Having It All and Making It look Easy w/ Michelle Caldwell Gabriel

In this episode, I interview Michelle Gabriel Caldwell, owner of Baby Please, and a colleague of mine for over a decade.  We discuss how she transitioned from being a childbirth educator to a doula and how she manages her roles as an active doula/doula agency owner and a full time chemical engineer, a part of her life that she loves, that keeps her balanced and that she is not ready to let go of, no matter how big her doula business grows.

We also cover the importance of highlighting positive birth stories and Michelle talks about her focus on being a strong voice in the black and brown birth community.  She shares her insights into managing a doula agency, cultivating relationships with other professionals, and organizing her busy schedule to split her energy between her full time career, her passion for supporting her perinatal community and also cultivating the doulas that work with her.  For Michelle, being an agency owner is way more than just running a business, it educating and mentoring the doulas in her community and watching them thrive.

So when we are thinking about growing our doula businesses, Michelle proves that you can think BIG!  You can have everything you want and need and there is no reason to sacrifice the things that make you happy.

More about Michelle:
Michelle is the owner of Baby, Please Birth Services Agency LLC located in NJ, additionally serving NY, PA, CT, MD and GA. She is a certified Doula and Childbirth Educator teaching the Bradley Method ®, Dancing for Birth ® and her own Holistic Course expressly for The Birth Center of NJ of which she is the Doula Director. Michelle is also a NBDA (National Black Doulas Association) Instructor, training and mentoring aspiring new doulas in Labor, Fertility and Postpartum support. She holds over 18 years of experience in the birth industry; helping over 450 families navigate their birthing spaces, training and mentoring birth professionals while ensuring birth justice through state and national initiatives, serving on nonprofit boards and panels, enhancing the platform through blogs and podcasts, Michelle empowers others by offering education, support and advocacy. She holds degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry.

Where you can find Michelle:
Instagram: @creole_jerseygirl
Facebook: @babypleasebirthservices
http://www.babypleasebirthservices.com/

You can find me at:

www.hiptoheart.com

https://www.instagram.com/hiptoheart

Join the Hip to Heart Birth Boss Academy here:
https://www.hiptoheart.com/birth-boss-academy

Apply to the Hip to Heart AgencyProgram here:
https://www.hiptoheart.com/agency-transition-class

Join my Facebook group for Birth + Postpartum Professionals
https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessforbirth