Emily Merrell  00:00

Hey, my name is Emily Merrell. I’m a taco loving people connector. And I’m obsessed with playing the name game, and all things networking. I’m the founder of secondary society, a female focused networking community, as well as a business coach for female business owners passionate about bringing their business to the next level with the help of events, community and connections. I crave deep conversations, and I’m continuously curious to see what makes people tick. And I’m invested in uncovering their stories with some life lessons along the way. This podcast is aimed to inspire and educate as you tackle your busy day to join the conversation and tune in for the second degree podcast. I’m your host, Emily Merrell. And today I am so thrilled to have my friend Jody clearest and Feld, who is the founder of flourish as our guest. Jody, welcome to the show. And hopefully I didn’t butcher your name too much.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  00:57

Thanks for having me, Emily. No, you said it absolutely perfectly. And I’m so happy to be here with you.

 

Emily Merrell  01:03

Oh, I love it. So, guys, a little context about Jodi and I, every conversation we have together, Jodi, it’s like we have been circling each other for years until we intercepted each other. It’s bizarre. So can I share some examples? Of course, one, she lives in the same building as one of my best friends. And her kids have interacted with one another. But they hadn’t connected. Another you had worked at the office at the same company my stepfather worked at, which is just wild to be able to reference things. And then I feel like your relationship with Florida and my relationship with Florida. It’s just It’s bizarre. Yes,

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  01:47

I feel like I’ve said this to you before I feel like we are related somehow or something. And because there’s just so many intersections of our lives together.

 

Emily Merrell  01:58

I know I’m waiting for my ancestry.com to be like you’ve got a new second cousin.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  02:08

Do you know there was a time where I think I mentioned the story to you. But I was on the dance floor at like crappy apartment, house party in college. And I met a girl named Emily and we were playing the like, Oh, you’re from Michigan game, some sort of game. And then we found out that we were second cousins. That’s crazy. Yeah, I was like,

 

Emily Merrell  02:31

I called my dad and he’s like, Oh my God, whatever the guy’s name was kid. So and so’s kid. Oh yeah. I didn’t know she went to your college. So how am I for me? It just again every at every corner it just shows you how small the world is. Which is why I love the name of your sixth degree is a when you really it really does come down to that. Kevin Bacon must somehow love that in a way.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  03:00

I always wonder like, how did Kevin Bacon become the person like the nucleus of six degrees? Not a clue. Yeah, like it was the first person why I would say like Tom Hanks could probably it could be six degrees of Tom Hanks to that or maybe like Tom Cruise. People who have been in I’ll say industry circles for a long time and have have a wide I’ll say wingspan or footprint right across different markets. So yeah, I have no idea how that came about, actually. Probably

 

Emily Merrell  03:35

because he was so footloose and fancy free. Yes. Exactly.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  03:38

Which was great movie and the music also. Fantastic.

 

Emily Merrell  03:43

I know really is a good one. So Jodie, tell me about flourish, what is flourish and how did you end up creating this platform?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  03:53

Well flourish is a platform designed to help educate, empower and support preemie and NICU families on their journey while they’re in the NICU and for the years beyond. After they get home from the NICU. It’s truly a passion project of mine because I am a preemie mom. My daughter was born at 20 weeks and four days and I during the course of my husband’s and I 77 day journey while she was in the NICU, we just felt lost and confused and alone. Scared overwhelmed. You named it. We also felt like great joy and celebration. But you know, it was more of a roller coaster and we thought we were going insane for our just mood swings and what was going on. And I realized that there wasn’t anything out there for parents like us where I could Go to talk to someone and hear a story or hear about somebody else’s journey that has gone through a similar road than ourselves. And knowing that over 350,000 babies are born premature every year in this country. I figured, well, why isn’t there such a place, and there’s got to be a lot of parents that feel exactly like my husband and I. So I knew I wanted to do something with respect to preemie and NICU parents, I really wasn’t sure what that was. And I also knew when I was right in it, and right out of it, I couldn’t guess I had to first be able to process my own experience before being able to help others. But I knew. And I really still feel this every day that my daughter was born this way so that I could help others and not feel so alone and so unsupported. And

 

Emily Merrell  06:10

what a, I think there’s two types of people in this world. And there’s the ones that will take this experience, and that you probably wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. But it’ll be forever. Like, Woe to me, Woe to me. And then there’s the person who takes the experience and says, How can I help other people? Not be Woe to me? And how can I help them? live their lives more vibrantly faster, and with support and joy in navigating the NICU parenthood? Well, I

