They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after our brief break from the podcasting world, Amber and I are back with stories that reaffirm the complexities of life – from mysterious allergic reactions to my scented candles to the somber realization of life's more challenging chapters. Our latest episode is a tapestry of personal anecdotes and triumphs, featuring a lineup of guests who peel back the curtain to reveal the souls behind the spotlights. Steve Flores, Arturo Meza II, and Angie Munroy join us from the McCharmleys, not just to discuss their climb to success, but to bare their hearts about their journeys, the music that fuels them, and the resonance of connection and support.
As I reflect on my own bouts of sadness and the solace found in therapy, we provide a space for our guests to discuss mental health and the seldom-told struggles that accompany life in the limelight. Super Steve opens up about the loss of his parents, Art delves into familial tribulations, and Angie recounts connecting with her biological father – all instances that remind us of the importance of community and accessible support. It's not just about airing the hardships; it's about the anchor we can be for each other, and the lighthouse this podcast aims to become for listeners weathering their own storms.
Tying together the personal narratives, I bring forth a wealth of financial know-how gleaned from my years in the insurance industry, offering wisdom that can steer anyone away from the financial reefs. From navigating DUI consequences to understanding the critical elements of financial literacy and wealth building, this episode is an odyssey through nostalgia, empowerment, and the melodies that soundtrack our lives. Whether you're a music aficionado, someone seeking financial guidance, or just in need of a place to feel heard, this episode is an open invitation to join us on a journey that promises to enlighten, entertain, and embrace.
My Grito Industries
mygrito.net
Subscribe to The Mindbuzz Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIYj7eDCsV3YPzxv7VRKZKg
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @themindbuzz https://www.instagram.com/themindbuzz/ to keep up with our hosts, guests, and upcoming events!
See you on the next one!
"King without a Throne" is performed by Bad Hombres
King without a Throne Official Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNhxTYU8kUs
King without a Throne
https://open.spotify.com/track/7tdoz0W9gr3ubetdW4ThZ8?si=9a95947f58bf416e
They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after our brief break from the podcasting world, Amber and I are back with stories that reaffirm the complexities of life – from mysterious allergic reactions to my scented candles to the somber realization of life's more challenging chapters. Our latest episode is a tapestry of personal anecdotes and triumphs, featuring a lineup of guests who peel back the curtain to reveal the souls behind the spotlights. Steve Flores, Arturo Meza II, and Angie Munroy join us from the McCharmleys, not just to discuss their climb to success, but to bare their hearts about their journeys, the music that fuels them, and the resonance of connection and support.
As I reflect on my own bouts of sadness and the solace found in therapy, we provide a space for our guests to discuss mental health and the seldom-told struggles that accompany life in the limelight. Super Steve opens up about the loss of his parents, Art delves into familial tribulations, and Angie recounts connecting with her biological father – all instances that remind us of the importance of community and accessible support. It's not just about airing the hardships; it's about the anchor we can be for each other, and the lighthouse this podcast aims to become for listeners weathering their own storms.
Tying together the personal narratives, I bring forth a wealth of financial know-how gleaned from my years in the insurance industry, offering wisdom that can steer anyone away from the financial reefs. From navigating DUI consequences to understanding the critical elements of financial literacy and wealth building, this episode is an odyssey through nostalgia, empowerment, and the melodies that soundtrack our lives. Whether you're a music aficionado, someone seeking financial guidance, or just in need of a place to feel heard, this episode is an open invitation to join us on a journey that promises to enlighten, entertain, and embrace.
My Grito Industries
mygrito.net
Subscribe to The Mindbuzz Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIYj7eDCsV3YPzxv7VRKZKg
Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @themindbuzz https://www.instagram.com/themindbuzz/ to keep up with our hosts, guests, and upcoming events!
See you on the next one!
"King without a Throne" is performed by Bad Hombres
King without a Throne Official Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNhxTYU8kUs
King without a Throne
https://open.spotify.com/track/7tdoz0W9gr3ubetdW4ThZ8?si=9a95947f58bf416e
The MindBuzz, now partnered with MyGrito Industries.
Speaker 2:This podcast episode of the MindBuzz is brought to you by House of Chingassos. House of Chingassos is a Latino owned online store that speaks to Latino culture and Latino experience. I love House of Chingassos because I like t-shirts that fit great and are comfortable to wear. I wear them on the podcast and to the cotton assedas. Click the affiliate link in the show description and use promo code THEMINDBUZZ that's T-H-E-M-I-N-D-B-U-Z-Z to receive 10% off your entire purchase. The cash saved will go directly to the MindBuzz podcast to help us do what we do best, and that's bringing you more MindBuzz content. Click the link in the show description for more. February 23rd.
Speaker 2:Dellit Comedy is a stand up comedy, open mic comedy showcase and live podcast recorded in front of a live studio audience. Oh yeah, each open mic and featured stand up comedian will receive three minutes of stave time followed by an interview with your host. That's me. Eat, drink and laugh at Dellit Comedy Store 730 show 8pm. No cover to drink. Minimum the MindBuzz. Oh yeah, and away we go. Welcome back to another podcast episode. Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Gil and working the threes and twos is always the lovely Amber hey. You didn't answer that Much better.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I love it. Thank you for coming out and doing this with us. I really appreciate it. I love the energy. I feel like we haven't done any of these in the past. It's been a while, so I'm just happy that we're all back in the groove of things.
Speaker 1:Yeah, me too.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's funny because we can not do an episode or two and then I forget everything all over again. Isn't that weird?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's totally weird. So how are you? How you been? I'm good, I'm really good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, note to self, don't eat pasta before a show.
Speaker 2:Okay, all right, eat on for your life. I'll remind you on that, but I'm good, I'm, good, I'm good. Okay, I'm doing good. I'm doing good, besides your candle giving me I don't know something. I think I'm having a really allergic reaction to one of your candles.
Speaker 1:Well, I don't know, but that sucks because it smells good.
Speaker 2:It smells really good. And what is it, by the way?
Speaker 1:Pineapple.
Speaker 2:And I love pineapples too. Oh my God, I love eating pineapples, skinning them they're really good.
Speaker 1:Skinning them.
Speaker 2:Skinning them. No, that's not what you call it.
Speaker 1:I don't think you call it that. You core them I don't know, that's a good question.
Speaker 2:Peel, do you peel them?
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 4:Pineapple is also a code word for penis.
Speaker 2:Who's that? That's a sound board. That's a sound effect. That's a new sound effect. Got it, got it. That's a new sound effect we have. Ladies and gentlemen, peel it. Where there's an awkward Mexican, just say nonchalant things. But before we get into that guest, I believe we have a my grito weekly Amber. Go ahead and take it away.
Speaker 1:All right, whoa Going into space.
Speaker 2:Give me some volume on that. Give me some volume on that. There we go, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:That hombres will be at Lasita and LA on February 23rd. You may remember us interviewing their drummer, sebastian, on episode 170.
Speaker 2:Sebastian.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's a Jiu-Jitsu personal trainer, so go check their show or he'll kick your ass. Harler Sweetwater will be in Arizona at the rhythm room on February 29th. Maria Sanchez will be performing at Alex's bar in Long Beach on March 2nd for Ladies Soul Night. Oh wrong zone. Who. Rundown Creeps released their new music video, which can be found on YouTube or the link on their Instagram bio. 3lh also released their latest single on music video Darling, which can be found on YouTube. The paranoia will someday release their new music video.
Speaker 2:They're working on it. I can't rush art bro.
Speaker 1:Every time I read it and I said it's coming, and I had a when.
Speaker 2:You can't rush art.
Speaker 1:Stay tuned. Make sure you hit them up on their Instagram and ask them where is that? Go ask them Paranoia, where is that? Lastly, but just as important, make sure you go check out the new single and music video from Bad Hombres. It's Sweeneyo's out today. Go check that out. For more details on these shows, go to the artist's Instagram page. And don't forget to visit mygaditonet to purchase. I don't know why I can never say purchase to purchase your vinyl right now.
Speaker 2:You might want to check that, because I think it was a 14. Yeah, yeah, it is the 14?.
Speaker 4:Coming out in two days.
Speaker 2:All right, there you go and, without further ado, let's get into my Delet Comedy on February 23rd, friday. Tickets are absolutely free. It's a two drink minimum. You heard it on the intro Three minutes. We got about a dozen comics. We have our guest hosts, johnny Gold. We also have our other guest, co-host, johnny C from the West Coast Pop-Lock Podcast, featuring Wildcat Jackson and featuring Ricky Novea. You've heard him on the podcast before. Super two funny, great individuals featuring. And then we have at least a dozen open comics. Come out, have some fun. Eat, drink and laugh at Delet Comedy hosted in the city of Paramount. It's going to be awesome and, without further ado, go down to the links on the show description, mindbuzzorg, for your free tickets. All you have to do is just reserve your spot, reserve your seat, before we sell out, because tickets are going quick. Anything else, amber.
Speaker 1:Nope, that's it.
Speaker 2:All right, without further ado, let's get into today's guest. He is a record label. He runs the. He is a record label. He runs the Migrito Industries record label. Gikano Run Record Label, podcast Network Events, emas. And now we can say he's a podcast host. Can we say that?
Speaker 4:I think we can. We're actually going to announce it here on your show Awesome.
Speaker 2:Give it up for Oscar from Migrito.
Speaker 4:Thank you, gil, thank you, amber, for having me on the show, of course man Again. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Of course, man, we missed you.
Speaker 4:Lies, lies, all these lies.
Speaker 2:We've got to tell you, we've got to let people know that I miss you. That's fine.
Speaker 4:Your contract obligated to tell me those kind of things from time to time, there's obligations that I don't necessarily 100% agree with, but yeah, we have a lot of similarities, because I have to tell you from time to time that you're doing a good job, but it's what the contract requires.
Speaker 2:So I stamos yeah.
Speaker 1:That's what we put in the fine print in order to sign with you guys.
Speaker 2:You must grease me a little bit so I can get through my day. We need it. We need that positive reinforcement sometimes even if we're doing bad.
Speaker 4:We do need it from time to time. I also personally believe that we also need constructive criticism from time to time. I think it only helps out in making the individual feel or be able to advance further in whatever they're doing by getting good, honest feedback from good, honest people. So, yes, we do need the reassurance Absolutely, but we also need honesty, wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 2:100%, I agree. So what's up, man? What's going on? How you been? What's the jazz? Give me up to speed on all your projects.
Speaker 4:Absolutely so. What's going on? So, as you mentioned very eloquently on my intro, I do co-run myito industries. It's being co-run by myself and my good friend, rob Castellon. Rob also runs WireTap Records. The label's doing well. We celebrated three years last year. We do have several bands that are currently on the label. You can easily just go to our Instagram account as an example. Check out all the bands that we have on the label there. Not only that, but we also have several podcast shows, obviously, like the Mind Buzz. We also have West Coast Pop-Lock Podcast, we have Chicano Shuffle, we have Emo Brown and, lastly, we also have Dragos Amaragos. I'm going to fix this for you.
