He Crossed Oceans for a Better Life. But His Greatest Gift Was Making His Mother's Dream Come True.

1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.490 [Instrumental music] 2 00:00:03.510 --> 00:00:08.170 <v Kevin Lowe>What if the people in your life are carrying dreams that you've 3 00:00:08.190 --> 00:00:10.440 <v Kevin Lowe>never even thought to ask them about? 4 00:00:10.857 --> 00:00:14.617 <v Kevin Lowe>Today you're going to meet a guy named Jermaine Ee. 5 00:00:14.637 --> 00:00:19.037 <v Kevin Lowe>And he comes to us with, honestly, a story of two parts. 6 00:00:19.057 --> 00:00:24.557 <v Kevin Lowe>The first part is his own story, his own personal story, 7 00:00:24.577 --> 00:00:30.097 <v Kevin Lowe>which really kicks off when he was just a teenager, moving 8 00:00:30.117 --> 00:00:35.757 <v Kevin Lowe>halfway across the world to America, and yet being 9 00:00:35.777 --> 00:00:41.417 <v Kevin Lowe>met with struggle, both in just making friends and 10 00:00:41.437 --> 00:00:46.158 <v Kevin Lowe>also in catching up with his studies, with his schoolwork. 11 00:00:46.178 --> 00:00:51.133 <v Kevin Lowe>He was being told that he may not graduate. 12 00:00:51.968 --> 00:00:57.918 <v Kevin Lowe>Now, what may seem like a story of overcoming the odds 13 00:00:58.608 --> 00:01:04.168 <v Kevin Lowe>will in fact take a heartwarming twist because soon, all of a 14 00:01:04.188 --> 00:01:08.528 <v Kevin Lowe>sudden, our conversation switches and we start to 15 00:01:08.548 --> 00:01:13.848 <v Kevin Lowe>discover the story about a son and his mother in a dream 16 00:01:13.868 --> 00:01:19.348 <v Kevin Lowe>that his mother had and a son's desire to make that dream 17 00:01:19.368 --> 00:01:24.930 <v Kevin Lowe>become true today's conversation is one that I won't soon 18 00:01:24.950 --> 00:01:30.090 <v Kevin Lowe>forget and I have to say I think the same will be 19 00:01:30.110 --> 00:01:35.990 <v Kevin Lowe>true for you as well because this is truly a heartwarming 20 00:01:36.010 --> 00:01:41.730 <v Kevin Lowe>story about a son and his mother in a dream 21 00:01:41.750 --> 00:01:47.625 <v Kevin Lowe>that he got to help her live out. Now at the end of today's 22 00:01:47.645 --> 00:01:53.485 <v Kevin Lowe>episode, I did go ahead and take creative inspiration with the 23 00:01:53.505 --> 00:01:58.965 <v Kevin Lowe>story about Jermaine and his mom and through my music 24 00:01:58.985 --> 00:02:03.845 <v Kevin Lowe>production agency, K-Lowe Music, which is part of Lowe Down 25 00:02:03.865 --> 00:02:09.915 <v Kevin Lowe>Media, I turned it into a song called, I'm Living in My Dream. 26 00:02:10.305 --> 00:02:14.045 <v Kevin Lowe>I've placed that song at the end of today's episode just to be 27 00:02:14.065 --> 00:02:19.005 <v Kevin Lowe>there as a little extra bonus for you to get to hear another 28 00:02:19.025 --> 00:02:23.135 <v Kevin Lowe>aspect of this story presented in music. 29 00:02:23.625 --> 00:02:28.945 <v Kevin Lowe>So my friend, my hope is that today you come ready to 30 00:02:28.965 --> 00:02:34.465 <v Kevin Lowe>just hear a story that will inspire you, that will warm your 31 00:02:34.485 --> 00:02:39.492 <v Kevin Lowe>heart and hopefully leave you better than when you came. 32 00:02:39.512 --> 00:02:45.282 <v Kevin Lowe>My name is Kevin Lowe and this is episode 470 of 33 00:02:45.302 --> 00:02:50.202 <v Kevin Lowe>Grit, Grace and Inspiration. Here is my interview with 34 00:02:50.222 --> 00:02:51.732 <v Kevin Lowe>Jermaine Ee. 35 00:02:51.782 --> 00:02:54.180 [Music] 36 00:02:54.435 --> 00:03:00.295 <v Kevin Lowe>So you were born in Los Angeles, and then your parents decide to 37 00:03:00.315 --> 00:03:05.425 <v Kevin Lowe>move to Malaysia. What prompted that decision? 38 00:03:06.285 --> 00:03:11.325 <v Jermaine Ee>For them, was it just about, you know, life is, well, there's 39 00:03:11.345 --> 00:03:13.975 <v Jermaine Ee>opportunities and then there's family. 40 00:03:15.065 --> 00:03:18.345 <v Jermaine Ee>Opportunities, there are a bunch in LA, a bunch in Malaysia. 41 00:03:18.365 --> 00:03:21.235 <v Jermaine Ee>Malaysia was a growing economy in the 90s. 42 00:03:21.705 --> 00:03:24.605 <v Jermaine Ee>And so they were probably thinking, you know what, it's a 43 00:03:24.625 --> 00:03:27.295 <v Jermaine Ee>two-four, right? We go and hang out with our family. 44 00:03:27.805 --> 00:03:30.945 <v Jermaine Ee>They've been gone for so long studying in the US and before 45 00:03:30.965 --> 00:03:32.985 <v Jermaine Ee>that, my dad in Canada and my mom in Taiwan. 46 00:03:33.005 --> 00:03:37.125 <v Jermaine Ee>And so one thing led to another they packed up their bags and 47 00:03:37.145 --> 00:03:39.095 <v Jermaine Ee>moved their entire life back there. 48 00:03:39.735 --> 00:03:45.325 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. Wow. Now, how long had your parents lived in America? 49 00:03:47.275 --> 00:03:52.605 <v Jermaine Ee>I think they they were in the US probably for 10 or 12 years. 50 00:03:53.575 --> 00:03:57.235 <v Jermaine Ee>Well my math is that they did their undergrad, they worked a 51 00:03:57.255 --> 00:04:00.295 <v Jermaine Ee>little bit, they did their MBA, and then they worked a little 52 00:04:00.315 --> 00:04:05.095 <v Jermaine Ee>bit, they had me, and then they left. So I want to say 12 to 15 53 00:04:05.115 --> 00:04:06.085 <v Jermaine Ee>years then. 54 00:04:06.105 --> 00:04:12.195 <v Kevin Lowe>Okay. Okay. Okay. Wow. So, how was that, I guess, 55 00:04:12.225 --> 00:04:16.785 <v Kevin Lowe>transition for them, which I mean, I would assume would be 56 00:04:16.805 --> 00:04:19.885 <v Kevin Lowe>something that you would learn later in life, but like, how was 57 00:04:19.905 --> 00:04:25.385 <v Kevin Lowe>it them going back to Malaysia to live for all of that time 58 00:04:25.405 --> 00:04:27.535 <v Kevin Lowe>after being away for so long? 59 00:04:29.050 --> 00:04:34.870 <v Jermaine Ee>I don't know exactly how they felt. But from what I 60 00:04:34.890 --> 00:04:39.370 <v Jermaine Ee>can pick up in conversations later on, it was definitely a 61 00:04:39.390 --> 00:04:42.520 <v Jermaine Ee>mixture of, are we doing the right thing? 62 00:04:42.830 --> 00:04:46.760 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, we work so hard to get to the Promised Land, the US, 63 00:04:47.170 --> 00:04:50.620 <v Jermaine Ee>and are we crazy for giving up everything and moving back? 64 00:04:50.970 --> 00:04:54.390 <v Jermaine Ee>Right? I'm sure that's lingered. And sometimes as we as we're 65 00:04:54.410 --> 00:04:57.170 <v Jermaine Ee>older now, we still talk about it, You know, how would life be 66 00:04:57.190 --> 00:04:59.750 <v Jermaine Ee>different if we just stayed in the U.S. 67 00:04:59.770 --> 00:05:02.720 <v Jermaine Ee>Because the 90s were fairly consequential. 68 00:05:02.930 --> 00:05:06.430 <v Jermaine Ee>I mean, the late 90s, there was a currency crisis and then 69 00:05:06.450 --> 00:05:09.930 <v Jermaine Ee>there's a dot com boom. But if we just stuck it through, where 70 00:05:09.950 --> 00:05:14.450 <v Jermaine Ee>would our family be as a unit? So, you know, there's a lot of 71 00:05:14.470 --> 00:05:17.770 <v Jermaine Ee>what ifs. But I think one thing that's really cool about the 72 00:05:17.790 --> 00:05:20.470 <v Jermaine Ee>combination of my parents is that they're just very 73 00:05:20.490 --> 00:05:24.230 <v Jermaine Ee>optimistic and they're very, very full of grit. 74 00:05:24.250 --> 00:05:28.840 <v Jermaine Ee>It had no pun intended with the podcast And it just keep going. 75 00:05:29.375 --> 00:05:35.295 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Wow, so at 14, you 76 00:05:35.315 --> 00:05:41.195 <v Kevin Lowe>guys moved back to America. How was that transition as a 77 00:05:41.215 --> 00:05:42.215 <v Kevin Lowe>teenager? 78 00:05:42.655 --> 00:05:46.065 <v Jermaine Ee>So I actually moved back alone when I was 15. 79 00:05:47.295 --> 00:05:52.315 <v Jermaine Ee>So my Parents stayed in Malaysia and the reason why they sent me 80 00:05:52.335 --> 00:05:56.515 <v Jermaine Ee>back to the US though is because I was getting too much trouble 81 00:05:56.535 --> 00:05:59.965 <v Jermaine Ee>at school. I was doing everything but school. 82 00:06:02.805 --> 00:06:05.605 <v Jermaine Ee>And so they thought, you know what, we're going to send this 83 00:06:05.625 --> 00:06:11.385 <v Jermaine Ee>child back to the US live next to my aunt with my aunt and 84 00:06:11.405 --> 00:06:15.245 <v Jermaine Ee>she'll be my guardian and send him back into school there and 85 00:06:15.265 --> 00:06:20.785 <v Jermaine Ee>see what happens. So when I came back to the US it was October of 86 00:06:20.805 --> 00:06:24.025 <v Jermaine Ee>my junior year of high school. I was actually 15 at that point 87 00:06:24.045 --> 00:06:29.525 <v Jermaine Ee>and by October social groups have been formed classes 88 00:06:29.545 --> 00:06:34.205 <v Jermaine Ee>have started for a few months and so I was the new kid like 89 00:06:34.225 --> 00:06:38.105 <v Jermaine Ee>literally the new kid that just arrived fresh off the boat from 90 00:06:38.125 --> 00:06:43.115 <v Jermaine Ee>Asia, I took a plane, fresh but off the boat, as they say, 91 00:06:43.745 --> 00:06:49.465 <v Jermaine Ee>and I struggled to make friends. I struggled to be 92 00:06:49.485 --> 00:06:53.765 <v Jermaine Ee>assimilated into this entire new world that I hadn't been a part 93 00:06:53.785 --> 00:06:55.515 <v Jermaine Ee>of for the longest time. 94 00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:02.300 <v Jermaine Ee>Yeah, so when I got back, you know the impression was that I 95 00:07:02.320 --> 00:07:06.080 <v Jermaine Ee>was coming home to this brand new beginning a whole new start 96 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:11.020 <v Jermaine Ee>a second chance and I was determined not to be a 97 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:15.100 <v Jermaine Ee>rebellious child I was determined to just study and get 98 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:19.000 <v Jermaine Ee>into a good university and do what I'm supposed to do and When 99 00:07:19.020 --> 00:07:24.120 <v Jermaine Ee>I arrived I had to take a placement test Now, if you're 100 00:07:24.140 --> 00:07:27.600 <v Jermaine Ee>listening in the U.S., you may not know this, but there's a 101 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:31.780 <v Jermaine Ee>whole other school system on the other side of the world that I 102 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:35.340 <v Jermaine Ee>studied, which is known as the IB in the U.S. 103 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:39.500 <v Jermaine Ee>It's basically the British school system, and a lot of 104 00:07:39.520 --> 00:07:42.400 <v Jermaine Ee>those things don't translate exactly into the public school 105 00:07:42.420 --> 00:07:47.400 <v Jermaine Ee>in the U.S. And so when I took my placement test, I was test so 106 00:07:47.420 --> 00:07:51.380 <v Jermaine Ee>poorly that I was taking informal geometry in junior 107 00:07:51.400 --> 00:07:57.040 <v Jermaine Ee>year, which means that I was taking seventh grade math when I 108 00:07:57.060 --> 00:07:59.410 <v Jermaine Ee>was in my 11th grade. 109 00:08:01.200 --> 00:08:06.280 <v Jermaine Ee>And so My counselor sent my parents and I down and candidly 110 00:08:06.300 --> 00:08:09.160 <v Jermaine Ee>said, I don't know if you're going to graduate high school in 111 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:11.310 <v Jermaine Ee>time, let alone go to college. 112 00:08:12.820 --> 00:08:16.820 <v Jermaine Ee>And so coming in with all the hopes of a brand new start, this 113 00:08:16.840 --> 00:08:19.880 <v Jermaine Ee>is my new beginning, I'm gonna actually start putting in a work 114 00:08:19.900 --> 00:08:24.040 <v Jermaine Ee>now and then I was met with the reality of an authority figure 115 00:08:24.060 --> 00:08:28.730 <v Jermaine Ee>telling me maybe you're not gonna graduate high school and 116 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:34.460 <v Jermaine Ee>then to layer on to that I Look like a Korean pop star with my 117 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:38.300 <v Jermaine Ee>long bangs, you know, and this is this is 15 years ago Right 118 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:43.380 <v Jermaine Ee>Korean pop Star was not popular at the time and And so I was 119 00:08:43.400 --> 00:08:47.000 <v Jermaine Ee>bullied quite a bit you know, I remember walking around the 120 00:08:47.020 --> 00:08:50.200 <v Jermaine Ee>school cafeteria trying to avoid the big groups because I didn't 121 00:08:50.220 --> 00:08:52.190 <v Jermaine Ee>have friends. So I didn't know where to sit. 122 00:08:52.460 --> 00:08:56.200 <v Jermaine Ee>And I just went around the corner and just found a place. 123 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:58.620 <v Jermaine Ee>And actually, the hardest part was I didn't even know how 124 00:08:58.640 --> 00:09:01.520 <v Jermaine Ee>cafeteria worked. I didn't know the payment system. 125 00:09:01.540 --> 00:09:03.600 <v Jermaine Ee>I didn't know you're supposed to bring a plate and walk up to 126 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:07.160 <v Jermaine Ee>each stand to pick up an item. So it was definitely learning 127 00:09:07.180 --> 00:09:11.540 <v Jermaine Ee>curve. And, you know, But looking back at those times, I 128 00:09:11.560 --> 00:09:17.400 <v Jermaine Ee>think it was likely one of the lowest points of my life, and it 129 00:09:17.420 --> 00:09:18.650 <v Jermaine Ee>was a very dark place. 