Building Us

By Dr. Matt Morris LPC & LMFT, Erik Garcia CFP®Society & Culture Business Education Self-Improvement Relationships Investing

Building Us episodes

April 01, 2021 SIMPLE. 1
How can a little fresh air make a deposit in your relational and emotional "bank account"?" It's simple.

Every week Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT and Erik Garcia, CFP® end the show with the encouragement to “Invest in Your Relationships.”

But how? How do you invest in something that feels intangible? It’s SIMPLE. The Simple series provides you with simple, everyday, practical, and tactical strategies for investing in your relationships and Building Us. Matt and Erik believe these strategies are guaranteed deposits in your emotional bank account.

This is SIMPLE from Building Us.
15 min
March 25, 2021Building Families: Meet NewOrleansMom.com Life Bosses
Ashley Angelico and Elizabeth Schmelling built New Orleans' premiere digital parenting resource. Serving both residents and visitors to New Orleans, Ashley and Elizabeth have become ambassadors for New Orleans and advocates for families. Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT, and Erik Garcia, CFP®, discuss with these "life bosses", the secret to their success, while maintaining work-life balance. Ashley and Elizabeth share how their side hustle turned into a full-time job, all the while doing what they are passionate about…building families.

Episode Highlights:
Elizabeth and Ashley share their background. (3:47)
What’s Elizabeth’s top transferable skill that she brought from corporate accounting to the New Orleans mom blog? (6:47)
Ashley shares why the enneagram has been immensely helpful. (11:21)
How does Elizabeth manage a work-life balance? (14:47)
Ashley gives a little background about their business. (17:45)
Elizabeth shares how their business has evolved. (20:06)
How did they transition from part-time to full-time? (23:15)
Ashley talks about their first ever event and plans for the future. (25:40)
Elizabeth shares a personal story in a blog she’s written. (32:17)
What are some topics Elizabeth has discovered moms are really interested in? (36:15)
How do Ashley and Elizabeth approach creating content for diverse groups? (38:34)
Key Quotes:
“The website is designed to be optimized for people that are specifically looking for what we're offering. That's... things to do in New Orleans, raising a family in New Orleans, traveling to New Orleans with kids. So, we've worked really hard over the past nine years to make sure that we're a top-ranked website when it comes to seeking that information out. So, anybody who finds us can use us.” - Ashley Angelico
“Finding stories and local moms who have experienced the same thing, to help you feel that you're not on this journey alone...To advocate for yourself, your kids, and your family. I feel like if that's one of the ways we can help others and navigate through those challenges... then, that's what we're here for.” - Elizabeth Schmelling
“A lot of humans, not just moms, are nervous and intimidated by the idea of sharing their voice. A lot of people think that they don't have something to say, or they don't have something of value to say. Elizabeth and I always try to remind people... if you are human, you have something to share. It doesn't matter if you're a professional writer or if you've ever written before, formally. If you have been through something...which if you're human, you have...we want to hear from you.” - Ashley Angelico
Resources Mentioned:
Ashley Angelico LinkedIn
Elizabeth Schmelling LinkedIn
New Orleans Mom
Lafayette Mom
Red Stick Mom
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
1 hr 9 min
March 18, 2021One More Month… We’re Having Our First Baby with Lee and Izabela Cormier
We are having our first baby, in one month! Listen in as Lee Cormier and Izabela Cormier, of Canal Street Church, share their pregnancy story and talk about the physical and emotional aspects of becoming a parent as they prepare to welcome baby Cormier into the world in this episode of the Building Us podcast, hosted by Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT.
Episode Highlights:
Izabela and Lee share a little bit about themselves. (6:51)
How’s the pregnancy been going for Izabela? (10:03)
Izabela shares one of the factors that surprised her about being pregnant. (13:21)
Lee shares one of the factors that surprised him. (16:45)
Lee mentions why there still isn’t an emotional connection. (17:10)
Lee shares one of the factors that made an emotional connection to him. (21:25)
What is Lee’s main concern? (24:17)
Izabela shares why she’s been focusing all of her energy and thoughts on the actual labor and delivery. (25:31)
Is there any aspect to finances that stresses Lee and Izabela the most? (35:38)
Key Quote:
“I'm a pretty loyal and protective person. If I care about you, if you're my friend, or if we have a deep relationship, I care for you deeply. I want to protect you at all costs.” - Lee Cormier
“I hope that I will be able to transfer the receiving gifts part, even like buying things for myself and giving it to our child and being a father who gives good and abundant gifts to our children. And that's how I'll find satisfaction.” - Lee Cormier
“I'm bringing our child into a healthy environment where its needs will be taken care of. So when things do come up that are potentially stressful financially, I just kind of fall back on being grateful for the position we're in.” - Izabela Cormier
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
Lee Cormier
Izabela Cormier
Canal Street Church
47 min
March 11, 2021Feeling Upside Down? Helping Kids Thrive Through the Pandemic…One Year Later with Dr. Laura Hernandez
One year later, "Feeling Upside Down?", the poem Dr. Laura Hernandez penned to help kids cope with the pandemic, is still relevant. Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT and Erik Garcia, CFP® discuss with Dr. Hernandez the lessons adults can learn from kids in dealing with complicated circumstances in this episode of the Building Us podcast.

