ABA Business Leaders

Stephen & April Smith

You started an ABA practice because you wanted to provide good services. Now you are also responsible for hiring, payroll, billing, training, supervision, policies, and making sure there is enough money to keep it all going. Somewhere in there you are supposed to have a life too. We get it. We ran an ABA practice for nearly 10 years, and we know what it feels like when the business depends on you to hold everything together. ABA Business Leaders is hosted by April and Stephen Smith, the owners of 3 Pie Squared. We talk about the practical work of starting, running, and growing an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) practice. That includes the decisions that affect your staff, your families, your finances, and the quality of the services you provide. Some problems look simple until you start looking at where they came from. A billing issue may have started at intake. A staff performance issue may come back to unclear expectations or training that never included a competency check. A full schedule can look great while the company is struggling to make payroll. These are the kinds of things we talk through. Along with our guests, we share experiences, ask questions, and discuss what owners and leaders can do to build better systems. You’ll hear conversations about: Starting an ABA practice: Planning, startup costs, credentialing, choosing funders, and building the foundation before taking on more than you can support.Hiring and supporting staff: Recruiting, onboarding, training, supervision, feedback, accountability, and helping people understand what is expected of them.Billing and financial health: Claims, denials, cash flow, funder rates, expenses, and understanding whether the services you provide are financially sustainable.Quality and ethics: Looking beyond billables to consider treatment quality, staff support, family communication, and the pressures that influence everyday decisions.Policies, compliance, and audit preparation: Turning requirements into processes people can follow and keeping documentation from becoming something you scramble to fix later.Leadership and growth: Delegating, tracking useful measures, developing leaders, and getting information out of the owner’s head so the team can do its work.Technology and practice management: Making scheduling, documentation, communication, training, and billing easier to manage without creating more work for everyone. We also talk about the strain of ownership. It is difficult to support your team when you are burned out, making every decision, and fixing the same problems every week. Hiring more people or adding more clients does not automatically fix that. You need to understand what is breaking down and build systems that your team can actually use. Whether you are preparing to open your doors, managing an established practice, or leading a team, our goal is to give you something useful to think about and bring back to your company. We want more ABA businesses that can provide quality care, support their staff, pay their bills, and keep doing that over time. Learn more about our training, handbooks, consulting, credentialing, billing services, and practice management software at 3piesquared.com.

  1. 3d ago

    Scruffy, Shoulds and Mighty Mouse: Executive Functioning and Self-Awareness for ABA Leaders

    Why can’t I just be consistent? Stephen and April Smith talk with Nicole Skotz, M.S., BCBA and ADHD coach, about executive functioning, capacity and self-awareness for ABA business leaders.  Nicole shares ACT tools leaders can use on themselves, from treating “should” as a cue to naming your inner critic. The conversation also covers why the BCBA fixer instinct makes delegation hard, what Stephen calls Mighty Mouse syndrome, and how to rethink loaded words like productivity. In this episode, you’ll learn  Why executive functioning struggles show up with or without an ADHD diagnosis  How to use “should” as a cue that you want something to be different  A defusion exercise: naming your inner critic  How Nicole reframes acceptance as willingness  Simple body check-ins, the How We Feel app and a joy journal  Why a BCBA’s training to fix deficits makes delegating hard  “Mighty Mouse syndrome” and the pull to do it all yourself  Why planning counts as part of the work  Connect with Nicole  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-skotz-ms-bcba-841487121/  Momentum ADHD Coaching  Have a question for Stephen and April? Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432 Resources 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/cigPR8wFFC 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

    Scruffy, Shoulds and Mighty Mouse: Executive Functioning and Self-Awareness for ABA Leaders
  2. Oct 15

    From Burnout to Action: Applying Behavior Analysis to Ourselves and Our Organizations

