Table For Four: A Family Conversation

On this episode we talked to the kids about their new school. Stefanie & Andre compared the new style of education vs the style used in the 90's in New York City. NYC education was on a different level in that era. They will discuss how the eras have differed. Check it out out.

Season 5 is here and we are back at it again. September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The rise of child obesity has sky rocketed in America. We are reaching peak numbers on the scale. On this episode we speak to Argavan Nilforoush, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist from the San Francisco, Bay Area. Our goal for this episode is to speak about how we can implement healthier eating habits with our family and friends and have an open discussion about the different factors (environmental , cultural, financial) that contribute to our diet and our options. Check out her website for more health tips and to her podcast https://babystepsnutrition.com/

Welcome back to a new year of Table For Four: A Family Conversation. Its been a while. With the holidays, Stef in school, Kids transferring to a new school. Its been a hectic year for us. On this episode we had to chance to catch up with Daniel, The Cardiartist. He has been busy creating new products for his brand which caters to the Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) community. He has a new line of toys, trading cards and most importantly he had an opportunity to create some gear for the cardiac unit at Columbus Presbyterian Hospital. Its something dear to him since that is one of the hospitals he had his heart surgery when he was a child. Check out our episode and we are back.

Join the family conversation as we try to define it, how it applies to our family, along with building character & self awareness. We will discuss how we each are resilient in our own way and give hope to those who may struggle as well.

Welcome back to another episode of Table For Four. On our last episode of Courage, Resiliency & survivor series, We spoke to Tiana. She had a stroke late in her 30's. She talks about the how she was angry and lost when she felt she wasn't understood. It took time for her realize that she's more than just her illness. She later founded Vent Zone 911 on Instagram, where other survivors can tell their story. another conversation you do not want to miss.

On this weeks episode we continue the series of resiliency, courage and survival. Stefanie Spoke to Andrina Veit Cleveland, MA, MSW., The award winning author of “It’s Not My Fault!”. This book talks about the struggles on substance abuse on children. The book dives deep into alcoholism where kids and family members are not aware of the struggles, emotional and physically on how it affects everyone mentally. Stefanie and Andrina had a great conversation. You don’t want to miss this episode.  Andrina Veit Cleveland's Website: https://andrinaveit.com/ Buy your copy today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578861763/

Welcome back to another episode of Table For Four A Family Conversation. For the next few weeks we will be releasing episodes that deal with resiliency, courage & survival. Our next guest is Daniel Larios AKA The Cardiartist. He was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Disease at the Age of 4. Having had 10 surgeries throughout his life which included having 6 different pacemakers. He is a survivor and a heart warrior. He is also a artist stemming back from his youth and graffiti days. Now he has created a brand called Cardiartist to bring awareness to the CHD community with his artistic talent. He has done charity events to help fund for warriors and bring awareness to the cause. You will not want to miss out on this heart felt story. If you want to check out his work or buy some of his art or merch to support the cause here is his site. https://www.cardiartist.com/ https://www.cardiartist.com/pages/1st-annual-chd-charity-artist-canvas https://thebrextonfoundation.org/

Welcome back to another episode. We asked the kids to watch and read the Academy Award-winning Book for Animated Short Film. The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse By Charlie Mackesy. This book was written during the pandemic and has resonated with so many people around the world. It is a reflection of how we handle life post-pandemic. Trying to find kindness, compassion, and friendships with interaction with strangers. At the time of this recording, it won an Oscar. This book was suggested to us by one of the sales rep at Barnes & Noble. Purchase your copy here: https://www.charliemackesy.com/ Watch it on AppleTV+:https://tv.apple.com/

On this week's episode, our topic is: How as AI changed the way we work?We try to answer the questions:What are some of the consequences that go along with it; does the punishment fit the crime?How has the face of education change the way we learn?What are the pros and cons of using the AI?What will the education system look like in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?Does AI get a free pass for plagiarism? Come join the conversation Sources used: CHATGPT: https://chat.openai.com/ CNN - Anderson Cooper segment on A.I.

