Episode 28: "Self-Care Cosplay" & the Tote Bag Hunger Games: Why Conferences Fail to Change Practice

Live from NCABA 2026 in Winston-Salem, NC, Sean Yocum and Mike Carrero take the stage for the first-ever live recording of the Rad n Bad podcast. In an industry that prides itself on data and behavior change, the guys ask the uncomfortable question: Why do we spend millions of dollars on conferences and return to the clinic on Monday without changing a single thing?

Sean and Mike strip away the "professional theater" and analyze the conference ecosystem through the lens of behavior analysis. They dive deep into:

• The Reinforcement Reality: Why the hallway is the "Super Bowl" of networking while the breakout rooms are just "intellectual cardio."

• Escape-Maintained Professionalism: Is your conference attendance a genuine pursuit of mastery, or just a high-end "escape from aversive stimuli" (like insurance paperwork and RBT call-outs)?

• The ROI of Vibes: Moving past participant satisfaction surveys to measure actual clinical outcomes and treatment integrity post-event.

• Hacking the System: How to shift from "Inspiration" to "Implementation" by redesigning CEUs around competency, follow-up, and measurable skill acquisition.

This isn't a "trash session"—it’s a call to action. If behavior follows reinforcement, it’s time to stop reinforcing attendance and start reinforcing outcomes. Grab a drink, pull up a chair at the bar, and let's get into the contingencies of why we do what we do.