130 00:09:19.660 --> 00:09:23.480 <v Jermaine Ee>And yeah, look, it just gives me so much strength now to even 131 00:09:23.500 --> 00:09:26.250 <v Jermaine Ee>think back, to realize that I've been through that. 132 00:09:26.300 --> 00:09:29.400 <v Jermaine Ee>So when I meet someone who's going through that, I actually 133 00:09:29.420 --> 00:09:33.450 <v Jermaine Ee>can relate to this feeling of being at the bottom. 134 00:09:34.245 --> 00:09:39.385 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah, how did you get through that as a teenager? 135 00:09:39.405 --> 00:09:40.855 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. 136 00:09:40.900 --> 00:09:45.060 <v Jermaine Ee>It was a combination of things. So I ended up, well, the 137 00:09:45.080 --> 00:09:48.010 <v Jermaine Ee>counselor realized that I played piano as a child. 138 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:50.950 <v Jermaine Ee>I wasn't really good at it, but I played piano. 139 00:09:51.060 --> 00:09:56.020 <v Jermaine Ee>So she signed me up for jazz band in the morning, marching 140 00:09:56.040 --> 00:09:59.280 <v Jermaine Ee>band during the day, and eventually orchestra, basically 141 00:09:59.300 --> 00:10:02.820 <v Jermaine Ee>any way to get me out into the music world within the high 142 00:10:02.840 --> 00:10:06.000 <v Jermaine Ee>school. And that's where I found my first group of friends. 143 00:10:06.020 --> 00:10:09.780 <v Jermaine Ee>That's where I found a place where I can just sit and hang 144 00:10:09.800 --> 00:10:14.860 <v Jermaine Ee>out and not be concerned about the other things, the subjects 145 00:10:14.880 --> 00:10:18.060 <v Jermaine Ee>that I don't know and the lingos and the language that I didn't 146 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:24.000 <v Jermaine Ee>know. But through that came two years of just 147 00:10:24.020 --> 00:10:27.900 <v Jermaine Ee>going to school at 7 a .m. Or 6 .50 a .m. 148 00:10:27.920 --> 00:10:32.320 <v Jermaine Ee>For zero period and then staying past after school to do 149 00:10:32.340 --> 00:10:35.700 <v Jermaine Ee>additional classes and then going to community college on 150 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:39.760 <v Jermaine Ee>top of that, and two years of that got me to graduate high 151 00:10:39.780 --> 00:10:43.720 <v Jermaine Ee>school in time on schedule where the odds were stacked against 152 00:10:43.740 --> 00:10:48.240 <v Jermaine Ee>me. But it wasn't really one thing that broke through, it was 153 00:10:48.260 --> 00:10:52.920 <v Jermaine Ee>really waking up every day and believing that the next day will 154 00:10:52.940 --> 00:10:56.880 <v Jermaine Ee>be better and just keep going. And I don't want to make this 155 00:10:56.900 --> 00:11:00.090 <v Jermaine Ee>sound easy because it wasn't easy at the time. 156 00:11:01.260 --> 00:11:06.165 <v Jermaine Ee>And I think it was just this feeling of, do I go back to 157 00:11:06.185 --> 00:11:11.765 <v Jermaine Ee>Malaysia and admit defeat that I wasn't good enough to stay in 158 00:11:11.785 --> 00:11:15.685 <v Jermaine Ee>the US, which was an option, right? My parents, they gave me 159 00:11:15.705 --> 00:11:18.815 <v Jermaine Ee>an out, they said, hey, two months and they said, you know, 160 00:11:19.325 --> 00:11:23.885 <v Jermaine Ee>if you really can't do it in the US, we'll of course have you 161 00:11:23.905 --> 00:11:25.855 <v Jermaine Ee>home, like we'll bring you back to Malaysia. 162 00:11:26.365 --> 00:11:30.885 <v Jermaine Ee>But there was some part of me that believed a little bit more 163 00:11:30.905 --> 00:11:35.945 <v Jermaine Ee>every day that I'm going to make it. And of course, step by step, 164 00:11:35.965 --> 00:11:39.515 <v Jermaine Ee>I eventually found friends and everything turned out okay. 165 00:11:39.925 --> 00:11:42.505 <v Jermaine Ee>I still wasn't able to go to a four year university though, 166 00:11:42.525 --> 00:11:45.165 <v Jermaine Ee>because I lacked so many credits. So I went to a 167 00:11:45.185 --> 00:11:48.005 <v Jermaine Ee>community college, which actually was a blessing in my 168 00:11:48.025 --> 00:11:49.025 <v Jermaine Ee>life. 169 00:11:50.950 --> 00:11:55.230 <v Kevin Lowe>What do you mean when you say that the community college was a 170 00:11:55.250 --> 00:11:56.250 <v Kevin Lowe>blessing? 171 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:01.720 <v Jermaine Ee>Well, in hindsight now, when I look back at the journey of the 172 00:12:01.740 --> 00:12:04.950 <v Jermaine Ee>community college, You know, of course, when you're a teenager, 173 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:08.050 <v Jermaine Ee>your friends are all going to four-year universities. 174 00:12:08.160 --> 00:12:11.780 <v Jermaine Ee>That's what you think you got to do. And community college, at 175 00:12:11.800 --> 00:12:15.060 <v Jermaine Ee>least in my circles, would seem like the consolation prize, the 176 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:17.510 <v Jermaine Ee>one that people go to if they couldn't make it. 177 00:12:18.520 --> 00:12:20.990 <v Jermaine Ee>So it carried a lot of assumptions there. 178 00:12:21.400 --> 00:12:24.920 <v Jermaine Ee>But when I got in, I realized that community college was a 179 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:28.380 <v Jermaine Ee>place with a mixture of people from all walks of life. 180 00:12:28.400 --> 00:12:32.320 <v Jermaine Ee>Sure, there were a lot of folks like me who just graduated high 181 00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:35.700 <v Jermaine Ee>school. But my classmates were, I remember this guy, he was a 182 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.460 <v Jermaine Ee>bus driver for the city by day and he took classes with me at 183 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:43.600 <v Jermaine Ee>night. And these stories and life experiences that I've been 184 00:12:43.620 --> 00:12:48.300 <v Jermaine Ee>able to hear actually taught me more about life than anything 185 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:54.200 <v Jermaine Ee>else. And also it gave me a lot of humility in the process that 186 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:58.840 <v Jermaine Ee>I'm in to show me how long this game really is, you know, not 187 00:12:58.860 --> 00:13:00.470 <v Jermaine Ee>that we need everything immediately. 188 00:13:01.420 --> 00:13:05.660 <v Jermaine Ee>But the greatest gift the community college gave me was I 189 00:13:05.680 --> 00:13:09.050 <v Jermaine Ee>had applied for a student job when I was there. 190 00:13:09.780 --> 00:13:12.610 <v Jermaine Ee>And this job, it was called a President's Ambassador. 191 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.350 <v Jermaine Ee>This was in Pasadena City College. 192 00:13:15.400 --> 00:13:18.540 <v Jermaine Ee>And the job of the student ambassador was to go to the 193 00:13:18.560 --> 00:13:23.900 <v Jermaine Ee>locally underserved high school to conduct seminars to teach 194 00:13:23.920 --> 00:13:28.680 <v Jermaine Ee>them, the parents, how to apply for FAFSA, which is the Federal 195 00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:29.700 <v Jermaine Ee>Financial Aid. 196 00:13:30.640 --> 00:13:33.700 <v Jermaine Ee>So when I was a student there working this part-time job, I 197 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:37.620 <v Jermaine Ee>was able to go to more than 40 high schools in the local 198 00:13:37.640 --> 00:13:41.520 <v Jermaine Ee>community to conduct this workshop. So on the one hand, it 199 00:13:41.540 --> 00:13:45.100 <v Jermaine Ee>taught me public speaking, you know, prepped it me to train me 200 00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:49.150 <v Jermaine Ee>to interact with the public more. A little bit of improv, 201 00:13:49.340 --> 00:13:54.120 <v Jermaine Ee>really, to field questions, to talk to strangers that I haven't 202 00:13:54.140 --> 00:13:56.090 <v Jermaine Ee>met before to build up the confidence. 203 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:02.260 <v Jermaine Ee>But the greatest gift that it gave me was in South El Monte 204 00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:05.640 <v Jermaine Ee>High School, a neighborhood where it's primarily 205 00:14:05.660 --> 00:14:11.480 <v Jermaine Ee>Spanish-speaking. I conducted this seminar in English, and at 206 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:15.340 <v Jermaine Ee>the end of it, a woman, a mother, came up to me using 207 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:18.240 <v Jermaine Ee>Google Translate, and it wasn't that good at the time, this was 208 00:14:18.260 --> 00:14:19.570 <v Jermaine Ee>15 years ago. 209 00:14:20.860 --> 00:14:26.775 <v Jermaine Ee>And she showed me her phone and it said, with gratitude, thank 210 00:14:26.795 --> 00:14:29.385 <v Jermaine Ee>you for giving me this information. 211 00:14:30.675 --> 00:14:33.765 <v Jermaine Ee>And I, of course, say, you know, de nada, you're welcome. 212 00:14:34.015 --> 00:14:36.955 <v Jermaine Ee>And I asked her, like, how old is your son? 213 00:14:36.975 --> 00:14:40.985 <v Jermaine Ee>And she just told me that before this, she was just so nervous 214 00:14:41.005 --> 00:14:44.665 <v Jermaine Ee>that she wasn't able to pay for college. 215 00:14:45.635 --> 00:14:48.975 <v Jermaine Ee>And the workshop broke down the steps that she needed to take to 216 00:14:48.995 --> 00:14:53.515 <v Jermaine Ee>bring her son to the promised land, which for her was higher 217 00:14:53.535 --> 00:14:57.635 <v Jermaine Ee>education. And it was the first time in my life that I felt this 218 00:14:57.655 --> 00:15:03.355 <v Jermaine Ee>power in my voice, this ability to just use words to make a 219 00:15:03.375 --> 00:15:06.855 <v Jermaine Ee>difference in the world. And this theme has carried on all 220 00:15:06.875 --> 00:15:07.875 <v Jermaine Ee>through today. 221 00:15:08.810 --> 00:15:09.860 <v Kevin Lowe>Wow. 222 00:15:10.810 --> 00:15:16.430 <v Kevin Lowe>How powerful. How amazing is that? All from a 223 00:15:16.450 --> 00:15:21.320 <v Kevin Lowe>student job. Could leave that kind of impact on you. 224 00:15:21.390 --> 00:15:27.140 <v Kevin Lowe>That's pretty amazing. Now would you go on to go 225 00:15:27.160 --> 00:15:31.570 <v Kevin Lowe>to a university after the community's college or no? 226 00:15:32.530 --> 00:15:36.540 <v Jermaine Ee>Yeah, so I want you to picture this. I was 19 years old. 227 00:15:36.770 --> 00:15:41.110 <v Jermaine Ee>I was taking maximum credits at community college, which I 228 00:15:41.130 --> 00:15:43.190 <v Jermaine Ee>believe it was six classes at the time. 229 00:15:43.210 --> 00:15:46.340 <v Jermaine Ee>So it's a lot of classes. The average is four. 230 00:15:46.810 --> 00:15:52.050 <v Jermaine Ee>I was working two jobs. One the student job and I was working at 231 00:15:52.070 --> 00:15:54.710 <v Jermaine Ee>a toy company. Was It an internship. It was a paid 232 00:15:54.730 --> 00:16:00.650 <v Jermaine Ee>internship and I was running the largest honor society 233 00:16:00.670 --> 00:16:03.020 <v Jermaine Ee>with 800 members as president. 234 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:09.510 <v Jermaine Ee>I was an overachiever that had no time for myself and it was a 235 00:16:09.530 --> 00:16:12.990 <v Jermaine Ee>it was a crazy two years at the community college and I 236 00:16:13.010 --> 00:16:17.530 <v Jermaine Ee>eventually made it to my dream school USC University of 237 00:16:17.550 --> 00:16:18.560 <v Jermaine Ee>Southern California. 238 00:16:22.450 --> 00:16:28.290 <v Kevin Lowe>Wow, so now making it to your dream school, what 239 00:16:28.310 --> 00:16:32.380 <v Kevin Lowe>was the difference between that and community college? 240 00:16:33.345 --> 00:16:34.815 <v Jermaine Ee>Well, everything, 241 00:16:38.245 --> 00:16:41.905 <v Jermaine Ee>for one, I think the more important part about making it 242 00:16:41.925 --> 00:16:45.465 <v Jermaine Ee>to, I'm going to put it in air quotes, even though you can't 243 00:16:45.485 --> 00:16:50.665 <v Jermaine Ee>see the air quotes. My dream school is the meaning that I 244 00:16:50.685 --> 00:16:54.335 <v Jermaine Ee>have prescribed to this university, this destination. 245 00:16:55.785 --> 00:17:00.425 <v Jermaine Ee>All my life, I was told that I was a rebellious, I was a 246 00:17:00.445 --> 00:17:04.505 <v Jermaine Ee>problem child, kids and in my own neighborhood, their parents 247 00:17:04.525 --> 00:17:08.985 <v Jermaine Ee>told them to stay away from me because because I would ride my 248 00:17:09.005 --> 00:17:12.825 <v Jermaine Ee>bike too fast and fall in the sewers and you know come back 249 00:17:12.845 --> 00:17:16.135 <v Jermaine Ee>with a bloody knee and their parents didn't want that. 250 00:17:16.365 --> 00:17:21.315 <v Jermaine Ee>I get it. But you know it's like every time I got into trouble, 251 00:17:22.085 --> 00:17:25.945 <v Jermaine Ee>my mom would pick me up from school and she would always 252 00:17:25.965 --> 00:17:29.955 <v Jermaine Ee>reassure me that you are a smart child. 