Reflections on 2023
Looking back on 2023
Another year has come to a close, and with it comes much reflection.
The words that come to mind when I think about my business in 2023 are
Settled Connected Trustworthy
Running my own business as my way of life, as the way to pay my bills, and as the foundation of my future is wild. And every year there’s a small sense of “will it keep working? Can I keep going?” but those thoughts vanish quickly because I have work to do! And so I keep doing, and off we go.
Doula business is not easy, there are ebbs and flows, and it is always always worth all of it. And if I wonder if I can keep going…I just lift my head up and look around me. And around me are all the families I support, doing the hardest work. Managing pregnancy, and navigating birth, and raising children. Is that not the most inspiring and incredible group of people to be surrounded by?
So if you are one of my clients reading this…thank YOU, thank you for trusting me, thank you for letting me into your most precious life moments, thank you for showing me what it looks like to be intentional and persistent, strong and vulnerable, and so so loving. This is the energy I am carrying into 2024.
A couple business things…
This autumn I supported my 100th birth! Can you even imagine? This year my feeling of being a “new” doula really faded, and I feel so confident in my support. And being able to say “I have support 100 people” really brings that feeling home. So here’s to the next 100 (we are well on our way with how many families have already requested my support in 2024).
At the beginning of 2023 I changed the way my fees worked. I increased it significantly, and implemented a clear sliding scale fee option as well as accommodating payment plan options.
This was a big risk, I wasn’t sure if families would still choose me as their doula, but I trusted my gut and what I needed to do to feel comfortably compensated. The results of this change were wonderful! I had a smaller client load, giving me more time to breathe a couple weeks here and there off call, and less “big S stress” that comes with being on call for 3-4 families at a time. Many families utilized my sliding scale fees, and this felt really wonderful because I knew we all felt good with the agreement we came to. So my fees and options are all staying the same in 2024.
On the theme of a slower year…I took my first time off in 2023. In November I traveled to Italy with my parents and sister, and what a good choice it was! This was the first time I blocked time off on my calendar and said “no” to some folks who reached out. If you know me well (or at all) you know this is not an easy thing for me to do. More vacations in my future for sure!
One of the most heartwarming developments of 2023 for me was starting a Queer Conception Group here in Dover. In collaboration with the local queer hang group (@lezhang) and Auspicious Brew (the local kombucha cafe), we have been meeting monthly in person. Each meet-up has a loose theme, some highlights have been a long conversation about the cervix, a little workshop on asking for support when trying to conceive, and a lovely night with Jessica from Prenatal RD to learn about food and fertility. The energy of this space and group is overwhelmingly warm, communal, and welcoming. I feel so lucky to be hosting this space where my professional passions and personal community meet.
So goals for 2024?
Well, just like pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and children…I don’t know how predictable my 2024 will be. But if I can make a “2024 Preferences Plan” (akin to the Birth Preferences Plans my clients make), here are my preferences.
I am opening the emotional and energetical doors to have a busy full calendar this year (I am already booked for June, so I am well on my way).
I would love to have a BIG gathering to celebrate 5 years of EDBD…so stay tuned for those details, so you can come celebrate me celebrating you!!
I will still be running the Queer Conception Group, and I would love for that to grow and develop in ways that best serve the community.
And I have a preference to make the most of the times I am off call.
If you have read this far, thank you. Thank you for being here, thank you for your support, thank you for being part of the EDBD community. My life would be wildly different and a whole bunch more predictable without you…I’m teasing, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sending you all a big hug,
Emma