Speaker 2:Give us your face oh.
Speaker 4:There we go and there we go Cool. We also have Dragos Amaragos podcast. That's going to be announced here in March, so that's coming out pretty soon. A lot of good things there. We're hoping to be announcing our next concert here within the next couple of weeks. We are leaning more towards SCA on the next go around. That's something that we, both Rob and I, have a lot of fun. We have a lot of great relationships with the scene, with bands that are in the scene, so hopefully we'll be announcing that soon.
Speaker 4:And my insurance business. Last time when I was on your show, I talked a little bit about my insurance practice, what I do, how I help out individuals with retirement planning, building a financial legacy, life insurance. We finishing up 2023 was probably one of our best year, so gracias a los. Things went very well, not only for us but for a lot of our clients, and this year we're off to a good start. Aside from that, you and I are working on a new project. We are we're very excited because I'm announcing it here on the mind buzz that we have partnered up not necessarily with mine buzz, but mind buzz media, which is affiliate.
Speaker 4:It's an affiliate, but we do have mind buzz media that's going to be co-producing what my goals coming out with next, which is our very own podcast show.
Speaker 2:So I'm super excited.
Speaker 4:Thank you very much. We're excited about it because we felt that it was something that would be appropriate based on where we're at currently with the label.
Speaker 2:How do you have a podcast network but not a podcast? I think that's where my thinking was. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4:Yeah, We've been asked occasionally by one or two people when are?
Speaker 4:we going to come up with our own show. It's something that we put a lot of thought into it, because the one thing that we didn't want to do is we didn't want to make it seem like we're competing against the other podcasts that are part of the might be the podcast network. We're absolutely not competing, because I'll tell you here in a few minutes on what's the purpose of the podcast, what our intentions are, but also we needed to take a look at our time. We needed to take a look at is it something that we can commit to? Is it something that we think we have something to say? Are we able to get the type of guests that we want to interview on this on the show? Can we help out listeners with the type of information that we're going to be sharing on the podcast?
Speaker 4:You've already had the opportunity, with your help, guilt in recording three episodes the very first episode that's going to be released this Friday, february the 16th. We recorded several of them on one day because, again, I was just talking about time, having time to be able to commit to it. Yet again, another project With your help, and MindBuzz Media being a travel service that can go to any individual that's looking to do their own podcast and you want somebody to come in and pretty much produce the whole thing, from nuts to bolts, the headphones, speakers, the soundboard front to back everything.
Speaker 2:Every little piece of everything.
Speaker 4:You've been able to do that for me and to really protect both of our times. My thought process was to see if we can record multiple interviews in one day. That way again, we could be very protective of our times and just scatter them out over the next several weeks. We're very pumped. The first interview that we're releasing this Friday is with our good friend, super Steve Flores, who is the host one of the hosts of the West Coast Pop-Loc Podcast, which, of course, is under my grito Also.
Speaker 4:This individual has an incredible background, a fantastic bio. If you take a look at him working for the world-famous K-Rock for over 18 years, one of the first Latino radio personalities nationwide. By being on that show he was a big part of the morning show. He's done a lot for that radio station. The radio station has done a lot for him. With those opportunities came up things, projects such as the largest Michalada Festival in the US. It's been around now for several years. The Michalada Rumble this is one of his babies, that's one of his shows.
Speaker 4:We figured that this is an individual. Not only has he accomplished a lot, but he's real good friends. He's family of ours. I thought it would be appropriate to have him as being our first guest for the officially called the my Grito Podcast show. He's going to be our very first guest Again. It's going to come out this Friday. We also interviewed. Secondly, we interviewed Mr Arturo Meza II, who is the owner of Chicano Soul, who also was a guest here at your show, here at the Mind Buzz. He's also a very incredible individual, very talented photographer, but he's also a big influencer in the soul scene. He's only continuing to grow and make quite a statement in that scene by helping other people. I think that's something that we could definitely use more of more talented individuals that are out there willing to lend a hand and help out.
Speaker 4:So if you want to hear more about what exactly Art is doing with Chicano Soul and other projects that he's working on, you're going to want to listen into that episode. The third episode that we have that's going to come out in mid-March is with the very talented Angie Munroy, who is the lead singer of the McCharmlease. She came on the episode was able to share a lot with us about not only the beginning of the McCharmlease, how they came to be their success, because they have been a band that's been rapidly growing, not only with Spotify, also on social media, also on TikTok, on Instagram, but also if you go to any of their shows. They're selling out shows left and right. So I felt that that would be an individual that I would also like to interview, especially because they're going to be announcing their tour here. It's already been out there. They're going to go to a lot of different states, a lot of fantastic cities.
Speaker 2:Texas, arizona, chicago.
Speaker 2:They're doing a whole tour within like what, like two months, right with the Surfer Jets, and then they have some other these big rock-ability and same music style as they do, surfer Music, the new Soldies type of music that's coming around, but they are freaking, blowing up, dude, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And, like I told, like I told Angie when she was there, I'm just like super proud of just to know them. And then also, what we talked about was, at least for me, and maybe Amber, you can not disagree, but maybe you have a band that you really liked, right, and then just to see them progress and thrive and blow up just the way that McCharmie's have in the past. We've known them for about a year and a half and it's just, it's crazy. Like when they announced their tour with the Surfer Jets, I was so excited for them, like I was just like a fan, right, like that, like I'm just super proud of them and and to go on a tour like that for months and Doing the tour that they're gonna be doing, and whether next couple months, it's fucking awesome. It was a awesome moment, definitely, when I heard about that.
Speaker 4:Absolutely. They've came a long way. Not only that, they hope that they they have the opportunity to open up to some great bands Delta bombers, trish Toledo, amongst several more but they're also headlining their own shows and, like I mentioned earlier, there's they're selling out these, these venues, so they're doing some real cool things. I'm very fortunate to have those three individuals super Steve Flores, art Mesa and Angie Monroe from the McCharnelies be the first, very first three guests of the Magneto podcast show and During the conversation that we had with them, I Hope what the listeners are gonna take away from the interview style that we're trying to curate on this on the show is to try and get a little bit more deep into their background and some of the things that they've gone through that Many of us are going through or have gone through that Sometimes people don't feel very comfortable talking about. On the last episode, that or the last thing that I was here on the mind buzz Gil, I shared with you my struggles with I Don't want to say depression, because I know it wasn't depression after talking more with you know I did open up that I was going to therapy because it was a big help to me, but I realized that it wasn't necessarily that I was depressed, and this might be a misconception for a lot of people out there that feel like they might be going through some form of depression. Maybe they are, maybe they're not but the reality was is I was just going through some very sad shit. I was very sad during that moment and I needed to figure out a way on how to Rebalance my life a little bit better so I can be in a much better headspace. And when I shared that on your show, I did have several people that reached out to me and asked for advice on On what resources are out there for them in order for them to also try and take advantage of some help themselves, because not all resources cost money. There are some free resources that are out there available for us to help us out if we are going through some dark moments. There's no reason that we should be going through these moments alone. So Because of that experience that I've had on this, on this show, I would say Gil is probably one of the reasons that really Motivated me a little bit more when I was talking over with Rob, the co-owner of my great though, that I think we should do a podcast because I would like to have more of those type of conversations with the guests, if they're open to it. As an example for those that do listen to Super Steve, we talk about the passing of his parents and we go, we go in pretty deep in regards to what experiences not only did he go through, but also that I went through when I lost my sister. So we talk about that and we went pretty heavy on it with art. We talk also about some of the things that he's dealing with with his family and what he's done. And, in order to put him in a good head spot With Angie, she talked about the relationship with her parents.
Speaker 4:She opened up quite a bit. I really didn't know her family dynamics, but she talked about how, for the longest time it was, she was raised by her mother and her stepfather and she didn't really connect with her actual biological father till her late teens and how much that made an impact in her life. Not only an impact, but she also was like, wow, she sees the connection between her biological father because her personalities are exactly the same, so she sees where she got, she gets it from. So we had an opportunity to have those conversations, gil, and you were a part of it as well, and I'm hoping that that dialogue for certain people could be Something that could be beneficial for them if they're not getting therapy themselves, maybe listening to podcasts like this or like the mindbust because you guys also are a big help to me when I listen to, to your, your interviews, your comedy style, it helps me get away. But this is just. It's gonna be yet again another fucking podcast that's gonna be Addressing those situations.
Speaker 1:I love that. I think you you're showing what your mission behind it is. After the mankind is To really show these people, because they can go on other podcasts and say what they're doing as a profession or you know they're passion and everything, but we all know that they're they're a whole other human behind being a musician or being a comedian or being. You know they're not necessarily what their profession is a hundred percent of the time. And with you digging deep into these conversations, it just kind of like really I Don't know like you make them more humanly right. Like you, you personify them more as like, hey, they're just average people like you and I, so I like that.
Speaker 4:No, I agree, Amber. I feel like it does humanize is a lot more for those individuals. That Only here, as an example, with an music artist, you only hear their music or you see him at their shows or you see them performing, having a great time on stage. But the the truth is they're dealing with issues just like everybody else. And the thing is with social media.
Speaker 4:Many times we think Social media, the internet in general, is it's a great outlet, but it also has its trade-offs, and Specifically with social media, what it does it, it puts together this facade that people are only putting their best moments, right. They're not always putting their there when things are going difficult. And why would you right? I mean, I'm guilty of it myself. Most of the time I'm putting pictures of my family and I or me going to shows, moments that have me in a very good headspace, and I do want to share it with people, right? But I'm not also not always openly talking about the shit that I'm going through, because sometimes it's more personal to me and Sometimes I feel comfortable enough where I want to talk about it openly, either with my friends or when opportunity presents itself on a podcast, and now I'm gonna have an opportunity to do it on my own podcast With some fantastic guests and Gil.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely I like that. I can't wait to see it because. I wasn't there.
Speaker 2:We'll have the link down in the show description if you want to take a look at it. Ladies and gentlemen, it's coming out Friday, right yeah, this Friday. I'm excited dude. I'm excited to get the feedback, to see what it's. It's one thing doing your own podcast like this, but to be on to to do to produce a podcast On the other side, you know, I mean like it the hosting is one thing, but to be on Ambers at the, on the amber chair right, it's completely different, 100% completely different. It was fun.
Speaker 4:Good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm a lot of fun.
