Join host Anthony Weaver as he welcomes Basiliso Moreno, a licensed social worker and financial consultant, to discuss the intricate balance of managing personal finances while supporting both children and aging parents. Basiliso, affectionately known as Bass, shares his journey of navigating the sandwich generation, highlighting the emotional and financial challenges faced when caring for loved ones. From the importance of life insurance to the unexpected benefits of a poetry book, Bass provides insights into his experiences and the lessons learned along the way.

In this episode, we explore:

• The critical role of life insurance and the impact of unexpected expenses.
• How Bass transitioned from personal grief to becoming a voice in the social work community.
• Strategies for managing finances while supporting multiple generations.
• The creation of Bass's poetry book and its significance in his healing journey.
• The importance of seeking therapy and mental health support, particularly for men and people of color.

The power of storytelling and community support in overcoming personal challenges.

=||Chapters||=

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:05:00 - Bass's Background and Financial Journey

00:15:30 - Life Insurance and Financial Planning

00:25:00 - Navigating Grief and Family Responsibilities

00:35:00 - The Creation of a Poetry Book

00:40:00 - The Role of Therapy and Mental Health

00:50:00 - Final Four Questions

01:00:00 - Closing Remarks

Discover more about Basiliso Moreno and his work:

Instagram: @basmorenoconsulting

Website: basmorenoconsulting.com

LinkedIn: Basiliso Moreno

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

#SandwichGeneration #FinancialPlanning #AboutThatWallet #SocialWork #MentalHealth

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Email: Anthony@aboutthatwallet.com

--

DISCLAIMER: The content in this audio is for educational purposes only. Conduct your own research and make the best choice for you. If you need advice, contact a qualified professional.

Episode 274

Am I going to go? So, like, I did a living

will for myself and make sure like my kids

were at least somewhat protected,

as eventually learned later on, studying

my own financial literacy journey and gaining

more insights that a living will is not enough.

I got to go get a trust, which, uh, I still haven't done

yet. So, uh, that's the next step for

me. Um, but

yeah, Dan was like, damn, dad, don't have my life insurance policy, Let me go

get one for him because he's not going to leave me. And

death is expensive, which is something that, you

know, people don't, don't talk about. And unfortunately

I had to use a life insurance policy

for my mom and also, um, my ex

wife that she had passed away

from 2016. So I had

to use, uh, probably one of the best life decisions

I made financially was getting a life insurance policy.

Welcome everybody back to another exciting show,

the about that Wallet podcast where we help you build

strong financial habits so that you have

the confidence to talk about money,

make money and spend that money like you

want. But today I have also an opportunity

to bring on somebody who

has the top 10 social

work podcasts across the world

globally here. Uh, he has

several books, books out there to help you cope

with social work skills, especially in the

Latinx community. And it's

constantly pushing the narrative in the financial realm

as well. And I have to say that this

guy is really taking social work to a

whole new level. And I want to thank you,

thank you for coming on so much. Bass. It's

been a pleasure, it's been a pleasure chatting with you

before we even record it, but I really want to

hear your story and just learn a little bit more about you. So welcome

to the show.

Yeah, so hi everybody. Uh, thank you so much for

having me. Uh, my name is Basiliso,

uh, full name is Basiliso. Everybody calls me Bass. Yes,

like Bass Pro shops Bass like the fish but

with one S. Um, Moreno. I'm a

licensed master's level social worker in the state of

Delaware. I'm also a certified financial

social worker helping Gen

Xers like myself of color,

uh, with financial education and financial doing

one on one financial counseling as well as I

do, uh, workshops both in person

and virtually through different

organizations talking about mental health, emotional

health and how it ties in with money.

Um, yet I'm also the host

and producer of the Social Worker

Rants podcast is heard every Friday

start, uh, 9:00am wherever uh,

you listen to podcasts. I'm Also on, on YouTube

trying to get those subscribers up a little Bit.

So it's been a work in progress. So, uh, for

all the. Any podcasters out there know exactly

what I'm talking about. So good, uh, to be

here.

Amen. Uh, trust me, I know from podcast to

podcast that this stuff is not easy, especially if you're the

solo person. Like, these systems

gotta work for real.

Absolutely.

Yeah. Um, and talking about

systems, financial

aspects, have to have a system.

And we all feel as though our

finances are kind of escaping us in a

sense. Um, especially with the sandwich generation. We

gotta deal with the kids and also take care of the parents.

What systems did you put in place to kind

of help you when you're dealing with your

parents?

Oh, wow.

Um, it's still a work

in progress.

Um, you know, initially,

you know, I was caring for both

my parents.

Um, so let me take it

back. So I was

married, um, for nine years

after I got divorced. I'm originally

from New York City, from the Bronx. I moved to

Jersey. I got engaged, moved to

Jersey, got married for nine years,

separated, got moved back

to my parents. I had two kids at the

time. They actually moved in with me.

Uh, now I'm, um, caring

for them and now kind of also took

over. Like, all right,

why are you paying, Mom, Why are you paying?

Uh, the cell, the. The Got a

house phone, a bill, and then you got cable

bill. Why can't we put them together, call, you know, Cable

Vision Optimum, and just do one

package, everything in one package. And it's bad

enough in New York City, like,

uh, the light bill, like, is always

raising the price. So we're dealing with that and kind of

like, you know, paying all these bills and

then, like, is not. And then you're doing money

orders. It's not even, like, automated. It is, like.

So it was just a lot,

um, happening, um, with the finances and

stuff. Like, you know, mom was really good with

getting a life insurance policy for herself. One

for one for me. Um,

and it's always, like, why she's always like, just in case.

But there's a lot that even, like, goes into that,

um, which I'll share in

a bit. So kind of like, you know,

they were still pretty independent in terms

of doing, you know, doing stuff, going outside, going to doctor's

appointments, uh, uh, and then

I'm just, as my kids got older, taking them to school and,

like, having my parents helping me out, you know, picking them up from

school while I work and different things like that. So,

uh, one month, my mom, When Covid happened, uh,

my mom ended up, uh, having it

and um, ended up passing away in

2020 from. As a result of COVID

Yeah, sorry about that. Yeah, thank you. So,

um, pretty much I

realized like, oh snap, like

dad never got a life insurance policy even before then.