This week's episode was inspired by a Tedtalk on Talk Education with Kristen Nguyen on the 3 steps to help kids process traumatic events. We had our kids watch the TedTalk and we had a family conversation discussing the before, during & after the events of the pandemic. We discussed what is a collective experience and what we tell our kids on how to process traumatic events. Join the family conversation. Kristen Nguyen's TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/kristen_nguyen_3_steps_to_help_kids_process_traumatic_events/comments Sources: TEDTALK, Kristen Nguyen

We are back to another season of Table For Four: A Family Conversation. We hope everyone's doing well in this first quarter of 2023. Now let's get to it. We feel that there isn't many talks about kids and internet safety. Although there might be many articles and publications out there. We felt the need to talk about this with our kids. On this episode we talked about having a family contract on the do's and don'ts of Technology, the Roblox Robux scam and the potential banning of TikTok in the U.S. Come join the conversation.  "There is nothing more important than family and we are here to remind you of that"

In this week's episode, our special guest  is Paulette Erato from the @themakermuse.co We had the pleasure speaking with her about supporting child-free individuals. Her definitions give us a better understanding and our conversation was ever so insightful! Follow her and see her journey on social media. Check her website out:  https://themakermuse.co/podcast/

In this week's episode, we talk with a fellow podcaster Gabrielle Crichlow from the "The Hot Topic Podcast". We had an opportunity to talk about Mental Health, Education, and the effects of the Pandemic on school-aged children. Gabrielle is the Owner, Director, and Tutor at A Step Ahead Tutoring Services where her mission is to tackle the academic challenges of all students and the emotional, mental, and behavioral changes that result from these challenges. Gabrielle also brings experience with her studies in Psychology at Temple University and obtained her Clinical Mental Health Counseling at St. John's University. Below is her website for her services:  www.astepaheadtutoringservices.com

On this special episode for Father's Day. Andre & Stef talks about his journey of looking for his dad and trying to get answers to fill that emptiness for not having a father around. He also recently had discovered that he passed away in November of 2021. We talked about it and had a great conversation about what makes a good father. check it out

Diane Linton from Canarsie Cupcakes will be our special guest of the week. We talk about balancing her baking business, marriage, being a homemaker, and homeschooling her 4 beautiful children. Diane is a wife, mom, homemaker, homeschooler, and entrepreneur. Small business owner of an at-home bakery, Canarsie Cupcakes. Aspiring to build a business and legacy for my family as well as to be able to serve my community. Follow Canarsie Cupcakes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canarsiecupcakes/ See the incredible treat boxes Diane made for my birthday and they were so delicious. She was just recently featured in a pop-up shop in Stumpy's Greenhook on June 4th to share her amazing treats. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CeY6ERJgwsv/... We have known each since our college days and it was an absolute pleasure speaking with Diane Linton about her business. There is something else we shared in common our children both suffer from epilepsy. It was exactly a year ago today that we discovered Stefan was diagnosed with epilepsy and what a journey it has been to find someone else who understands and gets what we have been through. We as moms try to juggle and balance kids, careers businesses, and marriage on top of everything else in life. It was such an honor learning about her journey and how with faith and a little planning we can do what we can do some amazing things.

This week we talked about what is puberty. This was something that wasn't discussed growing up for Andre. For Stefanie it was different. She did have the puberty talk. We wanted to ask the kids if they knew what it was since they already started taking Sex Education class in school. We wanted to highlight the facts and also talked about movies that talk about it such as Disney's Turning Red and Inside Out. Perfect examples of how kids deal with puberty but in a Disney way. 

