I started Midwifery Business Consultation because I saw a gap in midwifery that needed to be addressed.
Midwives receive extensive education in clinical care. We learn how to assess, diagnose, manage, educate, advocate, and care for women and families. We learn how to navigate complicated clinical situations and make important decisions under pressure.
But very few of us are taught how to build and run a business.
We are expected to figure it out along the way.
And too often, “figuring it out” means learning through trial and error, working too many hours, undercharging for services, accepting unfavorable contracts, struggling with employees, creating policies after a problem occurs, or discovering years later that a busy practice isn’t necessarily a profitable or sustainable one.
I wanted to change that.
I Started This Because Midwives Are Business Owners, Too
When a midwife opens a private practice, birth center, consulting business, or other entrepreneurial venture, she doesn’t stop being a clinician.
But she suddenly becomes something else:
A business owner.
That means she is now responsible for things like:
- Revenue
- Expenses
- Payroll
- Contracts
- Marketing
- Hiring
- Leadership
- Policies
- Risk management
- Negotiation
- Strategic planning
- Customer service
- Compliance
- Growth
- Taxes
- Technology
- Operations
And none of those responsibilities disappear simply because the owner is a midwife.
I started Midwifery Business Consultation because I believe midwives deserve to have access to business education that actually understands our profession and our unique business challenges.
Because Being a Great Midwife Doesn’t Automatically Make You a Great Business Owner
This is something I believe strongly.
A midwife can be an exceptional clinician and still struggle with business.
And struggling with business doesn’t mean she isn’t intelligent, capable, or successful.
It means she wasn’t necessarily taught the skills she needs.
We don’t expect someone to become an expert clinician without education and experience.
Why would we expect a midwife to automatically know how to:
- Price her services
- Negotiate compensation
- Create a budget
- Manage a team
- Build a business plan
- Develop policies
- Read a contract
- Analyze profitability
- Market effectively
- Manage growth
without being taught?
Business is a skill set.
And skill sets can be learned.
Because I Have Seen How Easily Midwives Can Undervalue Themselves
One of the most frustrating things I have encountered is how often midwives undervalue what they bring to the table.
We are often very comfortable advocating for our clients.
We will spend hours explaining options.
We will fight for informed consent.
We will protect our clients’ autonomy.
We will speak up when something isn’t right.
But when it comes to ourselves, the conversation can become very different.
Suddenly we are uncomfortable saying:
“This is what my time is worth.”
Or:
“This contract doesn’t adequately compensate me.”
Or:
“These are my professional boundaries.”
Or:
“This service isn’t financially sustainable.”
Or simply:
“No.”
I started this business because I want midwives to become just as confident advocating for themselves as they are advocating for the people they serve.
Because Busy Does Not Always Mean Successful
One of the biggest misconceptions in healthcare entrepreneurship is:
If I’m busy, my business must be successful.
Not necessarily.
You can have:
- A full client schedule
- A packed birth calendar
- A waiting list
- Constant phone calls
- No days off
and still have a business that isn’t financially sustainable.
Revenue isn’t profit.
Profit isn’t cash flow.
And being constantly busy isn’t the same thing as building a successful business.
I started Midwifery Business Consultation to help midwives look beyond the number of clients they serve and begin asking better business questions.
What does it cost to provide this service?
What is the actual profit?
What is my time worth?
Is this sustainable?
What happens if I get sick?
What happens if I want to take a vacation?
Can this business function without me doing everything?
Those are the questions that build sustainable businesses.
Because Midwives Shouldn’t Have to Learn Everything the Hard Way
Entrepreneurship inevitably involves mistakes.
That’s part of owning a business.
But some mistakes are incredibly expensive.
A poorly written contract can affect years of income.
A bad hiring decision can disrupt an entire practice.
Underpricing can create chronic financial problems.
Poor policies can create unnecessary conflict.
Lack of planning can turn growth into chaos.
And failing to understand the numbers can make a practice appear successful while quietly losing money.
I believe there is tremendous value in learning from other people’s experiences rather than having to repeat every mistake yourself.
Because Midwifery Businesses Are Different
Generic business advice doesn’t always translate well to midwifery.
A business consultant who understands retail may know a great deal about inventory management.
A consultant who works with technology companies may understand venture capital.
A consultant who works with restaurants may understand food costs and staffing.
But midwifery has its own business realities.
We have to think about:
- On-call schedules
- Birth volume
- Continuity of care
- Backup coverage
- Professional liability
- Scope of practice
- Clinical staffing
- Prenatal visits
- Postpartum care
- Birth center operations
- Home birth logistics
- Insurance reimbursement
- Self-pay models
- Payer contracts
- Healthcare regulations
- Professional boundaries
- Emotional labor
The business model has to account for the clinical reality of midwifery.
