How Did I Get Here?
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Welcome to doula Tips and Tips. This podcast is a place where we answer one question about Doula work, both to support you and to help you support your clients. I'm Kaylee Harrod. I've been supporting families in this perinatal space since my oldest was born, 12, nearly 13 years ago.
I am a birth and postpartum doula childbirth educator, La Leche League leader and a Doula coach. I love guiding and supporting Doulas as they work out their Doula business. It is a tremendous joy to be trusted in this way.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Hello and welcome back to doula Tips and Tips. I am going to walk you through how I got to the prices that I have now as a Doula. So I have talked about pricing before.
I talk about it when I talk about burnout. I talk about it when I talk about sustainability, when I talk about success. There's so many times when pricing your offer well matters a lot. When we think about business, a business cannot be sustained without revenue and revenue is directly tied to what you charge for the services that you provide.
So I want you to walk along this journey with me of what I have charged and how I've gotten to what I charge now and kind of like use this as a brainstorming place for yourself. Okay. So to begin with, my prices are public.
They are on my website. The reason that matters to me is that I am a person who really gets kind of anxious about reaching out for a service that I don't know if I can afford. Right? And so when I think about like hiring someone or looking for a service that I can afford, I think that I can afford.
at, you know, a contractor for my business, I'm like right away, like I don't want to waste your time or my time if I can't afford your services, because I think probably you charge a great price for what you do.
And also, if I don't have a frame of reference for what that price range might be, I don't have any way to gauge if you, if I'm kind of coming to this work with the right idea, right? So let me give you a quick example.
So let's say I'm thinking about hiring a graphic designer, right? And I'm thinking, oh, I'm sure graphic designers charge like around, you know, $500 to $1,000 for this one thing that I want someone to do.
And maybe I'm thinking of that based on absolutely nothing, right, based on my lack of knowledge or based on my lack of experience, and I'm like, Oh, they actually charge like 2000 to 2500. Well, then I am not in a place to purchase this design from a graphic designer who charges $2,000.
When I was thinking it would be maybe like 750, right? And so that's not a reflection on the designer. That's a reflection of my own ignorance, but also means I'm not gonna waste the time of a designer being like, don't you sell a design for 750?
No, they don't, they sell designs for 2000 or 2500. And so I'm gonna come back to that designer when I have 2000 or 2500 to hire them. I'm not going to come to them and be like, what I really want is a $700 logo.
And they're like, yeah, the logos I make are $2 ,000. And I'm like, but don't you do anything for 700? Right, like I'm not gonna do that because I don't think that's ethical. I don't love that as a business practice or as a consumer practice, but also I think that it really matters to have that kind of preemptive idea of what to expect in terms of cost.
So that's the first thing. You can literally go to my website, haraadoulasservices .com, see all of my prices for everything. So I wanna walk you through how I got to where I am now and why I feel so good about it.
Okay, so when I was first starting out, the very first birth I attended was for a dear friend. And she, I kind of volunteered to do it. I wasn't a doula yet, but I was like interested in being a doula kind of.
I was sort of like, I don't know if I can handle it. You know, like there was this weird sort of like curiosity, I guess. And so she asked me to be her doula. And then she's like, we'd really love to pay you something.
And I'm like, okay, that's up to you because I don't, this isn't my work. Like I don't have like, a price that I charge for it. And so she paid me 150. And I felt great about that because I was like, okay, amazing.
Thank you so much. You know, it felt like a gift because I had volunteered to do it for free. And so after her birth, she was like, Kaylee, you have to do this. Like this is so perfect for you. You're so good at it.
And also like this is a full -time job. Like you could do this as your career, right? So moving forward from there, I got trained. I finished my training, I got certified, et cetera. Started working with a few agencies.
And eight different agencies have different pay models, but the first agencies I was working with had a pay scale where you got paid like each thing that you did, right? So you didn't just get one big chunk.
You got like a little bit for a prenatal visit, a little bit for a postpartum visit, et cetera. And so the birth portion, was I believe 795 something like that and So it I'm a super logical person and I was like if I'm willing to attend a birth for $795 with an agency then why don't I just charge that for my private clients?
You know so my first price was $795 for a birth support that was unlimited birth support so I didn't charge I still don't charge like per hour over a certain number of hours and then I did One I think it was one pre -natal visit one postpartum visit at that price but also my first three people who Pit who like hired me as their doula Got a 50% discount so my first three clients hired me for like closer to 375 something like that so like really very little and I I don't feel bad about that right because I kind of feel like The evolution of my business and my prices happened in the way that it happened and that's okay, right and so I I'm okay with that like I'm totally fine with what I Got paid and I'm totally fine with the fact that that was the price that felt good for me at the time What I can firmly tell you is I would not still be a doula right now if I was getting paid $795 a birth because I would have burnt out years ago because that was nowhere near enough money for my family to survive on Right.
It was nowhere near enough money for my business to have any kind of ability to grow or expand So while I have a lot of compassion and love for kind of the earliest doula that was in me I know now that it absolutely had to change and I'm thankful that it did change.