The Men's Panel is a safe space to talk about all topics with open minds and great conversation. This week our guests are all from the male species and the topic is Men's mental health and our own mental being. This is our close group of friends and their input is valued. This week guests are: Rolando Molina is the best brother, uncle, husband, and phenomenal photographer. Business owner and who I consider the voice of reason is the kindest person you ever get the pleasure of meeting.    Andrew Allen is a husband, father, model, and amazing photographer who is always willing to give the best advice and an open ear. As a business owner, he is one of the hardest-working individuals in his field.    Jesse Acevedo is a creative designer with the most unique perspective that is always willing to give a helping hand. Working with the top #networks and designs team, he is the most humble person you can ever work with.    Sammy Aguilar is an amazing young man with ambition and the biggest heart. With such wisdom at a young age, he is bound to do incredible things in his life.    Jayson Cordero is the life of the party. His personality is infectious and is always available to help. If you are lucky enough to know him then you already know the deal. Say less fam.  Special shoutout to Andres Molina, co-host, father, brother, husband, and jack of all trades.   This incredible circle of men open up and have a heartfelt conversation on the podcast.

This week's special guests are long-time friends Maya George and Marilyn Somoza on the Sit Downs with Stefanie segment on the podcast. We had a fantastic conversation about our education, mental health, and talking about some shows in between. Maya is an entrepreneur with over 15 years in Finance & International Business Management. As an advocate for diversity inclusion and equity Maya aims to transform spaces to create community. With her company https://www.ourblackpassports.net Maya has been able to travel the world and help others plan the trip of their dreams. She has even helped Marilyn my other special guest book a trip as well. She was also featured talking about wedding trends and future destinations https://www.travelagewest.com/.../Destination-Wedding... Also another great blog piece from Our Black Passports: https://www.ourblackpassports.net/.../imblackityblackblack Maya is currently studying for a doctorate of Education (EdD) in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Organizational Development. She holds a B.S. in Business Management & Finance and an M.S. in Global Business both from Brooklyn College. My second guest on the podcast is my long-time Marilyn Somoza. As a child of immigrants from El Salvador. she has a passion for traveling, reading fictional novels, and music. Being the voice of reason and solution she is the go-to person to listen and give the most honest and real opinion one is willing and ready to receive. As a native New Yorker, born and bred in Brooklyn as well as a die-hard Yankees and Giants fan. For my college sports Wolverines all the way, Go Blue! Marilyn has also obtained her B.A. from the University of Michigan in Sociology and her Master's from Michigan State University. I am super proud to call them my friends.

Monetta is the owner of Magnetic Mindset, a mindset and manifestation company.  At Magnetic Mindset, they use neurolinguistic programming including EFT and Hypnosis to help people overcome their limiting beliefs and reach their goals. Monetta and I go way back to the old dancing studio days and it was an absolute pleasure to get back into touch with her and catch up with life. You can check out Monetta's website and learn how she can help you with your mindset and manifestation. Website: https://www.magneticmindset.com

Table For Four Podcast is excited to start the week with our new segment: Sit Downs with Stefanie Introducing our special guest International Best Selling Author Sarah Dayan Mueller Sarah Dayan Mueller is a native of Brooklyn, New York. Aside from writing her next novel, Sarah enjoys playing piano, ukulele, photography, and traveling the world. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, son, and mother. Talking about her passion for writing and traveling along with balancing raising her young son and marriage. We also touch on the topic of Alzheimer's as it was something we shared in common. We both had a loved one who suffered from this disease. A touching conversation between two moms who are following their passions and raising families while doing it. We had a great conversation about her book,  "Home In A Hundred Places"  which you can purchase here: https://sarahdayanmueller.com/

