Podcast Summary: The Power of In-Person Events for Doulas – Retreats, Summits, and Putting Yourself in the Room

Podcast: The Doula Darcy Podcast
Host: Darcy Sauers
Guest: Jodi Congdon
Date: February 21, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the transformative power of in-person events for doulas, focusing on retreats, summits, and the importance of physically being in a supportive, like-minded community. Darcy and Jodi share personal stories, insights, and practical advice drawn from hosting and attending a range of industry and business events. They address why these gatherings are essential for professional and personal growth, how they’ve shaped their own doula journeys, and why every doula—whether new or seasoned—should "put themselves in the room."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spark: First In-Person Doula Events

• Both Darcy and Jodi recount attending their first major doula conferences, describing the energy, connection, and motivation they drew from being among passionate doulas.
• Darcy's First Event: DONA International Conference, Boston, 2010. "I remember just like coming home, feeling like I had a rocket on my back. I was like, yes, I am totally doing this." (04:29)
• Jodi's First Event: CAPPA Conference, Kansas City or Tucson. She describes flying solo and the impact of suddenly having 'her people' around her. (05:15)

2. The Unique Magic of In-Person Gathering

• Shared passion and instant connectivity are highlighted: "The thing about an event is they're strangers that share your same passion." (06:14, Darcy)
• Seeing others' success in real life raises your own vision. "Here I thought I was, like, reaching for the stars, but like, now I know I'm playing small." (06:41, Jodi)
• Validation and expansion:"Business is business. Mindset is mindset. So whatever kind of event you're going to, you're going to get something out of it 100%." (08:00, Darcy)

3. Investing in Yourself and Events

• Jodi emphasizes the discomfort and necessity of spending money on in-person events even when business income feels tight: "If your business is in a place where you're like, okay, I'm not generating the revenue that I want to be generating...should I be spending on something like this? And my answer is always going to be yes." (09:18, Jodi)
• Investing in yourself signals value to your clients: "If you don't invest in yourself, why is anybody going to invest in you?" (10:43, Darcy)
• The difference between live events and passive learning: "You do not get that same motivation. You do not hear things the same as when you're sitting and it's live and other people are hearing it also." (10:25, Jodi)

4. Hosting Your Own Events

• Both discuss how their signature events mirror their personalities and how you can create exactly what you're missing, rather than waiting for someone else.
• "I can't find what I'm looking for, so I create it and then I know other people are probably looking for it if I'm looking for it." (15:07, Jodi)
• Types of events: ocean retreats, boardroom summits—“someone could go to both…they’re completely different” (15:51)

5. Handling Disappointment and Learning from “Failures”

• They acknowledge that not every event will live up to expectations, but every experience is valuable: "You learn more from your failures than successes." (17:38, Darcy)
• Even a 'wasted' investment can sharpen your future decisions and help you avoid mistakes in your own event planning.

6. Inspiration Beyond the Birth World

• Drawing analogies from unexpected sources (Alex Honnold, free climber): "If it's mediocre, I'm putting it out there, because then I have an opportunity to learn more." (19:45, Jodi)
• Entrepreneurial growth is fast-tracked by stepping into new environments that challenge comfort zones.

7. Community Support & Accountability

• Real progress is observed in return attendees at the Birth Worker Retreat: "We always set our intentions…then, like, the next year, like, did you do the thing?...there's always tears." (29:41, Jodi)
• Sharing business dreams with peers gets honest, actionable feedback—a self-selected “focus group” who will cheer you and also deliver tough truths. (32:02, Darcy & Jodi)

8. Modeling Entrepreneurial Life for Family

• Integrating business with family: bringing children to events, exposing them to entrepreneurial life, and leveraging business for family experiences. (33:36)
• The value of demonstrating the freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment of entrepreneurial careers.

9. Evolving and Tailoring Events

• Retrospective improvement: “At the end of each year, we'd be like, okay, this was great, this wasn't great. Let's change this…we only evolve to make it better.” (27:52, Jodi)
• Community grows along with the event - both hosts and attendees. “Some people have come every year and are already registered for the next.” (29:01)

10. Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

• The myth of “saturated markets”—Darcy: "There's not enough doulas. If you actually look at the statistics, there's more people that need care than there are actually caretakers." (50:47)
• Creating what you need because "there's other people looking too." (50:27, Darcy)

11. Upcoming Event Highlights

• Darcy’s upcoming Main Doula Retreat and mastermind experience (39:15, Darcy)
• Jodi’s upcoming Birth Boss CEO Summit: “Super boardroom style…your business will be different at the end of the three days.” (41:58, Jodi)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of connection:
  “The power of putting yourself in a room with people who are doing and being what you want.” (06:14, Darcy)

• On leveling up:
  “It's so possible. Like, it's. All these things are there for the taking. You just have to figure out how to do it." (08:49, Jodi)

• On going all in:
  "An investment in yourself is an investment in your business. Like, you have to be in this room." (09:18, Jodi)

• On personalized event creation:
  "You can create something that is perfect for you, and I feel like that's a big reason why I create stuff." (15:07, Jodi)

• On learning from failure:
  "I never consider that, like, a waste of money because I learned a lot." (17:38, Darcy)

• On inspiration from outside the industry:
  "I jot down, like, little bits and pieces of things I hear. And I use those for, like, social media posts...it's just inspo for. I make it like my own." (22:34, Jodi)

• On accountability and growth:
  "We always set our intentions… then, like, the next year, like, did you do the thing?...there's always tears because… you have, like, did you…" (29:41, Jodi)

• On saturated markets:
  "There's someone for every doula. There's a doula for every client. Like, absolutely...there's not enough doulas." (50:47, Darcy)

• "Mic drop" moment:
  "We can say how good they are and we can talk about them, but, like, literally, the people who attend, like, here's where they were and here's where they are...I don't have to give an explanation. Like, it's right in front of you." (49:54, Jodi)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• First In-Person Events: 04:29–05:52
• The Power of Shared Passion: 06:14–07:00
• Business, Mindset, and Growth at Events: 08:00–10:25
• Investing in Yourself: 09:03–11:05
• Creating Your Own Events: 15:07–15:36
• Learning from Failed Events: 17:36–18:33
• Alex Honnold Analogy & Self-Discovery: 19:45–24:09
• Return Attendees’ Success Stories: 29:01–31:04
• Honest Feedback and Peer Support: 31:39–32:46
• Family, Career, and Modeling Entrepreneurship: 33:36–38:20
• Upcoming Event Highlights: 41:58–44:42, 39:15–41:34
• On Market Saturation Myth: 50:47–51:45
• Concluding Lessons: 52:22–53:07

Takeaways for Doulas

• In-person events are a catalyst for both business and personal growth.
• The willingness to invest in yourself is mirrored back in your clients’ willingness to invest in you.
• If you can't find a supportive event or community, create your own—for yourself and others.
• Growth is amplified when you share space and ideas with others at different stages of the journey.
• Difficult or disappointing experiences are stepping stones, not wasted time or money.
• Commitment to continuous learning and risk-taking is a core part of successful entrepreneurial life.

Final Thoughts

Darcy and Jodi deliver an energizing, honest, and action-inspiring conversation packed with practical advice, insider anecdotes, and encouragement for doulas ready to step outside comfort zones. Whether you attend, host, or create your own event, the message is clear: don't wait for permission or the “perfect” moment. Take the leap—in person.

Links to mentioned events and sign-up details can be found in the episode’s show notes.