253 00:17:30.405 --> 00:17:33.315 <v Jermaine Ee>You just have to learn how to play by the rules. 254 00:17:34.325 --> 00:17:38.415 <v Jermaine Ee>So it's her kind way of saying don't get in trouble so badly. 255 00:17:39.045 --> 00:17:41.435 <v Jermaine Ee>Let's tone it down a little bit, right? 256 00:17:41.785 --> 00:17:46.575 <v Jermaine Ee>I But think for her and for me and for my dad, going to 257 00:17:46.595 --> 00:17:52.345 <v Jermaine Ee>a a societally recognized elite university meant that 258 00:17:52.365 --> 00:17:55.395 <v Jermaine Ee>I proved everybody wrong. 259 00:17:57.215 --> 00:18:02.895 <v Jermaine Ee>So it wasn't the university that gave me something, it was the 260 00:18:02.915 --> 00:18:07.395 <v Jermaine Ee>meaning behind all of it, what it meant to have gotten in and 261 00:18:07.415 --> 00:18:12.435 <v Jermaine Ee>to have graduated from, and the validation that maybe my parents 262 00:18:12.455 --> 00:18:14.085 <v Jermaine Ee>weren't crazy after all. 263 00:18:16.425 --> 00:18:21.145 <v Jermaine Ee>I And think this actually came to light even recently, which 264 00:18:21.165 --> 00:18:24.345 <v Jermaine Ee>is, you know, some, I remember one of my aunt telling my 265 00:18:24.365 --> 00:18:28.255 <v Jermaine Ee>parents, aren't you so glad that Jermaine didn't turn out. 266 00:18:28.465 --> 00:18:30.015 <v Jermaine Ee>I think the word was bad. 267 00:18:31.725 --> 00:18:35.625 <v Jermaine Ee>And my parents were like, we never thought he would turn out 268 00:18:35.645 --> 00:18:41.085 <v Jermaine Ee>bad. That never crossed our mind. So I think with 269 00:18:41.105 --> 00:18:46.785 <v Jermaine Ee>all of this meaning behind it, the moment I got into USC was 270 00:18:46.805 --> 00:18:50.125 <v Jermaine Ee>actually the happiest day of my life. I think to this day it 271 00:18:50.145 --> 00:18:56.315 <v Jermaine Ee>still is because Because it just meant more than me. 272 00:18:58.360 --> 00:19:01.740 <v Jermaine Ee>Now the actuality, the actual experience of being in 273 00:19:01.760 --> 00:19:06.120 <v Jermaine Ee>university, it was great. You know, I owe so much to having 274 00:19:06.140 --> 00:19:09.700 <v Jermaine Ee>been there and the friends that I've met and the places that it 275 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:15.120 <v Jermaine Ee>set me up to go. But I think just what I needed in that time 276 00:19:15.140 --> 00:19:19.620 <v Jermaine Ee>of my life, it was exactly, yeah, it was exactly what I 277 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:20.540 <v Jermaine Ee>needed. 278 00:19:20.560 --> 00:19:25.370 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. Wow. That's very amazing. 279 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:30.020 <v Kevin Lowe>So I guess what I'm curious about is what did you actually 280 00:19:30.040 --> 00:19:34.960 <v Kevin Lowe>like go to school for and the degree that you ended up 281 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:38.360 <v Kevin Lowe>graduating with was it actually a degree that you would then 282 00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:40.850 <v Kevin Lowe>utilize in your career? 283 00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:47.910 <v Jermaine Ee>Forgive me if this is light cussing but I didn't know what I 284 00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:52.330 <v Jermaine Ee>wanted to study so I had heard a quote somewhere that says money 285 00:19:52.350 --> 00:19:58.230 <v Jermaine Ee>talks and bullshit walks and So I thought I'm gonna go study 286 00:19:58.250 --> 00:20:04.020 <v Jermaine Ee>political science and business money talks And bullshit walks 287 00:20:05.290 --> 00:20:06.740 <v Jermaine Ee>so 288 00:20:08.010 --> 00:20:12.770 <v Jermaine Ee>that's honestly that's a little bit of how I chose my major and 289 00:20:12.790 --> 00:20:16.840 <v Jermaine Ee>And the answer is a very extended yes. 290 00:20:16.970 --> 00:20:19.530 <v Jermaine Ee>So I've worked in politics, I've done, I've had multiple 291 00:20:19.550 --> 00:20:23.770 <v Jermaine Ee>businesses and, you know, the way I look back now is I think 292 00:20:23.790 --> 00:20:26.390 <v Jermaine Ee>Steve Jobs said this at his Stanford commencement speech, 293 00:20:26.410 --> 00:20:29.810 <v Jermaine Ee>which is you can never connect the dots looking forward, right? 294 00:20:29.830 --> 00:20:32.180 <v Jermaine Ee>You can only connect the dots looking backward. 295 00:20:32.230 --> 00:20:35.310 <v Jermaine Ee>So you have to trust your gut that with every step that you 296 00:20:35.330 --> 00:20:39.600 <v Jermaine Ee>take, that things will somehow connect and work out at the end. 297 00:20:40.230 --> 00:20:45.210 <v Jermaine Ee>And when I chose this major, I had no idea that my career would 298 00:20:45.230 --> 00:20:50.490 <v Jermaine Ee>zigzag through these fields of toys to augmented reality 299 00:20:50.510 --> 00:20:55.650 <v Jermaine Ee>digital marketing, to political finance, to education tech, to 300 00:20:55.670 --> 00:21:00.070 <v Jermaine Ee>executive search, and eventually where I am now, which is I'm 301 00:21:00.090 --> 00:21:03.910 <v Jermaine Ee>running a logistics company that I started with my mom, as well 302 00:21:03.930 --> 00:21:07.630 <v Jermaine Ee>as I'm running HeirLight, which is a legal tech company that I 303 00:21:07.650 --> 00:21:12.670 <v Jermaine Ee>started. It. So, so I think the thesis was right, right? 304 00:21:12.690 --> 00:21:15.950 <v Jermaine Ee>The idea that everything in the world is intertwined with money 305 00:21:15.970 --> 00:21:18.500 <v Jermaine Ee>and power. I think that is still true today. 306 00:21:19.390 --> 00:21:25.050 <v Jermaine Ee>And yeah, more of my 20s were just spent really understanding 307 00:21:25.070 --> 00:21:30.080 <v Jermaine Ee>how the world works, both from a power and a money point of view. 308 00:21:30.450 --> 00:21:33.100 <v Jermaine Ee>And That's really how I see my career so far. 309 00:21:33.620 --> 00:21:35.670 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. Wow. Wow. 310 00:21:37.215 --> 00:21:43.075 <v Kevin Lowe>In this timeframe of, of doing all of these different 311 00:21:43.095 --> 00:21:44.095 <v Kevin Lowe>endeavors, 312 00:21:45.130 --> 00:21:49.740 <v Kevin Lowe>how was it for you in your personal life. 313 00:21:50.790 --> 00:21:54.640 <v Kevin Lowe>I guess I'm specifically kind of wondering, I mean, 314 00:21:55.650 --> 00:22:01.480 <v Kevin Lowe>at 15, you, you move to America, you live with, with family, 315 00:22:02.510 --> 00:22:06.630 <v Kevin Lowe>but still you're away from your parents, you go on to college 316 00:22:06.650 --> 00:22:12.330 <v Kevin Lowe>and stuff. How, how does just your own personal life 317 00:22:12.350 --> 00:22:17.570 <v Kevin Lowe>go? And I guess specifically related to relationship with 318 00:22:17.590 --> 00:22:20.160 <v Kevin Lowe>your parents during this time period. 319 00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:27.840 <v Jermaine Ee>My relationship with my parents have it's always been solid it 320 00:22:27.860 --> 00:22:32.780 <v Jermaine Ee>was you know we talked on at the time on Skype and then 321 00:22:32.800 --> 00:22:37.580 <v Jermaine Ee>eventually there's FaceTime and cheaper and freer ways to do a 322 00:22:37.600 --> 00:22:42.080 <v Jermaine Ee>video call we talked often you know in the beginning it felt 323 00:22:42.100 --> 00:22:47.080 <v Jermaine Ee>like I was living on this island and this island was LA and they 324 00:22:47.100 --> 00:22:49.200 <v Jermaine Ee>were living on a different island and the island was 325 00:22:49.220 --> 00:22:52.680 <v Jermaine Ee>Malaysia and for me to go see them I would just have to hop on 326 00:22:52.700 --> 00:22:56.520 <v Jermaine Ee>a plane. It was a long plane, right? It was a 21-hour plane, 327 00:22:56.540 --> 00:23:01.100 <v Jermaine Ee>right, in total. But it felt like it was an island, right? 328 00:23:01.120 --> 00:23:02.750 <v Jermaine Ee>My world was pretty small. 329 00:23:03.780 --> 00:23:08.020 <v Jermaine Ee>And it dawned on me that I remember standing on the street 330 00:23:08.040 --> 00:23:13.120 <v Jermaine Ee>corner once and realizing, wow, there's literally nowhere, no 331 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:15.710 <v Jermaine Ee>way for me to be in two places at once. 332 00:23:15.980 --> 00:23:20.660 <v Jermaine Ee>Like, my feet is right here. And my parents are in a totally 333 00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:24.100 <v Jermaine Ee>different time zone in a different part of the world that 334 00:23:24.120 --> 00:23:29.860 <v Jermaine Ee>so it felt like an island but as as things progress my 335 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:33.420 <v Jermaine Ee>parents eventually move back to the US as well along with my 336 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:37.400 <v Jermaine Ee>siblings and we were reunited a few years later I want to say 337 00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:41.980 <v Jermaine Ee>five years later and we spent a lot of time together you know 338 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:47.520 <v Jermaine Ee>there's this this running joke that But I did everything the 339 00:23:47.540 --> 00:23:50.990 <v Jermaine Ee>opposite, which is I left family at 15. 340 00:23:51.560 --> 00:23:55.000 <v Jermaine Ee>And then when I was 25, I was doing everything I can to stay 341 00:23:55.020 --> 00:23:58.880 <v Jermaine Ee>and live with my parents. I just wanted milk all the time that I 342 00:23:58.900 --> 00:24:01.790 <v Jermaine Ee>have with them and we do everything together. 343 00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:03.250 <v Jermaine Ee>We did everything together. 344 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:09.770 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah, wow. So at that point around 25, 345 00:24:10.600 --> 00:24:14.930 <v Kevin Lowe>what was happening in your life that led to that? 346 00:24:17.725 --> 00:24:21.025 <v Jermaine Ee>Honestly, back in those days, it was more on autopilot. 347 00:24:21.045 --> 00:24:25.805 <v Jermaine Ee>But I think a lot of the things that was consuming my attention 348 00:24:25.825 --> 00:24:31.245 <v Jermaine Ee>was just all the insecurities of men in their 20s, right? 349 00:24:31.265 --> 00:24:35.005 <v Jermaine Ee>I think like many, I believe that if I was successful, I'll 350 00:24:35.025 --> 00:24:39.675 <v Jermaine Ee>be loved. If I was successful, I'll be enough for the society. 351 00:24:40.305 --> 00:24:42.765 <v Jermaine Ee>At least the external admiration, that's what I was 352 00:24:42.785 --> 00:24:43.785 <v Jermaine Ee>chasing. 353 00:24:44.505 --> 00:24:48.365 <v Jermaine Ee>And all my 20s were really chasing what was exciting at the 354 00:24:48.385 --> 00:24:51.715 <v Jermaine Ee>time. So I've named a few, augmented reality. 355 00:24:51.745 --> 00:24:55.465 <v Jermaine Ee>That's when Snapchat came out. So I started a company to do 356 00:24:55.485 --> 00:24:56.485 <v Jermaine Ee>that. 357 00:24:57.425 --> 00:25:01.525 <v Jermaine Ee>And eventually, when I was 26 years old, it's right around the 358 00:25:01.545 --> 00:25:05.445 <v Jermaine Ee>time where we had a very consequential election in our 359 00:25:05.465 --> 00:25:09.625 <v Jermaine Ee>country. And we elected a president that I didn't 360 00:25:09.645 --> 00:25:14.905 <v Jermaine Ee>understand. And one day I was sitting in San Diego, having 361 00:25:14.925 --> 00:25:19.775 <v Jermaine Ee>breakfast with two friends, and they were both older than I am, 362 00:25:20.465 --> 00:25:23.185 <v Jermaine Ee>ones from the state of Washington and ones from the 363 00:25:23.205 --> 00:25:26.745 <v Jermaine Ee>state of Alabama, and politically, they couldn't be 364 00:25:26.765 --> 00:25:30.575 <v Jermaine Ee>further apart. But I knew them as people. 365 00:25:31.085 --> 00:25:34.125 <v Jermaine Ee>We do humanitarian stuff together. We do projects 366 00:25:34.145 --> 00:25:36.975 <v Jermaine Ee>together. I know where their values are. 367 00:25:37.465 --> 00:25:41.605 <v Jermaine Ee>And for some reason, these two friends could not get through to 368 00:25:41.625 --> 00:25:44.905 <v Jermaine Ee>each other in their conversation. There was a very 369 00:25:44.925 --> 00:25:49.105 <v Jermaine Ee>obvious lack of empathy in their ability to understand and see 370 00:25:49.125 --> 00:25:50.555 <v Jermaine Ee>each other's point of view. 371 00:25:51.625 --> 00:25:55.025 <v Jermaine Ee>And I mean, looking back now, there's also an obvious 372 00:25:55.045 --> 00:25:58.415 <v Jermaine Ee>misinformation from both sides of what they're consuming. 373 00:25:59.045 --> 00:26:02.835 <v Jermaine Ee>So I got very intrigued by the political landscape. 