Your Network for Doula Clients is Bigger Than You Think

Our Network Is Bigger Than You Think

When doulas tell me they’re struggling to get clients, one of the first things they say is, “I just don’t have an audience.”

But that’s not true, you already have an audience to get clients for your doula business… you just haven’t learned how to activate it yet.

The people in your phone, your DMs, your old coworkers, your child’s daycare, the folks at your yoga class or local coffee shop, they already know you. They already like and trust you, and that’s everything for kicking off this easy networking campaign.

You don’t need a huge following or a fancy website to get clients. What you do need is connection!

This is what I call the invisible doula problem, the feeling that no one knows you exist, even though you’re working your heart out trying to be seen. Most of us are surrounded by warm leads, by dream clients, by people who would refer us in a heartbeat, and we just haven’t let them know we’re available to help.

It’s not your fault that this part feels tricky. 

Most doula trainings don’t teach you the business side of birth work. They teach you a skim of the basics for terms and ideas, not how to be seen or run a business. They teach comfort measures and stages of labor, but don’t have time to teach you how to run a sustainable business. So, when it’s time to take what you know and turn it into a profitable business with staying power, you’re left with a skill set that only covers half the picture.

But that can change.

Why Doulas Avoid Their Own Network

We see it all the time, doulas who are compassionate, brilliant, and deeply skilled, but terrified to reach out to their own community.

They don’t want to bother anyone. They don’t want to sound pushy. They don’t want to be “that person” who’s always promoting something. They think it is the same as when MLM friends tell you about their latest leggings or vitamin. 

But reaching out doesn’t have to be about selling. It’s about inviting and solving a problem for people. 

When you message a friend, a former coworker, or your favorite yoga teacher to say, “Hey, I’m a doula now, if you know someone who’s expecting, I’d love to support them,” you’re not selling. You’re offering care.

Y’all, it is just an invitation…

You already hold people through birth, through grief, through transformation and this is simply an extension of that.

And yes, it’s vulnerable. Telling the people in your life that you’re building a business means taking a risk. If it doesn’t work out, you worry they’ll see that failure. That’s brave work. You’re putting your heart out there. But here’s the thing: no one can hire you if they don’t know what you do.

I once had a student who was terrified to tell her friends she was a doula because she didn’t want to be embarrassed if it didn’t take off. For months, she kept it quiet. Eventually, she started sharing and reaching out. Within a few weeks, she booked clients, and two years later, she wrote a book!

When you stop keeping your business a secret, things start to move.

The Truth About “Having No Audience”

When doulas say they have no audience, what they often mean is, “I don’t think anyone wants to hear from me.”

That belief comes from the conditioning so many of us grew up with. Women and queer folks, especially those in care professions, are taught to be quiet, to be humble, to stay in the background. We’ve been told that service is noble but don’t sell it.

But visibility is an act of care. For you and your dependents and for the folks you can help and protect.

Every time you post, share, or reach out, you’re creating access. You’re helping someone realize that they don’t have to navigate fertility, loss, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum alone.

Your visibility might be the reason a queer family feels safe choosing their care team. It might be the reason a first-time parent finds support before postpartum depression hits. It might be what helps a birthing person avoid trauma because they finally found someone who listens.

This is important and a good reminder to reach out and show up!

Try This Today

Let’s make this practical.

Take a few minutes right now and write down ten people who already know you. Friends. Old coworkers. Your hairstylist. Your yoga instructor. That parent from your child’s daycare who you always chat with.

Then ask yourself: do they know what you do?

If not, send them a short message like this:

“Hey! I just wanted to share something exciting. I’ve been working as a doula and supporting families through birth and postpartum (NOTE: make this specific for you – the more clear the better!). If you ever know someone who’s TTC/pregnant/a new parent or could use some support, I’d love if you passed my name along.”

That’s it. 

You don’t need to pitch the actual services to them, just let them know what you do. You don’t need to overthink it, you lovely worrier, because you are simply planting a seed not selling to them.

If you already have clients, you can say, “Hey! I’ve been working with a few amazing families lately and have space for one or two more. If you know anyone who is expecting, I’d love an introduction.”

Most doulas who start doing this book clients within weeks because word-of-mouth is still the number one driver of bookings in our field. 

When you show up, people start remembering you and can talk about you – that is a great marketing machine!

What Happens When You Show Up

One of our grads reached out to her local prenatal yoga instructor after months of feeling invisible. Within a month, she had three new clients.. all from that one conversation.

Another posted on Facebook about why doulas matter, even for planned hospital births. Within days, an old high school friend messaged her saying, “I didn’t even know what you did, but I want to talk about hiring you.”

That’s the power of visibility.

Your next client probably won’t come from an ad or a hashtag. They’ll come from someone who already knows you or someone that person knows.

Your community is full of people waiting for you to say, “This is what I do.”

Stop Apologizing for Wanting to Be Seen

If you’ve been apologizing for wanting to grow, please stop.

You don’t need to soften your success or downplay your ambition. You’ve trained for this. You’ve studied. You’ve held space for people during one of the most sacred times of their lives. That makes you an expert.

When you show up with confidence, you give others permission to do the same.

You are not asking for charity when you promote your business. You are building something rooted in care and community.

Inside the Get More Clients Challenge, we spend five days helping you communicate that clearly and confidently without the cringe, without the hustle, and without losing your values.

The Weekend Doula Trap

A lot of doulas get stuck because they were trained in a model that never covered this. The old weekend workshop model taught comfort measures and the stages of labor, but not how to build a business, advocate for yourself, or stay in this field long-term.

That’s why so many doulas end up invisible. They were given a weekend of information instead of a foundation for success.

At bebo mia, we believe in something different. We teach trauma-informed, justice-centered, and sustainable care because when you’re equipped with both the heart and the strategy, you don’t fade away with your business, you thrive.

That’s what the Get More Clients Challenge is really about, teaching you the practical skills that should have been included in your training from the start.

Your Next Client Is Closer Than You Think

You don’t need to wait for a perfect website or a viral post that will never come (real talk). You don’t need to wait for the next training or the right moment.

Your next client might already be in your inbox, your neighborhood, or your community circle. You just need to reach out.

If you’re ready to make that happen, come join us for the Get More Clients Challenge.

It’s a 5-day live experience for doulas and reproductive health professionals who are ready to go from invisible to fully booked.

You’ll get:
✅ Daily lessons and live coaching
✅ Templates for genuine outreach messages
✅ Scripts to confidently share what you do
✅ And a plan that makes your business visible, sustainable, and joyful

It’s $179 and we start next week.

You can save your spot now at bebomia.com/get-more-clients-challenge.

Because your community already knows you, they just need to know what you do.