--- title: Burnout, Ethics, and the Evolution of a Values-Driven ABA Business with Liz Matthews description: "Liz Matthews discusses her journey through burnout, revamping her ABA business, and creating a values-driven approach in behavior analysis. Listen to her story on In the Field: The ABA Podcast." image: https://www.sidekicklearning.net/hubfs/Green%20and%20Black%20Modern%20Tech%20Talk%20Podcast%20Cover%20(2).png --- [![Sidekick Learning](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/hubfs/Full%20logo-1.png)](https://www.sidekicklearning.net) - [PLATFORM](https://www.sidekicklearning.net) ## [Our Platform Everything in one platform for one predictable price. ](https://www.sidekicklearning.net) ### [Supervision Curriculum Comprehensive, competency-based learning with direct access for your trainees. ](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/aba-supervision-curriculum) ### [CEUs & PDUs Our growing library of ACE approved CEUs and PDUs focus on practical, actionable topics.](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/continuing-education) ### [Exam Prep](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/exam) With built-in study tools and competency-tracking, trainees will be ready for the Big Exam.  ### [40-Hour RBT Training](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/rbt) Save time and empower your technicians with high quality training ### 8-Hour Supervision Training 9.5 CEUs, actionable templates, and guidance from seasoned supervisors to set the foundation for your new supervisors.  ### Role-Based Competency Tracking Track competency development across your organization, visualize your staff skills across the organization, and upskill your staff. - [ABOUT](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/about) - RESOURCES ## Resources We love sharing knowledge and resources with our community.  ### [In the Field: The ABA Podcast Discussions focused on training, supervision, and learning in ABA.](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/podcast) ### [Blog Stay up-to-date with ideas, tips, and announcements.](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/blog) ### [Unrestricted Hours Guide Download our free resource with over 75 unrestricted hours ideas. ](https://www.academy.sidekicklearning.net/courses/30-unrestricted-hours-ideas-download) ### [Free CEUs Free supervision CEUs with downloadable resources for application.](https://www.academy.sidekicklearning.net/collections/free?page=2) ### [Knowledge Base Learn how to use our platform and receive support. ](https://doc.clickup.com/9014009552/d/h/8cmdqpg-32954/29e6b6f934769c2) ### [6th Edition Crosswalk A guide to the updates and changes in the 6th Edition.](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/6th-edition-crosswalk) [Book a Demo](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/demo) [Log In](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/login) Podcast # Burnout, Ethics, and the Evolution of a Values-Driven ABA Business with Liz Matthews Liz Matthews discusses her journey through burnout, revamping her ABA business, and creating a values-driven approach in behavior analysis. Listen to her story on In the Field: The ABA Podcast. [Sidekick Learning](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/blog/author/sidekick-learning) Apr 14, 2025 --- What happens when you realize the career you once loved doesn’t feel like yours anymore? In this episode of *In the Field: The ABA Podcast*, I talk with **Liz Matthews**, CEO and founder of EMG Consulting, about her journey through burnout, business ownership, and coming back to the field of behavior analysis with a completely different lens. Liz was one of the first dozen BCBAs® in Virginia. She’s seen the field evolve—from the early days of insurance coverage to the overwhelming boom of growth and regulation. She’s also a mom, a military spouse, a business owner, and someone who found herself stuck in a system that no longer aligned with her values. This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation that is real, reflective, and incredibly relatable. --- ## From Pioneering BCBA® to Burnout Liz shares what it felt like to be a “big fish” in a small pond—and how quickly that shifted as the field exploded with new professionals, billing requirements, and system complexity. > “I went from being that big fish to being a smaller fish. And it got very overwhelming... I experienced a lot of burnout. Everyone was just doing the ABA. Are we even behavioral scientists anymore?” She opens up about her lowest point: managing a business, parenting a newborn alone while her husband was stationed elsewhere, and trying to hold onto a field that no longer felt familiar. > “I enjoyed none of it. So I’m like, okay—this is who I am. I’m a behavior