The Heart & Hustle of a Doula: From Limiting Belief to Thriving
🎧 Episode Overview
Ever wondered what it really takes to be a doula?
Spoiler alert: it’s not just holding hands and cooing over babies!
In this episode of Grace in the Grind, we sit down with Ayla Hartless, a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, and breastfeeding coach, to dive into the realities of birth work. From navigating a largely unregulated industry to supporting families through the highs and lows of childbirth and postpartum, Ayla shares her journey and the unexpected challenges of being a doula.
We also tackle limiting beliefs, the importance of community, and how Ayla transitioned from working in a nursing home to full-time birth coaching. If you’re curious about what it means to truly support new parents or need some inspiration to pursue your passion, this episode is for you!
☕ Grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let’s get into the grace and the grind of birth work!
💡 Key Takeaways from This Episode
✅ What It Takes to Be a Doula
- The realities of working in an unregulated industry
- Why certifications aren’t always required, but heart and compassion are
- How doulas support both moms and families beyond the delivery room
✅ Overcoming Limiting Beliefs & Finding Your Calling
- How Ayla knew she wanted to work in birth support from a young age
- The fears and doubts that held her back—and how she overcame them
- Why her work in a nursing home shaped her approach to birth coaching
✅ Challenges & Burnout in the Doula World
- The emotional and physical demands of the job (52-hour births, anyone?)
- Why many doulas face compassion fatigue and burnout
- How mentorship, boundaries, and fair compensation prevent exhaustion
✅ Facing Controversy & Finding Your People
- Why the doula industry is surprisingly controversial
- How Ayla navigated criticism and rejection for her faith-based approach
- The importance of finding the right community and staying true to your values
💬 Wisdom from Ayla Hartless
"Find community. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, and pull others up alongside you. We grow best together." – Ayla Hartless
📚 Resources Mentioned
📖 Doula & Motherhood Support by Ayla:
🔍 Further Learning:
- The Thompson Method for breastfeeding education
- Exploring the role of emotional intelligence in postpartum recovery
🎧 Connect with Ayla Hartless
🌍 Website: BornMotherhood.com
📸 Facebook: @BornMotherhood
🚀 Episode Takeaways
✨ Birth work is more than just labor support—it’s advocacy, education, and emotional care.
✨ Overcoming limiting beliefs is key to stepping into your calling.
✨ The right mentor and community make all the difference in your success.
✨ Doula work is rewarding, but without boundaries, burnout is real.
✨ Faith, passion, and persistence will get you further than fear ever will.
🎯 Take the Next Step!
💡 Want to support new moms or explore birth work?
Connect with Ayla Hartless to learn about doula training, childbirth education, and postpartum support.
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Copyright 2025 Jim Burgoon
Transcript
Welcome to Grace and the Grind, the podcast where we dive deep into the journeys of heart centered and purpose driven leaders and entrepreneurs.
Speaker A:We're here to equip and encourage you on your journey.
Speaker A:So let's get started and find the grace within the grind.
Speaker A:This is Grace in the Grind.
Speaker A:And now your host, Jim Burgoon.
Speaker B:Welcome to Grace in the Grind where we're here to tell the inspiring stories behind the story of some of entrepreneurs, most successful people and today, an old friend of mine, Ayla Heartless, is here today and we're going to have just a great conversation about what she does and how some of the struggles she has been through to get where she is.
Speaker B:Welcome to the show, Ayla.
Speaker A:Good morning, Jeff.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker B:It is great for you to be here.
Speaker B:Take the next 60 to 90 seconds and just let the audience know what you do.
Speaker A:I am a birth doula and a postpartum doula.
Speaker A:I'm also a childbirth educator and a Thompson method breastfeeding educator.
Speaker A:So in short, I'm like a birth coach and a best friend for moms in the early motherhood season.
Speaker B:Awesome.
Speaker B:So what is first and foremost out of curiosity, what does it take to become a doula?
Speaker A:Honestly, it's not that hard.
Speaker A:There are trainings and certifications and the length of that process is really up to you depending on the state that you live in.
Speaker A:Most states aren't super regulated in this industry, but what it really takes is heart, compassion and dedication to really walking alongside women and their families in the trenches and the joys and everything in between in motherhood.