That is why I wanted to create a resource specifically for midwives.
Because Midwives Need More Than Clinical Education
Clinical education is essential.
But it isn’t enough to build a sustainable practice.
We need education in:
Business.
Leadership.
Finance.
Negotiation.
Marketing.
Operations.
Human resources.
Strategic planning.
Risk management.
Communication.
These skills don’t diminish clinical care.
They support it.
Because I Want Midwives to Think Like Business Owners
There is a major difference between:
“I am self-employed.”
and
“I own a business.”
Being self-employed often means you have created a job for yourself.
Owning a business means you are intentionally creating an organization that has:
- Systems
- Processes
- Financial goals
- Policies
- Standards
- Leadership
- Accountability
- Strategic direction
I want to help midwives make that transition.
Because Growth Should Be Intentional
Not every midwife wants to build a large organization.
And that’s okay.
Success might mean:
- A small solo practice
- A two-midwife practice
- A thriving home birth practice
- A birth center
- A consulting business
- A multi-provider organization
- A hybrid clinical and educational business
There is no single definition of success.
My goal is not to tell midwives how big their business should become.
My goal is to help them define success for themselves and build toward it intentionally.
Because I Believe Profit Is Not a Dirty Word
This is an important part of why I started this business.
There can be discomfort in midwifery around the word profit.
But profit allows a business to survive.
Profit allows a practice to:
- Replace equipment
- Pay employees
- Invest in technology
- Offer benefits
- Build reserves
- Handle emergencies
- Support continuing education
- Expand services
- Take time away
- Prepare for the future
A profitable practice is not inherently less compassionate.
A financially healthy practice can actually create more capacity to provide excellent care.
The goal isn’t profit at any cost.
The goal is ethical, sustainable profitability.
Because Midwives Deserve to Be Paid Fairly
Midwives provide enormous value.
That value should be reflected in compensation.
Whether you are:
- An employee
- An independent contractor
- A practice owner
- A birth center owner
- A consultant
you should understand how to evaluate compensation.
That means understanding the difference between:
What someone is offering you
and
What the arrangement is actually worth.
This is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in teaching midwives negotiation skills.
Because Strong Businesses Create Stronger Midwives
When a practice has:
- Clear policies
- Appropriate staffing
- Strong financial systems
- Good communication
- Defined expectations
- Effective leadership
- Sustainable scheduling
the midwives working within that practice are better positioned to focus on their clinical work.
Chaos isn’t a badge of honor.
Constant crisis isn’t a requirement of midwifery.
And burnout shouldn’t be considered the price of providing meaningful care.
Because I Want to Change the Conversation
I want midwives to stop apologizing for wanting successful businesses.
I want us to be able to talk openly about:
Money.
Profit.
Pricing.
Contracts.
Negotiation.
Leadership.
Growth.
Boundaries.
Strategy.
These conversations don’t make us less committed to midwifery.
They make us more prepared to sustain it.
Why Midwifery Business Consultation?
Ultimately, I started Midwifery Business Consultation because I believe midwives are capable of so much more when they have the business knowledge to support their clinical expertise.
I want to help midwives move from:
Overworked → Sustainable
Underpaid → Appropriately compensated
Reactive → Strategic
Uncertain → Confident
Disorganized → Systematic
Busy → Profitable
Individual clinician → Business owner
And most importantly:
Surviving → Thriving
My Vision for Midwifery Business Consultation
I envision a midwifery profession in which business education is viewed as an essential part of entrepreneurship—not something midwives have to learn after they open their doors.
I want midwives to understand their numbers.
I want them to negotiate confidently.
I want them to create strong policies.
I want them to build effective teams.
I want them to understand marketing.
I want them to recognize opportunities.
I want them to know when to grow—and when not to.
And I want them to build businesses that can support them for the long term.
Because Your Calling Still Needs a Business Model
Many midwives enter this profession because it is a calling.
But a calling still has expenses.
A calling still needs systems.
A calling still requires leadership.
A calling still needs appropriate compensation.
And a calling still needs a sustainable business model.
Passion can start a business.
Strategy keeps it going.
That is why I started Midwifery Business Consultation.
To help midwives understand that they don’t have to choose between excellent midwifery care and excellent business practices.
They can build both.
My mission is to help midwives build businesses that are clinically excellent, financially sustainable, professionally strong, and designed to support the people who make midwifery possible in the first place—the midwives themselves.
