We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristina McCreight . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristina below.

Kristina , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I fell in love with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) after learning of it from a professional who implemented it with kiddos with autism.

Since I loved the science and the only way that I knew to learn more about it was to utilize it with kiddos with autism, I earned my master’s degree in applied behavior analysis.

Fast forward 7 years. I had earned my master’s degree and had become a BCBA and had been working with parents and caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and had been exposed to desperate and scared families and dangerous situations.

Although I loved my science, I knew that I couldn’t continue practicing it in this way and with this population facing these specific challenges.

I happily quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom. I knew I wanted to go back to work one day as a BCBA practicing Applied Behavior Analysis, but I didn’t know how and with whom I would practice it with.

After working with mostly moms in the home with their kiddos with intellectual and developmental disabilities and becoming a mom myself, I realized mothers and women needed help putting their health at the forefront of their daily tasks.

I began to explore how Applied Behavior Analysis can be utilized to shape and teach health and fitness behaviors. After all, applied behavior analysis can be applied to almost any behavior under the Sun!

I found a special interest group (SIG) that focused on health sports and fitness (HSF) behaviors. I began to ask away! A fellow BCBA recommended I earn additional certifications so that I can begin to practice changing and shaping health and fitness behaviors with the general population. I earned my national board certification as a health and wellness coach (NBC-HWC). I opened my own LLC, built my own website and began to consistently produce reels on Instagram. Regardless of these accomplishments, I couldn’t seem to get clients.

What finally worked was in-person networking! I volunteered to provide workshops to get exposure for my self as a professional and begin to offer pro bono services in exchange for testimonials.

After a year and a half, I have created valuable content and made strong connections with my community and continue to do so happily.

Kristina , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always wondered why people do what they do. What motivates them? Why do they behave the way they do?

I believe this was the beginning of me trying to find a way to analyze people and why they make the choices that they do.

This is why applied behavior analysis Is perfect for me to practice and live! Because it gives you insight to why people do what they do. It gives me the tools to evaluate Behavior around me and figure out what motivates me and the people around me.

I have this analytic filter in my mind as I live my daily life and I wouldn’t change it for anything!

I chose my niche (women and mothers) because, after 12 years of providing services to this niche, I’ve realized that their own health and wellness is always second to those that they love. What I believe women and mothers may not realize is that when they provide care for others while they give no care for themselves then they begin to run on fumes. Mothers are unintentionally modeling a “burnout” lifestyle for their kiddos and those same kiddos may grow up also never engaging in self-care behaviors.

So I chose to apply the science that I love to educating clients on how to understand their own behavior and how to change/shape their own behavior.

With this analytic science, I provide my clients with the tools to evaluate their daily schedule, the choices that they make, what they value, why they do what they do, and how to change their own behavior.

When it comes to human behavior, most people are only taught the bare minimum if anything at all.

What I provide to my clients is education so that they have the tools to be in control of their behavior and to understand the why behind their behavior.

I want to work myself out of a job. I want my clients to feel confident in changing their behavior so that their day-to-day matches their values or what they find most important in their lives.

I want my clients to walk away with the tools that will allow for them to live a fulfilled life. And that begins with knowing what they want, why they want it, and what they can do about changing their behavior so it matches their desires to improve and to live a healthy life

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

I didn’t have money to start my company so I did the following things to begin! – I created content to provide free workshops at community centers, libraries and for non-profit organizations
– I learned how to build my own website (I’m NOT tech-savvy) and I get compliments on my website!
– I used a free platform (Canva) to create content for Instagram, Pinterest, and facebook
– I created a blog
– I continuously create new handouts that can act as a “lead magnet” or that can be useful to my clients while they work with me
– I e-mailed people only to get ghosted or turned down, but I continued to e-mail anyways
– I did ALL of this for free just so I could begin to bring awareness to myself and to my services

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that work fits specific hours. If you’re an entrepreneur you have to be flexible (in the beginning) to earn control over your schedule. I had to unlearn being told when to do what and to rely on externally imposed deadlines. I had to learn how to be flexible, open-minded, to say yes even when scared and to manage my time and to learn constantly.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @coach_Kristinamccreight
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LCBHC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-mccreight/