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  06:40

think, right, you said to people, to different people in life, I think it’s easy to play the victim of something. And it takes a whole separate set of strength to overcome that and resiliency, not only to overcome it, but to turn it into something positive. And, you know, I feel so fortunate for our journey, we live in a time and a place where there’s wonderful medical help and tons of resources out there. Plus, I truly believe someone was watching over us that day, and my OB is like, the best person in the whole world. And I truly believe that giving back, I always say thank you to the people who helped save our lives. And that’s how I choose to look at it. I’ve always been a glass half full kind of person, an optimist, and, yes, I’m the I would not be telling the truth. If I said that I didn’t have my days and my moments and occasions where I keep saying why is this happening? Or what did I do to cause this to my daughter, I wouldn’t be speaking the truth. But at the same time, it’s helped me appreciate so many other things in life, and so focus elsewhere. And that’s why I say that in the NICU, we also celebrated so many things, because each little thing meant so much and still does mean so much. I love that. And so you know, can you take us back to the day that you gave her like I think it’s it’s fascinating, and I had another individual I interviewed about her birth, but we so rarely talk about, we’re like, oh, I had complications, and it was the NICU Bada bing, bada, boom, keep going with your life. We don’t talk about specifics. But the more we can learn about these words, in these instances, we can empower ourselves and advocate for ourselves. So what happened at 28 weeks and four days that caused you to give birth? Well, I’ll say a backtrack a few days before that. My daughter was born on a Wednesday, so the Thursday before I had a 28 week appointment, even though it was right before 28 weeks. Because my husband was going to Europe. So everything was fine. over that weekend, and that was a Thursday. So over that weekend, I developed a bloody nose that I couldn’t stop for. I couldn’t stop it and or wouldn’t stop. And it kept saying to my husband, this is so strange. I probably just have to go to the doctor and get it cauterized or something my dad gets bad bloody noses maybe there’s something to that I said and also you know, I just I’m starting my third trimester heater is on and in New York City apartments do can be very, very dry. Yeah. And they say that your blood vessels stretch even more in the third trimester. So So I kind of chalked it up to that, not realizing that it was a sign of something else. And then about. So that was about Saturday. Then two days later on Monday, we went for our 3d sonogram. And the technician that and the doctor both said, your baby’s on the small side. We’d like to have you come back in a week, 10 days, but we’re gonna check with your doctor and we’ll figure something out. Well, okay, I left that appointment. My husband went to Europe. And when I got home, I noticed that my pee turned to orange now, which I don’t know if anyone’s ever had like urinary tract infection, I’ve taken medication. So that was my first thing. But I’m like, I don’t not taking any medication don’t have a urinary tract infection. I’m like, maybe I didn’t drink enough water. Yeah, I don’t know. And so again, thinking, Okay, I’m just gonna drink more water and not giving paying it any attention. And the next day on that Tuesday, I was seeing a friend. And I said to her, you know, I don’t feel like I can breathe. Now. I didn’t realize like, my stomach had become almost like as hard as a rock. And I said, so I’m like, I don’t even feel like I can eat. I don’t want to drink. I don’t know. And I go, and I just looked so swollen. Up to that point, I had gained about six and a half, seven pounds

 

Emily Merrell  11:39

through whole pregnancy. Yes.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  11:43

I never wore maternity clothes. And so I thought to myself, Well, again, maybe everyone says you’re supposed to gain like between 20 and 30 pounds. So catching up catching up to me, I guess, not knowing. And my mom came into town. on that Tuesday, we were going to see To Kill a Mockingbird. I was so excited. It was one of my best, like, most favorite books as a kid. And I had second row seats. And my mom took one look at me and told me I looked like a POS. Oh, my. She was right. It seemed me like 10 days prior in Florida. And she came up because we were gonna go and we’re going to pick up some furniture and all the fun stuff that you do, right before you have a child. And so And she’s like, we are not going to the show. And I’m like, No, we are not. And I fell asleep really early. The next morning, I started to see double. And that’s when I called my OB. And I went walked into his office at 1230. My mother and I walked into the hospital at one. My daughter was born at 316 Oh my,

 

Emily Merrell  13:01

what did he say to you in the in the office.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  13:04

So he he was really calm. But he took my blood pressure, which was insane. It was like 190 over 160 which is like stroke level. And then he took a look at my belly. And first he kept trying to push it but it was like really hard. And he said to me goes, you know, my sonogram machine isn’t working so well. I think we have to go to the hospital and get it checked out. And I said, What do you mean, it’s not working? Well, I can see a picture on the screen. And he’s like, Well, let’s call your mother into the office. Let’s just have a discussion. Because I think we need to go to the hospital and maybe not leave until the baby’s born. Did he deliver the baby? He did.

