Gina, Aimee and Tara just returned from DTI’s yearly work retreat where brainstorming and new ideas for the following year become reality. This year’s work retreat took place in Austin, TX and was jam packed with fresh ideas. Some developments range from a DTI product line, updating our scope of practice , launching an Ambassador Program and planning a Train the Mentor Retreat– all planned for 2015. Today, we are sharing with you, what will be soon unfolding in the DTI office.
DTI’s product line: Arguably our most FUN concept LIVE on the DTI website right now: DTI designed t-shirts, bags and tattoos. We designed this fun swag, launched at the Birth Without Fear Conference, inspired by our infatuation for the love hormone, oxytocin! If you are as enamored with oxytocin as we are, you will want to wear it proudly on a t-shirt, tattoo or bag. Other tattoos for doulas and mamas to wear at births have been created with images that say “Rock this Birth”, “Trust Birth”, “Okay, Lets Do This” and “I am Fierce”. The DTI bags are adorned with our “I am Fierce” Campaign OR the Oxytocin molecule. These are just the first of highly stylized products for doulas that are now for sale on our website—stay tuned for more products in the coming year.
Adding to our Team: Our commitment to re-imagining what it means to be a doula is reflected in our new and updated scope of practice as well as finding ways to create and innovate other roles for those of us in the birth world. DTI is expanding and that means we need more people to help us in creating and maintaining our unique program. Opportunities are presenting themselves as DTI grows for more of our DTI doulas– a gig behind the scenes at DTI. We certainly don’t need to look anywhere else other than our trusted tribe. Some of you may remember a DTI doula named Jenny Bennett who creatively named our DTI2: Power of Two training when we ran our contest last year. Jenny will now be working with DTI as our Senior Membership Specialist organizing and maintaining relationships on a national level. Her role is intrinsic in the growth that is happening and we look forward to building out new trainings with her by our side.
Ambassador Program Our Ambassador Program is in direct response to DTI doulas who have asked that we develop ways to connect each of you locally to other DTI doulas. Becoming an Ambassador will mean that you will organize meetings in your local area for DTI doulas to attend on a regular bases. These meetings will be a place for continued education, networking and most of all a place where DTI doulas will be supported and celebrated. The DTI Ambassadors will commit to DTI for a period of 2 years and will collaborate directly with Gina, Aimee and Tara on ideas to make these groups as strong as possible. Want to become an Ambassador? If you would like to inquire about being a DTI Ambassador please email us: info@doulatrainingsinternational.com and copy the subject line: Ambassador. Send us info including your home territory and why it is you are interested in playing a lead role in DTI’s new Ambassador program. We hope that these meetings will be launched across the country by February of 2015.
Supervision and Continued Mentorship Options DTI has arranged that DTI doulas will have an option to purchase blocks of time to continue with mentorship calls after the 9 month program. Our 3 month add on will launch in January and will include 2 mentorship calls per month for a total of 6 calls. We hope that DTI doulas will use this when they feel like they need more support, when they want to design a new program or package for their clients, or when they want to brainstorm new ideas. This will be available to all of you, whenever it is needed, not just when you exit the program. Stay tuned!
Train the Mentor Retreat
By the end of 2015 a retreat style training will be designed for doulas looking to train with us to become DTI mentors. Applications for this program will be announced in the 2nd half of 2015. Mentors that complete this training will have roles at DTI for mentoring DTI2 groups and possible teaching opportunities. Keep your eye out for more to come about the Train the Mentor Retreat.
Highlighting DTI Doulas
We want to hear from you about DTI doulas that are daring to be fierce in their practice. If you have created something unique, finally finished your new website or want us to showcase you and your work please reach out to us! We will be highlighting DTI doulas in our newsletters, on our social media feeds and on this blog. Join us in re-imaging what it means to be a doula and lets celebrate our work together.
Ignite Doula
Our Ignite Doula gathering in Austin, TX was a time for DTI doulas to come together and Ignite their intentions for the following year. It is a time to celebrate our work as doulas and connect with each other. Some of the intentions set forth that night were: Radical Self Care, Balance and Gentle Focus. We will continue to tour Ignite Doula wherever we travel — When we are in your part of the world YOU will be invited–which brings us to our last announcement of the day. The next time the three of us will be together working and holding an Ignite Doula will be in May. If you want to know what city we will be in you’ll have to head over to our Instagram page NOW as we just posted where we will be: Doulatrainingsint 
XO,