Building Us

By Dr. Matt Morris LPC & LMFT, Erik Garcia CFP®

Money impacts almost every aspect of our lives. It affects where we live, the car we drive, and how we manage it can even impact the quality of our relationships. Money is the thread that is woven thr... more

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FAQs about Building Us:

How many episodes does Building Us have?

The podcast currently has 63 episodes available.

Building Us episodes:

October 07, 2021Quitting For Winners
We have an ethos in America that quitting is bad. Quitting is weak. Quitting is for losers. We preach…

“One step at a time.”

“Life is not a sprint.”

“Keep grinding.”

Grit, Grind, and Persistence are critical for achievement and success.

But…there’s also a time to quit and for good reasons. Listen in as Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP® discuss why winners sometimes quit.

Episode Highlights:
Erik & Matt discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. (0:53)
Matt & Erik discuss the idea of quitting in general. (5:09)
Matt mentions that the quitter should not be shamed. (9:04)
Matt discusses the mentality of the word don't quit. (10:32)
Matt explains that sometimes people must give up something in order to pursue something better. (14:17)
Matt mentions that people sometimes quit something that is now inconsistent with their values. (17:04)
Matt discusses how people may stop something because it is counterproductive to their preferred quality of life. (19:54)
Erik defines the term "return of investment". (21:11)
Matt mentions that another good reason to quit is when what you're doing is harmful. (23:16)
Matt gives an example of a good reason for a marathon runner to abandon the race. (24:32)
Matt explains that there are occasions when it's a wise choice to end a partnership. (26:50)
Matt and Erik talk about the pros and cons of divorce. (30:10)
Erik believes that there is a time to get away to gain clarity in order to figure out what is going on and what the next step should be. (36:24)
Matt mentions that relationships are naturally difficult. (39:14)
Matt explains that relationships do not begin as harmful or abusive. (44:24)
Matt and Erik talk about their decision to quit the podcast. (47:04)
Key Quotes:
“There is a really good time and reason to quit. And we shouldn't shame the quitter. Sometimes it's good to quit.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
“People choose different paths, and we can respect both positions, we can support both positions and both positions can be healthy at different times for different people for different reasons. There is a time to quit, and there are clear benefits to quitting.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
“There are things that you're doing that are inconsistent with that value of freedom of your own time, if that makes sense. So it's almost like a rediscovery of your values and realigning behaviors with those values.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
54min
August 26, 2021At the Intersection of Money, Health and Happiness With Ryan Goulart
Why do people do what they do? And, is it possible for one to be who they would ideally like to be, more often? In this episode of the Building Us podcast, Ryan Goulart, co-author of Leveraging Your Financial Intelligence: At the Intersection of Money, Health and Happiness, joins Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP® to discuss how financial stress impacts our physical health, emotional well-being, and why understanding your values helps guide your behaviors.

Episode Highlights:
What's a typical vacation for Ryan? (5:01)
Ryan gives a brief background of what Think2Perform is all about. (11:31)
Ryan mentions the five values he utilizes on his best day. (14:24)
Ryan explains why one of his values is health. (16:16)
Ryan shares why he had viewed himself as indestructible. (18:07)
Ryan explains what financial intelligence means. (20:36)
Ryan shares why it’s important to understand values. (25:07)
Ryan mentions why values are a huge point of differentiation. (33:01)
What were Ryan’s foundational ideas that have become clear in a new way over the last 18 months? (35:02)
Ryan explains the alignment model. (42:27)
Key Quotes:
“My values happen to be integrity, family, health, excellence, and achievement. So, on my best day, I am utilizing all five. Now, that's extremely, extremely hard for a lot of variables. But, if I see that and reflect on my values, and think about those values as I make choices throughout my day, then my behavior gets in line. Then, my goals for myself get in line.” - Ryan Goulart
“One of my values is health, and I want to be healthy. I define health as I want to be both mentally healthy, financially healthy, and physically healthy. So, I need to do something in the moment right now to be able to fix that.” - Ryan Goulart
“Values and value-based decisions can help guide that behavior. It's not going to mean that just because you know your values, you're going to be immune to poor decisions, but it increases the likelihood and increases the probability that the decisions you make will be value-based.” - Ryan Goulart
Resources Mentioned:
Ryan Goulart LinkedIn
Think2Perform
Think2Perform Facebook
Leveraging Your Financial Intelligence: At the Intersection of Money, Health and Happiness
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
54min
July 22, 2021The Best Way to Join Money in Marriage
Should couples have married or separate financial accounts? Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP®, dive into the pros and cons of each – as well as some of the underlying psychology.

