ABA Redefined - Episode 20: The Reality of Building Something New - Email Mishaps, Retreat Launches, and Riding the Wave
Release Date: 11/5/2025
Duration: 18 minutes 40 seconds
Host: Sarah Burpee, Founder of MindBodyBehavior
Sarah gets real about the messiness of launching new things - from email platform disasters to spiral moments to the growth that happens when you refuse to let mistakes derail you. This unscripted Monday recording (released Wednesday) captures the raw highs and lows of pushing outside your comfort zone, featuring retreat launch chaos, hard-won self-compassion skills in action, and why Sarah's building things that don't exist yet in the behavior analysis world.
In this episode Sarah Discusses...
The email platform disaster that almost derailed the retreat launch (twice)
How she caught herself spiraling and used the skills she teaches in real-time
Personal growth markers: being able to sleep through mistakes and not blame others
Getting validation at exactly the right moment from an ACT trainer peer review
Quotes From This Episode:
"If this were three years ago, probably two years ago, I physically wouldn't have even been able to go to sleep at night. That mistake, that error, would've literally kept me up all night."
"I don't care. You know, if you are a business owner and I, we all just experience similar struggles of being human."
"Everything is a starting point, and I also think so often we get frustrated because the first time we do something, we have this vision in our head... It doesn't always look like that the first time."
"The best thing that can happen is that it exceeds my expectations and everyone else's expectations. And I know by staying stagnant and not doing these things, I'm gonna feel unfulfilled."
"I used to get super frustrated if I was not good at something immediately. I did not have a lot of perseverance. I had to teach myself, literally teach myself the skill of perseverance."
Resources Mentioned:
MindBodyBehavior In-Person Retreat (link in show notes)
Advanced Coaching Module content development
Virtual Conference: Dual-track for BCBAs (7 CEUs) and NBHWCs
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) training principles
National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
Connect with MBB
Become a Board Certified Health Coach:
https://mindbodybehavior.co/board-certified-health-coach
Mind Body Behavior 6th Edition Supervision Curriculum:
https://mindbodybehavior.co/curriculum
FREE CEUS:
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program: https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/boardhealthcoach
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD:
https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/bcbasupervision Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @sarahburby @mindbodybehavioranalysts
ABA Redefined - Episode 19: The Energy You Keep - Who’s Shaping Your Reality’
Release Date: 10/29/2025
Duration: 18 minutes
Host: Sarah Burby, BCBA, Founder of MindBodyBehavior
Your circle isn't just nice to have—it's literally shaping who you're becoming. In this raw and energizing episode, Sarah gets real about the invisible power of the people you surround yourself with and why "your vibe attracts your tribe" isn't just a cute saying. From mastermind groups that blow her ceiling off to draining relationships she had to step back from, Sarah breaks down how to audit your inner circle and intentionally curate the energy that will unleash (not limit) your potential.
Why the upcoming MindBodyBehavior retreat has her so amped she can't sleep until 2 AM
The two types of people: those who lift you up and those who drain your energy
How her mastermind group destroys limiting beliefs about what's possible
The neuroscience behind it: state-dependent memory and how your emotional state shapes what you learn and recall
Thinking about growth like shaping successive approximations in ABA terms
"Who we keep in our inner circle is literally who is shaping who we become. And I think that a lot of people really underestimate that."
"If they can do it, why can't I do that? Maybe I've been selling myself short for X amount of years. Maybe I'm much more capable than what I've been doing and what I've let myself believe."
"Can you imagine what would happen if you started believing in yourself as fiercely as you've been clinging onto your excuses, as fiercely as you've been doubting yourself?"
"Your energy is so precious. I just need you to understand that, and it's up to you to be intentional as hell about who and what you allow into your space."
"The world needs you to stop playing small. It needs you to stop hiding your magic and stop believing the BS about who you can't be."
"I am deliberate about my influences. I surround myself with people who believe boldly and move bravely. I choose energy that unleashes my potential, not limits it."
Audit your top five influences - people, social media accounts, podcasts. What energy are they amplifying in you?
Have one conversation about an energy-draining dynamic. How could you realign it with compassion?
Invite one person into your circle who embodies the energy you want to grow. Tell them why.
Notice how your potential expands when you do this work.
