and labor by being physically present, emotionally available, and equipped with knowledge of benefits, risks, and alternatives to anything that may arise along the way in labor. People who use a birth doula tend to have more positive birth experiences and experience less pain and fear during labor. As a result, the birthing person feels safe and supported.
As postpartum doulas, our focus is not just on the baby but also on the new parents and the baby/parenting bond in the immediate weeks and months postpartum. A postpartum doula is also your "go-to" person for up-to-date information on newborn care, sleeping, and any other parenting questions.
Doulas are an understanding confidante who provides a human connection during a potentially isolating time. Doula's focus is first on the new parents-- do you have the physical, emotional, and educational support you need? Postpartum doulas reduce some of the stressors of "the fourth trimester," allowing parents to more easily enjoy their time with their babies. Postpartum doulas have a positive impact on parents' mental health, improve the feeding experience between parent and baby, and help parents recognize their baby's cues.
Tell us about yourself
My first postpartum experience with her first child (in 2014) was filled with exhaustion, self-doubt, and conflicting advice from well-meaning family and friends. I knew there must be a better way. When my second daughter was born (in 2017), I hired a postpartum doula to provide me with the nonjudgmental, hands-on support I knew she would need. The immeasurable value, and the juxtaposition between her first and second experiences, prompted me to become a doula. I left a rewarding 10+ year career in public education where I dedicated myself to teaching students, coaching teachers, and helping others recognize their own strengths.
After my experience with my own postpartum doula, it became crystal clear that supporting and educating families as they birthed their babies and found their way as new parents were ultimately what I was put here to do. The transition from education to doula work was natural– now, I get to help parents recognize their own strengths.
As the client inquiries kept flooding in, I made the decision to expand from a solo doula practice to a doula agency! I love collaborating with other doulas on my team. I love knowing that our impact is both far-reaching and personally meaningful to families in the area.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our team! Without a strong team of excellent doulas, nothing else matters. We have a wonderful team of doulas who have come to this work from all walks of life. Every doula in the team is different but has a common goal in that they strive for evidence-based, nonjudgmental, and compassionate care. I am also incredibly proud when I see clients becoming badass parents who find their own voice and strength.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There's always something to be done to support your business. And if you're a solo business owner, it is you who is doing that work. That being said, I love the adaptability, the creativity involved, and the many hats I get to wear, all in service of supporting families.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- "Reach out to others for help before you think you need it. You're not supposed to be able to do this by yourself." (This is the same thing I tell families with infants). Find a business mentor. Talk to other small business owners or others in your industry. Learn from them.
- Find a great lawyer and accountant to help you with contracts, taxes, etc.
- Remember what inspired you to start the business in the first place. What is your "why?"
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bostonareadoulas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ba.doulas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ba_doulas/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boston-area-doulas/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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