Rock Your Doula Biz and Redefining Doula Success with Randy Patterson, The Rock n Roll Doula

Summary

Episode Summary: Rock Your Doula Biz and Redefining Doula Success with Randy Patterson, The Rock n Roll Doula

Podcast Information
Title: The Doula Darcy Podcast
Host: Darcy Sauers
Guest: Randy Patterson, The Rock n Roll Doula
Release Date: December 4, 2024

---

Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Doula Darcy Podcast, host Darcy Sauers welcomes Randy Patterson, affectionately known as "The Rock n Roll Doula." With over 30 years of experience in the doula profession and as the founder of Pro Doula, Randy shares her extensive knowledge on building successful doula businesses and redefining industry standards.

---

Connecting with Randy Patterson

Darcy recounts the serendipitous way she connected with Randy through a Facebook message sent by her daughter, leading to a series of engaging conversations. This initial interaction ([08:19] Darcy) highlights the unexpected yet fruitful relationships that can develop within the doula community.

Notable Quote:

Darcy [08:19]: "Randy Patterson, I know you don't need help getting quiet."

---

The Birth and Evolution of Pro Doula

Randy delves into the origins of Pro Doula, explaining how the lack of business-focused training for doulas inspired her to create a platform that not only supports doulas emotionally and physically but also provides essential business acumen. She emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and adapting to industry changes.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [30:47]: "I always said Pro Dula was born out of frustration with how doulas were being treated and the lack of business support."

---

Redefining Doula Success

Randy challenges traditional notions of doula success, arguing that financial stability and business sustainability are critical for long-term impact. She distinguishes between self-esteem and self-worth, asserting that building a profitable business enhances a doula's ability to support families effectively.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [16:12]: "When we do this work with goals and structure and business and money, it builds our self-worth. You can pay your bills with self-worth."

---

Overcoming Industry Stereotypes

Both Randy and Darcy discuss prevalent stereotypes that paint doulas as unconventional or financially unstable. Randy passionately advocates for breaking these misconceptions by demonstrating that doulas can run professional, profitable businesses while providing compassionate care.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [14:43]: "Doulas run professional businesses, practices, and strong operational systems with well-developed branding and marketing."

---

Effective Business Strategies for Doulas

Randy introduces the agency model as an innovative approach to help doulas focus on their client work while the agency manages business operations. She underscores the necessity of understanding the three pillars of business: entrepreneurship, management, and technical skills.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [38:33]: "The agency model is one of the most innovative ways to keep people in the industry, allowing doulas to focus on what they do best."

---

Creating Authentic and Compelling Doula Websites

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the importance of authentic branding and effective website design. Randy criticizes generic descriptions and emphasizes that a doula’s website should evoke emotions and clearly communicate unique value propositions to attract clients.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [54:07]: "No one knows what that means. No one understands that."

---

Importance of Authentic Branding

Both speakers stress the value of authenticity in branding. Randy explains that authentic branding goes beyond mere descriptions and instead focuses on making potential clients feel connected and compelled to reach out.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [55:11]: "When you feel something, you do something. This is how you save the world."

---

Advice for New and Struggling Doulas

Randy offers tailored advice for doulas who are struggling to establish their businesses. She encourages seeking business coaching, leveraging resources like Pro Doula, and adopting a customized approach to overcome individual challenges.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [36:34]: "If you don't have a business background and you take a doula training, it's not magic. You need help."

---

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

The episode concludes with Randy promoting Pro Doula's Cyber Monday campaign and her book, Matriarch Rules. Both speakers reinforce the importance of doulas embracing business strategies to achieve financial stability and make a lasting impact on families.

Notable Quote:

Randy Patterson [61:50]: "What you're doing is bold and assertive and necessary. You have to do this work as a business."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode serves as an invaluable resource for doulas aiming to elevate their businesses. Randy Patterson's insights into business management, authentic branding, and overcoming industry stereotypes provide a roadmap for doulas to achieve both personal fulfillment and professional success.

---

Join the Conversation:
For more insights and resources on growing your doula business, follow Pro Doula on Instagram and Facebook. Don't miss out on Pro Doula’s Cyber Monday deal—use coupon code GIFT50 at checkout on produla.com to save $50 on training resources!

---

Transcript

[Darcy]

Welcome to the Doula Darcy podcast. I'm your host, Darcy, a business coach for doulas. And I love helping my fellow doulas master the art of marketing so that they can grow their businesses and help more families. On the podcast, I combine my decade of experience in Advertising with 14 years as a doula to empower other doulas with the marketing strategies and mindset shift gifts they need to attract more clients and create successful, fulfilling doula careers. Whether you're just starting out as a doula or you're looking to take your doula business to the next level, you're in the right place. Let's go.

[Randy Patterson]

