Southwest Gas Helps The Foster Alliance Bring Holiday Cheer

by Mike Hunter

More than 150 Southwest Gas employees partnered with The Foster Alliance recently to bring comfort and joy to children in foster care during a large-scale holiday volunteer event at the company’s Phoenix office. As part of Southwest Gas’ BLUE (Building Lives Up Everywhere) employee volunteer program, Southwest Gas employees along with their families assembled 100 new bicycles … [More]

Looking Good 2026 – January Standouts

by Mike Hunter

PHILANTHROPY BioLab Gifts Alma Mater with $2.2 Million Carlisle Companies Supports Suicide Prevention Program MC Companies Dedicates Day to Community Cox Charities Invests in Arizona Nonprofits Plexus Worldwide Combats Food Insecurity Bashas’ Supports Feeding America Food Banks Southwest Gas Helps The Foster Alliance Bring Holiday … [More]

The Exception Code: How to Make Culture, Retention, and Customer Loyalty Profitable

by Mike Hunter

Leadership development isn’t failing because leaders don’t care. It’s failing because most are leading by default. Caught between quarterly pressures, cultural fatigue and constant change, too many capable leaders are doing everything right and still watching engagement, innovation and loyalty slip through their fingers. The Exception Code is for the ones who know there’s … [More]

The Hidden YES: Decoding Consumer Psychology to Boost Sales in Finance and Insurance

by Mike Hunter

Customers don’t need more reasons to say “yes” — they need fewer reasons to say “no.” Those in finance or insurance know this frustration all too well. Great products. Compelling offers. Yet still customers hesitate, delay, disappear. More often than not, the problem isn't the pitch. It's the invisible psychological barriers standing in their way. Matt Sucha is one of the … [More]

The Winner’s Curse: Behavioral Economics Anomalies, Then and Now

by Mike Hunter

Nobel Prize-winner Richard H. Thaler and rising-star economist Alex O. Imas explore the past, present and cutting-edge future in behavioral economics in The Winner’s Curse. Why do people cooperate with one another when they have no obvious motivation to do so? Why do we hold on to possessions of little value? And why is the winner of an auction so often disappointed? More … [More]

Medical Office/Inpatient Rehab Combo Honored

by Mike Hunter

Healthcare Real Estate Insights™ magazine’s annual national awards program honors PMB’s Abrazo Health Litchfield Medical Building, the first combination medical office and inpatient rehabilitation facility in Goodyear. Named a 2025 finalist, the 46,000-square-foot facility and surrounding services is positioned alongside the Abrazo West Campus and expands access to … [More]

Construction Resumes on Sports Academy Complex, Hotel

by Mike Hunter

Texas-based real estate developer SSS Partners, LLC recently closed on $183 million in financing and will immediately resume construction on its plans for a private sports academy for grades nine through 12, multi-sport arena and hotel located at I-17 and Sonoran Desert Drive, adjacent to TSMC. SSS Partners acquired the project that was approximately 50% complete in 2023. With … [More]

Trading on Tariffs: The Cost Impact of Doing Business across Borders

by RaeAnne Marsh

Most people understand that tariffs are not simply a cost tacked onto the final price of a product but permeate every step in the network of transactions that ultimately result in its reaching the market. As businesses throughout the supply chain and marketplace evaluate the challenges tariffs pose for them and calculate their response, we see differences not just in the choice … [More]

The Strategic Wardrobe: Why High-Performing Women Are Outsourcing Their Closet to Elevate Their Influence

by the Fabulous DeAnna DuPree

You’ve built the business. You’ve secured the board seat. You’ve navigated mergers, signed the seven-figure contracts, and taken the mic on stages around the world. When you enter a room, the energy shifts — people pay attention not just because of your title but because you consistently deliver. And yet, there’s a moment of friction that happens long before you ever greet … [More]

The Leadership Gap No One Talks About — And Why It’s Costing Founders Their Freedom

by Cari Kenzie, CEPA

Most founders don’t struggle because they’re unclear. They struggle because they’re carrying more than any one leader was ever meant to hold. Ask any seasoned entrepreneur how they built their company and you’ll rarely hear a clean, linear story. You’ll hear about grit, ingenuity, instinct and the pressure of building something bigger than yourself. You’ll hear about doing … [More]

What 50 Years of Closings Tells Us about Today’s Commercial Real Estate Market

by Monica May-Dunn

As Arizona Escrow & Financial approaches our 50th anniversary in 2026, I find myself in a unique position. From the closing table, we see commercial real estate transactions in their most granular detail — not just the headlines, but how deals actually get done. And right now, how deals get done is changing significantly. Since founding AEF in 1976, we've facilitated … [More]

Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First: Why Working Professionals Need Respite Care for Aging Parents before Burnout

by Kimberly Mitchell

Most of us have that one moment we never forget. For me, it was sitting in my car with my laptop open, juggling calls from my kids, my parents and my team while trying to advocate for an aging family member who lived across the ocean from me and had just fallen home. I remember thinking, “This is not sustainable. For anyone.” If you are a working professional caring for an … [More]

Feedback: January 2026

by Kimberly Banach, James Frabasilio, Lauren Peterson

Q: What part of your company website design — in either look or functionality — do you think has been most important in producing the most positive customer/client results? Kimberly Banach Senior Director of Marketing Howard Hughes Communities, Arizona Region Sector: Real Estate Development A seamless, intuitive website experience is essential to supporting the rapid … [More]

How Employers Win with Integrated Health Solutions

by John Byrnes

Rising healthcare costs and increasing rates of chronic disease are straining employer budgets. But the impact goes beyond the balance sheet — affecting workforce health, productivity and retention. In response, many businesses are investing in prevention and wellness programs designed to reduce long-term costs and improve employee well-being. Yet results often vary. In many … [More]

First Impressions Are Biological – Biohack Them to Succeed in Remote Work

by Dr. Scott Hutcheson

In a virtual meeting, our brain still makes a snap judgment, often in under a second, based on what it sees, hears and senses. But without the usual office context, that “first impression” lands even harder. For remote workers, mastering that biology gives them an edge. When we connect via video or audio, our subconscious mind triggers ancient-wired circuits that ask: Can I … [More]

CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job and Keep the Job

by Mike Hunter

For those who imagine themselves in line for advancement — Being on the short list for the CEO job and having a record of delivering amazing results; having been told they have the inside track; feeling they are the leader in the clubhouse — Mark Thompson and Byron Loflin offer a wakeup call: Don't believe it. They caution readers that, no matter what a leader has heard or … [More]

Leadership Beyond the Playbook: Craft Your Own Path. Lead with Impact

by Mike Hunter

For those who are in a corporate role, building a startup or preparing for their next move, this book will help them craft a leadership path that's entirely their own. Leadership Beyond the Playbook offers no neatly packaged lists or models. Instead, it will help readers become a better leader — with clarity, sharper judgment and greater intention. Roopa Kudva is a rare … [More]

Quick Leadership: Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Cultivate Unstoppable Teams

by Mike Hunter

Quick Leadership by Selena Rezvani equips its readers with modern, people-first strategies for leading in today's fast-moving, fast-changing workplaces. Forget outdated, top-down management ― this book is packed with real-world tips that help readers build trust, boost performance and bring out the best in their teams (without burning themselves out). Selena Rezvani, a renowned … [More]