    Dr. Becca Tag returns to the ABA Business Leaders Podcast for Part 2 of a conversation that began with burnout, self-care, systemic challenges, and the realities facing ABA clinicians and leaders. This time, April, Stephen, and Becca focus on the question left open after the first discussion: what do we do with that understanding? The conversation explores why there is no universal “easy button” for complex human problems, why leaders need to keep updating their understanding of themselves and the people around them, and how behavior analysts can apply the same curiosity and contextual thinking they use clinically to leadership and organizational systems. Becca also discusses interoception, nervous system regulation, self-worth, feedback, power differences, and the importance of understanding the patterns that shape our own behavior. For ABA business owners, the episode is a reminder that sustainable change starts with accurate information, curiosity, and a willingness to update the model when the context changes. In this Episode, You'll Learn · Why Part 2 shifts the conversation from naming burnout and systemic challenges toward action · Why no outside expert can understand another person’s experience better than that person · How leaders can treat understanding as an ongoing process rather than something they finish · Why expecting an organization to change overnight can create additional pressure · How interoception and nervous system differences can affect the way people notice their own needs · Why leaders may become less patient, flexible, or responsive when their own capacity is depleted · How power differences change the responsibility leaders have when giving advice, feedback, or direction · Why self-worth should not depend on credentials, productivity, compensation, or professional status · How case conceptualization can be applied to ourselves before trying to change our own behavior · Why accurate information and trustworthy feedback can create a stronger sense of safety · How leaders can use curiosity to identify breakdowns in policies, training, supervision, and organizational systems · Why ABA professionals need to learn the process of behavior analysis, not simply how to follow a protocol Have Questions for April and Stephen? Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432 Resources and Links 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/cigPR8wFFC 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 Podcast Production This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio. Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand? https://www.mkmaudio.com/contact

    From Burnout to Action: Applying Behavior Analysis to Ourselves and Our Organizations
  3. Oct 8

    You'll Never Train Staff The Old Way Again

    How can ABA business owners give employees a clear path to grow while making training and pay decisions more consistent? Stephen and April Smith of 3 Pie Squared welcome Mallory to introduce their ABA training platform and explain the thinking behind its growth path system.  Mallory has helped develop the platform's training structure and shares how employees can continue learning within their roles. The conversation covers branches, stages, badges, and individual skills, along with competency checks that help supervisors see what a staff member has mastered and where support is needed.  For ABA owners balancing clinical responsibilities, staffing, and financial decisions, the discussion offers a practical way to connect expectations, development, and compensation. Stephen and April also explain which parts of the system are free and how feedback from users will guide future improvements.  In This Episode Youll Learn  Why staff need ongoing development and a visible future within an ABA practice How growth paths organize roles, career stages, badges, and individual skills How BTs can develop within their current role and explore other career directions How skill requirements clarify required training, certifications, and completion expectations How supervisors can assign specific skills and track demonstrated competency How tagging can connect staff development to the skills needed for particular clients How course participation and completed badges make progress easier to see How growth paths can support more structured comparisons of job candidates How skill acquisition can be linked to pay increases with company-defined controls Why subjective performance ratings can create inconsistent feedback How company values can guide training and employee development decisions What is included in the free system and why some courses have separate costs Resources  Business Essentials List ABA Business Leaders Support Group Schedule a Consultation with Stephen Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment ABA Billing Tips Guide ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs Have a question for Stephen and April  Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432. Share your questions, stories, and ABA business challenges for discussion on the podcast.  This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio.  Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand? Contact MKM Audio.