MindBodyBehavior's First In-Person Retreat (April 2025)
State-dependent memory research
Shaping and successive approximations (ABA concepts)
FREE CEUS:
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program: https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/boardhealthcoach
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD: https://mindbodybehavior.podia.com/bcbasupervision Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com Social Media: @sarahburby @mindbodybehavioranalysts
Episode DescriptionIn This Episode Sarah Discusses...Quotes from This EpisodeYour New MantraThis Week's ChallengeResources MentionedConnect with MBB
Sarah gets brutally honest about the skill that took years and multiple coaches to master: responding from logic instead of emotion. After noticing patterns of emotional responses from others in recent months, she shares the neuroscience behind why our brains hijack us, how to spot emotional vs. logical responses (in yourself and others), and practical strategies she uses to avoid relationship-destroying reactions. Plus, her confession about what triggers her emotional responses most (spoiler: it involves lunch).
In This Episode, Sarah Discusses...
The amygdala hijack: Why your logical brain literally goes offline when triggered
Clear signs someone (including you) is responding emotionally vs. logically
How to respond when others are coming at you emotionally
Quotes from This Episode
Action Steps & Takeaways
Connect with MBB
FREE CEUS:
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @sarahburby @mindbodybehavioranalysts
In this deeply personal episode, Sarah tackles one of the most universal struggles we all face: the paralyzing fear of what other people think.
Drawing from her own journey of putting herself out there on social media and building her business, Sarah explores the psychological research behind the "Spotlight Effect" — the cognitive bias that makes us think people are paying way more attention to us than they actually are.
She shares vulnerable stories about posting her success story, dealing with public criticism, and the moment she realized she's "not that important" (in the most liberating way possible). Sarah challenges behavior analysts specifically to examine how their fear of judgment keeps them playing small, diluting their message, and missing opportunities for growth.
This episode is a powerful reminder that being judged is survivable, that authenticity matters more than perfection, and that your people are looking for the real you — not a sanitized, people-pleasing version. If you've been holding yourself back because you're worried about criticism, this episode will inspire you to live life "hot pink and sparkly" instead of beige and invisible.
Resources Mentioned
Cornell University research on the Spotlight Effect (students wearing embarrassing t-shirts study)
Self-compassion research on threat systems and social evaluation
Mind Body Behavior business coaching and programs
Instagram: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Quotes from This Episode
"We think people are noticing us twice as much as they actually are. And we walk around, we're convinced, everyone's watching us, everyone's judging us, everyone's forming opinions about every little thing that we do, and the truth is, most people are too busy worrying about what everyone thinks about them."
"I'm actually not that important, and I mean that in the most liberating way possible. Most people are not just sitting around thinking about me at all times."
"Just because it feels dangerous, does not mean it's actually dangerous. So your feelings are valid. I will never discredit that. Your feelings are valid. But, they're not always accurate predictors of your reality."
"The only way that we will guarantee that we'll never be criticized is to never do anything, never say anything, never try anything... And I sure am hell not living my life like that. You know how I want to live my life? Hot pink, and sparkly."
"If you try to be for everyone, you're gonna end up being for no one. You become this watered-down version of yourself."
"You can't grow if you're not willing to be bad at things first. You can't learn if you're not willing to make mistakes."
"You could be safe from criticism, but you're also safe from progress."
"The people who matter will not judge you for being human. And the people who judge you for being human do not matter."
Connect With Us
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to be brave, messy, and real.
Are you spending 45-55 hours per week just waiting for Friday to arrive?
In this eye-opening episode, Sarah breaks down the actual math of living for the weekend and challenges the normalized belief that work is supposed to drain us.
She shares her personal journey from experiencing Sunday scaries and counting down to Friday, to genuinely looking forward to Mondays.
If you're stuck in the cycle of tolerating Monday through Friday just to enjoy 32 waking hours on the weekend, this episode will help you rethink what's possible for your career and your life.
Resources Mentioned
CALABA Conference
MindBodyBehavior In-Person Retreat (April, beach location, limited to 30 participants - waitlist available)
Free Dual Certification CE (available on demand)
Quotes from This Episode
"The math is telling us that we're spending the majority of our conscious existence just waiting. Waiting around for Friday. Waiting around for vacation, waiting around for retirement, waiting around to actually start living our lives, and I don't know about you, but I was not okay with that."
"When we feel that Sunday scares, our body is trying to tell us, like, hey, something's not aligning here, something's not right."
"Your life is not something that starts when you clock out on Friday. Your life is happening right now, all of it, including Monday through Friday."
"You deserve to be excited about your life, not just 32 hours on the weekend, but all of it. You deserve work that fuels your soul, or at least doesn't actively deplete it."
"When we accept that work is supposed to suck, that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we decide that our weekday hours are just as valuable as our weekend hours, when we start protecting our energy and pursuing work that actually matters to us, things start to shift."
Connect With Us
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click “follow,” and share it with a BCBA friend who’s ready to think outside the traditional box.
Sarah almost didn't record this episode because her house got hit hard with COVID and she was struggling with that "razor blade throat" feeling. But sometimes our worst weeks become our best teachers.