374 00:26:03.105 --> 00:26:06.225 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, again, back to my political science degree, I 375 00:26:06.245 --> 00:26:09.105 <v Jermaine Ee>thought to myself, I didn't want to I don't want to spend the 376 00:26:09.125 --> 00:26:12.465 <v Jermaine Ee>rest of the next few years selling augmented reality 377 00:26:12.485 --> 00:26:16.405 <v Jermaine Ee>filters on snapchat You know, I got it spent a little bit my 378 00:26:16.425 --> 00:26:21.745 <v Jermaine Ee>time doing something a bit more meaningful so I set out to cold 379 00:26:21.765 --> 00:26:26.805 <v Jermaine Ee>email a politician that I had come across His name was John 380 00:26:26.825 --> 00:26:29.705 <v Jermaine Ee>Chiang and he was the state treasurer of California at the 381 00:26:29.725 --> 00:26:34.305 <v Jermaine Ee>time And so I had cold emailed people on his campaign, his 382 00:26:34.325 --> 00:26:38.125 <v Jermaine Ee>political team, his treasurer team, his chief of staff, his 383 00:26:38.145 --> 00:26:41.645 <v Jermaine Ee>vice chief of staff, and probably a bunch of field 384 00:26:41.665 --> 00:26:45.585 <v Jermaine Ee>representatives. And one thing led to another, I got to work 385 00:26:45.605 --> 00:26:46.605 <v Jermaine Ee>for this man. 386 00:26:47.845 --> 00:26:51.835 <v Jermaine Ee>And I wanted to be close to him because of his story. 387 00:26:52.505 --> 00:26:56.085 <v Jermaine Ee>He's someone who's an Asian American immigrant, who started 388 00:26:56.105 --> 00:27:00.185 <v Jermaine Ee>off with humble beginnings, working at, I believe, those 389 00:27:00.205 --> 00:27:03.905 <v Jermaine Ee>restaurants and eventually making his way up to become the 390 00:27:03.925 --> 00:27:07.355 <v Jermaine Ee>treasurer of the then sixth largest economy in the world. 391 00:27:08.325 --> 00:27:12.285 <v Jermaine Ee>And I was just so intrigued by the people who have the belief 392 00:27:12.305 --> 00:27:17.545 <v Jermaine Ee>and the grit, you know, to pursue this path that seems so 393 00:27:17.565 --> 00:27:20.615 <v Jermaine Ee>unlikely. And so I got a job with him. 394 00:27:20.985 --> 00:27:26.345 <v Jermaine Ee>In the next two years that I spent with him was mostly Me 395 00:27:26.365 --> 00:27:29.085 <v Jermaine Ee>following him around the state. He was running for governor 396 00:27:29.105 --> 00:27:33.565 <v Jermaine Ee>against the current governor Gavin Gavin Newsom And I was 397 00:27:33.585 --> 00:27:36.525 <v Jermaine Ee>able to be a fly in the wall, you know I'm I can't take credit 398 00:27:36.545 --> 00:27:41.605 <v Jermaine Ee>for really anything except for the blessing that I had to be in 399 00:27:41.625 --> 00:27:47.145 <v Jermaine Ee>meetings and to to see how money media power labor unions 400 00:27:47.165 --> 00:27:52.965 <v Jermaine Ee>and all of the above super PACs to just be a fly in the wall and 401 00:27:52.985 --> 00:27:58.485 <v Jermaine Ee>absorb all of this and on the one hand it made me understand 402 00:27:58.505 --> 00:28:01.685 <v Jermaine Ee>the world better but on the other hand it also made me very 403 00:28:01.705 --> 00:28:06.705 <v Jermaine Ee>jaded right it made me it i think it took away the kid in me 404 00:28:06.725 --> 00:28:09.925 <v Jermaine Ee>that believed that one person can make a difference in the 405 00:28:09.945 --> 00:28:10.945 <v Jermaine Ee>world 406 00:28:11.985 --> 00:28:15.125 <v Jermaine Ee>so it's this delicate balance that i walk through these days 407 00:28:15.145 --> 00:28:20.805 <v Jermaine Ee>which is i know how things are done and how 408 00:28:20.825 --> 00:28:24.865 <v Jermaine Ee>change is possible but I also understand how actually 409 00:28:24.885 --> 00:28:29.815 <v Jermaine Ee>difficult it is that I'm not as naive anymore 410 00:28:32.425 --> 00:28:33.425 <v Kevin Lowe>Wow. 411 00:28:34.465 --> 00:28:39.805 <v Kevin Lowe>So did that experience, like 412 00:28:39.825 --> 00:28:44.785 <v Kevin Lowe>part of me wants to say, wow, would that experience make you 413 00:28:44.805 --> 00:28:49.565 <v Kevin Lowe>want to get into politics or does that experience make you 414 00:28:49.585 --> 00:28:53.785 <v Kevin Lowe>realize even further from the fact of no way do I want to be 415 00:28:53.805 --> 00:28:55.235 <v Kevin Lowe>involved in politics? 416 00:28:55.835 --> 00:29:01.075 <v Jermaine Ee>I think it's not black or white you know I definitely don't want 417 00:29:01.095 --> 00:29:05.935 <v Jermaine Ee>to be in politics as an elected official I think that's not for 418 00:29:05.955 --> 00:29:11.935 <v Jermaine Ee>me that you've got to have a heart of gold a little 419 00:29:11.955 --> 00:29:16.205 <v Jermaine Ee>bit of offices and maybe especially in the higher offices 420 00:29:16.225 --> 00:29:20.935 <v Jermaine Ee>and yeah, just back to the name of your podcast. 421 00:29:20.955 --> 00:29:25.155 <v Jermaine Ee>You've got to have a lot of grit. You know what I always 422 00:29:25.175 --> 00:29:29.055 <v Jermaine Ee>tell people that the one lesson I learned in my time in politics 423 00:29:29.075 --> 00:29:34.875 <v Jermaine Ee>and even to today is money comes with expectations and 424 00:29:35.015 --> 00:29:39.865 <v Jermaine Ee>the ability of an individual to manage that expectations 425 00:29:39.965 --> 00:29:45.615 <v Jermaine Ee>decides ultimately determines whether or not they're a 426 00:29:45.635 --> 00:29:50.535 <v Jermaine Ee>politician true to their values or they're a politician that is 427 00:29:50.555 --> 00:29:52.835 <v Jermaine Ee>playing the game, and it's very difficult. 428 00:29:52.855 --> 00:29:56.015 <v Jermaine Ee>It's easy for me to say that, but it's a very difficult 429 00:29:56.035 --> 00:30:00.575 <v Jermaine Ee>balance because there's always a trade-off to getting things done 430 00:30:00.595 --> 00:30:04.515 <v Jermaine Ee>for your constituents, for people that you represent, And 431 00:30:04.535 --> 00:30:08.615 <v Jermaine Ee>there's some wins and some losses, right? 432 00:30:08.635 --> 00:30:11.355 <v Jermaine Ee>You have to compromise. And that's the entire thing about 433 00:30:11.375 --> 00:30:12.965 <v Jermaine Ee>this country. It's compromising. 434 00:30:13.955 --> 00:30:17.895 <v Jermaine Ee>And so I'm just, you know, I prefer the business world a lot 435 00:30:17.915 --> 00:30:21.285 <v Jermaine Ee>more where I'm judged purely by the market. 436 00:30:21.575 --> 00:30:24.635 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, if I have an app right now, the market tells me if my 437 00:30:24.655 --> 00:30:28.485 <v Jermaine Ee>app is good by voting with their dollars, right? 438 00:30:28.995 --> 00:30:31.125 <v Jermaine Ee>I enjoy this part of the game much more. 439 00:30:31.205 --> 00:30:36.535 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah, absolutely. Well, Jermaine, honestly, 440 00:30:36.945 --> 00:30:42.505 <v Kevin Lowe>if there's more for us to go into right now then by all 441 00:30:42.525 --> 00:30:47.045 <v Kevin Lowe>means, you stop me. But otherwise, I think I would 442 00:30:47.065 --> 00:30:53.185 <v Kevin Lowe>really love to kind of maybe get to switch gears a little bit, 443 00:30:53.205 --> 00:30:59.185 <v Kevin Lowe>learning a little bit more about your parents and especially your 444 00:30:59.205 --> 00:31:03.005 <v Kevin Lowe>mom, because we're going to see where your story is really going 445 00:31:03.025 --> 00:31:08.825 <v Kevin Lowe>to intersect with your mom. And so I would love 446 00:31:08.845 --> 00:31:14.285 <v Kevin Lowe>to know for you to share a little bit more about her, who 447 00:31:14.305 --> 00:31:18.115 <v Kevin Lowe>she was, what was your mom's name? What did she like? 448 00:31:18.485 --> 00:31:22.565 <v Kevin Lowe>What was she like? Would you mind just sharing a little bit 449 00:31:22.585 --> 00:31:23.815 <v Kevin Lowe>more about your mom? 450 00:31:25.110 --> 00:31:30.940 <v Jermaine Ee>She is a person that I am still uncovering as I'm getting 451 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:37.110 <v Jermaine Ee>older so she passed away a year and two months ago 452 00:31:37.130 --> 00:31:42.995 <v Jermaine Ee>at the age of 61 and you know I think 453 00:31:43.015 --> 00:31:48.535 <v Jermaine Ee>like many kids she was just mom for the most of my life and as 454 00:31:48.555 --> 00:31:54.115 <v Jermaine Ee>we became adults I got to talk to her about more things and 455 00:31:54.135 --> 00:31:58.835 <v Jermaine Ee>begin to see her sometimes as the the young girl with hopes 456 00:31:58.855 --> 00:32:04.255 <v Jermaine Ee>and dreams and sometimes as this overly protective mother and 457 00:32:04.275 --> 00:32:07.885 <v Jermaine Ee>ambitious mother who wants to give her kids everything. 458 00:32:08.415 --> 00:32:13.635 <v Jermaine Ee>So she was born in a small town in Malaysia called Ipo And Ipoh 459 00:32:13.655 --> 00:32:18.855 <v Jermaine Ee>is a tin mining town. You know, when the British came in to 460 00:32:18.875 --> 00:32:23.275 <v Jermaine Ee>colonize Malaysia, they developed a lot of it. 461 00:32:23.295 --> 00:32:27.995 <v Jermaine Ee>So there's beautiful colonial architecture there, as well as a 462 00:32:28.015 --> 00:32:32.455 <v Jermaine Ee>Chinese influence. And so my family is Chinese-Malaysian, and 463 00:32:32.475 --> 00:32:38.135 <v Jermaine Ee>so we speak Mandarin. But my mom, for some reason, decided to 464 00:32:38.155 --> 00:32:43.350 <v Jermaine Ee>go to a Catholic school, an all girls Catholic school, which was 465 00:32:43.370 --> 00:32:49.230 <v Jermaine Ee>quite unique in her in her time and and she loved singing 466 00:32:49.250 --> 00:32:54.730 <v Jermaine Ee>and dancing so she would be this Catholic school girl who would 467 00:32:54.750 --> 00:32:57.670 <v Jermaine Ee>take a bus to the Capitol to participate in a singing 468 00:32:57.690 --> 00:33:00.200 <v Jermaine Ee>competition and then take the bus back. 469 00:33:00.730 --> 00:33:06.150 <v Jermaine Ee>She's also 10 of 12 kids so she's the baby Girl Right so 470 00:33:06.170 --> 00:33:10.090 <v Jermaine Ee>yeah she's got I think she has six brothers and three sisters 471 00:33:10.110 --> 00:33:13.730 <v Jermaine Ee>ahead of her and yeah there's a lot of kids a lot of uncle and 472 00:33:13.750 --> 00:33:19.490 <v Jermaine Ee>aunts so because she was the younger one she was lucky in 473 00:33:19.510 --> 00:33:23.210 <v Jermaine Ee>many ways that she was able to do a lot of the things that her 474 00:33:23.230 --> 00:33:27.090 <v Jermaine Ee>older siblings didn't get to all right she had the she had the 475 00:33:27.110 --> 00:33:30.230 <v Jermaine Ee>money and the savings from her older siblings to send her to 476 00:33:30.250 --> 00:33:34.850 <v Jermaine Ee>concerts and and really everything that she wanted to 477 00:33:34.870 --> 00:33:37.550 <v Jermaine Ee>because she's the baby sister. And I've really come to 478 00:33:37.570 --> 00:33:40.570 <v Jermaine Ee>appreciate this because now that I'm older I I'm building a 479 00:33:40.590 --> 00:33:43.270 <v Jermaine Ee>relationship with my well I see I'm trying to build a 480 00:33:43.290 --> 00:33:45.950 <v Jermaine Ee>relationship with all of my aunts and uncles they live all 481 00:33:45.970 --> 00:33:48.160 <v Jermaine Ee>over the world so it's a little bit challenging. 482 00:33:48.750 --> 00:33:51.790 <v Jermaine Ee>But learning about my mom through their lens made me 483 00:33:51.810 --> 00:33:57.570 <v Jermaine Ee>realize how much how much joy and how much creativity my mom 484 00:33:57.590 --> 00:34:02.830 <v Jermaine Ee>had that she had suppressed because when she moved to the 485 00:34:02.850 --> 00:34:08.200 <v Jermaine Ee>United States in the late 70s, it was all about survival. 486 00:34:09.370 --> 00:34:13.950 <v Jermaine Ee>She moved to Oklahoma, not knowing any English, and worked 487 00:34:13.970 --> 00:34:17.330 <v Jermaine Ee>at restaurants after restaurants and cleaning homes and really 488 00:34:17.350 --> 00:34:19.300 <v Jermaine Ee>anything she can do. 489 00:34:21.270 --> 00:34:27.420 <v Jermaine Ee>And I think it took away that play, the state of play in her. 490 00:34:28.290 --> 00:34:31.730 <v Jermaine Ee>And I think this is a very common immigrant story, right? 491 00:34:31.750 --> 00:34:35.030 <v Jermaine Ee>It's like when you're too busy thinking about surviving you 492 00:34:35.050 --> 00:34:38.830 <v Jermaine Ee>forget how to have fun and and actually forget what you like to 493 00:34:38.850 --> 00:34:39.850 <v Jermaine Ee>do to have fun 494 00:34:41.030 --> 00:34:44.090 <v Jermaine Ee>So throughout her life, you know, she's got four kids. 495 00:34:44.110 --> 00:34:45.760 <v Jermaine Ee>I'm the oldest of four and 496 00:34:47.970 --> 00:34:52.530 <v Jermaine Ee>And when my youngest brother got out of college, she decided that 497 00:34:52.550 --> 00:34:57.570 <v Jermaine Ee>she needed to go back to work because Our family we weren't 498 00:34:57.590 --> 00:34:59.240 <v Jermaine Ee>doing too great at the time 499 00:35:00.230 --> 00:35:02.890 <v Jermaine Ee>here's the thing about my, my parents, which is my dad is say, 500 00:35:02.910 --> 00:35:05.180 <v Jermaine Ee>is he's an entrepreneur, 501 00:35:06.170 --> 00:35:12.260 <v Jermaine Ee>which means one back to grit. He's got unlimited grit. 502 00:35:12.905 --> 00:35:18.115 <v Jermaine Ee>Maybe too much optimism for things, sometimes unreasonable. 503 00:35:19.105 --> 00:35:22.245 <v Jermaine Ee>But one thing you can always count on is that whenever he's 504 00:35:22.265 --> 00:35:24.665 <v Jermaine Ee>down, he's always going to get back up and he's always going to 505 00:35:24.685 --> 00:35:28.385 <v Jermaine Ee>find a way to get back up. And I've watched my parents navigate 506 00:35:28.405 --> 00:35:32.665 <v Jermaine Ee>this my whole life. You know, it's pretty incredible to see my 507 00:35:32.685 --> 00:35:34.875 <v Jermaine Ee>dad always coming up with new businesses. 