Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad. Entrepreneurs tell us.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Their inspiring stories, learn about products that could make both
you and your child's life easier and more fun. And
of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh about what's happening
in their child's world. Motherhood is a journey. Thanks for
joining me on mine. You're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson, and I'm so thrilled to have Erica Gimpel
(00:34):
on the show with me today. She is an actress, singer, dancer, composer.
She is best known for her roles in the television
Show's Fame as Coco and on Profiler as Angel Brown.
She's also known for her recurring roles on the television
Show's Er as Adel Newman and on Veronica Mars as
Alicia Fennell.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
So welcome. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
My pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
So you are are involved in a new theatrical release,
Bang Bang, starring Tim Blake Nelson.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Tell me about this film.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
It's a really powerful film, and I think it's really
resonating for this time because of what we're going through
in our country.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I mean, it's about a man.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Who had the biggest desire of being this prize fighter
and his big fight didn't turn out the way he anticipated.
So I really also think it's looking at when you
had this expectation and it didn't happen, and you've held
onto it for years and years on that Invester and
then finally he faces his opponent in this sort of
(01:40):
I don't want to give it away. I want people
to see the movie, but it's also about it's really
an it's dedicated to boxers, and it's really in a
sense all the hidden scars that boxers have in their
lives and what a tough sport it actually is. And
especially you know, he's a featherweight, so he's not like
the pride, you know, the big you know, but he
(02:03):
came up through the you know, the community, and he
was touted as this great fighter for the community. So
he had this whole life that he was living into
or image he was living into that In a sense,
the movie really looks at when you buy into that
and how do you continue when that didn't necessarily go
(02:23):
the way you wanted. And my cousin in the movie
is his opponent was his opponent in that big prize fight.
So you see where his life went and so and
how he his perspective on boxing, and so you really
get to see how these two different men have navigated
posts this big fight. And so it's it's very powerful
in that way.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Absolutely, Well, it sounds amazing.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
What inspired you to get involved with this project and
what themes or messages were you hoping to convey?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Thank you?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Well, I have to say shout out to signa Miguel,
who was the casting director on this piece, because sig
has cast me in six other films.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
He's always looking out for me. Love him so much.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
But it was really this character, Sharon is. This takes
place in Detroit and Sharon has her own bar.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
She was a singer. Also.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
She and Bang Bang, who's the lead character, they were
high school sweethearts and they reconnect. She's just getting over
a double misseectomy, so it's what and she's made a
choice in her life to thrive to survive after this
has happened, And I just felt I wanted to step
(03:34):
into this relationship that they have, which is they both
have these scars that life has thrust upon them, meaning
her double misseectomy. And I was very fortunate to work
with this beautiful makeup artist on the film named David Atherton,
which is Tim Blake Nelson's a personal makeup artist. But
(03:56):
I really sculpted how the scars were going to look,
how my having no hair, and just really looking at
how in this moment of time, these two people who've
gone through a lot in life come together and give
each other solace for a moment. So I was very
much interested in, which I've never I never saw in
film before, a scene of intimacy where you see the
(04:19):
scars that life has put on people, but yet for
that moment they're able to support each other and be
a soft landing place in a rough world.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Right, And I found that to be really powerful.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
And just because you know, I'm also a singer, and
so I sing in the film, but it was it
was more the full story and Tim, you know, speaking
to Tim before I came on board, he really made
it such a welcoming environment and I, you know, I
respected all the actors that were going to be a
part of it, and I was like, let me, let
me jump on.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So I decided to do it.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
And so how closely did the final film align with
your initial vision and what you're talking about and were
there any significant changes or deviations from the script.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
No, what I was really I have to say, you know,
when you're focusing on your storyline, it's kind of the
whole film. Yes, I read the whole script a couple
of times, but finally seeing the whole piece, are like, whoa, Okay,
that's what this is.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
How this lands, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yeah, So it was more than I had read on
the script. You know, I knew Kevin Corrigan, who's also
in the movie, and he's so phenomenal anyway, I knew
him from.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The past, and so to see everybody step.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Up and bring their everybody brought their best, you know,
So it was very moving.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So and also for me personally, there's one reviewer that
really got what I just said to you about not
having ever seen an intimacy scene. And when I say that,
it's just really.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Being in the bed together, but seeing these two people
with their scars, with what life has done on their
bodies physically, he got it. So it was it felt
so exciting that what I was envisioning, what I was
really wanting to put out in this role. It resonated,
and other people came up to me, especially young women
who had cancer in their family, and they just said
(06:13):
then they were about to take the test to see
where they were and they just saw, you know, by
seeing you up there, I don't feel as afraid. Amazing
and that you know, when someone says that to you,
it's I feel like I've done my job.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh absolutely, And it goes so beyond acting and singing.
I mean, holy cow, the impact that you have on
women and the audience numbers everywhere.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Yes, So that was very That was very moving to
me really, so that I was very surprised, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
I was very appreciabd. It moved me deeply and I
had tears in my eyes. Actually, I was very moved
by them.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
When you mentioned the name Kevin Carrigan, a little fun fact,
I was an intern ages ago at his management agency
when he was young, and I think he was, you know,
at the beginning of his career, and I remember thinking,
oh my gosh, what a great actor.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Well it's what I'll listen to what Karen Kevin first
was writing, because he's an amazing writer too. He had
done a play called The boiler Room, and I read
his first play he's called Playwrights Horizon.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Since I'm from New York, you know, so I was like.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Look at Kevin, Look what he's become.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
You know. It's like it's such a beautiful cycle of
you know, small world.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Sorry, it really is.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Absolutely So what are you hoping audiences will walk away
with after viewing Bang Bang?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
I hope that they will have a larger perspective on
maybe what one holds as success in your mind. You know, Oh,
when I get this, I'm going to be successful because
life goes in many different unexpected directions and it's how
we I think we we calibrate. And I think that's
(07:58):
the lesson that Bang Bang has is that he had.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
This vision, this is what it was going to be.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
And then but in the course of the film, he
has a revelation and you also see what a devoted
person he's been because he has a brother, and that
also comes out in the movie.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And I don't want to give it away. I want
people to see, right, but I.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Really hope that it really is a redemption story. It
really is about what we value in life, what is
really important in the deep, deep recesses of our own heart.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, and I think also, you know, I was reading
something about is Bang Bang merely passing down inherited rage
or is there true altruism behind him? And you know,
and I think also it shows people can change. You
don't have to just live with what you've been given
or where, like you said, where you think your life's
going to.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Go absolutely, absolutely, And I think that's a It's so
much about choice. You know, our life is about choice.
And that's what I felt about Sharon. I mean, she
had this life and death situation and she's like, I'm
gonna live. I'm gonna change my life and do all
the things I need to do to live now.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
So they're meeting each other at.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
These these paths, you know, these these choice paths, life
paths that they have to make clear choices if they're
going to continue down the same road or make a
different choice.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And she's made a different choice.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Right exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So tell me about Sunrise Films Company distributing this movie.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
This is my first time working with them, but I
feel like they're very committed to distributing films, and I
feel like a very smart way in terms of, you know,
release New York, LA and now they're going to different
states across the country. And this is such a time
for independent films. Either's streaming, there's but there's nothing like
being in the theater with a people to have a
(09:49):
shared experience. So I love that it's getting a release
in this kind of way. I think that that's that's
the magic of the movies. You know, you go and
you're with other people and you get to experience something,
and I think people leave so many people that I've
seen it now four times.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I can't believe it. But you know, I've had friends
and family who wanted to see it, so I would go.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
And I just love watching how people are so changed
and it's unexpected what they get out of It's it's
been really interesting to observe people have their own experience
with it.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
So yeah, and that's what I love about independent films.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Erga Gimpel.
I appreciate you joining me today on Passport Mommy. I
look forward to seeing Bang Bang and best of luck
with its release and with all of your future projects.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
And I have a film that I'm going to be directing.
I just got a shout out. It's called Rye, So
I just want to and it's for our women in
the audience and it's about it's never too late to
reclaim your life and rise.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
So I love it. So where can we see that?
And when it's that, that's I'm.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Giving you, like a real low down. It's in the process.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I'll be shooting it next year directly act and I've
written it and I'm acting in it, so it's a
real but it's for our women.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
So I just want to shout out to that.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Well, you will have to come back on this show
for that and I look forward to following that.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Okay, thank you. Have a beautiful, beautiful day, you too.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Thank you so much. I'm Michelle Jerson the Passport Mommy.