In this raw and honest episode, recorded on a Saturday after barely making it through the week, Sarah shares five powerful lessons she learned during her breakdown week - from realizing she's not superhuman to understanding that her worth isn't tied to productivity.
This isn't toxic positivity - it's about mining your hard moments for wisdom and refusing to let them be meaningless.
If you've ever felt like you're failing at everything while sick, overwhelmed, or just having one of those weeks, this episode will help you reframe your struggles as your curriculum.
Quotes from This Episode
"Maybe this terrible week isn't happening to me. Maybe it's happening for me. Maybe there's something I'm supposed to learn here that I can't see yet because I'm too busy being pissed off about it."
"Our hardest moments don't always have to be interruptions to our growth. Most of the time, they are our growth."
"There's a huge, huge difference between 'this painful thing was meant to happen' and 'now that this painful thing has happened, what can I learn from that?' One dismisses your pain, the other honors it while also refusing to let it be meaningless."
"I am not superhuman, and pretending that I am literally serves no one."
"My worth is not tied to my productivity."
"Your struggles are not your weakness. They're teaching you about your resilience, priorities, and what really matters."
"Your breakdown might be just the beginning of your breakthrough."
Connect With Us
FREE Business Training: How to Identify Your Clients In-DEPTH
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Ever find yourself spiraling when you see another BCBA's success on social media?
In this vulnerable and insightful episode, Sarah dives deep into the psychology of comparison and why other people's wins can feel like personal attacks on our worth.
She shares her own struggles with comparison paralysis in the early days of building MindBodyBehavior and reveals the game-changing strategies that helped her transform comparison from a source of pain into valuable data for growth.
If you've ever felt stuck comparing yourself to others in your field, this episode will help you break free from that exhausting cycle and start using other people's success as fuel for your own journey.
Resources Mentioned
MindBodyBehavior coaching programs
Business coaching program for BCBAs
Small Changes Coaching (Sarah's original business name)
Quotes from This Episode
"Comparison does not care about your logic. It does not care about your actual success. And it literally just hits you in that super vulnerable spot where all of your insecurities are living."
"The market of success is not like a pie that has X number of pieces, and then if all the pieces are gone, there's none left for you. That's not how success works, but our brain still thinks it does."
"Someone else's success is not commentary on your timeline. Their win is not your loss. Their breakthrough doesn't mean that you are broken."
"Comparison became data for me."
"When we celebrate other people's wins, it's expanding our own capacity for success. When you believe that good things can happen for them, you start believing that good things can happen for you, too."
Connect With Us
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Are you stuck waiting for the "perfect moment" to start that business, take that course, or make that career change?
In this episode, recorded from Sarah's brand new office, she dives deep into the psychology behind our "readiness illusion" and why we get trapped believing that readiness is a prerequisite for action.
Sarah breaks down the competing brain systems that keep us in perpetual preparation mode and reveals why confidence comes after action, not before.
If you're a behavior analyst who's been telling yourself "I'm not ready yet" for that next big step, this episode will help you recognize when preparation becomes sophisticated procrastination and give you the tools to start building your future self in the doing phase.
Resources Mentioned
Tech industry concept of "failing fast"
Prefrontal cortex vs limbic system psychology
Self-compassion practices for beginners
Psychological safety techniques
Quotes from This Episode
"We get stuck in believing that readiness is a prerequisite for action, but there's really a readiness illusion. Feeling ready is a story that we tell ourselves often to avoid the discomfort of uncertainty."
"The feeling of readiness rarely comes before action. It comes after. Confidence is built by actually doing the thing. It's not built by rehearsing all these things in our head through planning."
"Who do you become when you're perpetually preparing for something? You become someone who is going to do something rather than someone who is doing something."
"Oftentimes, our reasons for not being ready are really our fears that are wearing this mask of logic."
"When we demand perfection before we start, we're essentially demanding that we skip the learning phase and just jump straight into mastery. This is impossible."
"What if readiness isn't about having everything figured out? What if readiness is simply about being willing to learn as you go?"
"Your first version of anything - your business, a creative project, a new career - is not supposed to be your final version. It's supposed to be your learning version."
"Starting before you're ready requires you to have self compassion. You must become your own safe person."
"Your future self isn't waiting for you to become ready. It's waiting for you to become brave."
Connect With Us
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Subscribe: [Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify]
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
In this candid solo episode, Sarah takes you inside her brain for an unfiltered reflection on two powerful life lessons she's been processing.
First, she explores how some of life's biggest disappointments, from failed business partnerships to missed opportunities, often become our greatest blessings in disguise. Through personal stories about fitness studio collaborations that fell through and teaching positions she didn't get, Sarah reveals how these "failures" forced her to fully commit to building MindBodyBehavior.