In this weeks episode we talked to Power Couple Victoria (wedding planner) & Mike Music (DJ) on how to balance a business, Marriage & Family Life.  Victoria Lartey-Williams is the Owner, Lead Event Planner and Designer at Victorious Events NYC, a boutique event planning company specializing in producing unforgettable celebrations of love. Her amazing weddings have been featured in some of the top magazines and blogs in the country including The Knot, Brides, Essence, InStyle, New York Magazine Weddings, Manhattan Bride, Huffington Post, Grace Ormonde, Munaluchi Bride, Black Bride, and The B Collective. She has leveraged her experience working as a former Press Secretary in New York City government and politics to create a unique and effective planning style that allows her to prepare for and troubleshoot any situation. She has received the WeddingWire Couple's Choice Award consecutively for the past four years demonstrating excellence in quality, service, and professionalism. And most recently she was nominated for the "Best Wedding Planner" category at The B Collective Awards 2020. Not many words can sum up the powerhouse of talent that encompasses MikeMusic: musician, producer, but most importantly a deejay that transcends genres. He has attended some of the most prestigious institutions for musical training, including The Julliard School, to nurture his natural talent on the trumpet. “Music is my passion. I take listeners on a journey, whether it’s through my horn or through the speakers." “Not many people can say that they are as well-versed in so many genres and that is the key to what sets me apart." As a purveyor of eclectic beats and soul tapping sounds, he instinctively knows the perfect soundtrack for any celebration. To witness MikeMusic on the turntables is to take a ride through his mixed spectrum of musical influences. Check out Victoria's website for all your wedding planning needs: http://www.victoriouseventsnyc.com Check out Mike Musics website for all your DeeJay needs: http://www.iknowmikemusic.com

In this week's episode, we will continue the religion series. This is part 2 of the series. This week we introduce Jose & Maribel Trigueros. They are a close family unit that shares their thoughts and opinion on how important faith is essential to their lifestyle and upbringing. A married couple with two young children balancing a business, marriage & life. Their journey to faith is unique and interesting. We had the great opportunity to talk with our family and it was a really interesting & fun conversation about faith in general.  Jose and Andre didn't grow up differently. He is directly related to Andre and they both were inseparable growing up along with Andre's brother Rolando. From a young age, the three were introduced to the faith. Like any teenager growing up, they all had their reservations and questions. Ultimately they all steered away from the religion. Jose was traveling on a dark path. When life just brings nothing but downfall, he turned his life to GOD and he was reintroduced to the faith again. Now he is part of an amazing church that allows him to do charitable events and missionary retreats abroad. Maribel was 15 years old when she came to NY. She grew up in the Catholic Religion back in the Dominican Republic. While growing in NY, she felt an emptiness and she turned too other religions to find that void. She turned to Buddhism & attended a mosque for 6 months to become a Muslim. Later on, she met Jose and 6 months later they were married and they moved to Virginia. Now they have devoted their lives to Christianity. This is their story.

In this week's episode, we talk to special guest Sir Hall on the podcast. Sir Hall is a man truly gifted by God, but best known for his music over the years. As a recording artist, he boasts 7 albums, 6 singles, and 1 EP. He is a man whose heart runs after God. He is an entrepreneur that specializes in everything music, songwriting, and media production. As a motivational speaker, teacher, photographer, videographer, and content creator, Sir Hall is constantly reinventing himself to reach a multigenerational audience. His 20 years of media production experience landed him a New York Emmy nomination. Sir Hall, known to friends and family as Dellon Hall loves being a husband and a father to his 4 children and in his spare time, he enjoys living life to its fullest. Listen to his 7th Album called Dominion: https://open.spotify.com/album/2GVKVPsSBGLeg0gRoWoZtj?si=TEqle4XsR3GFypHizL7G0Q Follow his Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sirhall/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1305668969871191/?active_tab=about.

Hey guys, we are back in full effect. After a much needed break, were here to deliver more conversations and content. On this episode we talked about Stefan's update since his new diagnosis and our friends and family trip to Mexico in 2021. Enjoy. 

The month of November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. This is something dear to us since our little guy has been diagnosed with Epilepsy with onset seizures. This means they have no idea what is causing them. The day was May 29th, 2021, 3 days after he finished remote learning he started having seizures before he wakes up. Here we are in November, he's been in and out of the hospital. His last event was August 17th, 2021. This is all new to us. We're trying to bring awareness and recount our story of the last few months. between doctor visits, specialists and different overnight studies, we are glad to say he has not had one event since then. Check out our story.

One thing the Molina's love is Halloween. This is a day for us to dress up, go trick or treating, watch scary movies, etc. We talk about our favorite movies, candies and some of ghostly encounters we've had. Enjoy!