    You'll Never Train Staff The Old Way Again
  4. Oct 1

    Building an ABA Business Around Values, Quality, and the People Doing the Work

    The podswap with ABA on Tap continues. In Part 2, Stephen and April welcome ABA on Tap hosts Mike Rubio, BCBA, and Dan Lowery, BCBA, to the ABA Business Leaders Podcast after Stephen and April joined them for Part 1 the previous week.  The conversation picks up with Stephen’s “vision test” and a practical question: does a company’s mission statement describe how the organization operates, or is it simply language on a page? The group discusses how values show up through decisions about billable hours, training, staff support, compensation, profitability, and growth.  They also examine the limits of financial KPIs, the need for clinical and quality measures, RBT training and turnover, the difficulty of moving BCBAs into leadership roles without leadership preparation, and the importance of listening to the people delivering services every day.  Mike and Dan also reflect on building Ascend Behavioral Solutions and the role 3 Pie Squared’s resources played as they developed their own company.  In This Episode, You'll Learn  How Stephen’s “vision test” can help owners evaluate whether a mission or vision has meaning inside the business How to evaluate whether your mission and vision truly guide the businessWhy employee experience often reveals company values better than a mission statementHow generic AI-generated plans can miss the owner’s deeper thinkingWhy profitability matters without becoming the only measure of successHow financial, clinical, and quality KPIs can work togetherWhy RBT training, support, compensation, and turnover are connectedHow leadership roles can pull experienced BCBAs away from clinical workWhy ABA owners need both clinical judgment and business knowledgeHow listening to RBTs can uncover issues leadership may missWhy asking “Why are we doing this?” can help businesses get back on trackContinue the Podswap  This is Part 2 of the conversation. Listen to Part 1 on ABA on Tap.  Have a Question? Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432  Resources & Links  Business Essentials List  ABA Business Leaders Support Group  Schedule a Consultation with Stephen  Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment  ABA Billing Tips Guide  ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs Podcast Production  This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio. Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand? Get in touch with MKM Audio.

    Building an ABA Business Around Values, Quality, and the People Doing the Work
  5. Sep 17

    What Does Quality ABA Really Look Like? Building Better Systems with Jumpstart Autism

    Welcome back to the ABA Business Leaders Podcast, brought to you by 3 Pie Squared. In this episode, Stephen and April Smith are joined by Brian Lopez and Kara Batson of Jumpstart Autism Collective for a practical conversation about what quality really means in ABA services and how business owners can build systems that support it. Brian, Director of Psychological Services and Research, shares how Jumpstart evolved from a sole-provider practice into a more structured organization. Kara, Director of Professional Development, explains how that same commitment to continuous improvement shaped the company's training, internship, feedback, and quality-assurance systems. The conversation explores why quality is never a finished product. From setting a clear vision and building repeatable systems to creating a culture of candid feedback, measuring clinician competency, narrowing the populations you serve, and learning when to step out of the way as an owner, the team shares lessons developed through years of iteration. In this episode, you'll learn: How to turn vision into clinical and operational systems Why failure, measurement, and iteration drive quality improvementHow interdisciplinary consultation supports complex learners and cliniciansHow values and feedback shape company cultureHow to identify systems vs. training issuesHow Jumpstart built a structured BCBA internshipWhy a focused client population can improve quality and trainingHow owners can build trust, delegate, and step out of daily decisionsWhy self-assessment and humility matter in leadership Resources & Links Business Essentials List https://www.3piesquared.com/blog/the-essential-list-for-a-successful-business_24?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Business Leaders Support Group https://forms.office.com/r/cigPR8wFFC?utm_source=chatgpt.com Schedule a Consultation with Stephen https://3piesquared.com/stephen-booking-page?utm_source=chatgpt.com Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment https://3piesquared.com/aba-business-readiness-assessment?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Billing Tips Guide https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Billing_Tips?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Business_Leaders_Podcast_CEUs?utm_source=chatgpt.com Podcast Production This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio. Get in touch with MKM Audio https://www.mkmaudio.com/contact?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    What Does Quality ABA Really Look Like? Building Better Systems with Jumpstart Autism
  6. Sep 10