508 00:35:34.925 --> 00:35:38.785 <v Jermaine Ee>And then my mom's got this crazy amount of emotional intelligence 509 00:35:38.805 --> 00:35:44.225 <v Jermaine Ee>to navigate and to work through and be a connector of people and 510 00:35:44.245 --> 00:35:48.585 <v Jermaine Ee>so so I watched my parents go through this and and this my mom 511 00:35:48.605 --> 00:35:53.645 <v Jermaine Ee>raised this for kids I realized she has this well she wants to 512 00:35:53.665 --> 00:35:55.965 <v Jermaine Ee>go back to the workforce but she's very insecure about her 513 00:35:55.985 --> 00:36:00.855 <v Jermaine Ee>English because she has been out of the workforce for so long and 514 00:36:00.875 --> 00:36:05.025 <v Jermaine Ee>you know one thing led to another we found her a job at a 515 00:36:05.045 --> 00:36:09.745 <v Jermaine Ee>logistics company that I worked at as an IT boy when I was 16 or 516 00:36:09.765 --> 00:36:14.595 <v Jermaine Ee>17 years old. So she started off as an admin doing data entry, 517 00:36:14.925 --> 00:36:17.445 <v Jermaine Ee>and eventually she made her way up to become the vice president 518 00:36:17.465 --> 00:36:21.835 <v Jermaine Ee>of a, of a multinational conglomerate doing imports. 519 00:36:23.745 --> 00:36:27.315 <v Jermaine Ee>And this is all to her credit of being a people person. 520 00:36:27.925 --> 00:36:29.805 <v Jermaine Ee>And well, you know, she's not a simple woman. 521 00:36:29.825 --> 00:36:35.585 <v Jermaine Ee>She's got her MBA since the eighties. So she Just she just I 522 00:36:35.605 --> 00:36:39.345 <v Jermaine Ee>believe she just had this imposter syndrome that needed to 523 00:36:39.365 --> 00:36:45.005 <v Jermaine Ee>She just needed to show herself once again that she's great 524 00:36:45.025 --> 00:36:48.135 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, she's as great as a kid see her 525 00:36:48.520 --> 00:36:54.340 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. Wow. No. Did your parents meet when they were in 526 00:36:54.360 --> 00:36:57.330 <v Kevin Lowe>Malaysia and then moved to America together? 527 00:36:57.425 --> 00:37:02.685 <v Jermaine Ee>They met in, Oklahoma So My dad had Yeah, my dad had moved there 528 00:37:02.705 --> 00:37:07.365 <v Jermaine Ee>first and when my mom arrived in, Oklahoma They were not that 529 00:37:07.385 --> 00:37:11.865 <v Jermaine Ee>many Asian people generally, you know, in the late 70s, early 530 00:37:11.885 --> 00:37:15.035 <v Jermaine Ee>80s. And so naturally they found each other. 531 00:37:15.925 --> 00:37:17.895 <v Jermaine Ee>And you got to the rest is history. 532 00:37:19.255 --> 00:37:24.735 <v Kevin Lowe>No. Do you know I don't know why they went to Oklahoma of all 533 00:37:24.755 --> 00:37:25.755 <v Kevin Lowe>places. 534 00:37:26.710 --> 00:37:31.310 <v Jermaine Ee>I don't, but if I had to guess it was because it's cheap and it 535 00:37:31.330 --> 00:37:32.330 <v Jermaine Ee>was America. 536 00:37:33.730 --> 00:37:37.330 <v Jermaine Ee>The Internet didn't exist back Then. So there was no way for 537 00:37:37.350 --> 00:37:40.890 <v Jermaine Ee>you to Google and look at Google maps and say, oh, that's in the 538 00:37:40.910 --> 00:37:43.210 <v Jermaine Ee>middle of the country. It's not the America you were thinking 539 00:37:43.230 --> 00:37:47.360 <v Jermaine Ee>about, but it's not the New York or the California coast. 540 00:37:49.050 --> 00:37:52.430 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, I don't know what would have happened otherwise. 541 00:37:52.450 --> 00:37:54.440 <v Jermaine Ee>I don't know the, you know, the what ifs. 542 00:37:55.770 --> 00:37:58.960 <v Jermaine Ee>But for all I know, Oklahoma was a great place to start. 543 00:37:59.315 --> 00:38:04.795 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah, yeah. Well, it obviously did something 544 00:38:04.815 --> 00:38:09.915 <v Kevin Lowe>amazing because it sounds like your parents built a pretty darn 545 00:38:09.935 --> 00:38:12.985 <v Kevin Lowe>amazing life for themselves and for their children. 546 00:38:13.005 --> 00:38:16.045 <v Kevin Lowe>And I think, 547 00:38:17.015 --> 00:38:21.975 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, my gosh, I mean, just looking at how difficult life 548 00:38:21.995 --> 00:38:27.775 <v Kevin Lowe>is, I can't even imagine people like your 549 00:38:27.795 --> 00:38:33.495 <v Kevin Lowe>parents who decide to move to a whole new 550 00:38:33.515 --> 00:38:36.645 <v Kevin Lowe>country and to start a life there. 551 00:38:37.615 --> 00:38:42.675 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, I just have to applaud them. And I mean, like you said, 552 00:38:42.695 --> 00:38:48.075 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, my goodness, your, your mom, I mean, talk about, I mean, 553 00:38:48.095 --> 00:38:50.395 <v Kevin Lowe>I think we all see where you get it from. 554 00:38:50.415 --> 00:38:54.345 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, overachiever and I mean, her career. 555 00:38:54.455 --> 00:38:56.465 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, that's absolutely incredible. 556 00:38:57.345 --> 00:39:00.685 <v Jermaine Ee>Yeah, you know, I like to say that I hit the jackpot at birth 557 00:39:00.705 --> 00:39:06.105 <v Jermaine Ee>because, you know, between my dad's It's like optimism 558 00:39:06.125 --> 00:39:11.305 <v Jermaine Ee>and ideas of business and it's great to get back up and my 559 00:39:11.325 --> 00:39:16.685 <v Jermaine Ee>mom's EQ and her love for people. I think if you combine 560 00:39:16.705 --> 00:39:21.025 <v Jermaine Ee>those two, that's, I would like to say that's me, but I'm A 561 00:39:21.045 --> 00:39:24.695 <v Jermaine Ee>fraction of all of that. It's like, it is a gift. 562 00:39:27.545 --> 00:39:32.825 <v Jermaine Ee>Kind of going back a little bit, I was living in New York after a 563 00:39:32.845 --> 00:39:36.265 <v Jermaine Ee>few years of the political campaign, because I bought into 564 00:39:36.285 --> 00:39:38.865 <v Jermaine Ee>this dream of if you can make it in New York, you can make it 565 00:39:38.885 --> 00:39:39.885 <v Jermaine Ee>anywhere. 566 00:39:40.445 --> 00:39:43.745 <v Jermaine Ee>So I wanted to see if I can make it. So I moved to New York, I 567 00:39:43.765 --> 00:39:47.045 <v Jermaine Ee>slept on a friend's couch, shout out to Crystal if you're 568 00:39:47.065 --> 00:39:50.465 <v Jermaine Ee>listening to this. I slept on actually her floor, not even a 569 00:39:50.485 --> 00:39:55.985 <v Jermaine Ee>couch. And I had an idea that I had saved up a few thousand 570 00:39:56.005 --> 00:40:00.085 <v Jermaine Ee>dollars, and in New York, that doesn't go very far. 571 00:40:00.105 --> 00:40:04.605 <v Jermaine Ee>So, so I, I had saved them a few thousand dollars and I wanted to 572 00:40:04.625 --> 00:40:07.715 <v Jermaine Ee>go to New York and see if I can figure something out. 573 00:40:08.225 --> 00:40:12.905 <v Jermaine Ee>And I eventually met a woman and a few investors and I started a 574 00:40:12.925 --> 00:40:17.045 <v Jermaine Ee>company, actually she started a company and brought me on as the 575 00:40:17.065 --> 00:40:22.585 <v Jermaine Ee>CEO to work in education tech. So all this, all this is going 576 00:40:22.605 --> 00:40:26.885 <v Jermaine Ee>on and then COVID happened. And I was sitting in my apartment in 577 00:40:26.905 --> 00:40:31.425 <v Jermaine Ee>New York and thinking, for the first time in my life, I'm not 578 00:40:31.445 --> 00:40:34.895 <v Jermaine Ee>able to just hop on a plane and go see my family. 579 00:40:36.895 --> 00:40:40.575 <v Jermaine Ee>I was able to, but I didn't want to, I didn't know what the virus 580 00:40:40.595 --> 00:40:43.215 <v Jermaine Ee>was at the time. It And was the first time in my life that I 581 00:40:43.235 --> 00:40:47.775 <v Jermaine Ee>felt that there was a block between physically seeing my 582 00:40:47.795 --> 00:40:51.395 <v Jermaine Ee>family. And this didn't even happen when I was living 8 ,000 583 00:40:51.415 --> 00:40:52.955 <v Jermaine Ee>miles apart between Malaysia and LA. 584 00:40:52.975 --> 00:40:56.305 <v Jermaine Ee>This happened between New York and LA. 585 00:40:56.915 --> 00:41:00.835 <v Jermaine Ee>So it really got me thinking, you know, if all that I talk 586 00:41:00.855 --> 00:41:06.555 <v Jermaine Ee>about is how important it is to have time with loved ones, why 587 00:41:06.575 --> 00:41:08.805 <v Jermaine Ee>am I living so far apart from them? 588 00:41:09.915 --> 00:41:13.615 <v Jermaine Ee>And, you know, this thought kind of brewed and eventually I made 589 00:41:13.635 --> 00:41:17.045 <v Jermaine Ee>it to LA during COVID and we were working remotely at home. 590 00:41:17.355 --> 00:41:20.475 <v Jermaine Ee>And I looked around at all my siblings, and there are six of 591 00:41:20.495 --> 00:41:25.395 <v Jermaine Ee>us in one household, And I thought, you know, this is, this 592 00:41:25.415 --> 00:41:28.245 <v Jermaine Ee>is all that it is. This is what life is. 593 00:41:28.375 --> 00:41:31.195 <v Jermaine Ee>Know, You if I can just spend more time and, you know, at some 594 00:41:31.215 --> 00:41:34.575 <v Jermaine Ee>point I'll get married and, and move out, which, you know, I'm 595 00:41:34.595 --> 00:41:36.565 <v Jermaine Ee>tracking closer to that every day now. 596 00:41:36.855 --> 00:41:39.535 <v Jermaine Ee>And my siblings will too. Eventually this will not work 597 00:41:39.555 --> 00:41:44.145 <v Jermaine Ee>anymore. But in this season of my life, that's what I want. 598 00:41:44.935 --> 00:41:49.515 <v Jermaine Ee>I want to just squeeze every moment I can with my parents who 599 00:41:49.535 --> 00:41:51.525 <v Jermaine Ee>are aging at the same time that I am. 600 00:41:52.075 --> 00:41:56.475 <v Jermaine Ee>And so it took me a few years to eventually move back to LA and 601 00:41:56.495 --> 00:42:00.095 <v Jermaine Ee>we decided to get an office together across from each other 602 00:42:00.115 --> 00:42:01.985 <v Jermaine Ee>in one of these co-working spaces. 603 00:42:03.315 --> 00:42:07.195 <v Jermaine Ee>And it was about a two-year period where I was working on my 604 00:42:07.215 --> 00:42:09.715 <v Jermaine Ee>own thing, my parents were working on their own thing, but 605 00:42:09.735 --> 00:42:11.665 <v Jermaine Ee>we had an office across from each other. 606 00:42:11.735 --> 00:42:14.455 <v Jermaine Ee>Which means we had lunch together, we went to the gym 607 00:42:14.475 --> 00:42:18.275 <v Jermaine Ee>together, we saw each other as much as we could while I'm in 608 00:42:18.295 --> 00:42:20.245 <v Jermaine Ee>the country and while they're not traveling. 609 00:42:21.615 --> 00:42:26.095 <v Jermaine Ee>And in one of these lunches that we had at a Thai restaurant 610 00:42:26.115 --> 00:42:27.365 <v Jermaine Ee>right down the street, 611 00:42:28.755 --> 00:42:31.815 <v Jermaine Ee>I talked to them about retirement, you know, and I 612 00:42:31.835 --> 00:42:35.935 <v Jermaine Ee>asked my parents, you know, I think you've probably made the 613 00:42:35.955 --> 00:42:40.095 <v Jermaine Ee>last dollar that you need. So why don't, have you considered 614 00:42:40.115 --> 00:42:43.195 <v Jermaine Ee>working less? Have you considered maybe just traveling 615 00:42:43.215 --> 00:42:45.525 <v Jermaine Ee>a little bit more and check off your bucket list? 616 00:42:46.615 --> 00:42:50.935 <v Jermaine Ee>And after prying a little bit more, I realized there was an 617 00:42:50.955 --> 00:42:56.905 <v Jermaine Ee>underlying fear of running out of money before you die. 618 00:42:59.535 --> 00:43:05.395 <v Jermaine Ee>And this fear is actually driven by a deeper issue, which is 619 00:43:05.415 --> 00:43:11.025 <v Jermaine Ee>the lack of clarity of where their finances are at the time. 620 00:43:12.550 --> 00:43:17.510 <v Jermaine Ee>And in my mind, I came to this idea that how could you possibly 621 00:43:17.530 --> 00:43:22.000 <v Jermaine Ee>know where you're going if you don't know where you are today 622 00:43:22.210 --> 00:43:28.050 <v Jermaine Ee>and how could you possibly know what is enough if you don't know 623 00:43:28.070 --> 00:43:30.080 <v Jermaine Ee>where you are today so 624 00:43:34.815 --> 00:43:40.435 <v Jermaine Ee>that idea turned into a very simple chat gpts chatbot with my 625 00:43:40.455 --> 00:43:45.495 <v Jermaine Ee>mother and so it asked her questions like how like what's 626 00:43:45.515 --> 00:43:49.395 <v Jermaine Ee>what's your fall 1k where is your fall 1k located at you know 627 00:43:49.415 --> 00:43:53.325 <v Jermaine Ee>how many have you contributed to your rough IRA? 628 00:43:53.775 --> 00:43:57.435 <v Jermaine Ee>Things like very simple financial questions but also ask 629 00:43:57.455 --> 00:44:01.995 <v Jermaine Ee>her questions like who's someone that you've thought about often 630 00:44:02.015 --> 00:44:05.475 <v Jermaine Ee>but you haven't reached out to or you've lost contact with or 631 00:44:05.495 --> 00:44:11.415 <v Jermaine Ee>what is a food that makes you think of home or your parents or 632 00:44:11.435 --> 00:44:16.900 <v Jermaine Ee>what is a song that reminds you of a period of your life like 633 00:44:16.920 --> 00:44:21.385 <v Jermaine Ee>when you move to Oklahoma and in A few months later, I realized 634 00:44:21.405 --> 00:44:25.425 <v Jermaine Ee>that if I had these questions, the answer to these questions, I 635 00:44:25.445 --> 00:44:30.435 <v Jermaine Ee>have the people they care about, and the things they care about, 636 00:44:30.805 --> 00:44:33.015 <v Jermaine Ee>and the meaning, the stories behind them. 637 00:44:33.645 --> 00:44:38.415 <v Jermaine Ee>And all that really is the essence of an estate plan. 638 00:44:39.045 --> 00:44:42.585 <v Jermaine Ee>And that's how I started working on HeirLight, what I'm working 639 00:44:42.605 --> 00:44:43.605 <v Jermaine Ee>on today. 