Speaker 4:I did too and To share a little bit more about kind of the, the platform of the show. The reason that we also wanted to come out with the mighty the podcast show is because During the opening comments, what I really wanted to focus on is things that the label is working on. And when I say the label, it's not just what Rob and I are doing or other people that have stepped up to help us out in growing this brand, because we do have people out there that that did step up to the plate, which I appreciate people like yourself, because you're doing that for us but also talk about the artists. What is it that they're working on? What new music do they have out? What music videos are out? So, very similar to what you guys are doing here with the might eat the weekly. But I also want to focus on the podcast network. So, if I have the opportunity, while I'm doing my opening comments throughout my show and say, oh, by the way, make sure that you check out the last episode, so from Chicano Shuffle, where they talk about this certain topic I'm promoting, I'm, I'm help, I'm helping to get the word out on something that Rob and I committed to, which was the talent, the podcast, and this is one way for us to continue to do that by sharing it on our podcast on what things we're working on. So I'm hoping that people do get a kick out of that.
Speaker 4:Like I said, also interviewing the guests and trying to find some interesting people that we can interview that are willing to be interviewed by us. And, lastly, because I am in the financial industry, the very last thing that I wanted to close out every episode with is Giving some type of financial advice. I can't tell you, gill and Amber, how many times I'm talking to an artist that's part of the label or just somebody that I know from the industry, and we're having a conversation and they're aware of my background and they start asking me for so I just changed jobs and what do you think I should do with my 401k? Do you think I should cash it out? Stuff like that. And at that point, I'm giving them very important information to help them avoid some pretty extreme penalties if they do cash out of 401k, especially if they're under the age of 59 and a half.
Speaker 4:Or I talked to them about different things that they should be doing with investments, different things that they should be suggesting to their parents to better protect their parents and better protect themselves. These are things that I've learned in my career in the insurance industry and I've been in that industry since 1997, so I've learned a lot of things and I feel that this platform could be, yet again, another place where, at the very end of each episode, share some type of financial advice, and most of the time, gill that financial advice is. You know, it's based off the conversation, the interview that we had with our guests. So if they said something that kind of stood out, then I would give some type of advice, as if I'm giving it to that guest, but in reality it's also to everybody else that's listening to that episode.
Speaker 2:It's kind of like Jerry's final thoughts on the Jerry Springer show.
Speaker 4:There you go. Do you accept there's not a lot of puttasos during the actual interview, jerry?
Speaker 2:Jerry do it. Well, that's a Pull up. Can we live? Can we watch one of Jerry's last final thoughts? Get see if you can find that. I. I had that. There was that vibe there, but it was. It was on financial Assistance, if you will.
Speaker 4:I would be lying if that didn't also come to mind for myself. Uh-huh, because I did watch a lot of Jerry Springer, did you really? And I do, and Jose sincetta as well, for on channel 22, but I do remember, like all the chaos that goes throughout the episode. And then at the very end he's saying I in my opinion, I don't say it as elegantly as he did, but again he's doing all the, all these babosadas throughout the whole episode, mm-hmm, which really his guests are. But yeah, I wasn't?
Speaker 2:he understands.
Speaker 4:Yeah, this is what's bringing in viewers, right. But then at the very end he gives out some fucking fantastic gold advice. I Don't know if mine's, I see the similarities, but it on the financial side. That's what I'm trying to accomplish here.
Speaker 2:The you it that bit bit bit. It's there, dude. That's all folks. It's no, it really, it really. It's really there, dude. So I'm trying to tell you now I appreciate it. You're.
Speaker 4:You're my Jerry Springer and you're my Steve, it's up not as big, or?
Speaker 2:as muscular, muscular or as good looking or bald not anymore.
Speaker 4:I'm letting my hair grow.
Speaker 3:So too much for our ego, and we lash out at who we lost and the person who took him or her. Now, I'm not suggesting it's easy to refrain from such feelings. But we know as bad as those feelings are. It's in our own.
Speaker 2:Just imagine. No I just thought of like Jerry.
Speaker 1:Springer, someone getting their freaking shirt ripped off and my baby daddy is a homeless, toothless man, and then he's all it may have once been good, but it isn't anymore.
Speaker 3:No, don't let this person continue to hurt you. Let it go find someone who will love you back. Then you can have the happiness you want and deserve. As for the love you lost, you don't love him, you only loved who you thought he was. You're better off moving on till next time.
Speaker 4:Take care of yourself, hey, yeah that was it the final that was the final, final thoughts, words of wisdom that nobody took them up on it. Wow. They'll be doing the same thing with my show and I'll take my advice my financial advice either. Hopefully they do. If I can help out a few people, I would love that?
Speaker 2:Do you know what the percentages of people taking out their 401k early in life Um? Is it low or high?
Speaker 4:So it depends. Yeah it really depends on the financial education that the individual has wherever their financial IQ is, and the real financial IQ yes, it's, it's.
Speaker 4:Oh shit, you got the big one. Oh my god. So it really depends, because we have to understand that in our school system there's very little that we learn from money. You know some of the things that a lot of us should really be Getting more education on, not just the basic how to write a check and that's kind of dating myself back in high school that's when checks were being written?
Speaker 2:Well, absolutely no, because we're. We have an age gap, like we have a huge age gap between I, probably one of the biggest Age gaps that I have with the friend Super big the age gap is tremendous.
Speaker 2:The age gap is tremendous, however. However, however, staff my lawn, however. I Took a class in high school they called it the senior math class because I it was really a PE teacher showing us how to do your, how to fill out a W2, how to do discounts on Certain percentages, how to work percentages hey, if your t-shirt is 27 dollars and it's a 15 percent discount, if you remember those type of math problems. But one of the classes was how to write and balance a checkbook, and I want to say, when I was about eight, nine years old, I used to balance my mom's checkbook for her at you at the closing of the week and at the end of the month. I'm Super familiar of writing checks. That was something that I learned Super early in life and when I took the math class, it was kind of it was kind of cool, you know, and even me telling Amber about that specific class like she didn't. Did you have a class like that? No, right, no no, you took geometry.
Speaker 2:Like when are you ever gonna use geometry? Yeah?
Speaker 1:I don't right See and, and I'm right.
Speaker 1:I didn't know the basics of like writing a check and things like that. I mean, my mom always showed me well, well, my parents showed me was like credit cards. Credit cards are bad, you know, don't over your limit. So I was always scared of Finances, I was scared of money, because that's was like that wasn't what was instilled in me, and I understand why it was Showed to me in that way, because my mom didn't want me to be Irresponsible with Money and my finances and things like that. But in actuality, I never really Learned how to balance anything or or really what to do with my finances. I don't know how to invest, I don't know. You know, like I didn't know any of that and I don't think we're being taught any of that anywhere. Until you hit, maybe you know you meet someone or whatever the thing is. But yeah, that's crazy to me.
Speaker 2:You meet somebody like this gentleman across from me, right, or even and I'm gonna take it a step further to you, don't learn about it until you get in a messy situation, right, like financially. And To take it again a step further, no, we won't go there I was gonna talk about, do I? But we won't go there right now. But I'm just saying there's some things that you learn and there's all this education for, but you don't get taught it until it happens. And the DUI thing you don't learn really what alcohol does to you until you have to take a DUI class or you have to take a. You have, you go to a meeting and they teach you this is what alcohol does to your brain, or this is what happens to you.
Speaker 2:This is what is considered Binge drinker, this is what's considered an alcoholic, this is what what's considered a social drinker.
Speaker 2:You don't learn all that stuff and and I say this because I Just recently renewed my bartending license and it teach you, it showed, it teaches you all that stuff on how to serve, but not as a consumer. So you think twice now, like when, when, when, a per, when you're serving somebody alcohol, you think a little bit different because of the education that you get, and even before driving a car, you don't really get all this information unless you are court ordered by the state of California to To learn this information, and I think that sucks. I think that that it blows. And that's the one thing that I told One of the the edgy the alcohol educators About alcohol was why aren't we learning this at a different level and at a younger age? What is the dare program do for you? Like what, what? Like in high school, you get what one day and they bring in a busted-ass car and they they say don't drink and drive, oh, or this will happen, and that's it, and you don't hear anything else from that. That's it. That's messed up.
Speaker 4:I, yeah, I, I definitely understand what you're saying, gil, and I believe a lot of the resources that are out there may not be directed towards a certain population right. Certain courses are not made available just because of, maybe, the political reason behind it or the availability to have somebody there to educate. We also need to understand that sometimes we're not being taught that because in the perfect world which we don't live in, we would be getting this education from our parents and the good and the bad from our parents. And it depends for myself who I'm first generation here my parent, both my parents are immigrants. When it comes to me getting Education from them, it's completely different than what I teach my clients. It's completely different than what I teach my my kids, not because my parents were wrong, but their focus when it comes came to finance was very straightforward you come here, you work multiple jobs, you save your money, and then you buy a house and you and you keep saving money. You keep saving money, you keep saving money. That's their vision of what success is. What I try and teach my clients that, first of all, owning a home is not being rich.
Speaker 4:A lot of people think that having a home, especially how difficult it is Right now to buy a property. It's very difficult for any popular. It's not just about the younger generations out how hard they have it to buy a home. It's about any generation that's trying to buy a home right now. It is very difficult, right? But also understand that the the real estate market. It does fluctuate and at some point You're thinking that it's your greatest asset and before you know it, if the real estate bubble crashes like it did before 2008 was a big example of it your, your, your equities down and you're and you were relying on, on the equity in your home to, to leverage loans off of it, to to help fund your retirement, to do a reverse mortgage. Not everybody's gonna have that advantage. My parents were teaching me to save your money. That's not always a smart thing.
Speaker 4:Yes, you should have money put away in case of an emergency and know where that money should be placed in order for you to get a Pretty decent rate of return while still having some form of liquidity in case you do need it. What other investments are out there where you can get you much better returns? Where can you invest your money where your money can work harder for you? So there's a different. There's a difference in understanding Financial literacy. Your financial IQ needs to improve and I've had too many conversations with individuals that have not had that type of conversation with somebody, to your point until it's too late and before you know it, they're in a very bad financial situation.
Speaker 4:They lose their jobs and they have no money in their savings account. They get a DUI and they don't understand to talk to an attorney Not that I know from experience, but from what I understand, from what I read, $1500 is to talk to an attorney. To For bail, your on minimum, you're looking at $6,000 and then you're looking at all these additional court fees and all these different things that's gonna change your life just because of a fucking DUI that was completely your fault because you didn't think ahead. And with Uber lift, there's no fucking excuse on why you should be driving right. But all these things could financially ruin somebody and Also they can lose friendships, they can lose family because of it, they can kill somebody because of it or themselves.
Speaker 4:So what? What I wanted to do? Because I was having this conversation with too many people in the music industry since getting heavily involved with my grito. I Was giving that type of advice and I thought to myself Do you know what, gil? I would love to be able to share that, some type of financial advice at the very end of the podcast episode, if it makes sense. So far, again, we're three down. It sounds good so far, in my opinion, and your, your listeners, were gonna have the chance to check out the first one this Friday, on the 6th February, the 16th. But yeah, I'm hoping now bring some value, so let's go, yeah.