Like I was even questioning like my own

mortality. Am I going to go. So like, like I

did a living will for myself and make sure

like my K. Least somewhat

protected, has eventually learned later

on, you know, studying my own

financial literacy journey and gaining more

insights that a living will is not enough. I

gotta go get a trust. Which uh, I still haven't done

yet. So uh, that's the next step for

me. Um, but

yeah, Dan was like, damn, dad, don't have my life insurance policy, let me go

get one for him because he's not going to leave me. And

death is expensive, which is something that

people don't. Don't talk about. And unfortunately,

um, I had to use a life insurance policy

um, for my mom and also um,

my ex wife that divorced, she had

passed away from 2016. Um,

so I had to use a. Probably one of the best life

decisions I made financially was getting a life insurance

policy on her, um,

uh, during our marriage and

uh, because her health was you know,

deteriorating and it was to a point, it was like a matter of

time, uh, before she was going to pass

away. Um, so I was like,

once I got that and did that

and usually there's like money left over

after you paid the funeral expenses. So

that was like my initial nest

egg. Uh, and put that in, in a

savings account. It wasn't a high yield savings account, which I

should have did after

20. Exactly. But you know,

I did the best I could. When you have like literally the mom

of, of your, of your kids

and like you know, you think that

was, that was the one. And then obviously life, life

takes a turn and still that's, that's still

the mom of your kids. And your expo had you know, passing away

and having to, to tell your kids

like hey, like your mom passed. And they were

very young too. My son was seven

and my daughter was four. Um,

at the time. Um, and

Google, Google's terrible

figure out ways to how to tell 4 year old

that your mom passed away. So it,

it was a lot and,

but it helped build, build me up.

Like the characters when Covid happened

kind uh, of like all right, kind of like

think very quickly of what to do

in terms of know finances and getting that

living will. Luckily I had like a good friend of mine

was like yeah, I'll sign off,

just get the Paperwork together. I sign it off and we

met. Did that. Her and her husband will sign off on

that. So at least I had like, some protection. And

then, um, working in 9 to 5 all

as well. And working with, um, the

seniors, also known as older adults too,

and having clients, uh,

passing away as well. So I literally had

clients passing away. Like then my mom passed

away. I'm usually, um.

I try to keep my work life and

my personal life, you know, separate. When I'm done. 5:00,

4:30, where I'm done, like, I'm done. I'm not.

I like, uh, serious, like, I do not social,

uh, work unless I do my social work podcast

after hours. I don't do no social working. I would

like. There's no code of ethics. There's

like, leave me the hell alone. So like

the next day. So, uh, um.

But the. My worlds

came intertwined

together and uh, unfortunately, and yet

through, uh, all the trauma that I

experienced still, uh, because even going

into 2019, 2020, look, my,

my now wife, I got remarried,

uh, uh, in

2022. Thank you.

So we was like dating

and they kind of like, all right, 20,

19, 20, the beginning rumblings

of this Covid thing. And my mom was in

the nursing home for like, literally like

seven months. Like, she came home

March, literally like two weeks before the world

shut down.

Um, so we were

like, let's go get a house. We're gonna move out of New York, move to

Delaware, and we'll look for a house and kind

of, you know, start our life in

a new state. And um, then when

Covet happened, I was like, are we going to move or are we still gonna,

like, what we gonna do? And luckily,

like, we got blessing from like her older

brother. Like, yeah, like, come. Come live with us.

Like, we got the space and like, you have to come in

person. There's only so much Zillow you could do.

Look at houses and uh,

um, like you have to look at the house and

go inside the house. And there's only so much like

virtual tours you could do.

And you gotta touch the walls, you gotta look at the paint and

you gotta like, you know, make sure

you get what you need to live

comfortably, uh, in a house. And you have to do that in person.

So no, we moved. Glad, uh, we

did it. It was like perfect. Right place,

right time. I guess we kind of had to go through

the trauma because there was a light

at the end of the tunnel being,

uh, how mortgage

rates under 3. And I got

my house at a 2.75. Which it helped having

good credit. Um, and

so, and now like

there's, there's no way in hell I'm gonna refinance

anytime soon. I'm stuck with,

I was stuck with this house. Unless,

uh, you know, everything, uh,

um, I've done since then, you know, be able to

try to monetize stuff that, okay, maybe

I'll eventually, a few years down the line, get,

get another house or, or have to have my

wife get a mortgage on in her name.

So, um, all

that, you know, all that being said, it was like right place, right time.

Even from a social work perspective. Like they

entered into like a grandfathering program to

get my social work license. So, uh, there

is a test that you have to take the past to get

licensed. And I totally avoided

paying that racially, uh, profile, uh,

test and just paid the fee. You, uh, can look

it up. Uh, all the social workers know

about, uh, that racially biased

exam that we have to take to pass. But that's another story for

another podcast. Yes, but you can listen to the

Social Work man podcast. I, I could give you all,

I gave you all the tea. Uh, about that test.

Um, but anyway, so literally got grandfathered in,

got license, paid the fee. So it was like everything kind

of happened. Right place, right time, right

situation, you know, with God's

glory that, and I just had to

go through that huge rough patch

and see and see that other side. And

being a first time homeowner,

uh, during that time,

2020 at the mom passed for some out of

nowhere. I joke around and said there was

the COVID antibodies because even though

when I finally got tested, I tested negative, but

I tested positive for the antibodies at one point I

had it. Um,

and like literally like these words started popping in my

head. Like, must have been like either on a zoom,

the thousand and one zoom calls that I was on during that time

afterwards I started like really picking up, learning

like, like my financial literacy really picked

up, um, like towards the end of 2019,

2020, you know, obviously we're all in the home

and like everybody kind of talking about financial

literacy or uh, at the same time from different,

different folks and kind of like learning

and kind of try to see what

worked for me and kind of put stuff that I'm learning in

practice. But these words like, just popped in

my head one time like on the couch and like snap.

It rhymes. Okay. I mean, end up being like a poem. Then

like literally like another day will pop up or

I'm in the shower and like I uh, literally I had to like take

pen and pad to the bathroom in case I

wanted to shower. I had to like just stop what I'm doing

and like right, if I don't write this down

now, I'm not going to remember these words or

it'll be the middle of the night and having these words pop in my head and

like write it down in the dark. I figure it out in the morning

what the hell I just wrote.

So I had all these like series of poems

just literally I know I'm not a poet by trade.

I like, I've done like some journaling

especially when I younger my twenties

or even like in grade school

class and stuff. That I'm not a uh, writer

by any little stretch of imagination

unless I write whatever. Like I feel

um, occasionally and like I

got these poems like should I do a ebook?

And then like I um, had a previous

podcast host who was a best selling author. He had this

writing course and like so I signed up for his writing course.

I was like why do I ebook? Maybe I could actually have it on paperback.

And that's exactly what I did. So July

2022 I released um, a poetry book. It's

literally 30 pages front and back. So, so

if you never read a book and you're like I want

to read a book, like one of my, my

to do list, like literally go get my book. And you

could like accomplish reading a book front and

back. It's called try through pain how to

maximize your full potential in hard times.

