Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelli Washington. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kelli , so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Self-care has so many layers of importance for me, especially with the way that I serve. For birth workers this is especially important because you really have to ensure that your cup is full & flows over in order to sustain & support others on such a vulnerable journey. My self-care practices vary from getting my full rest, journaling, nature walks, yoga, hydrotherapy, therapy therapy (haha), and pure solitude. I have incorporated new practices like acupuncture as well, but all of these practices have to be consistent and help me to show up for my clients, and the families we serve effectively. One thing about me that I have learned is that I cannot show up for anything of any one if my cup is half full. I may be able to push through something if my cup is 3/4 full, but in order to be effective at listening, providing resources, and attending the sacred spaces like births, my cup has to be full to the brim!!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Describing what I do is challenging to put in a handful of words. I serve families, through providing them with resources to support basic needs, education to support their maternity journey, and simply holding space in sacred moments of pregnancy, birth & postpartum. Each family is supported in different ways and that expands the “what I do”. As a non-profit founder, I also wear the business hat by simply making connections and securing partnerships to build our community but what I love most is that I can wear so many hats under the umbrella of birth work and impact folks on every level. I am always the most excited to share how we support families through our Kenzie Keeper Program. We provide complementary or affordable birth doula support to young, first-time single mothers, and in honor of my late niece this is what makes what I do special to me. Building the program is something I focus on and building connections to expand our offerings in the program has been fulfilling.
We are also on a soft launch for our sponsorship campaign that will be live early 2024 to raise funds to support 100 families in our Kenzie Keeper Program in 2024.
Visit our website and contact us for more information!!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
“It feels like such a short time that I have been serving in this field professionally. The more I reflect, the more experience I realize I have. Through building a nonprofit, my organizational skills have truly impacted this journey, but I think having the “where there is a will there’s a way” mindset and truly being self-aware are qualities that have been most impactful. There have been many moments on the journey where I have to identify my own strengths and weaknesses in order to properly pivot and be in alignment. Without true self-awareness or the pure determination to see the vision come to fruition, I don’t know if MJ would be where we are today. In acknowledging the weaknesses and tapping into my drive, it has encouraged me to seek the support & resources I needed from mentors, from my tribe, etc. to actually help myself and MJ stay on the right path.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
How divine! I was just reflecting on the fact that in the past year my biggest area of growth has been asking and RECIEVEING help! I mean truly asking for help and not putting weight on myself to do all the small tasks when I can delegate smaller tasks to my team and folks that actually desire to support me, so I can focus more on the bigger tasks for MJ. This year we finally welcomed an administrative assistant and incorporated volunteer opportunities for new birth workers to serve in the Kenzie Keeper Program. I have to admit, actually securing this support was something I pushed under the rug for almost 3 years because I just believed that I had to do it all. Since I have grown past that way of thinking, MJ has been blooming.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maternityjourney.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maternityjourney/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourmaternityjourney
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Jeana’e Jackson-Fluitt Manny the Photographer