Speaker 1:Where, where do you? Sorry, I have a question, where do you think that, like what? Okay, I guess my questions for you when did you, when did you get into actually like this whole finance thing, right and and and learning how to Move your money and how to invest your money and things like that? Was it later on in life or was it early on?
Speaker 2:well, who's that?
Speaker 4:My IQ is a Point, something, it's the stuff that out there to answer your question number. I think it was a lot of trial and error and just going through life and I think I hope what listeners are picking up here. You don't necessarily have to experience all the things that the hard way Before you take the time to educate yourself in it doesn't mean that you're not gonna fuck up. There's a we're all. We all make mistakes. It's. It's inevitable, it's gonna happen. What you need to do is limit those mistakes, find out how much of a risk tolerance you have for investing and Making sure that you're putting yourself in a good position by creating a nice, solid portfolio that's gonna provide for you and your family, that's gonna provide for you when you do retire someday, if that's, if that's your goal.
Speaker 4:So, amber, more specifically, I really started getting more into it Because as a young kid, I was fucking up left and right. I had my full-time job while I was going to school and every paycheck went to partying, drinking, buying clothes. Back then we were into soup, fixing up our cars, so any, any page that I got wheels, intake filled, k&l filters, new headers. We were in that scene back then. This was in the 90s, talking fast in the furious here, but that was a scene that I was involved in, because, before Supping up these, cars hold on.
Speaker 2:What did you have Driving like? What did you drive back? I?
Speaker 4:went through a couple, but the one that I invested the most money on was a 2000 Civic. Si so the si nice little right little kick. But before that was a 65 Mustang.
Speaker 2:Is it a?
Speaker 4:coupe. Yeah, it was a coupe.
Speaker 2:It was a nice little sports car Okay and before that was a Toyota MR2 spider. So is that little Roadster pull up 2000s Honda Civic si.
Speaker 4:It's not, it's a civic. I was.
Speaker 2:Dude, I like. I like civics. Honda's were back in those days. We're fucking.
Speaker 4:They have a civic to have a hunt like a was a cord.
Speaker 2:But wasn't it that? Wasn't it that car that was on the original fast in the furious, I mean?
Speaker 4:that was one of the cars. The main highlight one was like the Supra or the Honda s2 s2, Come on, bro.
Speaker 2:Of course Did you have a spoiler to no, no spoiler, huh.
Speaker 4:But I did invest a lot of money in it.
Speaker 4:And at that point, amber, I wasn't learning shit about money, because Every paycheck, a small portion went to my parents because I was living at home. A small portion of it went to pay for rent, utilities, things like that, and the rest of the money they said do whatever you want with the money, just get a job and Stay in school. And when they tell me, do whatever you want with the money, I'm thinking at that point, okay, I covered my minimum expenses and they were very minimal. My parents were very good to me and, and and I'm not saying that we lived an extravagant life, we didn't but they were taking care of the bills and I worked for them for many, many years, up all the way until I was 18. I was working in the swamp me with them and I rarely, if ever, got a paycheck from them because all my work went towards the family. But then I started having these nine to five jobs working at the mall and bullshit like that, and I was just burning paycheck after paycheck on bullshit Please.
Speaker 2:Please tell me you worked a hot dog in a stick.
Speaker 4:I did not no.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to just picture you in a hot dog, in a stick outfit, and I'll send you a picture.
Speaker 4:Okay, I know those costumes are out there for Halloween. I know that's what you want.
Speaker 2:I know please now.
Speaker 4:But I had all types of odd jobs but I wasn't learning anything about money. The I was like I said I was working a lot at the mall, working at different like Fashion stores, because I was really into fashion I still am and, and, and eventually I started working at because one of my good friends was working at a tuxedo rental place called Gary's tuxedo and he was telling me how much commission he was earning. So that grabbed my attention and I started to work, work at that. And then my and then one of my other friends told me that she Was working at an auto insurance company customer service earning $11 an hour and I was thinking, fuck yeah, because back then the minimum wage what year was this?
Speaker 2:This was probably in 1998 $11 in 1998 was that was money, that was a lot barrier the minimum, so the minimum wage was like 450.
Speaker 1:Yeah, four or five bucks, what like $25 an hour? Right now $30 an hour?
Speaker 4:Are you kidding me? And I was making that. So I was customer service at an auto insurance company Shout out to my friend Fern, who's probably gonna be listening to this episode. That's where I met him. But I was making 11 bucks. Slowly, slowly, the the amounts was going up every year because it just I Was. I knew what I had.
Speaker 4:I had a good paying job and I was learning how to do that job effectively and I was very good at it, but still I didn't learn about money because all those paychecks all it meant is I had more money to go out there and buy alcohol, to go out there and do bullshit, to go out there and watch a lot of concerts. My friends and I watched a lot of concerts and the money was not an issue because, again, at that point, when I'm still living with my parents and I had very little response, financial responsibility to them back then, I wish I would have done more, but that was a. That was an agreement that I had with my parents. The rest of the money, especially at $11 an hour, I was learning more. I I invested in a 401k at that job and I didn't know shit about the 401k, just my buddy, tony at the time told me just do it, dude, it's a 4% match. I would just do it. I'm like, all right, I guess my paycheck got a little bit less. I didn't think anything of it.
Speaker 4:I Was then told about another job, working in the type of business that I do now with retirement planning and life insurance, and that was in 2002 and I was being offered a Lot more per year a salary job, and when I heard how much that was paying I Was like, absolutely I applied for the job. I went to the interview. I thought I did such a great job and I was told no, I didn't get it. But I sent a nice thank you email to the owner of the company and and shortly after I got the second call and I was told to come back and and I was hired. I Was making a lot more money at that at that time.
Speaker 4:When I say a lot more money and please understand this is not to be braggadocious, this is just to tell you what the react kind of my journey. Back then, 2002, the job was paying about 24,000 a year again back then that was a lot of money and my overhead was very minimal. That money was going again Partying, drinking my car, going out on dates, doing just stupid shows, doing stupid shit. I Started really understanding a little bit more about finance, not because I was working at this job, but when I left working at an auto insurance agency and I was told when I was doing my exit interview Don't forget about your 401k. How well, how much do I have in it Now? You have about 1200 bucks in it, cash that bitch out and they gave me instructions on how to do it.
Speaker 4:Little did I find out that 1200 once it hit mean net.
Speaker 4:It was about $500, but I didn't think anything of it. But the reality is that there's people out there that hopefully they're making the decision to invest in a 401k. And if they are, and let's say your employer is offering you a plan where they do a match. So let me give you an example. If they do a four or six percent match and let's just say, to keep the numbers very simple that matches $100. It's six percent of your paycheck. Again, that's very minimal. It's it's exaggerated, but just for simplicity hundred dollars and that's six percent of your paycheck. That means your employer is going to put in another hundred dollars. So for that pay period, you got $200 invested into this 401k that is specifically set up for your retirement to benefit you. If you cash that out before age 59 and a half, you're gonna get a huge penalty. So you don't want to do that. This is all money that's been earmarked that has not been taxed yet. Now, if you want to go a little bit further, when I learned more about money, amber, I did a Roth 401k Much, much better for myself, for my family, down the line. Right, I don't get any tax benefit now, right now, for putting money into this 401k. Still, do the match. My employer still matches my my deposits, but once I start withdrawing the money, it's coming out income tax-free because it's a Roth 401k. Huge, huge advantage. And doing and knowing about the two a Qualified 401k and a Roth 401k, understanding how those work and what would be best in your situation.
Speaker 4:Just because a Roth 401k may sound very attractive doesn't mean that it's a right thing for you. It's about talking to somebody in the industry that you trust, or doing your own due diligence, doing your own research to find out what would be the best option for you. But when I when I found out that $1200 went down to $500, I was thinking, oh why? And I went ahead and asked my new boss at the time and boy did he school me Also, helping me understand that this is what I do now at this new place and what I need to understand in finance, and my responsibility is to help train and educate other insurance agents and advisors out there in the industry about these things. Many of them already know these concepts. Some of them don't, because there's people out there's insurance agents and advisors out there, that have licenses for multiple industries. You have somebody that could be a broker, a real estate agent, somebody doing car insurance, somebody working at a completely different job but they got their life license, which is all you need to do some of the things that I do On the side to go in and try and get some money. My job is to help them understand how the ins and outs of the different types of life insurance plans that are out there and how, how they work and what it would mean to somebody to own one because life insurance and not just death insurance it does a lot more than that and Also for people to understand the retirement plans that are out there that can give you a paycheck that you can never outlive and how that works.
Speaker 4:So, amber, it was over time me getting more educated in finance, and Sometimes it was by me learning the hard way that, to your point, gill what you said earlier. By your mistakes you then learn. What I'm trying to tell people is that you don't need to wait till those mistakes happen. You have people here that can give you that type of financial advice to get one leg up for your own future, not just talk about your family or your kids, which, yes, you should be doing that for them as well. Right now, I'm talking about how to put your own financial future in a better position. That's I hope that's what people will get out of this, one of the things that'll get out of the podcast. That's cool.
Speaker 1:I like that because I always think like we had some guests here a couple weeks ago and they were talking about, like them, starting their own business, right, and they were saying that they had gone to the bank and that the bank was, like, you know, telling them this and it was a first time opening a business and kind of like it was a first time opening a business and kind of dealing with that amount of money and having to take loans out and things like that. And he said that there was someone at the bank that was like Latino and I think he was like a first generation too and he, he was nice enough to kind of talk them through like the ins and outs and kind of the tips and tricks of like you know, like Like money with them, and he was explaining how he's. Like you know People with money, people that have a lot of money, or you know white people that have money, or or you know, or just people in general that are already financially stable since, you know, they were Pretty much born. These are the things that they do and these are the things that that you know rich people do or people with Money do and things like that.
Speaker 1:And I was saying like it's kind of sad that we yes, one One were first generation, but also, you know, just Latinos in general are minorities and we're not taught these things, we're not told by anyone how to do this, how to do that, how to, you know, potentially make Extra wealth for ourselves, or even just you know, like you said, like like the Roth's or anything like that, like I didn't know that until Probably like a year and a half ago and I still don't understand it completely. But it's not something that we're Brought up with and it's sad because, you know, we want to create generational wealth and it's kind of like those things like when do we start? How do we start? Who do we talk to, what do we do? And and then if you go and you do talk to a bank or someone else, and then you feel intimidated, because I would feel intimidated if someone's telling me all this and I'm just like, oh, I don't know what you're talking about, so it, it is kind of one of those things that's like we have to start changing the narrative in our lives and within our culture and within generations of how we handle money and how we see money, because a lot of times we're scared of money, you know.
Speaker 1:But money can be a good thing, or, you know, being financially stable can be a great thing. We just need to get on track. I like that. I like that You're doing that. It's cool.
