The woman behind the Sleep Consultant Business Hub

Certified pediatric sleep consultant, postpartum doula, the founder of Sleep Consultant Design and the author of The Sleep Consultant Playbook.

I've been where you are.

Hi, I'm Rianna, originally from the Netherlands, nomadic since 2011, and the founder of Sleep Consultant Design. I'm a certified pediatric sleep consultant, postpartum doula, and author of The Sleep Consultant Playbook. Over the years, I've worked with 500+ sleep consultants to help them launch, grow, and build businesses that actually work.

But before all of that, I was a teacher and school director for 15 years. When I made the leap to build my first business, I had no idea what I was doing. I was full of passion and excitement, but also completely overwhelmed by everything I didn't know. I spent more time second-guessing myself than actually taking action. Every new stage of growth brought its own fears, and nobody had warned me that was completely normal.

"Most sleep consultants don't quit because they're not good enough. They quit because nobody told them that what they're feeling is a completely normal part of the process."

What I wish someone had told me sooner

When I started my first business, I thought success was just a series of steps: learn the skills, set up the business, get clients, and grow. Simple right?

What I didn't know (and I wish someone had told me), is that growth isn't a straight line. It's messy. It's emotional. It comes with moments of pure excitement and moments where you seriously question e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Some days, you'll feel unstoppable, like you've cracked the code. Other days, you'll wonder if you should even get out of bed.

And you know what? That's normal.

If you've ever felt stuck, doubted yourself, or thought, 'maybe I'm not cut out for this' I'm sharing this for you. Because once you understand the emotional patterns behind growth, you can navigate the ups and downs with so much more clarity (and maybe even a little humor).

Change, especially the kind that pushes you outside your comfort zone, is never a smooth ride. But when you understand the why behind what you're feeling, everything shifts (well, at least for me it did!). You stop seeing doubt and frustration as signs that you're not cut out for this, and instead, you recognize them as part of the process.

The Emotional Cycle of Change

So, what does this journey look like. It follows a pattern, one that every sleep consultant will go through. Here's how it plays out:

Source: Kelly, Don, and Conner, Daryl. The Emotional Cycle of Change. Conner Partners, 1979

Let's take a look at each of the stages.

Stage 1: Uninformed Optimism

Everything feels new, exciting, and full of possibility. You're energised, dreaming of the freedom and impact that's just around the corner. You do the math: "Five clients a month? Totally doable. I've got this."

This is the honeymoon phase, and it's the fuel that gives you the courage to take the leap in the first place. The optimism comes from not yet knowing what's ahead. Use it wisely. Build your foundation before the challenges arrive.

Stage 2: Informed Pessimism

And then, reality hits. Finding clients takes longer than expected. Standing out feels overwhelming. The self-doubt creeps in: "Do I really know enough? Should I take another course to feel ready?" You scroll social media and see other sleep consultants doing things differently, and suddenly you're second-guessing everything you learned.

What to remember in stage 2: You don't need to know everything to help families. They're not hiring you for encyclopaedic knowledge, they're hiring you because you listen, empathise, and guide them with the tools you already have.

Stage 3: The Valley of Despair

This is the toughest part of the journey. You've been showing up and putting in the work, but the results just aren't there yet. Frustration creeps in. The doubts get loud: Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I should just quit.

This is where most people give up. It feels safer to retreat (only to start the same cycle again with the next shiny idea). When the Valley comes (and it will) remember: it's temporary. Growth is happening beneath the surface, even when you can't see it yet.

What to remember in stage 3: The only thing separating the sleep consultants who make it from those who don't is continuing to take small, consistent actions every day. Progress, no matter how small, builds momentum.

Stage 4: Informed Optimism

Finally, the clouds start to clear. You see the first signs of progress, a client booking, a kind testimonial, or simply feeling more at ease with your process. The self-doubt starts to quiet, replaced by a growing confidence. The work is still there, but now it feels purposeful. You're not just going through the motions anymore, you're building something that works.

What to remember in stage 4: Double down on what's working. Identify the strategies and habits that are giving you results, and do more of them. Success often comes from amplifying what's already showing signs of working.

Stage 5: Success & Fulfilment

This is the breakthrough moment. Clients are reaching out. Your business feels steady. You can finally say, I did this. The people who make it here aren't the ones who had it all figured out from the start, they're the ones who kept going when it felt tough. And then they get ready for the next challenge, and the cycle begins again. And that's not a bad thing. It's how you keep growing.

Every stage is normal. The highs, the lows, the doubts, and the breakthroughs, they're all part of the process. They're not signs you're failing. They're signs you're growing.

Know your why

The easiest way to move through these phases is to remind yourself why you started. Why did you decide to become a sleep consultant? What impact did you want to make in the world? And what would that give you and your family in return?

When a tough day comes (and it unfortunately will), come back to that reason. Remember why you started and what is possible for you. Every challenge is part of the process. The highs. The lows. The doubts. The breakthroughs. They are signs that you are growing. Step by step, you are getting closer to the business and the life you once imagined.

Keep going. You’ve got this.

Questions? Want to connect? Suggestions for an article? You can find me here:

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