At Hello Nanny!, we know that raising a family takes more than love—it takes a village. That’s why we’ve built ours: Hello Nanny!’s Expert Village.
This curated network of trusted professionals—spanning child development, family wellness, mental health, education, and more—exists to help parents and caregivers navigate the complexities of modern family life with confidence.
We’re thrilled to spotlight our community of experts, sharing their story, their work, and the insights that inspire them. Because behind every great caregiver or parent is a team of people who make the journey a little easier. And, we’re here to make sure you never walk it alone.
In this week’s Village Expert Spotlight, we sat down with Ashley Gerhard CD(DONA), a mom of seven and birth doula with 15 years of experience. As a Certified Postpartum Doula, Ashley is specially trained to provide comprehensive emotional, physical, and practical support to families during the crucial postpartum period.
Name and occupation:
Ashley Gerhard CD(DONA)
Do you have kids? If so, how old are they?
YES! 21, 19, 19, 17, 16, 15, 10.
Tell us about your company/current role:
Phoenix Parent Coaching is a local bay area birth doula service and offers a full online suite of birth prep and parenting courses and resources. Our mission is to increase access and availability of support to moms because the data is clear: when moms thrive society thrives.
Go-to coffee (or tea) order:
Lavender Latte
Any family traditions?
Halloween is our favorite holiday and we do a scavenger hunt of some kind almost every holiday (it keeps my mind young creating them all the time).
3 things you never leave the house without:
Phone, chapstick, glasses.
Piece of parenting advice that has stuck with you:
When values are determined, decisions are easy(er).
What does your support system look like?
It took a complete upheaval of the life I once knew to create the support I didn’t even know I deserved. Now, I have a partner who understands the definition of support and puts it into action every day. I could not have grown my business supporting moms if I didn’t have him at home offering me the same thing. I have a network of other soul-led entrepreneurs around me, and recently, I made a big step in my small business by hiring an office manager. My kids are old enough now that they have become a part of our support system, both offering and receiving support as well.
Last thing you did solely for yourself:
Birthday gift of not one but two nights of Alanis in Vegas! (Such a BIG move for me!)
If you had a magic wand to make one parenting challenge disappear, what would it be?
Reactivity/taking things personally. I want to be as rooted as a strong oak tree when the winds of child chaos blow
Interested in joining our curated network of trusted professionals who share practical, evidence-based advice with our national community of parents and caregivers?
When you join, you’ll be part of a collective of thought leaders whose expertise spans pediatric care, child development, lactation support, mental health, sleep consulting, career coaching, safety advocacy, and more.
For more Expert Village Spotlights:
