For Ginny as a doula, her business is an extension of herself.
What’s your story?
I was an unwed mom at the age of 23 and found my life calling as a doula.
What excites you most about your industry?
It’s not so much about my industry. What excites me is that I am living my life’s calling. My business is an expression and extension of myself, keeping women safe. I am truly blessed, loved and supported through it all.
What’s your connection to Asia?
Singapore is home for me.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Singapore!!!!! It’s easy and I can stay focussed on my business without being swallowed up in corruption and red tape.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
All leadership starts with self-leadership.
Who inspires you?
Heather Yellard of Green Supercamp Australia. I saw her present for the first time when my 14 year old son and I attended the 5 day Magic Moments Youth Leadership & Business Summit (under Anthony Robbins) in Sydney. Heather has world class presentation skills and the ability to connect with people through both their heads and hearts. I am truly inspired and motivated to model her.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
During the first day of the Magic Moments Youth Leadership and Business Summit, everyone has the chance to go into a mind over matter state and break a board. I had 4 kids under my care and watched them through their moments. However, when it came to my turn, I could not do it even after 7 attempts with the best instructors. Finally a coach took me under her wing, embraced me and said “I am so happy that you are in my lane”. I could feel her warmth and love envelope me through and through. I busted my right arm (exacerbating a previous injury) and asked to board break with my left arm. At that point, I moved from my head and connected with my heart, realizing what my main fear was, “that I failed as a mother” and broke through the board. After which, I let go and released the fear that I have been carrying with me and cried non-stopped.
During the whole event, I experienced the bliss of staying connected to my heart and to stop being in my head AND it reminded me that to work with myself, I always need to go through the back door to connect with my heart. What seems to work conventionally with others seems to go in the opposite direction for me.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Not too much really – I am who I am today because of my experiences. However if I could turn back the clock, I would learn the lessons I needed to learn much faster and move on to the next level.
How do you unwind?
Anything with sun, sand and ocean calls out to my soul. On a daily or weekly basis, I run, listen to spiritual audiobooks, and read non-fiction books. It’s a luxury for me.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Indonesia. I spent my childhood between Jakarta and Singapore for the first 7 years of my life and enjoyed the duality that both these cities offer. Indonesia is very diverse and even having travelled to various parts of Indonesia, there is still so much more that is left unseen and unexplored. My son and I learned diving in Bali in December last year, and we have since been diving in Bali, Gili Air, Similan National Park (Thailand), and will be diving in Manado, Sulawesi next month, and Raja Ampat in November. There are so many other places we want to travel to dive together just within Indonesia itself. Indonesia is a “home” I never truly connected with, so it’s also an opportunity to connect deeper with part of my roots.
Everyone in business should read this book:
Essentialism
Shameless plug for your business:
As of the first half of 2015, we have an 8% cesarean rate. The recommended cesarean rate for the World Health Organisation is between 11-13% globally.
What people don’t realise when they engage doula services with us is, that they are assigned one doula who is going to be their primary doula. However, behind the scenes, we have an entire system set up such that the couple is taken care of by the entire team. For example, we use SLACK as a form of internal intranet to communicate with each other to tighten the communication within the team. We have a head trainer who is on call every time a client goes into labor, she will liaise with the primary doula during the labor and birth to ensure that evidence based care is practiced and that the doula is trying everything possible, when needed, to optimise the birth process and outcome for the mother and her partner. In the entire world, there are only 6 Spinning Babies trainers and two of them are in my team. The team is made up of several experts such as a sleep doula, babywearing expert, breastfeeding counsellor, essential oils expert. So whenever a mother needs help with a certain situation and if her primary doula is unable to assist, she has the team to rely upon for their expertise. So whilst globally, most doula practices are provided for on a freelance basis, we are a professional set up guided with a big heart and the common vision of keeping women safe. A gentle birth leads to gentle beginnings hence we doula with a warm heart because birth matters.
How can people connect with you?
Email [email protected]
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Doula-Ginny-Phang/
My website: http://www.fourtrimesters.com/about-us/
—
This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
Take the ‘Key Person of Influence’ scorecard <http://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/scorecard/>
Connect with Callum here:
twitter.com/laingcallum
linkedin.com/in/callumlaing
Get his free ‘Asia Snapshot’ report from www.callumlaing.com