 

Emily Merrell  13:52

He was able to like leave his doctor’s office and take you in right then and there. Yeah.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  13:58

And actually, I will say I didn’t realize until about my daughter was maybe a year and a half old. I said to my mom, you know something strange. We walked into the hospital. I go, I didn’t have to check in. There was I didn’t wait for an elevator and it went straight up to the floor where we had to go. There was no one else with us. I don’t get it. And my mom’s like yes, because they knew you were coming. So was your doctor attached to the hospital? Yes. Okay. Yes. Okay. Yes. And his office was still is like 10 blocks so not far. So he said to my mom, so Linda, we’re going to go to the hospital and he was talking very methodically, very slowly as if to send my mother a message while talking about we’re going to go to the hospital and we are not going to leave until Jodie has this baby. So this is what I need. Do go outside get a get a cab or an Uber, I’ll have them, you know, at the front desk, and just tell the hospital, I’ll be right behind you in a few minutes. He’s like, I gotta call my wife. Oh my god. My mom was like, okay, but I was so out of it and actually so sick, I didn’t even realize the enormity of what was going on. And so we went up to the labor and delivery floor. And this was one of the few things like one of the last things I remember there was this neonatologist came to talk to us who I grew to love. But at the time, he said to me, he goes, so Jody, what exactly was your birth plan? You’re gonna have a baby early. And I looked at him and I said, Well, I’m supposed to take a birth class in two weeks, and I was going to tour the hospital. And my mom literally just like, put her arm on my shoulder. And she goes, I don’t know what kind of question that is, but not this. Oh, my God. And, and. And then the next thing I remember was seeing my OB in the LR and he’s like, Joanie, everything’s gonna be great. He’s like, we’re gonna just, you know, give you a little nod, and we’re gonna knock you out, put you under anesthesia, everything’s gonna be great. We’re gonna take your baby girl out, and 123 It’ll all be good. And I’m like, Okay, were you were you fully under? Or were you like, I was, I was completely under. And I wonder why he made you completely under versus like, a lot of C sections. Because so the help syndrome part of all this, so I, they had to give me platelets while they were taking the baby. They didn’t know if I’d be able to have a normal C section, would I need a hysterectomy? They didn’t know a whole bunch of things. And because of all those other factors, they needed me to be completely out. And you didn’t know.

 

Emily Merrell  17:12

I mean, you didn’t really know any of this. went

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  17:16

under? No, I knew nothing of it, actually, until days after you didn’t even know you had help. No. Wow. I didn’t know I had preeclampsia either. I didn’t know any of it. And the My only I’ll say that My only knowledge of preeclampsia beforehand. Some sound really funny was like, Oh, I think Kim Kardashian had that with her kids. And that’s why she has surrogate for her other. But I didn’t understand anything about it. And I same thing with help syndrome, I had never heard of that. And that’s why I was also in the hospital for so long. I was in the hospital for 10 days, because they had to get all of my meat because my organs were shutting down. So they had to get, you know, all my platelets, and liver enzymes and Democrats, Democrat, all that stuff back to normal.

 

Emily Merrell  18:22

So you’re going in, you’re like, I don’t really understand why I’m giving birth early. I’m also kind of out of it, but okay, the doctor thinks it’s fine. Did he explain to you like you’ve preeclampsia at this point, or nothing? You know?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  18:36

Or how about this? Or if he did, I don’t remember. You know, I know that I was being taken into the bar. And he and my mom had like this whole discussion about about things and they had given me a shot in my belly to help with and thinking that maybe he thought maybe he’d get the night. And I would be able to deliver the next day. So but after literally, like 45 minutes, he said to my mom, because if I don’t take the baby down, I’m gonna lose them both. And if I have to make that decision of one or the other, who do I Who do I choose? Oh my god. And my mom, my mom said you could have picked her up off the floor.