    The Only Practice Management System You'll Ever Need

    Welcome back to the ABA Business Leaders Podcast, brought to you by 3 Pie Squared. In this episode, Stephen and April Smith are joined by Taylor Beagle, BCBA and Director of Product Experience at 3 Pie Squared, to officially introduce 3 Pie Squared's new ABA practice management software. Built from the ground up with input from BCBAs and people who have worked inside ABA practices, the platform is designed around the real operational and clinical challenges ABA business owners, and their teams face every day. Taylor brings 10 years of ABA experience to the product, having worked his way from RBT through roles including trainer, BCBA, assistant director, and clinical director. In this conversation, he joins Stephen and April to explain how that experience helped shape a platform built specifically for the needs of ABA providers. From managing your waitlist and client intake to scheduling, billing, data collection, documentation, parent communication, staff permissions, and training, the episode explores how 3 Pie Squared is bringing the systems needed to run an ABA practice together in one place. In this episode, you'll learn: -Why 3 Pie Squared decided to build its own ABA practice management software -How Taylor's experience from RBT to clinical director influenced the platform -Why building the software with direct input from BCBAs matters -How the platform helps organize waitlists and streamline client intake -How centralized, HIPAA-compliant messaging can improve communication with families and staff Have a question for Stephen and April? Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432 Have a question, a story to share, or a recruiting nightmare you'd like Stephen and April to discuss on the podcast? Give them a call. Resources & Links Business Essentials List https://www.3piesquared.com/blog/the-essential-list-for-a-successful-business_24?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Business Leaders Support Group https://forms.office.com/r/cigPR8wFFC?utm_source=chatgpt.com Schedule a Consultation with Stephen https://3piesquared.com/stephen-booking-page?utm_source=chatgpt.com Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment https://3piesquared.com/aba-business-readiness-assessment?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Billing Tips Guide https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Billing_Tips?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Business_Leaders_Podcast_CEUs?utm_source=chatgpt.com Podcast Production This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio. Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand? Get in touch with MKM Audio https://www.mkmaudio.com/contact?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    The Only Practice Management System You'll Ever Need
  7. Sep 3

    Hiring the Right People: Building a Stronger ABA Team with Joseph Bolden

    Welcome back to the ABA Business Leaders Podcast, brought to you by 3 Pie Squared.  In this episode, Stephen and April sit down with Joseph Bolden, Head of Recruiting at 3 Pie Squared, to take a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges facing ABA business owners: finding, hiring, and retaining the right people.   The wrong hire can create operational problems, impact your existing team, increase turnover, and ultimately affect the families you serve. On the other hand, taking the time to identify the right person and build a strong hiring process can create a healthier culture and give owners more room to grow.  Stephen, April, and Joseph discuss everything from writing better job descriptions and using platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn to understanding what candidates want from their next opportunity.   In this episode, you'll learn:  Why hiring for an ABA company requires more than simply checking someone's credentials How Joseph's background in ABA operations shaped his approach to recruiting Why the needs of a startup can be very different from those of an established ABA practice The importance of understanding company culture before hiring Why a strong clinical background doesn't necessarily mean someone is ready to lead a team  Have a question for Stephen and April? Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432 Have a question, a story to share, or a recruiting nightmare you'd like Stephen and April to discuss on the podcast? Give them a call. Resources & Links Business Essentials List https://www.3piesquared.com/blog/the-essential-list-for-a-successful-business_24?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Business Leaders Support Group https://forms.office.com/r/cigPR8wFFC?utm_source=chatgpt.com Schedule a Consultation with Stephen https://3piesquared.com/stephen-booking-page?utm_source=chatgpt.com Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment https://3piesquared.com/aba-business-readiness-assessment?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Billing Tips Guide https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Billing_Tips?utm_source=chatgpt.com ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs https://3piesquared.com/productDetails/ABA_Business_Leaders_Podcast_CEUs?utm_source=chatgpt.com Podcast Production This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio. Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand? Get in touch with MKM Audio https://www.mkmaudio.com/contact?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    Hiring the Right People: Building a Stronger ABA Team with Joseph Bolden
  8. Aug 27

