Tim Talks: Behavioral Health
Tim Talks: Behavioral Health is a fast-paced podcast featuring candid, 10-minute conversations with leaders across the behavioral health field.
Hosted by Timothy Zercher, CEO of A-Train Marketing, each episode dives into what’s actually working in marketing, practice growth, and leadership — with a sharp focus on ethics, sustainability, and smart strategy.
Designed for behavioral health providers, practice owners, and executive leaders, Tim Talks delivers real insight from real operators shaping the future of care.
Short talks. Big insights. Smarter growth.
New episodes weekly.
Tim Talks: Behavioral Health
Amber Nelms, M.A., BCBA - Leading Triangle ABA with Empathy, Integrity, and Neuroscience
In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, host Timothy Zercher sits down with Amber Nelms, Founder & CEO of Triangle ABA, to explore what happens when leadership meets lived experience.
Amber shares how her journey as both a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a parent of an autistic child shaped the compassionate, clinician-led model behind Triangle ABA. She opens up about scaling a people-backed (not private equity-backed) organization, developing leaders who embody values - not titles - and how neuroscience can deepen ABA’s impact in the next decade.
If you care about ethical growth, clinician empowerment, and keeping humanity at the heart of behavioral health, this conversation will hit home.
(00:00) – Timothy A. Zercher welcomes guest Amber Nelms.
(00:14) – Your journey into ABA started at home with your son’s diagnosis. How has that personal experience shaped how you lead Triangle ABA?
Amber explains how lived experience gives her a deep sense of empathy and connection with parents and clinicians.
(01:24) – How does your team go about gaining new clients in such a competitive market? What’s working well for you right now?
Amber discusses standing out by staying authentic and clinician-led, emphasizing collaboration and shared decision-making.
(02:32) – What have you found to be the hardest part of growing your team?
Amber talks about balancing client pipelines, marketing strategy, and SEO while maintaining service quality.
(03:51) – What have been the toughest moments in scaling Triangle ABA without outside investors?
Amber shares the discipline behind “people-backed” growth—focusing on essentials, not flash—and investing in her team and tools over appearances.
(05:22) – How do you cultivate leaders in an industry filled with burnout and turnover?
Amber defines true leadership as influence, not title, and emphasizes core values, mindset, and alignment as her foundation.
(06:59) – How do you see brain science evolving in ABA over the next 5–10 years?
Amber reflects on neuroscience collaboration, rewards and reinforcement shaping the brain, and her hope for future integration.
(08:13) – What marketing tactics are you exploring or watching closely right now?
Amber discusses building out business development functions, hiring strategically, and testing messaging and campaigns with intention.
(10:28) – Closing reflections on leadership, growth, and gratitude.
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