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
Taylor Cowan, M.Ed. – Vice President of Business Development, Chancelight Behavioral Health, Therapy & Education
In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Tim Zercher sits down with Taylor Cowan, M.Ed., Vice President of Business Development at Chancelight Behavioral Health, Therapy & Education, to unpack the real challenges districts face when serving students with intensive behavioral and special education needs.
Taylor shares his journey from pre-K teacher and school administrator to building customized behavioral health and special education programs across the South. The conversation dives into budget constraints, staffing shortages, special education director burnout, and what it truly takes to help students successfully transition back into less restrictive environments.
They also explore what makes partnership-based services so difficult to market, why conferences and state-level pilot programs matter, and how proving results locally becomes the most powerful form of growth.
If you work in ABA, special education, behavioral health, or district leadership, this episode offers candid insight into what’s happening on the ground - and what’s needed to drive sustainable change.
00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
Tim welcomes Taylor to the show.
00:07 – How did you get into the behavioral health space?
Taylor shares his journey from pre-K teacher to school leadership and into behavioral health services.
01:03 – What do people misunderstand about the biggest challenges in special education today?
Discussion on budgets, service complexity, staffing shortages, and special education director burnout.
03:17 – What helps students successfully transition back to standard classroom environments?
Taylor explains district capacity, data tracking, and the importance of strong district programs.
05:17 – How do you go about gaining new district partners and clients?
A deep look at long sales cycles, partnership models, and why conferences outperform traditional marketing.
07:51 – What new growth or outreach strategies are you watching closely?
Taylor discusses state-level pilot programs and working directly with Departments of Education.
09:51 – Why do districts believe their challenges are unique?
Exploration of silos in special education leadership and shared challenges across states.
11:05 – Closing thoughts & future collaboration
Taylor shares final thoughts and openness to future conversations.
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