Oh, wow, everybody. This was a very special episode, my interview with Randy Patterson, and you'll hear the hilarious story about how we even initially connected. But what I love about this is I a lot about especially like in my doula village that I interview the rock stars of the doula world. And I'm like joking around because we're famous, you know, the people I'm talking about, like Kylie from birthworker.com and Sarah, the website doula and me, the Doula Darcy. You know, we're kind of famous in the doula world. So, you know, we're the rock stars of the doula world. But Randy Patterson, legit is the rock and roll doula. That's what we've been calling her for 20 years. She has been a doula for 30 years. She is the founder of pro doula and just really has her fingerprints on the work of doulas these days. I mean, if you want to say the doula industry, she has really shaped how we work as doulas. And some people, I've talked to a lot of people since I recorded this interview, and people are like, oh, wow, she's one of those people like, you either love her or you hate her. So. So I'm excited to have this episode for you to decide. If you don't already know Randi Patterson, before we dive in, I want to invite you to join me and Jodie Condon and Caitlin of be her village, some rock stars of the doula world in Clearwater, Florida, next month in January for the birth worker retreat. It's only a few weeks away. It's getting cold up here where I live in New Hampshire, so I personally cannot wait to be on the beach with all of you sitting by the pool, sipping a margarita, having some fish tacos, and just hanging out with a bunch of doulas. Sleep consultants, birth workers, ncss. This is for anyone who works with perinatal families and needs a break. And maybe you just need a break from your own family. But after the craziness of the holiday season, it's so nice to get away, be with a bunch of adults who just get you and kick the year off by relaxing, having a blast, sitting outside in the sun, being warm. Coming to all, we have so many amazing sessions lined up at the birth worker retreat. So many great speakers and we just can't wait. Right now, you can save $100 on your entrance ticket with coupon code retreat100. That's retreat100. So head to our website, the birthworkerretreat.com and save your spot. We've got a room block. Flights are super cheap right now into Tampa. So the birth worker retreat is January 13th through 15th, and I can't wait to see you there. And in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this episode of my chat with Randy Patterson, the rock and roll doula. Oh, wow, everybody. This was a very special episode. My interview with Randy Patterson, and you'll hear the hilarious story about how we initially connected. But what I love about this is I talk a lot about, especially like in my doula village that I interview the rock stars of the doula world. And I'm like joking around because we're famous, you know, the people I'm talking about, like Kylie from birthworker.com and Sarah, the website doula and me, the doula Darcy, you know, we're kind of famous in the doula world. So, you know, we're the rock stars of the doula world. But Randy Patterson, legit is the rock and roll doula. That's what we've been calling her for 20 years. She has been a doula for 30 years. She is the founder of pro doula and just really has her fingerprints on the work of doulas these days. I mean, if you want to say the doula industry, she has really shaped how we work as doulas. And some people, I've talked to a lot of people since I recorded this interview, and people are like, oh, wow, she's one of those people like, you either love her or you hate her. So. So I'm excited to have this episode for you to decide. If you don't already know Randi Patterson, before we dive in, I want to invite you to join me and Jodie Condon and Caitlin of be her village, some rock stars of the doula world in Clearwater, Florida, next month in January for the birth worker retreat. It's only a few weeks away it's getting cold up here where I live in New Hampshire, so I personally cannot wait to be on the beach with all of you sitting by the pool, sipping a margarita, having some fish tacos and just hanging out with a bunch of doulas. Sleep consultants, birth workers, ncss. This is for anyone who works with perinatal families and needs a break. And maybe you just need a break from your own family, but after the craziness of the holiday season, it's so nice to get away, be with a bunch of adults who just get you and kick the year off by relaxing, having a blast, sitting outside in the sun, being warm. Coming to all we have so many amazing sessions lined up at the birth worker retreat. So many great speakers and we just can't wait. Right now you can save $100 on your entrance ticket with coupon code retreat100. That's retreat100. So head to our website thebirthworkerretreat.com and save your spot. We've got a room block. Flights are super cheap right now into Tampa. So the birth worker retreat is January 13th through 15th and I can't wait to see you there. And in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this episode of my chat with Randy Patterson, the Rock and Roll Dou.

[Darcy]

I think this is the most exciting Doula Darcy podcast episode yet. Episode Lucky Number 13. And I am here with Randy Patterson, the rock and roll doula of pro doula. And I want to first actually tell the story of how this even came about because my daughter is in college and sometimes she needs money and I say you have to earn it. So go get social and social media as me make connections and say social like friend people and say I'm the Doula Darcy. I love connecting with other doulas and I love helping doulas find get more clients, which I do. And for the record, I respond to every single message as myself. But she sends these initial ones. So one day I'm on a coaching call and my phone beeps and it's a Facebook message from Randy Patterson, who I've never talked to before and was terrified of. And it just says Randy Patterson's on my phone saying I think I'm good.

[Randy Patterson]

Lol.

[Darcy]

And I was like what is happening? And I like go back and see that my daughter has messaged you. And I was like me. So I had to reply and say obviously Randy Patterson, I know you don't need help getting quiet.

[Randy Patterson]

But thank you.

[Darcy]

It was hilarious. It was just hilarious even that you put the little LOL at the end, I loved it so much, and I was. But I was mortified. I was like, oh, God. And then I just thought, you know what? Who cares? While I have you, you want to come on my podcast? So here we are. And we. Before this. So we hopped on a call before today, and we talked for 45 minutes. I could have talked forever, and you were so nice. You sent me a copy of your book the Matriarch Rules, so thank you so much. I literally read it that night. I stayed up until midnight reading it. I loved it so much. So, Randy, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for taking the time.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, I'm so excited to be here. It was funny when I got the message, I think I. I think part of me knew that, okay, this isn't actually her. This is somebody doing this for her, because she probably has some idea who I am. Same time I thought, you know what? It happened. Hey, what's up? I think I'm good in the business department, but lol. Yeah. So, like, it led to this, and this is great. And I've enjoyed our time together so far. Our last call, and I'm looking forward to today.

[Darcy]

Yeah, I just love it because, actually, so many people I've had on the show, we have the same goal. We're trying to get more doulas out there working. We're going about it in different ways, so why not have a conversation? And the other thing I want to kind of preface this with is the reason I said I was terrified that you were messaging me. I became a doula. I trained through Dona in 2010, and it was being a baby doula. And then the. I think I heard about pro doula and heard murmurings that the doulas were. It was all about money. And I just. I always was like, how. What? No one becomes a doula because they want to get rich. That's not the reason people become a doula. It's. I'm not saying that you can't, but it's not, like, the driving force. So all these messages. I was hearing that pro doulas are ruthless around money, and it. I just. I was like, I'm just gonna. I don't know, ignore that. And then the buzzfeed article came out, and I just looked it up. That was in 2017. And, in fact, it was really funny to reread it because I was rereading it now today. I'm like, oh, this is awesome. But as a little baby doula, I was like, this lady is legit. And you Had. I don't know if you had a leather jacket. In my head, you had a leather jacket.

[Randy Patterson]

I think I had on a white blouse. Actually, my tattoos were covered. I think I was wearing a blouse.

[Darcy]

Yeah. Anyway, you ha. You're the rock and roll doula.

[Randy Patterson]

But here's the thing about that. There's two things I want to say about that article. The first one is I will. Every time that article is spoken about, I will re. Apologize for some language that I used in that article. It was the. As soon as I saw it in writing, I thought, obviously, I'm not going to share what that is. But I used a word that I have, I immediately. And when I saw it in writing, eliminated from my vocabulary and was absolutely mortified and made a public apology. So I will publicly apologize again for my previous use of that word. It is just not even a word that I. That even comes out of my mouth anymore. Number one. And number two, the other thing I want to say about that article is that if it were written about a man. Oh, if I had a penis instead of a vagina, my friends would have been fine. Yeah, it would have been fine. Men are allowed to make money. It's taboo, apparently, for women to make money.

[Darcy]

It probably wouldn't have even been an article if you were a movie.

[Randy Patterson]

That's right.

[Darcy]

And the. The headline of the article was inside the Million Dollar Get Rich Doula click.

[Randy Patterson]

And can you imagine? No.

[Darcy]

And it's. And come. I come from a marketing background, so just people write their headlines to get the clicks and. But the other thing I'll say is there's no such thing. The other thing we say in marketing or advertising world, there's no such thing as bad press.

[Randy Patterson]

And did was it just drove tons and tons of traffic to Pro Doula.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

People were like, wait, this could be my job. This could be my career. I can do something that I love so much and have so much passion for and put food on my table. I could feed my children organic fruits and vegetables with it. I can pay for dance class and cheerleading and tumbling and.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

So.

