A Decade of Doula Care, Education, and Advocacy: 2025 in Review

In 2025, Gold Coast Doulas continued to grow as a purpose-driven organization, balancing business sustainability with a deep commitment to people, community, and impact. As a values-led company and Certified B Corporation, our work extended beyond client support to include education, environmental responsibility, advocacy, and strengthening the care economy. This year reaffirmed our belief that doula care is essential and that thoughtful growth allows us to serve families while supporting the professionals who care for them.

 

Note from Kristin Revere

As the founder and CEO of Gold Coast Doulas, I cannot reflect on our work without acknowledging the ongoing maternal mortality crisis in the United States. Too many parents continue to experience preventable complications, inadequate support, and disparities in care during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This reality reinforces why doula support, education, and advocacy are not optional. They are essential.

In 2025, my work in media, education, and community spaces was grounded in the responsibility to elevate evidence-based care, amplify informed choice, and advocate for systems that listen to women. Every interview, training, and podcast guesting conversation was an opportunity to normalize support, reduce risk through education, and help families feel seen, heard, and supported during one of the most vulnerable seasons of their lives.

This reflection continues to guide how Gold Coast Doulas grows. Our commitment is not only to individual families, but to a broader vision of safer, more equitable maternity care that values outcomes, dignity, and long-term well-being.

What We Did Well

In 2025, Gold Coast Doulas strengthened its role not only as a care provider but as a trusted thought leader in the birth and baby space. Through national media features, speaking engagements, and educational platforms, our work reached families far beyond our local community. By contributing evidence-based insights on pregnancy, postpartum care, and the doula profession, we helped normalize informed decision-making and elevate conversations around maternal and infant health.

This increased visibility allowed us to advocate for ethical care, access to support, and the value of doulas within the broader health care system. Sharing our expertise through media and education aligned with our commitment to public good and helped families access reliable information during critical stages of parenthood.

At the same time, we continued to invest in strong internal systems to support sustainable growth. By refining leadership structure and maintaining our use of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), we improved clarity, accountability, and consistency across the organization. These systems ensured that expanding our influence and services did not come at the expense of quality, integrity, or team well-being.

 

What We Learned

One of the clearest lessons of 2025 was the gap between community need and available support. Despite our growth, we were unable to serve every family that sought birth and postpartum care due to limited capacity as we navigated doula moves, maternity leaves, and career changes within our team. This highlighted the ongoing need to invest in development, training, and retention within the doula profession. We chose to protect the quality of care our families and doulas deserve, even when that meant saying no, a decision rooted in our belief that ethical growth must be intentional and sustainable.

It also reinforced the importance of early access to care. Families who planned in advance were more likely to receive support, underscoring the value of education and early engagement in pregnancy.

 

Client Stats for 2025

• Number of postpartum hours: 8,823
• Number of postpartum clients: 73
• Number of birth clients: 78
• Number of “multiples” clients: 10
• Number of clients supported in pregnancy: 25
• Number of students taught: 44
• Number of sleep clients: 12 total

 

Team Enrichment Stats

• Continued Education hours (CEUs): 199
• Number of team volunteer hours: 218.5
• Advanced Certifications Achieved: 7

 

 

Team Milestones

• We had our 10^th anniversary event and ribbon ceremony with the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce in September.
• Jessi Heins celebrated 5 years with Gold Coast Doulas
• We welcomed LaVita, Marcy, Emilee, Christy, Eva, and Brianna to the team in 2025. We were thrilled to add Emily Sousa and Kristin Morter back to the team.
• The Gold Coast Team held a pajama-themed team holiday party at Pursuit of Happiness, focusing on self-care and connection.

