Podcast Episode: Creating a Strong ABA Business: Marketing, Mindset, and Mission with Tim Zercher

In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Timothy Zercher, entrepreneur and CEO of A-Train Marketing, to talk about how ABA businesses can strengthen their marketing, clarify their message, and build in ways that align with their mission. Tim shares how his journey as a three-time founder and his personal ties to behavioral health led him to focus on the ABA space, and what he has learned working with organizations across the country.

Key Topics:

• The ABA Marketing Gap: Why so many ABA companies struggle with differentiation and how clearer messaging can actually improve client fit and outcomes.
• The Website Factor: Why your website is often the number one barrier to growth, recruitment, and client acquisition, and what to prioritize if you invest in an update.
• Ethical and Effective Marketing: Strategies to market within compliance and confidentiality constraints without sacrificing authenticity or impact.
• Mindset Shifts for Owners: Why marketing should be viewed like accounting, a necessary function that supports growth, recruitment, and sustainability.
• Letting Go of the Bottleneck: How ABA leaders can overcome the challenge of wearing all the hats and when to invest in outside expertise.
• Leadership Lessons: What Tim has learned about trust, accountability, and clarity as a business owner, and how those lessons apply directly to ABA practice owners.
• Quick Wins: Practical steps ABA leaders can take today to strengthen their brand, attract the right families and staff, and reduce wasted time.

Key Takeaways:

• Marketing is not “dirty” or optional, it is a service that connects families and staff to the care and culture you have built.
• Clear differentiation benefits everyone: it brings in the right clients, sets accurate expectations, and reduces frustration for families and staff alike.
• A strong website is not just a nice-to-have, it directly impacts your ability to recruit staff and attract the right families.
• As an owner, your time is worth more than you think. Outsourcing strategically can free you to grow your business and improve services.
• Strong leadership balances trust with accountability. Your team needs to know you believe in them and that their work truly matters.

Keywords: ABA Business, ABA Marketing, Behavior Analysis, Business Leadership, Differentiation, Recruitment, Client Acquisition, ABA Entrepreneurship, Timothy Zercher, A-Train Marketing

Connect with Tim Zercher and A-Train Marketing:

• Website: atrainmarketing.com
  
  
• LinkedIn: Timothy Zercher
  
  
• Podcast: Tim Talks
  
  

Subscribe to the Podcast:
Do not forget to subscribe to In the Field: The ABA Podcast for more practical conversations about supervision, training, and leadership in ABA. Visit Sidekick Learning
for fieldwork supervision resources and continuing education opportunities.

Disclaimer:

BCBA®, BACB® [or any other BACB® trademark used] is/are registered to the Behavior Analytic Certification Board® BACB®. This website and products are not in any way sponsored by the BACB®.

All information and products are for educational purposes only.

Beyond Board Games: Redesigning Social Skills Groups in ABA with Lee Courrau

In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Lee Courrau, behavior analyst and founder of Launch Kids Academy, to explore why social skills instruction is often treated as an afterthought in ABA—and how we can do better. Lee shares his journey from RBT to curriculum developer, highlighting the missed opportunities he saw in traditional social skills groups and how that inspired him to create structured, play-based approaches that truly engage learners.

We talk about practical strategies for designing effective social skills groups, the importance of honoring self-advocacy, and how leaders can better prepare and support technicians beyond the 40-hour training.

Key Topics:

• The Problem with “Wing It” Groups: Lee shares his early experiences with unstructured social skills groups and why they often fail to produce meaningful outcomes.
• From Afterthought to Impact: The financial, clinical, and staff engagement costs of underdeveloped social skills programming—and the missed opportunities for generalization.
• Assessment and Readiness: Why a lack of social skills assessments holds back progress, and what indicators suggest a learner is ready to join a group.
• Creative, Play-Based Approaches: Examples like art, cooking, lemonade stands, and functional skills that create natural opportunities for interaction, independence, and fun.
• Curriculum Development: How Lee’s structured social skills curriculum balances engagement, structure, and flexibility, with built-in modifications for individual learners.
• RBT Training and Support: Why the 40-hour model isn’t enough, and how leaders can provide ongoing training, shadowing, and role-play opportunities to build staff confidence in group settings.