analyst. I can’t change that. But I don’t want to leave. I just can’t do it like this anymore.” --- ## Community, Compassion, and the Push to Evolve Through community spaces like Do Better and Defy, Liz found something she didn’t expect: validation, perspective, and the realization that other behavior analysts were feeling the same way—and doing something about it. > “Talking with like-minded people saved me. So saved me.” This shift helped her reconnect with her love for behavior analysis—and led her to question the foundations of how her business operated. That evolution, both personal and professional, became the core of how she now leads. > “I got the word *evolve* tattooed on my arm because I knew I had to change. I couldn’t keep doing things the same way.” --- ## Reflecting on Harm, Owning Our Past, and Doing Better In one of the most powerful parts of the episode, Liz shares a moment from presenting at APBA, where she opened up about her past practices—things she once considered successful because the data looked good, but now recognizes could have caused harm. > “Nobody ever asked, how did you get there? How did that make that person feel? What damage did you do along the way?” > “I cried in front of a room full of people. I’m not a public crier. But it was like… we didn’t always get it right. And I want to do better now.” This moment—and the nods from the crowd—showed her just how many others had been carrying similar feelings, and how important it is to create space for those conversations. --- ## Rethinking Business Through a Behavior Analytic Lens Liz didn’t just come back to the field—she rebuilt how her organization operates. Using the science of behavior analysis, she designed systems based on assessment, flexibility, and responsiveness. - Positions at EMG are built around individual strengths and needs - Benefits are customized based on what staff actually use - Absences for caregiving and family responsibilities are planned for, not penalized - Feedback loops and staff-driven decision-making are built into everyday operations > “Why am I going to waste my time and money doing things the way they’ve always been done if the people around me are telling me they don’t need that?” She’s also candid about the tension: supporting staff in systems that don’t fully support *them*—particularly women and caregivers—without being able to change the systemic inequities overnight. --- ## What’s Next This episode is just the beginning. In **Part 2**, we go deeper into what Liz’s model actually looks like on the ground—from how she supervises, to how she hires, to the systems that earned EMG Consulting a “Best Employer” award in Virginia.   >   --- ## ✨ Connect with Liz Matthews  - 🌱 **Website**: https://www.emgaba.com/ - 💬 **LinkedIn**: [Elizabeth Matthews](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmmatthews/) - 📸 **Instagram**: [@emg\_consulting](https://www.instagram.com/emg_consulting/) --- ## 🎧 Listen to the Episode > Ready to challenge the status quo and explore what’s possible with your BCBA®? > > [Listen to the full episode now →](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2319982/episodes/16938871)  > > [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-field-the-aba-podcast/id1732540944) > [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/3VHUvX6m0oegFufPV7WnCs) > [Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ed6aa1fb-f245-4b2a-a8bd-385695b45743/in-the-field-the-aba-podcast) [Podcast](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/blog/tag/podcast) ## Similar posts Podcast ### [Creating a Strong ABA Business: Marketing, Mindset, and Mission with Tim Zercher](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/blog/creating-a-strong-aba-business-marketing-mindset-and-mission-with-tim-zercher) Learn how ABA businesses can strengthen marketing, websites, and leadership with insights from entrepreneur Timothy Zercher of A-Train Marketing. Sidekick Learning Sep 10, 2025 Podcast ### [Building Ethical, Sustainable ABA Businesses with April & Stephen Smith](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/blog/building-ethical-sustainable-aba-businesses-with-april-stephen-smith) Learn how to spot red flags, support staff, and build ethical ABA businesses with systems that scale—featuring April and Stephen Smith. Sidekick Learning Aug 18, 2025 Podcast ### [Developing Better Interventions through Efficiency, Assent, and Foundational Skills with Steve Ward](https://www.sidekicklearning.net/blog/developing-better-interventions-through-efficiency-assent-and-foundational-skills-with-steve-ward) Explore how efficiency, assent, and foundational skills drive ethical, effective teaching in ABA with Steve Ward on In the Field: The ABA Podcast. 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