Heroes of HR

By WRKdefined Podcast Network

Heroes of HR is your backstage pass to the unsung champions of every workplace—the People Heroes. This limited-series podcast, brought to you by isolved, cuts through the fluff to highlight the real l... more

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FAQs about Heroes of HR:

How many episodes does Heroes of HR have?

The podcast currently has 59 episodes available.

Heroes of HR episodes:

June 29, 2025People Helping People: Kaitlin's Take on HR, Burnout, and the Feedback That Actually Works
Live from isolved Connect in Charlotte, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Kaitlin, an HR leader in the credit union space, for a grounded conversation on feedback, burnout, and why putting yourself first isn’t selfish—it’s survival.
Kaitlin shares the mindset shift that changed her leadership style: learning how to give effective feedback as a people pleaser. She breaks down how holding others accountable doesn’t have to mean being harsh—and why the delivery matters just as much as the message.
The conversation moves into burnout, boundary-setting, and the permission COVID gave everyone to finally say “no.” From the rise of AI anxiety to HR’s ongoing juggling act, Kaitlin offers a personal, practical perspective on how professionals—especially working moms—can protect their energy and still lead with empathy.
They close out with a look into what “people heroes” really are and why the credit union model might just be HR’s best-kept secret.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Live from Charlotte: local shows, travel woes, and South Carolina roots
02:28 — Kaitlin on feedback: holding people accountable as a people pleaser
04:00 — The feedback model: public praise, private criticism
06:11 — What HR’s really going through: burnout, boundaries, and balance
07:16 — Giving yourself permission to leave early and take the break
08:46 — The lasting cultural impact of COVID: empathy and working hour boundaries
09:54 — Caitlin on AI: helpful for grammar, overwhelming as a trend
11:05 — Advice to her younger HR self: the task list can wait, personal development can’t
12:04 — What “people heroes” really means: helpers, problem-solvers, lifters
12:43 — HR in credit unions: people helping people isn’t just a slogan—it’s the structure

This episode was recorded live at isolved Connect on the UNC Charlotte campus.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
Learn more about isolved: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Powered by the WRKdefined Podcast Network.
...more
14min
June 29, 2025Beyond the Bank: Art Kimball on Financial Access, Earned Wage Ethics, and Getting Paid Your Way
What do Walmart cash pickups, DoorDash paychecks, and AI-powered wage access have in common? A future where your job doesn’t need a bank to pay you.
Live from isolved Connect in Charlotte, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Art Kimball from Green Dot’s rapid! division to explore the evolving world of pay distribution and why traditional payroll systems are failing today’s workforce.
From unbanked middle-class workers to Gen Z avoiding resumes altogether, this episode unpacks how earned wage access is reshaping employee expectations—and why choice, ethics, and transparency matter more than ever.
Art also breaks down why payroll needs guardrails, how predatory models are slipping through, and what HR leaders should be asking before rolling out any pay-on-demand solution.
If you think early access to pay is just a “nice-to-have,” you’re already behind.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Live from Charlotte: Kimball museums, DNA detectives, and HR talk derailed
03:20 — What is Green Dot? Financial inclusion and the unbanked
04:56 — Earned wage access: how rapid! gives employees control
05:25 — Walmart cash pickup: payroll without a bank
06:46 — Breaking payroll traditions: why the biweekly check is outdated
07:11 — rapid! vs Green Dot: B2B vs DTC, and launching with Samsung
09:13 — Text-to-pay: money movement through mobile
10:21 — The client sell: helping HR leaders compete with gig work
11:10 — Why fast food led the earned wage revolution
13:00 — The hidden trap: taxes, benefits, and getting it wrong
14:34 — Net vs gross access: how rapid! protects employees and employers
15:45 — Guardrails, fee caps, and the ethics of access
16:27 — The payday loan problem: not all wage access is created equal
18:33 — Financial literacy: the real challenge isn’t access, it’s behavior
20:09 — Why delivery mechanisms matter more than you think
20:40 — People Heroes defined: showing up, staying human, and doing the work

This episode was recorded live at isolved Connect on the UNC Charlotte campus.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
Learn more about isolved: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Powered by the WRKdefined Podcast Network.
...more
22min
June 17, 2025Legal Isn’t Optional: Tom Von Jess on Why HR Needs to Rethink Employee Protection
HR isn't just about payroll and PTO—it’s about protection.
Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, we sit down with Tom Von Jess, Director of Strategic Partnerships at LegalShield, to unpack the overlooked benefit every employee actually needs: legal support. From navigating assisted living contracts to identity theft recovery, Tom shares how LegalShield is helping HR teams bring peace of mind to workforces and why this benefit is more relevant than ever.
We explore LegalShield’s integration with isolved, the power of real partnerships, and how AI might finally help employees make smarter benefit decisions. Plus, Tom reveals what HR gets wrong about open enrollment—and how to fix it.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Tom Von Jess of LegalShield
03:00 — What LegalShield actually solves for employees
04:34 — Identity theft protection and private investigators on call
05:41 — Customer stories from the isolved network
07:32 — Building real community through People Heroes
08:47 — Supporting lean HR teams with strategic benefits
10:06 — How AI could help employees choose the right benefits
11:17 — The caregiving squeeze: legal needs across generations
12:19 — Estate planning, elder fraud, and HR's expanding role in employee wellbeing