Uh, is available

in paperback and has

uh, this year, this past summer. Excuse

me, this past summer is also uh, an

audiobook as well. I'm still trying to figure out getting

it on Audible, but if you like look it

up on. It's definitely on Spotify, is on

uh, other major platforms. Uh,

just look for it. It was like a big for

me to, to do in 2024 is

finally get, get the audiobook done. Um,

so. And it's narrated by me, you know, my own

words written by me, you know,

uh, spoken by me. Like I

learned during my writing class how to, how to do it, you know,

as an audiobook. Because I was asking around like

how to do it because I was struggling for like a year straight on and

off. Stop. I started, I stop it like

kind of like different ways and I finally got it

done. So uh, that, so yeah,

that's a little bit uh, in a nutshell,

uh, for the ups

and the downs and coming back up.

Yeah.

Because one of the things that is true about

your story That I do appreciate is

that you took

time to really understand what is going on

around you and then took

action. I mean, obviously you're going to have different

emotions coming up, but you took time out to

actually understand and recognize those emotions and putting

pen to paper, literally, and

getting that story out there, because it could actually help out

somebody else that's going through that. That same

trauma or going through that situation.

Uh, and when it was coming to a time

to actually talk to the kids, I'm gonna get

back to the money a little bit. But this is a

tough conversation that some people just have

to get ready to have as the sandwich

generation, as we go in, as we get older.

How did you, like, what was that

conversation like, explaining it to your kids

under 10? Like, what some of the things that people should

ask their kids or talk to their kids when they getting

ready for that tough conversation.

Oh, uh, man, so sorry to take you

back. No, no. Yes. So

for. For me,

just a kind of like a

straight, Straight shooter. Like, I try,

like, yes, I have to kind of make sure I put my

social work hat and kind of be like, figure out, like,

age appropriate to say. Yeah.

Um, and like, not

necessarily filter, but kind of like make sure that, you know,

it's appropriate for them to understand.

Um, so

literally, um, July

20, 2016.

So I was working at a job. So this is

probably like the best social work job I ever had. Literally, uh,

was a hybrid model before

hybrid became popular, thanks to Covid.

Um, so literally one

day up to the point, like, I was able to take, like, my

kids to, to work if I needed to, or pick them

up from school and then like, come from the office, run

to go get them to the other side of town, then bring them back

and finish off my day at work. Like, the job was very

flexible supervisor, very

flexible.

Uh, just a great

job. Like, I had. Um, so one day,

it was like the summer was summer break, obviously July, kids

off school. Like, I know how my parents are.

They had a hard time handling both

kids at the same time. So let me take the oldest

to work. Um, so

literally, like two days before.

Um, and mind you, during this time,

like 2015, 2016. I got

divorce in 2015. So literally, like,

my wife's. My ex wife's health

knows a lot of it due to her, her

own, um, doing as well.

Um, so I already had this

anxiety of like, I know the shoe.

The shoe is about to drop one of these

days, and I'm going to get the call that, you

know, she passed away. So this

was July

18th, uh, Monday. I just

got home from work and her brother

calls me, my ex brother in law calls me and he's

like hysterical crying on the phone. I was like, oh man, this is

the call. Uh, it's like, oh, uh,

the doctor said that,

you know, she has, her name was Erica. So

Erica has 24 to

48 hours left to live. I'm like, what, like what you talking

about? Um, so

yeah, like, but he, he never, from what

I remember, he didn't mention and I could

be wrong, but I don't remember him saying

that she was in icu. So I

um, so I go to work the next day,

um,

and I told the kids like, oh look, my

son, she's doing um, that

I kind of like left that.

Um,

so the next day I go to work and then

from work I go straight to the hospital.

I work in New York, work in the Bronx and I went all the way

to Jersey where, where she was at, go see her,

see her that she's an icu. Got uh, tubes kind

of everywhere, all over her face. It was like, it's not

looking good at all. And I'm pretty much

a realist. So I was like,

hey, if she make it out to this, like

this be like a uh, beyond a miracle, whatever that

other word is, is like, you know,

Gaga is like literally looking down

over um. So mind you at the time, like I

said before, I got a life, life insurance policy on

her. So

literally, uh, so literally her mom is like

grabbing her hand and like praying over her. And then like

her, her dad was there and like, like whispers to

her dad, um, literally

straight up I told him like whispered like, um, just in case

she don't make it. I do have a life insurance

policy. So the funeral. Could

be able to pay for the funeral.

Um, kind of

nodded his head. I don't even remember what,

what, what he did,

but you know, and then literally like the next day,

so all this happened literally 72

hours I go to work, take my son to,

to work. And then it was like little after 3

o'clock in the afternoon and uh, her

dad calls me, tell him he didn't use, that she had

passed away. So work at

the time was like one of like the few places

that didn't remind me of

my, my previous relationship. So

it was either that and the gym. So

uh,

um, because you

know, after, after I got divorced I had to get, get

sexy with it and get my Stella getting grew back,

losing weight and like I gotta, I gotta take

selfies for the apps and like um,

with all these apps, like dating apps, like I knew nothing

like get back at the dating Game. But that's like another story.

We got have you back home for the daily scene.

So um, yeah, so

I so literally I got this so

literally worst case scenario in my head. No, my

son was a big, you know, loved his mom to death

and kind of like I always worried about him,

how he was going to react. So literally at work I'm

like literally like my worst case

scenario is coming true and ah, like

um, like hey, we gotta go to the

bathroom. Come with me to

the bathroom. So no, we walk to the

bathroom and like I'm sitting like on

the, on the stall on its

like little toilets. I look at him like in his

eye and let. And

um. Something to tell you like know your

mom passed away and like

literally like for me I

took it as like it was like

a relief for him because like we

like would try to go visit her

and like no, she also had like

dealing with epileptic like seizures

but she didn't have epilepsy.

Um between that just a whole other like

a lot of health issues going on. So sometimes we would like

go to Jersey is ah we find out like she

usually got to go to the er so they

literally just like wasted money in a way ended

up being like wasted money going to Jersey from the

Bronx and literally got to go back and drop them off like

or take, go back home or things like that. So,

so I took is like relief for

him that you know, she doesn't have to suffer

anymore.

Um, that's how I took

it. Like you know, we never stood to this day

still like how did you feel?

Like when I told like he, he remembers that he told me

recently. Like hey, I remember like we was in the

bathroom when you told me and

we, we used the, the

bathroom that was meant for, for people in a

wheelchair. Uh, because I did have like

co workers who used wheelchairs. It was like a

uh, you know, disability

type uh, uh agency that I worked for

at uh, the time. So, so he remembers like the

details of the bathroom where I told them.

