Year-End Reflections: The Scary Business Changes Shaping My Doula Growth
As this year comes to a close, I’ve been sitting with some uncomfortable truths, the kind you don’t rush to share, because once you say them out loud, things have to change.
This year didn’t ask me to learn more.
It asked me to admit more.
Not because I didn’t already know what wasn’t working, but because knowing meant I couldn’t unknow it. And once you see something clearly, you’re responsible for what you do next.
Real growth doesn’t just cost effort.
It costs comfort.
It costs identity.
It costs the version of you that knows how to win a certain way.
This is my year-end reflection on what it actually looks like to scale a doula business sustainably—without burnout, without noise, and without losing yourself in the process.
The Truth Beneath the Noise in My Doula Business
One of the hardest things I had to admit this year?
I was hiding inside momentum.
Not laziness.
Not avoidance.
Productivity.
Creating content.
Posting constantly.
Teaching.
Launching.
Helping.
Optimizing.
All good things.
All things that “work.”
But also… loud.
And noise, especially productive noise, has a way of making you feel safe while quietly disconnecting you from yourself. As long as you’re moving, you don’t have to listen.
Even while my business was growing, something felt off.
Not classic burnout, more like fuzziness. Scattered energy. Less clarity.
That’s when it clicked:
I wasn’t exhausted because I was doing the wrong work.
I was exhausted because I was doing too much unnecessary work.
I wasn’t practicing restraint.
And restraint-especially for high-achieving doulas and entrepreneurs-is often harder than effort.
The Feedback That Changed Everything
Then came the feedback I didn’t want, but needed.
My coach said something that stopped me cold:
“You don’t need to be everywhere anymore. Being everywhere is actually diluting you.”
That stung.
Because somewhere along the way, I picked up the belief that:
Visibility equals safety
More content equals control
Constant output equals relevance
That if I slowed down, I’d disappear.
If I narrowed my focus, I’d shrink.
If I rested, I’d fall behind.
Those beliefs helped me survive earlier seasons of building my doula business.
But they don’t belong at the level I’m stepping into now.
At this stage of growth:
Presence matters more than volume
Clarity matters more than reach
Trust matters more than speed
Letting go of the version of me who “did the most” required grief. She was powerful. She was necessary. But she isn’t the one leading this next chapter.
The Business Changes I’m Making Moving Forward
Here’s what’s actually changing, now, not someday.
1. Slowing Down Content Creation
I’m creating less content on purpose.
Not disappearing.
Not checking out.
But choosing depth over noise.
I don’t want to fill space anymore.
I want my words to land.
2. Going All In on One Platform
Instead of spreading myself thin across multiple platforms, I’m focusing on one place where my energy feels clean and relationships can deepen.
Chasing reach scattered me.
Depth grounds me.
3. Using ChatGPT Less (Yes, Really)
Not because it’s bad, but because I noticed when I relied on it too heavily, I started outsourcing my voice instead of refining it.
And my voice, the embodied, intuitive, human part of me, is the point.
4. Launching Less
I don’t need adrenaline to feel productive anymore.
I want:
Offers that breathe
Space to support clients deeply
Sustainability instead of constant urgency
5. Offering High-Touch VIP Support Sooner Than Planned
This one scared me the most.
Offering private, high-touch VIP support two years earlier than planned means fewer people, and nowhere to hide.
It means depth.
Responsibility.
Intimacy.
And alignment.
6. Niching Down Even More
Even when my brain screams, “Don’t get too specific.”
Specific isn’t small.
Specific builds trust.
Specific attracts aligned clients.
The Boundary I Didn’t Expect to Set
Another unexpected realization this year?
I’m only working with coaches and mentors who want me to win.
Not tolerate my growth.
Not benefit from my brilliance while resenting it.
Not stay comfortable while I expand.
I want rooms where ambition is normal.
Where success isn’t awkward.
Where no one needs me to dim myself to keep the peace.
Letting go of outgrown relationships hurt, but outgrowing people doesn’t mean they were wrong. It just means the room got too small.
Choosing Restraint Over Proving
At the core of all of this is one shift:
I’m done proving.
Not my expertise.
Not my worth.
Not my right to lead or earn well.
Restraint is the work now.
Choosing:
Not to post
Not to launch
Not to say yes
Not to over-explain
Choosing long-term trust over short-term spikes.
And honestly?
That’s scarier than hustle.
Because hustle gives you something to hide behind.
Restraint asks you to trust who you are without the noise.
A Quiet Commitment to the Next Level
I don’t have every answer.
I don’t have the full map.
But I trust this:
The version of me I’m becoming doesn’t rush.
She doesn’t over-explain.
She doesn’t need to be everywhere to be undeniable.
If you’re in your own season of pulling back, refining, choosing less…
you’re not regressing.
You’re consolidating power.
And that kind of growth?
It’s quiet.
It’s uncomfortable.
And it’s exactly where the next level begins.
Want Support With Your Visibility?
If this reflection resonated and you’re realizing your online presence no longer reflects who you are now, I’d love to help.
DM me AUDIT on IG @thelisavee to book a free Instagram bio audit.
No pressure, just clarity.
