A Special Podcast Swap with Allyson's In the Field Podcast

This week, April and Stephen Smith of 3 Pie Squared and the ABA Business Leaders Podcast joined Allyson's In the Field: The ABA Podcast for a special podcast swap episode.

April and Stephen share the story behind building and operating their ABA practice for 12 years before transitioning into full-time consulting. The conversation explores the realities of starting an ABA business, scaling sustainably, building leadership teams, creating operational systems, and maintaining ethical profitability.

The episode also discusses the challenges of delegation, founder identity, work-life boundaries, and why many BCBAs® are unprepared for the leadership demands of business ownership.

Key Topics

✔ Starting an ABA practice without a business background

✔ Why founders need a clear vision before scaling

✔ Building systems that support delegation and growth

✔ The relationship between profitability and ethical practice

✔ Developing BCBAs into effective leaders

Key Takeaways

• You don't know what you don't know when starting a business.

• Vision should guide growth, not follow it.

• Systems create consistency, scalability, and freedom.

• Profitability supports ethical clinical practice.

• Leadership skills must be intentionally developed.

• Founder identity should extend beyond the business itself.

Resources & Links

• Grab Stephen’s Book Here!: "The ABA Business Leader's Guide: How to Start, Grow, and Sustain an Ethical ABA Practice Without Losing Your Soul" by April and Stephen Smith

• Free Consultation Booking Link & Business Essentials List

• Listen to Allyson’s Podcast

• SideKick Learning

• ABA Business Leaders Support Group:

In this episode of the ABA Business Leaders Podcast, Stephen and April Smith sit down with Dr. Brian Lopez, PhD, BCBA, licensed clinical psychologist, behavior analyst, and Director of Psychological Services and Research at JumpStart Autism Collective.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in autism services, diagnostics, and healthcare leadership, Dr. Lopez explains why better outcomes for ABA learners require more than strong clinical programming. From early diagnosis and interdisciplinary collaboration to telehealth innovation and scalable service delivery, he shares how providers can build systems that support children, families, clinicians, and communities.

What Systems Best Support ABA Learners?

Dr. Lopez explains how coordinated systems connecting diagnostics, ABA therapy, healthcare providers, schools, families, and community resources create stronger learner outcomes.

Why Is Early Autism Diagnosis So Important?

Early diagnosis helps families access services sooner, reduce delays in intervention, and support better developmental outcomes for children with autism.

How Can ABA Providers Improve Access to Care?

The conversation explores how telehealth, operational systems, and innovative service models are expanding ABA services to underserved and rural communities.

Why Does Collaboration Matter in ABA?

Dr. Lopez highlights the importance of collaboration between psychologists, BCBAs, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, pediatricians, and families in supporting learner success.

What Can ABA Business Owners Learn From This Episode?

Listeners will gain insights into leadership, sustainable growth, scalable systems, and maintaining clinical quality while expanding services.

Have a Question for Stephen and April?

📞 ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432

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Produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio.

Want to launch or grow a podcast for your business?

https://www.mkmaudio.com/contact

Resources & Links

SILNA:

https://www.silnahealth.com/?ref=3Pie#get-started

Business Essentials List

https://www.3piesquared.com/blog/the-essential-list-for-a-successful-business_24

ABA Business Leaders Support Group

https://forms.office.com/r/LLpAHCXUN8

Schedule a Consultation with Stephen

https://3piesquared.com/stephen-booking-page

Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment

https://3piesquared.com/aba-business-readiness-assessment

ABA Billing Tips Guide

https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Billing_Tips

ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs

https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Business_Leaders_Podcast_CEUs

What happens when a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) becomes a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)? In this episode of the ABA Business Leaders Podcast, April and Stephen sit down with Rose Griffin, MA, CCC-SLP, BCBA, founder of ABA Speech, to discuss the intersection of speech therapy and applied behavior analysis.

The conversation explores common misconceptions between disciplines, how ABA companies can successfully integrate speech services, and why communication goals should be developed through genuine interdisciplinary collaboration. Rose also discusses the importance of developmental milestones, AAC implementation, ethical collaboration, and her upcoming book designed to help professionals better support communication development.

How can BCBAs and Speech-Language Pathologists work together more effectively?

Rose explains why collaboration between ABA and speech professionals can be challenging and shares practical strategies for building stronger interdisciplinary partnerships that improve outcomes for autistic learners.

Should ABA companies hire Speech-Language Pathologists?

Learn the benefits, challenges, and key considerations for ABA organizations looking to integrate speech therapy services into their practice, including what leaders should know before hiring an SLP.

What communication skills should behavior analysts understand?

Rose discusses foundational communication development, language milestones, joint attention, AAC, and why understanding speech and language development helps BCBAs create more effective interventions.

This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio

Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand? Reach out here: https://www.mkmaudio.com/contact

Resources & Links

Pre-order link of Rose Griffin’s book: https://abaspeech.lpages.co/say-it-with-me-book-page/

Business Essentials List

https://www.3piesquared.com/blog/the-essential-list-for-a-successful-business_24

ABA Business Leaders Support Group:

https://forms.office.com/r/LLpAHCXUN8

Schedule a consultation with Stephen

https://3piesquared.com/stephen-booking-page

Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment

https://3piesquared.com/aba-business-readiness-assessment

ABA Billing Tips Guide

https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Billing_Tips

ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs

https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Business_Leaders_Podcast_CEUs