So it was uh, then I had to figure

out like literally how to tell my 4 year

old and it's like I was literally googling Google

not helping at all. It's like how do you tell a four year old

like, like age appropriate mind you. Like

mom passed away is like kind of be like oh

she's in the heavens like flying like, like the

storks took her like Initially how

like how I told her like initially and

like, and like weeks like I miss

mommy. I miss mommy. And kind of like all you do is really

just just hold her and kind of understand like

just, just be there for and hold her. Like I know you miss

like I was. Of course you're gonna miss her. Uh,

so literally that Sunday was the,

was the funeral. Well, literally. So

Thursday we kind of like shop around, go

find, go to different couple, um,

uh, funeral home funeral home

stuff and, and do that and like

tell me the price. I was like

why is so damn expensive?

What's the price were they giving you?

Um, it was like almost $8,000.

So like so literally

my last conversation with, with my ex wife she was

like uh, I'm going like I have a bad

toothache. I'm going to the emergency room. I think got

infected. I'm like. So she was kind of going in

and out the out the hospital hospital to a point

was like, but I don't want to hear about. You

got.

Let me know when you're able to see the kids. Like

it got to the point like that in, in our

relationship. Um, but I didn't

realize that was going to be like our last

ever, you know, phone contact or any type of

contact whatever. Um, so

obviously that, that kind of guilt, initial

guilt of that it kind of like you know,

talking to her like that

um, happening. So

there's a lot happening. And no, I did not take the

kids to the funeral. It's going to be

like a show for the last of

them. And it kind of was

my mother in law like fading

and kind of did a show a little bit.

And uh, it was just

uh, you know, uh, I'm a big

wrestling fan so like I kept looking back at the

casket and I thought she was going to do like some undertaker like

sitting up kind of thing. It was

like now you better say something nice about

what I spoke. So uh, I joke about it

but you know, when we think about you know, money

and things like that. And luckily I had

the wherewithal to have life, a life insurance

policy on her because I'm tired of seeing the

GoFundMe pages and no.

Yes.

I, I don't uh, no judgment, but

judgment at the same time. Um, you got to do what you got to do

sometimes. But you know life insurance is not

that that expensive. And obviously get life

insurance especially when you're younger and you

can always do term and convert it into whole

life or just pay for a whole life. Just

get, get something initially

and which leads to my

mom when she passed and like she

was like always stressing out, paying like

the bills and like money was kind of type, you know,

between rent and I took over the cable bill

and they should convert it into. So we all

paid the phone and the cable was one bill. Like I got

it, I changed it to my name so.

Or her name anymore. And

just kind of with the light bill and I

was paying for

groceries and

um, you know, things of that nature

day to day stuff that, that we need for the house and like,

you know, they didn't have to give me no money for the kids. Like I

did clothes shopping and

food that they eat, whatever. So um,

so when she passed, it was like you, you busted

your behind for like a

five thousand dollar life insurance policy. I can't even

use that to get the casket

for the casket. Like what the

hell, right? I'm like literally looking at the

sky like, oh, you gotta be kidding me, right?

Um, so that the life insurance

policy she took on me, uh,

I canceled it because I realized that it was trash.

Especially as I started learning a little bit about

life insurance more and try to get more bang for

your buck. And so where did

you go to.

Where did you go to learn more about that though, your

life insurance?

Um, just like different, you know, podcasts

I was listening to and different like financial

people that I was like started watching on

Instagram and then like YouTube

stuff and

um. Yeah, that's like uh, my

initial. And then I started like buying financial

books and like Tony Robbins stuff. And then more

as more and more people started coming out with financial books kind

of getting. And like I said, I'm still

learning about, about that stuff. Kind of

really get more bang bang for your

buck in terms of, you know, life insurance policy now that I got

home, like

sure. That I was still

technically under, under insured. So make sure.

Hey for the house in case something that

forbidden. So it's like I said at the beginning, it's like

a work in progress. Um, so yeah. So

then that's why I realized, all right, I gotta get, get some sort of

insurance for that because he's not leaving the earth

and not paying.

Uh, then I gotta pay out of pocket

for which using my nest egg. And

pay for his funeral. No, I'm not doing that.

Um, so, yeah, so,

so what, ah, what happened? You mentioned the funeral in

the casket. So in New York. And again this happened

during COVID So um, at

least for me, I can only speak from my experience. Um,

I. So she.

Because she died Of COVID And

Covid. No, you had to have

the. Almost like the diagnosis. You gotta have, like, the

cause of death has Covid being on the death

certificate. So

because of that,

um, she positive, from what I was told,

had to be automatically cremated

because they didn't know

whatever to transfer and whatever.

And all the health workers in New York,

you know, New York was. Was the. The

epicenter, uh, of. Of the pandemic

at the time. And this is May 2020 for people listening,

so they gotta think back early on

the beginning. We don't know what the heck will was going on.

And because so many people in New York City were

dying, they had to transport

my mom's body to Connecticut to have the

cremation done.

Wow.

So I was basically paying for that

and then having her cremated and then bring

her back to New York. So I knew

that and. Which was kind of

weird because when I went to go pick up the

ashes, um,

they were having funeral services at the funeral

home that I was having. So it was like,

okay, so like a body situation.

Not everybody was dying because of COVID

Right. So I was like, why they having

a couple funerals? I was kind of, like, afraid of going

in. Yes. I had my mask on. I went

like anywhere I had mask

on at times. I was having gloves on. So I was

kind of looking like blue man group for a

hot minute a lot of the times, uh, wearing

a mask in my own house because I was afraid

my dad's autoimmune compromise. I was

definitely afraid he was going to catch something.

Um, luckily,

thank goodness, my, uh, my now wife, she

worked at a preschool, so they went full remote

and she was able to care for the

kids, uh, while I was still had to go to the office

initially, even for, like, because we weren't set

up at all for remote. So I still had to go to the

office, masked up and do I need.

Still doing home visits. You know, it became like,

emergency visits to see, um,

my older adult clients. So it was a

lot happening all at once. So that's

why it sounds like I'm kind of over the. Over the

place. Literally. Things were happening

daily, weekly, as time went on, even

try to, like, allow. Couldn't

really, like, allow myself to

grieve. Um, I did use my

platform, my podcast. I did an episode, like,

explaining how I felt after she passed. So my

podcast became kind of like my own

for my own mental health. Kind of like I need to pump out these

episodes. And like I said, like, earlier, like, Like

I was having all these ideas in my head, I literally

tried whatever popped in my head I was kind of doing. And I

came up with a social work spotlight

series. Like, I need to know what is

happening in the social

realm. Boots on the ground that I'm not going to

see on the news, I'm not going to see on, uh,

um, MSNBC. I'm not going to see on CNN what is

happening in my community. So I started

DMing all the social workers that I started following

or was following. Like, like Michigan,

Calif. Like Florida, like, literally

started having, you know, conversations at

adult social worker in Michigan. And like, literally,

like when we started talking, it came on my

podcast. Like the. The governor

of Michigan had. Had literally has just gotten

kidnapped in 2020.

So we were like talking about that. Like, is your governor all right?