Speaker B:So there.
Speaker B:This brings up two questions for me.
Speaker B:First and foremost, we're going to dive into what you, what made you want to become a doula.
Speaker B:You said something there that just piqued my interest.
Speaker B:It says most states aren't regulated.
Speaker B:So if the listener is here and says I'd love to have a doula, how do they trust you guys if you're not regulated?
Speaker B:Unpack that a little bit.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So working as a non medical professional within like the health care, usually everything in healthcare is very regulated.
Speaker A:I actually used to work at a nursing home and it's super duper regulated.
Speaker A:But what we do is we come alongside and we're hired by the families.
Speaker A:And it's one of those things if the government gets in it, which we have some now some states are starting to offer community doulas and you have to go through the state and be certified through the state to be able to accept Medicaid and things like that.
Speaker A:But in that, then you have some oversight from the state, and they're telling you what you need to do, what you shouldn't do.
Speaker A:And being a doula is truly being an advocate and someone for just for that family without the overreach of a hospital system or battling with insurance or the stuff that happens whenever you get into those things.
Speaker A:So because we're not regulated, there isn't a lot of oversight.
Speaker A:You really don't know unless you vet your doula, you ask for recommendations, and really get to know her as a person.
Speaker A:You really don't know.
Speaker A:So those families have to do their homework.
Speaker A:And most of my referrals come from former clients in word of mouth, which is really awesome.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So then what drove you or what was the journey for you to become a doula?
Speaker B:What does that look like?
Speaker B:Did you wake up one morning and be like, I'm a mom.
Speaker B:I love being a mom.
Speaker B:I want to help other people be better moms.
Speaker B:Unpack some of that a little bit.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So honestly, in 8th grade health class, they start talking about, this is how babies are born.
Speaker A:And everyone was like, oh, oh, my gosh, that's gross.
Speaker A:Or that's terrifying, or whatever.
Speaker A:And I remember sitting in that 8th grade health class and thinking, oh, my gosh, that is the coolest thing I have ever heard.
Speaker A:What a miracle.
Speaker A:But of course, I didn't tell anyone that because I didn't want to be the weird kid.
Speaker A:And so I just shoved it down.
Speaker A:And I had a lot of limiting beliefs about myself and things like that growing up.
Speaker A:And I just.
Speaker A:I always wanted to work in healthcare with moms and babies, but I just.
Speaker A:I don't know, I felt like I couldn't do it for a very long time until I had my babies.
Speaker A:And I had amazing birth experiences.
Speaker A:I worked in, like I said earlier, a local nursing home.
Speaker A:And my job was basically to be an advocate for people within the nursing home system.
Speaker A:To really almost be like, we didn't call it that, but really to come alongside them and love on them and see them as whole people, help them navigate provider relationships and resident rights and all these things.
Speaker A:And I loved it so much.
Speaker A: had my third baby in Covid in: Speaker A:But during one of my birth experiences with my second, one of the nurses said, thank you so much for letting us be part of your birth.
Speaker A:We have never witnessed a woman just have her baby without assistance, trusting her body.
Speaker A:And I thought, what a weird thing to be in healthcare.
Speaker A:And to be a labor and delivery nurse and not see, like, normal birthday without interruptions and without medical intervention and complications, that's scary and sad to me.
Speaker A: And so after: Speaker B:So there was a lot you just said, okay, so limiting beliefs.
Speaker B:I didn't think I could do it.
Speaker B:Then there's the.
Speaker B:You hid what you love because you didn't want to be the weird kid.
Speaker B:And I totally get that.
Speaker B:I was bullied as a kid, so I totally get not wanting to be the weird kid.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:And then you're talking about you went into a nursing home and now you're back in.
Speaker B:Now you actually do the thing that you wanted to do back in eighth grade.
Speaker B:So what took you so long to.
Speaker B:To get to the place that you actually wanted to be?
Speaker B:Were you in eighth grade?
Speaker B:Took you a number of years.
Speaker B:Three births.
Speaker B:And how did you get over the limiting beliefs that kept you from that?
Speaker A:I think working in the nursing home.