More coming up than a few you're listening to Passport Mommy.
I'm Michelle Jerson. So it is that time of year again.
The US News and World Report released its annual Best
Colleges rankings, and we all know that the US News
and World Report Best Colleges rankings are among the most
widely recognized and influential systems for evaluating higher education institutions
(11:34):
in the United States. Their first publication was in nineteen
eighty three, and the rankings have become a significant tool
for prospective students, families, and high school counselors in the
college sarch.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Joining me today is Lamont Jones.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
He is the managing editor for Education US News and
World Report.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Hi, Lamont, Hi, how are you good? Thank you so?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
US News just released its Annuel College rankings. This is
year forty one, and tell us about this year's results.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Yes, well, there was not a lot of movement in
the rankings, not a lot of significant movements among schools.
But in the top ten national universities, Princeton is number one,
ranked Mit number two in Harvard is three. Now there's
a two way tie at four with Stanford and Yale,
and then running out the top ten are University of
(12:26):
Chicago and that's the only new entrant in the top
ten national universities by the way this year, and a
four way tie at seven. Running out the top ten
Duke Johns, Hopkins, Northwestern and the University of Pennsylvania. Now
also in the Liberal Arts Colleges National Liberal arts schools
in that division. Williams and Amherst Colleges in Massachusetts are
(12:47):
first and second, respectively, followed by the US Naval Academy
at three, Swarthmore College at four, Bolden College in the
US Air Force Academy are tied at five, and then
there's a three way tie in seventh place Claremont, McKenna,
Pomona and Willesley Colleges. And then their final top ten
there's a three way tight around that out Carlton College,
(13:08):
Harvey Mud and the US Military Academy at West Point.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
How does US News determine the best colleges.
Speaker 6 (13:15):
US News We've refined the process over the decades using
the very very significant methodology that includes about seventeen indicators,
and special emphasis really is placed on outcomes because that's
what students and their families care about. The outcomes job
attainment rate, for example, graduation rate getting a job in
(13:36):
your field of study within a certain amount of time.
So those things are important in the rankings.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
And what sets US News rankings apart to compared to
other best school lists that are out there, Well, that's.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
A great question. Well, we kind of like to compare
ourselves because we've been doing it for so long with
the original we build credibility literally over the decades with
the public. And it's partly due to a team of
really great data analysts that we have at US News
and they devote really the better part of a year
to the process. And we have an advisory group of
(14:11):
college admissions deans and they come from across the US
to meet with us each fall to provide helpful insight
and good feedback. So it's a process and rankings that
we take very very seriously. And of course there's a
lot of content up around the rankings, you know, everything
people need to know about applying the college and getting
in college and paying for it.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Yeah, that is definitely one of the huge factors. So
what advice do you have for prospective students and parents?
How can they use US news Best Colleges rankings during
their college application season.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Well, at US News, we consider our rankings to be
a great starting point for students and their families. The
starting point in the sense that we've done the legwork.
We've gathered all this data from an extensive three parts
of the schools, from other third party sources like the
federal government that compile data and statistics, and we've put
(15:08):
it all together in a way that it's easier to
compare apples to apples. They can come on our website.
There's no paywall, get all this information for free. There
are all kinds of tools. Another thing we like to
point out in terms of tools is that do not
be deceived by the sticker price. It's like buying a car.
Sometimes families will have the sites set on a school
for various important reasons to them, various factories they like,
(15:30):
and they prioritize. They're like, oh, well, this is going
to cost too much, not necessarily, so that advertised price
is what it is before scholarships, grants, work studies, student loans,
anything else is applied. So almost always the families out
of pocket is not going to be that sticker price.
But there are so many different ways to pay for school.
There are tuition free colleges. There are college Promise programs
(15:54):
hundreds across the nation that help high school students who
achieve up a decent you know, success in high school
pay for college. But at US News, we want to
provide all the information that people need to make that
really important decision, because it's one of the most important
ones they're going to make in a lifetime and one
of the most expensive.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And you mentioned also that you have rankings for other
types of schools.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Do you rank public schools?
Speaker 6 (16:19):
Yes, Michelle, we do, and you know, people can look
at the main rankings, but also we disaggregate some of these,
like best public Schools. In fact, University of California at
Berkeley UC Berkeley is the number one ranked public school
in the US. We rank HBCUs best. It was historically
Black college and universities colleges for veterans best value Schools.
(16:42):
So any sort of affinity or particular interest just about
that people may have in some of these categories, they
can go straight to those lists.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
So where can we go for more information on everything
you just talked about?
Speaker 6 (16:55):
All of this information is available for free. Again, there's
no paywall at US News. That's also where adults and
parents who are helping students plan for college, they can
sign up for a free weekly newsletter every Thursday. It's
called Getting In. It demystifies the process that can really
be intimidating of applying for college and paying for it.
(17:17):
All sorts of helpful tools every single week and a
lot of students I should like to look at it
too because it includes calendar dates and things they need
to know every step of the way toward applying the college.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Thank you so much for joining me today on Passport Mommy.
Such great advice and I know one that students and
adults will jump on and check out.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Usnews dot Com. Thank you so much, Thanks so much
for having me my pleasure. I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
More coming up in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy,
I'm Michelle Jerson, And you know, from rush breakfast to
get the kids out the door before school to late
dinners after maybe Little League innings, meal time often gets
pushed to the sidelines, and for young athletes, regular meals
with the right nutrients are essential for supporting focus, energy
(18:03):
and development. So as part of a partnership between beef
It's What's for Dinner and Little League, chef Josh Capon
is here to talk about why it is so important
to eat healthy, well balanced meals to keep the energy up.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Hi chef, how are you?
Speaker 7 (18:19):
I'm doing fabulous?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
How you doing Jillan? Wow? Thank you?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
So, what are the biggest challenges when it comes to
keeping active kids?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Fueled up with enough protein.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
Well, I know from experience how busy life guts when
you sports evolved from school to practice to all other activities.
Young athletes seem the significant amount of energy protein and
carbohydrates to thrive in class and on the field, but
it could be hard to keep them fuel when you're
always on the go. That's one reason why I turn
to beef. There are a lot of ways to prep
ground beef for steak in events, and plenty of options
(18:50):
for meals on the go, and my kids are always
having to eat beef, so it solves a lot of problems.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Absolutely. My son is always asking me for steak. Any
chance he gets, he will eat.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And so why would you say beef in particular when it.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Comes to protein is a good food for young athletes?
Speaker 7 (19:06):
Well, we all know that active kids need a lot
of protein, and beef delivers. It's also pipular other key
natus like zinc, iron, vitement, b So it's a great
way to keep young athletes fueled.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And I know you're joining us live from the Little
League Baseball World Series. Tell us about the partnership and
what you're expecting to see at the games this summer.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
Well, The goal of Beef It's What's for Dinner brand
partnership with Little League is to support a healthy lifestyle
from those early years of being in Little League all
the way through adulthood. Whether it's practice, game time, or
celebrate meal, Little League families nationwide choose beef to stay
fueled and satisfied. And I personally can't wait. Wait, I
can't wait to watch these kills leave it all on
(19:48):
the field behind me and play some great ball.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Oh my goodness. And so where is this taking place?
Speaker 8 (19:56):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (19:57):
Where are we right now?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (19:58):
William Williams Sport Penns. I'm Ribald lamb Maide Stadium.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
And I know you mentioned that beef is so easy
to prepare ahead of time. I think a lot of
people think you need to prepare it and eat it
right away. So tell me some of your ideas for
doing that well.
Speaker 7 (20:15):
By the time you get to the Little League World Series,
of these families spend a ton of time at the ballpark,
so I try to take that into account with these recipes,
whether you cooking at the ballpark or need something quick
when you get home after a long day. Slaughters are
always a win. I got some meatballs slaughters that are
a fan favorite with kids, but I love them because
they're perfect for prepping ahead and saving some time. Spaghetti
(20:36):
meat balls always one of our go tos at home
before the game, but make sure you make some extra
meat balls should you make these meatball palm slaughters. And
of course I have the traditional burger slaughters featuring my
award winning secret sauce. They're always great for big roots
because they can customize. If somebody wants the simple, no problem,
fully loaded, no problem.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
That's great, all right, So any other recipe ideas.
Speaker 7 (21:01):
Lots of recipes ideas beef steak. You can go to
beef It's Worksfordinner dot com to find these recipes and
so many more.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Thank you so much, Chef Josh Capon, Thank you doing
me let's play ball. Thank you for all those awesome tips.