[Darcy]

Oh, gosh, I have so many directions too.

[Randy Patterson]

If I could just say I am so proud of our industry now. Like, I've been a doula for almost 30 years and I've attended over a thousand births. I've supported hundreds and hundreds of families on the postpartum side. Our industry has come so far since Produla landed here. And I'm taking some credit. Make no mistake. I'm taking credit.

[Darcy]

You absolutely should.

[Randy Patterson]

But our Industry, like the amount of people, the success stories, the amount of doulas running successful businesses and being able to care for families in such a sustainable way with good practices in place and strong operational systems so that people don't feel like numbers, instead they're getting that one on one customized personalized care. The amount of families that are and, and just the way doulas are looked at. Pro doula myself, Lisa Davidson, we are just so proud of this industry and it's remarkable. It's. It is remarkable.

[Darcy]

That's a really great point at how far that article came out seven years ago. So.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, and there was a whole bunch of shit going on way before that. Oh absolutely. But that did not inspire and buzzfeed to even want to do an article. It was just right. Oh wait, doulas are just supposed to be like patchouli oil wearing bee swinging a raw chicken over their head or.

[Darcy]

Like worked in for free.

[Randy Patterson]

Doulas have offices. Doulas run professional businesses, practices and strong operational systems and well developed branding and marketing. Wait, right. What earth is this?

[Darcy]

And like why is that so taboo? As you said, even just among doulas, as you said, if a man had done what you did, which let's just say is build a million dollar company from literally the ground up from zero, like they probably wouldn't even write an article about you. But you did it and you deserve to have an article written about you. That's not what I mean. But what I mean is even within just the doula industry it has caused, so the idea of charging our worth, charging for our services, or the idea that you can earn money, why is it so hard for some people to wrap their heads around the fact that it is okay to earn money doing a job that you love, that you love.

[Randy Patterson]

Isn't it so beautiful that now in our industry, if people come to pro doula trainings every day and they're like, wait, what do you mean there was a prep. Why would. It doesn't even make sense. And again, we're so proud of how far the industry's come. Listen, here's what I know. When doulas, when we do this work out of love and compassion, it builds our self esteem. When we do this work with goals and structure and business and money, it builds our self worth. And there's a big difference between self esteem and self worth. Listen, both is great. Good to have both.

[Darcy]

Yes.

[Randy Patterson]

But you can't pay your bills with self esteem. And you can pay your bills with self worth. You can pull yourself forward with self worth, you can make enough money to be able to invest in charities that make sense for you. Yes. Feel good and right for you. You. That's what we did. I built a strong doula business in New York with a business partner and we opened a 501 called no Child Wet Behind. We did diaper drives every year. We hosted huge community events. Our local hospital was a donor. They'd write a $5,000 check every year because we were professional, because we ran a strong business. We were pillars in the community. So with what energy and enthusiasm that I came into the world as pro doula. What do you mean? When people aren't charging money. What do you mean you. And here we're hosting these events, literally saving the lives of babies by providing diapers in our community. The diaper need is. It's insane. It's insane. The statistics on babies who suffer from. Come on.

[Darcy]

I know it. It's shocking. And you know what? I didn't even realize this. I know about that. Because of no Child Wet behind, we back. Another part of my background is we used to run all these mom and baby expos all over New England and that was our charity of choice. We'd always have a diaper drive and educate.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Darcy]

It's shocking to realize in the US how many babies don't.

[Randy Patterson]

I can't talk about it without the hair on my arm standing up. We literally, like, when it started, we would just drive around with car fulls of diapers and we would stop at bus stops where we see. We just would like the diaper fairies. And then the junior league in our area got involved and we started doing bigger events with them. But that doesn't happen if you are not, number one, a pillar in your community as a business and you're. You have the financial ability to be able to do those things. It's heartbreaking to me. When a new doula comes in. They can't afford to pay for their training and they want. They want to do charitable work. They want to provide the service for free. Wait, there's you. Yeah.

[Darcy]

Help yourself first.

[Randy Patterson]

Yes, yes. And so that. So like the whole thing is like all of this came from. Who is this horrible tattooed woman with that joyful black hair who, you know, making sure her own financial needs are met. Why is it wrong with this horrible.

[Darcy]

Person when you say it that way, it's like, why is that so? Why is it so. So shocking that a woman would want to pay her bills and run the freedom to give generously to the causes you believe?

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah.

[Darcy]

And what I love about this is I have been on a tear lately about in terms of doulas creating so many doulas say that they want to add passive income streams and do a digital course or a product to supplement that in person work. Because it's a lot. So I talk a lot about like creating a life that fits your business and a business that fits your life. But like life first, like, how do you want to live in the world? And you send me your book, the Matriarch Rules, which is about that in so many ways and even in so many more ways about not only like creating a business that fulfills your dreams, but that we are the matriarchs of our family and our communities. And I just loved the way that you wrote about it. Doulas. You all have to go read this book. I also, it was available on Audible.

[Randy Patterson]

Because I know a lot of people like the wind to holding a book in their hands, but oh no, I.

[Darcy]

Like to see you on.

[Randy Patterson]

I'm just to talk. And this isn't about buy this book, whatever. Like if you're into it and whatever. Cool. But yeah, but the message of this book, which is become the matriarch of your own life. Because what we do as the matriarch of our own life is actually run a business. Right. Like, right. Hold is money in, money out, profitability.

[Darcy]

And taking care of everybody.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah. And so all these people who are like, oh, I'm scared, I. They're risk averse, they've never owned a business. Yes. Your life is a business. It's money in, money out, profitability. And then all of the things that we do, like we network.

[Darcy]

Right.

[Randy Patterson]

Oh, do you know a plumber? Of course I know a plumber. Oh, my friend so and so just had a plumber, whatever. So now I know how to network. I certainly know inventory. I rarely run out of toilet paper. So I know what we need and what we.

[Darcy]

And I'm good at nurturing.

[Randy Patterson]

Yes. And we build brands. We build the familial brand, the Patterson family, the. You know what I'm saying. We do all of these things already. We just of course, as women, we forget to give ourselves credit for it. Ridiculous reason. But when we break it down, and I think I break it down pretty simply in the book.

[Darcy]

Oh, yes, yes. And I love.

[Randy Patterson]

Go ahead. Sorry.

[Darcy]

First of all, I think even if you weren't a doula, you would love reading this book because it's not, it's really like becoming the matriarch of your family. And your life and your community is the theme. It's not specific to doulas, but.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, it's not specific at all to doulas.

