July Can Be Restful Because of Automations
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Transcript
Unknown speaker 00:04
Welcome to Dula Tips and Tits, the podcast where we cut through the noise and get real about what it takes to build a sustainable doula business. I'm Kaylee Harrod. I've been a doula informally for 14 years and full time for seven.
Unknown speaker 00:20
Around here, we don't sugarcoat stuff. We talk autonomy, owning your worth, creating a business that works for you. No fluff, no burnout, just the honest truth on how to be your own best boss. Let's get into today's episode.
Unknown speaker 00:36
Welcome back to Dula Tips and Tits. I don't know why. I'm feeling a little bouncy, so you're getting that little like, in my show up at the beginning of this episode. I want to talk a little bit about, I mentioned in the last episode that I wanted to talk about systems that I'm using.
Unknown speaker 00:57
Part of the slowing down requires some intentional work ahead of time. I've mentioned systems that I use. I have an episode only maybe a month and a half ago about systems that I use, like the different tech that I have in the business.
Unknown speaker 01:17
I'll link that episode in the show notes. I don't remember the number of it, but I will link it for you to be able to look at. What I do in advance in order to make July spacious is record all my podcasts, schedule them, so they are all just like ready for the wild.
Unknown speaker 01:36
This podcast that you're hearing right now, I recorded in June and scheduled in June, so that it would come out in July and you would hear it while I'm just like poolside, I mean, I hope. That is my dream.
Unknown speaker 01:51
You're listening to this. I'm chilling at the pool with my 11 year old and her three besties who just give me life. They're the cutest little group of girlies. their best sixth grade dreams. It's just glorious.
Unknown speaker 02:05
If I'm lucky, I'm also chilling with the baby that one of those families has. That's the happiest baby in the world. She's the best. I'm just living my best summertime life. You are hearing this glorious episode that I recorded and scheduled for you a month ago because I wanted you to have this gem and I wanted me to have that spaciousness at the pool.
Unknown speaker 02:29
But part of how that happens is that I do schedule in advance. My copywriter, she and I talk about my newsletters in advance. We have a whole game plan. I record and schedule podcasts in advance and then I have a marketing plan for what am I offering over the summertime.
Unknown speaker 02:51
How am I showing up for summertime stuff and business stuff. scholarship that I'm offering in my coaching and there's other stuff that I'm still doing. But because I'm still showing up for that stuff that I can't automate, I automate whatever I can.
Unknown speaker 03:10
So I have emails going out. I have my clients are getting checked on. I have an email responder that's like, hey, it's summertime. And so I'm just around a little less, you know, like, I love having that kind of just like, expect to hear from me in like 48 hours, you know, so that clients email or people send me stuff and they're just like, okay, like, I'm just gonna hear from her when she's back kind of at work,
Unknown speaker 03:40
right? Because I'm trying really hard to be totally off. Like when I'm off, I'm off. Because my life, my business and my life already is kind of like, well, if I have to do it late at night on Tuesday, I will, which sometimes is fine, but also like, isn't always great, you know?
Unknown speaker 04:00
And so I, I do think like, okay, you know, this, this spaciousness that I can have is in part because I scheduled things in advance. And I like, I like to just plant that little seed because I want you to remember that that's how this works, right?
Unknown speaker 04:17
Like, if you get an email from Panera, they didn't write that email today. They didn't just like hop on and send it out today. Like they planned that email months ago, you know? And I mean, I am still like a small enough business that there is times that you get a podcast episode that I recorded today, right?
Unknown speaker 04:37
Like that is for sure the case during the year. But the reason there's sustainability in bigger businesses is that they're like, yeah, we already have our marketing plan for next September. And this is how that's going to go.
Unknown speaker 04:52
Yes, there might be some shifts in that plan. But like, we already are working on the the email automations that are going to be, and Panera has multiple email automations at a time. You're hearing about their drinks, you're hearing about their new sandwiches, you're hearing about their old sandwiches, their summer deals.
Unknown speaker 05:13
You could get three different emails from Panera in the same day because they're offering different kinds of stuff. We think of that kind of business where we're like, yeah, of course, it's a huge chain that's all over the US.
Unknown speaker 05:25
Okay, then yeah, Panera Bread is going to email me a whole bunch unless I unsubscribe, which I do. I have unsubscribed from Panera. But I think my point there is like, no one at Panera is like, oh, I bet we should do a sale this week.
Unknown speaker 05:42
And then writing it up real quick and sending it out. So if you get an email from Panera that says, hey, we decided to do a last minute summer sale, that shit is not last minute. That last minute summer sale was planned out in March, February.
