What Is Holding You Back in Business?
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Transcript
00:04
Welcome to doula Tips and Tits. 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.
00:23
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.
00:36
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Welcome back to doula Tips and Tits. Today I want you to ask the question of yourself, what is holding you back right now from doing the things you need to do in your business?
00:53
Now, I'm going to start by just giving you a little affirmation. I'm not sure who exactly needs to hear this, but if this is you, it's okay. But also, this is your time to change your ways. So if you are designing your logo again, for the multiple, I don't know, times, instead of setting up your packages, instead of figuring out if you should be a sole proprietorship or an LLC, instead of deciding what your business structure is going to be, instead of marketing yourself and getting to know people and putting your packages out there to the world, please stop.
01:37
Please stop. Because you having a beautiful logo and a beautiful name and even business cards does not get you clients unless you actually tell people about them. Unless you actually make packages, have a way to charge people money, have contracts that keep you safe and provide good care for your clients, right?
01:57
These are things that make... your business able to be a business, able to function as a business. A logo does not in fact make your business able to function as a business. In fact, I know thriving businesses that have never had a logo and they are just fine because a logo is not required for your business to run well.
02:20
Now does that mean you shouldn't have a beautiful logo and you shouldn't enjoy the design process? No, it doesn't mean that. But if that is something that you are stuck on and you're doing that to keep you from doing the harder work of figuring out your packages and your prices or deciding what kind of services you even are offering, please stop doing it.
02:42
You're literally sabotaging yourself. You are keeping yourself from moving your business forward okay. Now I think there's a few reasons that we do this right and and I say this with all the love. So this this episode I just want you to take a second and be like Kaylee is is loving on me and like a Like a, you know, gosh, I can't even think of the phrase.
03:03
What is the phrase when someone is giving you constructive criticism, but it's love? I don't know. It will come to me. English is my first language, but sometimes I struggle with it, I'm going to be honest.
03:19
My brain only functions in it about 70% of the time. So when you're thinking about this, I don't want you to go into it thinking, oh, Kaylee is telling me I'm doing everything wrong because I knew I was doing everything wrong.
03:33
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, tough love. That is it. This is tough love, my friend. This is me telling you it's not that you're doing the wrong thing, it's that you're avoiding doing the thing you really need to do.
03:49
And I understand that. I do. Because owning a business and starting a business and being a business owner is kind of scary. I get that. I do. And also, you just need to do it. Just dive in. Just jump with both feet.
04:07
Does that mean you don't need guidance? No, absolutely not. It does not mean that because we all need guidance. Guidance is vital, right? Like there is a reason that there are whole degrees about things.
04:21
So that you're not starting out being like, I don't know what to do. I guess I'll just make it up as I go. Because really, guidance is important to doing it well, doing it legally, and also doing it in a way that doesn't make you want to constantly quit your business.
04:38
Which honestly is a thing, right? Like I know business owners that quit a lot of times a week. Like are just like, forget this. I do that. I mean, I'm like, I could work for Trader Joe's and make a like decent salary and also have health insurance.
04:56
And have like, you know, discount on food maybe. I don't even know if they give their employees a discount but surely they do. I also think I could rock a good Hawaiian shirt. I know I've talked about this before.
05:09
If you've been around for any length of time Trader Joe's is my fantasy job. I'm not sure why. Maybe I'll retire to Trader Joe's dreams. Future dreams. That's what that is. But I want you to think about what actually is going to change things.
05:26
So if you are at the point where you have not decided if your business is an LLC or a sole proprietorship you need to start there. If you have done that but you don't have an EIN number or I'm saying EIN number and you're like Kaylee what is that?
05:43
You need to start there. Google EIN number. It is a tax number for a business and I want you to have one because I don't want you to be putting your social security number on things that you don't need to be putting it on okay.
05:58
um if you are at the point of having both of those things but you do not know what your prices are that is where you need to start right because today you need to be able to have someone hire you if they want to hire you imagine you're out you're at the grocery store and a pregnant person is there and you're like wearing your doula shirt loud and proud and they're like oh my gosh you're a doula i've been looking for a doula my friend was telling me about doulas what is your business what are your packages how much do you charge and you're like i do not know that is not what i want for you if that opportunity happens to come across your plate i want you to say and be able to say with confidence this is what i offer i am a birth doula and i offer birth packages that include this and this and this i am a postpartum doula and i offer postpartum packages that include this and this and this and this is how much they are this is what i charge for those packages right that is an important piece of information that you need to share as you are talking to a person who is wanting your services you have to know what your services are for them to be able to hire you for them right and i cannot tell you the number of times that people have said to me something like i've doulid some friends or doulid some family members and i want to really do it as a business but like i don't know having a business kind of freaks me out and i'm like okay that's fine like you don't have to have a business right you can decide not to have a business and also if you want to be like a legitimate doula that takes clients that aren't friends and family that sign contracts and pay you money you need to have a business and so that is your first decision like are you or are you not going to do this as a business or is this like a side hobby that you do for your friends and family which is fine.