Like, what's going on? It

kind of go from there and building that. That network. And then

I had my writing. Who my now my writing coaches on

the podcast. And then I had like, uh, I actually had

a Stanley cup hockey player talking about mental

health on the podcast and kind of like started

DMing people on. I started using

LinkedIn more like DMing people like, hey, like, I

got this podcast. You want to come on talk about mental health?

And so literally, like, things were like, kind of

like rolling along, like covert. Actually helped, like,

me being more consistent. Releasing podcast episodes. Guys, I did

like one, and then I went like, almost a month without one. Then I did another

one. Then like became like every two weeks. And like, literally,

like, it was coming like fast, Fast and

furious. Like, giving resources about how to help social

workers with COVID with their patients and

their clients. And then it kind of began,

like, growing even more. Just whatever idea

popped in my head was like, doing it at the same time. Like, I

was like, writing what became my poetry

book. And then like a year later

I had gotten, um, an opportunity

to, uh, be a co author of.

Of a book series called Latinx Latin A

in Social Work. It was like volume one that came out and

was received so well. So I got the

opportunity to do volume two

and I was like,

I wanted to share the story of the

kids with their mom and what a

little bit I went through in our relationship. And

like, the end of the relationship, it kind

of. And I wanted to get it out

somehow. And like, I wasn't ready to

necessarily go to therapy. I'm in the mental health space, but

I wasn't ready to go to therapy

myself yet.

Um, so, like, I

straight up asked my kids, like, hey, I had this idea,

like, I want to kind of share, just give

like, kind of tidbits

of what

happened. And like, I. So I eventually,

as they got older, I kind of gave like the Cliff

notes of how their mom passed away. So

they know it's because of her alcohol, uh,

addiction. And like, they knew like, alcohol played a

part of her passing

away. Uh, so

it's like, yeah, they gave me their blessing and,

um, I wrote it. And it was like,

as soon as the book came out, like, my daughter

grabbed a copy and went right to my chapter and started

reading it. And I was like, this girl gonna ask me some

questions. So every once in a while, like, show

it be at the worst time. But because

she, like, she's the time aspect.

Time has a concept, isn't. Is not her strongest

suit. Uh, so she'll ask me questions in

like the wrong setting and it'll be something personal.

Like, I love to answer this question, but

right now it's not the right setting. We think about it

again later on when we get back home or I promise

I'll answer that question for you. So the

parenting always, like, will continue,

like, for even like

beyond after passing, uh, away and kind of

like just try to groom

them and like, for having their mom

passing away so young,

uh,

like, and moving from

New Jersey to New York and basically, they're

basically New Yorkers, even though, like, they

were Jersey natives and living from New York for

such a long period of time and then moving

to Delaware, like, all that

that came with it and you know,

pandemic during

homeschooling, which was freaking

torturous as a parent. Put

your goddamn camera on.

Um, to everything. They're like,

well adjusted,

no good, no

human beings. They taught me more about resiliency than,

um, without even like having to

really teach just their day to day, like

this kids being kids, like watching YouTube and

all the stupidness they watch on YouTube and

talking to me about it and like they're, they're.

They're famous people on YouTube telling me about it. So now I

kind of have to learn about it because nowadays, like in the pop

culture and things that I watch in the sports

realm and things like that, like, oh, that's. That guy is.

Oh, okay, whatever. So it's

like, you know, I couldn't ask

for better human

beings as m my kids. And now I'm giving

myself. I finally this year

went to therapy. So I finally get myself the grace and

congrats to give myself the

kudos. Like, I did the best I could at the time and

kind of like, because I literally, Thanksgiving last

year was like, um, I don't know,

something happened. Well, I finally got covered after, like,

almost four years.

Oh, wow. Okay.

And it did something in my brain because,

like, literally everything that came in, in my

head came straight out of my mouth. So I literally

talked my, uh, wife's ear off all

of Thanksgiving weekends. And to

the point that she thought, like, are, uh, you right? You may

have to go to the hospital or something. Like, what's going on with

you? And like, no, I'm all right. You just have to be patient with

me. And like, all right.

At that point I was like, all right, 2024, I'm

going to therapy. Like, I gotta get all this out. So

I've been doing that. It's been wonders. Men,

please go to therapy. Uh, it's okay not to be

okay, but go, go see. Go seek help. Especially, uh,

people of color, period. But just because I know there's

such a stigma that, um, and

I talk about my podcasts all the time. It's okay not to be

okay, but get the help that you need is 9,

8, 8. You don't even

have to use 911-911. But

988-911- there's great people of color who are

awesome therapists. And there's different.

It's not what you see on TV about

laying on the couch and talking your business off,

uh, is so many different aspects. There's like,

ketamine therapy now. There's so many

different variations of therapy

and stuff that you could do whatever you're comfortable with,

but at least just start.

Yeah. And as we're coming up on the third

segment here, and this is about you really,

um, what skills or habits do you feel that's going to

take you to the next level?

Um, just try to be consistent. Like, a

couple years ago, I finally hired a business

coach because at, uh, a mix of

2020, like, I, uh, um, I'm still

technically a licensed Zumba instructor.

So at the time I was trying to

merge, um, Zumba

with, like, poetry, especially after I wrote my

book. However, when you start a business,

definitely do market research to see

if actually people are willing to buy

a product, ah, or service. And I did not do that.

Even I got. I got caught up in the

2020 vibe of Go get an

LLC, especially when we got the first Covid checks. Go. Go get an

LLC with the COVID check. So I got an

LLC in 2020.

It kind of. That was like the very beginnings. And,

like, I did some classes online and didn't

have had very few sign ups and kind of

like even like much stuff was happening. I'm

giving proceeds out to uh, whatever, like a

natural disaster. I know I did a for when

Hurricane Maria happened in Puerto Rico. Like proceeds

happened to this organization and still didn't have like a

lot of sign ups. So like, all right, I'm gonna have to like

pivot and change, like do a whole rebrand.

So let me go get a business coach and ah,

like I'm in this like learning about

finances. Why can't I help my, my people out

especially I'm um, still in this. The sandwich

generation still came from my dad. My dad was

still living in New York. Like he refused to come come to

Delaware to the point, like,

like he didn't have a choice. Um, because in

New York, and this comes to finances. So New

York as much I couldn't stand the, the

mayor and the governor,

uh, at the time was de Blasio and Governor

Cuomo who resigned.

Um, and I'm a

Democrat, but I couldn't, couldn't stand either one of

them. Um, they did

um, in New York City was

they were helping out people paying their rent.

Like if you were behind or you

were like, you knew you was going to be

behind or if you were already behind, they were helping pay for

like up to like three or four months of rent

you would have to take. Especially if

someone uh, had passed away from COVID and you

had to have the death certificate. And in

the death certificate they had to had the

word uh as the cause of death.