So the next change that happened is I at some point was like, oh, my clients are hiring me through these agencies and willing to pay like a thousand or 1200 or 1400 for my services. Like they regularly pay that much and that's what they think.
I mean they don't necessarily think they're paying all of that to me because I think most people know if they hire through an agency that the agency is keeping something. But they're kind of like, okay, well, you know, we are like able to afford or we think you're worth 12 or $1400 in terms of this work.
And so I was like, why don't I charge $1000? And honestly, that felt like such a huge amount of money. Like I was just like, wow, $1000. And I will say, I think I've talked about this on the podcast, but my husband and I have spent many years.
in the early years of our marriage in pretty extreme poverty. And so I still sometimes deal with that mindset of like, like poverty mindset where I'm kind of like, people pay $1 ,000 for this, you know?
And so that was a big deal. Like I was like, I can't believe people can afford this, you know, but also it's again, like a place I look back on with so much love and compassion because I'm like that version of me like needed space to grow and expand in that mindset.
And so that's okay, you know, like that's totally fine, that that's where I was then. So I charged a thousand for a short time and then pretty quickly I went up to 1200. And then I had a package that was 1200, a package that was 1400, and maybe a package that was 1000 for like repeat clients.
I don't remember actually, but I think I had three packages at that point. So then at some point I was like, I don't like doing three different packages. I want to just have one package. And at that point I'd been a doula probably like four years, I want to say three or four years.
And I was like, okay, I want to charge one rate. And I want that rate to include two prenatal visits, the labor and one postpartum visit. And I just decided I don't like doing it with only one prenatal.
So my package is going to include two, that's all. So I raised my rates to 1500. And at first I was like, no one's gonna hire me. I've never charged this much. My business is going to die, you know. I am a little like fatalistic sometimes.
So I'm like, it's all for not, you know. And so I started charging 1500 and I charged that for a very long time. And then it's been about like two, two and a half years ago now that a dear, dear client of mine, who I would now call a dear friend of mine, said to me like, you are not charging enough money.
And... And to be fair, like I was at her birth for a real, real, real long time. So part of it was she's just like, you've been here forever. You should charge me more money. And I was like, well, I don't know, like maybe people won't pay that much.
And she was like, listen, people who have $1 ,500 to pay you also have $2 ,000 to pay you. And you are worth $2 ,500 easy, right? And I was sort of like, oh, I don't know that feels like so much money.
I'm not sure what if no one ever hires me. You know, and so really through her encouragement, I considered raising my rates to 2 ,000. And I was like, oh, I don't know. You know, I'm like, not many people in the area raise their rates that high.
You know, like maybe that's not good. And 1 ,500 had felt hadn't then become like very comfortable because I felt good about how much I was making. I still wasn't making enough for my family to really like feel like they were thriving.
But I was like. You know, I'm getting paid a decent amount. I can like pay a backup doula, you know, like I feel like a little bit of spaciousness here. And that client was just like January 1st, I want you to raise your rates to 2 ,000.
And she was like, let's say by February or March, you don't have people hiring you at that new price, just go back down, right? And so I raised, and then she paid me an extra $500 because she was like, I want to be the first person to pay your new rate of $2 ,000.
Like this is truly a dream client, you know? So I raised my rates to 2 ,000. And then she was like, okay, great, I can't wait to see when you're 2 ,500. And I was like, ugh, you know, I just barely got comfortable at 2 ,000.
And so pretty quickly I raised to 2 ,500 in part because I was like, I can't keep doing this work if this doesn't make us enough money to like live in the DC area, right? Like if I want to keep being a doula in DC, I have to make more than this.
And why do we charge so little? And I will firmly say, at the beginning of my doula work, I was on the side of me charging little, doesn't have any impact on you charging more. And now I really do fall on the side of it undervalues yourself and the whole profession.
And to all the doulas that I ever argued about with that, you're right, I was wrong. But also there's of course a huge spectrum there, right? And so I, on the one hand, I'm like, yeah, I don't think anybody should charge 795.
But also the reality is that if you just jump right to 2 ,000 and you feel really icky about that, it's probably also not gonna go very well for you, right? And so I don't advocate for everyone to charge really high to begin with because if they feel weird about the package price that they have, they're gonna give it to people in a way that's like, oh, this is what I charge, right?
So, so that's part of why I'm like, it's okay if you're charging 800 or 850, I don't think you should stay there. Like if you're listening to this podcast and you're like, gosh, Kaylee, that's what I charge, I want you to hear this with the most love in my voice that I could possibly have over a podcast.
The charging 800 or 850 for this work is not sustainable in your body or your business. And you don't have to change your prices, right? Like you have all the freedom in the world to not change your prices.
Also, of course, it depends on where you live and what economy you're working with, right? Like I'm talking about 800, 850 in the DC area. So very high cost of living. Huge city where people are making multiple six figures on a pretty regular basis and multiple six figures is still kind of like a not super spacious life in DC, right?
