We were lucky to catch up with Martha Burich recently and have shared our conversation below.

Martha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

A meaningful risk I took was walking into a county jail for the first time to work with addicted and alcoholic women. I’ve never been in jail myself, and I had no idea what to expect. I only knew that something inside me kept telling me to go.

It wasn’t comfortable. It wasn’t familiar. And it certainly wasn’t “safe” in the predictable way people like to keep their lives. But I knew these women were someone’s daughters, sisters, and mothers. They’d been written off by most of the world, and I wanted them to know at least one person believed they were worth helping.

The first day, I walked through multiple locked doors, hearing them slam shut behind me. It would’ve been easy to turn around. Instead, I went forward. When I sat down with those women and looked them in the eye, everything shifted. Their honesty, their pain, and their desire to change were unmistakable.

Taking that risk has become one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. I now go every week. I teach them how to stay sober, rebuild relationships, regulate emotions, and believe they can rise from where they are. They trust me because I’m real with them, and because I show up consistently.

That single risk opened a door to a purpose I didn’t even know I had. It strengthened my speaking, my writing, and my work in parenting and in addiction recovery. It proved to me that stepping into the unknown is often where we discover our greatest impact.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Martha Burich, M.Ed., a nationally recognized parenting expert, author, and speaker. My path began as a parent, then as a child psychology professor and later as a high school special education teacher, where I worked directly with families who were overwhelmed by behavior issues and desperate for guidance that actually worked. Over time, I saw how complicated and confusing the parenting world had become, and I made it my mission to simplify it.

Today I teach parents how to get good behavior and cooperation from their children without yelling, threats, or punishment. I blend academic training, 25+ years of hands-on experience, and my own journey through sobriety to help families create homes filled with respect, structure, and emotional safety.

My 5-star rated book, Yes You Can Raise Happy Responsible Children, endorsed by Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul, gives parents a clear, practical roadmap for raising confident, respectful kids. I also create tools that families use every day, including the Mistaken Behavior Goal Workbook, which helps parents understand the real reasons behind misbehavior, and Feel It, Face It, Free It, an emotional-resilience workbook for people in recovery.

I lead high-impact parenting workshops on Zoom and in person, speak at schools and community organizations nationwide, and offer private consulting for parents and individuals rebuilding their lives after addiction. My workshops and talks consistently earn standing ovations because I teach strategies people can apply the same day. No theory, no jargon, just proven solutions.

What sets me apart is my direct, compassionate approach. I don’t sugar-coat and I don’t overcomplicate. I show families exactly how to change behavior, strengthen relationships, and build calmer, more cooperative homes. What I’m most proud of is watching parents transform. Not just their children’s behavior, but their entire family dynamic.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about my work, it’s this: you can raise happy, responsible children, and you don’t have to struggle or yell to get there. I’m here to show you how.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The moment that defined my resilience wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was quiet, painfully quiet. I woke up one morning and realized that if I didn’t change, I was going to lose everything that mattered: my son, my dignity, my future. I had spent years holding everything together on the outside while falling apart on the inside. And that day, I made the hardest decision of my life: to stop running from myself.

Walking into that first recovery meeting felt like stepping into fire. I was terrified, ashamed, and more alone than I had ever been. But I showed up anyway. And then I showed up the next day. And the next. Recovery wasn’t a single moment of bravery. It was thousands of tiny acts of courage, repeated over and over again when no one was clapping.

That choice reshaped me. That’s why today, people know me as someone who is dependable, consistent, and always shows up. Whether I’m teaching parents, speaking to a room full of educators, leading a workshop, or walking into a jail or treatment center to help addicts and alcoholics, I show up fully. I don’t cancel. I don’t disappear. I don’t make excuses. Because I know what it feels like to need someone you can trust.

That journey is the foundation of everything I do now; my 5-star book Yes You Can Raise Happy Responsible Children, endorsed by Jack Canfield; my parenting workshops; my behavioral and emotional healing workbooks; and my one-on-one consulting. Every tool I create comes from the belief that people can rise, families can heal, children can change, and adults can reclaim themselves.

My resilience isn’t about surviving my past. It’s about using it to help others transform their future. And that’s the work I’m most proud of.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My reputation grew because I’m consistent, dependable, and I tell the truth with a sense of humor. Parenting and recovery can feel heavy, but I don’t teach it that way. I make people laugh, because sometimes you need a laugh before you can hear the solution. And parents know I’m not speaking from theory. I’ve been there. I’ve had a difficult, strong-willed child, I’ve had the messy days, and I’ve been through recovery myself. That lived experience matters.

I also show up. If I say I’ll speak, I’m early. If a parent or someone in recovery needs guidance, I answer. People trust me because I don’t flake, I don’t sugar-coat, and I don’t disappear when things get tough.

My 5-star book endorsed by Jack Canfield put me on the map, and my workbooks and workshops proved I could turn complicated behavior issues into simple, doable strategies that actually work. But most of my reputation came from word of mouth. Parents telling other parents, teachers recommending me, and people in recovery sharing the impact.

Families trust me because I’m real, I’m reliable, and I’ve walked the same road. And I help them get real results, with clarity, courage, and a good laugh when they need it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marthaburich.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marthaburichparentingexpert
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-burich
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marthaburichparenting