We had the good fortune of connecting with Cheryl Striegel-Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cheryl, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe the biggest reason behind my success is my authenticity, and my heart. I truly care about people-all people, and I always have. I love making someone smile, or solving a problem with them. 

All of my jobs have always involved service, from retail, to being a nanny, to teaching school, to where I am now.

I want to know I am contributing to making the world a better place. I believe we do this one relationship at a time.

People want to feel heard, seen, cared for.

I work to do that with each of my clients.

In my work as a doula, I believe birth is a sacred place. It is an honor to be there.

My job is to empower and encourage each of my couples and make them feel emotionally supported throughout the pregnancy, labor, birth and early postpartum period. My goal is to help each mother have the best experience possible, whatever that means for her. I find it very important to spend time, and get to know my clients and what matters to them. This is not about me. I am a helper. The word doula means “servant”- I seek to embody that in a spirit of mutual respect and care. I treat my families how I would want to be treated-my doula clients become like family to me. 

As a yoga teacher, I have had the privilege of teaching many people their first yoga class, and helping them believe in their body. It’s so important to make yoga accessible.  Everybody can benefit from some aspect of yoga.  My goal is to build confidence.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

My current business as a “birth worker” has definitely evolved. I started as a teacher of children right out of college, had my own 5 children, and then found myself as a single mom after almost 20 years of marriage. It was time for me to launch a career to provide for my family. I am really excited about what I have created. I started slowly as a fitness instructor. I then focused on pre and postnatal work, so I could help other women. Along the way, I fell in love with yoga, and the physical and emotional strength it gave me. I got certified as an instructor, and quickly added prenatal and baby yoga to my initial certification.

I then became a certified childbirth educator, and my childbirth and yoga students began asking me to be their doula. I was actually apprehensive at first. However after my first birth, over 6 years ago, I was hooked.

I love how all of these modalities come together to allow me to fully serve my clients. I am thankful to say I have built a very solid business, and it is almost entirely from client and friend referrals. It has not been easy, and like many women today, I am doing this while also being a single parent. It is a constang juggling act.

However, I love the flexibility I have, and the fact I can often make time to spend with each of my kids during a given week. I don’t know if I ever find “balance”. Every day is different. Yet I have learned to find a rhythm that works for us. What I want the world to know about me and my brand is the fact I love what I do, and actually feel like this is right where I am supposed to be right now.  It’s a hard and painful time for many people these days.  My desire is to bring a little more peace and comfort to others, and our world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

If we had a whole week, we’d have to have a little road trip.  My favorite place in Texas is Fredericksburg, and the surrounding area. We’d spend a day leisurely driving there, hit a few wineries, and spend a night or two near Main Street. We’d have to go to Grape Creek Winery for a tasting, and maybe dinner at their amazing restaurant. The next day, we’d walk around the shops downtown, have coffee at Java Ranch, then off to Enchanted Rock for a sunse hike. If possible, it would be great to go in the springtime and check out the wildflowers.

Back in Dallas, the arboretum is a must. One of my favorite places to eat, and hang out is Cosmic Cafe in the Oak Lawn area.  I am a kid at heart, and I love the aquarium in Dallas, and the zoo in Ft. Worth. Shopping and eating in the Legacy area of Plano/Frisco is always fun and worth seeing. To be honest, as a mother of 5, I spend a lot of time in my own backyard,  playing with our dogs, and planting flowers. We also have enjoyed many of the local playgrounds, waterparks, and greenbelts through the years.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many people to thank for encouraging me and helping me along the way. If I have to pick one, it would be the husban/ wife team of :  Evelyn Vali of Written in Wonder and Brandon Brown of Studio Niwa. Not only were they one of my first Childbirth Ed. students, they were one of my first doula clients. They believed in me even when I was not sure if I could do this. They also have provided many beautiful photographs for me and helped me with business designs and websites. They have been one of my most faithful supporters, and have become the dearest of friends.

Website: https://www.cherylwalkerbirthdoula.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogiolio/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.s.walker.3

Image Credits
Tara Peckham Brandon Niwa Stephen Frazzitta

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.