 

Emily Merrell  19:30

All right. She’s just here to visit you and to take you to to kill them, you know, To Kill a Mockingbird and to go furnish your your neck nursery.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  19:39

Yeah, sorry. I’m

 

Emily Merrell  19:40

sorry that your neck your nursery and so then your husband is probably being clued in to all of this from your mom and losing his shit right now. So it there’s a six hour time difference in Paris. He was hosting a dinner.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  19:55

My mom called him a few times and I think it was like on the fourth or fifth lot phone call. He’s like, I think I have to take this is my mother in law and she keeps calling me. And my mom finally got to speak to him just as they gotta was born and he could hear her cry going down the hall to the NICU. Oh my god. So, so you’re in the hospital for 10 days, Jenner is 28 weeks and four days. So how small is that for people who aren’t as familiar with weeks? Um, well, you know, it varies. But you know, she was on the small side, she was two pounds and she was a little under 14 inches. I tell people she was almost the size of her Elmo doll. She was a little bit bigger than her favorite Elmo doll, which is crazy to even wrap my head around, or even crazier when I walk around the streets of Manhattan and I see infants in being strolled, I think to myself, Jenna was never that small. But clearly she was most definitely smaller. So and when she came home from the hospital, she was about five and a half pounds. That’s crazy.

 

Emily Merrell  21:09

That is very, very small. And Jody showed me her. Her preemie diapers the other day, and they were like, Baby Baby Doll diapers. So you know, you had no idea that that day would change your entire life that that doctor’s appointment with change the course of your future, you changed the course of your health, right, of course of your career changed the course of Jenna, all of the things, all of the things that that happened and the ripple effects that happened. And as you’re healing, and you’re also take care of taking care of your daughter, what was the if you were to give advice to someone who’s in the same exact boat you were in? What’s something you wish you had heard?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  21:51

I wish I had heard from somebody who was not necessarily a doctor, or a nurse, but someone who had been through it. So more like a peer or a friend to say to me, You know what, this is really hard. And it’s going to take some time, but it’s going to be so rewarding. And you are going to love being a mom, you just have to trust me. And let nature take its course and give it time. Was it when you

 

Emily Merrell  22:26

say that advice to yourself? You know, you have this to pound baby? Do you feel like you didn’t feel like a mom right out of the gate?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  22:35

I definitely didn’t. I know that I I feel like I didn’t ask for her in those first couple of days, I didn’t meet her. I was on magnesium. And one of the side effects potentially is hallucinating. And I was doing that. So obviously I wasn’t in the shape to go into the NICU and meet my daughter. So I don’t remember ever asking about her or wanting to see her. And that made me feel like an awful mom. That made me feel like I was also going to be a terrible mom. From then on in because my daughter somehow knew that I hadn’t met her yet. When that couldn’t be further from the truth and all the things that I have learned since that then about how your child knows you, especially when you do certain things like kangaroo care, because they know your heartbeat, or they know your voice. And they know your smell. But those things I did not know about I was more thinking that well, if I haven’t seen her she’s like, why isn’t my mommy coming to see me? No. And I thought that since I didn’t ask about her that I was definitely in some type of mental state or some type of depression and that I couldn’t be a good mom because obviously I wasn’t putting her needs first. So

 

Emily Merrell  24:14

in addition to healing your body, you’re having this whole spiral happening about like, I’m, I feel already I’m a terrible mom. And after up, she’s gonna know that she’s, she’s unloved. I’m not even feeling interested in meeting her.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  24:29

And I remember saying to my OB, it was like so she was worn on Wednesday, that Saturday morning and it was freezing in New York and I couldn’t believe he came in to the hospital to see me. I’m like, What are you doing here? And he goes, I came to check on my star patient. He goes and I’m not talking about you, right? And so I said to him, I go talk to him if there’s something wrong with me. And he’s like what? And I said I met Jenna Last night, I know, I was afraid to hold her. I didn’t feel strong enough to hold her. I said, but I don’t think I asked about her in those previous days. And I still don’t understand everything that’s happening and what is going on? And where do I go from here. And he’s like, hold the phone. He’s like, take a deep breath. He’s like, you’re a great mom, you’re a wonderful person. You don’t understand half the battle that you and I have been through over the past couple of days. And he’s like, give yourself a break. You’re a great mom. And when you hold her for the first time, you’ll feel that you’re her mom. And he was absolutely right. The minute I helped her later that day, and I remember thinking, this is how this is where she’s supposed to be. And this is where I am supposed to be. Even though all these crazy events had happened. I just knew she knew that I was her mother. And that I felt like I was her mother. Goodwill Barbie, I’m gonna go cry.

