She Left Her "Real Job" to Become a Full-Time Doula: Rachel's Story

What does it actually take to go from doing doula work "on the side" to making it your full-time career?

In this episode of The Doula Darcy Podcast, I'm talking with My Doula Village member Rachel Bailey about exactly that.

When Rachel joined My Doula Village in June 2025, she was a college professor teaching Public Health while also trying to build her doula business on the side. She loved doula work and knew she wanted to do more of it, but walking away from a steady paycheck, health insurance, and a career she'd spent nearly 20 years building was really scary.

And trying to do BOTH was exhausting.

Rachel shares how she went from juggling classes, births, clients, and marketing her business to finally leaving her university job and becoming a full-time doula.

And the best part?

Since making the leap, Rachel has been fully booked every single month.

In this conversation, we talk about:

How Rachel discovered doula work after a career in public health and academia

Why she spent several years treating doula work as a side hustle

The moment she realized she couldn't keep doing two demanding jobs well

What finally gave her the confidence to leave her professor job