Episode Highlights:
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares her background. (5:45)
How has the pandemic impacted Dr. Laura Hernandez’s practice?. (6:46)
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares how the pandemic has changed her personal life. (7:36)
Why do disruptive events force people to change? (9:34)
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares her poem entitled, Feeling Upside Down. (15:16)
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares the origins of her poem. (18:59)
What is one of Dr. Laura Hernandez’s biggest passions? (21:02)
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares why it's okay to feel a little upside down. (23:35)
What would Dr. Laura Hernandez recommend to help kids stay grounded? (28:10)
Dr. Laura Hernandez discusses ways to practice gratitude. (38:01)
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares the significance of flexibility. (44:04)
Key Quotes:
“I knew having more time with each family, the parents, the children and adolescence was going to be so fulfilling. I think just the switch... human beings, we don't love change. So, I think just kind of shifting from what I was used to, with a typical school setting was sort of an adjustment. But, it's been really fun. I feel like I'm growing and loving it.” - Dr. Laura Hernandez
“When our world seems rocky, like we're on a roller coaster going too fast... think about all you've learned to help you on your path. Remember, we're all in this together. Take one moment at a time. Things are a little different. But let's be an encourager and be kind.” - Dr. Laura Hernandez
“I think the mindful piece of it is that big pause button has helped us to reevaluate and be mindful of the things that either we need to add into our day, or things we were doing that maybe we didn't even realize were, or part of, what made us who we were.” - Dr. Laura Hernandez
Resources Mentioned:
Dr. Laura Hernandez
Be Well NOLA Counseling
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
52 min
March 04, 2021Part 2: How Am I Going to Pay for College? With John Hupalo
College is CRAZY expensive. As a parent, where do you start planning for your child's Higher Ed? There is so much competing for money. How much should you be saving? Should you prioritize college savings over retirement or paying off debt? How much should I take out in college loans to pay for college? What are ways that can plan for the cost of college other than loans?
In Part 2 of this two-part series, John Hupalo, founder of My College Corner and Invite Education, joins Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT to wrestle with these tough college planning and college funding questions.
Episode Highlights:
John mentions the only factor that will not change around higher education. (3:59)
John shares when the idea of the shifting sands started. (4:48)
John shares that student loans should be the last resort and not the first option to pay for college. (9:14)
Does John think that kids who work through college to help pay for college tend to outperform kids who don't work through college? (13:20)
What are some tools that families have access to that they can use to pay for college? (14:43)
John mentions the program in Louisiana called the Student Tuition and Revenue Trust (START). (19:02)
How does John help people make decisions around taking on student debt? (31:51)
John shares why the federal student loan program is beneficial. (33:24)
John shares the two reasons why student loan debt is good. (46:16)
Key Quotes:
“There's a myth out there that if you save too much, you're going to be hurt in the financial aid process and there's a myth out there because it's a myth.” - John Hupalo
“I think there has to be student loan debt because when properly used, you can apply that to get the leverage of the investment and get a return on that...I say though, student loans should be the last resort, not the first option to pay for college.” - John Hupalo
“The young adults, no longer your toddler, have a responsibility here. Right? The more skin they have in the game, and the more it's real for them, the more success I think that they can have. They can define that success how they need to, but the whole idea is making sure they have the right tools to do that.” - John Hupalo
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
John Hupalo LinkedIn
Invite Education
51 min
February 25, 2021Part 1: Where Do I Start in Planning for My Child’s College? With John Hupalo
College is CRAZY expensive. As a parent, where do you start planning for your child's Higher Ed? There is so much competing for money. How much should you be saving? Should you prioritize college savings over retirement or paying off debt? How much should I take out in college loans to pay for college? What are ways that can plan for the cost of college other than loans?
In Part 1 of this two-part series, John Hupalo, founder of My College Corner and Invite Education, joins Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT to wrestle with these tough college planning and college funding questions.