Speaker A:It sounds so weird to be, like, working in nursing home with people and holding their hands as they pass away and building those relationships.
Speaker A:It sounds weird to say that's what brought me into birth work, but it really was.
Speaker A:I remember feeling so close to these people who didn't have support and that they desperately needed support to navigate a medical system where they were put in a position where they were vulnerable and they didn't have anyone to walk alongside them and help them navigate it.
Speaker A:And that was my job, was to really know them as people.
Speaker A:And so I remember being pregnant with my second, and I would have these little ladies that couldn't remember their names.
Speaker A:They couldn't remember their children's names, but I would walk in with my pregnant belly, and they would be like, oh, my gosh, you're here.
Speaker A:And they'd be so glad to see me.
Speaker A:And then they would tell me about their motherhood journey.
Speaker A:They would tell me about when they were pregnant and when they had their babies, and this super special part of their life was one of the few things that they really could remember in detail, and they wanted to share their stories.
Speaker A:And so between that and my personal experiences, I was like, oh, my gosh, like, this is so important.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Like this season in our lives as women.
Speaker A:And as like men, as fathers, like, it deserves attention and it deserves care and support.
Speaker A:And so I think I finally just believed that I could do it.
Speaker A:And I think I got upset enough with a system that was not listening to women and not honoring their choices.
Speaker A:And a lot of the lies around birth that it has to be horrible and awful and it doesn't.
Speaker A:I've had beautiful birth experiences and I've helped other women have those experiences.
Speaker A:And so I think I just got to a point where the fear of not doing what I'm supposed to do is bigger than the fear that it might not work out.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:That's powerful and.
Speaker B:But it took you for so long.
Speaker B:So where did that belief says I can't do this?
Speaker B:Where did that come from?
Speaker A:I think it probably childhood trauma, honestly, just I was a kid that was too scared to talk to anyone.
Speaker A:I remember my first grade teacher saying to my parents, oh, Ayla's such a good kid.
Speaker A:Like, she never talks, she's so quiet.
Speaker A:But it was because I was terrified of everyone.
Speaker A:I didn't want to talk because what if they didn't like me or what if I said something stupid or things that probably weren't even true that I just believed.
Speaker B:So what were some things that, that really helped you in that?
Speaker B:I know you got more afraid of not doing it as opposed to doing it.
Speaker B:That's a beautiful thing.
Speaker B:But you lived in this fear for what, 10, 15 years, 20 years almost maybe.
Speaker B:But what were some of the things like, what were like some breakthrough moments?
Speaker B:Let's go through some breakthrough moments because I think that's going to really help the listener because there's a lot of listeners right now who are dealing with limiting beliefs, dealing with this fact of I want to, but I can't.
Speaker B:So walk through maybe one or two breakthrough moments that says, got you to really say, okay, I can.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So when I worked at the nursing home, I was invited.
Speaker A:We were going through this whole like movement of culture change and I got invited to be on the community to move from such a medicalized model of care to more person centered care, which was what I loved.
Speaker A:And so I got invited onto this leadership committee and I think that started to build my confidence that okay, maybe I am doing something right.
Speaker A:And that didn't go perfectly or anything, but it really was a moment where I was like, okay, like maybe I can, maybe I am capable and maybe I do have something to offer.
Speaker A:And then those interactions with my residents also boosted that.
Speaker A:The other thing that made a huge difference was being around other women who were moms in the same season of me like that I was and building deep relationships and connections with other women and having people saying, oh my gosh, like you are doing a good job, like you are a good mom even when I didn't feel like it.
Speaker A:And so I want to be that person that comes in to see the postpartum mom and she's blurry eyed from no sleep and she's frustrated because her whole life has turned upside down and she doesn't feel like herself.
Speaker A:I want to be the person that comes in and says, you can do this.
Speaker A:I believe in you even when you don't believe in you.
Speaker A:Here are some tips and trips.
Speaker A:Let me help you get back on your feet and remind you that you are a good mom.
Speaker A:And I think that's where the passion and the courage comes from is I don't want people to feel the way I did.
Speaker A:I want to help them, I want to encourage them.
Speaker A:I want them to feel like they're good moms.
Speaker B:And yeah, man, that's awesome.