    The Joy of Running an ABA Business: Finding Meaning in the Day-to-Day

    Running an ABA business can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be demanding. Between operational challenges, leadership responsibilities, staffing, and the constant needs of the people you serve, it can be easy to lose sight of what made you want to do this work in the first place.  In our final episode of National Wellness Month, April and Stephen explore what it means to rediscover and protect the joy of running an ABA business. They talk openly about the ways stress and routine can take over, and how intentional practices can help business owners reconnect with their purpose.  April and Stephen share personal experiences, mindset shifts, and practical strategies for finding more meaning in the everyday moments of business ownership. From paying attention to your energy and tracking what brings you joy to practicing mindfulness and gratitude, this conversation offers a reminder that building a successful ABA business doesn't have to mean losing the enjoyment that comes with it.  🔑 Key Topics & Insights  Why joy can get lost in the day-to-day demands of running an ABA business How to reconnect with your purpose and remember your "why" Why joy doesn't always happen naturally and how to intentionally create space for it April's approach to tracking joy and identifying what brings energy into your life Stephen's perspective on finding meaning in the mundane parts of business ownership  Have a question for Stephen and April?  Call the ABA Business Leaders Hotline: (737) 330-1432  Resources & Links  Business Essentials List  The Essential List for a Successful Business  ABA Business Leaders Support Group  Join the ABA Business Leaders Support Group  Schedule a Consultation with Stephen  Schedule a consultation with Stephen  Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment  Take the Free ABA Business Readiness Assessment  ABA Billing Tips Guide  Get the ABA Billing Tips Guide  ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs  Learn More About ABA Business Leaders Podcast CEUs  This podcast was produced by Max McLellan of MKM Audio.  Want to start or grow a podcast for your business or brand?  Get in touch with MKM Audio

    The Joy of Running an ABA Business: Finding Meaning in the Day-to-Day
4.9
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

You started an ABA practice because you wanted to provide good services. Now you are also responsible for hiring, payroll, billing, training, supervision, policies, and making sure there is enough money to keep it all going. Somewhere in there you are supposed to have a life too. We get it. We ran an ABA practice for nearly 10 years, and we know what it feels like when the business depends on you to hold everything together. ABA Business Leaders is hosted by April and Stephen Smith, the owners of 3 Pie Squared. We talk about the practical work of starting, running, and growing an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) practice. That includes the decisions that affect your staff, your families, your finances, and the quality of the services you provide. Some problems look simple until you start looking at where they came from. A billing issue may have started at intake. A staff performance issue may come back to unclear expectations or training that never included a competency check. A full schedule can look great while the company is struggling to make payroll. These are the kinds of things we talk through. Along with our guests, we share experiences, ask questions, and discuss what owners and leaders can do to build better systems. You’ll hear conversations about: Starting an ABA practice: Planning, startup costs, credentialing, choosing funders, and building the foundation before taking on more than you can support.Hiring and supporting staff: Recruiting, onboarding, training, supervision, feedback, accountability, and helping people understand what is expected of them.Billing and financial health: Claims, denials, cash flow, funder rates, expenses, and understanding whether the services you provide are financially sustainable.Quality and ethics: Looking beyond billables to consider treatment quality, staff support, family communication, and the pressures that influence everyday decisions.Policies, compliance, and audit preparation: Turning requirements into processes people can follow and keeping documentation from becoming something you scramble to fix later.Leadership and growth: Delegating, tracking useful measures, developing leaders, and getting information out of the owner’s head so the team can do its work.Technology and practice management: Making scheduling, documentation, communication, training, and billing easier to manage without creating more work for everyone. We also talk about the strain of ownership. It is difficult to support your team when you are burned out, making every decision, and fixing the same problems every week. Hiring more people or adding more clients does not automatically fix that. You need to understand what is breaking down and build systems that your team can actually use. Whether you are preparing to open your doors, managing an established practice, or leading a team, our goal is to give you something useful to think about and bring back to your company. We want more ABA businesses that can provide quality care, support their staff, pay their bills, and keep doing that over time. Learn more about our training, handbooks, consulting, credentialing, billing services, and practice management software at 3piesquared.com.

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