Paul (Paulie Gloves) Gavoni, Ed.D., BCBA-D – CEO, Heart & Science International

In this episode of Tim Talks: Behavioral Health, Tim sits down with Dr. Paul “Paulie” Gavoni, a globally recognized thought leader, behavior analyst, and former Golden Gloves champion, to explore how behavioral science can transform leadership, organizations, and even combat sports. Paul shares practical insights from his decades of experience applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) principles to real-world challenges, from improving performance in schools to coaching world-class fighters.

Listeners will learn how to:

• Apply the Four Hats of Leadership to motivate, train, coach, and maintain high-performing teams.
• Translate values into observable behaviors to create impact-driven organizations.
• Approach change management with behavioral principles to maximize results.

Whether you’re a leader, educator, or practitioner, this episode delivers actionable strategies to leverage behavioral science for lasting success.

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

00:00:00 – 00:00:17
Tim Zercher: All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Polly. We really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule.
Paul Gavoni: Oh, you got it, brother. Good. Glad to be here.
Tim Zercher: Absolutely, absolutely. Well, I always like to start off with having guests tell us how they got into the behavioral health field. It's a unique place, and it's not the place that a lot of people start their career heading towards.
Paul Gavoni: Yeah, well, first of all, my value is helping people… [continues discussing his journey into behavioral science]

00:01:32 – 00:01:47
Tim Zercher: Absolutely. Absolutely. What have you found in your career—which has been pretty long and very decorated… What have you found is the hardest part about practicing ABA or behavioral science?
Paul Gavoni: I think probably the big challenge is that the science is very misunderstood… [continues]

00:03:03 – 00:03:13
Tim Zercher: You know, that makes complete sense. What is one of the best applications of behavioral science, especially when it comes to leadership, when you're leading an organization or team?
Paul Gavoni: Well, I disagree with Doctor Janga… [explains Four Hats of leadership: Leading, Training, Coaching, Managing]

00:06:17 – 00:06:30
Tim Zercher: It makes complete sense. What's one practical tip for leaders who are especially trying to handle change management?
Paul Gavoni: Yeah, I'd say it's not about your intent, it's about your impact… [discusses reciprocal feedback and measuring values through behavior]

00:08:21 – 00:08:51
Tim Zercher: That makes complete sense. And ultimately, it's the leader's responsibility to inspire that action, to effectively motivate, to do all of those things.
Paul Gavoni: It's my life's mission… [shares about inspiring leadership from any position]

00:08:51 – 00:10:02
Tim Zercher: For the last question I ask, because we are a marketing agency that specializes in ABA… How do you go about gaining your new clients? How do you go about securing your new partnerships?
Paul Gavoni: For me, because I'm an influencer in the field… [explains how publishing, podcasts, and writing books attract clients]
Tim Zercher: Absolutely, absolutely makes complete sense. Well, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your insights today.
Paul Gavoni: My pleasure. Thank you.