Then, she challenges the common excuse of "it's not the right time" or "I'm not ready," asking for an operational definition of what the "right time" actually looks like.
If you've been waiting for perfect conditions to make a change, start something new, or take a risk, this episode will make you reconsider whether that perfect moment will ever actually arrive.
Resources Mentioned
Barre teaching certifications and fitness studio experience
Lagree Studio classes and instructor auditions
MindBodyBehavior business development
Knitting classes as a postpartum hobby example
Recent MindBodyBehavior masterclass
Quotes from This Episode
"Sometimes when things don't work out, they really, really work out."
"I needed to rip that safety net off so I could truly have that moment of, like, no, I don't need that safety net, because I could build this business."
"When you say, I'm not ready, or it's not the right time, I'm gonna need an operational definition of that, because truly, in life, it's never gonna be the right time to do something different."
"If you can't clearly define what that is, you might want to do some reflecting, because if you don't, you're just going to get stuck in this day-to-day of going through the motions."
"There's never gonna be a right time. It's going to be - I'm gonna make the decision to do X, Y, or Z, and then I'm gonna do it."
"Not making a decision is making a decision, and I need to think about what I want, think about the scenario, not saying to just rush and make rash decisions, but we need to stop over-analyzing everything."
"If you're gonna commit to something, just commit, right? Like, say, I'm gonna do this, and I'm gonna go all-in with 100%."
Connect With Us
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Subscribe: [Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify]
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
In this candid solo episode, Sarah takes you inside her brain for an unfiltered reflection on two powerful life lessons she's been processing.
First, she explores how some of life's biggest disappointments - from failed business partnerships to missed opportunities - often become our greatest blessings in disguise. Through personal stories about fitness studio collaborations that fell through and teaching positions she didn't get, Sarah reveals how these "failures" forced her to fully commit to building MindBodyBehavior.
Then, she challenges the common excuse of "it's not the right time" or "I'm not ready," asking for an operational definition of what the "right time" actually looks like.
If you've been waiting for perfect conditions to make a change, start something new, or take a risk, this episode will make you reconsider whether that perfect moment will ever actually arrive.
Resources Mentioned
Barre teaching certifications and fitness studio experience
Lagree Studio classes and instructor auditions
MindBodyBehavior business development
Knitting classes as a postpartum hobby example
Recent MindBodyBehavior masterclass
Quotes from This Episode
"Sometimes when things don't work out, they really, really work out."
"I needed to rip that safety net off so I could truly have that moment of, like, no, I don't need that safety net, because I could build this business."
"When you say, I'm not ready, or it's not the right time, I'm gonna need an operational definition of that, because truly, in life, it's never gonna be the right time to do something different."
"If you can't clearly define what that is, you might want to do some reflecting, because if you don't, you're just going to get stuck in this day-to-day of going through the motions."
"There's never gonna be a right time. It's going to be - I'm gonna make the decision to do X, Y, or Z, and then I'm gonna do it."
"Not making a decision is making a decision, and I need to think about what I want, think about the scenario, not saying to just rush and make rash decisions, but we need to stop over-analyzing everything."
"If you're gonna commit to something, just commit, right? Like, say, I'm gonna do this, and I'm gonna go all-in with 100%."
Register for the Self Set Go Conference (October 10th-11th): Use Code MindBodyBehavior at checkout for a 15% discount
Connect With Us
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Join Sarah as she reconnects with Dani (Daniela Galves Moreno), BCBA and co-founder of Brawn and Bloom, for an inspiring conversation about courage, personal growth, and creating change in the ABA field.
Dani shares her incredible journey from working at Nemours Children's Hospital to taking a bold 4-month solo travel adventure that transformed her career path. Discover how this leap of faith led to co-founding Self Set Go, the field's first conference dedicated to clinician wellness and personal development.
If you're feeling stuck in traditional ABA roles or curious about applying behavior analysis to personal growth and entrepreneurship, this episode offers both inspiration and practical wisdom about taking courageous steps toward your own 2.0 version.
Resources Mentioned
Rollins College (Danny's undergraduate experience)
Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) - BCaBA and BCBA programs
Nemours Children's Hospital
Brawn and Bloom company
Self Set Go Conference - October 10th and 11th, 2025
Theme: "Redefining Success and Discovering Your 2.0"
Dr. Sarah E. Hill - Your Brain on Birth Control book
Dr. Tyra Sellers - supervision and wellness keynote
Dr. Cassie Holmes - Happier Hour book
Dr. Karen Norton - Body Brain Alliance
Kendra's nutrition workshop
15% discount code: MindBodyBehavior
Quotes from This Episode
"When things are meant to be for you, they will be for you no matter what. So if you are right now in a moment in your life where you're like, I don't know if this is the right thing to do, and what if I go, and maybe this... like, all the ifs, stop and just go with whatever your heart is telling you to do."