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with the guest:
Tom Von Jess LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-von-jess/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
13min
June 17, 2025Building HR From the Ground Up: Dianne Vaughn on Trust, Talent, and Servant Leadership
When you’re the first HR pro in the building, every decision counts.
Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Dianne Vaughn, HR Manager for a radiology group in Chattanooga, shares what it’s like to build HR from scratch—no playbook, no precedent. From tackling pay disparities with Excel to solving talent gaps in a competitive healthcare market, Diana walks us through how she’s stabilized a workforce and built trust through servant leadership.
We talk quality candidates, remote radiology, pay band creation, and how observing the small things—like a new haircut—can change everything.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Dianne Vaughn, HR Manager in healthcare
01:28 — The challenge: no HR infrastructure, no playbook
02:23 — Recruiting radiologists without $20K bonuses
03:26 — Creative role placement and realistic hiring filters
04:14 — Empowering managers to lead interviews
05:08 — Fixing pay equity with simple data and hard truths
06:13 — Wins that stabilize retention and reporting
06:32 — Advice for new HR pros: win hearts and minds
07:14 — Military leadership lessons in civilian HR
07:40 — The power of small gestures in people work
08:15 — What being a people hero actually means

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
10min
June 17, 2025Onboarding, Benefits, and Being Human: Inside Healthcare HR with Emma Birriel and Christine Padilla
Healthcare HR isn’t just about policies—it’s about people.
In this episode recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago, we sit down with Emma Birriel and Christine Padilla from Shared Imaging to talk about the realities of recruiting, onboarding, and employee care in healthcare. From working in mobile imaging units to handling benefits confusion, they break down what HR looks like when it’s human-centered, not just compliance-driven.
Emma shares the value of proactive benefits communication and why trust matters more than process. Christine walks us through her path from filmmaking to onboarding and how creating emotional safety can change a first day. Together, they show how empathy and clarity shape better workplaces.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Emma and Christine from Shared Imaging
00:44 — From hospital floors to remote HR: Emma’s journey
01:30 — Film school to HR: Christine’s career pivot
04:00 — Recruiting challenges in mobile healthcare
06:31 — Communicating benefits without the jargon
09:44 — Making benefits real through proactive support
11:16 — Wins that remind us why HR matters
13:20 — Building trust before problems escalate
15:44 — Redesigning onboarding for human connection
18:33 — The three first days: onboarding complexity in healthcare
20:54 — Advice for HR newcomers: stay curious, stay compassionate
26:39 — What being a People Hero really means

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/
Connect with the guest:
Emma Birriel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birriel-shrm-cp-234744140/

Website: https://www.sharedimaging.com/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
28min
June 17, 2025Fear Is the Enemy: Joey Price on Thriving Through AI, Soft Skills, and Chaos
AI isn’t the threat—fear is.
Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Joey Price joins the Heroes of HR podcast to talk about the real tension in today’s HR landscape: navigating technological change without losing your grip on human connection.
From soft skills to return-to-office strategies, Joey lays out how HR professionals can calm the chaos, shift mindsets, and thrive in the age of AI. He challenges outdated academic models, calls out the failure of traditional career prep, and makes the case for immersive, practical learning as the next frontier for HR development.
We cover burnout, flexibility, intergenerational skill gaps, and why "best practices" might be holding your team back.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Joey Price on stage at isolved Connect
01:06 — The real enemy isn't AI—it's fear and confusion
03:00 — Why tech predictions never quite kill HR
04:14 — Return to office: what smart companies are doing
06:08 — Building culture through structured soft-skill days
08:18 — From syllabus to ambiguity: preparing early-career pros
10:15 — Why universities are falling behind
12:32 — Joey’s new book: The Power of an HR Budget
14:45 — Gen Z, ChatGPT, and rethinking how we learn
17:00 — Chaos theory, Joker metaphors, and managing AI anxiety
22:00 — Personal stories on authorship, impact, and audience
27:40 — Best career advice: build your well before you’re thirsty
This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with the guest:
Joey Price LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeyvprice/