640 00:44:44.090 --> 00:44:49.630 <v Kevin Lowe>Oh, wow. Wow. Wow. Okay. So, so you, you 641 00:44:49.650 --> 00:44:55.385 <v Kevin Lowe>build this chat to me T thing that you present to your 642 00:44:55.405 --> 00:44:57.545 <v Kevin Lowe>mom first. 643 00:44:59.085 --> 00:45:03.145 <v Kevin Lowe>And I guess how did she respond to that? 644 00:45:03.165 --> 00:45:06.385 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, was she like, what in the world are you doing, 645 00:45:06.405 --> 00:45:09.895 <v Kevin Lowe>Jermaine? Or was she open to this idea? 646 00:45:09.945 --> 00:45:14.225 <v Kevin Lowe>And did she even understand exactly what it was was, was, 647 00:45:14.245 --> 00:45:15.635 <v Kevin Lowe>was there for. 648 00:45:16.435 --> 00:45:20.055 <v Jermaine Ee>Well, my mom and I, we talk about everything, you know, 649 00:45:20.075 --> 00:45:23.555 <v Jermaine Ee>we're pretty much, I wouldn't say an open book to each other, 650 00:45:23.575 --> 00:45:27.265 <v Jermaine Ee>but we, there's not a lot of topics that we can't talk about. 651 00:45:27.675 --> 00:45:31.695 <v Jermaine Ee>I am the oldest son, after all, you know, she's, I know there's, 652 00:45:31.715 --> 00:45:35.095 <v Jermaine Ee>there's a strength in that relationship for being the 653 00:45:35.115 --> 00:45:36.115 <v Jermaine Ee>oldest son. 654 00:45:37.295 --> 00:45:40.695 <v Jermaine Ee>And yeah, we, we talk about everything, but I think what was 655 00:45:40.715 --> 00:45:43.855 <v Jermaine Ee>different is that, you You know, there's some topics that just 656 00:45:43.875 --> 00:45:47.555 <v Jermaine Ee>don't come up naturally. And then there's also topics that my 657 00:45:47.575 --> 00:45:50.655 <v Jermaine Ee>mom may feel more comfortable answering in a different 658 00:45:50.675 --> 00:45:55.755 <v Jermaine Ee>language, right? Simply put, there's songs, there's lyrics to 659 00:45:55.775 --> 00:45:59.875 <v Jermaine Ee>songs that the nuance of the words just can't be translated 660 00:45:59.895 --> 00:46:05.535 <v Jermaine Ee>to English as easily. And so with AI, you're really able to 661 00:46:05.555 --> 00:46:08.035 <v Jermaine Ee>talk to it in any language that you want to, and you're able to 662 00:46:08.055 --> 00:46:09.695 <v Jermaine Ee>code switch at any time that you want to. 663 00:46:09.715 --> 00:46:14.895 <v Jermaine Ee>So my mom, despite I think her English is great, but she just 664 00:46:14.915 --> 00:46:17.685 <v Jermaine Ee>say some things better in other languages. 665 00:46:17.895 --> 00:46:21.125 <v Jermaine Ee>And I understand Mandarin enough, so it's it's okay. 666 00:46:21.675 --> 00:46:25.255 <v Jermaine Ee>But I think it's just the comfort of knowing that you can 667 00:46:25.275 --> 00:46:29.795 <v Jermaine Ee>chat with this thing. I think she knew at the back of her mind 668 00:46:29.815 --> 00:46:33.175 <v Jermaine Ee>I was going to read it eventually. So so maybe it has a 669 00:46:33.195 --> 00:46:39.195 <v Jermaine Ee>little bit of bias there. But that experience actually 670 00:46:39.255 --> 00:46:41.395 <v Jermaine Ee>helped her. It's kind of like journaling, right? 671 00:46:41.415 --> 00:46:45.795 <v Jermaine Ee>It helped you dig up things that you just haven't had the head 672 00:46:45.815 --> 00:46:46.925 <v Jermaine Ee>space to think about. 673 00:46:47.530 --> 00:46:48.740 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. 674 00:46:49.730 --> 00:46:55.250 <v Kevin Lowe>So when all of these questions were 675 00:46:55.270 --> 00:47:00.710 <v Kevin Lowe>completed, I mean, what then did you do with all of that 676 00:47:00.730 --> 00:47:01.730 <v Kevin Lowe>information? 677 00:47:02.235 --> 00:47:08.215 <v Jermaine Ee>So I started exploring a way to create a will or 678 00:47:08.235 --> 00:47:11.315 <v Jermaine Ee>an estate plan for them. And what I realized is that my 679 00:47:11.335 --> 00:47:15.975 <v Jermaine Ee>parents, they need a trust. So I put out a filler and I found a 680 00:47:15.995 --> 00:47:20.195 <v Jermaine Ee>lawyer through mutual friends and we had their trust set up 681 00:47:20.215 --> 00:47:23.755 <v Jermaine Ee>and in this process of setting up the trust there was this 682 00:47:23.775 --> 00:47:28.355 <v Jermaine Ee>onboarding document that was I think it's like 15 pages long on 683 00:47:28.375 --> 00:47:34.015 <v Jermaine Ee>a PDF and I I got to think to myself you know the average 684 00:47:34.035 --> 00:47:38.015 <v Jermaine Ee>person is not gonna sit down and actually do this and that's why 685 00:47:38.035 --> 00:47:42.755 <v Jermaine Ee>it's 70 % of Americans don't have an estate plan and you know 686 00:47:42.775 --> 00:47:45.255 <v Jermaine Ee>I thought about my mom's experience with me and I knew 687 00:47:45.275 --> 00:47:47.895 <v Jermaine Ee>the answer to most of those questions on that onboarding 688 00:47:47.915 --> 00:47:53.295 <v Jermaine Ee>form. So I thought that there's got to be a better way to quote 689 00:47:53.315 --> 00:47:57.605 <v Jermaine Ee>unquote onboard people to this process and to make it less 690 00:47:57.655 --> 00:47:59.105 <v Jermaine Ee>heavy. 691 00:48:00.515 --> 00:48:03.335 <v Jermaine Ee>You know I think the challenge with something so legal is that 692 00:48:03.355 --> 00:48:08.095 <v Jermaine Ee>a lot of people like my mother an immigrant don't think that 693 00:48:08.115 --> 00:48:11.045 <v Jermaine Ee>this process is for her for many reasons. 694 00:48:11.755 --> 00:48:16.225 <v Jermaine Ee>One, it's intimidating, two, it may be expensive, right? 695 00:48:16.275 --> 00:48:19.035 <v Jermaine Ee>This preconceived notion that attorneys are expensive, and for 696 00:48:19.055 --> 00:48:23.135 <v Jermaine Ee>the most part it is true that attorneys are too expensive and 697 00:48:23.155 --> 00:48:25.685 <v Jermaine Ee>that death is difficult to talk about. 698 00:48:26.270 --> 00:48:29.670 <v Jermaine Ee>And to combine all of that to talk to a stranger about all of 699 00:48:29.690 --> 00:48:33.170 <v Jermaine Ee>your personal things. This is a bar that's very, very hard to 700 00:48:33.190 --> 00:48:37.270 <v Jermaine Ee>clear for most people. And the thought was that, you know, I 701 00:48:37.290 --> 00:48:39.970 <v Jermaine Ee>don't, I don't want to go out and solve all of estate 702 00:48:39.990 --> 00:48:43.370 <v Jermaine Ee>planning. I don't want to, I don't even do the trust in my 703 00:48:43.390 --> 00:48:47.230 <v Jermaine Ee>app, which is ironic because my parents had a trust, has a 704 00:48:47.250 --> 00:48:50.650 <v Jermaine Ee>trust, but what I want to do for people is just to get them from 705 00:48:50.670 --> 00:48:55.370 <v Jermaine Ee>zero to one. I want them to be comfortable in having a simple 706 00:48:55.390 --> 00:49:00.350 <v Jermaine Ee>chat with the confidence and the trust that my app has gone 707 00:49:00.370 --> 00:49:03.050 <v Jermaine Ee>through rounds of attorney reviews in every state that 708 00:49:03.070 --> 00:49:05.650 <v Jermaine Ee>we're live in. And we'll only live in 16 states for that 709 00:49:05.670 --> 00:49:09.950 <v Jermaine Ee>reason, because every state has a slightly different probate 710 00:49:09.970 --> 00:49:13.120 <v Jermaine Ee>code, which is the law that governs estate planning. 711 00:49:14.825 --> 00:49:18.855 <v Jermaine Ee>And that's the effect of it. We've been at it for 16 months 712 00:49:18.875 --> 00:49:24.645 <v Jermaine Ee>now, and when we talk to some of our users, we start to see 713 00:49:24.665 --> 00:49:28.905 <v Jermaine Ee>this human thing of the reason why people put this off is 714 00:49:28.925 --> 00:49:32.975 <v Jermaine Ee>because abstract things are easy to put off. 715 00:49:33.445 --> 00:49:35.645 <v Jermaine Ee>And when there's a million things in our days that are more 716 00:49:35.665 --> 00:49:38.665 <v Jermaine Ee>urgent, we just we just do those things. 717 00:49:38.685 --> 00:49:40.545 <v Jermaine Ee>And we're like, well, I'm probably not going to die 718 00:49:40.565 --> 00:49:44.635 <v Jermaine Ee>tomorrow. So I'm just going to do my estate plan next week. 719 00:49:45.465 --> 00:49:48.365 <v Jermaine Ee>And next week becomes next month. And that's why 70 % 720 00:49:48.385 --> 00:49:49.855 <v Jermaine Ee>Americans don't have a plan. 721 00:49:50.305 --> 00:49:55.625 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah, absolutely. And, and I honestly feel feel 722 00:49:55.645 --> 00:49:59.865 <v Kevin Lowe>like something you mentioned earlier is so much the case of 723 00:49:59.885 --> 00:50:05.745 <v Kevin Lowe>it's a difficult topic to talk about because none of us 724 00:50:05.765 --> 00:50:11.265 <v Kevin Lowe>want to think about ourselves dying, but even more so the 725 00:50:11.285 --> 00:50:17.025 <v Kevin Lowe>people we love. So And it's like in planning for their 726 00:50:17.045 --> 00:50:21.685 <v Kevin Lowe>death, in a sense, it's, it's extremely difficult. 727 00:50:21.705 --> 00:50:27.665 <v Kevin Lowe>And so the fact that you were able to come up with a way to 728 00:50:27.685 --> 00:50:33.035 <v Kevin Lowe>make something so heavy, just a little bit easier 729 00:50:33.645 --> 00:50:35.275 <v Kevin Lowe>is so amazing. 730 00:50:36.690 --> 00:50:40.530 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, we're on this journey. I think of this journey as an 731 00:50:40.550 --> 00:50:44.180 <v Jermaine Ee>encapsulation of all that I am as a person. 732 00:50:45.130 --> 00:50:49.150 <v Jermaine Ee>I love technology. I'm a techno optimist, know, you I believe 733 00:50:49.170 --> 00:50:51.680 <v Jermaine Ee>there's issues of AI, definitely. 734 00:50:52.690 --> 00:50:56.670 <v Jermaine Ee>But AI has already solved so many incredible human 735 00:50:56.690 --> 00:51:00.670 <v Jermaine Ee>challenges, right, in the medical field, in physics and 736 00:51:00.690 --> 00:51:06.250 <v Jermaine Ee>math. And now I'm thinking, you know, all of this power has got 737 00:51:06.270 --> 00:51:08.980 <v Jermaine Ee>to be good for something in our day to day lives. 738 00:51:09.390 --> 00:51:12.070 <v Jermaine Ee>And one of the first things is that it's a great 739 00:51:12.090 --> 00:51:15.850 <v Jermaine Ee>conversationalist. And so it can actually help us bridge the gap 740 00:51:15.870 --> 00:51:18.540 <v Jermaine Ee>to the consumer, to the average person. 741 00:51:19.390 --> 00:51:21.890 <v Jermaine Ee>And this is actually a challenge that I've been working through, 742 00:51:21.910 --> 00:51:24.660 <v Jermaine Ee>which is because I live in tech all day. 743 00:51:24.890 --> 00:51:28.470 <v Jermaine Ee>I forget how it is to be on Main Street America, you know, to 744 00:51:28.490 --> 00:51:32.450 <v Jermaine Ee>talk to someone in Columbia, Missouri about their estate 745 00:51:32.470 --> 00:51:38.170 <v Jermaine Ee>plan, I'm reminding myself that they may not understand the 746 00:51:38.190 --> 00:51:42.610 <v Jermaine Ee>capabilities of AI. So now our design language and our 747 00:51:42.630 --> 00:51:45.530 <v Jermaine Ee>interface has to be much friendlier, right? 748 00:51:45.550 --> 00:51:50.340 <v Jermaine Ee>So it's a constant challenge to understand how people function, 749 00:51:50.430 --> 00:51:54.810 <v Jermaine Ee>what matters to people, and also how do we get them to care about 750 00:51:54.830 --> 00:51:59.420 <v Jermaine Ee>something that they tell us is important, but it's not urgent. 751 00:52:00.410 --> 00:52:06.290 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah, yeah. Wow, well, listen, I want us to come back 752 00:52:06.310 --> 00:52:09.850 <v Kevin Lowe>because I know anybody listening, they're interested, 753 00:52:09.870 --> 00:52:14.610 <v Kevin Lowe>they're gonna want to understand how they can tap into this 754 00:52:14.630 --> 00:52:18.710 <v Kevin Lowe>amazing tool that you've built but before we do that though I 755 00:52:18.730 --> 00:52:23.360 <v Kevin Lowe>want to go back to kind of this personal journey and 756 00:52:23.380 --> 00:52:28.510 <v Kevin Lowe>specifically I would love to understand a little bit more 757 00:52:28.530 --> 00:52:33.130 <v Kevin Lowe>maybe the buildup to it and then the trip itself because I know 758 00:52:33.150 --> 00:52:37.290 <v Kevin Lowe>there was a trip that that you took with your mom that was 759 00:52:37.310 --> 00:52:42.830 <v Kevin Lowe>pretty meaningful and I believe it was to Austria would you tell 760 00:52:42.850 --> 00:52:43.920 <v Kevin Lowe>me about that 761 00:52:45.410 --> 00:52:47.940 <v Jermaine Ee>Well, I've got a question for you. 762 00:52:48.410 --> 00:52:50.900 <v Jermaine Ee>Kevin, have you seen the movie, The Sound of Music? 763 00:52:50.930 --> 00:52:53.420 <v Jermaine Ee>Oh, not seen. Have you heard the movie, The Sound of Music? 764 00:52:53.550 --> 00:52:55.160 <v Jermaine Ee>Sorry. Slipped there. 