"Shoot the shots, right? Like, what is... shoot the shots. There's no... nothing that could go wrong. Like, if he says no, well, I go back to square one. I didn't have that opportunity before, so I lost, truly, nothing, but if he does say yes, I gained a whole lot."
"There is a lot of wisdom that comes from sitting with your own thoughts and nobody else. And the knowledge that you gain from those moments is knowledge that you can't gain any other way but when you are on your own."
"We want to shift away from that and actually teach clinicians how to manage their time so that they can be both professionals, but also human beings outside of BCBA, because being BCBA is only one part of us as human beings."
"Everything is temporary, so whatever situation you're in, in the moment, it tends to feel very heavy, and like you're never gonna get out of it. But remember that nothing lasts forever."
"Don't compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20, because that's not fair to you. And everybody started on chapter 1, so nobody just randomly woke up and was on chapter 20."
"In order for you to be courageous, fear must be present. So whenever we're thinking that, oh, I'm so scared to do it, I'm just not gonna do it... don't let fear stop you, because when fear is present, that means that you're in the right path."
Register for the Self Set Go Conference (October 10th-11th): Use Code MindBodyBehavior at checkout for a 15% discount
Connect With Us
Mind BodyBehavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Brawn and Bloom Website: Dani's Contact Page
Dani's Instagram: @brawnandbloom
In this solo episode, Sarah breaks down the crucial differences between behavior goals, emotional goals, and outcome goals and why getting stuck on the wrong type can leave you frustrated and spinning your wheels.
Whether you're a BCBA working with clients or someone looking to create more meaningful change in your own life, this episode will shift your perspective on what goals actually work and why focusing on what you can control makes all the difference.
Resources Mentioned
Cooper's ABA 101 - Dead Man's Test concept
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) framework
Magic Wand Exercise from ACT
Seven Day Documentary exercise
Values-based living research
Quotes from This Episode
"We have a lot of control over our own behavior, especially our overt behavior, but we have zero control over what the outcome of our behavior is going to be. And that is a very hard pill for us to swallow."
"Most of our clients are gonna come to us and say, I wanna feel x, y, or z. Like I said, they wanna feel happy. They wanna feel relaxed. Typically, they or they might say, I wanna stop feeling a certain way."
"Learning those psychological flexibility skills - you wanna think about this as actually learning a new skill as a behavioral goal."
"Sometimes we get so focused on the outcome that when we don't reach the outcome, we think everything was a waste of time or a waste of energy, when in fact, we just didn't understand."
Connect With Us
Mind BodyBehavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Ever wondered how a makeup artist became one of the pioneering BCBAs in the health and fitness space?
In this inspiring episode, Chauntae from Path to Goals shares her complete transformation journey from beauty industry professional to BCBA to successful nutrition coaching entrepreneur.
If you're feeling stuck in traditional ABA settings or curious about building a physique transformation business using behavior analysis principles, this candid conversation covers the real challenges of entrepreneurship, authentic marketing, and building a business that serves your ideal clients. Chauntae doesn't hold back on the investments, risks, and mindset shifts required to create something extraordinary outside the traditional BCBA path.
Resources Mentioned
Path to Goals (Chauntae’s nutrition coaching business)
DHA Labs (functional health testing partnership)
Julie Soliak (early mentorship)
Behavior Bitches podcast (2019 appearance)
Instagram Stories (for building confidence on camera)
Various business coaching and marketing master classes
Powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, and bodybuilding communities
Quotes from This Episode
"I love a good challenge. I also don't accept no for an answer. And what I realized was that what I was doing isn't isn't that unique. And I think a lot of BCBAs need to understand that people become entrepreneurs from corporate all the time."
"I think BCBAs have a hard time understanding that because there's not a lot of people within our field going against the traditional mold."
"I had to learn the skill of talking in very simple terms and not overcomplicating it... most people that are online read at a fifth grade reading level, so you have to speak at that level."
"You cannot build a strong house and an unstable foundation. So it's really learning those executive functioning skills, time management, planning, organization, routines."
"The whole point in teaching these skills is that you're able to do them on your own at some point. And so that's our main priority as coaches is to work ourselves out of a job."
"I always tell women, I'm like, you're not just here for the 15 pounds. Let's dig deeper. What do we really want."
Connect With Us
Mind BodyBehavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business ProgramEmail: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.comSocial Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Feeling stuck in a funk and constantly reaching for your phone?
