Brock Arnold and Rita Kusi on defining people heroes and building purpose from hardship

Live from the isolved booth at SHRM in San Diego, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with two guests who’ve never met—but leave with a shared outlook on HR leadership, family, and purpose. Brock Arnold and Rita Kusi bring two powerful, personal takes on what it means to be a “people hero”—and how life, work, and service intersect when you’re truly committed to others. Rita shares how she left her corporate job and moved back to Ghana to build an HR consultancy from the ground up. She talks about her passion for remote team development and the power of global inclusion. Brock opens up about the emotional impact of his son’s leukemia diagnosis and how it reshaped his values. That moment sparked the creation of Thrive Life Project, a nonprofit helping families facing trauma find peace and connection through healthy meals and hands-on activities. This one hits hard—and sticks with you. It’s about listening better, caring deeper, and remembering what really matters when the noise fades away. Timestamps 00:00 — Two strangers meet at the booth, but values connect fast 01:35 — What “people hero” really means in today’s workplace 02:26 — HR in a cape: Rita’s image of unsung heroes 03:29 — Brock breaks down empathy as action, not performance 04:08 — Giving without expectations becomes the core value 04:19 — Rita’s radical move to Ghana to give back through HR 05:18 — Brock’s world shifts with his son’s leukemia diagnosis 06:13 — The moment that led to founding Thrive Life Project 07:25 — What “barely surviving” looks like for families in crisis 09:07 — Why decision fatigue makes dinner feel impossible 10:07 — Bringing families together with meals and STEM—not screens 10:46 — Rita’s HR superpower: building remote teams across borders 12:19 — Why global synergy drives her passion for technology and people 12:33 — Brock’s superpower: empathetic listening that builds real trust 13:18 — Why culture doesn’t shift unless people feel understood 13:39 — Final reflections on timing, connection, and serving others when it matters most 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: 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/