I'm Michelle Jerson, the Passport Mommy. More coming up than
a few.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
You're listening to Passport Mommy.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
I'm Michelle Jerson, and I am thrilled to have our
next guest on Lori Attwood. She is the CEO and
founder of Fearless Finance. Fearless Finance operates with a mission
to make hourly financial advice available to everyone, no matter
whether you're just graduated or you're in retirement. And I
thought I would have her on because I feel like,
(21:44):
as a parent, there is so much pressure to make
sure that we are managing our finances correctly, and we worry,
well we have enough.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Money when our kids need to go to college?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Do we have enough money even now to send them
to all their after school activities and camp which you
need a small mortgage for nowadays, and everything else. So, Lourie,
thank you so much for joining me, thank you for
having me my pleasures. So first tell me about Fearless Finance.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Sure, So, as you just said, we are a nationwide
hourly financial planning firm, which means that we only charged
by the hour. We don't manage any assets, we don't
sell any products, so you don't have to worry about
like long term commitments and handing over your savings or
(22:31):
being sold a bunch of products you don't need. We
just provide financial advice. We're fiduciary, we're registered with the SEC,
and we make expert financial advice available to people who
typically were afraid that they were too small or not
ready to get it yet, And that's mostly people in
the kind of asset accumulation stage of life, you know,
(22:55):
from sort of twenty eight to fifty five, when you're
having babies and trying to send them to college, or
maybe somebody needs extra resources, or you need a bigger
house or whatever it is, and we're who you turn
to when you need that advice. So that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
I love that because I have to say that I
have been thinking for years and I should have done
it already, that I should be working with somebody like
a financial advisor. But like you just said, I don't
necessarily want to work with somebody who manages assets because
then I never know, Okay, are they going to recommend
certain things? Maybe because they get a percentage from it.
And so I feel like what you do is wonderful
(23:32):
and really everything I've been looking for.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
So I'll get in touch with you after.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
It, but by all means, definitely get in touch, thank you.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
But but right now, let's talk about college. How and
when should we start saving for college?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
How much is enough?
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Let me just be honest with everybody. I have a
senior in high school right now, so this is a
really big topic in our household. So my recommendation to
clients is, if possible, and that's a big you know,
that's a big if possible. You want to start when
(24:09):
they're born, and you want to open a five twenty
nine plan in your state, and you want the savings plan.
You don't want to buy tuition credits. You just want
to save money. And I recommend, and I don't want
anyone to pass out when I say this, six hundred
dollars a month. Now, yeah, so let's put that aside
(24:31):
because that's like the recommendation, right, and we all know that,
you know, life intervenes, right, you know, So if you
live in a state that has a high quality state
public college, and most of the states do, so that's
really great. You know, you'd be looking at about one
hundred to one hundred and twenty for one thousand dollars
(24:52):
for a four year degree for that kid in today's dollars.
So I'm not talking about inflation. I'm talking about today,
and so six hundred dollars a month over that kid's
eighteen years. You know, I'm assuming that everybody graduates on time,
et cetera, et cetera. It's going to get you to
about one twenty five, so you should be fine. So
(25:13):
if the kid wants to go to a private college,
it's going to be double that, and so at least
you'd have half of it pretty much saved and ready
to go. But I think if you know, because you
live in a great state with a lot of great
public schools, you could go anywhere between sort of four
hundred to five hundred per month if you know they're
(25:34):
going to have a state education. But the thing is
starting right when they're young. If you can't start while
they're in daycare because you know daycare is so expensive,
then I would pop it back up to six hundred
when they're whatever five years old and they start public kindergarten.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
That's excellent advice. And it's funny. I have been doing
that since they were born, five hundred nights and yeah,
and I look at it though, and I still think,
oh my gosh, how is this going. I need to
get to where I need it to be. Yeah, I know,
but it is good to start.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
And I'm glad to hear that I've been doing one
thing right. So that is excellent advice. And so how
can we make sure that we have fun set aside.
So we're thinking about college, but what about everyday experience
is enhancing our lives making sure they have the childhood
that we want them to have, whether it's child's care, travel,
or anything else.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Yeah, So here's the thing. The thing is the most
important thing for your children, in my opinion, is your
and your partners well being. Meaning what they remember is
if mom and dad or whoever the parenting unit is,
(26:49):
we're so stressed out, we're so anxious about money, we're
so irritated every time we needed something or whatever. That's
the stuff they remember, right. They don't remember a certain toy,
They don't even remember travel, soccer all that well, So
those things are really minor. They're after the fundamentals are
(27:10):
taken care of. And so what I say to families
and what we do in my own family is you
want to make sure that the household itself is comfortable
financially and not sweating out every month and worrying about
every bill and every credit card payment. So that's the
most important financial thing to your children. After that, once
(27:33):
you've got that down, sit with your child. Who is
your child? What does he or she need? Do they
need extra resources? Are they super athletic, and they really
need to be on teams. Are they super artsy? And
that's the activity that they like. Remember that you don't
need your kid to be in every activity. Sometimes we
have people in every kids in every activity because we
(27:56):
don't know what to do with.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Them after school, right right, feel like, especially where I live,
kids are so overprogrammed.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
They're overprogrammed. So what I said to my own daughter,
and what I say to clients is have the kid
choose one activity they're really into and focus some funds
on it, let them explore it, let them see if
they like it, etc. But everything else can really go
by the wayside. You don't need you don't need big
(28:23):
bouncy house birthdays, you don't need big activities every day
of the week. You simply don't need that stuff. And
a lot of times people hide behind them because they
don't really want to deal with their kids. They don't
want a parent right right.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
At some point, Now, what if your child, say, need
some interventions for say anxiety or depression or other facial needs.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
How do we balance that financially?
Speaker 5 (28:48):
So again it's a trade off. And maybe you have
two or three children and one of them has needs
and the others don't. And what I say to people
all the time is that you know, it's one family unit.
Like when one kid gets into Stanford, the whole family's
going to Stamford. Right, Everybody's got to cut back elsewhere
(29:08):
so that money can be pivoted to where it needs
to go. And that's the same answer for this. If
somebody has special needs needs like additional therapies or whatever
it is, tutors, whatever, then other things have to be
cut back in service to that goal, which is, you know,
(29:29):
helping that person get through whatever it is. I wish
it were more glamorous than that.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
It's not right now, absolutely, And can you explain what
we need?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
You know, in addition to our kids needs, we need
things like life insurance and estate planning. I feel like
a lot of parents also feel overwhelmed by that, and
you get so caught.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Up in the day to day that you have not
done your estate planning yet.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
That's interesting that you ask that, because what I say
to people all the time, especially my clients, who are
you know, expecting and then and and they're like, oh, yeah,
we're finally expecting, and they're so worried about strollers and
binky holders and all of that stuff, and none of
that matters. The thing that matters most is that you
have a properly executed will, and so does the other parent. Period.
(30:16):
That is the first priority. You can do it online.
There are a number of online resources that are perfectly reasonable.
Make sure you get a reputable one. I would just
you know, google it and see and you're going to
pay about sixty seventy dollars. And in all the states
but Louisiana, you only need a witness somebody over eighteen. Okay,
(30:39):
you don't need a notary. So don't let that hang
you up. But what hangs people up most of the
time is who is the guardian? If Heaven forbid, both
parents pass right?
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Really right?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
So have that conversation.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Yeah, it's a tough conversation, but it's one that definitely
needs to be had. And I do think you're right
that should be the number one priority, and it's often not. Now,
what about when you're considering buying your forever home?
Speaker 2 (31:06):
When should you do that? How do you figure out
what you can afford?
Speaker 5 (31:12):
So that's a big question typically from a financial standpoint,
the longer you stay in the in the whatever, first
home or transitional home, the better off you are. Meaning
if you can stay into in the cheaper home waiting
for that oldest kid to start public whatever it is,
kindergarten or pre k, you're going to be better off
(31:35):
from a cash flow perspective. Everybody's case is different, every
state is different with when they start free, public school,
et cetera. But typically, if you can stay in the
cheaper home until at least one of the children is
in public school, you're going to be better off financially.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Personally, I thought we were going to be in our
forever home when our kids were in kindergarten.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I want to them in one neighborhood for their whole schooling.