Speaker 4:No, thank you. I absolutely agree with you. It's really understanding how Money can best work for you, which is the purpose of it. Now, one of the things, also on the podcast, that I want to do with every guest is ask them Three questions. One of the questions is tell me about a favorite book, one of my favorite books. It's been around for a long time, but I learned a lot, a lot from it. For those of you that want to read it's, you can easily get it on Amazon. For those that Um prefer an audiobook, it's available free on, as an example, on Spotify, so it doesn't cost anything. Is rich dad, poor dad, top seller? And it has a.
Speaker 4:The way the book was written is able to Give some examples of what rich people do to have money work for them and what poor people do to put them in a bigger room, to put them in a bigger hole. And before you know it, they're reaching the end of the last stages of their life and they're near in retirement and they're thinking they made some great decisions in life, but they realized they really didn't save enough to retire comfortably. They really don't have anything left to leave behind all the other generations. They thought they were doing the right thing, but they don't understand what's out there in order to really have money, work for you, and that's what this, the book, does a real good job in giving us some really good advice. That is mentioned in layman's terms, so you don't have to have a very high financial IQ to follow along on this book. You just have to be open-minded to under, to listen to it, understand that not all things may be applicable to you, but there's several things that most likely are, and it's one thing to hear the information, it's another thing to retain the information and, even more importantly, it's to act on that information.
Speaker 4:So one of the things that you can do by acting on that information again, is to take a look at the resources that are out there where you can invest your money in, where you can invest your time in, or what resource or what individuals are out there that have a specialty in certain things, like myself again retirement planning, life insurance. I can help out with investments. I have a good friend that is securities licensed. I can talk to you about all types of different things. I have friends in the real estate market space. I have friends that do health insurance, so it's just a matter of what type of position do you want to put yourself in order to be more educated on this topic, to move further along in life, to be able to provide more of a financial legacy, to live more comfortably, not to live paycheck to paycheck. This is a way on how to get yourself out of that pattern, to break that pattern. Who's the author to?
Speaker 2:this book. Rich Dad, poor Dad, right yeah.
Speaker 4:So, amber, if you want to pull it up. He was raised in Hawaii. I don't want to kill the last name, but if you pull it up, it's very popular book, very, very popular book there. It is that one right there. And what was the?
Speaker 2:So what was the basic concept for this book? I haven't read it personally, but he had like a stepdad too.
Speaker 4:So here's.
Speaker 2:That was a different book.
Speaker 4:Here's a trippy part about it. He talks about his dad, who was very highly educated, oh and then it was like his friend's dad right.
Speaker 4:His friend's dad, who was not big on education but very smart, and he was the rich guy that had a lot to show for it based on the way he looked at money Versus his dad, who lived very similar to my dad, hard worker, didn't ever ask anybody for money, Put his family through school, provided Both my parents provided.
Speaker 4:But then you take a look at bank accounts and you're thinking where did it all go? He was not making those additional decisions to think about taking into consideration inflation, taking into consideration taxes, taking into consideration how to have money work for you, not you work for that money. So that's the road that my dad went through and in this book he talks about similar to his father and the struggles that his father went through financially. But it was his friend's dad that actually taught him about money and he taught him in a way where he could understand it. And I'm just about like Gil, if you and I are having a conversation about it and I'm telling you do this, do that, it doesn't mean you're going to fucking do it. I got to figure out a way to tell you something for it to really, really resonate with you, and sometimes it's by asking me to do certain things for you to realize it for yourself. Oh shit, that's what he meant.
Speaker 2:Come sit on my lap, Gil.
Speaker 4:I'm not going to pay you for that.
Speaker 2:Let me read you a book. I'm going to read you a book called Reach Dad, Poor Dad. But you need to sit on my lap.
Speaker 1:We know this man. He's in my sister's side of the family, or her husband's side of the family, and this man came to this country, was not from here, he worked like factory jobs, minimum wage, and he started. He says he's like I've always worked a minimum wage and a factory job like all the way up to his retirement, but this man owns like six properties Now like six properties and they're all rental properties. So he makes money now off of all his rental properties. And I remember when he first told us, my dad was like how, how, like, how did this man do it? Like how how does someone that was just making minimum wage, like supporting a family, and then they still buy, you know? And the man was just saying he's just like. He's like I just educated myself on how to administer my money. He's like and you know, I didn't buy things that I didn't need. I bought things that I knew that in the long run, we're going to give me an investment later and things like that. And I was just thinking to myself like dang, like that's crazy, because I feel like us, as like Latina well, I can only speak for us but like Latinos, like like we, we get money and we want to go out and spend it right Because the pica, the pica the pica, like the pica dinero, like I'll always remember, and there's no, no shade, no, nothing in this and what I'm about to say, but I think it just stayed imprinted in
Speaker 1:my brain that we knew. I knew someone that lived in like like a mobile home right Area, but it was pretty like like run down, you know, like it was like a small little mobile homes, like they weren't like you know like the big, big trailers, nice and everything. But their neighbor had like the most run down mobile home in the entire, like little you know place and like like he hadn't painted in like 20 years and his grass was always growing and everything. But he had a BMW and his BMW had you know all leather seats and he was always like taking care of it and and the best rims and everything. And in my head I was like that's your priority, like his car is his priority.
Speaker 1:And that's crazy to me, because you see him out in the street and you see him in a BMW and you're like, oh, this guy has money, this guy, you know, did, did, did it the right way. And then you go back to where he's at and his priority was never his home. And to me that always like it's stuck out right and I was just thinking like sometimes our priorities with money are not where they should always be at. And this man, the man that I'm telling you like like he's. He was like he's an example of he made his money, his priority and knew where to put it and what to do. And he says he's like, yeah, sometimes I wanted to take my kids out to eat and I had to tell him like no, we're going to cook at home. He's like, but look, now I'm able to give each of my kid a property. Like I'm able to set them up. And I'm like, dang, that's crazy. Like that's cool, I don't know.
Speaker 4:I like that a lot, amber. It is the story of several people that, quite honestly, just took a risk. They they took a risk because buying multiple homes, buying one property, buying two properties and I'm sure he probably bought them maybe in the in the nineties or the early 2000s when it was a lot easier but he took the initiative to make that investment and look at him now and those I'm sure those properties have either doubled or tripled in price. But he took the risk of let me this is where I'm going to put my money at and let me make some regular sacrifices, such as going out to eat, doing all these things, buying the fancy car. I don't need that. So I mean good for him there.
Speaker 4:There's a ton of stories with people out there that took the initiative to say um, I want to leave some type of financial legacy behind, and I understand that it's not going to be easy. Here are my resources, here's the sources of income that I'm getting. With this amount of money, what can I do to maximize my position, aside from taking care of my family and make sure that they have the bare minimum to get by right? There's people out there that are doing that and that's, in essence, what the book talked about Rich Dad, poor Dad. That's what I try and talk to with a lot of my clients and something that you might be aware of. You guys might be aware of, but some of the pretty well off individuals are landscapers, some of them.
Speaker 4:I have two clients that are landscapers. One of them is my actual landscaper and he would come down with his beat up truck and he would, um, he would go and, uh, give us the service. Um, and I only hired him because, for the longest time, I used to mow my own lawn, because I'm cheap as fuck. Sometimes, again, I'm cheap because I'm reinvesting my money. So there's things that I know that I can do in order to stretch out my dollars as much as possible. Plus, it was a way for me to exercise, right, so I would do it, but then because of my traveling schedule with work it was, the yard was getting out of control. So I my wife asked me to go ahead and get a landscaper, which I did and it didn't take long before me. And this guy really connected and it didn't take long where he said hey, instead of me coming down on Wednesday, do you mind if I come down on Friday. I'm like sure, why is that? No, because Oscar told him for me, I'm fresh as a little beer and I rather drink with you and I want your house to be the last one, so we can kick it Like, hey, if I'm not going out anywhere, I'm perfectly fine, we'll have a drink, we'll talk, we'll chop it up.
Speaker 4:And I started to find out more about his business and I asked him how many employees does he have? He's telling me how well he's doing, but his money is just sitting practically at home. And I asked him what can we do in order to multiply your business as safely as we can? And before you know it, I'm opening up a Yelp account for him. We're doing advertisement for him.
Speaker 4:And even before we started that, I guess the conversation really happened. It came up because I asked him to do some extra work on my yard and he came during the week and his nice Chevy pickup truck and I'm like, fuck that, that's a brand new truck, me va bien. But I'm like, how can we make sure that it goes even better for you? And now he has multiple crews that are working with him and his son. He's helping his son also build his own company in this field Because there is money out there for it, right.
Speaker 4:But what it came down to is just having somebody that is willing to take the time to give you some honest opinion or advice on how we can put ourselves in a better position. And that's what I try to do for people, because people have done it for me. And again it wasn't my dad I love him to death. It wasn't my mom, because they know what they know and they showed me hard work. But I needed to have mentorship from somebody else that understood money and took the time to tell me how money works and how to reinvest in myself. And because of that, again, I started that job in 2002.
Speaker 4:My family and I gracias a los were in a very good financial position and we have saved quite a bit of money and we do still yet have an opportunity to go out on our vacations. I'm not trying to say that to be braggadocious, but we're able to do that because we put enough away to put us in a safe spot if something bad was to happen to us. Financially, we have money reserved If something happens to me. If I drive home tonight and I happen to pass away, I have enough life insurance to take care of my wife and my daughters, because I took that initiative to protect myself. My wife has life insurance, my girls, my daughters, have life insurance. It's just what we do to understand. Instead of spending all this money going out to eat and doing all these different things, what we needed to do first is pay ourselves first and protect ourselves, and once we do that and we continue to understand how to best leverage money, then at that point we have access money to go out there and do the fun things.
Speaker 1:Did I tell you this story last time about life insurance that I told you that I was kind of scared of talking about it, right Because of my uncle.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I think last time I said it the wrong way. My parents were just talking about it recently. So what my mom was saying was that they called my aunt over the phone to offer her life insurance and they were young. My uncle passed at 25. So they were like 25 years old and the person calls and they're like, yeah, we're selling life insurance and they put her on a 30 day trial. So she didn't even go through the whole thing. It was like a trial which right now we were talking about and we're like, how do you do a trial for life insurance for 30 days? How does that make sense? So between those 30 days is when he had his accident and he passed away.
Speaker 1:So for me, I think about it, for my parents and stuff like that, and I think it's one of those things where we don't like to bring up life insurance because we feel like we have that juju right, like that bad juju of what happened. I don't know, I know it's dumb, but it's just a trauma that happened and it was. It was. It's one of those things that was just like a freak accident, you know, and then it happened to play out that way. But but yeah, I think about it all the time and I'm like maybe I should kill life insurance. But I'm scared.
Speaker 4:It's understandable because when we go through kind of the process what we call the discovery phase to try and get more familiar with the prospect, the potential client, we do have to ask these type of questions such as what are your thoughts about life insurance?
