No More Waiting: Why K’Tyrra Switched From a Franchise to Alpaca
Alpaca Health
39:13
Join us for a conversation with K'Tyrra Sanderfer, MS, BCBA, LBA, Founder of A Stepping Stone Behavioral Services in Plano, Texas. K’Tyrra started her career as an RBT and climbed the ranks of larger ABA organizations to become a Senior BCBA and eventual Clinic Director.
When K'Tyrra first opened her doors, she ran into a problem a lot of new practice owners face: referrals. Clients weren't coming in fast enough, and she couldn't find qualified RBTs to hire even when they did. She'd started with a traditional franchise model that promised support but left her waiting — months went by with little movement on either front.
Then she switched to Alpaca. We'll share what changed: how referrals started coming in, how staffing support helped her build out her clinical team, and how the operational backbone Alpaca provided gave her the breathing room to focus on clients and family instead of chasing leads.
Whether you're a BCBA considering practice ownership, or you're already running a practice on a franchise model and feel stuck waiting for support to show up, this conversation offers a candid look at what's possible when the right partner actually delivers.
Speakers
Michael Gao
CEO at Alpaca Health
Michael Gao is the CEO and Co-Founder of Alpaca Health, the practice-in-a box for BCBAs to start, run, and grow independent ABA practices. Before Alpaca, Michael built a successful online education company that supported thousands of students, giving him a deep appreciation for entrepreneurship. Today, he works closely with new ABA practice owners to demystify the business side of care—everything from accounting to insurance to growth—so they can build sustainable, client-first practices with confidence.
K'Tyrra Sanderfer
Founder at A Stepping Stone Behavioral
I’m K’Tyrra Sanderfer MS, BCBA, LBA, Founder of A Stepping Stone Behavioral Services. After years of working in Applied Behavior Analysis across multiple organizations, I took the step to build something rooted in what I value most: ethical practice, strong leadership, collaboration, and care that truly supports families and clinicians alike. Every organization I’ve worked with contributed to my growth—helping me refine my leadership style, strengthen my clinical decision-making, and better understand how ABA can be applied with both scientific rigor and compassion. A Stepping Stone Behavioral Services was created to reflect those lessons. Our mission is to provide high-quality, in-home ABA services while cultivating a supportive environment for clinicians and meaningful partnerships within the community.
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No More Waiting: Why K’Tyrra Switched From a Franchise to Alpaca
39:13