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 business Why employee experience often reveals company values better than a mission statement How generic AI-generated plans can miss the owner’s deeper thinking Why profitability matters without becoming the only measure of success How financial, clinical, and quality KPIs can work together Why RBT training, support, compensation, and turnover are connected How leadership roles can pull experienced BCBAs away from clinical work Why ABA owners need both clinical judgment and business knowledge How listening to RBTs can uncover issues leadership may miss Why asking “Why are we doing this?” can help businesses get back on track Continue 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.