Exploring Life & Business with Lisa Falkenstein of Nurtured Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Falkenstein.

Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Lisa graduated from Kent State University with a BA in Family Studies. After working in various social work positions and working with many families in various capacities, she found her calling. Lisa’s love for families, motherhood, parenthood, and breastfeeding/chestfeeding led to her career choice as a postpartum doula in Cleveland. Helping build families, establishing nursing, and empowering people is her passion, and as a result, she completed her certification as a Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Breastfeeding Educator, Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Certified Newborn/Infant Massage Instructor, Newborn Care Specialist, and a triple Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. In addition, she is also a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner through the AADP.

Lisa consults as the Director of Education for Summer’s Sleep Secrets, where she helps design curricula for newborn care specialists and sleep consulting training and certification programs. She also coaches and mentors newborn care specialists and sleep consultants worldwide.

Lisa is a happily married mother of two young adults and has an amazing husband. They reside in Lakewood.

After working part-time for over 8 years as an overnight doula and night nanny, mostly through referrals, and full-time since 2013, Lisa founded Nurtured Foundation Doula & Newborn Care Agency in 2014.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I always tell people I’m the “accidental entrepreneur”. When I started as a postpartum doula, I had no idea it would turn into an agency with 20+ team members. There were many trials and errors along the way. One of the biggest challenges was working in the business while trying to work on the business. In 2021, I stopped taking personal in-home clients and started working fulltime continuing to build the business. I focused on networking and building relationships with other local practitioners who worked with pregnant and postpartum families, working on social media presence and website SEO.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Nurtured Foundation, we believe the transition into parenthood is a sacred time that deserves a massive amount of heart and zero judgment. We aren’t just a group of doulas; we’re a dedicated agency that’s been walking alongside families in Cleveland and Akron since 2014, making sure no one has to figure out the “new baby” fog alone.

What we do covers the whole spectrum of early parenting. This includes birth doulas who stick by your side during pregnancy and labor, and postpartum experts or newborn care specialists who take the overnight shift so you can actually get some restorative sleep. During the day, our postpartum doulas are there to help with meal prep and infant tips, ensuring the entire family is being cared for. We also specialize in gentle, intuitive sleep consulting, helping families find their rhythm without compromising the bond with their baby. For everything in between, our maternity concierge offers personalized support ranging from postpartum planning to feeding guidance.

What really sets us apart is the “collective mind” of our team. When you work with us, you aren’t just getting one person; you’re getting the combined expertise of nearly 20 professionals who back each other up and share their specialized skills. Every one of our doulas is fully vetted, background-checked, and CPR-certified, because we know that peace of mind is the only way a parent can truly relax.

Brand-wise, we are most proud of our reputation for being truly non-judgmental. Whether you are breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, sleep training, or co-sleeping, our goal is to empower you to be the expert on your own child. We aren’t here to project our beliefs onto your journey; we’re here to provide the evidence-based info you need to make the choices that feel right for your home.

Parenting is hard, but it’s a lot more beautiful when you have a professional “village” making sure you’re fed, rested, and confident.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Building a business in the birth and postpartum world is a massive emotional investment, and looking back at 2014 when I started Nurtured Foundation, there are a few things I wish I could tell my younger self.

* Invest in your own education first. I spent years collecting certifications—from lactation counseling to sleep consulting—because I realized that to truly empower parents, I needed to offer a “collective mind” of expertise.
* Your team is your reputation. When you move from a solo practitioner to an agency, your brand is only as strong as the people you hire. We make sure every one of our doulas is fully vetted, background-checked, and carries their own liability insurance because that’s the only way to offer parents true peace of mind.
* Don’t feel forced to pick a “side.” In this industry, there’s often pressure to be “pro-this” or “anti-that”. I found my success in the middle ground—helping families navigate things like sleep and weaning intuitively, without ever making them feel like they had to compromise their bond with their baby.
* Systems are what keep you human. It is incredibly hard to show up for a family with a clear heart if you are drowning in the “business” side of things. Setting up lead-sharing and backup systems early on is what allows our doulas to stay focused on the sacred work of supporting a new family.
* Lead with non-judgment. There are enough “experts” out there telling parents what to do. Our goal is to provide the evidence-based info so they can become the experts on their own kids. Being the one who doesn’t judge is actually a very powerful business strategy.
* Watch out for your own burnout. You can’t support a family if you’re running on empty. Just like we tell parents that rest is a foundation for mental health, you have to build a business that respects your own need for sleep and balance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nurturedfoundation.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nurturedfoundation
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/nurturedfoudation.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nurturedfoundation