Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Wannenburg.
Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I began my career as a nurse and midwife in South Africa.
After we moved to the US, I worked in the perinatal fitness industry and opened the doors of the 4th Trimester Fitness® Method (4TFM) in the early 2000s. I currently work as a Birth Doula, Birth Assistant, and own and operate 4TFM training and mentoring instructors all over the US and in Australia and South Africa, too.
The company’s main mission is to “Improve birth and motherhood through movement and education” but in short, we help the moms!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely NOT an overnight success. In fact, I never intended to own a company and train instructors. It truly happened organically.
I saw a need in my community for evidence-based classes to help moms prepare and recover from their pregnancy and birth. Many of the instructors are women who took my classes. In my work as a doula and birth assistant, I consistently saw needs and as a fitness professional, it was an obvious combining of my passions to create courses to speak to those needs.
But growing the company has been a growing process for me! I never had a single marketing or business class in my nursing or midwifery training so it has definitely been a learn as we go experience.
As you know, we’re big fans of the 4th Trimester Fitness® Method. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a growing company of perinatal fitness and birth professionals providing evidence-based classes to pregnant, postpartum, and post-postpartum women and their families. We also provide in-service training for doulas and labor and delivery nurses.
I believe that what sets us apart is that we reach out to women in all stages of life with our classes and activities. We help women prepare for their births and provide education and training for instructors to help them achieve that goal but our emphasis is on community. Communities of mothers and communities of instructors. Our training is known for its deep reach into the evidence for what we do and the ongoing support of those who do it.
Our instructors learn in a combination of online platforms and bi-weekly mentoring sessions. Our instructors are never left to “just figure it out” but receive ongoing mentoring and education through continuing education from the leaders in the field. We also stay abreast of the changes in our field of fitness and birth.
Our class offerings can be found on our website, as can more information about the instructor training.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe strongly in doing what you say you will do, backing up your statements with actions, and being open to challenging conversations. We are learning along the way and have made mistakes.
The important thing is to LEARN from our mistakes. I also think that our emphasis on community allows our participants and our instructors to feel appreciated and know that they are valued. We feel like family.
Pricing:
- Our class offerings to the public range from $75 – 150
- Our Instructor Training is a licensee model and investments range from $925 to $15o0 per class
- My doula services range from $1800 to 2000
Contact Info:
- Email: emily@4tfm.com
- Website: www.4tfm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/4thtrimesterfitnessmethod/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4thTrimesterFitnessMethod