And it didn't go as planned.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, you know what, instead of kicking myself, I say, okay,
but we're saving money and we're they're getting other richer experiences.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Exactly because those things just don't I mean, what I
found for my own childhood and my daughter's childhood is
those things that just don't matter. It don't matter that much. Yeah,
And the things that matter are your calmness and your
ability to be with them and get to know them
rather than working, you know, and being stressed out?
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Right, I agree, and I think you bring up an
excellent point because I think finances are the number one
thing that couples fight over, and that's why I think
it is important to talk with somebody like you, either
maybe individually or as a couple, so that you can
help take away some of that stress and some of
that worry. And also what we model for our kids
(32:55):
is also very important, as you mentioned, So what is
your guidance for, say, you know, how do we model
for them so they grow up to be secure with
money topics and not avoidant or anxious.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
So I'm going to sound here like I'm repeating myself,
but the best thing to model is not being stressed out.
And to authentically not be stressed out, you have to
be on top of your finances. So the first thing,
which is like, if you don't do anything else with
your finances, what you have to do is spend less
than you earn each month. Mm hmmm, because that's going
(33:27):
to ripple through to everything else. Right, And so if
you if you perpetually consistently spend less than you earn
each month, those kids are going to have a level
of calm that most other people don't have because you're
not worried about who's calling and who's knocking on the door. Right, Right,
(33:47):
Because if you spend less than you earn, the credit
cards are paid in full each month. So that's the
main main thing. Secondarily is the communication between the two partners. Right,
if you are spending less then you earn each month,
then there should be open and frank conversation in the
sense of and you know me, me and my husband
(34:08):
do argue, but it's never about money. And it's because
we know what we have to spend each month on
full discretionary stuff. And so if I have something coming up,
say my daughter has you know, need some outfit for
something or other, I'll let him know so that he
can wait. If he needs something, he'll wait until the
next month. That's the level of communication because then he's
(34:31):
not like, Hey, what did you buy? Why did you
buy that? You know, there's nothing, there's nothing to blame
anybody for, right because you've communicated about it. Hey, we
need to replace, you know, a couple pairs of shoes
because the child's feet just grew. Whatever it is.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Yeah, And I think that is really important, is the communication,
because I would love to have you back on the
show and talk about when couples have just different styles
when it comes to the way they approach money, because
I feel like that's what a lot of couples will
fight over, when one's a saver and one's a spender,
when one's responsible for paying bills and one's not.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
The one thing I will say on that topic is
there is some amount of that that is learned, but
there is an awful lot of that that is simply
genetically in your personality. So trying to change another person
in this regard is not typically going to help. What
needs to happen is you have to have systems and
(35:26):
processes in place that take into account both people's styles.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Such good advice. So where can we get in touch
with you? Lorie Atwood from Fearless Finance.
Speaker 5 (35:38):
Oh, thank you. So go to Fearlessfinance dot com and
we have a contact us link. Fill out the form
and if you have in the promo code, if you
can put passport in there and we will give people
fifty dollars off their first meeting.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Well, thank you so much. Thank you for the great
tips and for joining me today on Passport Mommy. I
look forward to talking with you again soon. Thanks Michelle,
my pleasure. I'm Michelle Jerson. The Passport Mommy more coming
up in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson. So, as the cooler weather sets in, another
season is on the horizon, which means it's flu season again.
(36:17):
And last year the CDC reported roughly eighty two million
flu cases in the US, with one point three million
requiring hospitalization. And so while the impact of this season
is uncertain, healthcare professionals are stressing that vaccination is vital,
especially for high risk groups. So on the show with
Me today is doctor Victoria Epperjesse. She is a pharmacy
(36:41):
district leader for CBS Pharmacy in the DC Metro area. Hi,
doctor Epperjesse, thank you for joining me today. Hi, good morning,
Thank you for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So, where should we start preparing for flu season?
Speaker 8 (36:56):
You know, as much as I'm a pharmacist and a
district well, I'm also a mom.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
So you know, we know that chill is in the air.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Back to school season is here, and.
Speaker 8 (37:05):
With back to school season, those fall germ.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
Bugs are going to get started.
Speaker 8 (37:09):
So as we're preparing those checklists and maybe getting our
kids some immunity vitamins and preparing them for the fall.
It's a really great time to also start thinking about
the flu shot and if it's a good fit for
you and your family.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
Yes, so who should get vaccinated? When thinking about whether
or not it's good for our family.
Speaker 8 (37:27):
The CDC recommends anybody six months of age or older,
as long as you don't have an allergy to the
flu shot or any of its components, or have had
an allergic reaction in the past to it. It's truly
recommended for anyone six months of age or older.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
And the flu shot is something that we should get
every year, correct.
Speaker 8 (37:46):
Yeah, absolutely, So the variant that circulates every year changes,
so we do our best to predict what that variant's
going to be, and then we create a new flu
shot every year for the season. So it's really important
to stay up to date annually to ensure you're protected
against the one that's circulating the community.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
And when would you say is the best time to
get it?
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I feel like my kids we all got it last
year around this time in September, and then they came
down with the flu like end of March, and I
was like, Oh, I think it just must have worn
off the vaccination, like in March.
Speaker 8 (38:20):
No, that's a fantastic question. We definitely had a later
outbreak last year than you know, years prior. But what
I'll say is it does take that two full weeks
to reach efficacy. So we do still recommend between September
and October to get that flu shot and it will
keep you protected through the end of flu season. But
a common question is, hey, I got the flu shot
(38:40):
and I still got the flu. We will see that sometimes,
but it's important to remember that the immunity that you
built with the flu shot can make the symptoms of
getting the flu less severe. So it keeps our kids
out of the hospital. It keeps you know, all of
us a little bit healthier and able to manage it
(39:01):
a little bit better after getting getting the flu shot.
So that can unfortunately happen. You can get the flu
after getting the flu shot, but it's definitely a milder
version and it makes it a little bit safer for everybody.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
And so you talked about safety being you know, getting
vaccinated being safe for you those around you.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
So is the flu shot would you say safe overall? Yes,
it is.
Speaker 5 (39:28):
The flu shot is safe.
Speaker 8 (39:29):
It's made of inactivated flu as well as some flu proteins.
So while you get it and you may experience low
grade fever, you know, chills, headache, maybe some flu like symptoms,
it's not the flu itself. It's just your immune system
doing exactly what we want it to do. So it's
another myth that you can get the flu from the
(39:50):
flu shot. It's just your immune system doing exactly what
we need it to to make sure that you're protected.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
So the flu shot is safe.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Great, and so where can I get it? And is
it cover by insurance?
Speaker 3 (40:01):
Good question.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
So of course we'd love to be able to protect you.
Speaker 8 (40:04):
Over at CBS our meniclinics inside of our target locations,
we have immunizers standing by for you. But if that
doesn't make sense for you, you can make a doctor's
appointment or check out your local health department's website as well.
Sometimes there's clinics that you may see at your farmer's
market or your local five K or something along those lines.
(40:25):
Where the flu shot is brought to you and it
is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare part be.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
At no cost to you.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
So where can we go to schedule an appointment at
CBS and to learn more about everything that you just
spoke about.
Speaker 8 (40:42):
Yeah, CBS dot com or we have an app to
help you schedule an appointment. You can schedule it for
your whole family at one time using one appointment slot.
And then of course you can stop into our men
clinics as well. We'd love to take care of you
over there. But if a CBS is not accessible to you,
check out your local health department's website to see where
they're offering the flu that year, and then for more
(41:05):
information on just the flu in general or the way
the season is going, check out THECDC dot gov website
for more information as well.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Thank you so much, doctor Victoria eber Jepsi. Thank you
for joining me today on Passport Mommy. I appreciate all
of the great advice and the reminder to parents to
get out there get your kids vaccine. I know our pediatrician.
They run clinics you can go in for their yearly checkup.
You can easily get the vaccine and then usually even
their pediatrician we'll give it to me too.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
So thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 5 (41:36):
Thanks for having me, Michelle.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I'm Michelle Jerson, the Passport Mommy,
Welcome to Passport Mommy. I'm your host, Michelle Jerson. This
show is for anyone raising little humans. We feature experts
with tips and advice to enrich the lives of our children.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Mom and dad. Entrepreneurs tell us.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Their inspiring stories, learn about products that could make both
you and your child's life easier and more fun. And
of course, fellow parents discuss and laugh about what's happening
in their child's world. Motherhood is a journey. Thanks for
joining me on mine. You're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson, and I'm so thrilled to have Erica Gimpel
(00:34):
on the show with me today. She is an actress, singer, dancer, composer.
