Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers

What happens when the systems designed to support students begin signaling that something isn’t working? In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Dr. Ashlee Brown to explore a critical and timely question: Is it time to reset how special education systems operate? Drawing from experience as a teacher, administrator, researcher, and p...

Series Title: Regulated to Lead: Trauma, Toxic Stress, and the Responsive Systems That Shape Behavior Episode Title: What’s Really Happening Under Stress: Trauma, Toxic Stress, and Behavior What if leadership is really nervous‑system work? In this episode, Dr. Esther C. Bubb speaks with Shannon Fitzpatrick Thomas, MA, LPC, NCC—licensed professional counselor, longtime county human‑services leader,...

In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Licensed Behavior Consultant Yatta Pewa to explore what human-centered leadership looks like in applied behavior analysis and systems of care. Yatta shares how her work, grounded in data-driven assessment, individualized intervention planning, and collaborative coaching, has taught her a criti...

In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for ChangeMakers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Stephen F. Corsi, Assistant Professor and Program Director for Advanced Leadership Certification in the Graduate School of Education at Gannon University. With more than four decades in education, as a music director, building principal, service coordinator, and graduate leadership mentor, Step...

What happens when behavioral science moves beyond client programming and becomes a leadership framework? In this episode, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Victoria “Tori” Perko, BCBA, Director of Behavior Services and BCBA Coordinator of ABA Clinics, to explore how applied behavior analysis shapes leadership across people, systems, and organizational change. Tori shares her journey from graduate...

In this heart-centered conversation, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Kathleen (Kathy) Mignone, a Local Education Agency Representative with more than 20 years of experience in early childhood special education. Together, they explore what leadership looks like when it’s grounded in compassion, curiosity, and a deep belief in human potential.  Kathy shares her evolution from autistic support teac...

What does leadership look like when creativity, culture, and behavior science meet in the classroom? In this inspiring conversation, Grenadian educator Alina Roberts shares how a lineage of teachers shaped her calling, how she intentionally models leadership for her students, and how cultural values, from friendliness to community accountability, strengthen school culture and student behavior. Ali...

What does leadership look like in a classroom, and how do everyday teaching behaviors shape lives far beyond school walls? In this heartwarming and deeply personal episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with her sister, Ms. Lois Bubb, a beloved educator whose 40+ years of teaching and mentoring have shaped thousands of lives across Grenada. Ms....

In this special bonus reflection episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb takes listeners behind the mic for an honest, reflective, and deeply personal look at what she has learned across the first ten episodes of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers. From pressing record despite fear, to forgetting to press save and turning a “leadermon” in...

What does leadership look like when it’s grounded in behavior, not position? In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change-Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Dr. Jim Connell, Associate Professor at Drexel University and founding director of multiple graduate training programs, and a nationally recognized leader in school psychology, applied behavior analysis, and systems‑l...

Welcome to Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Changemakers, the podcast where leadership meets behavior science, and where educators, clinicians, and everyday humans come to grow. Hosted by Dr. Esther C. Bubb, special educator, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, administrator, mentor, and lifelong believer in bringing out the best in people, this show is rooted in over two decades of experience...

Dr. Esther C. Bubb, host of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Changemakers, is an educator, behavior analyst, leader, and mentor with more than two decades of experience supporting children, schools, families, and professionals. Grounded in a strengths-based and relationship-centered approach, Dr. Bubb specializes in leadership development, coaching structures, early childhood systems, and beh...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Gabrielle C. Sereni, Esquire, teacher turned school attorney, educational advocate, and founder of Sereni Law Group, LLC. Together, they explore the intersection of behavior, belonging, and the law, uncovering how legal systems, human behavior, and leadership practices shape the lived experiences of children, families, and educators. Draw...

In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Jennie Prochorenko-Stadelberger, Special Education Consultant with Sereni Law Group LLC, for a rich discussion on servant leadership, behavior-driven decision making, and educational advocacy. We explore how servant leadership and behavioral science intersect to drive student success, strength...

What does leadership really look like when it’s grounded in values, culture, behavior, and impact, not just titles and charisma? In this powerful episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change-Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb is joined by Dr. Tessa Barry and Dr. Donnell Thomas for a rich, reflective conversation on behaviorally informed leadership in education and beyond. Drawing from their sha...

What does leadership look like when it’s grounded in everyday behavior, not titles or authority? In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, host Esther C. Bubb is joined by Evangelist Dr. Monay Legette, Ed. D., Principal and Building Supervisor at Samuel Everitt, for a powerful conversation on translating leadership vision into daily practice. Dr. Legette shares her le...

Leadership Before the Title: How Early Career Experiences Build Ethical, Behaviorally Skilled Leaders In this episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Change Makers, Dr. Esther C. Bubb sits down with Mikhaela C. McKinnie, a senior at Temple University double-majoring in Financial Planning and Real Estate, to explore how leadership is shaped long before formal authority is granted. Through...

Dr. Esther C. Bubb and guest, Tracey F. Wise, explore why motivation thrives in environments of trust and clarity and how leaders can create environments that spark engagement and trust. Tracey's Bio Tracey F. Wise, M.Ed., is a highly experienced and credentialed educational leader with over two decades of expertise in special education law, student services, and compliance monitoring. Tracey offe...

Dr. Esther C. Bubb and guest, Dr. Natalie Hess, unpack what it means to lead when you’re tired, stretched thin, or tested, and the behavioral science behind staying centered when it matters most. Dr. Hess's Bio: Dr. Natalie Hess is the Director of Special Education and Support Services for the Brandywine School District, where she leads district-wide programs and services for students with disabil...

Dr. Esther C. Bubb and guest, Tyrrea L. Graves, explore what genuine reinforcement looks like, how recognition strengthens teams and relationships, the art of leading with positivity without slipping into toxic positivity, and how leaders can hold space for hard emotions while still offering hope. Tyrrea's Bio: Tyrrea L. Graves is the innovative Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Autistic Angels...

In the very first episode of Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Changemakers, host Dr. Esther Bubb lays the foundation for what meaningful, sustainable leadership is really made of behavior. Not titles. Not charisma. Not personality. Behavior. Observable. Measurable. Teachable. Shapeable. Dr. Bubb breaks down how applying behavior science to leadership transforms classrooms, clinics, teams, and...

Behaviorally Speaking: Leadership for Changemakers is where leadership meets behavior science, and where educators, clinicians, and humans grow. Hosted by Dr. Esther C. Bubb, this podcast blends inspiring leadership wisdom with practical applied behavior analysis, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and real‑world stories from schools, homes, and organizations. Each episode explores the small, po...