Episode Highlights:
John shares his background. (2:41)
John mentions how Invite Education started. (4:07)
Why is borrowing from a 401k a bad idea to pay for college? (6:50)
John shares his understanding of how to afford college. (7:52)
John mentions the piece of advice that Erik said to Matt. (8:26)
John shares the benefits of saving. (9:05)
Does John have any kind of rules in terms of how parents and students should make decisions in terms of what's next for them? (11:09)
John mentions why emotion is the problem. (11:17)
John mentions the three aspects to identify if a college is a good fit. (15:21)
John mentions his book entitled, Plan and Finance Your Family's College Dreams. (17:00)
John shares how to utilize their website. (25:37)
Key Quotes:
“I think a lot of parents have that perspective that we're going to do the best we can and we're going to kind of figure it out. The problem for some families is, when they get to that “we're going to figure it out” point, that's when they start over-leveraging, right? And then the emotion overtakes the reality” - John Hupalo
“No matter how old your kid is, I don't care if they're like six months from graduating from high school or they're six months old, just open a savings plan and start saving. So I say, it's never too early, never too late to start saving.” - John Hupalo
“You have no idea if a college is affordable for you until you get the financial aid award letter in your hand. Right? Because it might be that you're going to get a full ride...and what you think is the most expensive school that you could never afford may be perfectly affordable.” - John Hupalo
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
John Hupalo LinkedIn
Invite Education
MyCollegeCorner.com
FAFSA
Student Loans
ARCollegeSaver.org
39 min
February 18, 2021The Best From the Next Normal, A Compilation
What are some of the key takeaways from The Next Normal series? In this episode of the Building Us podcast, hosts Erik Garcia, CFP and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT share and reflect on a few of The Next Normal highlights.

Episode Highlights:
Erik explains where the idea for the Next Normal series came from. (1:47)
Matt shares a clip from Brandon Ecker. (2:42)
Matt mentions why he loves the idea of intentionality. (3:53)
Brandon mentions a book entitled One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way to Success, by Dr. Robert Maurer. (6:55)
Matt shares a clip from Dr. Jose Calderon. (9:36)
Dr. Jose Calderon gives a piece of advice on how to have good health. (11:20)
Erik shares a clip from Dr. Sarah Fallaw. (17:49)
Dr. Sarah Fallaw mentions the significance of discipline. (18:37)
Erik mentions why most people lack sufficient self-discipline. (19:49)
Matt shares why families must be headed in the same direction, financially. (22:46)
Erik shares a clip from Dr. Billy Williams. (25:52)
Dr. Billy Williams enumerates the 5 best customers. (26:40)
Matt shares a clip from Sr. Rochelle Perrier. (31:17)
Sr. Rochelle Perrier shares a piece of advice for the listeners. (32:10)
Erik mentions why people must make time for their spirituality. (38:50)
Key Quotes:
“Sometimes change is thrust upon us. But we are empowered to a certain degree to dictate how we respond to that change. And it's that intentionality in the purpose in which we move forward. So I love this idea of…I want to do things on purpose.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
“I think that for me in 2021, I'm just thinking about the ways that I can continue to contribute to my overall health knowing that maybe one day when I'm not expecting it, I might take a withdrawal. And so I want to make sure that I'm accumulating the health capital to sustain me through whatever difficult time might be on the horizon.” - Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
“Oftentimes solutions are simple, they're not easy. But accountability, to help with others, the support of others is going to get us to where we need to go. And that's why Matt and I are so passionate about this idea of building us, in the idea of investing in relationships.” - Erik Garcia, CFP®
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
42 min
February 11, 2021Get Your Kids To Sleep and Get Back Your Bed With Dr. Nilong Vyas
Is your child getting enough sleep? Dr. Nilong Vyas, the Owner of Sleepless in NOLA, discusses why children must have an adequate amount of sleep and why it makes a big difference in this episode of the Building Us podcast, hosted by Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT.
Episode Highlights:
Dr. Vyas mentions the term pregnancy brain. (5:27)
Do pregnancy brain and lack of sleep brain have similar concepts? (5:49)
Dr. Vyas shares the latest recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics. (6:40)
Why do people sleep, and how does our body reach to sleep? (13:45)
Dr. Vyas shares why it’s significant that children must have an adequate amount of sleep. (16:35)
Dr. Vyas mentions the benefits of having kids who sleep well. (23:30)
How does Dr. Vyas’ consultation work? (23:59)
At what point in their childhood does a kid have to sleep independently? (25:37)
Dr. Vyas shares why falling back to sleep is one of the first skills that kids must learn. (28:07)
Dr. Vyas mentions why parents must be on the same page when it comes to their children’s sleep. (34:43)
Key Quotes:
“It's during sleep that everything that they saw, felt, heard, touched throughout the day gets those connections to get made. So, it's super important to ensure that kids are getting an adequate amount of sleep so that those connections can get made.” - Dr. Nilong Vyas
“I always tell parents, it's not like kids won't ever learn to write, walk or talk, of course, they will. But they may not do it at their full potential if they're not getting the sleep that's required for their developmental age.” - Dr. Nilong Vyas
“I think if people work together and realize the benefit of teens getting more sleep, and making those changes in the routine, and schedule it, it will impact them in a more positive way. But it's got to be a whole community.” - Dr. Nilong Vyas
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
Dr. Nilong Vyas LinkedIn
Sleepless in NOLA
58 min
February 04, 2021The Next Normal: Your Spirituality with Sister Rochelle Perrier
Being a religious sister for 55 years, Sr. Rochelle Perrier, a member of the Marianites of Holy Cross, shares her knowledge and expertise on religion and spirituality and discusses how to be grateful in the midst of a pandemic in this episode of the Building Us podcast, hosted by Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT.

