Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Sova.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started CLEbaby a month before I had my second baby. I recognized that there was a critical gap in care during my first labor which left me unprepared and feeling alone. It was an extremely busy day in the L&D unit, and they were short-staffed; I labored for 17 hours before even seeing my OB when it came time to push. I was scared and in horrible pain for many of those hours, not knowing what was and wasn’t normal. My husband was of course there supporting me, but even after taking a variety of childbirth education classes and reading books, nothing truly prepares you for that first birth experience.
With my second child, I switched providers, and they encouraged me to hire a doula. I had such a wonderful, supportive experience with my second birth that I really believed in the power and change-making abilities of this unique type of support. My doula was someone who believed in me, normalized the experience, coached me and my husband through every stage of labor, and helped me become an empowered, confident decision-maker.
After my birth, my doula was retiring after decades in the business, so she trained me and some of her other past clients to be doulas. While I didn’t fall in love with doula support itself, I was really drawn to the business side of things. I’m someone who is a lifelong learner and loves to acquire and hone new skills. So, with no background in business, I took additional trainings through various reputable organizations in order to become a certified labor doula, a postpartum doula & newborn care specialist, an educator, a placenta encapsulator, and a grief support specialist, and also took my first business classes. I grew my team as time went on, and as our clients began requesting additional types of support, we also grew our service and class offerings.
It’ll be 8 years in business this February, and we have grown our revenue each year (many early years doubling it). We’ve served over 460 families in Northeast Ohio, as well as sleep training clients all over the United States. CLEbaby has been featured on all of the major local news networks, Entrepreneur, NPR Ideastream, The Children’s Defense Fund, and has won numerous awards over the years.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think I quickly realized that there are no smooth roads in entrepreneurship; if there were, everyone would do it! It’s been fulfilling to be my own boss and to witness seeing my thoughtfully crafted vision come to life, and in a very impactful way to boot.
My biggest obstacle has been, overwhelmingly, trying to maintain a work/life balance – a common issue for mompreneurs especially. I built the business while raising three kids, while my husband was also building his own business. During that time, we moved into a new house and city where we didn’t know anyone. I also lost my mom to an aggressive cancer and found out I inherited the BRCA1+ genetic mutation from her, which puts me at much higher risk for breast, gynecologic, and other cancers. So, I’ve also had more than half a dozen surgeries over the past few years to lower my risk for cancer, including a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy. I’m extremely involved in my kids’ schools (they’re currently in 3 different schools due to age differences) and their endless extracurriculars. Throw in a global pandemic that put an enormous strain on the healthcare system and kept doulas out of work for months… it’s been bumpy at times to say the least.
But I’ve truthfully never dreaded a day of work. I’ve wanted to quit out of self-doubt and self-induced stress, but I’m so relieved that I carried myself through it and developed healthier coping mechanisms and burnout reduction strategies. I’m currently working on my doctorate, which I will finish this year, and my dissertation is focused on burnout and compassion fatigue among doulas. It culminates with an action plan for stakeholders (doula agency owners, doula training organizations, and healthcare systems who work with doulas), providing guidance on preventing and combating burnout so that doulas can have lengthy, fulfilling, and financially stable careers in this still-evolving profession. I’m so thrilled to get to share my research findings very soon.
We’ve been impressed with CLEbaby, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
CLEbaby’s team has over 100 years of combined experience working with babies and families, over 45 years of university education, dozens of doula trainings completed, and numerous certifications. We’ve been nominated and won several local awards, and we continue to strive to ensure our team is continually growing our knowledge base through continuing education and training. We continue to grow in the hopes that much-needed support for new families becomes the standard rather than a luxury.
CLEbaby has been called “life-changing” “like magic” and “the best decision ever.” We have over 50 5-star reviews on Google. CLEbaby is changing the birth and postpartum experience for Cleveland families in a positive way, as well as giving back to the community.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned to follow my instincts and be particular about who I trust and work with, both doulas and clients. There is no amount of financial upside that is worth the stress and anxiety if it’s negatively impacting my mental health. We are constantly telling our clients that it is impossible to pour from an empty cup, but we also have needed to learn to practice what we preach. So, keeping that central when I’m hiring and when I’m communicating with clients has helped me develop the ability to say “No” when it feels right to me.
I have always been committed to leading with kindness, patience, and integrity. The world doesn’t always reward introspective leaders who aren’t the loudest in the room, so I’ve needed to learn and relearn how to make my voice heard and create a striking brand and business model that is attractive, engaging, and purpose-driven.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.clebaby.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/therealclebaby
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/clebaby/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/clebabytweets