Like you will send the paperwork over to the city

and then they will get cut a check

or give the check directly to the

landlord and your rent will be

covered for up to like three or four months.

Uh, so that's exactly what I did. I was

um. So my dad was able

to stay there. I was

paying. So I had finally got my

mortgage, got my house in February

2021. However, I

was helping them pay with some of the rent. I don't

think it covered the whole thing, but it covered

most of the rents. I had to like come up with the rest

plus pay my mortgage. And that really kind of

like messed me up because I finally started investing in

the stock market for the first time. There you go, 2020.

So. And then I got, I got a. I

set up some uh, UGMA accounts for my kids. So I was

learning all this and try to put it into practice

and then like you messing me up because I gotta give you the money

for rent that I could have used to put it in the market

especially. Everything was tanking. So like uh, getting,

getting Apple and getting Microsoft and like, you

know, voo.

So, um, until a point was

like, I have money up to

this month. After this month, I can't give you no more

money. Um, and that's basically

why I didn't late and things going on.

Three, about to be three years that he moved in with me. And like

literally, uh, right before Thanksgiving in

2022,

they're like, that's it. Like, you come.

We're coming in. So literally like that,

that program, the city kind of went two months,

couple of months without being used. Like, whatever. Like, you need to

come with me. I can't do the back and forth driving up

to Delaware or taking the train to. Taking the

Amtrak to come see you, make sure you're all right and kind

of like help you out with stuff. Like no, like you can

come with me. This space. I got space in the house.

We figure out your medication situation. We

figure out a program. So there I did sign them

up for a program where care

they have. They have their own network work of

doctors. So he needed, you know, uh, a kitty

doctor. He needed cardiologists.

He needs to get his blood work drawn like a weekly, on a

weekly basis. And I found a program down here that

he. All that stuff done. And it's

covered mostly by his. His Medicare

and he's. So he has managed Medicaid along with

Medicare. So most of that. So

it's like very little out of pocket

expenses coming out of me as his

caretaker caregiver for that. So it's called a

PACE program. I forgot the.

Always forget the name of his pivot

persons for all inclusive care, something like

that. I forgot the exact name for it. But if you

look up PACE programs, uh, for the elderly, you

know, Google that up and they're popping up a little

bit, you know, nationwide here and there. So, um,

there's a few of them in New York City where

I'm from. There's one. At least one here in Delaware.

There was a second one that was trying to open. Open up.

Um, so that. That can

help. It's not the greatest in the world, but at

least it was something. Yeah.

Because all that, like, I would have had to be like

taking FMLA and be taking them to appointments

and stuff like that and then

be like not working and kind of care for him. And

that's a whole other story like unpaid caregiving.

That's. That's a huge thing. And I know,

um, Vice President Harris is trying to

help that with, um, at least recently

came out with a proposal to have

Medicare pay for. For home care, you know,

services. So let's see if that,

if, if that happens. But yeah, caregiving.

The struggle is real in caregiving and,

uh, caregiving from my mom, literally, um,

uh, when she came home from the nursing home, she was pretty much

bed bound. Uh, so I literally was

changing diapers and wiping her and

literally like the circle of life

happening and

was sucked about it

for, um, me personally,

physically. Um, I had gotten injured

playing pickup basketball. So I

had like, uh, I had

like a sprained ligament in one of my fingers that I couldn't

like even like lift up my finger for. For like a

few months. Um, and then I had got diagnosed

with two herniated discs in my back. Uh, so

I literally changed the. Changing the diapers and

wiping. I was. My back

was on fire, right? So I was

like. But, you know, as. As parents

especially, you know, as kids especially, you

know, traditionally in Latino homes,

we, like, we were taught

for our parents and stuff. Like, I, uh,

would do it, you know, all over again to, to the point where,

you know, uh, I couldn't do it anymore. And

when. And so she went to the.

I called 91 1,

so like kind of like the two week, like. So basically

she lasted a month in the

house after being in the nursing home

for so many months. Uh,

so this was April world

shut. Already shut down. Covid is running

rampant all over the place.

Um, I'm working from home. Finally got. Got

to work from home. Um, and then

I, I want to get something to drink. So did I hear mom

coughing? She's taking her meds and on Gatorade, like,

and like she's um, choking on

Gatorade. Like, the heck is wrong with you? Like choking on some

Gatorade. To the point like, it got really bad

that like our face turned. Turned red. I was

like, do I need to call like our pcp? That's not going to

work. Like, maybe call straight up, call 91 1.

So of course, in New York, call

91 1. Like literally in the hallway, the

EMS came and then basically kind of said my

goodbyes, thinking I'm. I'm not going to see her again.

Um, so by the grace of

God, who. I can't remember this doctor's name.

So that weekend I actually have a conversation

with her. Uh, the doctor,

God bless his doctor used WhatsApp

to call me while I was in

the hospital. So I was able to have a

conversation with her. It's like. And she

was alert, oriented enough to

know she was in the hospital. Like she was

asking me to come visit her. Like, I can't see you. Like

we can't see patients who were covert in the hospital.

As much as I kind of want to and did

not want to because I got to think about me

and the kids.

Um, and then to the point I

told the doctor. So she came home. She

spent a week in the hospital, came home and like,

literally, like no facial

expression, flat affect as uh you call it, social

work. Like, I could see the

moment she came out of the

ambulance. I noticed a difference right away. Like,

what's wrong with you? She couldn't really speak. She just wanted.

All she could say was water. Like some, you know, uh, like she

wanted water. They gave her some water. Like, literally,

she. And still. Technically still had

covet. So it was like now I'm like, I got

a COVID patient with my mom in the house

with an autoimmune compromised

dad in the house. The one bedroom

apartment you gotta cut through where he sleeps

at to go to the living room is. There's no

covering. So any air that's just breathing.

We sharing the air. I, uh, worry about

that his doctors are calling me like

now when we never had conversations before. You worried

about him, like trying to say he

can't house. He has to. Like, I have no other

family that he could go to to. So

if he's going to catch it, he's going to catch it. Or we deal with

it. Um,

so. Damn doctors.

At least my dad's doctors might be your next.

Your next profession.

Yeah. So it's like

all that's happening, like, uh, no more. But

I'm gonna call now. She's gonna go back to the hospital the next day,

let her like chill in the house and we follow up

the next morning. So literally

still she couldn't really talk anything of

like this is. This is not right.

Some new flight

covert did something that affected

her mentally. Something and. And the doctors

couldn't figure it out. They were like, I, uh, literally, I was

telling that I literally had a conversation with her

Friday, Saturday. Like one of your doctors

is what's call me. I, uh, had a

conversation with her. She was alert

or it's a little confused, but she

was. We had a whole conversation. It couldn't figure it

out. I had to tell him, like, if

she were to come home again, I can't physically care for her.

