Going virtual - if it wasn't something you were doing before, chances are 2020 pushed you into this new avenue to support your clients.

Maybe you're doing virtual client consults because of the pandemic.

Maybe you're offering new and creative virtual options to meet your client needs.

Maybe you've been offering virtual services for some time but you want to upscale that client experience.

When you aren't meeting your clients face-to-face, all of your digital actions become that much more important. 

What are you communicating to your clients about who you are and how you value you them in your digital interactions?

And, at the very least, you  likely wonder - how do I upscale that experience and make it personal to each client while ALSO maintaining my sanity and not spending my entire life crafting individual forms and emails?

Dubsado is a client management system that combines power, flexibility, and ease of use into one wonderful package - perfect for doulas or other small business owners.

Here are five (of MANY) ways Dubsado allows you to upscale virtual client experience!

• Canned Emails - Do you often respond to the same queries over and over? Using Dubsado's canned emails you can added these to Workflows but set them to require you approve them first.  This upscales any email interactions by allowing you to take a few minutes and personalize the canned email (which saves you time) and connect with the client.
• Video Conferencing Integration - This one saves me so much time AND makes for a well-designed client experience.  Dubsado interfaces with popular video conferencing platforms.  This allows me to simply check a box and schedule a video conference for consultations and client support calls.  By using Dubsado's Smart Fields, I can then added that unique link to my Canned Emails confirming client appointments or reminding them of an upcoming appointment. 
• Workflows - My work with virtual clients often includes an in-depth consultation where I ask them to complete an intake form or other document ahead of time.  With these forms loaded as Dubsado Templates, I can create seamless workflows that save me time and make sure I can juggle all my clients at once.
• Customization - With Dubsado's easy to use drag and drop builder, you can create contracts, forms, proposals, and lead captures in just a few minutes.  If and when you decide you are ready to customize these to upscale your client interactions, Dubsado is a powerhouse of flexibility.  Adding custom graphics from Canva makes branding a snap.  Or, add code block and make the form your own.  Not ready to do that all independently? Check out these gorgeous and easy to implement templates from Forms and Flows.  What this means for you, as a the business owner, is that you don't have to worry that you'll outgrow the platform or run into issues as you develop your brand in the long-term.  The tools are all there for whenever you want to use them.
• Support - Dubsado is committed to helping you maximize their platform and make it work for you.  I've used their chat box many times and always received a prompt and helpful answer - sometimes I've simply sent them a link to my issue and they've fixed it for me! They care deeply that this work for you and it shows. So, as work to upscale your client experience, you'll know you have the tools you need and the support behind you to make it so.

I'm grateful EVERY DAY for the way Dubsado allows me to balance supporting my clients and the busy life of a homeschooling parent.  What will Dubsado help you do?

True confession time - I never thought I'd pursue working with families and sleep as part of my business.

Why was that?

Well, my own journey with my children and sleep didn't fit nice and tidy into mainstream sleep training approaches.  In fact, I found those approaches increased my anxiety and didn't work for our family. I never dreamed that there was a professional training to support families in the way I had desperately needed with my first kiddo.

I stumbled upon Bebo Mia's Infant Sleep Educator Program while researching doula certifications.  Immediately, I bookmarked the page and promised myself I would do the course when time and finances allowed.  Later that year, I signed up for the original version of the course. That original version gave me the framework I needed to add a heart-centered, holistic approach to sleep as part of my business.

When Bebo Mia announced they were completely revamping the course under neuroscientist Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum, I knew  I had to jump in and take the updated version that puts the science of maternal and infant well-being at the center.  

While much of mainstream sleep discourse relies on behaviorism, the foundation of Bebo Mia's approach to infant sleep is what neuroscience tells us about biologically normal infant needs. Instead of approaching babies by thinking about what adults want them to be, this course takes babies needs as valid in and of themselves.  But, it doesn't neglect the importance of caregiver physical and mental well-being - the course makes supporting the caregivers a central focus, as well.

Things I love about Bebo Mia's updated Infant Sleep Educator Certification:

• My clients value evidence-based information.  The ISE course prepares you to identify and share evidence-based resources about infant sleep with your clients.  This is great if you want to offer sleep support as a stand alone service, but it is also an incredible value-add to work as a postpartum doula or a childbirth/new parent educator.
• The course is PACKED with information and resources.  The video lectures and corresponding manual make it easy to learn no matter your learning style. In addition to the core course lectures for each module, the course includes interviews with many experts whose field overlaps in the care and welling being of infants and toddlers.  These additional interviews are so valuable in helping you get a full understanding of factors that play into infant sleep. They also give you a framework for identifying practitioners to connect with in your area so you can connect your clients with the resources they need.
• Bebo Mia's intentional course design means that the assignments you are asked to complete in pursuit of your education actually build your skills and knowledge such that you are ready to work with clients upon completion.  This, to me, is a hallmark of all the Bebo Mia courses I've taken and one of the reasons I so often recommend them.  I've seen colleagues in other programs stuck with assignments and requirements that don't help propel them to the point of opening their own business. With Bebo Mia's thoughtful course design and business support, you are equipped to do this work as a professional upon certification.

If you are looking for an evidence-based alternative to mainstream sleep training, I highly recommend Bebo Mia's Infant Sleep Educator Certification.

 Let's face it - there are no shortage of "miracle" items targeting you, the sleepless parent, with the promise of more sleep for you and your little ones.

As ironic as it may sound coming from someone whose business centers on supporting families as they deal with the tricky stages and transitions of infant and toddler sleep, I am always VERY leery of anything that suggests it can help little ones sleep longer.

Why is that? Well, any quick look into the scientific literature on infant sleep tells us that waking at night in search of parental reassurance - whether for food or a snuggle - is normal. 

That said, as I often share with clients, just knowing it is normal doesn't automatically make it easy to navigate on your own.

Enter the lovey - a strategy parents often turn to as they seek to make transitions from one means of nighttime soothing to another. Sometimes, presenting a child with a lovey results in interest that grows to attachment and the child finds comfort with the lovey. Sometimes, you give your kid a lovey and they decide that some other household object - a dump truck, a scrap of fabric, or something else - fits the role of beloved comfort object much better.

While we cannot always predict what object our little ones will deem "perfect" and worthy of lovey status, we can be thoughtful and intentional in the objects we offer and facilitate their introduction with care.

I found myself pondering this as we considered Christmas gifts for our then 3 month old.  As baby #4, our littlest has no shortage of hand-me-down blankets and plushies and other typical lovey choices. 

At this young age, I was looking for a lovey that could be used primarily as a source of comfort while in the car seat.  I wanted something soft, sweet, and washable.

So why Lulla?

At this age, my primary objective was to get a sense of familiarity with an object that could offer comfort while we traveled in the car.

Not only is Lulla cute and cuddly, the doll also offers a soothing pairing of heartbeat and breathing sounds.  Designed to help NICU babies who are separated from caregivers yet need the soothing sense of presence, Lulla offers an approximation (note, not replacement for) the reassurance of a caregiver's heart and breathing.

Because spit up and, well, life require all things be washable, I love how easily the outer stuffier portion removes for cleaning.  No stress there!

If I'm honest, I find a lot of the musical variety lovies more grating than soothing, so the simple white noise offered by Lulla is a welcome alternative.

We know that adding anything to baby's sleep surface is not recommend, and Lulla acknowledges this,  providing means to attach to the outside of a crib and thus still provide white noise during sleep.

For us, Lulla became a tool to make car travel easier on everyone.  And, when little one is ready grab a lovey and snuggle it to bed, he'll have a friend he's known a long time in Lulla!