On this episode we bring back our friend Byron Lee. He recently became a U.S. citizen a few years ago. He has a unique outlook on what the mandates are and At Work Doctrines of the U.S..He has been studying different laws on how our nation works. We discuss the mask mandates being mandates by employers and talk about the laws that correspond to us and as employers as an entity. He has degree in Bio Chemistry and has an understanding on how and what the science is behind the vaccine. This was an interesting subject, great conversation at the table. Enjoy!

On the new season premiere of Table for Four, we discuss going back to class with the kids after being remote for the last 14 months. We couldn't wait to drop them off. Hope you enjoy this new season and we look forward to bringing more topics to discuss.

On our season finale of Table For Four: A Family Conversation, we have special guest Jason Pierre. We have known him for over a decade. In this episode we talked about following your dreams and pursuing your passion. His journey as a young writer began in N.Y.C. and landed him in L.A. where he became a writer, director & film producer of two successful short films, David at Daytime (2012) & Existential Donut (2018), which he has won awards at different film festivals. He is currently working on a new short film called "The Stew". Among his many talents as an artist and a writer, his ingenuity for story telling has given him the foundation to succeed in Hollywood and in life. Its an amazing story you don't want to miss.

On this episode of Table For Four, we speak to Danny Aguilar. He is a bartender & manager at one of Staten Island's best Mexican restaurants. We talked about saving for a rainy day and essential during these times. We're trying to instill good saving habits to the kids and the importance of saving. We talked about our struggles with money at an early age and for them to learn from our mistakes and becoming more financially independent and responsible. Danny is a great example of the younger generation trying to become more financially in tune with current practices & trends such crypto currency. No one here is an expert, we're all here to learn from one another and learning how to save for a rainy day.

The month of May is also Stroke Awareness Month. In this episode we talk about awareness and our personal experience with a stroke survivor in our family. Her name is Consuelo, 68 yrs old. She just had her first stroke on April 18th, 2021. Although it was a mild case. Luckily Stefanie was home to react quickly and recognize the early warning signs of a stroke. This is our account from that day and how she is going to make a full recovery. 

The month of May is Mental Health Awareness. This week we talked to Michelle Alexis about Mental Health. She found a way to get help struggling with anger as a child and a teen. She talks to us about how it helped her become a better individual. This is her story. Enjoy.

On this episode we talked to Stephanie Allen of The Maquillaje Maven on becoming a teen mom. The year was 2008. We have a newly elected president, Barack Obama. She was only 17, a senior in high school and pregnant. She talked to us about her experience from telling her parents to her emotional distress and realization of her actions. Though this time in her life was a difficult one, she was given the support of her family, which many young moms do not have. Talking about her first and second pregnancies, being resilient and finding her own path in life and motherhood. This is one episode you do not want to miss.

We had to bring back Ben Lau from Ben Lau Photography on his insight on Asian Hate. we talked about affirmative action on the community on how and why there are not many resources for the community, the Asian hate movement, and the model minority stigma. We had to pick his brain.

In this special episode we talk about what it is to be a mother. We spoke to one of our mothers about what it takes and the struggles of becoming a mom. Mother's are the matriarch of the family, the rock, the glue, just overall the best. This episode is dedicated to all the mother's out there. 

This week we talked about Discrimination. We invited Ben Lau from Ben Lau Photography & Byron Lee from the Essential Workers series. Ben discussed his up bringing as a 5th generation Chinese in NYC. Byron brings his experience distinguishing the various lifestyle's from being born and raised in Vancouver, Canada to moving to NYC. We touched based on what is discrimination, how we think it happens and how it effects us differently. We also just started to scratch the surface on Asian Hate. This will be a multiple part series talking to all different walks of life. enjoy.

This is our bonus episode on Vacation Talk. We talked with the kids about their best moments vacationing last year in 2020 and in 2021 pre and post covid. 

This episode we talked about our experience vacationing pre, during and post covid. We will recount our time in Feb 2020, when we went to Colorado a few weeks before everything shut down, traveling to Disney in Nov 2020 and our trip to Phoenix & Vegas (Mar. 2021). Join us on reliving these vacation moments.