Speaker B:So what would you say to the listener that would help them collapse the time between when they feel like they're called to something and when they actually do it?
Speaker B:If we were to say anything that collapsed that space of time, what would you say to them?
Speaker A:Just do it.
Speaker A:Be brave.
Speaker A:You're going to look back and you maybe it won't work out, but you're going to learn things along the way.
Speaker A:You're going to grow as a person along the way and then you pick.
Speaker A:If it doesn't work out, get up and try something else or try again.
Speaker A:I've never, I've sat with a lot of people as they've passed away and I've gotten to know a lot of people at the end of their lives and the ones who tried and the ones who out went out and did the things that they wanted to do and they took the risks.
Speaker A:They're not the ones that are sitting there with regret.
Speaker A:It was the people who didn't who let life pass them by and who hoped for bigger things but didn't actually put any effort towards it.
Speaker A:Those were the people that had a lot of regret.
Speaker A:And I don't want to be like that.
Speaker A:And so I would say just go do it.
Speaker A:Go try.
Speaker B:That is great advice.
Speaker B:So let's switch some gears.
Speaker B:And so now we're gonna.
Speaker B:Let's talk about challenges that you face getting into this.
Speaker B:Let's talk about some.
Speaker B:Did you face burnout?
Speaker B:One thing I do want to ask which this fascinates me is the concept of compassion fatigue.
Speaker B:Did you face that?
Speaker B:Because it's hard when you have to say goodbye to a lot of people, like being in that realm of the nursing home.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:You're constantly saying goodbye, which is so funny that you went full circle to the birthing side.
Speaker B:Now you're constantly saying hello instead of goodbye.
Speaker B:So that's a really cool thing.
Speaker B:Did you face compassion fatigue or what did that look like?
Speaker B:Burnout?
Speaker B:Any of that while you were there?
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:I loved my job, but it was hard loving people who.
Speaker A:They loved me back.
Speaker A:But they can't remember your name.
Speaker A:They don't remember.
Speaker A:They remembered who I was because they loved me as a person, but it was exhausting in the most beautiful way.
Speaker A:I left because I had a baby the same week that Covid shut everything down.
Speaker A:And I just didn't go back after Covid.
Speaker A:And I have a lot of friends that worked in the nursing home.
Speaker A:And I'm so grateful that the Lord pulled me out before I had to walk through that, because it was really hard for those individuals.
Speaker A:And I'm just grateful that he pulled me out when he did, and he pointed me in a new direction.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So then how did you.
Speaker B:Or how did you.
Speaker B:Or how do you take care of your.
Speaker B:Yourself?
Speaker B:Like, the self care, the emotional intelligence to make sure that you rebat re from the places where you've poured out so much?
Speaker B:What do you do personally?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So that's a big thing in doula work.
Speaker A:I was actually talking with a doula friend the other day, and she was like, I feel like I'm burning out.
Speaker A:And I was like, let's look at the big picture.
Speaker A:How many clients are you taking on?
Speaker A:What is truly your capacity?
Speaker A:And then are you being fairly compensated, or are you giving because you love the work so much?
Speaker A:Are you giving away the work for free?
Speaker A:Are you offering to do these births for free?
Speaker A:Are you offering to do too much?
Speaker A:Do you need to increase your prices so that you feel like your time is being compensated and that your family feels like your time is being compensated?
Speaker A:And she was like, no.
Speaker A:And so that's where I start, is I've tried to find mentorship from other people in the doula arena that are doing really well, that they're thriving because they have a good business model.
Speaker A:My mom kept telling me in college, you need to take a business class.
Speaker A:And I said, you're insane.
Speaker A:I'm not doing that because I never want to have a business.
Speaker A:Here I am.
Speaker A:Listen to Your mom, guys.
Speaker A:But yeah.
Speaker A:So, like, really building out, like, remembering that it's not just loving people well, and it is.
Speaker A:We're compassionate, and we want to love our clients really well.
Speaker A:But also, I need to take care of myself and my family, and if I can't do that, I can't do my job well.
Speaker B:So beyond the business model side, what do you look for in a good mentor?
Speaker B:Because you mentioned mentorship with the doula, what are you looking for in a mentor?
