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"

AI didn't make us less human.
It revealed what our systems have been training us to ignore.

In this episode of The Future of Human Experience, I'm joined by former tech executive and founder of the Thank You for Being Human movement, Minea Moore, for a deeply honest conversation about leadership, technology, and what it takes to stay human in a world obsessed with speed and optimization.

We explore:

• Why AI can feel more present than modern workplaces

• How efficiency quietly replaced empathy in leadership

• The danger of choosing comfort over real connection

• Gratitude, presence, and vulnerability as leadership practices

• What it means to rebuild trust in human systems

This isn't a conversation about rejecting technology.
It's about responsibility, legacy, and the kind of humans our systems are shaping us to become.

If this episode resonated, stay connected.

Follow Minea Moore and the Thank You for Being Human movement for reflections on empathy, leadership, and people-first systems.

For more conversations at the intersection of technology, leadership, and humanity, follow The Future of Human Experience and connect with me, Eric J. Rodriguez.

And if this episode made you pause or rethink how you show up at work, share it with someone who needs that reminder.

Political violence grabs headlines.
Civil dialogue rarely does.

In this episode of The Future of Human Experience, I'm joined by Carlos Alfaro, co-founder of Arizona Talks, to explore what it actually takes to keep conversations human when disagreement runs deep.

This is not a debate, and it's not about choosing sides.

It's a conversation about curiosity, courage, and why bringing people into the same room still matters in an age designed to divide us.

If you believe the future depends not just on what we build, but on how we listen, this conversation is for you.

Most people don't fail because they lack talent.
They lose momentum before the week even begins.

In this episode of The Future of Human Experience, Eric J. Rodriguez sits down with Paul Epstein, former NFL and NBA executive and founder of the Win Monday movement, to explore why Monday is the most overlooked advantage in leadership and life.

Together, they unpack:

• Why uncertainty and change are permanent—and why that's not the problem

• How winning one day creates momentum that compounds across weeks, months, and years

• The difference between partners, tourists, and prisoners inside every organization

• Why adversity isn't your fault, but taking responsibility changes everything

• How leaders play offense even when the world stays on defense

This conversation isn't about motivation.
It's about ownership, habits, and choosing momentum when the noise won't stop.

If the year ahead feels uncertain, this episode offers something better than clarity:
a place to start.

00:00 "Win Monday, Gain Momentum"
05:36 "Thriving Through Change and Adversity"
09:04 "Building High-Performance Habits"
10:29 "Partners, Tourists, and Prisoners"
13:52 "Own Your Inner Weather"
18:50 "The 1% Better Mentality."
22:02 "Creating Intentional Life Menus"
23:32 "Push Through, No Regrets"
26:29 "Conversations for a Human Future."

Connect with Paul Epstein
Founder of the Win Monday movement
Keynotes, resources, and more at:
👉 paulepsteinspeaks.com

Connect with Eric J. Rodriguez
Host of The Future of Human Experience
Subscribe to the newsletter for ideas on leadership, innovation, and the human side of change:
👉 ericjrodriguez.com

What happens when AI is designed to support teachers — not replace them?

In this episode of The Future of Human Experience, Eric J. Rodriguez sits down with Monica Gilfillan, former special education teacher and Senior Account Executive at MagicSchool AI, to explore teacher burnout, personalized learning, and why reclaiming the human side of education matters now more than ever.

This is a grounded conversation about time, trust, equity, and the role of relationships in shaping the future of learning.

Monica Gilfillan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicagilfillan/

• MagicSchool AI: https://www.magicschool.ai

Eric J. Rodriguez

• Website: https://www.ericjrodriguez.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejrodriguez/

00:00 Future Education and Humanity
05:21 "Transitioning to Human-Centered Education"
08:58 "Tech Deployment Lessons Learned"
11:25 Challenges Facing Magic School
13:39 Global Education Equity Models
16:46 "Transformative Tool for Educators"
19:28 School Choice and Education Debate
22:13 "Books, Kids, and Connection"
25:23 Connectivity and Human-Centered Solutions

Human connection has changed, and we're not talking enough about it.

In this episode, World Civility Ambassador Dr. Will Moreland joins Eric J. Rodriguez to explore the new rules of human connection in a world where we're "more connected than ever… yet more disconnected than ever."

Through personal stories, global experiences, and real talk about technology and AI, Dr. Will explains why civility is now a competitive advantage, and why storytelling still reveals the truth better than any metric or dashboard.

You'll hear:
-Why disconnection has become the hidden cost of modern life
-The Dubai story that changed everything for Dr. Will
-How AI can enhance human connection instead of replacing it
-Why the future belongs to leaders who stay curious and courageous
-What civility looks like in the age of automation

00:00 "Celebrating a Dynamic Connection"
04:46 "Intentional Civility and Connectivity"
09:09 "Building Connections Through Podcasting"
12:02 "Moving to Arizona Blessing"
14:49 "Understanding Employees Beyond Data"
18:16 AI's Impact on Jobs
22:20 "Civility Drives Workplace Productivity"
25:38 "Sharing Stories with My Son"
26:40 "Inspiring Cross-Cultural Storytelling"

Connect with Dr. Will Moreland: https://www.morelandtraining.com/

WORK WITH ERIC:
Looking to inspire your team or audience? Book Eric for keynotes, workshops, or consulting by visiting https://www.ericjrodriguez.com

LISTEN AND LEARN:
Don't miss Eric's insights on leadership, innovation, and the future of work by subscribing to The Future of Human Experience.

CONNECT WITH ERIC:
Website: https://ericjrodriguez.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejrodriguez/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eric.j.rodriguez/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eric.j.rodriguez
X: https://x.com/ERodrigz