So so there's like a skew of wealth in a city like DC because The wealth is so high the cost of living is so high that then Where we assume poverty begins is also very high compared to other parts of the country and other parts of the world, right?
So So I'm not saying Yeah, I'm not saying this can be applied these numbers can be applied everywhere What I'm saying is if you're in DC or if you're in another big city if you're in LA you're in San Francisco New York City, you're charging $800 You cannot sustain that and maybe you know, maybe you have like A nice little nest egg that you don't need to make money or maybe you are Supported by a partner who makes loads of money.
I'd say even then I don't think it's a great idea for you to keep charging So little because it's still under values what you do and you're so cutting yourself down And if you think about like, okay, you know, would you take a random job at $12 an hour?
If your answer to that is right away, no Then you should be charging more than you're charging because that's about what you're giving yourself at the end of a long birth, okay? so off of that soapbox I Recently raised my rates again the reason being that I have a lot of experience at this point I've attended hundreds of births, right?
I have been doing this for many years and I have a very vast experience in terms of Situations that I've faced in the midst of labor. I Also include a lot of stuff in my package. So I include some postpartum care.
I include two prenatal visits one postpartum visit I include unlimited continuous labor support so I don't charge extra past a certain number of hours Which money do let's do and that I think that's a good strategy I just tend to fall on the side of I'm gonna charge more money and then that will make up for the fact that sometimes I'm at a really freaking long birth, right?
The other thing that people get is my comprehensive childbirth education So they're getting all of that for my current price, which is right around $4 ,000 Now part of that package is that I'm not going to take that many birth clients and so you're getting that rate Because you're only one of like 12 to 15 for the whole year who are getting my services So that's part of the package that I have now now I am not saying that every single person needs to try to get to the point of charging $4 ,000 for their services I don't believe that there's one static point for all of us to aim for.
However, I wanted to give you kind of a wide view of for my business and myself as a doula, how I've gotten to where I am now, especially because I regularly hear people say like, how do people charge that much and how do people like, what do they even do for that much money?
And I'm like, well, let me explain it to you. Like, I'm happy to share with you how and why I got to the price that I got to. I'm not going to say you have to also get there, but I also would ask that you have an open mind about why and how people are charging the amount that we are charging.
Okay, so I hope this was helpful for you. I really love digging into strategy and success for people. The reason I love that is that I think it's incredibly important in the doula work to have both strategy and success.
Now, this episode is coming out, let me look at my calendar. This episode will be coming out on October 27th. And so next week, if you're listening to this on the day it came out or even in the couple days after, on November 2nd, 2023, I'm doing a workshop called the Three Tips to Building a Successful and Sustainable Doula Business, or Three Steps.
Sorry. That is a workshop that I did in the beginning of the year that was very well attended and very well received by newer doulas. People were telling me for months how helpful it was in terms of the framework of how to set themselves up well from the beginning.
So if you're a doula on the newer side and you're ready for some strategy and some success kind of steps to help you be on a good journey, a good path for this work, I would love to to see you in that workshop.
The information to sign up is available in the show notes, but also if you head over to Instagram, you'll find it there. And I cannot reiterate enough how much I would really love to have you there and connect with you there and help you build up some of the strategy in your own business.
All right, I'll see you there or I'll see you in the next episode. Thanks for joining us for this episode of the doula Tips and Tits podcast. If you learned something today or had an aha moment, we'd love for you to share that on Instagram and tag us at Herodoula so we can celebrate alongside you.
If you found this podcast helpful, we would so appreciate you taking a second to leave a rating and a review on your favorite podcast app. That helps other doulas find us as we do this work together. This podcast is intended as educational and entertainment.
It is not medical advice or business advice. Please consult your own medical or legal team for your own needs around your health and your business. We'll see you again soon.
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I know I talk a lot about my advice for fellow doulas and what has worked for me. Let’s talk about how I got here. In this week’s podcast, I am 100% transparent about how my pricing has changed from the start, to now, how I created my packages, and much more. If you are just starting your doula business, I go into depth on how I started and hopefully, you can gain some ideas for your own business!
Quote from the show:
“And why do we charge so little? And I will firmly say, at the beginning of my doula work, I was on the side of me charging little, doesn't have any impact on you charging more. And now I really do fall on the side of it undervalues yourself and the whole profession. And to all the doulas that I ever argued about with that, you're right, I was wrong. But also there's of course a huge spectrum there, right? And so I, on the one hand, I'm like, yeah, I don't think anybody should charge 795. But also the reality is that if you just jump right to 2,000 and you feel really icky about that, it's probably also not gonna go very well for you, right? And so I don't advocate for everyone to charge really high to begin with because if they feel weird about the package price that they have, they're gonna give it to people in a way that's like, oh, this is what I charge, right? So, so that's part of why I'm like, it's okay if you're charging 800 or 850, I don't think you should stay there.”
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Kaely Daily is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
It is sponsored by The Birth Prep Blueprint Childbirth Class