Speaker 4:This is without saying asking if you have any or not, what are your thoughts about life insurance? Because, amber, if I was sitting down with the two of you and I was to ask that question and, amber, you told me that experience that you had with your uncle, I at that point I have a better understanding of how to approach this conversation with you. Because the reality is, if, if I'm telling you all the benefits and all the different things that life insurance can do for you, but all along you you have this concept of what life insurance is to you and I don't address it, how can you even begin to really accept the real benefit of what life insurance can do for you? Because I can tell you, if you ask any widower out there, the meaning of life, if the life insurance is important to them, and they'll tell you.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 4:Because that's reality. It's just a matter of it's going to happen. It's just how much do you give a shit about the people that rely on you to protect yourself and to protect them? And there's life insurance out there that also protects you while you're alive in case you get sick, chronically ill, critically ill, critically injured. You can build cash value, which we talked about on the last podcast on how some individuals can actually get out of debt by leveraging life insurance cash value. There's a lot of things that it can do. It's a matter of taking the time to understand how it works, what it means, what it does, and then, once you have that information, being able to make a better decision for you and your family. That's all it is. It's just getting the information, fact checking it and then make a decision. And if you don't believe that life insurance is important, it's necessary, then don't get it. It's up to you, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, alright, time me up.
Speaker 4:Alright, we'll take care of the app before I leave.
Speaker 2:Take care of it. So it's so. You asked this question, right? Favorite book? Yes, Right, you obviously talked about your favorite book Rich Dad, Poor Dad and what are some of the other questions that you close out with on the podcast?
Speaker 4:So the very, very first question that I asked, only because of my love for music, is what's your favorite musician or band or artist and why? What I came to realize with the three guests that we've done so far is very hard to say one. I think I have to change it to give me the top three.
Speaker 2:The top three of music, or each individual, just music, because I feel like that's a little okay. So what's the question again?
Speaker 4:Name three musical artist bands that are your favorite, gosh, and why. It's kind of like if you saw the Johnny Cash movie Walk the Line and when he was in the studio trying to find out Walk in Phoenix. Witherspoon.
Speaker 2:So, 2004.
Speaker 4:Shut the, I'm just kidding. So when he was trying to get this record, do you really want me to?
Speaker 2:speak more on your podcast, because this is what it's going to be like. God knows, this is what it's going to be like sir.
Speaker 4:But no, there was a part in the movie when he was in the studio and he was playing his gospel music that everybody's heard. It wasn't different. And what I like is that he was asked the question if there's one last song yeah, when you are in your death bed or you're laying down on the side of the street, that one song that says this is you, this is what your life represents, who that is, and all I'm simply trying to do is tell me who the fuck's your favorite band.
Speaker 2:I like that question better. You should re let's watch the movie again and rephrase it how you would phrase it for the guests. I think that, basically, if you were making your own playlist for your funeral, what songs will be on that, or what artists would be on that playlist?
Speaker 4:I love it. And, ladies and gentlemen, that's part of fucking. Being an adult is always being open to other people's suggestions, ideas. I know that I don't know it all. I have a lot to learn. You just sound like you know it all, but you don't. No, not at all.
Speaker 4:But that was a great advice because then that connects it to some things that I've talked before. I think on this podcast and definitely on Emil Brown, that I have a death playlist because of being in this industry and just being 45 years old, I unfortunately had to. I was at several funerals. I unfortunately had to say that I was asked to do the eulogy for some family members and what I was noticing that sometimes the music that's being played there is just fucking whack and I'm thinking there's no way that this person that unfortunately, we've lost physically here in this world Would want that that's their music. No, fucking no, it's not.
Speaker 4:So I and death playlist is not something that's new. Obviously it's a new of the concept and I was, but I took the initiative to say you know what? I'm going to fucking create my own and I have my playlist. I have my top favorite artists, bands, more specifically, my top songs that I want played in what order, and my wife knows where that playlist is at and it continues to grow. I continue to add songs to it that mean something to me, that mean something to my wife and I, that mean something to each one of my daughters, because when they individually hear that song, they're going to know oh fuck, that's when dad and I did when we went to this concert.
Speaker 1:I like that.
Speaker 4:That's going to be those little memories that they're going to have, because that music is connected to that moment. So I think, asking that question that way, gil, you're absolutely fucking right. It's rephrasing it. What's on your death playlist? Do you only have one last song that you can hear before you're fucking out? What are you going to pop on on Spotify on? What are you going to listen to? What are you going to throw on Right?
Speaker 2:When I hear those rich folksy in in a fancy dining car.
Speaker 4:Fuck, you're saying the remix, Because that's not the lyrics. Oh, it's not?
Speaker 2:Is this right here in that meeting? Oh shit, no, my bad, I'm hungry again.
Speaker 4:He's getting hungry again.
Speaker 1:That's all that pasta that got to your head. Oh no, oh no, you had a burger it's all that meat, it's all that red meat.
Speaker 2:It's all that sesame bun.
Speaker 4:There you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's all the sesame's on the buns Sesame bun, but that's the first question.
Speaker 4:The second question I already addressed the book part, but so on the second question, I give them three options to choose one.
Speaker 2:But what are your options on the music?
Speaker 4:So so if I'm connecting it directly to my death playlist, it starts off with Ramon Ayala. For me, okay. So it starts off with that type of music because it reminds me a lot about my parents and every time that I hear the music it creates this emotion inside Because, again, I do associate it with my parents, I associate it with my friends that I hang out with the most. We listen to Northeño music and it just fucking hits. I remember seeing Ramon Ayala multiple times at shows and how I felt.
Speaker 2:Those are the lyrics. What are you talking about? Pull up the lyrics for a full-sum prison blues.
Speaker 4:We're not even gonna get through this until we get this out of the way.
Speaker 2:No, that's the. Those are the lyrics. Pull up the lyrics. No, because I'm sorry for cutting you off. You did cut them off, I did, but no, I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna go on thinking that, having people thinking that I got the lyrics wrong when I did it.
Speaker 4:No, you got them wrong. No, you were. They were there, but they were all fumbled.
Speaker 1:It wasn't in that order. They weren't wrong, they're just not.
Speaker 2:When I hear no when I hear folks eating in a fancy dining car. Well, that part's right.
Speaker 4:But you said two, two phrases and they were not in the right order. Well, anyways, while we looked that up sorry, ladies and gentlemen, you just got gild. That should be a new term that we use you just got gild, you got gild. So I do have Romona Yala. I do have figures in Norte, because that's more associated with my, specifically with my dad.
Speaker 4:I love, love, love the doors, which is classic rock, and I think that music came to me at a pivotal moment in my life and it helped me better accept myself as an individual and not following trends, and not that's what the doors did to me. Even though the doors is a fucking incredible, it's still known as one of the biggest rock bands in the world and Jim Morrison died many, many, many years ago at the age of 27. But during that era of what they were able to do 60s and 70s they've done some incredible things in music by pushing the limit, bringing in a different sound, having a frontman that is an incredible poet that just has these very dark lyrics. There was a lot that the doors did for me. So the doors is going to be on my list Now saying that Gail, let me ask you what artist bands are in your death play list. If you have to pick three, that this is fucking it. This wraps it up. This is curtain call. What are the last three bands that are performing what songs?
Speaker 2:Let's see Johnny Cash for sure.
Speaker 4:Because you know the lyrics so well, because I know the lyrics so well.
Speaker 2:Kiss for sure. Kiss is on there the doors.
Speaker 4:Black Sabbath for one Did you know that Ozzie just got Black Sabbath is already in the history Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they just came out with the new musicians that are being elected to be candidates to see who actually gets. These are nominations. The nominations came out and the valet gets to pick the top seven. But one of them is Ozzie Osbourne as a solo artist. So Black Sabbath is already on there and they have an incredible catalog. So does Ozzie. He has a lot of great music too as a solo artist. It's hard because I think so many times we try and compare it to Black Sabbath and the wicked music they came out with. Not to mention that it's obvious that you're a big Black Sabbath fan because you use Iron man during your intro commercial about the comedy show. But yeah, hopefully Ozzie gets in as an individual If he's not in already.
Speaker 2:I mean, what is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doing? They're sleeping on Ozzie. Ozzie Osbourne should be. He should have been there already.
Speaker 4:Well, he is with Black Sabbath, but not as a solo artist.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Black Sabbath, johnny Cash, kiss Miss Fitz hell yeah for sure. That's the Rock and Roll side. I don't. Maybe I think it's the artist of Crimson and Clover. I'll name one, that song for sure. And then some oldies music. Maybe we have to look this up, but it's what's his name.
Speaker 1:Okay, look at the lyrics first. You were wrong.
Speaker 2:They're probably drinking coffee and some.
Speaker 1:I bet these rich folks eat fancy dining coffee.
Speaker 2:I said, I hear yes. Somebody is wrong.
Speaker 1:See, I'm glad this happened on live, because he gets all crazy when he thinks he's right.
Speaker 2:No, thank you. I have to re-listen to the song again.
Speaker 4:But he's number one on your death playlist, huh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when. I'm dead. These lyrics won't matter. It doesn't matter Exactly. I'll listen to it again. My family can recall back to this podcast. Remember, on the podcast he totally got it wrong.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna clip this. I'm gonna clip when you get it wrong.
Speaker 4:Can you plug that when it's that verse and have him saying those? That'd be so fucking awesome.
Speaker 2:This was my remix.
Speaker 4:Now available on Spotify. Yeah, not under my grito.
Speaker 2:But the doors, Jimi Hendrix probably are. You experienced the songs from those albums. I think that's what I can think of. Jimi gave me a lot, yeah.
Speaker 4:And it's hard. That's why it's a hard question, because if you try to narrow it down at first, my ask was for one, it's too difficult. Three, it's still difficult, but I think it's a little bit more reasonable because, keep in mind, the reason that I wanna ask to guess these questions is because, musically, I wanna know what they're into. And here's one that I learned a lot about. I already answered my question on Ooh the Beatles. There we go. All right, there you go.
Speaker 4:I already asked, answered the question, and I'm not saying it's my favorite book Rich Dad, poor Dad but I think it made a significant impact in my life when I read it because it helped me understand and be more proficient in my career because of those concepts. But the guess that chose a book that meant something to them that they really like some good books, came out that for me as a reader. I wrote it down and I said, okay, now I gotta check that out when I get to that point on my list of what's next, what's next, what's next? So I do wanna I'm curious about tell me either your favorite book, your favorite movie and why, or a favorite app on your phone, because I figured you know it in the era of technology.
Speaker 4:There's so many cool apps that are out there there's too much. But I think I always get a kick out of it when I hear it on some podcasts, when somebody says, hey, so I have this app on my phone that does this. I can't help it but download it because it sounds interesting and maybe it can help me out in some way. So I'm very happy that Angie from the McTarnley's she actually chose an app. When I asked her that question what app she chose? Gotta listen to the podcast and find out.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say it too.