In this solo episode, Sarah shares her personal journey of breaking up with her smartphone and the immediate results she experienced in less than a week.
From buying old-school alarm clocks to setting strict phone boundaries, Sarah gets vulnerable about the pressure she put on herself to be available 24/7 and how stepping away from constant connectivity unleashed a flood of creativity and focus.
If you're a BCBA or business owner feeling tethered to your device, this episode offers practical strategies and permission to disconnect without the guilt.
Resources Mentioned
Digital alarm clocks (old school plug-in style)
Thrift store clocks as alternatives
Sunday screen time reminders (iPhone feature)
Quotes from This Episode
"I felt like in order to be a good leader and to set a good example, I had to be available all the time. And when I really stopped and paused, I thought about like, what do I want to model for myself? And for my team, I do not expect my team, nor do I want my team to be available 24 seven."
"I think for a while, even with text messages, I got in such a habit that everything needed an immediate response. Every text message, every email, every call, I felt like needed a response immediately. And that was the pressure that I put on myself."
"I have noticed in less than a week, my creativity is like overflowing. I am getting so many awesome, if I do say so myself, ideas for this podcast for business decisions, for mind, body behavior, for other things outside of work."
"If I am building a business where I have to be online 24 seven to feel like I'm getting a constant flow of new clients, new insurance, that I am doing something wrong. I am not building my business the way I want to build it."
"Take a week of baseline data and just see when you're most frequently using your phone and also do some like pre post data, right? So noticing like, okay, what am I feeling right now? Then I'm going to pick up my phone and use my phone for X amount of time. How do I feel afterwards?"
Connect With Us
Mind BodyBehavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Discover how a board certified health coach is revolutionizing workplace performance by applying behavior analysis principles in organizational settings.
In this episode, Sarah sits down with current supervisee Lisa Vega, who brings a unique perspective as someone transitioning from health coaching to becoming a BCBA.
Lisa shares fascinating case studies from her work as a manager, including how she used ABA principles to improve AI usage among coaches, enhance customer satisfaction ratings, and create more objective performance evaluations.
If you're curious about applying behavior analysis beyond traditional autism settings or want to see how ABA can transform workplace dynamics, this conversation will inspire you to think differently about where our science can make an impact.
Resources Mentioned
Mind Body Behavior supervision program
Board certified health coaching certification
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in organizational settings
Customer satisfaction surveys and data collection systems
Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques
Operational definitions for workplace behaviors
Performance evaluation rubrics and objective measurement systems
Spanish language ABA resources and cultural adaptation
Puerto Rico ABA services and waiting lists
Quotes from This Episode
"Every behavior have a story behind it... being able to explain that, with other lens and also, like, as a health coach by heart, as a leader, and also as a behavior analyst."
"After you have the data, everything else is super easy... just recollecting the data for a few weeks about coaches that were sharing their concerns in different meetings."
"It's not only, like, making translations. It's also how you can adapt culturally these resources, you know, according, to the different, like, cultural needs."
"You are doing the work, but with the BCBA or behavioral analyst, you can put, like, the right names to it... you can use these tools and resources to, like, being able to, like, transmit that knowledge."
Connect With Us
Mind Body Behavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Ready to break free from traditional ABA and explore entrepreneurship?
In this episode, Sarah sits down with Mellanie Page, a 15-year ABA veteran who transformed her career from traditional clinical work to building multiple successful businesses.
Mellanie shares her journey through operations, getting an MBA (and why she considers it a mistake), and eventually finding her calling in organizational behavior management and business coaching.
If you're feeling stuck in traditional settings or curious about applying behavior analysis beyond autism, this conversation will show you exactly how to take action and create the career you actually want.
Resources Mentioned
MBA programs (and why they may not be necessary for entrepreneurs)
OBM Practitioner Program (12-week project-based program)
Digital Clinician Program (90-day online business coaching)
ABA Collective (monthly CEUs and training)
Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) framework
Clinical Entrepreneur CEU series
Value-based pricing strategies
Amazon Storefront and affiliate marketing
Quotes from This Episode
"You don't get burned out from the science. You get burned out from applying it in a way that doesn't let you up."
"I think we're conditioned to believe we have to have a full plan and a career built out before we start dabbling and exploring."
"If an RBT can teach something to a business owner outside of our industry, then why can't a BCBA, with all of this foundational knowledge, learn a framework, start getting applied practice, and get really good at it?"
"I don't care about your burnout if you're not making decisions that guide you toward a different path."
"You have to be a few steps ahead of people. And to be honest, if you want to work in another industry, a lot of business owners don't even understand the concept of reinforcement."