[Darcy]

No, but it's extra interesting because you are and I am, but I just think it's. I can't even put it into. It was like a subtle mindset shift for me of, yeah, I'm a matriarch. I. I'm running this family. I know I'm running this family, but let's put a name on it. Let's blame it even more.

[Randy Patterson]

And the book is one part memoir, one part self op and one part business book for women.

[Darcy]

It's exactly what it is. And I really also enjoyed the memoir part. Just learning. You truly, you. Yes. Built a business from nothing, but, like, truly nothing. You and your husband were sleeping in a storage shed at one point.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, we lived outside.

[Darcy]

It's. I just. The whole story of your life was so fascinating and just the way you wrote about it, it's just you're a very good storyteller. So I really, I just enjoyed it, Randy, on so many levels. And I think all women need to. I'm gonna make my daughter read it when she comes home from college. Thanksgiving. It's so good and so empowering and it really. I also loved about it. It gave me like an idea of, oh, this is what she's pouring in to Pro Doula. Yes, this is. That was the other thing that you get in the book. It's like your psyche, your beliefs and everything you've. And so I just. It's staggering to think, oh, okay, so this is what she pours into the doulas that she trains at Pro Doula. This is what the organization. These are the principles that your organization is built on.

[Randy Patterson]

And it's so funny. One of the things that I really. If you can say one thing about me, it's that I'm authentic. It's a. What is what you get approach to. To everything I do.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

And. And I think that, like, when I really started to dial into Facebook groups years ago and when Prula was just. We were building Pro Doula, just felt like there was such an inauthentic vibe around this. Everybody. I remember I said the word in the Facebook group and there had to be like 600 comments. Does she talk to her client with that mouth? And I thought, let me try to think of a time where I was with someone in labor who didn't say that word. I kept threatening. You want to say, like, say that? Yes, I say that.

[Darcy]

Word.

[Randy Patterson]

I do. I say that word. Like, but it was just, like. There was just this, like, fake nicety about things that were, like. I don't know. I just feel like people were trying to brand the word doula to mean something very specific, and I just didn't. And. And here I had this very successful doula business with my business partner at the time, Debbie Aglietti. We ran an amazing doula business here in the Northeast. Yeah. With this mouth and with this brain and this body and this spirit and this energy combined, which is authentically yours.

[Darcy]

Your. I think that's another beautiful thing. And I feel like I've built my business the same way. I'm very different from you, but I. You and I both just show up in our businesses and just who we are, and that's what every other doula can do.

[Randy Patterson]

But I feel like this message was like. It was almost like you had to be. Had to, like, this sweet, white old lady to be able to do this work. And I think it just set barriers for people, and it made people feel like. I remember people used to write in Facebook groups, I don't know if I can be a doula because I have a face piercing or we cannot have pink hair or because I look like this or because I'm a black woman or because I'm. I don't. English isn't my first language. Like, and I just felt like we were being told into this cute little. Little white, pink lady can be a doula, and she has to be independently wealthy or supported by someone else. And I was like this.

[Darcy]

Oh, I love it. And you know what? My very first social media Post was in 2010, when I became a doula. It was a picture of my legs from the knees down. And I said, I am a doula, but I sh. But I shaved my legs because. Thought at first I was like, I'm, like, kind of sporty and preppy. Like, I can be a doula.

[Randy Patterson]

I don't knit.

[Darcy]

I don't care.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, we had to, man. Remember, you were supposed to knit.

Yes.

[Darcy]

And I was like, I shaved my armpits and wear deodorant and, like, to drink wine.

[Randy Patterson]

I remember I had to go to this. I went to the. I don't know, some bullshit where the duos get together once a month and whatever. And I was like, I don't think I want to go. And my business partner at the time was like, we're gonna go. We just go once a month to this thing. It's like a little networking, whatever. Just bring hummus and carrots. And I was like, yeah, Little training that I took a doula training through Dona. I was certified through donut for a long time. And I remember getting the email and it said. It said, do this, do that, park here, meow, whatever, and bring a healthy snack to share. Was a healthy snack? Like, healthy to me, healthy? Why do I have to eat a certain kind of food? What do we have to do? And I remember before that training thinking to myself, am I gonna look like the other doulas? You're not sure. Me, I was insecure. What do I wear? Do I need, like, a long, flowy skirt? Like a.

[Darcy]

That's so.

[Randy Patterson]

Come on. I'm the rock and roll doula. I show up how I show up. Whatever.

[Darcy]

Yeah. And imagine if everybody. Imagine if Randy Patterson hadn't had the guts to show up as yourself. Imagine if you got that email and you're like, I don't. I want to bring Doritos. I don't want. I don't know. But imagine if you hadn't started pro doula. Imagine if you hadn't started talking about doulas need to charge a living wage.

[Randy Patterson]

Like, for a second, I'm going stop you for one second. I appreciate it. I appreciate the accolades you're throwing my way. And, yes, that all happened, but I also firmly believe that if it weren't me, it would have been somebody else. I believe that I was so. Listen, I didn't even want to be a doula. I didn't know about anything.

[Darcy]

My point is, though, if you have a calling on your heart, go for it. Don't not because you're scared. If you have. If you feel something strongly, go for it with all your might and time.

[Randy Patterson]

How Provula came about. Yes, please. I want to tell you. Okay. Okay. So in 2009, we went to the donut conference in Atlanta. We were like, oh, our certification organization is having a conference. We should. Yes. And. And this was really funny. We were sitting on the plane flying from New York to Atlanta, and I said to Debbie, who was my business partner at the time, we should pull our numbers. Like, how many births we've attended as an agency this year, how many postpartum hours our agency has supported, and whatever, because that's what people do at conferences. I hadn't been to business conferences before, and I was like, people talk about these things. And she was like, oh, okay. Yeah. So she had her computer pulling up all our dads and whatever. And we get to the conference and we meet everybody it's not gigantic. We meet everybody over at this meet and greet and this over here and whatever, sitting at this table, that table. And we don't meet anybody who has a doula business. Everybody is like, there was one woman who had a postpartum agency in New York, but outside of that, like, it was just this person. I can't really take births because I can't get the time off of work. If somebody goes into labor, I usually can do about one or two a year. Like, we just couldn't find anybody who had a doula business. And interestingly enough, now this is 2009. Not one breakout session or keynote. Nothing said business on it. There was one place at the donut conference in 2009 where we saw the word business. And it was. It was a room where there were tables set up and then there were topics on each table. And in the back right hand corner of the room, one of the topics said business. And Debbie and I went and sat at that table.

[Darcy]

You want to know something? That is something that hasn't changed much. I went to the donor summit in 2020, 23, and there the. I think the one business. There was one other website. Doula was there the one. The sessions about business were the ones I was teaching. Anyway. Okay, so you're at the.

