This episode takes place live at the isolved booth during SHRM 2025. William Tincup and Ryan Leary invite two guests who had no plan to be recorded. Brittany Dvorak and Katie Leonard join the conversation without warning. What follows feels honest. Nothing sounds rehearsed.
Brittany explains why being blunt earns trust when it comes from care. She shares how speaking up changes more than policy. Katie talks about showing up at every location, even when others forget to. She recalls the moment a worker thanked her for explaining benefits. Both women share stories that reveal what it means to help someone feel seen. They make it clear that real HR happens when people remember to be human.
Timestamps
00:00 — Two strangers walk in and agree to record without a script
00:43 — They find common ground through football and conference fatigue
01:26 — Brittany calls for wine and honesty in professional spaces
02:25 — Katie explains how her boss earns trust by fighting for fairness
03:26 — Brittany defines a people hero as someone who disrupts when it counts
04:16 — William says real leadership means speaking truth to power
04:27 — Brittany owns her bluntness and explains why it builds stronger teams
06:38 — Katie says she shows up when others don’t and makes people feel included
07:44 — Brittany shares how a check-in helped someone choose to stay alive
10:06 — They reflect on how empathy showed up during COVID but faded too fast
11:15 — Katie remembers the moment she knew HR was the right path
12:44 — William reminds everyone that great HR begins with listening
This episode was recorded live with isolved at the SHRM Annual Conference in San Diego.
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:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Powered by the WRKdefined Podcast Network.
Sponsors
