Tanya Strusberg
Current Role:
Founder, birthwell birthright and Co-Founder of Lamaze Australia
A little about me:
I am the founder of birthwell birthright and the co-founder of Lamaze Australia. I am a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE) and birth doula and in 2015, I was inducted by Lamaze International as a Fellow of the Academy of Certified Childbirth Educators (FACCE). In 2016, the birthwell birthright Lamaze Childbirth Educator training program was launched. To date, over 90 people from across Australia, and internationally have participated in one of our training programs. It is incredibly exciting to see Lamaze develop here in Australia, with home-grown passionate educators, teaching the gold-standard of childbirth education.
In October 2017, I was honoured to be inducted to the Lamaze International Board of Directors – the first non-North American to serve the board in the organisation’s 60-plus year history. I am now in the process of establishing Lamaze Australia, a not-for-profit charity organisation dedicated to promoting a natural, healthy and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
In my spare time, I volunteer with Birth for Humankind as a doula, providing free birth support for women in need including young mums, refugees and asylum seekers.
I am also the proud mum of two children; my son Liev and my daughter Amalia.
How has your Jewishness impacted your career:
Although I am not particularly observant, I have always felt Jewish in my soul. I am sure that my sense of Jewishness and Jewish values have played a significant part in how I work and run my business. I had my children in Israel and trained to become a Lamaze childbirth educator there too, so Israel, Judaism and my career as a childbirth educator and doula are oddly intertwined!
I also work out of a Jewish co-working space which I just love. I'm really in my comfort zone being around "my people". I am so inspired by my fellow co-workers and being in that space really motivates me.
What is your greatest professional achievement?
A couple of things have been incredibly meaningful for me. Launching the first Lamaze childbirth educator training program in Australia, which subsequently led to the development of Lamaze Australia, the first international affiliate of Lamaze International, which I co-founded with my colleague Leslie Arnott.
Also, joining the Board of Directors of Lamaze International, the world's oldest and most respected childbirth education organisation. Based in Washington D.C., I was the first non-North-American to join the board of directors in their 60-year history. I am currently serving as Secretary-Treasurer.
What was your biggest mistake at work and what did you learn from it?
As a sole business owner, you get used to wearing multiple hats (actually, all the hats!) but it's important to admit that you're probably not equally good at everything! Accounting is not my forte, and as my business started to grow, I realised that I simply couldn't manage that aspect of my business effectively if I continued to do my own financials. I finally enlisted the support of a bookkeeping service and a great new accountant who was much more attuned to my business and it was one of the best decisions I have made.
What are your thoughts on failure:
I try not to see things in binary terms such as "success" and "failure" and instead, I like to view my professional life as much more of a continuum that has ups and downs and bumps along the way! None of us ever get it right 100% of the time and I honestly believe that it's our biggest screw-ups that teach us the most and help us to do better in the future.
What was the last experience that made you a stronger person:
About a year ago, I was asked by a client to be her doula for the stillbirth of her son. It was, without doubt, the single most challenging experience of my life. It was heart-wrenching and really haunted me for a long time. The family also asked me to be the celebrant at their son's memorial service, which in some ways was even more challenging than the birth, as I was painfully aware of the need to keep it together in front of their family and closest friends. That experience not only made me a stronger person, it made me a better doula and childbirth educator. It also made me acutely aware of that invisible, and sometimes very fragile line that connects life and death.
What motivates you:
The families I work with. Being a part of someone's life as they are preparing for the birth of their child is absolutely momentous and something I feel deeply honoured and called to do.
How do you 'pay it forward' in your career:
I passionately believe that no woman should be denied quality childbirth education or birth support because she can't afford it. I joined Birth for Humankind as a volunteer doula several years ago and provide free doula support to women in need whenever I can. As we develop Lamaze Australia, it is an organisational imperative that we develop scholarship programs that will enable women from underserved communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to access scholarships in order to train and certify as Lamaze childbirth educators. That way, culturally and linguistically diverse educators will be able to positively impact Australian families who currently have little or no access to antenatal education.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up:
Ironically, in a school yearbook from Grade 1, there is a quote from me that says; "when I grow up, I want to be a very rich lady." Yeah - well that hasn't happened, ha ha! I was crazy about the arts and theatre pretty much all through my school years and I did go on to work professionally in the performing arts for almost 12 years. I would never have guessed that I would end up ditching my passion for the arts and instead become a birth worker!
What is your definition of professional success:
I've never been motivated by fame, fortune or the accumulation of wealth/material goods. So for me, none of these things are how I would measure success. I also believe that we should not let others define our success.
To me, professional success is when you have been able to grow a business or an organisation while being consistently true to your vision and goals. Personal integrity and honesty are huge values for me and I prioritise these above all else.
Who or what inspires you:
Birthing women inspire me. I never tire of witnessing the immense power and strength of women as they are birthing their children. It's truly awe-inspiring.
What do you do for self-care:
Doula work can often be really intense work. I am on call 24/7 for clients until they go into labour and then I am often working for long hours at a birth. If a labour becomes complicated, it can also be very intense emotionally. I cannot show any visible anxiety or stress to my client and so I have to internalise it until I go home. Self-care is not an optional extra for doulas, it is essential for our mental health and well being. Burnout is a real issue in our profession, with the majority of doulas bowing out of the profession within three years. To maintain my sanity, I debrief with doula colleagues regularly. I treat myself to massages, regular manicures & pedicures and several times a year I spend a day at the Peninsula Hot Springs for a total "me" day.
What podcast(s) are you listening to?
I am a total podcast junkie! Some of my recent (and long time) favourites include;
The Teacher's Pet, The Drop Out, This American Life, The Longest Shortest Time, TED Talks Daily, Eyes on Gilead, The Scummy Mummies, Who the Hell is Hamish, Root of Evil: The True Story of the Black Dahlia, Serial, Chernobyl
What are you currently reading:
For Her Own Good: Two Centuries of the Experts' Advice to Women by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English
Birth Like A Feminist by Milli Hill
Lethal White by J.K. Rowling
What are the 3 words your colleagues would use to describe you:
Motivated, Compassionate, Honest