 

 

 

Giving Back to Our Community

• We participated in the annual Uptown Earth Day Cleanup in April in Eastown
• Offset 22,516 Kilograms of carbon emissions through Aclymate
• Donated $100 to Preeclampsia Foundation
• Donated $300 to Nestlings Diaper Bank
• Donated 4 copies of our book “Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby” to the Grand Rapids Public Library. $75.80 value
• Donated $100 to Family Futures
• Donated $994.75 to St. Mary’s Foundation focusing on supplies for the antepartum and bereavement carts, Centering Pregnancy through Clinica Santa Maria, donated copies of “Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby” to bedrest patients,
• We participated in two community events with Great Start Parent Coalition
• We held our 10th Annual Diaper Drive and collected 8,424 diapers, 100 packages of wipes to Nestlings Diaper Bank and Great Start Parent Coalition with drop-off partners at Howard Miller Library, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Brann’s, The Insurance Group, Holland Pediatric Associates, Rise Wellness Chiropractic, Hopscotch Children’s Store, Mind Body Baby Collective, Fit4Mom GR, Advent Physical Therapy, and Mindful Counseling GR.

 

Awards

• We received Best Doula Agency in Michigan for the 2025 Parent & Baby Awards hosted by LUX!

 

Our Book

• “Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby” was a Mom’s Choice Awards Gold Recipient.
• The Chundria Brownlow Show Featured “Supported” in their Summer Reading list.
• “Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby” became available at Barnes & Noble online in 2025.  

 

 

Media Attention

• West Michigan Woman Magazine featured Kristin Revere on the cover of their Nov/Dec issue.
• The Bump interviewed Kristin for their How Much Do Doulas Cost?
• Parents interviewed Kristin for an article on The Best Affordable Strollers.
• Kristin filmed with Legacy Makers TV.
• Kristin’s season of The Blox aired in April.
• What to Expect interviewed Kristin about virtual doulas.
• Babylist interviewed Kristin about baby bathtubs.
• Today’s Parent interviewed Kristin for an article about Free Baby Boxes.
• Care.com interviewed Kristin for an article about becoming a doula.  

 

Ask the Doulas Podcast Achievements

• We reached the top 100 podcasts on Goodpods chart
• Achieved over 380,000 all-time downloads
• We published our 320^th episode in 2025.
• We brought on Cozy Earth, Ceres Chill, and SeeSee as sponsors in 2025.

 

Speaking Engagements

Kristin was a trainer and panelist for the Megi Health High-Risk Doula Certification program throughout 2025.

Alyssa held multiple Infant and Child Sleep workshops at Mind Body Baby Collective

Kristin spoke to Fit4Mom GR classes on Meet the Expert nights

Kristin presented on Bootstrapped Publicity at the Doulas Doing Business Virtual Summit.

Kristin spoke about being a B Corp at the People First Economy Engagement Hour event during B Corp Month. She was also interviewed in a video series called Invest In Care, Invest in Growth through People First Economy.

Kristin presented at the Mama’s Advice Vault Audio Event on Creating a Birth Plan in April.

Kristin presented on Doing Business for Good at the April Northern Michigan Woman Magazine’s virtual event.

 

Looking Ahead

As we move into 2026, Gold Coast Doulas remains focused on responsible growth that aligns with our B Corp values. We are committed to expanding access to care, supporting and educating our team, and continuing to invest in systems that prioritize people over profit while maintaining financial sustainability. Our goal is to serve more families without losing sight of what matters most: providing ethical care, fostering community impact, and promoting a healthier future for parents, babies, and those who support them.

 

Final Thoughts from Kristin Revere

Reaching ten years at Gold Coast Doulas is both a milestone and a responsibility. In a field where many small businesses are unable to sustain long-term operations, this longevity reflects the trust of the families we serve, the dedication of our doulas and educators, and the strength of a care model built on values rather than trends.

I am deeply grateful to the families who trusted us during some of the most important moments of their lives, to the doulas and educators who show up with skill, compassion, and professionalism, and to the partners who believe in a more ethical and supportive approach to maternity care. This work is truly collective, and I am honored to continue doing it alongside such an incredible community.