She is best known for her roles in the television
Show's Fame as Coco and on Profiler as Angel Brown.
She's also known for her recurring roles on the television
Show's Er as Adel Newman and on Veronica Mars as
Alicia Fennell.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
So welcome. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
My pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
So you are are involved in a new theatrical release,
Bang Bang, starring Tim Blake Nelson.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Tell me about this film.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
It's a really powerful film, and I think it's really
resonating for this time because of what we're going through
in our country.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
I mean, it's about a man.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
Who had the biggest desire of being this prize fighter
and his big fight didn't turn out the way he anticipated.
So I really also think it's looking at when you
had this expectation and it didn't happen, and you've held
onto it for years and years on that Invester and
then finally he faces his opponent in this sort of
(01:40):
I don't want to give it away. I want people
to see the movie, but it's also about it's really
an it's dedicated to boxers, and it's really in a
sense all the hidden scars that boxers have in their
lives and what a tough sport it actually is. And
especially you know, he's a featherweight, so he's not like
the pride, you know, the big you know, but he
(02:03):
came up through the you know, the community, and he
was touted as this great fighter for the community. So
he had this whole life that he was living into
or image he was living into that In a sense,
the movie really looks at when you buy into that
and how do you continue when that didn't necessarily go
(02:23):
the way you wanted. And my cousin in the movie
is his opponent was his opponent in that big prize fight.
So you see where his life went and so and
how he his perspective on boxing, and so you really
get to see how these two different men have navigated
posts this big fight. And so it's it's very powerful
in that way.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Absolutely, Well, it sounds amazing.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
What inspired you to get involved with this project and
what themes or messages were you hoping to convey?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Thank you?
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Well, I have to say shout out to signa Miguel,
who was the casting director on this piece, because sig
has cast me in six other films.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
He's always looking out for me. Love him so much.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
But it was really this character, Sharon is. This takes
place in Detroit and Sharon has her own bar.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
She was a singer. Also.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
She and Bang Bang, who's the lead character, they were
high school sweethearts and they reconnect. She's just getting over
a double misseectomy, so it's what and she's made a
choice in her life to thrive to survive after this
has happened, And I just felt I wanted to step
(03:34):
into this relationship that they have, which is they both
have these scars that life has thrust upon them, meaning
her double misseectomy. And I was very fortunate to work
with this beautiful makeup artist on the film named David Atherton,
which is Tim Blake Nelson's a personal makeup artist. But
(03:56):
I really sculpted how the scars were going to look,
how my having no hair, and just really looking at
how in this moment of time, these two people who've
gone through a lot in life come together and give
each other solace for a moment. So I was very
much interested in, which I've never I never saw in
film before, a scene of intimacy where you see the
(04:19):
scars that life has put on people, but yet for
that moment they're able to support each other and be
a soft landing place in a rough world.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Right, And I found that to be really powerful.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
And just because you know, I'm also a singer, and
so I sing in the film, but it was it
was more the full story and Tim, you know, speaking
to Tim before I came on board, he really made
it such a welcoming environment and I, you know, I
respected all the actors that were going to be a
part of it, and I was like, let me, let
me jump on.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
So I decided to do it.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
And so how closely did the final film align with
your initial vision and what you're talking about and were
there any significant changes or deviations from the script.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
No, what I was really I have to say, you know,
when you're focusing on your storyline, it's kind of the
whole film. Yes, I read the whole script a couple
of times, but finally seeing the whole piece, are like, whoa, Okay,
that's what this is.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
How this lands, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yeah, So it was more than I had read on
the script. You know, I knew Kevin Corrigan, who's also
in the movie, and he's so phenomenal anyway, I knew
him from.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
The past, and so to see everybody step.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Up and bring their everybody brought their best, you know,
So it was very moving.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So and also for me personally, there's one reviewer that
really got what I just said to you about not
having ever seen an intimacy scene. And when I say that,
it's just really.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Being in the bed together, but seeing these two people
with their scars, with what life has done on their
bodies physically, he got it. So it was it felt
so exciting that what I was envisioning, what I was
really wanting to put out in this role. It resonated,
and other people came up to me, especially young women
who had cancer in their family, and they just said
(06:13):
then they were about to take the test to see
where they were and they just saw, you know, by
seeing you up there, I don't feel as afraid. Amazing
and that you know, when someone says that to you,
it's I feel like I've done my job.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh absolutely, And it goes so beyond acting and singing.
I mean, holy cow, the impact that you have on
women and the audience numbers everywhere.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Yes, So that was very That was very moving to
me really, so that I was very surprised, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
I was very appreciabd. It moved me deeply and I
had tears in my eyes. Actually, I was very moved
by them.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
When you mentioned the name Kevin Carrigan, a little fun fact,
I was an intern ages ago at his management agency
when he was young, and I think he was, you know,
at the beginning of his career, and I remember thinking,
oh my gosh, what a great actor.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
Well it's what I'll listen to what Karen Kevin first
was writing, because he's an amazing writer too. He had
done a play called The boiler Room, and I read
his first play he's called Playwrights Horizon.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Since I'm from New York, you know, so I was like.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Look at Kevin, Look what he's become.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
You know. It's like it's such a beautiful cycle of
you know, small world.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Sorry, it really is.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Absolutely So what are you hoping audiences will walk away
with after viewing Bang Bang?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
I hope that they will have a larger perspective on
maybe what one holds as success in your mind. You know, Oh,
when I get this, I'm going to be successful because
life goes in many different unexpected directions and it's how
we I think we we calibrate. And I think that's
(07:58):
the lesson that Bang Bang has is that he had.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
This vision, this is what it was going to be.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
And then but in the course of the film, he
has a revelation and you also see what a devoted
person he's been because he has a brother, and that
also comes out in the movie.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And I don't want to give it away. I want
people to see, right, but I.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Really hope that it really is a redemption story. It
really is about what we value in life, what is
really important in the deep, deep recesses of our own heart.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, and I think also, you know, I was reading
something about is Bang Bang merely passing down inherited rage
or is there true altruism behind him? And you know,
and I think also it shows people can change. You
don't have to just live with what you've been given
or where, like you said, where you think your life's
going to.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Go absolutely, absolutely, And I think that's a It's so
much about choice. You know, our life is about choice.
And that's what I felt about Sharon. I mean, she
had this life and death situation and she's like, I'm
gonna live. I'm gonna change my life and do all
the things I need to do to live now.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
So they're meeting each other at.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
These these paths, you know, these these choice paths, life
paths that they have to make clear choices if they're
going to continue down the same road or make a
different choice.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
And she's made a different choice.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Right exactly.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
So tell me about Sunrise Films Company distributing this movie.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
This is my first time working with them, but I
feel like they're very committed to distributing films, and I
feel like a very smart way in terms of, you know,
release New York, LA and now they're going to different
states across the country. And this is such a time
for independent films. Either's streaming, there's but there's nothing like
being in the theater with a people to have a
(09:49):
shared experience. So I love that it's getting a release
in this kind of way. I think that that's that's
the magic of the movies. You know, you go and
you're with other people and you get to experience something,
and I think people leave so many people that I've
seen it now four times.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I can't believe it. But you know, I've had friends
and family who wanted to see it, so I would go.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
And I just love watching how people are so changed
and it's unexpected what they get out of It's it's
been really interesting to observe people have their own experience
with it.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
So yeah, and that's what I love about independent films.
Thank you so much for joining me today, Erga Gimpel.
I appreciate you joining me today on Passport Mommy. I
look forward to seeing Bang Bang and best of luck
with its release and with all of your future projects.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
And I have a film that I'm going to be directing.
I just got a shout out. It's called Rye, So
I just want to and it's for our women in
the audience and it's about it's never too late to
reclaim your life and rise.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
So I love it. So where can we see that?
And when it's that, that's I'm.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Giving you, like a real low down. It's in the process.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I'll be shooting it next year directly act and I've
written it and I'm acting in it, so it's a
real but it's for our women.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
So I just want to shout out to that.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Well, you will have to come back on this show
for that and I look forward to following that.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Okay, thank you. Have a beautiful, beautiful day, you too.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Thank you so much. I'm Michelle Jerson the Passport Mommy.
More coming up than a few you're listening to Passport Mommy.
I'm Michelle Jerson. So it is that time of year again.