"Money is the currency for freedom. Whether people like that or not, that's okay, but it is."
Connect With Us
Mind Body Behavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Podcast Episode Show Notes
Join Sarah as she sits down with Ali, a BCBA and first cohort member of the Board-Approved Health Coaching Program. Ali shares her powerful journey from teaching kindergarten and first grade for eight years to becoming a BCBA, and now specializing in health coaching for women navigating infertility, IVF, and early motherhood.
Through vulnerable storytelling about her own fertility struggles, Ali reveals how she discovered her passion for supporting others through one of life's most challenging experiences. If you're a BCBA wondering how to apply behavior analysis outside traditional settings, or if you're curious about the intersection of ACT principles and reproductive health challenges, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insights into creating meaningful change in people's lives.
"I always felt kind of drawn to students who had some challenges with their behaviors and just kinda figuring them out... felt a strong connection with that."
"The more I learned, the more it's like things that I already do on a day-to-day basis as a teacher, but recognizing all the terminology that goes along with it."
"I took my BCBA exam when he was three weeks old. And I still to this day don't know how I did that."
"I have learned so much in such a condensed and short amount of time. I can't thank you enough. I feel like this is going to be truly life changing for me."
"I felt like I lost so much of myself and what brought me joy... to help other people find what was joyful to them before going through this."
"I wanna give people that control back in a way that's helpful to them... the permission to feel everything they need to feel and not be ashamed of it."
"This isn't about me. This is about my client and my client feeling like they're doing something for themselves at the end of it."
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
What happens when you apply behavior analysis principles to afterschool programming and parent engagement?
In this inspiring episode, Sarah sits down with Violeta, one of her current supervisees who is transforming how we think about ABA outside traditional settings.
Violeta shares her incredible journey from having no fieldwork hours to creating systematic interventions that doubled parent participation in family engagement events.
If you're a BCBA candidate wondering how to accrue supervision hours outside of autism services, or you're curious about applying behavior analysis in educational and community settings, this episode showcases the powerful impact you can make when you think creatively about where our science can be applied.
Resources Mentioned
Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region
ACE Afterschool Program
Dallas Junior League Kids in the Kitchen Program
Dallas and Terrell School Districts
OsteCon Conference (Texas afterschool programs conference)
Bachelor's in Biology, Master's in Psychology, Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
Loteria (Mexican bingo game used in programming)
Bulls Eye Exercise (ACT intervention)
Facebook groups for BCBA supervision connections
Quotes from This Episode
"I honestly didn't know how I was going to be able to obtain [fieldwork hours] because I didn't have any background in the clinical field where that's the only - in my mind, that was the only way I would be able to accrue them."
"This year, we literally hit the ground running. We started day one after school program... we doubled in parent participation and even more than that in most of the campuses."
"I would say definitely don't be afraid of just seeking out opportunities and making those connections... oftentimes, we are our own selves are kind of like the ones we may limit ourselves."
"When we look at it from a behavior analytic lens, right, like, using a preferences type assessment, and then that reminder, just the simple intervention of providing different reminders and how much of an impact that had."
"Think about everything that we just talked about. Think about the impact that you were able to make with behavior analysis... your clients, a lot of the time, were your site coordinators, your team, and teaching your team how to actually implement the interventions that you came up with."
Connect With Us
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Love the show? Leave us a 5-star review, click "follow," and share it with a BCBA friend who's ready to think outside the traditional box.
Meet Kendra, Sarah's right-hand woman and co-instructor for MindBodyBehavior's National Board Health Coaching Program.
From working in residential facilities with high-risk behaviors to coaching veterans and teaching motivational interviewing to National Guard leaders, Kendra’s career shows just how diverse an ABA path can be.
Plus, get behind-the-scenes insights into their health coaching program—and learn why “just telling people what to do” isn’t actually coaching.
In This Episode, Sarah and Kendra Discuss:
How a Facebook tag led to their partnership and co-teaching journey
Kendra’s transition from traditional ABA to nutrition and health coaching
Her personal story of healing from hormonal imbalances
Supporting veterans through Mission 22 and National Guard programs
Teaching motivational interviewing to military leadership
The behavioral science behind grocery shopping
The real difference between coaching and consulting
Setting boundaries and building a flexible career in behavior analysis
Watching students develop their own unique coaching voices
Common myths about what health coaching is (and isn’t)
Guest Information:
Kendra – BCBA, Board Certified Health Coach, Co-Instructor of the MindBodyBehavior Health Coaching Program
Master's in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine
Certified Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor
Veteran support through Mission 22 nonprofit
Motivational Interviewing Instructor for National Guard
Quotes From This Episode:
"I learned for myself—and I believe this truly for everyone else—that food can be medicine."