Key Takeaways:

• Social skills groups should not be an afterthought—when structured well, they improve learner outcomes, staff engagement, and organizational sustainability.
• Honoring self-advocacy and embedding choice is critical for building skills that truly generalize beyond the therapy room.
• Leaders can strengthen staff development by training technicians in group dynamics and providing systematic support beyond initial certification.

Keywords: Social Skills Instruction, ABA Curriculum, Group Programming, RBT Training, Staff Development, Behavior Analysis, Generalization, Launch Kids Academy, Lee Courrau, Applied Behavior Analysis

Connect with Lee Courrau:

• Website: Launch Kids Academy
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecourrau/
  
  

Subscribe to the Podcast: Don’t miss more conversations with leaders rethinking how we supervise, train, and deliver services in ABA. Subscribe to In the Field: The ABA Podcast for insights, strategies, and practical tools. Visit Sidekick Learning
for more resources on supervision, training, and professional development.

Disclaimer:

BCBA®, BACB® [or any other BACB® trademark used] is/are registered to the Behavior Analytic Certification Board® BACB®. This website and products are not in any way sponsored by the BACB®.

All information and products are for educational purposes only.

🎙️ Podcast Episode:

Rethinking ABA Service Delivery: A BCBA-Led Model with Chris Topham

In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Chris Topham, BCBA and co-founder of Celeration ABA, to explore how he’s reshaping the way ABA services are delivered. Chris shares how his journey from fine arts to behavior analysis—and his deep dive into precision teaching—sparked the creation of a BCBA-led service model that prioritizes outcomes, autonomy, and connection.

We discuss how Celeration ABA’s one-tier BCBA model impacts learner progress, staff burnout, and family satisfaction, as well as the intentional way Chris is scaling his team for quality over quantity. Chris also introduces The Autism Diagnosis Parent Plan, a free, practical course for caregivers navigating next steps after their child’s diagnosis.

🔑 Key Topics:

• From Fine Arts to ABA: How Chris discovered the field, fell in love with direct work, and built a company alongside his BCBA wife.
• Precision Teaching as a Foundation: Why continuous measurement and the Standard Celeration Chart transformed his practice and outcomes.
• One-Tier BCBA Model: What it looks like in action, how it improves traction and reduces burnout, and the trade-offs for scalability.
• Scaling Outcomes, Not Just Hours: The intentional growth strategy behind Celeration ABA.
• Parent Support: Inside The Autism Diagnosis Parent Plan—practical templates, scripts, and play strategies for families.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Precision teaching is a measurement framework that can be layered into any ABA practice to strengthen skill acquisition and retention.
• A BCBA-led model can accelerate learner progress and reduce burnout, but requires intentional hiring, training, and workload balance.
• Scaling doesn’t always mean more billable hours—sometimes the most important metric is client outcomes.
• Caregivers benefit from structured, practical guidance during the often-overwhelming period after an autism diagnosis.

🔍 Keywords:
Precision Teaching, BCBA-Led ABA, Behavior Analysis, One-Tier Model, Autism Diagnosis, Parent Training, Standard Celeration Chart, Celeration ABA, Instructional Design in ABA, ABA Service Models

Connect with Chris:

• Website: celerationaba.com
• Instagram: @celerationaba
• LinkedIn: Chris Topham
• Free Parent Course: The Autism Diagnosis Parent Plan

Subscribe to the Podcast:
Don’t miss more inspiring conversations about innovation in ABA. Subscribe to In the Field: The ABA Podcast for insights, tools, and strategies to elevate your practice. Visit Sidekick Learning for more resources on fieldwork supervision and professional development.

Disclaimer:

BCBA®, BACB® [or any other BACB® trademark used] is/are registered to the Behavior Analytic Certification Board® BACB®. This website and products are not in any way sponsored by the BACB®.

All information and products are for educational purposes only.