Episode Highlights:
Sr. Rochelle shares her background. (4:34)
Did Sr. Rochelle ever get lost in the Marianites of Holy Cross building? (7:06)
What are Sr. Rochelle’s thoughts on religious centers being physically inaccessible and affecting people's spirituality? (12:43)
How did Sr. Rochelle pivot successfully or unsuccessfully, during the pandemic? (17:34)
Sr. Rochelle shares about being grateful in the midst of the pandemic. (22:16)
Sr. Rochelle mentions a website called Gratefulness.org. (23:16)
How does spirituality connect to religion? (24:45)
What encouragement does Sr. Rochelle have for everyone, in terms of accessing, utilizing, and leveraging our spirituality this year? (36:08)
Sr. Rochelle gives a piece of advice to those who are spiritually discouraged and have been struggling. (51:39)
Key Quotes:
“I believe that during these times, we become aware of the loss of control of our lives, our powerlessness, and we realize that we're not in charge and what it reminds me of is the first step in a process. We realize that we are powerless and we know that there's someone out there that is greater than we are. Whoever that person is, whether it be God or whatever, we named that person. But it's just a total loss of control, your world has been changed.” - Sr. Rochelle Perrier
“It’s good to feed the physical body, it's wonderful to feed the mind, body, and spirit, and the mind by education. But, the spirit needs to be filled with something deep within. And I do believe that there's a divine quality, a divine spirit within each of us that keeps us alive, and keeps us going.” - Sr. Rochelle Perrier
“We belong to humankind, we belong to the whole universe. When somebody else suffers, we suffer or we should suffer. We suffer in the sense of feeling their pain and wanting to help do something about it.” - Sr. Rochelle Perrier
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
Sr. Rochelle Perrier
Marianites of Holy Cross
Gratefulness.org
1 hr 1 min
January 28, 2021The Next Normal: Your Business with Dr. Billy Williams
What do we need to do to be successful? Billy Williams, Ph.D., the President of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring, shares his knowledge and expertise in business mentoring and the four types of discipline in this episode of the Building Us podcast, hosted by Erik Garcia, CFP®, and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT.

Episode Highlights:
Billy shares how he got his street cred. (6:05)
Billy mentions one of the things that people have to understand. (6:42)
What do we need to be doing to have business success this year? (13:58)
Billy shares the four types of discipline. (20:40)
Is it possible to automate self-discipline? (27:12)
What are the most effective ways to make money? (41:45)
Billy gives a real-world example of how he uses data in his decision-making process. (42:53)
Billy shares the significance of having automation, technology, and outsourcing. (46:25)
Key Quotes:
“I've figured out how to succeed at a lot of things. And a lot of people can't succeed because they're afraid to fail. And I've never been afraid to fail and learn from that failure. You try it, you fail, you learn, you try something else, you fail, you learn, until you figure out what works. Just by the power of elimination, you're left with what works versus just throwing a whole bunch of stuff at it.” - Billy Williams
“Only a fool thinks they're the smartest person in the room. And I mean, that's just not the way it works. You can learn from anybody about anything.” - Billy Williams
“Never rely on self-discipline in your business, it will always fail you. Because self-discipline is nothing more than a form of emotion. It's tied to your emotions. Think of it as a diet. Everybody that's on a diet does great, as long as they're not hungry.” - Billy Williams
Resources Mentioned:
Erik Garcia, CFP®
Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT
Garcia Financial Group
Matt Morris & Associates
Billy Williams
Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring
1 hr 5 min

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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…

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