Speaker B:Just separate, a little bit.
Speaker B:Separate from an actual good business model?
Speaker A:Yeah, I look for someone that we have the same values.
Speaker A:Faith is super important to me, and it's super important in my business.
Speaker A:So I.
Speaker A:When I first got into doula work, I gravitated towards, like, the business side of the trainings, which was great.
Speaker A:But then I found that it didn't have any spiritual support.
Speaker A:It didn't have any.
Speaker A:We didn't agree on the fundamentals of life.
Speaker A:So it was super challenging.
Speaker A:And so over time, I found some other doulas that, you know that we have the same beliefs.
Speaker A:And so I'll call her even at a long birth, sometimes I'll call my doula bestie, who lives all the way in Georgia and I live in Virginia, and I'll say, hey, this is what's going on.
Speaker A:Can you pray for me?
Speaker A:Can you pray for this client?
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Like, we just need some breakthrough, and that has been the biggest thing for me.
Speaker B:I like that term.
Speaker B:Doula bestie.
Speaker B:I like that.
Speaker B:Not heard that one.
Speaker B:I need.
Speaker B:I need a business bestie.
Speaker B:Because if you can have a doula bestie, I can have a business bestie.
Speaker B:So we got to create those.
Speaker A:So I really think that's the key.
Speaker B:Yeah, it is.
Speaker B:It really is.
Speaker B:Relationships are super key.
Speaker B:This part of what I do in the business that I have is all about building some things, relational, emotional intelligence around relationships, because you can't grow without relationships.
Speaker B:So with that being said, I want to get into challenges.
Speaker B:Like, when you first start.
Speaker B:Started this, Some of the challenges you faced, and then move into some of the challenges you came up against from people from different things.
Speaker B:So let's start with the.
Speaker B:What were some of the challenges you faced when you first started this app, started this business?
Speaker A:I think I just thought that, oh, I'm gonna be a doula, and I'm gonna go to these births, and I'm gonna hold these mama's hands, or I'll go snuggle babies postpartum, and it's gonna be so sweet, and it's Gonna be like, so easy and what a way to do life.
Speaker A:And it is.
Speaker A:But also there's a flip side, right?
Speaker A:Like, I've been at births for up to 52 hours and wow.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So I'm all in, which is great for my clients, but what happens with my family?
Speaker A:I have small kids, so what do they do?
Speaker A:Who's.
Speaker A:I have to have a plan in place, who gets them to school, who makes sure that the check goes in for their lunch money stuff.
Speaker A:Little small mom things that add up.
Speaker A:And thankfully I've had a support system come alongside me.
Speaker A:But I know that figuring that out was a challenge.
Speaker A:And it still is some days, and that's a big challenge for other doulas is we're on call all the time and just figuring out how to navigate life and find the balance between work when you're on call 24 7.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, that was probably the first big challenge.
Speaker B:Okay, so what were some of the tensions you faced?
Speaker B:Did people accept you?
Speaker B:Did you run into any, like, negative feedback?
Speaker B:What were some of those challenges?
Speaker A:So overall, in my local community, I was pretty well accepted.
Speaker A:I had a group of people cheering me on, which has been super awesome.
Speaker A:One of the things that happened that I didn't expect was that doula work, it's a controversial world if you're coming from a faith based perspective, like I am.
Speaker A:And so I remember, like, I had posted on the, like, a group Facebook page that, hey, doula sisters.
Speaker A:Because most doulas are women.
Speaker A:Like, we're walking along, it's women walking alongside women.
Speaker A:And I posted that and I.
Speaker A:Apparently it was the wrong thing to post because I had a whole bunch of people messaging me that was non inclusive and that it was hateful and that I need to be more considerate and thoughtful.
Speaker A:And I just never.
Speaker A:I was so shocked.
Speaker A:And then my company's name is called Born Motherhood because I really believe that that's part of how God created women, is to be mothers.
Speaker A:Whether it's spiritual mothers or physical mothers or adoptive mothers, like, that's part of our nature.
Speaker A:And I had no idea it would be controversial.
Speaker A:But in this Facebook thread, it came up like, how dare you just say that only women could be mothers?
Speaker A:And things like that?
