Today we’d like to introduce you to Jekisha Elliott.
Hi Jekisha, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was first introduced to Maternal and Child Health as a Community Health Worker in Baltimore, Maryland. In this role, I supported high-risk pregnant individuals who had experienced pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth. My primary responsibility was to help them re-engage with the healthcare system by providing personalized support. This included coordinating medical appointments, facilitating access to immunizations for their other children, and helping them navigate available health and social services. As a community health worker, I learned about the role of a doula and how they provide emotional support to families pre-/post and during labor.
After relocating to North Carolina, I accepted a position collaborating with health departments, clinics, nurses, and doctors to educate patients about contraceptive access. This role opened the door for me to pursue formal doula training, first through the National Black Doula Association and later earning certification with ProDoula.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, my vision truly came to life: I launched Jendayi Doula Services, the business I had long dreamed of. Despite the challenges of the time, I found a mentor, secured hands-on experience, and fully immersed myself in the work. I took on every birth I could, asked countless questions, and slowly began to trust both the process and myself as I stepped into this new chapter as a birth doula.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey hasn’t always been smooth. Launching a business during a global pandemic came with its fair share of uncertainty and hurdles. In the early days, I grappled with building a client base, navigating the ins and outs of advertising and marketing, and learning the foundational business skills. Every challenge became a lesson, shaping my growth as an entrepreneur and the resilience of Jendayi Doula Services.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I wear many hats, and my commitment to community health extends beyond my doula work. In my full-time role with the State of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, I focus on initiatives that directly impact everyday people’s lives. Throughout my career, I’ve worked on key public health efforts such as implementing the Affordable Care Act, expanding Medicaid access, improving the efficiency of Medicare for beneficiaries, and addressing reproductive health challenges, particularly the reduction of unplanned pregnancies in rural communities.
At Jendayi Doula Services, I provide holistic, culturally affirming birth support to families as they navigate one of the most transformative times in their lives. As a certified birth doula, I specialize in creating safe, empowering, and informed experiences for my clients—whether that means supporting unmedicated births, cesarean deliveries, or anything in between. Aside from being a birth doula, I am a childbirth educator, calm birth meditation teacher, and prenatal yoga instructor!
I’m especially proud of my relationships with the families I serve. Clients often tell me they feel seen, heard, and genuinely supported in unexpected ways, which means everything to me.
My commitment to combining evidence-based care with deep cultural understanding sets me apart. I bring professional training through the National Black Doula Association and ProDoula and a heart-centered, community-rooted approach that honors the unique needs of each family. I’m intentional about holding space for Black and Brown families who may face disparities in maternal healthcare, and I advocate fiercely for informed choice and respectful care in every birth space I enter.
Above all, I’m most proud of growing this work into something meaningful during uncertainty and upheaval. Starting a business during the pandemic wasn’t easy, but it helped me create a grounded, resilient, and deeply personal service
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
One piece of advice I can give someone starting out is to be intentional about making connections and networking with others in your area of interest. Ask lots of questions and seek a great mentor with whom you can bounce ideas off and learn. The one thing I wish I had known when starting out is that I could not do it all. Even though this is my business, I needed to understand my strengths and areas of opportunity and seek help when I needed it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jendayidoula.com/
- Instagram: jendayi_doula
- Facebook: Jendayi Doula Services
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jekishaelliott