 

Emily Merrell  26:18

But it’s, it’s, it’s interesting that you say that about like, not wanting to hold her not feeling that overwhelming emotion. And I think of my own pregnancy at 28 weeks, and like, you’re still getting used to being pregnant at 28 weeks, you’re still figuring out like, this, this thing? Is this for real? Like you’re still wrapping your brain around it. So you’re still in the like, I can’t believe I’m pregnant stage of life. And now you’re and to the point that you said earlier, like, Yeah, I’m supposed to take a birthing class, and I’m supposed to learn all these things. You missed this whole window, where you learn how to breastfeed or you learn you talk to a doula or you talk to you hear horror stories at all. Yeah, kind of like, jumped from your freshman year to your senior year really quickly in that one? Yes, yes. And without anyone telling me what to do? Yeah, so which is even scarier, because you’re responsible for a person. Yeah. And I even tell janitor this day go, you and I are both learning on the job. We’re learning as we go. And,

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  27:26

you know, I, I am. So again, so thankful for all the doctors and the nurses who gave our daughter so much love, and so much support and care, and to our OB who saved our lives. And, you know, it’s, I don’t think this is something that anyone ever thinks of when they are pregnant unless it has happened to them before, or maybe a family member or close, close friend. Or if you’re in a high risk category, like multiples or things like that. And even at that, I still don’t think anyone can prepare you for the fact that your baby is whisked away, down to the NICU. And you have to ask permission to hold your child or you’re afraid to hold your child because of all the apparatus totally that is around them. And worried that if you move in a certain way, everything’s going to hold them up. Yeah. Totally. I think that makes that makes so much sense. And then you’re also sleep deprived. And you have to go back and forth to the hospital and 77 days of like, Am I allowed to live life outside of the hospital or my bad parent or my not by the bedside? So I imagine the the psychological trauma was just as as grand as the physical trauma that you went through. Yeah, I mean, and for me, too, because I had such high blood pressure. And yes, I was on this medication. If the temperature dropped, I forget what it was below a certain temperature, I wasn’t allowed outside. So I couldn’t even get into a cab to go outside to take to get in front of the hospital, because they didn’t want your heart pumps and works that much harder when it’s cold out. And they didn’t want that. And so there were a few days I couldn’t go to the hospital and I remember crying to my husband saying the doctors and nurses are gonna think I’m the worst mom because I’m not showing up today. Like how can I not show up? My baby’s fighting for their for her life. I should be there. And but again, right, all those they’re irrational fears. They’re rational in the moment because you just don’t know any different. And that goes back to the piece of I wish I had someone to tell me that all these things were normal. And that while yes, irrational, they’re also rational, just sorry, given the given the extreme circumstance, yeah, that we’re in. So, I mean, I remember going for a manicure, my husband’s like, please do something for yourself. And my favorite part is always when they give you the hand massage, you know, when you get your hair dyed, and they wash your hair. So and I just felt so guilty that I was taking time for myself that I didn’t deserve, because, and feeling like How could my body have done this to my daughter? Oh, my gosh. So

 

Emily Merrell  30:48

yeah, that’s a lot. That’s a lot of there’s a lot to unpack. And it’s a lot to grapple with, while also now showing up in this role of mother that you’re up, you were not prepared for you at six more weeks to figure things out to learn more than six weeks, right? Wow. Well, weeks, your 12 more weeks to like learn in Google and finish the books. And every

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  31:11

day, no matter what I was feeling, I would check my emotions before it walked through the NICU door. I would always say to myself, This is not about you. This is about your daughter, and you are not going to exude fear or negative negativity towards her, you are not going to let her feel that you’re so scared. Because I truly believe in that energy. And I didn’t want her to feed off that I wanted her to feel loved and wanted and but all the while I would have those thoughts when I’d be looking at her when I’d be doing skin to skin like you’re still supposed to be in my belly. Yeah. This is crazy. I still don’t understand you’re still supposed to be inside. In the week before one of my friends it’s me. Nope. You still don’t look pregnant. I wouldn’t give my seat up up on the bus for you. Because you look like you had like an extra cheeseburger. So

 

Emily Merrell  32:12

that’s hilarious. And you’re like, Yeah, that must be weird to like, watch this baby that was still supposed to be growing and developing and nurtured being nurtured by your placenta to be like, nurtured by apparatuses instead or by bottles and formula or breast milk. All the things that yeah, that what uh, yeah,

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  32:36

I never knew there was donor milk, actually. But she got so wonder milk at first because I when I was on the magnesium, I couldn’t get one.