[Randy Patterson]

We. We do this whole conference. I became a business con, a business consultant in 2009 because all of these people started gathering at that table and asking us questions. And we were talking about. And I left there with my first handful of clients that I started providing business consulting services for, which is now in the thousands and thousands of people across in India, in the uk, all over the US all over Canada. Just incredible. But at the end of the conference, we spent about two hours in this private suite of the then president of Dona Debbie Young was her name. And we spent two hours in there talking about, we have to help these people learn how to do business because they don't get to take clients. We heard so many people say, I take one or two clients a year and whatever. And she was like, oh my gosh, you're right. That is. That's exactly what we need. And I was like, I'll teach that stuff. I'll teach it. I don't even care. I'll teach it for free. Like, we have to keep people who are passionate about this work doing this work if we're ever going to change the blueprint of birth and early parenting in our culture. So let's teach these people how to stay here instead of Be one hit wonders doing something that they think is fun while they go to work somewhere else. Right? Yeah. We leave the conference, she never takes a phone call from us or responds to an email. And we, day after day, week after week, month after month, probably three months, we followed up, not a single. This was our certification organization. We were right month we were paying annual due. So they never responded. And I got pissed off, I got pissed off, I got resentful and, and from that Pro Doula was born. And I really just, I always said Pro D, we're innovators, we're, we stood on the shoulders of giants, we pay attention to what's not working and we innovate. I never said I made up Dula. I didn't know none of that. But we looked at the fact that doulas had no credibility. So what did we do? We aligned ourselves with the American Nurse association and our Training qualify for 17 continuing education units or contact hours through the Nurse association like no other organization can boast this. Our trainings are re researched and rewritten every five years. Every five years to make sure doulas have current up to date evidence based information. Everyone in our industry talks that shit. Oh, up to date. Are you giving it to your membership? Are you giving that information? I decided, you know what, when someone goes to a doula training, they only get about half of the training. Because for most people at that training, they're having these aha moments. A topic comes up and that person is, wait a minute, that might have happened to me. I had the total wait a minute. And now for 25 minutes they're in their head here, the training is still going on, but they miss that portion of the training because they're fucked up.

[Darcy]

In their own trauma.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah. So I said, you know what? Somebody pays for a training, they get to take it again and again for their whole life.

[Darcy]

I love that.

[Randy Patterson]

So as long as you're, as long as you're up to date with your membership at Pro Doula, you can alumni into any training and the training are changed every five years.

[Darcy]

So cool.

[Randy Patterson]

So when you pay 5,95 for a training with Pro Doula, you're getting lifelong learning.

[Darcy]

Amazing.

[Randy Patterson]

So it was things like that. No, no one. You could call the office all day long at Dalna, not be able to talk to somebody. And you might be in a hospital setting where God forbid, your client just lost their baby, it may be your very first birth. And this happened. Tell you how many calls I've taken, not just from Pro Doula members, but from people outside of Pro Dula who've never paid a dollar to pro doula where I've coached them through these experiences. Because first and foremost, Darcy, I'm a doula.

[Darcy]

You're a doula. Yeah, yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

You know what I mean? And, yeah, I'm a wise businesswoman and I have my shit together and I've done the work, but I'm a doula.

[Darcy]

Yeah, you care. And this story is amazing because that's even. That's business. What you just described. Like, something's not. You created a solution to fix it that people need and are willing to pay money for. That's business 101. And yet people are like, no, that's not the way.

[Randy Patterson]

Oh, a little mouthy. So some people were just like, oh, she's so mouthy. Whatever. That's okay.

[Darcy]

That's okay. They'll get over themselves. Yeah, that. I love hearing that story because. And I was going over onto the side, I was like, what if I had gone to that 2009 Atlanta conference? Because I didn't take my training till 2010, and then I went to the 2011 Boston Donut Summit.

[Randy Patterson]

I did never go again.

[Darcy]

This is my first one. And I was nervous to go because I thought, I'm wearing jeans. I don't know. Everybody else is going to have. I remember my friend and I laugh about this all the time because we were like, do you think everybody has dreadlocks and wears the long flowy skirts like we're not going to fit in?

[Randy Patterson]

And all the people are culturally appropriating dreadlocks?

[Darcy]

And I was like, oh, wow, look at this room full of just normal people that are doulas. Like, just back to your whole the preconceived notion of doulas. What do you wish if there's someone out there who is a doula already and is struggling, like, they're not. The business isn't clicking or having to do side jobs. Like, what is your message to those doulas that are just getting going?

[Randy Patterson]

The first thing is, if you don't have a business background and you take a doula training, it's not magic. You don't all of a sudden have a business background.

[Darcy]

Right.

[Randy Patterson]

You need help. And just like any other business, it costs a little bit of money to make some money. And when you take a pro doula training, it's a 20 hour training. You're getting an hour and a half's worth of business, an hour and a half's worth of business. Is that enough? No, it's not. Do you know how to make a website? No, you don't. Do you know what to write on a website? No, you don't. Do you know what kind of images do you know? Do you have a logo?

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

So one of the things that, that I really focused on with Pro Dula was the agency model, which there was some controversy about. But the agency model is one of the most, in a way, innovative ways to keep people in the industry. There's this one person in whatever city, we pick a city, Rogers, Arkansas, and that person feels, you know what, I'm going to invest in this as a business. I have a little bit of business sense. I'm going to hire Randy Patterson as my business consultant. I'm going to work one on one with her. We're going to, I'm going to build this thing out. I'm going to get it right from the start. And now I can house 10 doulas, 20 doulas. Doulas. I can provide work for these people over time, right? Over a period of time, so that those people don't have to handle the entirety of business. They still need an llc. They still need to protect themselves. If they're going to work as an independent contractor, they need to have their own llc. Their LLC should invoice the agency like. So they still need a little bit of, bit of business acumen, which they're going to get in a pro doula training. But they don't have to take on this whole, I need a website and I need this and pricing and that. They don't have to figure all of that out. So step one is find an agency to work for. Find several.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

As an independent contractor, you're entitled to get. Take your own clients. Take clients from an agency. Like all of those things, it gets a little hairy. If you're working for a very busy agency, it's going to be difficult to take your own clients as well. But you have the opportunity.

[Darcy]

It's a great place to start.

[Randy Patterson]

It's a great place to start. And you know what? Just like in the beauty industry, you come out of beauty school, right? Salon, and ultimately one day maybe you go, you know what, I could do this. I've been asking this enough and I think I can do this on my own. And you part ways with the salon owner's not so happy because a bunch of your clients go with you, whatever. But it's the normal progression of things. And people who stay at the same salon for their entire career, so it's a very normal Progression can. Look, there's a lot you can do through Canva, through DIY websites and AI and all that bullshit, but I don't know.