765 00:52:55.400 --> 00:52:58.540 <v Kevin Lowe>No. Well, listen, that's actually kind of funny because I 766 00:52:58.560 --> 00:53:02.420 <v Kevin Lowe>still talk like I see. So I say that, yes, I watch TV and see 767 00:53:02.440 --> 00:53:08.220 <v Kevin Lowe>movies even though I only hear them. And you know, it sounds 768 00:53:08.240 --> 00:53:11.420 <v Kevin Lowe>kind of funny because I would think a blind guy should have 769 00:53:11.440 --> 00:53:16.690 <v Kevin Lowe>seen or heard a movie called The Sound of Music, but I have not. 770 00:53:17.760 --> 00:53:22.520 <v Jermaine Ee>So in essence, it's a movie filmed in by Julie Andrews in 771 00:53:22.540 --> 00:53:27.120 <v Jermaine Ee>the 70s. Well, it came out in the 70s based in Salzburg, 772 00:53:27.140 --> 00:53:33.160 <v Jermaine Ee>Austria. And it's a story of this young woman who enrolled 773 00:53:33.180 --> 00:53:38.180 <v Jermaine Ee>herself to become a nun so she's I guess in training and part of 774 00:53:38.200 --> 00:53:42.560 <v Jermaine Ee>the training is to go be a I want to say it's a nanny kind of 775 00:53:42.580 --> 00:53:47.960 <v Jermaine Ee>like a nanny or a home home caretaker or something to watch 776 00:53:47.980 --> 00:53:53.760 <v Jermaine Ee>kids in her city of Salzburg and and she ends up 777 00:53:53.780 --> 00:53:59.340 <v Jermaine Ee>serving this family called Yvonne traps based in like the 778 00:53:59.360 --> 00:54:03.960 <v Jermaine Ee>World War II time around the Nazi Germany era so all that to 779 00:54:03.980 --> 00:54:08.120 <v Jermaine Ee>say my mom loves this movie and we knew she loved she sings a 780 00:54:08.140 --> 00:54:10.740 <v Jermaine Ee>song we know the songs that's how you that's how much she 781 00:54:10.760 --> 00:54:14.700 <v Jermaine Ee>loves it and and the movies you know definitely before my time 782 00:54:14.720 --> 00:54:19.460 <v Jermaine Ee>many many decades before my time and we just never I just never 783 00:54:19.480 --> 00:54:22.770 <v Jermaine Ee>thought that it was something that's so meaningful to her 784 00:54:22.790 --> 00:54:26.710 <v Jermaine Ee>until these conversations with the chatbot came. 785 00:54:27.540 --> 00:54:31.800 <v Jermaine Ee>Know, You I would ask your questions like, you know, if you 786 00:54:31.820 --> 00:54:34.830 <v Jermaine Ee>think about Europe, what do you imagine? 787 00:54:35.600 --> 00:54:40.530 <v Jermaine Ee>There's the there's the Vatican City the Roman 788 00:54:41.440 --> 00:54:46.840 <v Jermaine Ee>Colosseum There's the Eiffel Tower There's the windmills in 789 00:54:46.860 --> 00:54:52.140 <v Jermaine Ee>Holland and then there's this one place that she's watched as 790 00:54:52.160 --> 00:54:57.840 <v Jermaine Ee>a child on the TV screen called Salzburg and Never in my 791 00:54:57.860 --> 00:55:01.620 <v Jermaine Ee>life Would I have thought that my mom wants to go to Salzburg? 792 00:55:01.640 --> 00:55:07.460 <v Jermaine Ee>Because it's kind of a random place and And so and so 793 00:55:07.480 --> 00:55:10.780 <v Jermaine Ee>we had this conversation earlier in the year and I was like you 794 00:55:10.800 --> 00:55:14.100 <v Jermaine Ee>know if it's so important to you we should just go to Salzburg 795 00:55:14.120 --> 00:55:18.900 <v Jermaine Ee>like what are we waiting for and and so we had planned this trip 796 00:55:18.920 --> 00:55:24.860 <v Jermaine Ee>and we we flew into Austria to Vienna last July and her and 797 00:55:24.880 --> 00:55:28.280 <v Jermaine Ee>my dad my girlfriend and I we rented a car and we drove around 798 00:55:28.300 --> 00:55:31.380 <v Jermaine Ee>the region we We went to the Snow White Castle in Bavaria. 799 00:55:31.400 --> 00:55:36.970 <v Jermaine Ee>We went to parts of Switzerland and we ended up in Salzburg. 800 00:55:37.880 --> 00:55:40.010 <v Jermaine Ee>And now this is how big the movie is. 801 00:55:40.380 --> 00:55:44.830 <v Jermaine Ee>There is a tour, a red bus called the Sound of Music tour, 802 00:55:45.080 --> 00:55:49.340 <v Jermaine Ee>where it takes you in one day to five or six of the filming 803 00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:53.240 <v Jermaine Ee>locations and on the way there, you're singing along with the 804 00:55:53.260 --> 00:55:54.510 <v Jermaine Ee>tour conductor. 805 00:55:56.520 --> 00:56:00.080 <v Jermaine Ee>So just imagine a bunch of, and by the way, people who live in 806 00:56:00.100 --> 00:56:02.380 <v Jermaine Ee>Austria, they don't know this movie because this movie is in 807 00:56:02.400 --> 00:56:03.400 <v Jermaine Ee>English. 808 00:56:04.080 --> 00:56:07.900 <v Jermaine Ee>So it must be a strange phenomenon to have this right 809 00:56:07.920 --> 00:56:11.200 <v Jermaine Ee>bus driving around and a bunch of Americans, or really anyone 810 00:56:11.220 --> 00:56:13.560 <v Jermaine Ee>who speaks English, singing songs that they've never heard 811 00:56:13.580 --> 00:56:15.830 <v Jermaine Ee>about their town. So 812 00:56:17.100 --> 00:56:23.070 <v Jermaine Ee>so we got there and you know we go on this tour and there's 813 00:56:23.120 --> 00:56:29.060 <v Jermaine Ee>this film clip I had videotaped my mom of her 814 00:56:29.080 --> 00:56:33.620 <v Jermaine Ee>holding up a postcard of the mansion that the fictional 815 00:56:33.640 --> 00:56:38.100 <v Jermaine Ee>family had lived in and you know she looked at the camera and she 816 00:56:38.120 --> 00:56:41.910 <v Jermaine Ee>said I'm in my dream I've 817 00:56:43.510 --> 00:56:48.410 <v Jermaine Ee>always dreamt of this place like I've watched this movie I don't 818 00:56:48.430 --> 00:56:52.510 <v Jermaine Ee>know how many times I know the songs I can imagine exactly 819 00:56:52.530 --> 00:56:58.110 <v Jermaine Ee>where the characters of these movie walked and never in my 820 00:56:58.130 --> 00:57:03.590 <v Jermaine Ee>life would I have imagined that that small little girl 821 00:57:03.610 --> 00:57:08.730 <v Jermaine Ee>who went to this Catholic school watching this movie about this 822 00:57:08.750 --> 00:57:13.150 <v Jermaine Ee>Catholic nun in Salzburg Never would I have imagined that I 823 00:57:13.170 --> 00:57:16.490 <v Jermaine Ee>would be standing right here, in front of the mansion that they 824 00:57:16.510 --> 00:57:18.500 <v Jermaine Ee>lived in, in that movie. 825 00:57:21.520 --> 00:57:25.700 <v Jermaine Ee>And time and time again, throughout that day, she said 826 00:57:25.720 --> 00:57:28.710 <v Jermaine Ee>that I'm in my dream. I'm living in my dream. 827 00:57:32.990 --> 00:57:37.630 <v Jermaine Ee>And, you know, this trip for me, I've gone to habit of filming 828 00:57:37.650 --> 00:57:42.250 <v Jermaine Ee>everything. So I put a microphone on her and I caught 829 00:57:42.270 --> 00:57:45.950 <v Jermaine Ee>her singing the songs. And remember at the end of this 830 00:57:45.970 --> 00:57:46.970 <v Jermaine Ee>trip, conductor, this 831 00:57:47.930 --> 00:57:49.820 <v Jermaine Ee>before dropping us off, said, 832 00:57:51.070 --> 00:57:53.240 <v Jermaine Ee>you know, thank you for coming on the tour. 833 00:57:53.870 --> 00:57:57.540 <v Jermaine Ee>We appreciate you making your journey here. 834 00:57:58.630 --> 00:58:00.620 <v Jermaine Ee>And a lot of people have come from far away. 835 00:58:02.530 --> 00:58:07.190 <v Jermaine Ee>And, you know, he said that he often wondered why people would 836 00:58:07.210 --> 00:58:11.880 <v Jermaine Ee>travel so far to come watch a place where a movie was filmed. 837 00:58:13.510 --> 00:58:17.530 <v Jermaine Ee>And the story that he realized that he's taken again and again 838 00:58:17.550 --> 00:58:21.750 <v Jermaine Ee>is that people come to this place and relate to this movie 839 00:58:21.770 --> 00:58:25.710 <v Jermaine Ee>when they feel like they need a little bit of love and a little 840 00:58:25.730 --> 00:58:28.110 <v Jermaine Ee>bit of hope in their life. That's something good as 841 00:58:28.130 --> 00:58:29.130 <v Jermaine Ee>possible. 842 00:58:30.090 --> 00:58:34.650 <v Jermaine Ee>And so he said at the end of the tour that if you ever find 843 00:58:34.670 --> 00:58:39.090 <v Jermaine Ee>yourself in a time of your life where you feel the lack of hope 844 00:58:39.110 --> 00:58:42.930 <v Jermaine Ee>and the lack of love, you can always come back and have a 845 00:58:42.950 --> 00:58:48.850 <v Jermaine Ee>singing tour with us and to again be inspired by 846 00:58:48.870 --> 00:58:53.950 <v Jermaine Ee>the sound of music of what music can do to our lives to bring joy 847 00:58:53.970 --> 00:58:59.285 <v Jermaine Ee>and I watched my mom just sitting there on the bus she was 848 00:58:59.305 --> 00:59:03.205 <v Jermaine Ee>tearing up at this point and I think in this moment I realized 849 00:59:03.225 --> 00:59:05.355 <v Jermaine Ee>how much this all mattered to her. 850 00:59:08.675 --> 00:59:12.555 <v Jermaine Ee>Eight days later, I dropped her to the airport, you know, after 851 00:59:12.575 --> 00:59:16.395 <v Jermaine Ee>Salzburg. And eight days later, I got a phone call that she had 852 00:59:16.415 --> 00:59:17.825 <v Jermaine Ee>been admitted to the hospital. 853 00:59:19.535 --> 00:59:23.410 <v Jermaine Ee>And then seven days later, she was in a coma the entire time 854 00:59:23.430 --> 00:59:24.430 <v Jermaine Ee>she was gone. 855 00:59:28.150 --> 00:59:32.715 <v Jermaine Ee>So, you know, when people asked me, how do you stay motivated to 856 00:59:32.735 --> 00:59:37.775 <v Jermaine Ee>build airlight? My app? How do you what is your what's driving 857 00:59:37.795 --> 00:59:38.795 <v Jermaine Ee>you. 858 00:59:39.375 --> 00:59:44.995 <v Jermaine Ee>I often come back to the story because I think there's a 859 00:59:45.015 --> 00:59:50.615 <v Jermaine Ee>there's a terrible packaging of the estate plan which is our 860 00:59:50.635 --> 00:59:56.535 <v Jermaine Ee>focus on the death. I would argue that estate plan should be 861 00:59:56.555 --> 01:00:02.275 <v Jermaine Ee>about the living because as I'm building this project I was able 862 01:00:02.295 --> 01:00:08.015 <v Jermaine Ee>to help my mom feel more seen by asking her these questions that 863 01:00:08.035 --> 01:00:10.045 <v Jermaine Ee>had been neglected. 864 01:00:11.895 --> 01:00:14.935 <v Jermaine Ee>And oftentimes we forget that our parents are growing up and 865 01:00:14.955 --> 01:00:20.855 <v Jermaine Ee>turning 60 and 61 the first time as we are turning, you know, 30 866 01:00:20.875 --> 01:00:25.235 <v Jermaine Ee>and 40 the first time. And these life experiences are also new to 867 01:00:25.255 --> 01:00:29.475 <v Jermaine Ee>them. But because it's just hard to comprehend that when we're in 868 01:00:29.495 --> 01:00:32.585 <v Jermaine Ee>it in the day to day, the busyness of it all. 869 01:00:33.435 --> 01:00:37.775 <v Jermaine Ee>And HeirLight to me is just a reminder that, you know, if we 870 01:00:37.795 --> 01:00:42.395 <v Jermaine Ee>love somebody, one of the best things we can do for them is to 871 01:00:42.415 --> 01:00:45.915 <v Jermaine Ee>ask them these questions to gain clarity so that they can 872 01:00:45.935 --> 01:00:49.735 <v Jermaine Ee>actually enjoy the benefits of clarity while they're here. 873 01:00:49.755 --> 01:00:55.295 <v Jermaine Ee>Not just quote-unquote protect the legacy of them right 874 01:00:55.315 --> 01:01:00.275 <v Jermaine Ee>sure that's important but the benefits are today and so an 875 01:01:00.295 --> 01:01:06.245 <v Jermaine Ee>airlight what we say is love is sorry clarity 876 01:01:06.265 --> 01:01:09.935 <v Jermaine Ee>is love in practical form so 877 01:01:11.810 --> 01:01:17.445 <v Kevin Lowe>Wow. Well, can I ask what happened 878 01:01:17.465 --> 01:01:18.655 <v Kevin Lowe>to your mom? 879 01:01:21.020 --> 01:01:24.740 <v Jermaine Ee>When she was in Salzburg she was jumping and dancing and singing 880 01:01:24.760 --> 01:01:28.900 <v Jermaine Ee>and it was a birthday two days ago so I was I was just watching 881 01:01:28.920 --> 01:01:34.420 <v Jermaine Ee>these videos, and we did not see this coming, but she had a 882 01:01:34.440 --> 01:01:39.900 <v Jermaine Ee>stroke in the back of her brain, and that wasn't actually the 883 01:01:39.920 --> 01:01:43.250 <v Jermaine Ee>death blow. The death blow was that on her way to the hospital, 884 01:01:43.620 --> 01:01:46.580 <v Jermaine Ee>there was a period of time where oxygen was not able to reach her 885 01:01:46.600 --> 01:01:52.320 <v Jermaine Ee>brain, and so she was almost completely brain dead by time I 886 01:01:52.340 --> 01:01:54.830 <v Jermaine Ee>had flown from Europe to see her. 887 01:01:56.575 --> 01:02:01.015 <v Jermaine Ee>And, you know, those seven, eight days that she was in a 888 01:02:01.035 --> 01:02:02.205 <v Jermaine Ee>vegetative state, 889 01:02:03.735 --> 01:02:05.365 <v Jermaine Ee>it was, yeah, it was surreal. 890 01:02:06.380 --> 01:02:11.560 <v Jermaine Ee>But what came through was people 891 01:02:11.580 --> 01:02:17.520 <v Jermaine Ee>showing up out of nowhere to tell us, her family, all 892 01:02:17.540 --> 01:02:19.950 <v Jermaine Ee>the things that she did for them that we didn't know about. 893 01:02:20.980 --> 01:02:24.010 <v Jermaine Ee>And it was honestly the most beautiful thing. 894 01:02:24.240 --> 01:02:28.280 <v Jermaine Ee>Mean, I even today, I get people coming up to me, reminding me 895 01:02:28.300 --> 01:02:33.565 <v Jermaine Ee>that my mom did something for them. And she never expected 896 01:02:33.585 --> 01:02:34.735 <v Jermaine Ee>anything in return. 897 01:02:36.130 --> 01:02:41.670 <v Jermaine Ee>So I think that's this blessing that we keep getting even after 898 01:02:41.690 --> 01:02:44.470 <v Jermaine Ee>a year and a half of her leaving, a year and a few 899 01:02:44.490 --> 01:02:45.490 <v Jermaine Ee>months. 