We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angel Thornton-Burns. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angel below.

Angel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

I’ve been getting this question a lot from newer doulas so I wanted to share tips that have helped me.

When you first start to think that you want to become a doula it is very important that you do your research on many organizations and ask questions. Do they align with your views? Do they offer mentorship after the training? Do they give you a guideline on how to run your business and how to seek clients?

I took two birth doula trainings from 2 different organizations. I learned and gained different information and opportunities from both. Both trainings require that you have a mentor but one organization automatically assigned me to a mentor. I was a mentee with Labor With Kaci for a little over a year. She allowed me to join her on prenatals with her clients and assist her with conducting it. She would ask if I had any questions and what I thought of the prenatal. I was very fortunate to have this experience with her because my first client was a client of hers.

My mentor, Kaci, asked me to support a client of hers who was being induced and didn’t have any family support. I was nervous but Kaci was there to answer any questions I had and walk/talk me through the experience. After this client my business took off! I was booking clients on my own but I still had my mentor there to guide me as each client’s experience is different.

Angel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am 26, a mother of 2 children, and a military spouse.

One of the challenging things about being a military spouse is job security. Having a steady job can difficult for many of us due to constantly moving. I’ve always enjoyed having a job that helped people in my community and realized that I needed a job that I could take anywhere with me.

After my own personal experience with PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders) and childbirth, I researched what a doula was and how they educate and help families. I took trainings to become a fertility, birth, and postpartum doula. From those trainings I had the opportunity to meet many mentors who helped me become an amazing doula and also guide me on the business aspect of it. I’ve also taken some courses for herbalism and am a certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist.

Most of my clients are birth clients or for placenta encapsulation services. I make a couple of herbal items but my most popular is my nipple salve/balm. I tend to get quite a bit of bulk orders for this item. It’s great for breastfeeding moms to use on their nipples or it can be used on other parts of the body such as your lips because it contains the herb calendula in it.

Doula work has become a trendy field of work but it is by no means easy and not about money. It’s about serving your community, making a difference, and making quite a few sacrifices such as being away from your family at periods of time.

I believe what sets me apart from others is my community outreach projects that I do. I host affordable childbirth education classes, postpartum support information sessions, a breastfeeding photoshoot, and a yearly community baby shower.

I am most proud of the resources that I am able to provide to families in need. I am always honored that they chose me to help them at one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

I want potential clients, followers, or fans to know that my brand is all about providing resources to people in need in my community.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Recently my daughter was diagnosed with autism in September 2022 at 4 years old. With the diagnosis came more referrals for private therapies. Once I learned what my schedule would now look like, I had to come to the realization that birthwork had to be put on hold. While I am married, I cannot rely on my husband too much to help with the appointments. My husband is a senior rank in the military so he’s always at work and in meetings. He also leaves for 3+ weeks two or three times a year and I never know when exactly he will be gone. We also don’t have any family where we are located so I don’t have much support.

Being a birth doula you can never predict how long labor will be and even after the birth I would need my time to rest. I didn’t want to be stressed about who would be able to help me with my kids. I would love to have a nanny but unfortunately we can’t afford one.

I didn’t want to completely give up being involved in the birth world. I also didn’t want to just stop the community baby showers either so I chose to form it into a nonprofit. I’m still in the process of it but it’s coming along. I have some big plan and ideas once I am finished with the filing process so stay tuned for the upcoming announcements.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is word of mouth and networking. Here in Clarksville the population is always changing and expanding as this is where a military base is.

Everyone doesn’t know what a doula is and it’s important for people to be able to put a face to a name. I am constantly going to networking mixers and workshop classes. You never know who you may meet and it’s important to always stay a student. No one knows everything and things are always changing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.angelscloset.co
• Instagram: angelscloset_llc
• Facebook: angels.closet.2018

Image Credits
Photos by Paj Martina Jefferson Photography