The goal of today’s podcast is not to defend separate or joint accounts. However, we do want to explore some of the obstacles around joining accounts. Establishing a healthy dialogue about finances can help couples get on the same page and result in happier relationships in the long run.

Episode Highlights:
Erik explains the point of today’s podcast episode. (2:06)
Does Matt think that money is often a more difficult part to integrate with relationships? (4:24)
Erik gives a couple of interesting statistics about couples having joint or separate bank accounts. (8:22)
Erik shares some of the pros and cons of having joint accounts. (9:58)
Matt explains the first obstacle of merging your accounts. (15:56)
Matt gives his thoughts on the next obstacle: the idea of control. (20:18)
Matt shares why income disparity has become a common concern. (24:02)
Matt shares his thoughts on the final obstacle, which is debt disparity. (27:32)
Matt mentions what his couples regularly tell him. (30:31)
Matt gives some advice to the couples that are navigating their finances. (31:41)
Key Quotes:
“I want people to have the healthiest relationship that they can possibly have. Being connected in a very healthy and secure way with our spouse can be one of the most meaningful things we experience in this life.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
“If you and I were to go into business together, we would probably have a joint business account to help us meet the goals of the business. So, just for relationships, for family, there's an aspect of family that's business. To meet the goals of the family business, you probably would enjoy yourself in an account.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
“Any kind of secret, any kind of hidden stuff, any kind of suspicion, lie, paranoia, ends up eroding that connection and eroding that feeling of safety and security. Financial transparency is a way to kind of just bring us all back on the same page. If this is what we have, this is where we're going.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
36min
July 15, 20213 Decisions Warren Buffet Says Will Change Your Life
In this episode of Building Us podcast hosted by Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP®, Erik and Matt explore some of Warren Buffet’s life-changing philosophies. ‘Hit fewer bad shots' is Erik's advice for improving his golf game...But, what does Warren Buffet advise about your internal scorecard of success? Listen up!

Episode Highlights:
Erik shares a recent article from inc.com, entitled, Warren Buffett Believes 3 Decisions in Life Separate Those Who Succeed From Those Who Fail. (1:05)
Erik explains more about who Warren Buffet is. (1:25)
Erik gives us the first piece of advice from Warren Buffet, that separates those who succeed from those who fail. (8:21)
Erik discusses Warren Buffet’s philosophy on clear communication. (10:15)
Matt explains how you can learn to become a better communicator. (10:52)
Matt shares the second piece of advice from Warren Buffet: How to measure success by using your inner scorecard. (17:36)
Erik explains the importance of scorecards and measuring. (22:44)
Matt gives us the final piece of advice from Warren Buffet: Pay attention. (27:07)
Erik shares some advice from a financial advisor’s standpoint. (32:19)
Key Quotes:
“If you can make less poor decisions with your money, not better decisions necessarily, just less bad once consistently... that's going to add up, it's going to accrue, it's going to accumulate, and you have a good shot at being successful.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
“Other ways to invest in yourself will really help you insulate yourself against unknowns in life, and economic downturns, and changes in the job market. If I can continue to grow and develop, and be flexible, I can usually find success somewhere out there.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
“If you invest in your relationships, they're not perfect investments, but you'll most likely receive a lot of love and care and concern that will make your life full.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Resources Mentioned:
Warren Buffett Believes 3 Decisions in Life Separate Those Who Succeed From Those Who Fail
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
38min
July 08, 2021Food Is Life – Parenting a Child With Severe Food Allergies, With Erik & Jennifer Garcia
In today’s episode of the Building Us podcast, Jennifer Garcia and Erik Garcia, CFP® recount their journey of discovering their son's severe food allergies, and carefully guiding their family through it. 17 years later, now, they're tackling the college experience.