Unknown speaker 05:58
right? And then written and rewritten and edited and transcribed and emailed and scheduled months ago. So if you get an email from a business that's like, Oh my gosh, last minute fourth of July sale, that is not a last minute sale, right?
Unknown speaker 06:19
That sale they planned last year. Like last year they had a fourth of July sale and it went great. And so they're like, we're doing that shit again next year. And then they planned it and then they scheduled that out and then they send you an email that still makes you feel like they thought about you today for the fourth of July sale, right?
Unknown speaker 06:38
Like that, that, and I don't mean, okay, where this is not going is like be like Panera bread, you know, and be like, today is the day that I just thought of this thing. And then you're sending out an email.
Unknown speaker 06:51
No, don't do that. Right? Like automations are not always good, but some of it is. And the ability to be like, Hey guys, I'm doing this now so that I can rest is good. Like I have no qualms with being like, Hey, you're going to get emails from me this summer that I wrote before that time.
Unknown speaker 07:14
Right? Like you're going to get emails from me. If you're on my newsletter, which if you're not on my newsletter, hook yourself up, man, those newsletters are killer. And there's a link to sign up for them in the show notes.
Unknown speaker 07:28
Also, there's a question link that's like, ask me a question. Because Fridays, we have Q and A's. And we haven't been doing them every week because we haven't had that many questions happen. So as those questions grow, we're going to do more of those suckers.
Unknown speaker 07:43
I have a couple that I've just forgotten to schedule full transparency. So hopefully, by the time this comes out, you will have seen those lovely episodes. We'll see. We will see. I will believe it when I see it because I have not done a great job.
Unknown speaker 07:58
great job of that. But the point there is, you're going to get an email from me in July, a couple, right? And those emails are all going to be like, hey, I'm thinking about you. I want to, and actually, like, I intentionally write them of like, this was written in June, this was planned in May, written in June, so that I don't have to do it in July, right?
Unknown speaker 08:20
Because I want you to see that, like, I want you to be, to be like with me on how I'm doing that. That's part of my coaching, right? Like, I want you to do what I'm doing, at least not exactly like me, but like, have the systems I have so that what you can do can be sustainable, you know?
Unknown speaker 08:38
And so when you're thinking about like, having spaciousness, part of it starts with like, how do I make this easier for myself? And how do I have systems in place that do some of what I'm currently doing, you know?
Unknown speaker 08:53
And again, if you haven't listened to the systems... podcast episode that I recently did, go listen to that. It's in the show notes. Um, and that one outlines like all the systems that I use and why I use them.
Unknown speaker 09:04
Many of them are free honestly. And so like you can start using them now, but it does give you a lot of space. Like I think the amount of time that we save just in automations alone or like having an online contract or having like an online payment system is honestly paramount.
Unknown speaker 09:20
Like those things are huge, even if you're not thinking about taking a whole month without due dates, right? But you're actually like, Hey, I just need my business to run a little bit smoother and easier.
Unknown speaker 09:30
Still, you still need to check that out. So this is me sending my love to you from hopefully the side of a pool with ideally four super sweet preteen girls and a baby and a friend. That's my dream. All right.
Unknown speaker 09:45
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 hurrah doula so we can celebrate alongside you.
Unknown speaker 10:04
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.
Unknown speaker 10:20
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.
ASK A QUESTION!!! My plan is to start Friday Q&A (we need a new name, I know!) but first I need your questions! Submit them using the form below:
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/ask-me-a-question
Part of my rest time is the prep work! So right now, I’m typing this in June and scheduling it in June and that allows me to rest in July. Rest in business has to be super intentional so that the business keeps running smoothly in the meantime. It shouldn’t be that everything comes to a screeching halt in July, but instead that my body and brain are less needed for that parts that are still happening!
Systems episode mentioned in episode:
Systems For A Doula Business To Run Smoothly:
https://harroddoulaservices.com/kaely-daily-podcast/systems-for-a-doula-business-to-run-smoothly
Quote from the show:
“What I do in advance in order to make July spacious is record all my podcasts, schedule them, so they are all just like ready for the wild. This podcast that you're hearing right now, I recorded in June and scheduled in June, so that it would come out in July and you would hear it while I'm just like poolside, I mean, I hope. That is my dream. You're listening to this. I'm chilling at the pool with my 11 year old and her three besties who just give me life. They're the cutest little group of girlies. their best sixth grade dreams. It's just glorious. ”
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Doula Tips and Tits is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
