Arizona is experiencing rapid business growth, fueled by billions in new investment across technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and commercial real estate. But beneath the headlines lies a deeper story about leadership, trust, and the human experience in a changing economy.

In this episode of The Future of Human Experience, Eric Rodriguez speaks with Tom Wolf about what Arizona's expansion reveals about the future of work, relationship-driven leadership, and the evolving role of human connection in business. Drawing from decades of experience in commercial real estate, Tom shares why trust, curiosity, and lifelong learning are becoming essential competitive advantages in a technology-driven world.

As industries scale and digital tools accelerate change, this conversation explores why the most valuable advantage may still be deeply human.

Connect with Tom.

Follow all of Eric's work here.

Most companies invest in culture, but overlook the one place employees visit multiple times a day.

In this episode, Patrick McMullan explains why breakrooms may be the most underestimated driver of workplace culture.

Patrick McMullan is the founder of Breaktime TV, a platform rethinking how screens, content, and physical space shape the modern workplace.

In a world of hybrid work, AI acceleration, and constant digital noise, organizations are struggling to engage employees in meaningful ways. Patrick argues that culture doesn't live in meetings or mission statements; it lives in the moments between the work.

We explore:

• Why breakrooms are prime real estate for attention and connection

• How "screens with purpose" can strengthen—not dilute—culture

• The difference between being a vendor and being a true workplace partner

• What leaders get wrong about engagement in an automated world

• How organizations can design human-centered workplaces at scale

This conversation isn't about digital signage.

It's about reclaiming attention, designing belonging, and building workplaces people actually want to be part of.

The Future of Human Experience explores how leaders, builders, and innovators are shaping a more human-centered future at the intersection of technology, work, and culture.

Patrick McMullan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcmullanpj/

Website: https://breaktimetv.com/

Eric J. Rodriguez

Website: https://ericjrodriguez.com/

00:00 "Humanizing Workplaces in a Digital Era"
05:52 Employee Feedback and Communication Loop
09:09 "Breaktimeads: Innovation and Training"
12:58 "AI and the Human Experience"
15:19 "Creating a Workplace Culture Hub"
18:07 "Future of Work and AI"
22:58 Creating Engaging Spaces for Connection
26:58 "Defining Moments and Taking Leaps"
28:50 "What Problem Do You Solve?"
31:55 "Building a Better Future Together"

What does it mean to stay human in divisive times?

In this episode, I'm joined by Lorenzo Sierra, a former Arizona legislator and longtime community leader, for a conversation about leadership, service, and choosing humanity when times are hard.

Lorenzo shares lessons shaped by facing his own mortality, supporting his wife through cancer, and making decisions in public life whose impact would only be felt years later. Together, we reflect on why titles come and go, but impact lasts — and why most people are still good, even when the world feels fractured.

This episode is a reminder that the future won't be built by louder voices, but by more human ones.


Buy Lorenzo's latest book: https://a.co/d/in0RZKp

Connect with Lorenzo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/losierra/

Stay connected with Eric's Work: https://linktr.ee/ericjrodriguez

00:00 "Politics, Community, and Legacy"
06:02 Living a Life of Impact
07:51 "Empathy and Leadership in Arizona"
13:53 "Impact of Pre-K Funding"
15:49 "Bipartisan Politics and Compromise"
19:17 "Beating the Odds at Hopkins"
22:14 "Community Support for Recovery"
24:53 "Lessons on Love and Mortality"
28:26 "Unasked Questions About Preparedness."
31:50 "Puerto Penasco's Future Potential."
34:29 "Conversations That Inspire Connection"