Friends Helping Friends Helping Friends: The Jess and Kait Podcast

In this episode Kait and Jess chat all things gratitude with the creator of @thanksmorris, Marie Muratalla. Marie is a speech-language pathologist by trade, but she recently started a company (www.thanksmorris.com; #saythanksmore) whose mission is “to help you feel empowered and be your highest self through gratitude & mindset strategies”. In this episode Marie discusses her inspiration behind the creation and publication of her own gratitude journals. She also shares some research demonstrating why gratitude journaling works (and how you can get started on your own gratitude journey). At the end of the episode, Kait and Jess highlight their own beneficial experiences using the “Say Thanks More” gratitude journal and Marie’s associated writing prompts. With over 10k followers on Instagram, it’s safe to say that @thanksmorris is picking up some steam! Small business shout-out: www.thanksmorris.com or @thanksmorris on Instagram (based in CA). Shop the website to order your own gratitude journal and merch! Stay tuned for a “Say Thanks More” gratitude journal giveaway!

This week Jess and Kait focus the discussion on a behavior change technique used in Motivational Interviewing called “The Magic Wand Question” (tune in to find out exactly what the question is!). We discuss our own “magic wand worlds” and identify a few strategies for tackling behavior change. We conclude with a rant about colors and cicada bugs. Small business shout-out: Pub Dog Craft Pizza and Beer @pubdog (Columbia, Baltimore, and Westminster, MD)

Jess and Kait (#amateurmusicians) are very excited for the return of live music this summer! In this episode we discuss our favorite concerts, favorite festivals, the types of music we enjoy, and the “last concerts” we attended before the shut down (would we have treated it differently knowing it was our last live show for over a year?). We polled our listeners and got a wide range of responses regarding concerts, songs to listen to in the car, and songs to dance to. In line with May being mental health awareness month, we also discuss the healing power of music and the impact music has had on each of our lives. We conclude with our typical “ranting about rants” segment and accidentally go on a music-related tangent about the show “Virgin River” on Netflix. Small business shout-out: Origin of Era boutique (“a unique selection of modern female, indie, sustainable, and small batch”) @originofera in Bay Shore, NY.

In honor of the recent Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2nd to May 8th), this episode features our friend and 1st or 2nd grade (“looped” classroom) teacher - Abby Grey! “Mrs. Grey” chats with Kait and Jess about overcoming many unexpected curveballs while adapting to teaching 6-8 year olds in a worldwide pandemic #COVID19. We also discuss work/life balance (pro tip: take your work email off your personal cell phone), what society gets wrong about teaching, how this pandemic has taught children unique life skills beyond the curriculum, and why we should CELEBRATE PARENTS who were tasked with hundreds of new challenges as a result of these unprecedented times. We close with our typical “ranting about rants” segment, where we rant about manners, putting dishes away, extensive skincare routines, and hats that don’t fit large skulls. **REMINDER: MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. We open our podcast with a dialogue relating to mental health awareness and we will continue to do so throughout the month of May (and beyond).** Small business shout-outs: Amalli Talli: Clothing for Tall Women (amallitalli.com) and Board & Batten Boutique (@boardandbattenmn) in Lakeville, MN.

In continuation of our career theme, and because May is BETTER HEARING & SPEECH MONTH (BHSM), Kait took some time to discuss her many responsibilities as a speech-language pathologist. Kait described the field of speech-language pathology in detail and gave some advice to parents seeking early intervention services for their young children. Jess and Kait also talked about some of the differences between what is learned in the classroom vs. on the job. We close the episode with a rant about robo calls and long receipts. Small business shout-out: @the.type.b.slp “The Type B SLP”; printable resources for speech-language pathologists!

Jess and Kait wanted to take some time on the podcast to explore the nuances of their careers. For this week’s episode, Jess discussed some of the roles and responsibilities of an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at a small, liberal arts college (#DrFord). Jess also discussed her research interests, performance consulting, common misconceptions about sport, exercise, and performance psychology, and advice that she’d give college students, such as how to get involved in research. We close with a heated debate about Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Bellies (delicious or gross?) and rant about the process of getting an oil change, among other things. For next week’s episode, Kait will have the spotlight as we discuss her career! Small business shout-out: Pete and Elda’s/Carmen’s Pizza in Neptune City, NJ (@pete_eldas) - home of the legendary #XXLPizzaChallenge.

This week we spoke with Jess’ “Zillennial” (look it up) cousin, @beccabelle20! Becca is just a few months shy of finishing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at #SyracuseU. We discuss empathy, rapport, the most challenging aspects of graduate school, her dream job, and what society gets wrong about mental health. We concluded the episode with a rant about being called “honey”, zippers on pants, and passive-aggressive notes. It turns out all three of us are also obsessed with @theoffice, so there are many references to that wonderful tv show! Small business shout-out: Freedom of Espresso coffee shop (@freedomofespresso, Syracuse, NY)

Kait and Jess used this week to practice using new podcast equipment and recording modalities. In this episode we asked each other (and some of our listeners) some unique and thought-provoking “ice breaker” questions such as “what popular trends do you not understand?” and “does your family have any unique traditions?”. We ended up taking an accidental deep dive into the last meals of famous death row inmates and we explored how each state in the US has its own rules and regulations for last meal rights. All in all, we learned some new information about each other and some of our listeners! Small business shout-out: @littlemisslaser - licensed medical aesthetician in Bellmore, New York.

In the episode we chat with our friend Jeniz (@__gardengirl) about how she became interested in organic gardening, some gardening tips for beginners (and rookie mistakes to avoid), and how she maintains her healthy lifestyle. We close with a rant about gum, straws, and the phrase “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. As always, we appreciate your continued patience as we navigate concerns associated with the audio/technology glitches. Small business shout-out: Sustainable Seed Company (sustainableseedco.com; Salt Lake City, Utah)