Speaker A:And I was just, I was shocked.
Speaker A:And it mentally and emotionally, it just shocked me.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And it made me like, think, like, what in the world is going on?
Speaker A:Am I in the right business?
Speaker A:And that confidence took a little hit and then I pivoted and realized, like, I just need to find my people.
Speaker A:Maybe those aren't my people.
Speaker A:And that's okay, that's.
Speaker B:So do you find that there's more tension or more pushback from people who are faith based or people who are non faith based?
Speaker B:Talking to you like, where do you find the most pushback?
Speaker A:I think it's non faith based.
Speaker A:And it's just been interesting to navigate that gently and with compassion and with grace and still trying to love people, because that's the foundation of what I do, is I'm trying to love people.
Speaker B:I'm sorry.
Speaker A:No, go ahead.
Speaker B:So loving people.
Speaker B:So this creates a two part question.
Speaker B:So number one, how did you.
Speaker B:Now I know said you hit the.
Speaker B:The confidence in that, but how did you navigate the re.
Speaker B:The feelings of rejection in the midst of that?
Speaker A:I think I just bowed out honestly of that situation and was like, okay, sorry.
Speaker A:I think I wrote I'm sorry.
Speaker A:I didn't mean to offend.
Speaker A:And I just took a few steps back and reevaluated.
Speaker A:Okay, may.
Speaker A:I originally thought I could be a doula for anyone, and now I'm like, I've realized, like, it's okay if I'm not everyone's cup of tea.
Speaker A:Like, the right people will find me and there will be doulas for those other people that don't have the same beliefs as I am.
Speaker A:There are a million doulas out there.
Speaker A:And so I really feel like it's a very relational business and the right people will find you.
Speaker A:And so it's just the more I do it, the easier I bounce back.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:So how do you find, or did you find that maybe in the beginning versus now that you internalized a lot of those messages or did you always have the right skill set to just bounce it off?
Speaker A:Oh, I absolutely internalized it previously.
Speaker A:It's gotten better the more you do this work.
Speaker A:And I think business in general, you build a little resilience and a little you just your self worth, I think shifts.
Speaker A:I think listening to podcasts like this and hearing from other business owners and other people that have been through stuff and they keep going, I think that is huge.
Speaker A:I think that's encouraging.
Speaker A:Like just knowing that you're not alone in it, you're not the only one that might be feeling those things and then, you know, like speaking truth to myself, I think that's huge.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Like, I was not incorrect.
Speaker A:It may not have been perceived that way by everyone.
Speaker A:And I don't have to prove that I was right or wrong or anything.
Speaker A:I can just love them well and keep Moving on and just keep moving.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:Keep one foot in front of the others.
Speaker B:And I appreciate the shout out for the show because that's why we started the show is there's so many podcasts out there that are really devoted to business tips and things like that, but there's not very many that talk about stories behind the stories.
Speaker B:And this is where grace and the grind comes in.
Speaker B:And so I appreciate you.
Speaker B:I appreciate the conversation we've been having.
Speaker B:I've got a couple more questions and then we're going to land the proverbial plane for this particular episode.
Speaker B:What is.
Speaker B:So we're looking in here.
Speaker B:I've got my notes in front of me.
Speaker B:Controversial, first and foremost.
Speaker B:I didn't know duels were controversial.
Speaker B:That was.
Speaker B:That blows my mind.
Speaker B:I get it.
Speaker B:Because people are interesting nowadays, so I get it.
Speaker B:But controversial, I.
Speaker B:Ayla, I was not expecting you to be controversial.
Speaker A:I wasn't either.
Speaker A:Honestly, I'm pretty chill.
Speaker B:Yeah, you are pretty chill.
Speaker B:I'm like, man.
Speaker B:So we've gone on a long journey from the 8 year, 8 8th grader, the 13, 14 year old who had high hopes but ran to the person who's working in the nursing home, saying goodbye, doing those things to now.
Speaker B:What you do now is does the doula, the convergence of all of this?
Speaker B:And the question then becomes, what is next for you?
Speaker B:What does this look like down the road?
Speaker A:I'm super excited about this.