Episode Highlights:
Erik introduces his wife, Jen Garcia. (3:45)
Jen shares how their son’s severe food allergy started. (5:57)
Erik mentions one of the things that comes commonly with food allergies. (8:52)
Erik explains the difference between food allergies and food sensitivities. (10:40)
Jen explains why they carry more than one epi-pen. (12:15)
How did Jen and Erik explain their son’s condition to other family members? (21:24)
Jen shares some of the home modifications they did for the safety of their son. (26:43)
Erik shares how he coped with all of the adjustments they did. (29:31)
Erik shares the lessons he’s learned from food allergies. (45:09)
Key Quotes:
“Honestly, I just wish people would allow us to keep him alive. That's all I'm trying to do, that's all he's trying to do is just to stay alive and enjoy other parts of life.” - Jennifer Garcia
“I've told people many times, we can't come to your house, but, you are more than welcome to invite yourself to ours. And, the friends that have done that for us, those are the ones that have stuck by us and it's made this doable.” - Jennifer Garcia
“I wish people understood the severity of food allergies...that it's not like respiratory allergies, where treatment is a little bit of exposure and small amounts, like food allergies. Any exposure of any amount is not good. A lot of people think that if I just have a little bit it’s not going to hurt. A little bit is all it takes.” - Erik Garcia
Resources Mentioned:
Jennifer Garcia
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
1h 4min
July 01, 2021The Best Financial Advice I Have Ever Been Given
What's the best financial advice you've ever received? Financial advisor Xavier Angel joins Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP® to share golden nuggets of financial wisdom in this episode of the Building Us podcast.

Episode Highlights:
Xavier shares the best advice he has ever been given. (3:03)
Xavier explains what generational wealth is. (3:41)
Xavier discusses savings goals. (5:18)
Xavier shares a story about a conversation with his oldest daughter, several years ago. (12:50)
Xavier mentions the importance of proper planning. (25:27)
Xavier shares why a mortgage is something that people really have to think about. (34:18)
Xavier gives his closing thoughts on the best financial advice. (43:16)
Key Quotes:
“I want my children to be in a better position than what I'm in today. And, that's why we have to make sure we're saving and we don't buy those big purchases.” - Xavier Angel
“How much you save is going to depend on the individual. Not everyone is going to be able to save 25%, and give 25%, and live off of 50%. But, I think putting together that strategy or building a plan while leaving something behind… that's where you start.” - Xavier Angel
“We need to teach our children that as they save, teach them what compound interest is. Because, what they're putting away today, whether it's $2 or $5. Today, here's what it could potentially grow to when they're 60 or 65 years old. And that's going to be how we start that generational wealth... by teaching our children at an early age.” - Xavier Angel
Resources Mentioned:
Xavier Angel, ChFC, CLTC, LinkedIn
Angel Wealth Strategies, LLC
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
47min
June 24, 2021The Worst Financial Advice I Have Ever Been Given
In this episode of the Building Us podcast, Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP® are joined by Xavier Angel to discuss the worst financial advice given to them. "Free" credit cards, fancy jeans, expensive cars, and big houses...

Episode Highlights:
What's the worst financial advice that Xavier has ever received? (2:38)
Xavier mentions some of the goals he had, when he moved to Holland. (3:59)
What happened when Xavier tried to purchase his first car? (9:34)
Xavier explains how his credit card debt demotivated him. (15:16)
Xavier mentions how debt becomes a cycle. (21:34)
Xavier shares a story about the phone call he received a couple of weeks ago. (34:22)
Xavier gives his closing thoughts on bad financial advice. (40:40)
Key Quotes:
“I think walking into the bank and having family members talk to you about how money works… that is lost in today's age.” - Xavier Angel
“These individuals graduating from college or in their mid to late 20s, they just don't realize how much that debt that they've accrued over their short lifetime... the effects that it has going forward. Whether it's purchasing a home, whether it's purchasing a car, that debt has a lasting effect on them.” - Xavier Angel
“You still have that bad advice when you're looking at those salespeople coming in and trying to do something that's going to better themselves. They're still out there doing that same practice that you experienced.” - Xavier Angel
Resources Mentioned:
Xavier Angel, ChFC, CLTC, LinkedIn
Angel Wealth Strategies, LLC
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
46min
June 17, 2021Special Needs Parenting: Life Isn't Always Fabuloso with David & Andrea Carothers
Raising a special needs child is a mixed bag of emotions. This week Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT sit down with David and Andrea Carothers as they share the joys and struggles of raising their special son. Whether you have a special needs child or not, you DO NOT want to miss this episode.