[Darcy]

There's a lot you can do. Yeah, there's a lot you can do through Google. Like you can research, you can figure this out. That's what I always tell people. Like, you can figure this all out. Whatever you need to do if you want this to be your job.

[Randy Patterson]

My kids used to say to me, they're grown now, they're amazing, beautiful adults and they're both very successful entrepreneurs and, and they're hot as fuck. They're just such great people. And they used to say, I would ask them how to do stuff like technology or whatever years ago and my older daughter would always say, use your resources. And I would say to myself, bitch, I'm taught you how to tie your shoes. Any idea, like how hard that was? Could you just help your mother with this? And she'd say, use your resources. But it really put me in a position. I remember like I had to change the ink in the printer once and I want, I was ready to throw the thing out the window. Like I didn't know how to do it. And I was like trying to pull the cartridges out.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

And I was like, you're not asking anybody. You're going to figure it out. And I'm like beating up the machine. And then I was like, I heard her little voice. Use your resources. And I like looked at the number on the printer and I went to YouTube and I was like, me, it was like a 20 second video. Press the cartridge in and it pops out. And I was like, son of a bitch. I know similar stuff.

[Darcy]

Yeah. And that goes for every aspect of your business. And you can figure it out and make mistakes and want to know why.

[Randy Patterson]

People can't, why people don't. I know why. It's crazy. So on an iPhone, I don't know how to do it on other phones but. But on an iPhone you can go into your phone to setting and look at the battery life of your phone and if you scroll down it will tell you either 24 hours or 10 days. You can see which apps were open the longest on your phone in order. I do this with my clients. Oh, in the last 10 days you spent 12 hours on Instagram, baby.

[Darcy]

Yeah, 12 hours.

[Randy Patterson]

That's a day and a half of work.

[Darcy]

And I bet you weren't posting.

[Randy Patterson]

Correct. Correct. Oh, you popped bubbles on your phone for six hours. Yeah, yeah.

[Darcy]

We all, we do have time. We.

[Randy Patterson]

So we have really shitty time management in this day and age. And listen, I'm not saying it's easy. I get caught in my phone too. Oh, yeah, for sure. But when we do this work, there's no. We don't punch a clock, we don't go to an office. We're on our honor. And it's so much easier to blow yourself off than it is to blow someone else off. If you work for me, you're going to show up because I'm going to be an asshole. If you don't or anyone for yourself, you're going to be like, you know what? Tomorrow you're going to do great. Today is a bad day. You had to cut your period. You didn't feel good. You had achieved. Oh, the laundry. This. Yeah, kid, you give yourself a break. You cut yourself slack.

[Darcy]

So true. It's like exercise. You say, oh, yeah, I'll do that tomorrow.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah.

[Darcy]

And then tomorrow comes and you're like, no, I'll.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah. And so without that structural. And I talk about that in my book. I talk about color coding your calendar and being like, okay, from this time to this time, I produce income. Either I'm working on my website or I'm working on email marketing, or I'm finding clients, networking, whatever I'm doing. Like, this is income producing time.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

And this is family time. And I don't produce income during family time. And I don't.

[Darcy]

Yes, I forgot about that part. I loved that part of the book. Like, that you literally, like, line, bullet point, like, here's how to structure your calendar. And I've never thought about my calendar in that way. I've thought about. I don't know, I think about it differently. But that was a beautiful way of, like family time, income time.

[Randy Patterson]

As we think about balance and we're like, immediately we're like, if I work this many hours, I should put this many hours into my kids and I should put the same amount of hours into my relationship and my family, whatever. But no, it's balance is about showing up in our entirety for whatever we're showing up for. Yeah, I'm totally focused on my business from this time to this time. And I'm totally focused on my family, my kids, my whatever. Those things are my relationship. If I'm in one, whatever.

[Darcy]

And to me, that is my favorite part about having a business. Like having my own successful business. Yes, money is great, but I like the freedom more and the freedom to design my life that way. Okay, this block of time. And like, back to the matriarch like this block of time is for my family in terms of whatever you want to do. Plan a trip, make dinner, play a game, have a game night. Like designing your life or looking at your week through the matriarch glasses.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah.

[Darcy]

Especially if they're green and sparkly.

[Randy Patterson]

And I feel like in full disclosure, I have to say this. I have that now and I've had that over the last handful of years. But when I was doing this, like my, my ex husband and I, we needed two incomes and I, I worked every night of the week.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

Postpartum doula and I took birth clients and there was a period of time where I did a three week live in with a postpartum family who was really struggling. I saw my family for one hour at a diner one time in three weeks. I worked and worked. My mantra was I'll sleep when I'm dead. And I grew my business that way and I, we needed the income and that, that was just what I had to do at the time. And. Yep. But we were able to take that money and take the kids to Disney and have a big week's vacation and do those things. I. Was it healthy? Probably not.

[Darcy]

But wouldn't you rather. There's even freedom in that. That was like, that was a choice and that was you working for you and your family, not working 90 hour weeks for some other corporation.

[Randy Patterson]

Learned early on that I wasn't good at being an employee because I always thought I had a better way to do something and I, I was much better at the boss than of the worker.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

So I caught onto that quickly.

[Darcy]

And I'm laughing because my business coach always says to me like, good thing your business is successful because you could never go back. Like, yeah, we make terrible employees.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah. Yeah. It's true. It's true. It's just, I just need the, I just need the freedom to be able to think and grow and innovate and change and move and I just can't be put in a box. That said, there's a lot of people who just want to provide doula support. That's it. That's the part they want to do. And because of the agency model they get. It's not like I'm promoting the agency model. It's just such a, such a great place for doulas to doula. Yeah. I used to talk all the time about the three components of running a business which are of course like the entrepreneur, the manager and the technician. Right. Every business needs someone who's in the future focused on oh yeah. Next. Every business needs a manager, someone who's tracking what just happened, and a technician to handle the day to day activity of the business. And I used to teach a class called the abt, the Advanced Business Training. And I would talk about this and I'd say, raise your hand if you're the entrepreneur. Raise your hand if you're the manager. You really like tracking and accounting and bookkeeping, all of those things just really resonate for you.

[Darcy]

Correct.

[Randy Patterson]

And raise your hand if the one that resonates most for you is the technician. You want to talk to the people, you want to provide the service. You want to respond when a client moves everybody.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

But as a business owner, we have to wear all three hats. Now, I think where I really shine as a business consultant to my clients, to the people who come to me and say, Randy got me to where I want to be, give me the tools and resources, is twofold. Number one, I look at the whole person. Yeah, I look at, okay, who are you, what's going on in your life and what are your goals? Okay. You can't reach that goal based on what's happening in your life right now.