She needs to go to a nursing home

long term. So able

to work, uh, it out and find a

home literally not far from me

at home at all. Like maybe like a half

hour walking distance. Like I could take

a one bus and just go up there or just walk.

I did the walk like a million times as,

as a kid going to school. So like she was

so, as they say, so close yet so far. And in

New York City, um, you couldn't

um, visit still, still visit

patients in a nursing home either. So it's

like, like literally I could walk to you, but I

can't see you. And so literally like

her body starts shutting down. I got a call Saturday,

like her body's like literally kind of shutting down. Which, you know, we

monitoring her. And then Sunday, May, May

3, 2020, I get 5:00 in the morning, get the call that

she had passed away.

And I didn't sleep

to like past midnight. Monday morning

was like, I need to go to bed. I've been up like the whole

time. Like I had to tell my dad. Oh,

like sisters. One sister living

demons to her, to a cousin that was

like her sister, her two sisters and Puerto Rico,

like a couple friends that, that mom

had. Mom have a few friends. Like she didn't like to go

out. Let's was doctor's appointments or the supermarket.

So like when they called like, hey, they want to talk to her

because they didn't know like hey, by the way, like my pass. So

it was like, um, initially like

my, my, my girlfriend was

not my wife. Like I was staying in her house

when I got the calls because on the weekends I would

go and stay with the kids and stay with her.

Right?

Um, so literally like

she was right there with me when I got the call and

like was still up. And when the

kids woke up like, hey, um, your grandma

passed away, just all we could do is just hug,

hug them. And like, uh, it

was, it was a lot like that that day

and was able to come home, like telling my dad, like, hey,

um, they called me from the nursing home, mom

passed away. It was like kind of like still

kind of like deal with it. Like, so I try

to set some boundaries for

myself. Um, and then I told my

wife this all the time. Like, I can't

do my grief and his

grief at the same time. Like I do,

I can only do me and for

my own sanity and from my own mental health,

like, I do what I can for

him. Um, but

when you have a parent who's basically still

living, but it's basically a broken off kind of like

broken spirit. Um, because even like Six months before that,

like, his only brother had passed away too. So it's like,

literally he's having back to back,

you know, deaths. And so

to him, he's ready for him. He always says he's ready

to go. Maybe there's a, uh, Latino old school thing, like

your calamity. Yeah, I hear it, like, all the time. It's a point.

It's annoying and

frustrating at the same time too. But that's

the reality of myself in the sandwich generation. Kind of hear

that. It kind of like give, uh, them that listening

ear as. Use my social work, uh, skills. Or to a point

where, like, all right, you said the same thing two times, and then

you're about to say it again the third time, let me go. Like,

all right, I'm gonna m. Go to walk away from the situation.

So, uh, so it's like, you know,

doing that and. And he's old. You know, the old school

mentality. It was like, I don't want a therapist.

We talk about seeing a counselor all the time,

and it's being offered for him at the program that he's in. And

it's like, nope, I'm not not doing that. Uh,

if I want to say something, I tell my son and me, I'm

like, you ain't gonna

tell me only so much. That's it.

So much. Yes. I was like,

dealing with that. So when it comes to estate planning, as

we talk about, you know, finances, uh, so he said,

like, I'm done. Just like, cremate me like that. We do. You do

whatever you want with me. So for him

is very simple. Whether he might

change his,

his mind about that, then he has to let me

know. I mean, I'm not going to bring it up like that's what you want to do.

It's simple. Like, I, like, like when

I buried finally, it took me two and a half years to finally

bury my mom's ashes. Um, I

wanted, like, I. When I talked

about moving to Delaware, like, when I talked to her about it, you

come and live with me. We'll figure out, make sure

when we get a house that you have a space for you that

whatever for your own. Your own

personal room, whatever.

Um, that didn't

materialize. But she's here in

spirit. Uh, finally, like, had buried her ashes.

They got. They gave me. So they gave me a

string bag with a box and.

The box. Yeah, with the box. So it's

like you guys, like, these people actually gave me

like a string. String.

Like, what the asses in there

and Like, I remember clearly. Like, we, like,

so it wasn't. The funeral home. Wasn't

far from where, uh, she stayed at

all those months in the nursing home trying to.

Because she broke to. She broke her ankle in both

places. In two places. Like, there was like, her left ankle. I

don't remember. Um, and she had a history of the

falls. Had like, vertigo and stuff like that. So, like, she. She

was prone to falls. And the fall

that she had before that, like, months ago, like,

she had like, seven staples in her

head. I was. I was like, the next fall you're gonna have

is really gonna be bad. And unfortunately, I was

right. And spent all that time in a nursing

home. Spent her birthday in a nursing home. Spent

my birthday in the nursing home. Spent Thanksgiving,

Christmas in a nursing home. And then

like, the new year came in

2020. And then

Covid started in. Is like.

Like I said earlier, the. Came home right before the

shutdown happened, which I'm glad it. It did,

because at least I got to stay

home, care for her for, you know, it was a month. And

like, it. What

happened, happened. Um, so at least I got that month with her that

she came home. Uh, and I

was. I was complaining the whole time because I

was working and then come home and change

diapers. And we, like, we made it work. My dad and I got.

God bless. Like, we. We made it work

for that month. But

say, like, you know, when the time comes,

uh, my dad passes like

that when. So when I took my mom's

ashes and they're like, oh, you know,

there's space here that you can have more than one

person. The. If you want to. You

obviously just gotta pay a little extra for it, but

there's space. So, like, the plan is

that when that happens,

call you up the ashes

and, uh, my parents will be

together in. In the

ditch in the cemetery. So sometimes I think

he's going to outlive me. So that's why I need to get that trust.

That trust going. Because he got more lives than the cat,

right to the point. Like, like, we had, like,

Covid pretty much at the same time

period, too. So it was like,

like, literally when people say f. Covert, like,

like a living testament. Like, really,

like, I. I have

the respect for it because of the

unknown and everything that's happened to different people,

different situations. But, like,

literally, like, covert at

the same time. Because, like, when I had it,

I was like. It

was just like. Like, kind of like brought me back to 2020. Like,

damn, like, I got it. I like how bad

you were like messing with me as. And

I wasn't like, so, so bad. I definitely felt

like going up the stairs. Like I had like really

take. Take some breaths and didn't help

them. Like, I still got the covered rate away from

2020 didn't help. I got married, so now I got the, the love

pounds with the COVID pounds together and gained all this weight.

But going upstairs,

um, I'm definitely like, felt like out of

breath and like had like a sore throat

a little bit. I sound extra sexy actually when I have a sore

throat. Like, I, like, I could hit the like the baritone and

stuff, the Barry White going

on. So I was like, so like.

