Please tell me they are kidding!!!!

 I have been working for myself since 2003…..in 2010 I started my non-profit organization and started to train birth doulas…..in time I started to train childbirth educators, and postpartum doulas.  Then in 2015 I started to train for ICEA, but still trained for myself.  This year the fees associated with training for ICEA is just way too much.  COVID really messed up me being able to train people, and I simply cannot justify paying those fees and re-certifying as a trainer.  I let ICEA know that I was no longer training for them, and switched everything on my website to only MTM.  ICEA is only mentioned once on my website and it is in the cancellation policy where it says I no longer train for ICEA. 

Well, today I get an email from ICEA telling me I need to stop training immediately and remove all workshops from my website.  Ummmm, nope will not do that.  I have been training for my organization since 2010, and I plan on continuing.  I know why they are saying that, and it is because I have some workshops listed as being full.  Reality is none of the people in those workshops signed up via ICEA.  All are signed up via MTM, and that is who they are certifying with.  

I know the problem they are having with it, and that is the fact that I filled those workshops, and never filled workshops via ICEA.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it) MTM has one fee for training and certification.  Everything is included, and so it is cheaper for people.  

Reality is ever single certifying body starts out the same way……as a small group which slowly grew.  

Quite frankly if they were to tell me I could continue to train right now and they would waive the fee I probably would….after all I sat on their board for so many years.  I paid out of pocket I don’t know how many times to attend board meetings (that was flight and hotel fees), and even going to conferences.  They only paid these fees a few times, and the rest of the time I had to pay out of pocket.  I paid to sit on their board and promote their organization.  In addition to the fees they want me to pay them to continue training people.  I still have to pay to continue my education and re-certification fees as well.  It all adds up to be so much money, and it feels like I am paying them to be able to do this work.  I simply cannot do that anymore especially as I move towards retirement more and more.

Don’t get me wrong….I love ICEA and I have nothing against them, but I definitely can’t continue paying their fees when I feel like I am getting very little in return (sadly this is what a lot of people say of their certifying bodies).  I need to invest the money I make into the two buildings I own, and my own business and family.

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