Building America’s First Autism Therapy Franchise (80+ Locations) feat. Nichole Daher
Tue Jan 27 2026
What happens when a personal family challenge turns into a national mission-driven business? In Episode 85 of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, Lam sits down with Nichole Daher, founder of Success on the Spectrum (SOS), the first autism treatment franchise in the United States. Nichole shares how becoming a stepmom to a child with autism pushed her to learn everything she could, and how a painful “aging out” moment in therapy became the catalyst to build something bigger than she ever imagined.
Nichole also breaks down autism in a clear, practical way what the diagnostic criteria look like, what ABA therapy is (and isn’t), and why misconceptions still exist. We talk about the scale of demand, why families face long waitlists, and how SOS designed systems to deliver consistent quality across locations without losing sight of the mission.
Finally, this episode goes deep on entrepreneurship: franchising as a force-multiplier, “profit with a purpose,” and the leadership lessons Nichole learned going from one clinic to 80+ locations across 20 states. Plus Nichole shares how to learn more about SOS franchising (including a special “discovery day” bonus for listeners).
⌛ Timestamps:
00:00:00 Episode trailer
00:00:35 Show & guest introduction
00:01:30 Origin story: from nuclear medicine to founding Success on Spectrum
00:06:07 Secret to successful business: Hiring passionate teams & aligning on mission
00:08:28 Nichole's hobby: high-performance car racing
00:12:03 What is autism? 3 main criteria & levels explained
00:16:05 How modern ABA therapy works
00:20:29 Debunking common ABA therapy misconceptions
00:26:38 Treatment duration, early intervention & insurance coverage
00:29:52 The affected autism population: 1 in 31 kids & huge demand gap
00:32:53 Why franchising? Empowering parents & entrepreneurs
00:36:10 The franchise playbook: from LLC to grand opening
00:38:50 Balancing profit with purpose in autism care
00:42:35 Future vision for autism treatment: adult services & workforce transition
00:46:13 Biggest lesson: people first in a mission-driven business
00:50:00 Mistakes to avoid for aspiring entrepreneurs
00:52:18 Where to follow Nichole Daher & Success on Spectrum
00:54:17 Episode outro
Follow Nichole Daher & Success on Spectrum (SOS):
Success on Spectrum's Website: https://successonthespectrum.com/
Success on Spectrum's contact us (mention that you hear about SoS from "Colors of Web3 & Entrepreneurship" podcast for a free round-trip ticket):
https://sosfranchising.com/contact-us/Success on Spectrum's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/success-on-the-spectrum/
Our social media:
Crypto card guide: cryptocardguide.com
Twitter/X: x.com/ColorsofWeb3pod
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/colors-of-web3-entrepreneurship
If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!
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What happens when a personal family challenge turns into a national mission-driven business? In Episode 85 of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, Lam sits down with Nichole Daher, founder of Success on the Spectrum (SOS), the first autism treatment franchise in the United States. Nichole shares how becoming a stepmom to a child with autism pushed her to learn everything she could, and how a painful “aging out” moment in therapy became the catalyst to build something bigger than she ever imagined. Nichole also breaks down autism in a clear, practical way what the diagnostic criteria look like, what ABA therapy is (and isn’t), and why misconceptions still exist. We talk about the scale of demand, why families face long waitlists, and how SOS designed systems to deliver consistent quality across locations without losing sight of the mission. Finally, this episode goes deep on entrepreneurship: franchising as a force-multiplier, “profit with a purpose,” and the leadership lessons Nichole learned going from one clinic to 80+ locations across 20 states. Plus Nichole shares how to learn more about SOS franchising (including a special “discovery day” bonus for listeners). ⌛ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Episode trailer 00:00:35 Show & guest introduction 00:01:30 Origin story: from nuclear medicine to founding Success on Spectrum 00:06:07 Secret to successful business: Hiring passionate teams & aligning on mission 00:08:28 Nichole's hobby: high-performance car racing 00:12:03 What is autism? 3 main criteria & levels explained 00:16:05 How modern ABA therapy works 00:20:29 Debunking common ABA therapy misconceptions 00:26:38 Treatment duration, early intervention & insurance coverage 00:29:52 The affected autism population: 1 in 31 kids & huge demand gap 00:32:53 Why franchising? Empowering parents & entrepreneurs 00:36:10 The franchise playbook: from LLC to grand opening 00:38:50 Balancing profit with purpose in autism care 00:42:35 Future vision for autism treatment: adult services & workforce transition 00:46:13 Biggest lesson: people first in a mission-driven business 00:50:00 Mistakes to avoid for aspiring entrepreneurs 00:52:18 Where to follow Nichole Daher & Success on Spectrum 00:54:17 Episode outro Follow Nichole Daher & Success on Spectrum (SOS): Success on Spectrum's Website: https://successonthespectrum.com/ Success on Spectrum's contact us (mention that you hear about SoS from "Colors of Web3 & Entrepreneurship" podcast for a free round-trip ticket): https://sosfranchising.com/contact-us/Success on Spectrum's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/success-on-the-spectrum/ Our social media: Crypto card guide: cryptocardguide.com Twitter/X: x.com/ColorsofWeb3pod LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/colors-of-web3-entrepreneurship If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!