The US News and World Report released its annual Best
Colleges rankings, and we all know that the US News
and World Report Best Colleges rankings are among the most
widely recognized and influential systems for evaluating higher education institutions
(11:34):
in the United States. Their first publication was in nineteen
eighty three, and the rankings have become a significant tool
for prospective students, families, and high school counselors in the
college sarch.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Joining me today is Lamont Jones.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
He is the managing editor for Education US News and
World Report.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Hi, Lamont, Hi, how are you good? Thank you so?
Speaker 1 (11:55):
US News just released its Annuel College rankings. This is
year forty one, and tell us about this year's results.
Speaker 6 (12:04):
Yes, well, there was not a lot of movement in
the rankings, not a lot of significant movements among schools.
But in the top ten national universities, Princeton is number one,
ranked Mit number two in Harvard is three. Now there's
a two way tie at four with Stanford and Yale,
and then running out the top ten are University of
(12:26):
Chicago and that's the only new entrant in the top
ten national universities by the way this year, and a
four way tie at seven. Running out the top ten
Duke Johns, Hopkins, Northwestern and the University of Pennsylvania. Now
also in the Liberal Arts Colleges National Liberal arts schools
in that division. Williams and Amherst Colleges in Massachusetts are
(12:47):
first and second, respectively, followed by the US Naval Academy
at three, Swarthmore College at four, Bolden College in the
US Air Force Academy are tied at five, and then
there's a three way tie in seventh place Claremont, McKenna,
Pomona and Willesley Colleges. And then their final top ten
there's a three way tight around that out Carlton College,
(13:08):
Harvey Mud and the US Military Academy at West Point.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
How does US News determine the best colleges.
Speaker 6 (13:15):
US News We've refined the process over the decades using
the very very significant methodology that includes about seventeen indicators,
and special emphasis really is placed on outcomes because that's
what students and their families care about. The outcomes job
attainment rate, for example, graduation rate getting a job in
(13:36):
your field of study within a certain amount of time.
So those things are important in the rankings.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
And what sets US News rankings apart to compared to
other best school lists that are out there, Well, that's.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
A great question. Well, we kind of like to compare
ourselves because we've been doing it for so long with
the original we build credibility literally over the decades with
the public. And it's partly due to a team of
really great data analysts that we have at US News
and they devote really the better part of a year
to the process. And we have an advisory group of
(14:11):
college admissions deans and they come from across the US
to meet with us each fall to provide helpful insight
and good feedback. So it's a process and rankings that
we take very very seriously. And of course there's a
lot of content up around the rankings, you know, everything
people need to know about applying the college and getting
in college and paying for it.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Yeah, that is definitely one of the huge factors. So
what advice do you have for prospective students and parents?
How can they use US news Best Colleges rankings during
their college application season.
Speaker 6 (14:48):
Well, at US News, we consider our rankings to be
a great starting point for students and their families. The
starting point in the sense that we've done the legwork.
We've gathered all this data from an extensive three parts
of the schools, from other third party sources like the
federal government that compile data and statistics, and we've put
(15:08):
it all together in a way that it's easier to
compare apples to apples. They can come on our website.
There's no paywall, get all this information for free. There
are all kinds of tools. Another thing we like to
point out in terms of tools is that do not
be deceived by the sticker price. It's like buying a car.
Sometimes families will have the sites set on a school
for various important reasons to them, various factories they like,
(15:30):
and they prioritize. They're like, oh, well, this is going
to cost too much, not necessarily, so that advertised price
is what it is before scholarships, grants, work studies, student loans,
anything else is applied. So almost always the families out
of pocket is not going to be that sticker price.
But there are so many different ways to pay for school.
There are tuition free colleges. There are college Promise programs
(15:54):
hundreds across the nation that help high school students who
achieve up a decent you know, success in high school
pay for college. But at US News, we want to
provide all the information that people need to make that
really important decision, because it's one of the most important
ones they're going to make in a lifetime and one
of the most expensive.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And you mentioned also that you have rankings for other
types of schools.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Do you rank public schools?
Speaker 6 (16:19):
Yes, Michelle, we do, and you know, people can look
at the main rankings, but also we disaggregate some of these,
like best public Schools. In fact, University of California at
Berkeley UC Berkeley is the number one ranked public school
in the US. We rank HBCUs best. It was historically
Black college and universities colleges for veterans best value Schools.
(16:42):
So any sort of affinity or particular interest just about
that people may have in some of these categories, they
can go straight to those lists.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
So where can we go for more information on everything
you just talked about?
Speaker 6 (16:55):
All of this information is available for free. Again, there's
no paywall at US News. That's also where adults and
parents who are helping students plan for college, they can
sign up for a free weekly newsletter every Thursday. It's
called Getting In. It demystifies the process that can really
be intimidating of applying for college and paying for it.
(17:17):
All sorts of helpful tools every single week and a
lot of students I should like to look at it
too because it includes calendar dates and things they need
to know every step of the way toward applying the college.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Thank you so much for joining me today on Passport Mommy.
Such great advice and I know one that students and
adults will jump on and check out.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Usnews dot Com. Thank you so much, Thanks so much
for having me my pleasure. I'm Michelle Jerson.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
More coming up in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy,
I'm Michelle Jerson, And you know, from rush breakfast to
get the kids out the door before school to late
dinners after maybe Little League innings, meal time often gets
pushed to the sidelines, and for young athletes, regular meals
with the right nutrients are essential for supporting focus, energy
(18:03):
and development. So as part of a partnership between beef
It's What's for Dinner and Little League, chef Josh Capon
is here to talk about why it is so important
to eat healthy, well balanced meals to keep the energy up.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Hi chef, how are you?
Speaker 7 (18:19):
I'm doing fabulous?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
How you doing Jillan? Wow? Thank you?
Speaker 1 (18:22):
So, what are the biggest challenges when it comes to
keeping active kids?
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Fueled up with enough protein.
Speaker 7 (18:29):
Well, I know from experience how busy life guts when
you sports evolved from school to practice to all other activities.
Young athletes seem the significant amount of energy protein and
carbohydrates to thrive in class and on the field, but
it could be hard to keep them fuel when you're
always on the go. That's one reason why I turn
to beef. There are a lot of ways to prep
ground beef for steak in events, and plenty of options
(18:50):
for meals on the go, and my kids are always
having to eat beef, so it solves a lot of problems.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Absolutely. My son is always asking me for steak. Any
chance he gets, he will eat.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And so why would you say beef in particular when it.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Comes to protein is a good food for young athletes?
Speaker 7 (19:06):
Well, we all know that active kids need a lot
of protein, and beef delivers. It's also pipular other key
natus like zinc, iron, vitement, b So it's a great
way to keep young athletes fueled.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And I know you're joining us live from the Little
League Baseball World Series. Tell us about the partnership and
what you're expecting to see at the games this summer.
Speaker 7 (19:27):
Well, The goal of Beef It's What's for Dinner brand
partnership with Little League is to support a healthy lifestyle
from those early years of being in Little League all
the way through adulthood. Whether it's practice, game time, or
celebrate meal, Little League families nationwide choose beef to stay
fueled and satisfied. And I personally can't wait. Wait, I
can't wait to watch these kills leave it all on
(19:48):
the field behind me and play some great ball.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
Oh my goodness. And so where is this taking place?
Speaker 8 (19:56):
Uh?
Speaker 7 (19:57):
Where are we right now?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (19:58):
William Williams Sport Penns. I'm Ribald lamb Maide Stadium.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
And I know you mentioned that beef is so easy
to prepare ahead of time. I think a lot of
people think you need to prepare it and eat it
right away. So tell me some of your ideas for
doing that well.
Speaker 7 (20:15):
By the time you get to the Little League World Series,
of these families spend a ton of time at the ballpark,
so I try to take that into account with these recipes,
whether you cooking at the ballpark or need something quick
when you get home after a long day. Slaughters are
always a win. I got some meatballs slaughters that are
a fan favorite with kids, but I love them because
they're perfect for prepping ahead and saving some time. Spaghetti
(20:36):
meat balls always one of our go tos at home
before the game, but make sure you make some extra
meat balls should you make these meatball palm slaughters. And
of course I have the traditional burger slaughters featuring my
award winning secret sauce. They're always great for big roots
because they can customize. If somebody wants the simple, no problem,
fully loaded, no problem.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
That's great, all right, So any other recipe ideas.
Speaker 7 (21:01):
Lots of recipes ideas beef steak. You can go to
beef It's Worksfordinner dot com to find these recipes and
so many more.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
Awesome.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Thank you so much, Chef Josh Capon, Thank you doing
me let's play ball. Thank you for all those awesome tips.