 

Emily Merrell  32:47

Yeah, like all these things that you don’t know, which is again, why it’s so impressive that you’ve built flourish and that you were committed to helping moms who were you not have these, these dark days of spiral know that they could go get a hand massage and a manicure and like do deserve it because it’s a long road ahead and have kind of like a map to help navigate. So knowing everything you know, now how can people find out more about you and engage with you in the best way? The

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  33:20

best way is probably if you go to my website or email me or Instagram social media. So our website is www.flourish.com and it’s flrish.com or email me hello@flourish.com Instagram add flourish all all the the social medias are at flourish, FL R I S H and I named it flourish because whenever I would talk about general growing and developing, I use the word flourish. I’d say she’s flourishing, she’s growing and and we’re all always flourishing and growing every day of our lives. And so it represents so many different things in that one word.

 

Emily Merrell  34:09

I love the name and I love the tie back. And it’s funny talking to you about this one of my best friends from childhood. I need to text her afterwards because I need to know how how preemie she was but I always remember the story of her being born a preemie. And she was she her birthday was one year before my like it basically six months before my birthday. So she was held back. And so she was in my grade even though she was 21. Before we were 21. And I like what Oh, cool. You’re referring me no big deal. Like you don’t I didn’t think about it. But then thinking probably in the moment, you know, her parents decisions about schooling like should I keep her back here? So she’s not the tiniest one or in that year, even though she’s the same age.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  34:55

Yeah, yeah. And Jen is actually we’ve kind of almost had benefit in some respects, because of when she was born. So she was supposed to be born in April, but she was born in January. So she’s one of the oldest. And as a result, she’s gotten the services. We had a whole extra eight months of early intervention after she turned three, because of her birthday.

 

Emily Merrell  35:25

Yeah, things again, you don’t know until you know. And you need someone like Jodi to help navigate that. So Jodi, I love wrapping up our episodes with six fast questions. Learn a little bit more about you as as a person. So my first question for you is to tell us an unknown fun fact.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  35:50

I actually was just in a group discussion the other day, and someone asked me that. And I said, fun fact about me is that I used to play competitive tennis. So much so that I was sponsored for clothes and rackets and I was invited to go to this famous person’s tennis academy to

 

Emily Merrell  36:10

live. I love that and I want to see videos of this. See if you have to send me links later. Who would be a dream person

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  36:19

to be connected with? Oh, gosh, so many people, I would love to be connected with that, I guess, as it relates to flourish. I would have to say maybe right now, just Priyanka Chopra, Jonas, just our daughters are both born in January, had similar length Nikki stays. And I feel like she’s a badass and is living her life and doing everything for her child. So Oh,

 

Emily Merrell  36:52

I love that one. That’s the first time I’ve gotten that one. That’s a great one. Um, What show are you currently watching?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  37:00

I am currently watching. What did I just Oh, my favorite is Blue Bloods. It’s an oldie but goodie. And my husband a couple of months ago, bumped into Tom Selleck on the street and got a selfie with him. And he said to him, he goes, I just want you to know you’re my wife. secret crush.

 

Emily Merrell  37:21

I love that. After this episode, I’ll tell you a story about Blue Bloods. What book are you reading?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  37:27

Right now? I’m reading a totally dumb Chiclet kind of book at Danielle Steel book just because I work so hard. And sometimes at the end of the day, I just want to escape and not have to read anything that’s sort of difficult. 1,000% agree with you?

 

Emily Merrell  37:48

What is your favorite emoji?

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  37:52

I have to this the smile with the red cheeks because that’s so much like me. And then the smile with the little red hearts around it because I’m always I’m such an affectionate, emotional kind of person. And I’m always giving people kisses and even Genesis to me money. That’s enough kisses like Jenna. There’s never enough kisses that I can give you.

 

Emily Merrell  38:18

Like, you drop me off two blocks away, mom. Yeah. I love it. And my final question for you, Jody is Who gave you permission or inspired you to do the thing you wanted to do with your life.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  38:32

I would say with respect to this, I’d have to say my grandmother even though she was extremely tough and extremely critical of me. Her strength and resilience and fortitude are traits to be admired. And I have always said if I could be half of strongest she is half as resilient as she is and determined then I’ll be okay. Oh, I love that.

 

Emily Merrell  39:02

That’s a beautiful answer. Oh, god, thank you so much for joining us today on the six degrees.

 

Jodi Klaristenfeld  39:07

Thanks so much for having me. Great time you

 

Emily Merrell  39:11

too and telling your story and clearly I need to make these like hour long episodes because there’s so much more of the story, folks. So check out Jody’s incredible work that she’s doing. She’s been written up and featured in some incredible press recently. So follow her on Instagram and for our listeners. Thank you for joining in and we will see you the next time have a wonderful day.