08:01
Like that's allowed if that's what you want to do because you make all the rules here. But if this is something that you are diving into as an actual business and if you're here listening to this I would venture to say you are doing that right because that is why you're here.
08:17
You need to prioritize the most basic things in your business that you cannot move forward without. As a business owner now of seven years I think of things like you know what kind of social media posting should I do?
08:38
What sort of topics should I have on my podcast? How should I help and engage with my team who are learning still in some ways or who could use some like social support right? And I do not think to myself like what should my package be and how much should I charge for it or Should I have a contract or should I be an LLC?
09:06
No, all of that is long over with like those are things that I have decided a very long time ago Now does that mean I won't change my packages? No, I might change them. I change them Frequently, right?
09:18
Like I have changed them throughout my business a number of times I'm considering adding new packages because I have different people on the team now and and That's something that's that's always on the table, but I am NOT Without packages, right?
09:34
Like I if someone today says hey, I want to hire you. So today I got two inquiries From people well actually three and so I was able to email them right away and say hey, hello It's so good to meet you, right?
09:46
I would love to work with you This is what my package looks like and then I was able to email two other people like hey I can't work with you, but my team can this is what their package looks like and these are the people who are available Would you like to speak to them?
09:59
That is what I can do Very easily. I have it laid out on my website. I have my prices all listed there I have my team members all listed there. I have all of that information Readily available so it is not any hang up to me to share that with someone that allows me To be hired by those people Right, because if someone says I want to hire you as a doula and I'm like, okay, let me figure out what that looks like They don't have time for that They need a doula right now Right and they are gonna need a doula who already knows what they charge who already knows what their packages are who already knows how they're gonna have someone sign a contract and You can be that person you do not need to be years into this work Before you have those things set for yourself.
10:53
Okay? Now I don't want you to walk away from this discourage because I know that this could be potentially a discouraging episode. If you are struggling in this I just want to offer the solution of the doula Biz Blueprint course because this course actually walks you through each of these things step by step and I don't just mean like what I just did today of like if you don't have a if you don't have a LLC or a sole proprietorship do that next if you don't have an EIN do that next what I mean is like what is the website for the EIN it's on it's in the course right how do I make a contract there is a link to a doula Rave who is also a lawyer and her contracts and you can literally purchase one there if you're like okay well what is what should my light colors be so I can start posting on social media there is an actual lesson about that and there's a lesson about how to post on social media and when to post on social media and what that looks like all of that is there so you do not need to make that up you do not need to take the time today tomorrow or next week to figure out what the heck you should do next you can literally just jump into that class today and today is the last day if you are listening to this on April 26 when it comes out today is the last day for you to enroll in this class before the price goes up for the future classes okay this is the introductory rate of 497 that will minimum double the next time it comes out and is is like open for enrollment because the class is full of all kinds of stuff and you own it for the rest of your life so you continue to use those sources those resources those bonuses those um templates etc for your entire business so take some time to look that over the course link is in the show notes i want to see you in there i'm excited to see you in there i want to support you in your business like crazy and until then i will 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 hara doula 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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This episode is a little bit of tough love but I promise I just care about your business’s success.Imposters Syndrome is a real thing. I understand procrastinating things you want to do and might be a little scared. Let’s talk about some things you may be avoiding that are holding you back.
“This is tough love, my friend. This is me telling you it's not that you're doing the wrong thing, it's that you're avoiding doing the thing you really need to do. And I understand that. I do. Because owning a business and starting a business and being a business owner is kind of scary. I get that. I do. And also, you just need to do it. Just dive in. Just jump with both feet. Does that mean you don't need guidance? No, absolutely not. It does not mean that because we all need guidance. Guidance is vital, right? Like there is a reason that there are whole degrees about things.”
CONNECT with Kaely on TikTok or Instagram
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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
Music by Madirfan: Hidden Place on Pixabay