I'm Michelle Jerson, the Passport Mommy. More coming up than
a few.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
You're listening to Passport Mommy.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
I'm Michelle Jerson, and I am thrilled to have our
next guest on Lori Attwood. She is the CEO and
founder of Fearless Finance. Fearless Finance operates with a mission
to make hourly financial advice available to everyone, no matter
whether you're just graduated or you're in retirement. And I
thought I would have her on because I feel like,
(21:44):
as a parent, there is so much pressure to make
sure that we are managing our finances correctly, and we worry,
well we have enough.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Money when our kids need to go to college?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Do we have enough money even now to send them
to all their after school activities and camp which you
need a small mortgage for nowadays, and everything else. So, Lourie,
thank you so much for joining me, thank you for
having me my pleasures. So first tell me about Fearless Finance.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
Sure, So, as you just said, we are a nationwide
hourly financial planning firm, which means that we only charged
by the hour. We don't manage any assets, we don't
sell any products, so you don't have to worry about
like long term commitments and handing over your savings or
(22:31):
being sold a bunch of products you don't need. We
just provide financial advice. We're fiduciary, we're registered with the SEC,
and we make expert financial advice available to people who
typically were afraid that they were too small or not
ready to get it yet, And that's mostly people in
the kind of asset accumulation stage of life, you know,
(22:55):
from sort of twenty eight to fifty five, when you're
having babies and trying to send them to college, or
maybe somebody needs extra resources, or you need a bigger
house or whatever it is, and we're who you turn
to when you need that advice. So that's what we do.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
I love that because I have to say that I
have been thinking for years and I should have done
it already, that I should be working with somebody like
a financial advisor. But like you just said, I don't
necessarily want to work with somebody who manages assets because
then I never know, Okay, are they going to recommend
certain things? Maybe because they get a percentage from it.
And so I feel like what you do is wonderful
(23:32):
and really everything I've been looking for.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
So I'll get in touch with you after.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
It, but by all means, definitely get in touch, thank you.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
But but right now, let's talk about college. How and
when should we start saving for college?
Speaker 2 (23:47):
How much is enough?
Speaker 5 (23:48):
Let me just be honest with everybody. I have a
senior in high school right now, so this is a
really big topic in our household. So my recommendation to
clients is, if possible, and that's a big you know,
that's a big if possible. You want to start when
(24:09):
they're born, and you want to open a five twenty
nine plan in your state, and you want the savings plan.
You don't want to buy tuition credits. You just want
to save money. And I recommend, and I don't want
anyone to pass out when I say this, six hundred
dollars a month. Now, yeah, so let's put that aside
(24:31):
because that's like the recommendation, right, and we all know that,
you know, life intervenes, right, you know, So if you
live in a state that has a high quality state
public college, and most of the states do, so that's
really great. You know, you'd be looking at about one
hundred to one hundred and twenty for one thousand dollars
(24:52):
for a four year degree for that kid in today's dollars.
So I'm not talking about inflation. I'm talking about today,
and so six hundred dollars a month over that kid's
eighteen years. You know, I'm assuming that everybody graduates on time,
et cetera, et cetera. It's going to get you to
about one twenty five, so you should be fine. So
(25:13):
if the kid wants to go to a private college,
it's going to be double that, and so at least
you'd have half of it pretty much saved and ready
to go. But I think if you know, because you
live in a great state with a lot of great
public schools, you could go anywhere between sort of four
hundred to five hundred per month if you know they're
(25:34):
going to have a state education. But the thing is
starting right when they're young. If you can't start while
they're in daycare because you know daycare is so expensive,
then I would pop it back up to six hundred
when they're whatever five years old and they start public kindergarten.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
That's excellent advice. And it's funny. I have been doing
that since they were born, five hundred nights and yeah,
and I look at it though, and I still think,
oh my gosh, how is this going. I need to
get to where I need it to be. Yeah, I know,
but it is good to start.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
And I'm glad to hear that I've been doing one
thing right. So that is excellent advice. And so how
can we make sure that we have fun set aside.
So we're thinking about college, but what about everyday experience
is enhancing our lives making sure they have the childhood
that we want them to have, whether it's child's care, travel,
or anything else.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Yeah, So here's the thing. The thing is the most
important thing for your children, in my opinion, is your
and your partners well being. Meaning what they remember is
if mom and dad or whoever the parenting unit is,
(26:49):
we're so stressed out, we're so anxious about money, we're
so irritated every time we needed something or whatever. That's
the stuff they remember, right. They don't remember a certain toy,
They don't even remember travel, soccer all that well, So
those things are really minor. They're after the fundamentals are
(27:10):
taken care of. And so what I say to families
and what we do in my own family is you
want to make sure that the household itself is comfortable
financially and not sweating out every month and worrying about
every bill and every credit card payment. So that's the
most important financial thing to your children. After that, once
(27:33):
you've got that down, sit with your child. Who is
your child? What does he or she need? Do they
need extra resources? Are they super athletic, and they really
need to be on teams. Are they super artsy? And
that's the activity that they like. Remember that you don't
need your kid to be in every activity. Sometimes we
have people in every kids in every activity because we
(27:56):
don't know what to do with.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Them after school, right right, feel like, especially where I live,
kids are so overprogrammed.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
They're overprogrammed. So what I said to my own daughter,
and what I say to clients is have the kid
choose one activity they're really into and focus some funds
on it, let them explore it, let them see if
they like it, etc. But everything else can really go
by the wayside. You don't need you don't need big
(28:23):
bouncy house birthdays, you don't need big activities every day
of the week. You simply don't need that stuff. And
a lot of times people hide behind them because they
don't really want to deal with their kids. They don't
want a parent right right.
Speaker 1 (28:39):
At some point, Now, what if your child, say, need
some interventions for say anxiety or depression or other facial needs.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
How do we balance that financially?
Speaker 5 (28:48):
So again it's a trade off. And maybe you have
two or three children and one of them has needs
and the others don't. And what I say to people
all the time is that you know, it's one family unit.
Like when one kid gets into Stanford, the whole family's
going to Stamford. Right, Everybody's got to cut back elsewhere
(29:08):
so that money can be pivoted to where it needs
to go. And that's the same answer for this. If
somebody has special needs needs like additional therapies or whatever
it is, tutors, whatever, then other things have to be
cut back in service to that goal, which is, you know,
(29:29):
helping that person get through whatever it is. I wish
it were more glamorous than that.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
It's not right now, absolutely, And can you explain what
we need?
Speaker 1 (29:37):
You know, in addition to our kids needs, we need
things like life insurance and estate planning. I feel like
a lot of parents also feel overwhelmed by that, and
you get so caught.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Up in the day to day that you have not
done your estate planning yet.
Speaker 5 (29:51):
That's interesting that you ask that, because what I say
to people all the time, especially my clients, who are
you know, expecting and then and and they're like, oh, yeah,
we're finally expecting, and they're so worried about strollers and
binky holders and all of that stuff, and none of
that matters. The thing that matters most is that you
have a properly executed will, and so does the other parent. Period.
(30:16):
That is the first priority. You can do it online.
There are a number of online resources that are perfectly reasonable.
Make sure you get a reputable one. I would just
you know, google it and see and you're going to
pay about sixty seventy dollars. And in all the states
but Louisiana, you only need a witness somebody over eighteen. Okay,
(30:39):
you don't need a notary. So don't let that hang
you up. But what hangs people up most of the
time is who is the guardian? If Heaven forbid, both
parents pass right?
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Really right?
Speaker 5 (30:49):
So have that conversation.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Yeah, it's a tough conversation, but it's one that definitely
needs to be had. And I do think you're right
that should be the number one priority, and it's often not. Now,
what about when you're considering buying your forever home?
Speaker 2 (31:06):
When should you do that? How do you figure out
what you can afford?
Speaker 5 (31:12):
So that's a big question typically from a financial standpoint,
the longer you stay in the in the whatever, first
home or transitional home, the better off you are. Meaning
if you can stay into in the cheaper home waiting
for that oldest kid to start public whatever it is,
kindergarten or pre k, you're going to be better off
(31:35):
from a cash flow perspective. Everybody's case is different, every
state is different with when they start free, public school,
et cetera. But typically, if you can stay in the
cheaper home until at least one of the children is
in public school, you're going to be better off financially.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Personally, I thought we were going to be in our
forever home when our kids were in kindergarten.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
I want to them in one neighborhood for their whole schooling.