Speaker A:So when I started doula work, in the back of my head had this thought like, oh, it would be so cool to one day like build a group of other doulas and mentor other doulas and have an agency.
Speaker A:And honestly, like, that was like my 10 or 15 year plan and that would move me towards retirement.
Speaker A:And I never really said much about it to anyone and I was almost a little afraid to dream it myself.
Speaker A:But the Lord is very funny.
Speaker A:And over the past six months, I've had multiple women come up to me and say, how do I do what you do?
Speaker A:I want to do what you do.
Speaker A:How do I do that?
Speaker A:And so this 10 or 15 year plan that I had, the Lord very quickly accelerated it.
Speaker A:And now we have an agency of myself and two other doulas.
Speaker A:And so now I don't have to walk in the work alone.
Speaker A:I have other women that have come alongside me.
Speaker A:And so we get to provide that doula bestie atmosphere.
Speaker A:We're learning together, we're growing together, we're supporting families together, which means that we get to do even more of this.
Speaker A:Amazing work.
Speaker A:We can have more women that go and sit with moms postpartum and we do their dishes and we talk them through postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression and we talk about all the things that no one wants to talk about.
Speaker A:We can teach more birth classes and we can do more lactation education and lactation support and really continue meeting mamas where they are and helping them get the best start.
Speaker B:And that's beautiful.
Speaker B:It's the dual of besties.
Speaker B:I still love that term and I think that's great.
Speaker B:If you think about it like I had this 10, 15 year plan.
Speaker B:My plans aren't often what God wants.
Speaker B:And so my when I say I have this 10 to 15 year plan, it's often in fear.
Speaker B:And so here we are in six months.
Speaker B:You've already have your agency started.
Speaker B:So we're definitely going to be praying and supporting you in whatever we can do there.
Speaker B:Last two questions.
Speaker B:First and foremost at the listener knows as they make it to this part of the show where we do a wisdom bomb, hashtag, wisdombomb.
Speaker B:If you are on Facebook, if you want to look at all the previous wisdom bombs, what is a wisdom bomb or a portable truth that you can leave with the listener that says, this is something I can apply to my life today, what would you say to them?
Speaker A:I would say find community.
Speaker A:Find people that you can look up to that you can be inspired by and also find people that you can help walk alongside on the journey.
Speaker A:Because we don't want to just I think in our culture in America, we would try to do things alone and I tried to do things alone for a very long time.
Speaker A:And I was unfulfilled and I didn't grow.
Speaker A:I wasn't challenged, I wasn't inspired.
Speaker A:And I think that's where a lot of this personal and professional growth has come from, is finding other people to walk alongside and then pulling people alongside me as well.
Speaker A:And that would be my advice, is go find community.
Speaker A:Go find a mentor.
Speaker A:Be a mentor and we can all grow together.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:So how can people find you?
Speaker A:So I'm on Facebook at Born Motherhood.
Speaker A:You can also check me out on my website@www.for.com.
Speaker B:So yeah, so I first and foremost thank you coming on the show.
Speaker B:We appreciate you being here.
Speaker B:It's such a great conversation, especially into the world of motherhood and what it like, what it means to work with moms.
Speaker B:So thank you, Ayla, for being here with us.
Speaker A:Thank you so much, Jim.
Speaker A:I appreciate you.
Speaker B:And so to you, the listener who have made it this far in the episode.
Speaker B:We just want to thank you for listening and being faithful to the Grace and the Grind as we tell the stories that inspire.
Speaker B:With that being said, whatever platform you are watching this on or listening to, make sure to hit the in the comments.
Speaker B:Let us know some questions if you have them.
Speaker B:Maybe do a subscribe or follow and review us.
Speaker B:We appreciate you for being here.
Speaker B:Catch the either previous episode you've missed or the next episode that comes out every Monday every week.
Speaker B:With that being said you have been listening to Grace and the Grind and I appreciate you being here.
Speaker B:We'll see you on the next one.
Speaker A:This has been Grace and the Grind.
Speaker A:We hope you've enjoyed the show.
Speaker A:If you did, make sure to like rate and review and we'll be back soon but in the meantime find us on social media.
Speaker A:Eadwithjam Take care of yourself and we'll see you next time on Grace in the Grind.