Website: http://www.jumpstart-hr.com/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
30min
June 17, 2025From Post-Its to Product: Kelli Rico on Building, Balancing, and Securing the Future of HCM
What happens when a product leader with 13 years of HCM experience still prototypes with sticky notes? You get real innovation—built from the ground up, user-first.
In this episode, Kelli Rico, VP of Product Management at isolved, joins us live from isolved Connect in Chicago to share how her team turns napkin ideas into powerful platform features. From customer co-creation and UX-led design to product marketing alignment and R&D tax credits, this conversation reveals the mechanics behind isolved People Cloud—and what it takes to stay secure while shipping fast.
We dive into how her team balances customer input with market insight, avoids feature bloat, and prioritizes trust over flash. Plus, Kelli explains why slowing down for security is the fastest way to earn loyalty in payroll tech.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Kelli Rico, VP of Product at isolved
01:06 — Starting in implementation and growing with the company
03:09 — What drives the product roadmap at isolved
04:48 — Balancing feedback, data, and scale in a SaaS world
06:34 — Feature bloat and the challenge of removal
08:53 — Innovation by observation: ideation sessions and user behavior
11:14 — R&D in payroll, perfect payroll, and AI-driven UX
16:04 — Product marketing alignment and internal education
17:00 — Biweekly releases, change management, and in-app training
20:33 — Security over speed: fraud, trust, and data protection
22:56 — Slowing features to prioritize safety in HCM
23:59 — If not HCM, what would Kelli be doing?

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with the guest:
Kelli Rico LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellirico/

Website: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
26min
June 17, 2025Trust, Trailheads, and the Truth About Implementations: Jura Slattery on Customer Success Done Right
What makes or breaks a customer relationship? It’s not the product. It’s the path.
In this episode, we sit down with Jura Slattery, Head of Customer Success at isolved, live from isolved Connect in Chicago. With decades of implementation experience and a strong philosophy on trust, Jura unpacks why great support starts before go-live—and why most vendors get it wrong.
From emotional intelligence to user adoption to “champagne and failure cake,” this episode breaks down the human and operational side of onboarding, implementation, and optimization. If you think support ends at launch, listen closer.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Jura Slattery at isolved Connect
07:25 — Building trust in the first 100 days
08:18 — Leading with authenticity and one-take intros
09:11 — What great customer experience really takes
10:36 — Balancing scale with care in customer support
11:49 — Automation, AI, and implementation gaps
13:04 — Implementation never really ends
14:23 — Why onboarding needs calibration over completion
15:23 — Optimize before you implement
18:17 — Escalation ≠ failure, it’s part of the process
20:08 — Emotional intelligence in vendor partnerships
23:44 — Why experience matters more than perfection
26:39 — Feature bloat, anxiety, and the myth of progress

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with the guest:
Jura Slattery LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juraslattery/

Website: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
30min
June 17, 2025From Transactions to Trust: Megha Shah on Elevating Customer Relationships
Retention doesn’t start at renewal—it starts at go-live.
Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Megha Shah, SVP of Relationship Management at isolved, joins us to unpack what it really means to build lifelong customer partnerships. In this episode, Megha breaks down the shift from reactive support to proactive enablement, how her team uses active listening and roleplay to scale trust, and why optimization shouldn’t be a billable line item.
She shares insights on structuring long-term renewals, building referenceable relationships, and managing the inevitable chaos of implementation with empathy and follow-through. This one’s for anyone who believes retention is earned, not assumed.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Megha Shah, SVP of Relationship Management at isolved
01:04 — What it means to be a customer’s trusted advisor
02:15 — Teaching active listening and consultative service
03:54 — Role-playing with AI to train for real conversations
05:37 — Building trust with introverted and extroverted teams
07:00 — Referenceability and the long game of retention
08:28 — Multi-year renewals and financial predictability
10:26 — Why success starts at go-live, not renewal
12:07 — Optimization as a service, not a charge
14:10 — The goal: 90% proactive relationship management
15:24 — Psychological safety and solution-oriented culture

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with the guest:
Megha Shah LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtshah/

Website: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
18min
June 17, 2025From Underwriting to HR Ops: Macy Ewing on Growth, Grit, and Saying No
Scaling a business is messy. Doing it while managing HR, payroll, and compliance from a distance? Even messier.
In this episode, Macy Ewing—CEO of Aaronson Group—joins us live from isolved Connect in Chicago to talk about her transition from truck insurance underwriter to leading operations for a rapidly growing virtual company. From paper-based retirement plans to compliance thresholds that come with scaling past 50 employees, Macy shares the real challenges behind small business HR.
We get into what it means to meet people where they are, why saying no is a leadership skill, and how digital transformation (even as simple as switching from checks to 401K integrations) changes everything for small teams.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Meet Macy Ewing, CEO of Aaronson Group
01:00 — From underwriting to virtual operations
02:39 — HR priorities vs. entrepreneurial urgency
04:09 — Scaling people while staying compliant
06:05 — Learning through audits and external perspective
08:04 — 401K win: ditching paper for payroll integration
10:11 — Let experts be experts: the power of partnership
12:41 — What being a People Hero really means
13:24 — Meeting employees where they are (literally and digitally)
16:51 — Communication skills, generational gaps, and teachable moments
19:05 — Recharge strategy: the discipline of saying no
21:07 — Empowerment through boundaries and mistakes

This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.
The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.
You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/

Connect with the guest:
Macy Ewing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macy-ewing-649434236/

Website: http://www.aronsongroup.net/
Connect with Us:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/

Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with us on social:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/

Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined

Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
...more
23min

FAQs about Heroes of HR:

How many episodes does Heroes of HR have?

The podcast currently has 59 episodes available.