And it didn't go as planned.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, you know what, instead of kicking myself, I say, okay,
but we're saving money and we're they're getting other richer experiences.
Speaker 5 (32:13):
Exactly because those things just don't I mean, what I
found for my own childhood and my daughter's childhood is
those things that just don't matter. It don't matter that much. Yeah,
And the things that matter are your calmness and your
ability to be with them and get to know them
rather than working, you know, and being stressed out?
Speaker 1 (32:34):
Right, I agree, and I think you bring up an
excellent point because I think finances are the number one
thing that couples fight over, and that's why I think
it is important to talk with somebody like you, either
maybe individually or as a couple, so that you can
help take away some of that stress and some of
that worry. And also what we model for our kids
(32:55):
is also very important, as you mentioned, So what is
your guidance for, say, you know, how do we model
for them so they grow up to be secure with
money topics and not avoidant or anxious.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
So I'm going to sound here like I'm repeating myself,
but the best thing to model is not being stressed out.
And to authentically not be stressed out, you have to
be on top of your finances. So the first thing,
which is like, if you don't do anything else with
your finances, what you have to do is spend less
than you earn each month. Mm hmmm, because that's going
(33:27):
to ripple through to everything else. Right, And so if
you if you perpetually consistently spend less than you earn
each month, those kids are going to have a level
of calm that most other people don't have because you're
not worried about who's calling and who's knocking on the door. Right, Right,
(33:47):
Because if you spend less than you earn, the credit
cards are paid in full each month. So that's the
main main thing. Secondarily is the communication between the two partners. Right,
if you are spending less then you earn each month,
then there should be open and frank conversation in the
sense of and you know me, me and my husband
(34:08):
do argue, but it's never about money. And it's because
we know what we have to spend each month on
full discretionary stuff. And so if I have something coming up,
say my daughter has you know, need some outfit for
something or other, I'll let him know so that he
can wait. If he needs something, he'll wait until the
next month. That's the level of communication because then he's
(34:31):
not like, Hey, what did you buy? Why did you
buy that? You know, there's nothing, there's nothing to blame
anybody for, right because you've communicated about it. Hey, we
need to replace, you know, a couple pairs of shoes
because the child's feet just grew. Whatever it is.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Yeah, And I think that is really important, is the communication,
because I would love to have you back on the
show and talk about when couples have just different styles
when it comes to the way they approach money, because
I feel like that's what a lot of couples will
fight over, when one's a saver and one's a spender,
when one's responsible for paying bills and one's not.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
The one thing I will say on that topic is
there is some amount of that that is learned, but
there is an awful lot of that that is simply
genetically in your personality. So trying to change another person
in this regard is not typically going to help. What
needs to happen is you have to have systems and
(35:26):
processes in place that take into account both people's styles.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Such good advice. So where can we get in touch
with you? Lorie Atwood from Fearless Finance.
Speaker 5 (35:38):
Oh, thank you. So go to Fearlessfinance dot com and
we have a contact us link. Fill out the form
and if you have in the promo code, if you
can put passport in there and we will give people
fifty dollars off their first meeting.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Well, thank you so much. Thank you for the great
tips and for joining me today on Passport Mommy. I
look forward to talking with you again soon. Thanks Michelle,
my pleasure. I'm Michelle Jerson. The Passport Mommy more coming
up in a few you're listening to Passport Mommy. I'm
Michelle Jerson. So, as the cooler weather sets in, another
season is on the horizon, which means it's flu season again.
(36:17):
And last year the CDC reported roughly eighty two million
flu cases in the US, with one point three million
requiring hospitalization. And so while the impact of this season
is uncertain, healthcare professionals are stressing that vaccination is vital,
especially for high risk groups. So on the show with
Me today is doctor Victoria Epperjesse. She is a pharmacy
(36:41):
district leader for CBS Pharmacy in the DC Metro area. Hi,
doctor Epperjesse, thank you for joining me today. Hi, good morning,
Thank you for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
So, where should we start preparing for flu season?
Speaker 8 (36:56):
You know, as much as I'm a pharmacist and a
district well, I'm also a mom.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
So you know, we know that chill is in the air.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
Back to school season is here, and.
Speaker 8 (37:05):
With back to school season, those fall germ.
Speaker 5 (37:08):
Bugs are going to get started.
Speaker 8 (37:09):
So as we're preparing those checklists and maybe getting our
kids some immunity vitamins and preparing them for the fall.
It's a really great time to also start thinking about
the flu shot and if it's a good fit for
you and your family.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
Yes, so who should get vaccinated? When thinking about whether
or not it's good for our family.
Speaker 8 (37:27):
The CDC recommends anybody six months of age or older,
as long as you don't have an allergy to the
flu shot or any of its components, or have had
an allergic reaction in the past to it. It's truly
recommended for anyone six months of age or older.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
And the flu shot is something that we should get
every year, correct.
Speaker 8 (37:46):
Yeah, absolutely, So the variant that circulates every year changes,
so we do our best to predict what that variant's
going to be, and then we create a new flu
shot every year for the season. So it's really important
to stay up to date annually to ensure you're protected
against the one that's circulating the community.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
And when would you say is the best time to
get it?
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I feel like my kids we all got it last
year around this time in September, and then they came
down with the flu like end of March, and I
was like, Oh, I think it just must have worn
off the vaccination, like in March.
Speaker 8 (38:20):
No, that's a fantastic question. We definitely had a later
outbreak last year than you know, years prior. But what
I'll say is it does take that two full weeks
to reach efficacy. So we do still recommend between September
and October to get that flu shot and it will
keep you protected through the end of flu season. But
a common question is, hey, I got the flu shot
(38:40):
and I still got the flu. We will see that sometimes,
but it's important to remember that the immunity that you
built with the flu shot can make the symptoms of
getting the flu less severe. So it keeps our kids
out of the hospital. It keeps you know, all of
us a little bit healthier and able to manage it
(39:01):
a little bit better after getting getting the flu shot.
So that can unfortunately happen. You can get the flu
after getting the flu shot, but it's definitely a milder
version and it makes it a little bit safer for everybody.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (39:15):
And so you talked about safety being you know, getting
vaccinated being safe for you those around you.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
So is the flu shot would you say safe overall? Yes,
it is.
Speaker 5 (39:28):
The flu shot is safe.
Speaker 8 (39:29):
It's made of inactivated flu as well as some flu proteins.
So while you get it and you may experience low
grade fever, you know, chills, headache, maybe some flu like symptoms,
it's not the flu itself. It's just your immune system
doing exactly what we want it to do. So it's
another myth that you can get the flu from the
(39:50):
flu shot. It's just your immune system doing exactly what
we need it to to make sure that you're protected.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
So the flu shot is safe.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Great, and so where can I get it? And is
it cover by insurance?
Speaker 3 (40:01):
Good question.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
So of course we'd love to be able to protect you.
Speaker 8 (40:04):
Over at CBS our meniclinics inside of our target locations,
we have immunizers standing by for you. But if that
doesn't make sense for you, you can make a doctor's
appointment or check out your local health department's website as well.
Sometimes there's clinics that you may see at your farmer's
market or your local five K or something along those lines.
(40:25):
Where the flu shot is brought to you and it
is covered by most insurance plans, including Medicare part be.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
At no cost to you.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
So where can we go to schedule an appointment at
CBS and to learn more about everything that you just
spoke about.
Speaker 8 (40:42):
Yeah, CBS dot com or we have an app to
help you schedule an appointment. You can schedule it for
your whole family at one time using one appointment slot.
And then of course you can stop into our men
clinics as well. We'd love to take care of you
over there. But if a CBS is not accessible to you,
check out your local health department's website to see where
they're offering the flu that year, and then for more
(41:05):
information on just the flu in general or the way
the season is going, check out THECDC dot gov website
for more information as well.
Speaker 2 (41:13):
Perfect.
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Thank you so much, doctor Victoria eber Jepsi. Thank you
for joining me today on Passport Mommy. I appreciate all
of the great advice and the reminder to parents to
get out there get your kids vaccine. I know our pediatrician.
They run clinics you can go in for their yearly checkup.
You can easily get the vaccine and then usually even
their pediatrician we'll give it to me too.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
So thank you so much for joining me today.
Speaker 5 (41:36):
Thanks for having me, Michelle.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I'm Michelle Jerson, the Passport Mommy,
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