This week we are taking a break from more serious topics and record another episode on our gamer series! We as a family love movies and video games. So why not talk about the video games movies that came out during our child hood that are nostalgic, cult classics, remakes and new releases. From Super Mario Bros., Tomb Raider, SIlent Hill, Mortal Kombat and many more. You're not going to want to miss this episode. GAME ON!

For the month of March we will we be talking to essential workers. They are the force that drives this city. From first responders, transportation workers, educators all the way to the restaurant industry. What a better way to showcase their stories then here at Table for Four. we spoke to Melissa, she is a Social Worker and certified care manager working with seniors and their families during times of transition. She is currently works as a Social Work Director in the Queens area in NYC overseeing day to day Social Service functions. She resides in Queens, NY but provide assistance to families in all of the five boroughs. This is her tale on what her experience has been during the COVID pandemic here in NYC.

For the month of March we will we be talking to essential workers. They are the force that drives this city. From first responders, transportation workers, educators all the way to the restaurant industry. We talked to our good friend Carla who is a Registered Nurse (RN) and she will tell us her story and how she has dealt with the pandemic first hand all the way leading up to her decision on the vaccine.

For the month of March we will we be talking to essential workers. They are the force that drives New York City. From first responders, transportation workers, educators all the way to the restaurant industry. We talked to our good friend Byron, a coworker of Andre. He hails from up north to pursue a career of acting in NYC. Somehow he met Andre. He has a BS in Bio Chemistry and a BA in Psychology. What a better person than to talk with him about his battle with the pandemic first hand and being one of the first groups to get the vaccine.

For the month of March we will we be talking to essential workers. They are the force that drives this city. From first responders, transportation workers, educators all the way to the restaurant industry. We talked to our good friend Ansar who is a Registered Nurse (RN) and he will tell us his story and how he has dealt with the pandemic first hand all the way leading up to his decision on the vaccine.

We honestly can't believe it but it's been one year since the COVID pandemic entered our worlds and sent us into quarantine. It has affected billions of people around the world in all kinds of ways and in this week's episode of Table for Four, we will be looking back at the past year with our close group of friends (family!), affectionately called -The OG Squad. From being essential workers to moving during a pandemic to maintaining a small business, we have 8 different perspectives on what has been one of the hardest years of our lives.

This week we are circling back to a topic that we kicked off our podcast with: Remote Learning. On our first episode, we spoke about our own personal experience as parents and students and the struggles we have been dealing with learning throughout a pandemic. We knew it would not be fair to not have the same conversation with the most important people that are in our student's lives- teachers. This week we will be talking with Jessica Martinez to hear her story and her journey through remote learning as an educator.

This is the second part of GAMER 101 episode. In this episode we talked about the evolution of console gaming and how the whole multiplayer gaming came to be all the way to next gen gaming and online gaming and our experiences growing up with video games.

In this episode we talked about the evolution of video games and how it evolved to what it is today. From being introduced at the world fair in 1940 to arcades and how gaming consoles came to be. This will be a multiple part series and we will be sharing our fond experiences of gaming and being a family of gamers. Join us and press start to listen.

In this episode we talk to Teresa Cuevas. She is the Director of the IndoRican Multicultural Dance Project in NYC. She will paint a picture on how the culture in Puerto Rico began to our kids. My brother Ro and his wife Jenn talked about their findings in Ancestry DNA and how it helps identify us and create our own Identities. Andre talks about the culture in El Salvador.

In this episode we talked about suicide and cyberbullying. These two topics coincide with each other. We brought in our long time family friend Jesse Acevedo to talk about his experience and powerful message on losing somebody to suicide. We wanted our kids to hear his story on how he overcame such a devastating loss. His positive outlook gives hope on how to cope after a tragic loss

This week’s episode is focused on absent fathers. We all have a different views of what an absent father is. We discuss how our upbringing affected us by their absence and the people that helped shape us.