Podcasts

New Podcast: Water Filters for Christmas

In today’s podcast, I talk about how I’m changing my gift-giving habits this year so I can stand behind what I believe and promote a healthy future!  To that end, I’m giving water filters this year!  There are a lot of reasons for this (which are covered in the podcast), but I feel good that my loved ones will be receiving gifts that will help keep them healthy when I’m not around.  I picked water filters because the majority of drinkable water in the United States barely qualifies as “drinkable”, because our water sources are poisoned by industrial chemicals, byproducts from fracking, pesticide run-off, and more. 

To listen to today’s podcast, find GakkoMom on iTunes and subscribe to it, or listen below:

New Podcast: What to do with Plastic

In today’s podcast, I speak with Leslie O’Malley, the Waste Reduction Manager for Santa Cruz Public Works.  Figuring out what to do with all the plastic we generate is a big problem, and Leslie is an expert on types of plastics, where we can (and can’t) send it, and even simple things like when is plastic considered trash, and what can we do to make sure plastic is actually considered plastic for recycling instead of going into a landfill.  It was a fascinating discussion that everyone should hear!  

To listen to today’s podcast, find GakkoMom on iTunes and subscribe to it, or listen below:

New Podcast: Free Child Care

In this podcast, I talk about free child care, how to get it, why you’d want it, and my book “The Millennial’s Guide to Free Child Care in Your Home”! 

To listen to this podcast, find GakkoMom on iTunes and subscribe to my podcast, or listen to it below:

New Podcast: TEDx Reflections

In this short podcast, Rob and I reflect on the recently concluded TEDxMeritAcademy on Sunday 9/15. 

You can check out bios of the speakers and see photos (up soon) of the event at tedxmeritacademy.com!

Micro Communities

In this short podcast, I explain what a micro-community is and what you need to do to set one up.  I’ve included a micro-community checklist in the Emergency Planning Checklist located here, and you can also listen to my previous podcast on Preparing for Emergencies here.

Listen to today’s podcast here, find GakkoMom on iTunes and subscribe to my podcast, or listen to it below:

Interview with Fire Chief Steven Hall

In this podcast, I interview Chief Steven Hall of Central Fire.  We discuss a wide range of topics, including things we can do to ensure the safety of our homes, and the importance of working with neighbors via the micro-community method to make the entire neighborhood as fire-safe as possible.  We also talk about the recent problems people have been having with fire insurance.  This is a must-listen episode!  You can listen to it below, or find Gakkomom on iTunes and subscribe to my podcast. 

Fire Insurance

350,000 California homeowners have received cancellation or non-renewal notices based on their high-risk zip codes this year. The insurance companies are in flux themselves as they grapple with which zip codes to cover and which ones to cancel. They’re in the business of making money so offering fire insurance where wildfires have consumed the state is not smart business for them. Over the years, when insurance companies failed, homeowners were rescued by the state at the taxpayers’ expense. When you’ve paid for years (decades) of fire insurance and never had a claim, it seems unethical that the insurance companies can cancel your policies when you need them the most.

In this podcast, I talk about the fire insurance problem, and what you can do to KEEP your existing coverage.  Find GakkoMom on iTunes and subscribe to my podcast, or listen here:

Preparing for Emergencies

There are a number of EASY things you can do to prepare for an emergency.  I’ve created an easy checklist anyone can use to start preparing for a disaster.  The checklist is located on the AmericanMothersCalifornia.com website here, and I’ve also recorded a 30-minute podcast that goes into a lot more detail -it’s embedded below. You can also find GakkoMom on iTunes and subscribe to my podcast. 

Please take a few minutes to read the checklist, or listen to the podcast when you have some free time.  With a little bit of preparedness, you can save precious things – and even lives.

Week in Review: May 23rd, 2018

In this podcast, Susan discusses the events of the week. Check it out!

Susan’s Interview With KSQD

Earlier this week, Susan was interviewed by Brad Kava for KSQD’s “Talk of the Bay” program. The hour-long interview covers a lot of ground, including how Susan started Merit Academy, how she was able to get free childcare for her kids, the books she’s written to help other moms, and even the shoe carousel and furniture she designed and made! Check it out:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

The May 13th show will also be available on the KSQD site for a few weeks here: https://www.radiofreeamerica.com/show/talk-of-the-bay-k-squid

Eshika’s Project – Get Your Shots!

In this episode, Susan talks to high school senior Eshika Nellore, who discusses her Project, called “Get Your Shots!”.

As a volunteer in the Philippines, Eshika saw firsthand the recurrence of many diseases due to lack of vaccinations. While there, she educated indigenous people (Aeta communities) about a eating a high protein diet and washing your hands after using the restroom or before eating. In high school, Eshika was a speech and debate captain for expository speech and assisted a cardiologist. Check it out:

Eshika’s Project – Get Your Shots!

California American Mothers 2019 Gala

Our first podcast is presented by Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy.

In this episode, Susan talks about the California American Mothers 2019 Gala, where she was honored as the 2019 California Mother of the Year.

Susan met a lot of very interesting and dynamic women with a lot to say and a lot to contribute! Check it out:

The California American Mothers Inaugural Podcast