The 4th Trimester is a Real Thing, By The Way
This week’s interview resulted in some of the best advice I’ve ever received on business, life, and doula work.
I interviewed Emily Wannenburg...
Owner of 4th Trimester Fitness Method, doula, and doula mentor.
Emily’s story is absolutely inspiring.
And she also has amazing tips and advice for doula businesses that you’ll find extremely helpful.
Let's dive in!
Emily’s Business and Story
Emily often splits her time between Tennessee and Florida…
Working as a doula, doula mentor, and owner of the 4th Trimester Fitness Method.
She started her journey in the fitness world and also as a midwife. Because of this interesting intersection, many people would refer pregnant women to her. These women often had special conditions such as breast cancer or MS.
She’d work with them and prepare them for birth!
(Amazing).
Around 2011, she transitioned into doula work and has thrived in the doula world ever since. All the while, continuing her work with the 4th Trimester Fitness Method.
From this experience...
She created a class called Prep 4 Birth (formally called Birth Ball Basics).
From there, women would call Emily about their bladder control and pelvic floor issues…
For example:
She once received a call from a first-time mom trying to go for a run 2 weeks postpartum. Let’s just say it resulted in a bit of bladder leakage.
She realized her clients needed this:
A goal-oriented, progressive, recovery-focused program to recover from birth.
From that, the class Postpartum Recovery was born!
She mastered teaching these classes, but then...
She had clients asking her about other women with bladder issues not related to birth.
So… what did Emily do?
She created another class called Core For All.
What I love about Emily is she listens intentionally to her clients and continues to meet their needs. She creates tailor-made classes, as opposed to the one-size-fits-all approach.
And honestly... It works!
Now, Emily has 53 instructors teaching her classes across the U.S. as well as Canada, Australia, and India.
And guess what?
She has a new class ready to launch soon. In classic Emily fashion, it is a tailor-made class, called Prep 4 Partner.
This class is ready to meet a vital need of her clients: preparing their partners for birth too.
It releases in September, so stay tuned for that!
4 Common Mistakes Doulas Make
Then, to top it all off…
Emily also mentors other doulas regularly. She often mentors them on a weekly or monthly basis.
So, Emily shared 4 common mistakes doulas make with their business.
Let’s talk about them!
#1 - They Wait For People to Find Them
Here’s what Emily told me:
It’s not your audience’s responsibility to find you.
You need to put yourself out there and make daily decisions to propel your business forward.
Here are a few examples:
Network. In other words, contact people. Be open to speaking with midwives, OBGYNs, IBCLCs, and chiropractors. Be the first to reach out and make the connection.
Attend Births. Provide opportunities to attend births. For each birth, you will always learn something new.
Mentoring Sessions. Having a mentor can help you focus on your goals and keep you accountable.
Key takeaway: do something every day for your business.
You won’t regret it.
#2 - They Set Unclear Boundaries
Another big mistake doulas make is not setting clear boundaries.
In Emily’s experience, she says it’s easy for doulas to say things like…
“I’m here whenever you need me.”
Or…
“I’m here to accommodate your needs.”
While it is tempting to say these comforting phrases… They are very general and not specific.
Believe Emily when she says:
Things can get messy, and quickly.
It’s much easier to start a client relationship with clearly written boundaries and a contract for both parties to sign.
This way, there’s no mystery.
Emily says clients are usually happier when they know the rules. And I bet you will be too!
So, commit to what makes sense and make the process easier for yourself.
#3 - They Ignore the Legal Side
Whether you have 2 clients a year or 8 clients a month…
You are still a business owner.
And with being a business owner, it’s important to know the legal side of doula work.
Here are a few tips:
Check trademarks for your business name (don’t steal someone else’s name)
Consider writing up contracts for all client work
Be aware of laws in your state pertaining to doula work
Knowing these aspects of your business ahead of time will save you some heartache.
#4 - They Do It Alone
Being a solo doula can be hard to sustain full-time for extended periods.
Being solo without any support can quickly result in burnout.
So, Emily suggests finding a community of doulas to connect with.
According to my findings, it can help to join a doula collective to find support or be hired through an agency.
Both options have their pros and cons!
So, whether you want to stay independent or join another entity…
Find your people.
Find other doulas.
Because it will be just as important as finding clients.
“I Love Helping Moms”
No matter how experienced you become in the doula world, you’ll always be learning.
Emily says that’s her favorite part of doula work:
It never gets boring.
And most importantly:
She gets to help moms, every day. She is constantly thinking about this, and it definitely shows.
During our interview, I hung on her every word…
Because I love helping moms too.
(It’s my “why”).
Do you love helping moms with your work?
Then let’s be friends! I am always interviewing women in the motherhood niche to feature in my articles.
So, reach out to me, and let’s set up a time to talk about your motherhood business and why you love it.
Thanks for reading!