900 01:02:46.670 --> 01:02:49.420 <v Jermaine Ee>But yeah, she died of a stroke. 901 01:02:51.060 --> 01:02:52.060 <v Kevin Lowe>Well, 902 01:02:53.440 --> 01:02:57.410 <v Kevin Lowe>Jermaine, I just wanna say 903 01:02:59.100 --> 01:03:05.035 <v Kevin Lowe>how amazing you are in 904 01:03:05.055 --> 01:03:10.755 <v Kevin Lowe>the fact that you lost your mom not 905 01:03:10.775 --> 01:03:16.320 <v Kevin Lowe>long ago at all. And the fact that you can continue 906 01:03:16.340 --> 01:03:21.870 <v Kevin Lowe>on with life, that you can continue building and 907 01:03:21.890 --> 01:03:27.230 <v Kevin Lowe>promoting this app, this resource, but even more so that 908 01:03:27.250 --> 01:03:33.110 <v Kevin Lowe>you can come on my podcast and talk so incredible about this 909 01:03:33.130 --> 01:03:38.815 <v Kevin Lowe>journey of you and your mom. And yet, it has only 910 01:03:38.835 --> 01:03:44.615 <v Kevin Lowe>been a little over a year, a year and a half since 911 01:03:44.635 --> 01:03:46.305 <v Kevin Lowe>the passing of your mom, 912 01:03:47.600 --> 01:03:53.365 <v Kevin Lowe>man, you, you are truly, truly an extraordinary person. 913 01:03:53.815 --> 01:03:56.505 <v Kevin Lowe>Your strength is, is remarkable. 914 01:03:58.940 --> 01:04:04.310 <v Kevin Lowe>And the fact that, like I said, that you can even be here 915 01:04:04.330 --> 01:04:10.240 <v Kevin Lowe>sharing such an intimate part of your story with me and for 916 01:04:10.260 --> 01:04:15.465 <v Kevin Lowe>the world to hear. Again, I just, I have to think, 917 01:04:16.055 --> 01:04:20.195 <v Kevin Lowe>my gosh, your mom had to be so proud of the son that she 918 01:04:20.215 --> 01:04:21.665 <v Kevin Lowe>raised. 919 01:04:24.465 --> 01:04:29.355 <v Jermaine Ee>Yeah, I think she is and the one thing that she would 920 01:04:29.945 --> 01:04:34.305 <v Jermaine Ee>Probably say is that Jermaine, can you please stop talking 921 01:04:34.325 --> 01:04:35.735 <v Jermaine Ee>about me on podcasts? 922 01:04:38.565 --> 01:04:41.735 <v Jermaine Ee>She doesn't like being in the center of attention 923 01:04:44.505 --> 01:04:50.405 <v Kevin Lowe>Oh my Goodness, well, well, we, sorry, Jermaine's mom, you 924 01:04:50.425 --> 01:04:53.145 <v Kevin Lowe>are center of, of the attention right now. 925 01:04:53.165 --> 01:04:54.165 <v Kevin Lowe>So, 926 01:04:54.685 --> 01:04:59.975 <v Kevin Lowe>but, but wow, well, Jermaine, I mean, 927 01:05:02.505 --> 01:05:08.000 <v Kevin Lowe>you know, you have to, when I look at your story, you have to 928 01:05:08.020 --> 01:05:13.480 <v Kevin Lowe>kind of marvel at the way life has a way, even in the 929 01:05:13.500 --> 01:05:18.450 <v Kevin Lowe>chaos of it all. And even as crazy as life seems, 930 01:05:19.700 --> 01:05:24.070 <v Kevin Lowe>I often look at my own life as a jigsaw puzzle. 931 01:05:24.780 --> 01:05:29.740 <v Kevin Lowe>And as you're putting together the puzzle, you don't understand 932 01:05:29.760 --> 01:05:35.120 <v Kevin Lowe>what it's building. You just know that one piece connects to 933 01:05:35.140 --> 01:05:40.180 <v Kevin Lowe>another piece to another piece but it's not until you can look 934 01:05:40.200 --> 01:05:45.020 <v Kevin Lowe>back on it all and be able to see the big picture to 935 01:05:45.040 --> 01:05:48.150 <v Kevin Lowe>understand how they all fit together. 936 01:05:49.160 --> 01:05:54.140 <v Kevin Lowe>And so even if we just want to take the later part of your 937 01:05:54.160 --> 01:05:55.160 <v Kevin Lowe>story, 938 01:05:56.460 --> 01:06:02.390 <v Kevin Lowe>the fact of building this app and doing that with your mom, 939 01:06:03.260 --> 01:06:08.810 <v Kevin Lowe>having no idea that you would then lose her so soon. 940 01:06:09.325 --> 01:06:14.425 <v Kevin Lowe>But again, what an absolute blessing that 941 01:06:14.445 --> 01:06:17.805 <v Kevin Lowe>you got all of that information from her. 942 01:06:17.825 --> 01:06:23.785 <v Kevin Lowe>And I think that is the most just heartfelt reminder 943 01:06:23.805 --> 01:06:29.285 <v Kevin Lowe>to me and to every person listening that this 944 01:06:29.305 --> 01:06:35.025 <v Kevin Lowe>is why what you're here talking about matters is because we 945 01:06:35.045 --> 01:06:40.030 <v Kevin Lowe>never know what tomorrow will hold. And so 946 01:06:40.050 --> 01:06:43.130 <v Kevin Lowe>why not prepare now? 947 01:06:44.810 --> 01:06:46.020 <v Jermaine Ee>Well said 948 01:06:47.730 --> 01:06:48.830 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, we 949 01:06:48.850 --> 01:06:51.100 <v Kevin Lowe>So, yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. 950 01:06:51.120 --> 01:06:56.860 <v Jermaine Ee>Yeah, I also want to give you flowers as you know, I know you 951 01:06:56.880 --> 01:07:01.060 <v Jermaine Ee>do this podcast and you give us a platform to share these 952 01:07:01.080 --> 01:07:05.040 <v Jermaine Ee>stories, you know, I've been on a number of podcasts now and 953 01:07:05.060 --> 01:07:09.500 <v Jermaine Ee>sometimes I think about, gosh, I am so tired of hearing my own 954 01:07:09.520 --> 01:07:15.080 <v Jermaine Ee>voice and talking to you today, you know, it's a good reminder 955 01:07:15.100 --> 01:07:19.280 <v Jermaine Ee>to me that the world is huge and you just We just don't know when 956 01:07:19.300 --> 01:07:23.160 <v Jermaine Ee>will someone come across our voices right now, and maybe they 957 01:07:23.180 --> 01:07:26.310 <v Jermaine Ee>come Across our voices at a time that they need to. 958 01:07:27.700 --> 01:07:32.100 <v Jermaine Ee>You know, Nothing I say here today is for the first time in 959 01:07:32.120 --> 01:07:35.480 <v Jermaine Ee>history. It's been said in many different ways. 960 01:07:35.500 --> 01:07:39.700 <v Jermaine Ee>But I think it's always a reminder to me that the 961 01:07:39.720 --> 01:07:41.190 <v Jermaine Ee>packaging of it, stories, the 962 01:07:42.960 --> 01:07:47.780 <v Jermaine Ee>and the relatability that we all have to different people and the 963 01:07:47.800 --> 01:07:51.220 <v Jermaine Ee>timing of it all that's completely out of control is 964 01:07:51.240 --> 01:07:54.250 <v Jermaine Ee>what determines if our story actually makes an impact. 965 01:07:55.340 --> 01:07:59.080 <v Jermaine Ee>And so kudos to you for keeping this show going and for giving 966 01:07:59.100 --> 01:08:00.810 <v Jermaine Ee>me a platform to share my story. 967 01:08:01.580 --> 01:08:04.690 <v Kevin Lowe>Yeah. Well, without a doubt, Jermaine. 968 01:08:05.800 --> 01:08:10.140 <v Kevin Lowe>So, Jermaine, what I want to do now, obviously, is can you 969 01:08:10.160 --> 01:08:15.650 <v Kevin Lowe>please share with me and for my But 970 01:08:15.670 --> 01:08:21.450 <v Kevin Lowe>me specifically, I'm the most interested is how, how do we 971 01:08:21.470 --> 01:08:26.870 <v Kevin Lowe>find out more about what you've created and how can we utilize 972 01:08:26.890 --> 01:08:28.860 <v Kevin Lowe>this amazing resource? 973 01:08:29.415 --> 01:08:34.755 <v Jermaine Ee>The app is called HeirLight, H-E-I-R-L-I-G-H-T. 974 01:08:35.245 --> 01:08:39.995 <v Jermaine Ee>It's available in the app store for Google and Apple. 975 01:08:40.325 --> 01:08:43.215 <v Jermaine Ee>We're only live, as I said, in 16 states right now. 976 01:08:43.265 --> 01:08:46.225 <v Jermaine Ee>So maybe when you listen to this in the future, we'll be in all 977 01:08:46.245 --> 01:08:47.245 <v Jermaine Ee>50 states. 978 01:08:48.485 --> 01:08:51.025 <v Jermaine Ee>And I'm easily found everywhere online. 979 01:08:51.045 --> 01:08:54.565 <v Jermaine Ee>I'm named after the great Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson 980 01:08:54.585 --> 01:08:59.905 <v Jermaine Ee>Five. And my last name, my last name is spelled with two E's. 981 01:08:59.925 --> 01:09:02.895 <v Jermaine Ee>And so if you just search Jermaine Ee, you'll find me. 982 01:09:03.815 --> 01:09:05.965 <v Kevin Lowe>Okay. Okay. Amazing. Now, 983 01:09:07.115 --> 01:09:10.695 <v Kevin Lowe>do we know, obviously you said 16 different states. 984 01:09:10.715 --> 01:09:13.535 <v Kevin Lowe>Do we know at this point what those states are off the top of 985 01:09:13.555 --> 01:09:14.555 <v Kevin Lowe>your head? 986 01:09:15.075 --> 01:09:19.215 <v Jermaine Ee>Ooh, that is a challenge, Kevin. I do not, but I know the larger 987 01:09:19.235 --> 01:09:22.535 <v Jermaine Ee>states we're live in. So California, Texas, Florida, New 988 01:09:22.555 --> 01:09:25.895 <v Jermaine Ee>York, Ohio, like the bigger populated states are. 989 01:09:25.915 --> 01:09:29.215 <v Jermaine Ee>And then just as a fun tribute to my parents, Oklahoma is live 990 01:09:29.235 --> 01:09:30.965 <v Jermaine Ee>as well. My dear Friend, yes, my dear friend David helped me out 991 01:09:30.985 --> 01:09:31.985 <v Kevin Lowe>Thank you. 992 01:09:34.295 --> 01:09:36.665 <v Jermaine Ee>with that. He's a estate planning attorney there. 993 01:09:37.615 --> 01:09:40.035 <v Jermaine Ee>And, yeah, he didn't ask for this shout out, but you know, 994 01:09:40.055 --> 01:09:45.135 <v Jermaine Ee>he's been gracious. Not every state that we enter, well, most 995 01:09:45.155 --> 01:09:48.075 <v Jermaine Ee>of the states that we enter cost me a lot of money because I got 996 01:09:48.095 --> 01:09:48.795 <v Jermaine Ee>to get 997 01:09:48.815 --> 01:09:51.895 <v Jermaine Ee>The attorneys to make sure that the template that I'm using at 998 01:09:51.915 --> 01:09:57.235 <v Jermaine Ee>the backend to train the AI has to be valid for the state that 999 01:09:57.255 --> 01:10:00.985 <v Jermaine Ee>we're talking about. So that's a very high cost that we have. 1000 01:10:01.455 --> 01:10:05.795 <v Kevin Lowe>Yes. Yes. Wow. Well, I will be positive for, for anybody 1001 01:10:05.815 --> 01:10:09.715 <v Kevin Lowe>listening that in the episode show notes today, that I will 1002 01:10:09.735 --> 01:10:11.445 <v Kevin Lowe>definitely leave links, 1003 01:10:12.515 --> 01:10:17.155 <v Kevin Lowe>to, to make that easy for them to be able to check to see, you 1004 01:10:17.175 --> 01:10:20.735 <v Kevin Lowe>know, if, if they are in one of these States and, and like you 1005 01:10:20.755 --> 01:10:23.875 <v Kevin Lowe>said, maybe even at a later date and time, it'll be in all 50 1006 01:10:23.895 --> 01:10:27.855 <v Kevin Lowe>States. And so So I will be sure that there is links in the show 1007 01:10:27.875 --> 01:10:30.945 <v Kevin Lowe>notes for anybody to be able to access airlight. 1008 01:10:32.335 --> 01:10:35.525 <v Kevin Lowe>Jermaine, it's been an absolute pleasure. 1009 01:10:37.155 --> 01:10:42.855 <v Kevin Lowe>You know, what I love about our conversation today is kind of 1010 01:10:42.875 --> 01:10:46.735 <v Kevin Lowe>what I said earlier. It's just this amazing journey that you've 1011 01:10:46.755 --> 01:10:52.175 <v Kevin Lowe>been on and getting to understand just the story 1012 01:10:52.195 --> 01:10:53.865 <v Kevin Lowe>behind you. 1013 01:10:55.135 --> 01:10:59.735 <v Kevin Lowe>I mean, as, as the founder of, of HeirLight, you know, it's, 1014 01:10:59.755 --> 01:11:03.795 <v Kevin Lowe>it's one thing to have this, this brand, this app, this tool, 1015 01:11:03.815 --> 01:11:09.235 <v Kevin Lowe>but to get to actually hear the heart and soul behind it, it 1016 01:11:09.255 --> 01:11:13.125 <v Kevin Lowe>makes it that much more meaningful and more impactful. 1017 01:11:13.615 --> 01:11:19.395 <v Kevin Lowe>And, again, it just, it's a real pleasure and honor to get to, to 1018 01:11:19.415 --> 01:11:21.955 <v Kevin Lowe>have you on my podcast and to get to share that with the 1019 01:11:21.975 --> 01:11:23.945 <v Kevin Lowe>world. So thank you, 1020 01:11:24.385 --> 01:11:26.895 <v Jermaine Ee>Thank you. The pleasure and honor is mine. 1021 01:11:27.950 --> 01:11:32.730 <v Kevin Lowe>Amazing. Well, my friend, I hope you've enjoyed today's interview 1022 01:11:32.750 --> 01:11:38.190 <v Kevin Lowe>with Jermaine Ee. Please be sure that you take today 1023 01:11:38.210 --> 01:11:43.560 <v Kevin Lowe>as a call to action. It's a call to action to do the hard stuff, 1024 01:11:43.810 --> 01:11:47.710 <v Kevin Lowe>to talk with the people we love about the things that we don't 1025 01:11:47.730 --> 01:11:52.530 <v Kevin Lowe>want to talk about. Like the idea that at some point in time, 1026 01:11:52.550 --> 01:11:57.250 <v Kevin Lowe>We're all gonna have a day when our time here on this earth is 1027 01:11:57.270 --> 01:12:02.570 <v Kevin Lowe>over. So why don't we plan for it? Not for ourselves, but for 1028 01:12:02.590 --> 01:12:06.010 <v Kevin Lowe>the people we love. Please be sure to check out today's show 1029 01:12:06.030 --> 01:12:09.750 <v Kevin Lowe>notes where you can find all the links and resources for 1030 01:12:09.770 --> 01:12:14.450 <v Kevin Lowe>HeirLight. And again, most of all, I just wanna thank you for 1031 01:12:14.470 --> 01:12:18.750 <v Kevin Lowe>being here. And please, by all means, if there's somebody you 1032 01:12:18.770 --> 01:12:23.790 <v Kevin Lowe>know who you would love to share this with, well, please be sure 1033 01:12:23.810 --> 01:12:27.710 <v Kevin Lowe>to share today's episode with them. And until next time, I'm 1034 01:12:27.730 --> 01:12:32.360 <v Kevin Lowe>your host, Kevin Lowe, and this was Grit, Grace and Inspiration. 1035 01:12:32.510 --> 01:18:28.970 [Closing song, I'm Living In My Dream by K-Lowe Music]