"By the end of it, complete buy-in. A completely different way to talk to individuals... we're all humans."
"There's not a great understanding of what coaching is. Why would I hire a coach, right? Unless you've actually experienced it."
"Think about how, if you broke [grocery shopping] down into every single step of a task analysis, there's so much that goes into that."
"The journey is part of the coaching... it’s just a very different aspect of helping somebody get to the place where they want to be."
Key Insights:
Multiple Certifications Work: Sarah and Kendra both tried two coaching programs before landing on board-approved options
MI Skills Transfer: Motivational interviewing strengthens communication in traditional ABA settings
Diverse Career Paths: ABA professionals are now coaching in wellness, military, and corporate sectors
Coaching vs. Consulting: Coaching is about guiding a process—not handing over a plan
Flexibility Matters: Once you’ve worked on your own terms, it’s hard to go back
Resources Mentioned:
Mission 22 (nonprofit for veterans)
National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)
Motivational Interviewing training
MindBodyBehavior Health Coaching Program
LinkedIn for exploring job opportunities in coaching
Connect With Us:
MindBodyBehavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
Next Episode Preview:
Coming up: Sarah interviews a current supervisee earning BCBA hours while working at a health coaching agency—proof that you don’t have to start your own business to thrive in this space.
Interested in health coaching? Reach out to Sarah or Kendra for a conversation about whether this path might be right for you. As Kendra says, they’ll "talk and talk and talk" until you have everything you need.
Hashtags:
#ABARedefined #HealthCoaching #BehaviorAnalysis #BCBA #Veterans #MotivationalInterviewing #MindBodyBehavior #NationalBoard #FunctionalMedicine #Nutrition #BCBASupervision #CareerChange
Feeling like a fraud despite your accomplishments? You’re not alone.
In this vulnerable and empowering episode, Sarah breaks down the psychology of imposter syndrome and how it shows up in every area of MindBodyBehavior—from supervision to health coaching to business building.
From her fear of public speaking in 2018 to launching this very podcast, Sarah shares how she learned to feel the fear and do it anyway.
In This Episode, Sarah Burby:
Defines imposter syndrome and why it intensifies with success
Breaks down the 5 types of imposter syndrome (and reveals her own struggles)
Shares her journey from vomiting before presentations to confidently hosting this podcast
Explains the “imposter loop” that traps us in perfectionism
Reveals why her mentor refused to review her course again (and how it changed everything)
Discusses how her upbringing shaped her adult relationship with achievement
Offers practical tools for making space for fear while still pursuing your dreams
The 5 Types of Imposter Syndrome:
The Perfectionist – Unrealistic standards, focus on flaws, avoids delegation
The Expert – Fear of being exposed, constantly chasing more training
The Soloist – Believes asking for help signals weakness
The Natural Genius – Expects to master things instantly, struggles when challenged
The Superwoman/Superman – Feels the need to excel in every life domain
Quotes From This Episode:
"Some days I wake up and I’m ready to freaking go. And some days I wake up and think—who put me in charge?"
"If I never did the thing that made me scared and uncomfortable, who knows where I’d be today?"
"If I said yes to this right now, I’d be reinforcing your behavior of seeking approval from me. It’s good enough. You know it’s good enough."
"I need to do this thing that feels wildly uncomfortable… because I know I need to get at least decent at public speaking."
"When was the last time you looked back at something you did well and just said: yeah. I did that?"
Sarah’s 5-Step Challenge:
After this episode, challenge yourself to:
Define imposter syndrome in your own words
Identify all the areas where it shows up in your life
Map out your personal “imposter loop”
Choose one scary thing to do this week—and visualize the outcome
Celebrate one thing you’re proud of from the past week
Resources Mentioned:
Valerie Young – Psychologist who defined the 5 imposter types
Relational Frame Theory and comparison frames
Sarah’s “Beating Burnout” CEU course
MindBodyBehavior supervision program
Board-approved Health Coaching CEU cohort
Amplify business-building program
Connect With MindBodyBehavior:
MindBodyBehavior Website
BCBA Supervision Program Outside ASD
32 CEU Board Approved Health Coaching Program
Amplify Building Business Program
Email: sarah@mindbodybehaviorllc.com
Social Media: @mindbodybehavioranalyst
FREE Resource: Looking for a free CEU? Check out Understanding Imposter Syndrome from a Behavior Analytic Lens here.
Hashtags:
#ABARedefined #ImposterSyndrome #BehaviorAnalysis #BCBA #HealthCoaching #MindBodyBehavior #Perfectionism #RelationalFrameTheory #PublicSpeaking #Confidence #BehaviorChange