Have you ever wondered how to spread important information through online course work? Long time member of our online community and participant in my very first cohort for my online course, Teresa Lyons, asked me just this question! Teresa is a BCBA, certified general and special education teacher, and owner of the only FIT Learning Center in Virginia.
We’ve talked about Fit Learning before with Dr. Kim Berens and Teresa shares about how she as a BCBA operates her center and the incredible academic work it does for children both with and without disabilities. One of the founding qualifications of FIT Learning Centers is that in 40 hours of learning, students will not only close their gaps but actually excel and advance at least a year ahead. With her center and 30 years of important work in the field, Teresa has a lot of knowledge and information to offer.
I recently asked my personal, public Facebook community, “If you and I could sit down and talk for 10 minutes…what would you ask me?”. Teresa asked some great questions about creating courses and how I got started.
First and foremost, I was in the right place at the right time. When my son was diagnosed, I really leaned into learning and working hard to understand and help him. I already had a masters in nursing and was highly motivated to get into ABA and Verbal Behavior. As I began to learn and work and began to speak to teach others, I realized live speeches, seminars, and conferences were not scalable and they were not reaching enough people. At this same time, the internet began to take off and make itself available to shareable online content.
I got a business degree to add to my education and I read two really great books, Millionaire Messenger by Brendun Bruchard and Launch by Jeff Walker. Jeff Walker is still a mentor of mine to this day, I’ve had him on the podcast and I am a part of his mastermind. The key to growth when sharing information, is to never stop learning. Learning about the content, learning how to present and market the content, and learning what your audience wants as they grow and change.
I also did not go at it alone. In the very beginning it was baseline website building in the wee hours of the night but I very quickly realized I needed help. I kept working as a consultant full time for the first year and half time for the following two years, as a grew and scaled my business. Now in 2021 I only have 1 full time employee but I utilize contractors and agencies for so much of the behind the scenes. My advice if you’re starting to launch online content is seek help in the areas you do not specialize in and keep your day job so that you can keep pushing until you’ve hit the success point you’re comfortable with.
Something I get asked often is the question about my paid content. Why am I trying to make money? Well, to begin I offer many many free resources online on just about every topic and both of my books are available in Libraries for free access. I offer two paid courses for parents and professionals, the information in these and the community you receive will literally change your life. Not to mention BCBAs receive CEUs for attendance. When you pay for something, you pay attention. A payment is a commitment and I want to ensure you get the very most out of these products.
My paid content has reached over 90 countries and I can surely imagine the plentiful amount of free resources has reached many more than that. All of the families and professionals who have been a part of my online course and community have shown what an incredible impact it’s made on them personally and professionally. Whether you’re looking to take part in one of my online courses or you need help with a specific area I offer in my free resources, you can find so much on my website, MaryBarbera.com. If you’re a professional who is ready to branch out and offer your own online course, welcome. There is so much room to share trustworthy knowledge and advocate for autism families!
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