[Darcy]

That's right, yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

So let's readjust that. If, if you have six kids and you're homeschooling them and you wanna make $200,000 a year as a doula, one of these things is gonna have to give. So I look at the whole person and then I look at what's in their wheelhouse. What are your strengths, weaknesses? If the entrepreneurial side is your weakness, then I have to develop a system for getting that person to their goal without putting the pressure on them of next. Next. So I step in and help them with that. If the, if the management side, the bookkeeping, the accounting, the all of that stuff is the bigger problem and that's not what their strength is, then we have to modify that. We have to give them a very rudimentary approach to those things. If it's the technician side but they're afraid of sales, we have to focus on how do we elevate your confidence when it comes to selling the service. So it's a very customized approach. People say, do you give me handouts? Oh, I'm going to give you a hand up.

[Darcy]

I love that handout.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, we're going to do this together. And I think that's been one of my strengths as maybe the very first business consultant who ever came to do list. Because in 2000, I don't know.

[Darcy]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

It's a Very customized approach. Because we can't say we're all unique and then be like, right, how you doing?

[Darcy]

When here's a cookie cutter. Yeah. I love that.

[Randy Patterson]

18 months from day one, if somebody does everything I say, they can make a hundred thousand dollars in 18 months doing this amazing work.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

When I've seen it proven over and over and over again in every nook and cranny, people say to me, oh, where I live, people don't. You people knew what doulas were 30 years ago. What do you think we did? We did that. We grew. Right. That's where no one knew what a doula was. Yeah. It's so fired up now, Darcy.

[Darcy]

I love it. This is so good. And I'm looking at the clock because I'm like, I could talk for three more hours.

[Randy Patterson]

We went to. I got a little bit more time. We could keep talking and then you can just cut the parts that weren't exciting or we just pull the plug.

[Darcy]

So actually, before we got recording, you said that one of the things you love to say is to never block a blessing. And can you. And I just.

[Randy Patterson]

Okay, here's. Yeah. What I actually said was, no one can block a blessing. That's intense for us.

[Darcy]

Yes. That's what it was.

[Randy Patterson]

And I truly believe that. Like, I was handpicked. I was. It was like I was minding my own business, running my own life. I was the Daisy scout leader of my daughter's kindergarten girl Scout troop. And. And one of the little girls in the troop, her mom was a midwife. And at the end of the year, at our bridging to brownie ceremony, she.

[Darcy]

Said to me, after you saying, silver.

[Randy Patterson]

Turn all good thing. After we looked down in the mirror, she said to me, you need to work with women. She said, what I've seen you do with these little girls over the last year, like you have brought such. Such growth to their self esteem and to their confidence and to their accountability to themselves and each other. She said, you have to work with women having babies. And I was like, the kind of babies that come out of your vagina. What are you talking about? I don't know anything about.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

And push came to shove, no pun intended, and I end up here. I. I didn't pick it. It was picked for me.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

Through the mists and the madness, while I was trying to get this message to do list, everywhere, people tried to block the blessing. People tried to stop me. She was polarizing. She says, fuck, she this, she that. She only cares about the money. All this stuff is just wasn't true. If it were true, there wouldn't have been a blessing to even would never even come this way. The truth of the matter is, and I say to doulas all the time, oh, the other jewels in my area do it like this and they'll be mad at me if I do it different than them. No one can block a blessing that's intended for you. And I have lived this. I have seen this. I have seen it for myself. I've seen it in other individuals. Like no one can block a blessing that's intended for us. No unrest in our hearts without the ability for us to bring them to fruition. You believe it or you don't, right?

[Darcy]

And it's placed there. It's placed there, whatever for a reason or it's there. How many doulas have you met that say they feel like they were born for this?

[Randy Patterson]

Almost all of them.

[Darcy]

So why are we letting, why are some doulas letting that blessing get blocked? Frustrates me to no end.

[Randy Patterson]

They clocked themselves. They blocked themselves. Remember many years ago, probably 20 years ago at this point, my mother's no longer with us, but I remember calling her one day and said, and I just, I don't know if I had just worked with a postpartum family or just come off like a great birth or something. And I called my mother and I said, I just want you to know at least one of your children is doing exactly what they were intended to do. Like just so I just knew, felt so, so lucky, so fortunate to be doing this work. And so when I get to this place where I'm like, what do you mean that people aren't making money doing this? They're not going to be able to keep doing it. So many doulas, so many shit talking doulas who talked about that. They're not doulas anymore. They're not doulas anymore. They were so convicted to blocking pro doula and the success of this company and the trajectory that we were on. They're not doula anymore. It's devastating.

[Darcy]

Yeah.

[Randy Patterson]

I want to talk about one more thing that has nothing to do with this. Can we. Yes, Doula website. Oh, okay, okay. If you're a doula and you're listening to this, I want to tell you something. When your website says I'm a doula, I provide physical, educational and emotional support to families during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. No one knows what that means. No one understands that.

[Darcy]

Randy, I literally say that word for word all the time.

[Randy Patterson]

No one knows.

[Darcy]

No one knows what it means. And it's so boring.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah. In fact, most labor or birth doulas can even explain what a postpartum doula does. So if a doula can't explain what a doula does, how on earth from those ridiculous words, can someone understand what a doula does? And then to add insult to injury, I'm a doula. I provide physical, educational, emotional support during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. And this is how much it costs. Why isn't my business successful?

[Darcy]

Because you have to scroll five pages down to figure out what city you're in.

[Randy Patterson]

Sure. For sure.

[Darcy]

That's my.

[Randy Patterson]

But the point is, if we're telling someone I'm a doula and this is what it means, but it doesn't tell me anything. And this is the price. It's too expensive. I don't care if it's a hundred bucks, I don't care if it's 200. If I don't understand it and it doesn't speak to how it benefits me, then it doesn't make any sense. I have written over 120 doula websites. Every single one of them makes you feel something.

[Darcy]

Yes.

[Randy Patterson]

And that the website and you feel something. You know why? Because when you feel something, you do something, you take an action. And that action is you want to talk to that person. Yes. Come to a website, a doula website, and be like, I got to know this lady. I have to know these people. And when they inquire, we have to answer the phone and we have to call them bad. And when we do, our conversation with them needs to be compelling enough to make them want to meet us. It's not about information. It isn't doulas. It is not about information. Just because somebody asks you a question doesn't mean you have to answer it. If someone calls and says, can you tell me a little bit more about your services? Why don't you tell me a little bit more about what you're looking for in a doula? You don't have to say, oh, can you tell me about your services? We come to your house at this time and we can do dates, provide physical. No, just do ask me a question. Doesn't mean I have to answer it.