Speaker 4:I'm glad you didn't ruin it, just like the Johnny Cash song. God.
Speaker 2:That's on my list. Come on, that's on my list. I haven't. To be fair, I haven't heard Johnny Cash in a very long time.
Speaker 4:Let this be your reminder.
Speaker 2:It is a reminder I've been into. I've been in my 1999 playlist on Spotify right now, Like 1990s alternative rock at the moment. Oasis has been an oasis for me for the past couple days.
Speaker 4:You wanna cry, don't you?
Speaker 2:I do. I don't know what it is. I think it's just. I'm just in this weird. For the past couple of months, dude, I've been in this weird 90s thing TV shows, wrestling, 1990s wrestling, just weird. I'm just in that nostalgia, 1990s nostalgia vibe, right now.
Speaker 4:Why do you think that?
Speaker 2:is, I think, because I'm looking at the mirror and seeing more grays in my hair and it sucks, I don't know. It's taking me back to like listen. I love music. I fucking love music.
Speaker 2:But when I was growing up, I was listening to a lot of 70s, 60s and 70s music that I really didn't get to focus on, the music that was on the radio until right now, which is super weird. You know what I'm saying. I felt like I was always late to the party, listening to music. Perfect example the Growlers. Have you heard of the Growlers?
Speaker 4:Fuck yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I didn't get into them until 2017 when they stopped touring. I believe 2018, 2019 was one of the last beach goth festivals that they had when they were uber popular in the 2010s to over the past decade from the 2010s onward. I was late because I was in my Beatlemania phase around 2010 to like 2015. While my friends were, oh, put on Beatrats or put on this album by the Growlers, I didn't want to listen to it because I was super stuck on my Beatle phase, so I missed out on that.
Speaker 4:I mean, you just explained something that a lot of people go through when it comes to music. And it's not a bad thing, because during that time, if you were really deep into, as an example, the Beatles, it's because it brought a certain feeling to you and you weren't enjoying it. So why get away from that high? But at the same time, we are missing out and it's not that you At the height- dude, it was at the height and they were playing smaller shows.
Speaker 2:Back then it was like when they were just turning over to touring the country, they were doing shows in the OC, because that's where they bloomed right and it kind of sucked because I thought about it and I was like I missed out on going to shows. I think that's why listening and finding the McCharmelys and getting to know the musicians before because when you listen to a band or listen to music that you oh, this is gonna be good, they are gonna be great.
Speaker 2:That's how. That's why at the beginning of the podcast where I was sharing my experience when I first discovered them through a show like it's this I guess it was this is a chance that I'm able to have to actually follow a band or a musician before they bloom into whatever the universe is holding for them in the near future. I think that's why this time is so awesome, because I get to see it in real time, rather than, oh fuck, like the McCharmelys were blowing up around this time, and you know what I mean. Like it's, the time is now and I'm able to experience that with everybody else.
Speaker 4:The ease of getting access to music. It's so easy. It's not like the times of the early 2000s, late 90s, early 2000s, when we're dealing with Napster and shit like that, to download music, or right, really, dude, yeah, I'm just gonna whip back.
Speaker 4:I remember that I used to do that too AM radio but at the same time, as consumers, you needed to go out there either by the vinyl, by a CD, by a tape in order if you wanted to listen to the full album. It wasn't as easily available as it is now digitally. I had a conversation the interview that we had with Art Mazek and from Chicano Soul really good conversation, because we talked about he's very heavily involved in the lowrider scene and we're talking about music and the association with lowriding. Because now we're talking cruising. What music are you cruising to? And if you think about it back in the day, because that's the music that I was into, I would listen into Bren Wood, the Barclays and Mary Wells. There's all these incredible artists Zapp and Roger Kit Frost, Lighter, shader Brown this is the type of artist that I was listening to and I would think in that era, that type of music.
Speaker 4:It's so hard to escape it in the lowrider scene, but the reality is there's new soul music out there that it's been out there for a long time, artists like the ones that are similar to Migrito right, our job is to we're trying to help out other artists to get their name out there, because we know they're really talented and they have beautiful music for people to check out Maria Sanchez, adrienne Carmine, florencia Andrada great artists in the soul scene.
Speaker 4:We have other bands like 3LH, rundown, creeps, bad Hombres, the Perenoyes Professor, galactico, rare Hearts. We have all these other artists that are one of my closest friends, harle Sweetwater. There's other artists out there locally that are creating beautiful music and we have the opportunity to not only experience their music and their story but also support local artists, and I think that's also something that's very important that many of us especially if you're listening to podcasts, chances are you're already doing supporting local music, which is great, but it's always good to keep an open mind about experiencing different artists, because you might uncover some new shit that you might be thinking oh shit, I'm gonna add this to my death playlist, but you gotta explore the beautiful art of the world, the music world that's out there for us.
Speaker 2:Yeah, don't get closed off. And you know what dude I was in my early days of listening to music because I got into rock and roll pretty pretty. I've always been a rock and roller, but I felt like I got pushed towards kiss and classic rock at the ripe age of 12, I think I was like 12 or 13 years old and the first time I heard a kiss album or a kiss song it was like God was whispering into my ear and giving me a kiss, like it was so beautiful, like I got chills. And then the first time I heard the Ramones, I wanna be sedated. It was. It was a, it was a nirvana dude, like it was. It was I don't know, like I just love music so much and I think because of that that. So let me give you a little story of when I was 12 years old and I probably had, I wanna say, the second or first best experience of Halloween and we I didn't really have many friends growing up because I was always moving a lot, so we moved around a lot and I will.
Speaker 2:I was with these kids from the neighborhood and they lived in the front house, I lived in the back house and I didn't know them, they didn't know me. My cousins were family friends of their their grandparents and the grandparents told them hey, take Gilbert out and go trick or treating with you guys, all right. So that was cool because I was able to hang out with some kids, right. And that night we all got, we all got back to there, I was able to hang out in their rooms. I was like, oh, this is cool. Like they had bunk beds, like it was fun. It was late at night, like we, we didn't go to sleep early, like everybody was all hanging out, all the kids, and they put on D-Turt Rock City and they asked me you ever watched this movie? And I'm like, uh, no, like what is this movie?
Speaker 4:Were you already a Kiss Fan, or that helped you get?
Speaker 2:there. No, that's what catapulted my love for rock and roll and classic rock. So they put on that movie and I was like what the fuck is this Like? I was my and let me tell you, because this was a pivotal moment of me loving rock and roll and classic rock, it was because of this movie and just the whole vibe of the night, because I was, I listened to hip hop, but I've always had a love for, like, ska music and rock and roll. I just didn't, it didn't really concept, like it didn't really click in my head to what this really was.
Speaker 2:So after watching that movie and when Love Gun turned on in that movie and all the they started showing all the kiss memorabilia and doing all that stuff in the movie. It was just like you know, in the movies, where people's eyes, their pupils, dilated and they go into shock and they have this like psychedelic experience. That's exactly what was going on in my mind, dude, when Love Gun turned on and that whole montage of kiss came on in the early 70s. Dude, that's how it felt, bro, like it was just amazing. And to this day they're gonna. They're one of my favorite bands. It's crazy to have love for that type of music for such a long time. It's awesome. I'm gonna be a kiss fan until I'm 60 years old. Kiss army, that's right dude.
Speaker 1:Only until you're 60?
Speaker 2:70, 80. I'm just gonna go around the corner, just say that so I'm 100 years, forever, until then you know.
Speaker 4:Awesome story because I can envision it you as a 12 year old watching this movie for the first time and just wow, because the movie was so well done and just the way it was produced. Great movie. More importantly, the way they've made kiss be musical gods, Right. Have you ever seen them in a life at a show?
Speaker 2:I haven't no, wow, I have to. What's?
Speaker 4:wrong? What is wrong?
Speaker 2:Because I'm still stuck in my Beatles phase dude. That's what's wrong, bro, but that's what I'm saying. Like I hate to jump on the fan wagon late to stuff. You know what I mean. Like it's that fear of missing out that I don't want to be a part of anymore. But I think it's just liking older music. It's just it sucks. And whenever you have the opportunity to go see some good music, just go do it. If you have the chance to. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, like if somebody said kiss is playing here and here, let's fucking go, do it. Like, amber and I went to Pihuaana last year in April. Of course, under the circumstances they weren't the greatest, but we were still able to go see a band that I never thought I would ever see. Like you know, there's a list of bands that you like to see that you're like, ah, it's never gonna happen. Demand to our goal was on that list. I'm never gonna see them because the frontman can't play in the United States because of his visa being, you know, rejected by the US government, right, so he only plays in overseas or in Mexico. But last year we were able to go see them and it was fucking amazing. I never thought that I'd be able to get to see them and I've already made up in my mind I'm never gonna see them.
Speaker 2:But I was able to see them last year and the concert was awesome. The show was badass. I was able to shake Sparky's hand. I mean, it's crazy. People got to hang out with them. It was awesome. That's a wonderful experience. Yeah, dude.
Speaker 4:That's connected to music and I mean, you took the initiative to say, hey, do you know what? I'm gonna go down there, I'm gonna check out this band, and you did, and that's something that you're gonna remember for the rest of your life.
Speaker 2:Seeing the Cyclops in Japan. What Like did you ever think you were gonna see a psychobily band in Japan, a Japanese psychobily band? Did you ever think that in a million years that you would be able to do that? I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:I'm kidding. No, I get it, I totally get it. I get what you're saying, and I get what you're saying like your fear of not no, no, I'm saying your fear of not wanting to miss out, but I think you are who you are and the type of music you like Like whether it was made 30 years back or 40 years back it's what you enjoy and I like that about you, that you're not jumping on the bandwagons of just anybody. It's like you appreciate music for what it is and for what you like.
Speaker 2:But what I'm saying is that the whole the growlers thing that was kind of messed up. That was bad on my part, dude.
Speaker 1:Because you didn't give it a chance.
Speaker 2:Because I didn't give it a chance. I felt like if I would've gave it a chance back in 2013, I would've had more opportunities to see them the original band live, or the Strokes live, or Weezer live or Weezer on SNL, when they were on every late night TV show closing out a late night talk show. That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 4:I hope what you see from obviously you passionately sharing this with all of us that your takeaway is, when it comes to music and opportunities for experiences, to just do it. Oh yeah, just do it, yeah.
Speaker 2:And to be open to new experiences, be open to independent music, be open to local music, because you never know, right, you never know. I hear these stories of my buddy that I used to work with I'm gonna say like over 15 years ago, and he'd tell me about he used to go to backyard shows when no doubt, no doubt, was playing, like he would be in Garden Grove. Go in a backyard shows where Gwen Stefani was playing and we watched a TikTok earlier. Did you know that there was an original singer besides Gwen Stefani? Did you know that, dan?
Speaker 4:I didn't know that.