Episode Highlights:
Andrea and David introduce themselves. (1:53)
Andrea shares how the pandemic affected her. (2:59)
Andrea gives a background about their son, Ethan. (7:09)
David the difficulties of not having control. (8:56)
How did Ethan’s special needs affect their family? (15:55)
David gives a piece of advice to the parents that have multiple kids in a household, with a special needs child. (21:19)
Andrea gives us some context on Ethan’s capabilities. (23:17)
David mentions the biggest struggle for him, coming from the business world. (39:51)
Andrea explains why mental health is so important. (45:12)
Key Quotes:
“I tell people all the time he couldn't have been born to two better parents. He's exactly where he needs to be for those reasons.” - David Carothers
“What scares me to death is the number of kids out there that don't have parental advocates. Whether it's because they don't understand they need to do it, or they're just disinterested, it's insane to think there are that many kids going without people fighting for them.” - David Carothers
“I'm a firm believer in this: Nobody is going to advocate to make sure your kid gets what you need, other than yourself. And, if you believe in something, and you want to change... you have to be that driving force.” - Andrea Carothers
Resources Mentioned:
David Carothers LinkedIn
Florida Risk Partners
Andrea Carothers LinkedIn
PRC-Saltillo
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
1h 4min
June 10, 2021SIMPLE. Money Edition 3: Calculate Your Net Worth
Your net worth is a simple calculation that can help you keep “score” of how well you are doing financially over time. In this third installment of the SIMPLE: Money Edition series, Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP® provide you with a simple, practical, and tactical strategy for helping you calculate and track your net worth. Start now by improving your finances, improving your home, and investing in your relationships with this simple task.

Episode Highlights:
Erik mentions today’s SIMPLE series, Money Edition. (00:56)
Erik explains the definition of net worth. (2:52)
Erik shares why tracking our net worth is significant. (4:44)
Erik mentions the difference between income and wealth. (5:18)
Erik shares how we calculate our net worth. (5:34)
Erik explains what liabilities are. (8:08)
Erik explains what happens if your net worth increases. (11:01)
Key Quotes:
“I love this SIMPLE: Money series because it's just getting back to the basics about the simple things that we can all do to improve our financial security.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
“The reason why we track net worth... it's a measurement of how we're doing financially, because it's advancing us towards some goal, some objective, some end that we find valuable.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
“I like to say what gets measured gets done. So, the idea is to increase your net worth to increase your financial position. This is a good measuring tool, if you will, to kind of see where you are.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
16min
June 03, 2021Simple. Money Edition 2: Review Your Statements
Where is all my money going? I spent how much on what? In this, the second installment of the SIMPLE: Money Edition series, Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP® provide you with a simple, practical, and tactical strategy for helping you get a handle on your spending. Start now by improving your finances, improving your home, and investing in your relationships with this simple task.

This is SIMPLE: Money Edition, from Building Us.

Episode Highlights:
Matt mentions why he’s excited about this series. (2:39)
Erik mentions today's simple technique. (3:31)
Erik shares why printing the last quarter’s worth of statements is beneficial. (4:38)
Erik explains the first part of reviewing your statements. (5:33)
Erik gives us the second part of reviewing your statements. (6:59)
Erik mentions why tracking your expenses is a painful thing for some people. (8:07)
Erik shares how to categorize your expenses. (10:06)
Erik explores some factors about credit cards. (12:53)
Erik gives us the final part of reviewing your statements. (16:06)
Key Quotes:
“It's not necessarily the big expenses that keep you in a position of not being able to advance financially. It's the little things. It's all the little bitty expenses that you buy throughout the month that add up consistently over months and over years.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
“We're creatures of habit… which you start to find is like, your spending becomes very predictable. So you know, we spend money at the same places. We shop at the same places. So, once you start to get kind of a baseline, you start to understand your spending habits, and you can start to make some changes in some improvement.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
“I don't have a problem with separate accounts in general. But if separate is hiding, if separate is privacy... like, I'm married to you, we have a shared vision of a future and I don't want you to know what I spend... that seems problematic.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
...more
23min

FAQs about Building Us:

How many episodes does Building Us have?

The podcast currently has 63 episodes available.