CLIENT STORY
Online Business Manager for Birth Photographers and Doulas in Melbourne
How Soulful Support helped a Melbourne birth photographer, doula and industry leader create steadier systems, smoother operations and more spacious growth
Supporting Melbourne birth photographers, doulas and perinatal leaders with grounded operations, content coordination, systems support and dependable online business management.
The Client
Client: Lacey Barratt
Location: Melbourne, VIC
Industry: Birth photography, doula support, perinatal education, global membership community
Service Provided: Soulful Support, Soulful Strategy and Soulful Growth
Lacey is an award winning birth photographer, doula and founder across three rapidly expanding businesses, including a global association supporting birth photographers around the world.
With a large online audience, multiple offerings, a team to lead and high volume operational needs, she needed sustained business support that matched the complexity and pace of her work.
She was not simply looking for task support. She needed a Melbourne based Soul-Led Online Business Manager who understood birth work, advocacy, creative leadership, global community support and the emotional intensity of being on call.
She needed structure, consistency and a trusted operational partner who could help keep the moving parts moving, without losing the depth and care her work is known for.
The Challenge
A Growing Multi-Business Ecosystem Needing Clearer Operations
Before working together, Lacey was experiencing:
- constant context switching
- tasks spread across multiple platforms with no cohesive workflow
- administrative overload that pulled her away from client care and creative leadership
- inconsistent systems due to fast growth
- ongoing pressure to stay visible online while running multiple businesses
- a heavy mental load and unfinished tasks sitting at ninety percent
- limited capacity for planning, strategic decisions or creative projects
She described feeling overstimulated and unable to finish projects to the standard she wanted. Her businesses were successful, but behind the scenes there was a lot being held at once.
She needed grounded operational support, clearer workflows, strategic implementation and someone who could honour her work ethic, high standards and the emotional load of birth work.
The Solution
Online Business Management for a Melbourne Birth Photographer, Doula and Heart-Led Industry Leader
Our work together has spanned multiple years and included high touch support across operations, systems, content, team coordination and large scale industry projects.
Rather than simply completing isolated tasks, the work became a deeper operational partnership, one that supported the day to day running of her businesses as well as the bigger projects, launches, competitions and strategic decisions happening behind the scenes.
1. Systems, Operations and Workflow Support
I supported the backend of Lacey’s businesses by:
- creating and maintaining standard operating procedures
- stabilising daily workflows across multiple businesses
- documenting and refining internal processes
- creating structure around communication and response needs
- supporting backend migration for membership and training platforms
- managing hiring processes, including sourcing and vetting new VAs
- streamlining project management for ongoing and seasonal tasks
- creating more cohesive workflows across platforms, projects and team responsibilities
This gave the business more steadiness and reduced the amount of information living only in Lacey’s head.
2. Client, Community and Membership Support
Across her birth work, education offerings and global association, I supported:
- membership systems and backend processes
- association operations throughout yearly cycles
- community management tasks
- complex event and competition workflows
- time sensitive customer communication
- forms, automations and user experience touchpoints
- member and client experience improvements
This helped create a smoother experience for the people inside her world, from clients and members to photographers, contributors and collaborators.
3. Content Coordination and Visibility Support
I supported the visibility side of Lacey’s businesses by:
- scheduling ongoing content across brands
- creating social media graphics, carousels, slideshow sequences and branded templates
- supporting launches, workshops and announcements
- coordinating newsletters and email sequences
- supporting content connected to competitions, events and community initiatives
- maintaining consistent visibility without adding more pressure to Lacey’s plate
This ensured her brands could stay present and active online, even during high volume seasons and on call periods.
4. High Level Project Management and Support
A major part of our work together has included managing and supporting large scale projects.
This included:
- project managing annual international image competitions
- coordinating virtual summits and industry events
- supporting a large scale local exhibition for the 2024 IAPBP Image Competition
- liaising with specialists, contractors, partners and guest experts
- overseeing updates across websites, digital resources and brand assets
- tracking tasks, timelines and moving pieces across multiple platforms
- providing strategic insight via voice note and email whenever needed
This level of support allowed large projects to move from idea to implementation with more clarity, structure and momentum.
5. Strategic and Operational Partnership
Over time, the support became more than task completion as a soul-led virtual assistant.
It included:
- helping identify operational gaps
- offering strategic insight on systems, hiring and workflows
- holding context across multiple businesses
- understanding the priorities behind each task
- knowing when something needed urgency, care or simplification
- supporting the business through fast growth and high pressure seasons
This gave Lacey a steady operational partner who could help carry the complexity of her business without needing every detail explained from scratch.
The Results
Steadier Operations, Stronger Systems and More Sustainable Growth
Through Soulful Support, Soulful Strategy and Soulful Growth, Lacey experienced:
- significantly reduced overwhelm
- smoother and more consistent daily operations
- clearer internal systems and streamlined workflows
- dependable content and visibility rhythms
- more time for photography, doula work and creative leadership
- improved client, member and community experience
- increased capacity to lead, teach and advocate
- steady support during high volume seasons and intense on call periods
- greater ability to maintain momentum without burning out
- more structure across a multi-business ecosystem
Her businesses now operate with more clarity, structure and steadiness, allowing her to keep leading, creating and advocating without holding every operational piece alone.
The transformation
Before working with Kathleen Amy .Virtual:
“[I was] completing things to an approach of done was better than perfect. However, it wasn’t ever really ‘done’, it was always 90% completed. This left lesser-than-desired customer and client experiences… I was so over-stimulated I just didn’t have the capacity to do anymore.”
After working with Kathleen Amy .Virtual:
“You are an absolute dream and I am so happy you are in our corner. The association is finally moving like a well oiled machine and I am so proud of where we are from where we have come. I am stoked about where we are going. It is literally not possible without your quick wittiness, clever strategy and bad assery. Thank you.”
Lacey – Award Winning Birth Photographer, Doula and CEO
Why This Matters for Melbourne Birth Photographers, Doulas and Perinatal Leaders
Birth workers in Melbourne often hold a unique mix of emotional, creative and operational pressure.
There are unpredictable schedules, on call windows, client care, advocacy, education, community leadership, admin, visibility and the deep emotional intensity of perinatal work.
For birth photographers, doulas and perinatal practitioners leading growing businesses, the challenge is rarely a lack of care or vision. It is having enough operational support around the vision so the business can keep growing without every piece depending on the founder’s nervous system.
Online Business Management provides the structure, follow through and strategic support needed to keep the business moving, while still honouring the deeply human nature of the work.
Is Online Business Management Right for You?
This kind of support may be a fit if you are a Melbourne based:
- birth photographer
- doula
- perinatal practitioner
- birth educator
- creative business owner
- membership founder
- industry leader
- service provider with multiple offers or brands
and you need support with:
- operations and workflows
- project management
- content coordination
- systems and process refinement
- team coordination
- membership support
- launch or event support
- strategic implementation
- reducing the mental load behind the scenes
Work With an Online Business Manager Who Understands Birth Work and Heart-Led Business
f you are a birth photographer, doula or perinatal practitioner in Melbourne and you want grounded, dependable operational support that honours the depth of your work, I would love to connect.
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