So I told my wife, you know, when it's, you know, when I get through with

this, like, if I still got the voice, you're

in trouble. Uh, so

I actually did a couple episodes, podcast episode

messed up. So like go on my YouTube. You

actually see me with the mask. I did a couple of episodes

while having covered like I had,

dude, like just from my own mental sanity. I still had to

like release episode. I think I had a

cave away. Like, you gonna see me with a mask. I

got Covid, but I still want to do the episodes. So I

may sound a little hoarse, whatever, but I still want to get

it, get it going. So I did that. So like I said,

like, my podcast has been a big part of my own

mental, uh, sanity these last

four years while helping other social workers

both see. So the new MSW students that continue

to come in into our profession and learn new skills

in different ways, that we're not just, you know, child

welfare workers. We could do so many things without

profession, like try to monetize social work

podcasts or write a book, write multiple books or

do speaking engagements by trying to get into more

speaking engagements. Uh, um,

recently I've done speaking engagements. I was in Dallas

like in 2023. I was, I was in

Atlanta earlier this year doing the presentation I've

done when the book, uh, Social Work Latinx Social

Work came out. I did a presentation talking about

my chapter a little bit. And

um, so, yes, I'm just trying to

monetize all these skills that I built and figure

out best way to try to do that.

Yeah, I mean, that's one of the things about your story is that you

have so many elements to deep dive into.

Uh, so I mean, speaking on it

from experience and really sharing your story. Like,

again, I, uh, just want to commend you on,

you know, not just letting the grief overwhelm

you to the point where you're just kind of in the

hole and just by yourself and just

like cutting yourself off from the world. It seems like you did the

complete opposite, which is you opened yourself up to the world

and really share your knowledge, share your

experience and really leaning

into the social work community on the power that you

guys do for uh, the community.

Um, but with that being said, you ready for the

final four questions?

Yes.

All righty.

So number one, what does

wealth mean to you.

Man? Um, having the

time and I realize it more now,

like having the time to do what you want

to do. Whatever. Mhm.

That that means for you whatever

you want to do. Um, would be

work wise is being at home more. Whatever.

Like I would love to be. Be at home more and

kind of do things that,

that I want to do even more and that that's a goal for me but

definitely having the time to do what you want to do.

All right, number two, what was

your worst money mistake?

There's quite, there's quite a few. I mean

um,

I try not to make them many

mistakes now

especially when we stole an inflation

um,

so I try no obviously

like I'm not that great organized.

I improve my organization but

definitely like I um, like missed payments on

credit cards or

definitely um want to say probably like it got. I

got caught up in getting like business

credit that even my

business despite not having a real

solid product or service. I have a product or service

now but like 2020

these cards and kind of you using them. Um, I

still use like I know my podcast is

now the name is trademarked so I

paid for that. You know I pay for my writing

class which is why I got the book and kind of like paid

for things or going out. I went to like

fast and use business credit to

go to conferences and things like that use it for

business purposes. But

now is like I'm trying to get customers

now with, with my business now and like I have to

use my personal money to pay

for for. For business credit stuff.

It's like that money could be used to uh, like start

it or kind of like save like a thing about college

or kids and kind of like use the money for other things.

So I'd say probably that would be like

the biggest thing right now because it's really kicking me in the butt a little

bit. I'm managing it but like I'm like

it's kicking me in the butt.

Yeah, it happens. Number

three, what is your

favorite financial or non financial

book?

Who.

Um,

non financial book.

Um

Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama.

Okay. Financial, um,

book.

Um.

Wow, that's good. That's a good question.

I loved um, Yaneli

Espinal's book that she came out with. Um, and

I actually had her um, my podcast. It was

so down to earth. Like, literally it

was like how she wrote

the book is how uh, I speak

and kind of like her different scenarios

is like, yeah, I literally experienced that like,

like gone, uh, to my mom,

to the, the

social service offices known at at the time

in the 80s 90s as a face to face appointment.

So I know I'm old enough to know the

words face to face. So,

um, so just

real and be able to put myself in those

shoes. Like if I wrote it, that was me. And

like, and it

was great having her on the podcast talk about the book too. So I

will say that, um, now, um,

started reading um, Giovanna, uh, Gonzalez's

book, uh, the Cortura. I came

so I'm starting to read her book. I forgot the name of the title

but uh, definitely um,

like has Latinos and culture

plays a big part in our finances. And I was

definitely drawn, I'm drawn to that. So I'm looking

forward to reading that book as well.

Yeah, you know, this book is uh, that's on my list to

read, uh, for later

October, uh, probably beginning of November.

Awesome person. I met her several times. She's really

cool. All

right, uh, number four, what is your

favorite dish to make?

Uh, I got this Instagram

recipe, ah. About honey, uh, glazed

salmon. So ever since I

started, oh, I could do this and I like

eating salmon. Just put it in the air fryer

came out nice and crispy. They used like

some uh,

some like little bits cinnamon, like

cumin pepper. Uh,

obviously honey, um,

you just like literally like take a brush,

glaze out both the front piece and the skin piece

and put it together and I think I'm missing an ingredient.

Uh, but yeah, been making that.

I, I haven't made a baked chicken in a while,

but that, that was like my staple for a long time. Just take

some like three quarter pieces of

chicken and like you just

put it in the season it real well and like

put in the oven and people like my

baked chicken. So the point, my wife was like, when you gonna make that? You

haven't made that in a while.

It might be a sign you might need to make it.

Um, awesome. And this is going to be the very last

question of the show, which is where

could people find out more about you?

Yes. So I'M on, uh, Instagram,

um, threads,

and, um, TikTok at

Bass Moreno Consulting. That's, uh,

all one word. Um, my podcast has

a, has its own IG page, the Social Work

Rants podcast. That's all one

word. Um, my website, uh,

bassmoreno consulting.com.

um, I'm looking for clients. So if you're in that

sandwich generation, uh, caring

for kids and an elderly parent at the

same time, I'm looking for you, uh, offering a free

25 minute consultation to how

money and mental health,

emotional aspects affect, you know, your

wealth, um, and money. And talk about

what are you currently struggling with right now, what's you're like, your number

one thing you want to, like, achieve and kind of,

uh, work is on finding ways to solve

that problem for you. So, bashmarino, uh,

consultant.com, uh, and again on,

uh, more LinkedIn, type in my full

name. Basilisa Mar Moreno. Yeah, there's different

ways to contact me.

Awesome.

Uh, man, Bass, it's been

an amazing time and thank you so much for pouring

your, uh, all into this episode because

this is something that, you know, is still a

touchy topic, not just for you, but so many people

who have experienced loss, uh,

especially when you trying your best to even take care of yourself.

And the sandwich generation is just something that

we all have to really take a

deep dive in. Take a look into what our personal

finances are and how that we can actually

support our parents during this time frame, support our

kids, and emotionally support ourselves.