Why Doulas Need Networking

And actually, when I train birth doulas, when we talk about marketing and advertising and stuff like that, the biggest takeaway from that section is don't waste your time spending money on marketing and advertising because the best referral sources are other people in the industry.

And sometimes people think a narrow view on, oh, other birth doulas or other postpartum doulas.

But it's not just them.

And it's not parents.

Sometimes it's parents' word of mouth.

After you've been established, sure.

But in the beginning, it's chiropractors, acupuncturists, play places, pelvic floor physical therapists, birth centers.

Right.

maternity photographers,

maternity photographers, birth photographers.

There are so many people, anybody that works with the same population you do is somebody that you want to talk to and organically and authentically not sitting there trying to get something out of it.

You can't go into these chats thinking, what can they do for me? And none of the conversations that I've had, have I done that? I've been in this industry for seven years now.

I don't mind networking.

I'll talk to people.

It's fine.

I can be social.

I have friends that hate it.

And I actually just went to a meetup the other day at a local hospital was doing a walkthrough, a tour for just doulas before they open their new women's center.

Amazing.

Yeah.

And my friend who's also been a doula for seven years and hates networking went with me and she was introducing herself to people that I've known all seven years that send me referrals.

she's doing great like she does she does not have a problem having business she does it other ways but i couldn't believe how many of these people that she didn't know and she also doesn't have as wide of a net as i have for services i need people to come to my classes every month i need or every week right i need people to i want people to listen to my podcast i don't need to i don't make money on it but i want them to because it's a free resource and other doulas and chiropractors and whatever are gonna be the ones that are sending that out.

So when I think of, and birth doula training, when I think of in the very beginning, the people that I was networking with were, chiropractors was a huge one.

There are so many in our area.

I don't know how many are in the area of the people listening here, but for birth and postpartum doulas, they are seeing people while they're pregnant.

And actually, when I train birth doulas, when we talk about marketing and advertising and stuff like that, the biggest takeaway from that section is don't waste your time spending money on marketing and advertising because the best referral sources are other people in the industry.

And sometimes people think a narrow view on, oh, other birth doulas or other postpartum doulas.

But it's not just them.

And it's not parents.

Sometimes it's parents' word of mouth.

After you've been established, sure.

But in the beginning, it's chiropractors, acupuncturists, play places, pelvic floor physical therapists, birth centers.

Right.

maternity photographers,

maternity photographers, birth photographers.

There are so many people, anybody that works with the same population you do is somebody that you want to talk to and organically and authentically not sitting there trying to get something out of it.

You can't go into these chats thinking, what can they do for me? And none of the conversations that I've had, have I done that? I've been in this industry for seven years now.

I don't mind networking.

I'll talk to people.

It's fine.

I can be social.

I have friends that hate it.

And I actually just went to a meetup the other day at a local hospital was doing a walkthrough, a tour for just doulas before they open their new women's center.

Amazing.

Yeah.

And my friend who's also been a doula for seven years and hates networking went with me and she was introducing herself to people that I've known all seven years that send me referrals.

she's doing great like she does she does not have a problem having business she does it other ways but i couldn't believe how many of these people that she didn't know and she also doesn't have as wide of a net as i have for services i need people to come to my classes every month i need or every week right i need people to i want people to listen to my podcast i don't need to i don't make money on it but i want them to because it's a free resource and other doulas and chiropractors and whatever are gonna be the ones that are sending that out.

So when I think of, and birth doula training, when I think of in the very beginning, the people that I was networking with were, chiropractors was a huge one.

There are so many in our area.

I don't know how many are in the area of the people listening here, but for birth and postpartum doulas, they are seeing people while they're pregnant.