In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sat down with Christina Torres, founder of ABA Made Ez, co-host of Reinforcing Conversations, and a leading voice in the online ABA community. Christina shared her journey from struggling to find any independent BCBA® resources online, to building a following across TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
We talked about what personal branding actually means in our field, how to get over the fear of being seen online, and practical strategies for showing up consistently without burning out.
When Christina decided to go the independent route after having her daughter, she looked for guidance on how to start her own consulting practice. She googled terms like independent BCBAs and BCBA consultants and found nothing.
Since she could not find any guidance on how to start her own practice, she started sharing her own story instead, first on TikTok. That decision led to a community of BCBAs® and RBTs® who were inspired by her honesty and her willingness to share the behind the scenes reality of building a practice.
For Christina, personal branding is not about credentials or perfection. It is about recognizing that you are one of one. You can have a personality outside of your degree and certifications, and that personality is what allows you to build a genuine community.
She encourages BCBAs® to think of personal branding this way: nobody else has your personality, your experience, or your perspective. That alone means your niche is never too saturated, even if other providers are posting about the same topic.
You do not have to want to be a business owner to benefit from building a presence online. Christina explained that you only need to care about personal branding if you want to be a face in the field, and that reason can simply be a passion for a specific topic you want to help others understand.
She pointed out that many BCBAs® who start an ABA page eventually find themselves considering starting their own business, simply because building an audience naturally builds confidence in public speaking and sharing ideas.
Beyond individual growth, Christina noted that personal branding has real implications for organizations as well. With over 100,000 open BCBA® positions and only around 88,000 certified BCBAs available, companies are increasingly using social media for recruiting instead of relying solely on costly recruiting agencies.
Organizations that build a visible, authentic online presence are better positioned to attract both clients and staff, particularly in states where qualified professionals are limited.
One of the biggest barriers Christina hears about is perfectionism. Her advice is simple: there is no wrong way to start. You might have 20 drafts before you post your first video, but the goal is to post that first one and keep going.
She also addressed the fear of being judged or misunderstood online. Her approach is to stay grounded in her own why, and to accept that not everyone will agree with everything she shares. Building a thick skin is part of showing up consistently.
Christina encouraged BCBAs® not to worry about competing with others in the same niche. Even if multiple providers post about the same topic, like potty training, each person brings their own experience and delivery style, which benefits the audience through generalization.
Her advice is to focus on one or two areas you are most passionate about rather than trying to cover everything at once. As your page grows, you can expand naturally.
To stay consistent, Christina relies on repurposing content. Answering audience questions, resharing older posts, and responding to comments all count as low effort, high reinforcement content. She also uses tools to help generate captions across platforms and to track her content goals.
Christina emphasized that real community building comes from consistent engagement, not just posting. Asking open ended questions, using polls, and directly responding to comments all help build trust and rapport with an audience over time.
When asked what she would change if she started over, Christina pointed to delegation. As a business owner, she has learned the value of handing off tasks like scheduling and content posting so she can focus on the parts of her business only she can do.
Personal branding is not about looking perfect. It is about creating a space where your community can find you, trust you, and grow with you.
You do not need a perfect plan to start. Just post your first piece of content, then keep going.
Nobody else has your personality, your experience, or your perspective. That alone means your niche is never too saturated.
Consistency matters more than virality. Low effort, high reinforcement content keeps you showing up without burning out.
Personal branding benefits organizations too, especially with recruiting in a high demand market.
Authenticity, not perfection, is what builds real community and long term engagement.
Building a personal brand as a BCBA® does not require perfection or a polished plan. It requires showing up authentically and consistently for your community. To hear the full conversation with Christina Torres, listen to this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast.
For more resources on onboarding, supervision, and staff development, visit Sidekick Learning.