Speaker 2:Can you pull it up, Because this is one thing I wanted to share on the podcast, especially with you, because we're talking music right now, but there was a. It was a male singer and Gwen Stefani was the backup singer.
Speaker 4:I should have been aware of that. I mean, just for them, being a local band, that really blew up. My boyfriend has one went away from hitting on real. Excuse me, jesus. I don't know what that is no, I don't want you to worry about that, amber, that you just ruined the whole episode. It's not your fault. Not my fault.
Speaker 2:So it was that band. And then what was the other band that? You probably know this? They have an album called Americana. They sing a song that goes I'm pretty fly for a white guy Osbring.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:He was talking about.
Speaker 4:Fullerton band. Right he was about seeing Fullerton.
Speaker 2:I mean Offspring and Backyard Shows back in the OC. Yeah, those local LA bands that were just local bands but over time they became icons in the music industry, absolutely Like. Imagine. Imagine you were back in the early 90s or the early, you know, late 80s and they're like, hey, let's go check out the offspring. And you're just like, ah, nah, like I don't wanna go see them. And then fast forward 10 years and they're fucking one of the pioneers of rock and roll during that time. Imagine how fucked up that would be.
Speaker 2:All right it's happened to me, it's happened to a lot of people.
Speaker 4:You just don't know what you don't know. Again, yet again, another reason why, if you are somebody that appreciates music, it's not only about going out there to check out your favorite bands at these huge venues for this outrageous amount of money to get a ticket and, quite honestly, it's probably well deserved, because the artist created an incredible following but also understand that you can go to these local venues to support local artists that are blowing up. There are many artists here that are at some point gonna get to that level and it only costs $5, $10, $15 to check out that show and see to your point the next offspring. They're here, they're out there.
Speaker 4:I would love to think and I feel very good about the bands that are in my grito that they have the potential to be those bands. Oh yeah, I'm not saying that and I'm saying this openly. I'm not saying that it's my grito. That's gonna help them get there. I hope that we're the next step in their musical career to take them to the next level, because it's genuinely our passion. What we want to do is we wanna help them get there, but we feel very confident about these bands that are on this label, these other bands that we've met along the way.
Speaker 4:They have this incredible musical talent. I know, if they're a my grito band, that we also try to give them support, ideas, direction, structure on some of the things that they should be doing to be further ahead, things that maybe bigger labels are gonna be looking for. It's up to them if they wanna take us up on our advice or not, but there's certain things that you can do, and a lot of those things really come from Rob, who's been in radio all of his adult life. He knows these things right. But, yeah, hopefully for your listeners, they are continuing to go out there and safely check out these bands and support these local artists and tell their friends about it, because, I mean, that's how we're all gonna grow Right.
Speaker 2:You know what's free? Sharing a page talking to somebody about a band you just heard, or talking about my grito? That's free. Sharing the new music video that the paranoia is they're gonna come out with when it comes out. Sharing the link, that's free. Like there's all these different ways on how to support local music, especially with my grito.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and there's several individuals out there that do a real good job on their social media page and doing that. Could more people be doing it, of course, but there's other things that we should also be focusing on in regards to politics, things that are happening out there, our communities. There's a lot to be done, and I know we're just looking here from one angle, because that's kind of the world that we're trying to promote with music Right, which I appreciate it. I mean, if we get more love with my grito, specifically with not just not the label, not the podcast that's gonna be coming out here next Friday, I would love to have a lot of you take a listen to the episode, give it a follow.
Speaker 4:I would love for people to be putting the word out there, because that's just one small source of entertainment that not only, hopefully, they can get to know the person that we're interviewing a little bit better because of this intimate personal stories they're sharing with us on the episode, but also they'll be able to hear some financial advice from me. I'm hoping that there's people out there that are willing to share it. More importantly, because of what my grito, or even the reason for the podcast, was to help out the label when I say the label, the artists that are part of the label, to listen to the bands that are out there, to check out the other podcast shows that are part of the label, that's what we want. We want just good growth and we're always open to feedback. So anytime that somebody can do that for us, hey, with a lot of respect, we appreciate it.
Speaker 2:And before I let you go check this out, look at this, Put it on the screen.
Speaker 1:I couldn't find the oh a TikTok, doesn't let me, oh, no, get in there.
Speaker 2:I guess we gotta hook up our TikTok on here. But John Spence, lead singer of no Down, it was one of their right, if I remember the TikTok. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was one of their first shows where they were getting noticed in the scene and I guess there was a big producer right In watching their first show and he didn't make it Like he was late because he ended up unaliving himself in his car right.
Speaker 1:I can't remember, but it was something like that. Yeah, like it was like one of like a show, like just like a breakthrough show, and they were waiting for him and he didn't get there and he didn't get there and he didn't get there, and then they were like all right, Gwen, you have to, like they were gonna cancel. And her brother was like you have to do it, Like, and she was like no, I can't do it. And she ended up doing it and that was it. Yeah, wow.
Speaker 1:Dang. It's crazy, I didn't know that at all. And they say like he's the one that gave them, like, like that style.
Speaker 2:That rock steady style.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like he did a lot for the band and for music at that time too. Not crazy.
Speaker 4:It happens. You gotta be ready If anything. The last thing that I wanna share I mentioned there's three questions. I didn't get a chance to get to the third one and I know I've been talking a lot about this, but I think this last question is probably one of the more important ones.
Speaker 4:So during the podcast, my intention is to ask every guest what I share with a lot of my clients when we're talking about the essence of leaving behind a legacy. Leaving behind a legacy is not always necessarily just financial. There's a lot more to it, with values that the family has, stories. There's a lot to be shared in that arena and I'm trying to bring that to their attention, and most of the time, what I do is I ask these next three questions that I'm gonna share with you because I think it really connects with the couple or the individual that I'm speaking with. But unfortunately, I also ask these three questions, or I mentioned this during a eulogy that I did for my father-in-law a couple of years ago.
Speaker 4:What I said is when we find ourselves at some point when we realize that our mortality, that we're not gonna be here forever and there's been individuals that have had near-death experiences and there's individuals that unfortunately did not make it. I personally have a sister that passed away from cancer and we've had several conversations that were very intimate and very dark at times before she passed, and during those conversations we ask about the meaning of life and what did my life mean? And so the questions that I said during the eulogy, as we see my father-in-law here in spirit, we have to ask ourselves one did we love? So you take a look at how you lived your life in this world and is there clear evidence that you love somebody, and then during the eulogy, I would give examples of here's how this man showed love to people.
Speaker 4:The second question I would ask was he loved? And obviously from all the people that were present that day is showing that he was loved? But I also gave other hard examples of sacrifices that other people have done to care for this man, especially my wife, who really handled a lot of stuff during his last moments. The third question is and this is the one that I asked the people during the podcast interview when all is said and done and you are no longer here physically, how do you hope people would remember you? So you are no longer here and somebody brings up. Hey, remember Gil from the Mind Buzz. What do you think about that guy? What kind of impact did he leave behind?
Speaker 2:I hope by the end of his life that he got the lyrics to Folsom Prison Blues.
Speaker 4:I hope so. That would be nice. That's a start, but yeah, it's a really a little bit of a darker question. But I think for a lot of the clients and during the eulogy I mean, I got a lot of comments from family members that they liked kind of the approach that I took but also with clients, it gives them a perspective of what have I accomplished in my life. What did I say that I wanted to do at some point but I never got to it? What's stopping you from doing it? There's a lot of things that are out there that we can still execute and it's not gonna be easy, it's never easy. But figure out a way on how you can take care of some of these things.
Speaker 4:And I know for me personally, when all is said and done and I'm no longer physically here, I would like to think that people would remember me, my parents, if I go before them as a good son that stepped up and I wasn't perfect throughout my whole life with them, but when it counted that I stepped up and I was there for them. I wanna think that my wife would remember me as a husband that did everything in his power to not only provide and protect his family, but for her personally, a man that showed at every moment how much he was devoted and loved his wife, that she knows that I love her and there's no question about it. I want my kids to remember me as somebody that not just was a dad that would come in, and I'm not that dad that would come in all grumpy from work, just pissed off and not wanting to talk to him and watching TV. That's not the dad that I am. I'm a heavily involved father and I want them to think all these great memories that they've had with me and I've had with them. I want them to remember those moments. I want them to remember the lessons that I shared, the values that I shared with them. I'm hoping that I could be that type of dad for them, for people in general and this applies also to my grito, and this one's a hard one, because you never know how easy it is to make this work I wanna feel that, based on the actions that I've done in this world, that because of those actions, it helped other people not give up on themselves and believe in themselves for them to accomplish their goals.
Speaker 4:That's how I hope people remember me to say you know what? Because of that guy, I was able to go a step further. I was able to do these following things I was able to live a better life, a better life of purpose. I hope that's how people remember me, but we'll see. I'm working in that direction. I'm gonna stay on that path and see where it goes, where it takes me. And now people have an opportunity on the podcast the my grito podcast to hear more about the concepts, the ideas, the values that I have, and they could hear for themselves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2:Oscar, thanks for coming out and doing the podcast, brother Again, once again. So go ahead and tell us where we can find you and what you got coming up.
Speaker 4:Absolutely so. As a reminder, I'm one of the co-owners of my grito industry, so you can go on at my grito on Instagram as well as Facebook. Facebook, if you're over the age of 40, feel free to go on there, because I know that's pretty much the only people that are on the tracks. We are on TikTok, but I'm really shitty on TikTok. So for anybody out there, that is very good with TikTok, hit us up. We are looking to bring on more staff onto the company to help us grow our brand. So that's with my grito.
Speaker 4:I also have, like I said, my insurance business. Feel free to also reach out to me on my personal page, which is the letter N, the underscore the Oscar goes to. Or you can simply Google me, Oscar Toledo, on Google, and you'll be able to easily find my information on there, my contact information. You can hit me up and understand that, no obligations. If you're just looking for some information, I'll be happy to provide that Next Friday or this Friday, february the 16th, with the work of the MindBuzz Media, my grito industries presents the my Grito podcast. So make sure that you're following us on on my Grito, make sure that you're following us on the MindBuzz or MindBuzz Media MindBuzz, mindbuzz, mindbuzz, mindbuzz Media on Instagram. That's also another account that Gil and Amber have for the show, and you'll be able to see more announcements there about when your next episode of the my Grito podcast is available. Again this Friday, super Steve Floors will be our first guest, steve Floors.
Speaker 2:Cool, and do we have anything coming up, amber?
Speaker 1:Your show on the 23rd.
Speaker 2:Yes, if you are in Southeast Los Angeles or just a person that loves free stuff and free comedy, anybody. Come out to Paramount at Orchattaria in the gallery, February 23rd. Friday, February 23rd come out, Open mic, let's go. The MindBuzz, the.
Speaker 1:MindBuzz Ha ha ha, yeah Boom.