The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Being self employed, there are always concerns over whether I will be able to fill my pregnancy classes and if I will get sufficient Doula work to provide for my family. I probably worry too much though because in the six years since I started Birthbalance I have been very lucky.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
As a self employed Childbirth Educator, I am free to adapt my classes and Doula contracts to suit my clients. This can be hard when contracting to another company. I can also put more time and care into some of my clients that need a little more support. The hardest part is always wanting to be there for my clients and having to stop and take breaks, knowing that I might not be there for them. Luckily, I now have a Doula colleague working with me so that there is always one of us available.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My colleague and I would love to grow our Doula business in order to be able to offer more support to families that do not have any family support, and for those families who require a bit of encouragement and emotional support during pregnancy, labour, birth and once baby arrives. The location of my pregnancy classes have branched out to cover the ever growing perimeters of Auckland. I would hope to keep building the number and types of courses to suit my wonderful participants.
You can email Michele or visit the Birthbalance Connect website to find out more about the amazing services they offer. You can also join their supportive Birthbalance Facebook community.
