 |
Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective PodcastAuthor: Niamh Cassidy, IBCLC
Welcome to the Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneur's Collective podcast, hosted by Niamh Cassidy, the founder of the Collective.Niamh is a childbirth educator and lactation consultant. She initially started her childbirth education business as a side hustle alongside working full time in social care.Starting her own business wasn't easy for Niamh, as she found it hard to fill her classes and get lactation clients, even when she quit her fulltime job. She worried about 'the competition' and wanted to learn how to stand out. This led her to consume all the 'business' content she could find, from podcasts to mentorship programs and trainings. While she learned a lot, she found that many 'experts' didn't understand the importance of ethics in perinatal work. So, Niamh has been consuming, learning, testing, and adapting to see what works and feels good for her practice. She has been able to grow a successful practice, outperforming many of her peers who have been in practice longer.Now, Niamh wants to share what she's learned with you through this podcast. She no longer worries about 'the competition' and sees all ethical business owners in perinatal work as her peers. She believes that together, we can all be successful. Join Niamh on this journey as she shares her insights and tips on how to grow your own successful perinatal practice with integrity and authenticity. Language: en-ie Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
From Zero to Fully Booked: One Doula's Whirlwind Journey
Episode 83
Wednesday, 22 April, 2026
Orla Nealis went from pandemic mum with no support to fully booked doula in less than two years from completing her training. Here's what actually got her there.What does it actually look like to build a birthwork business from scratch — with three children under six, no reliable childcare, and no business background?In this episode Niamh is joined by Orla Nealis, a birth and postpartum doula, birth reflections facilitator and antenatal educator in training. Orla's story starts where so many birthworkers' stories start — with a difficult personal experience that ignited her passion for supporting other families. What makes her story even more amazing is how quickly and intentionally she has built her business since then.Sixteen months ago Orla was grateful to book one or two clients a month. Today she's fully booked. This is an honest, warm and inspiring conversation about what that journey actually looked like (including the hard bits!).In this episode Niamh and Orla cover:— Orla's journey from becoming a mum during the pandemic to training as a breastfeeding counsellor, doula and antenatal educator — and why that experience drove everything — The moment she realised she needed to transition from volunteer to paid work — and how uncomfortable that felt — The money mindset blocks that show up when you start charging for work you've been doing for free — What she actually did that got her clients — and why she says mindset was the biggest game changer, not marketing — How she built her business while pregnant, then with a newborn, then with three children under six — Why she stopped following generic business advice from men and started learning from women who actually understood her reality — The systems she set up during quiet months that are paying off now she's fully booked — Her advice for birthworkers who are earlier in the journey and wondering when it's going to click — Why she had to "think big and be a bit delusional" — and how that drove her forward faster than anything elseWho this episode is for:This one is for you if you're a doula, IBCLC, antenatal educator or any other birthworker who:— Is earlier in your business journey and wondering if it's actually possible — Has been doing volunteer or low-paid work and is struggling to make the transition to charging properly — Feels like you're putting in loads of effort and not seeing results yet — Is trying to build a business around a young family and wondering how anyone actually does it — Needs to hear a real, honest story from someone who has recently been exactly where you areAbout Orla:Orla Nealis is a birth and postpartum doula, birth reflections facilitator and antenatal educator in training based in Ireland. You can find her at takesavillagedoula.ie or on Instagram @takesavillagedoula.Want to find out what Birth Biz Stage you're at and the right next steps for you to take based on your stage? Then take The Birth Biz Quiz now! Connect with Me InstagramFacebookLinked In
