Bree has a habit of bringing Pinaki the latest thing she stumbled across on the internet — and this

week, she found something that stopped her in her tracks.

A Reddit post from the r/AIBoyfriends subreddit (yes, it exists — 59,000 members strong) went viral

after a woman shared that her AI boyfriend, Casper, had proposed to her in the mountains. It was

sweet, it was earnest, and it opened up a conversation neither of them saw coming.

Because when 60,000 people are forming real emotional bonds with AI, what does that mean for the

future of work? What happens when those same people — already comfortable turning to AI for

connection — start walking into HR offices, or leading teams, or building companies?

Pinaki and Bree dig into what the post revealed: about loneliness, about human connection, about

the very real risks of replacing people with programs in the workplace. They talk about AI Pam from HR,

about what a five-year-old understands (and doesn’t) about Google, about what we give up when

we let AI fill the gaps that people used to fill.

In this episode, they discuss:

• Why people turn to AI for emotional connection — and why that makes sense

• The difference between a personal AI and an organizational one

• What gets lost when HR becomes automated

• How AI relationships are shaping expectations of real human ones

• The hidden cost of being both the user and the product

• Why mindfulness about AI use matters more than ever

It’s a conversation that started with an engagement post and ended somewhere much more human.

Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Bree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible.

If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold.

We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when something you used to love suddenly feels exhausting?

In this Between the Seasons episode of Why Does It Feel So Wrong to Be Human at Work?, hosts Pinaki Kathiari and Chris Lee are joined by Rich Dome, Senior Director of Partnerships at Local Wisdom, as Bree brings a Reddit story to the table about networking burnout.

The post comes from a seasoned sales professional who once thrived at conferences but now feels drained, overwhelmed, and ready to disappear by lunchtime. The team unpacks what is really going on beneath the surface. Is it networking fatigue, startup pressure, internal politics, or a battery that has been running on empty for too long?

Rich shares his go-to strategies for approaching conferences with intention, including how to “pregame” mentally, do meaningful research ahead of time, and build relationships without leading with a sales pitch. The group also talks about trade show booth dynamics, the pressure to perform in startup environments, and why selling under stress rarely works.

They explore how to recharge when you are stuck at a multi-day event in another city, from taking intentional breaks to dividing and conquering as a team. Most importantly, they remind listeners that networking works best when it is rooted in curiosity and connection, not transactions.

In this episode, they discuss:

● Why networking burnout is often a sign of deeper exhaustion
● How startup pressure can change your relationship with sales
● The importance of charging your battery before a conference
● Researching attendees to spark real conversations
● Why leading with connection beats leading with a pitch
● How to reset mid-conference when you feel drained
● The power of teaming up so no one feels alone

If conferences have started to feel heavier than they used to, this conversation is a reminder that you are not broken. You might just need a reset.

Connect with Us

Pinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Chris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher Communication

Bree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local Wisdom

Special thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible.

If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold.

We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.