[Darcy]

I love that.

[Randy Patterson]

So we gotta get better at these intake calls. We gotta get better at converting someone from coming to my website, getting excited about my website enough to contact me, speaking to them on the phone, getting them excited enough to want to meet me, from meeting Me getting them excited enough to want to sign a contract. Yeah. This whole. The conversion process counts.

[Darcy]

Yes. And it. We can make it. I'm so glad that you brought this whole thing up because we can make it really hard. Like, we can start Googling, like, how do I write a website that converts and create a sales funnel? And then you want to die because it sounds so hard. The easiest, fastest route is just like we were talking about the very beginning. Be authentic. Just don't write a website, like, to sound fancy and to sound evidence based. Like, just cut to the heart of what you do. As a doula, I have had people start crying in, like, the grocery store checkout lines when I tell them I'm a postpartum doula. And I help moms and I hold the baby so they can nap and I make them soup. And I've had old ladies like, oh, my God, that sounds amazing. That would have. I would. That. I would have loved that. When you, like, it's not like we're.

[Randy Patterson]

Plumbers or we're human diaries. We're. It's. We're. Yeah.

[Darcy]

Stating birth and postpartum is so bad that our job is sound. What we do when we just talk about it authentically is amazing.

[Randy Patterson]

The other side, Darcy. Like, if you just want to take a doula training and be a doula, what do you know about writing a website? What do you know about that? Think, hire me. Call pro doula. Get on my schedule. Let me write for you. I'll write your website. I will make people have to talk to you. But it will be after a 20 minute discovery session where we really find out what's your secret sauce. Like, what's your. That's the brand development piece of this. Everybody wants to run. Right to marketing. And listen, I know that's your jam. I get it. Like, marketing is simply bringing a brand to the market. And so many doulas don't have a brand. They just have. I provide physical, educational, emotional support. That's the brand of the word doula. But it's not who you are. It's not what you bring to this. It's not your special juice. And I know how to pull the judge out of somebody.

[Darcy]

Yeah. Here's the other doula website that drives me up the wall. Doula is a Greek word and means servant. And if I see your website and that's what it leads with.

[Randy Patterson]

No. Yeah. When I was writing my book, I worked with a PR firm for a period of time. And the message that she gave me, so clearly that I paid thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars for at the time was stop explaining yourself to people. Stop explaining what doulas are like. Come on, now. People know how to figure this out. Instead, make people feel something. I know how to do it. I know how to do it.

[Darcy]

So that's such good advice. And as doulas, we're really good at that. Yeah, I think people feel great.

[Randy Patterson]

Today's Cyber Monday, and we're super excited about it. This is the giving time of year, and Pro Doula as we're in the midst of a huge giant campaign right now. We have given away thousands of $50 gift cards over the last few days. From Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Today is the last day that the gift cards are active. It's literally $50 to use at Pro Doula. You can take off $50 on any training resources, like, all of those things. I'm just gonna whisper here what the code is in case people on here aren't already on our mailing list and didn't get the gift card. When you go to the Produla website.

[Darcy]

Which is produla.com, right?

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, it'[e-mail]. just type in at checkout gift 50G I F T50, and it'll take 50 off of whatever your. Whatever training you're registered for or resources, things along those lines. Childbirth, education curriculums, all that fun stuff.

[Darcy]

Oh, my God, there's so much there.

[Randy Patterson]

So just go to the pro dual website and visit the online online shop and use Gift50 at checkout to save 50 bucks.

[Darcy]

And that expires at midnight tonight, midnight.

[Randy Patterson]

Pacific standard time, Cyber Monday.

[Darcy]

Gotcha. All right. And then also go by the Matriarch rules by Ramsey Patterson. Thank you. I loved it so much. I really did. And I love this conversation. And I guess I'm gonna have to give my daughter a bonus for next thing us.

[Randy Patterson]

I want to say to you too, Darcy, I think what you're doing is bold and assertive and necessary. And I think literally, we people need to grow this as a business. You have to do this work as a business. And absolutely. Resource available to them is that's going to propel them forward is such a bonus. I find you to be credible. I also have to say that there are a lot of people out there who I have people that took one business consult with me, and a month later were offering private business consulting. Yeah. So there's a lot of people out there who are preying upon doulas and their inability to have the business acumen. To get where they want to be. And there's a lot of bullshit going on out there, and I think it's really difficult for a new doula to decipher who can actually help me.

[Darcy]

Yeah, that's a really good point. And it's funny because when I.

[Randy Patterson]

You.

[Darcy]

Know, four years ago, decided, like, I wanted to switch over from just being a doula to being a doula business coach, I was like, no, is that even a thing? And I saw that you were doing it, maybe one or two other people. Not even though, really?

[Randy Patterson]

No.

[Darcy]

So I was like, I don't know. I guess I don't. I didn't really realize how many doulas there were in the world. So think a thank you for leading the way. But you just. In the past four years, as you said, it is amazing to see how many people are out there. And I'm like, who? How do you.

[Randy Patterson]

They pop up, they disappear. They'll call me all the time, and they start consulting with me. And they got taken for $8,000. They got taken for $6,000. I say, okay, tell me about your conversion rates. What does that mean? You pay someone $8,000 when you don't know these people? You know what I'm saying?

[Darcy]

So, yeah, so do your research, doulas.

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah.

[Darcy]

And thank you for sharing that coupon code with the listeners. I'll put the link and everything in the show notes and it was so good. It was great to have you on, Randy. And I loved your book. I love this conversation. And I just love that you said, yes, we could at Replica. It is. Thanks.

[Randy Patterson]

So are you. And forward to future collaborations.

[Darcy]

I know, me too. I'll definitely be back on the podcast and we'll. I'm sure something else will come along too, so thank you so much. Oh, and everybody, go follow Pro Doula on Instagram. And what else? What am I forgetting?

[Randy Patterson]

Yeah, find us on Facebook. Instagram. Yeah. Listen, you could also just call the office and talk to a real person anytime. You. On Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm, we answer the phone.

[Darcy]

What a concept.

[Randy Patterson]

So, yeah. So, again, thank you. This was awesome. And like I said, I look forward to future collaborations.

[Darcy]

Thank you for tuning in to the Dula Darcy podcast. I hope you found this episode valuable, and I'd love for you to join me on the next one. Let's keep the conversation going. Shoot me a DM on Instagram, thedula Darcy. Or join my free Facebook community, the Doula Doula Marketing Group, where we dive deeper into growing your doula business. If you enjoyed the episode, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast on your favorite platform. Your feedback will help more doulas discover the show, which in turn helps more families find the doula support that they need. And I believe that that is how we save the world.