Summary
The podcast episode features an interview between Peter Atia and Scott Harrison, the founder and CEO of charity:water. While the focus of the podcast is on Scott's personal story and transformation, the conversation covers a range of topics. The podcast begins with a story about a family that was exposed to carbon dioxide gas due to a faulty heat exchanger. The mother was diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity, highlighting the challenges of diagnosing and treating illnesses that do not fit into obvious categories.
The podcast then moves on to Scott's childhood, where his mother was extremely sensitive to chemicals, and the family had to make many changes to their lifestyle to accommodate her illness. Scott rebelled against the strict rules of his church and religion in his teenage years, which led him to join a band. He later became a nightclub promoter and describes the dark habits that came with the job, including smoking, drinking, sex, drugs, and gambling.
Scott eventually had an epiphany and decided to change his lifestyle. He volunteered for humanitarian service and joined Mercy, a hospital ship that provides medical assistance to people in need. He documented the patients' stories and surgeries through photos and stories and shared them with his club list, inspiring people to donate to the organization. Scott paid $500 every month to volunteer, and the experience taught him about the efficiency of a non-profit organization.
Scott then started his own charity organization called Charity Water, which aims to provide clean drinking water to people in need. He explains the four pillars of their organization, including giving away 100% of donations to fund water projects in developing countries, providing proof of the impact of the donations, creating an inspiring and imaginative brand, and working through local organizations to ensure cultural appropriateness and sustainability of the water projects.
Overall, the podcast highlights the importance of finding people who believe in the cause and trust the organization, rather than just supporting a mission. The conversation between Peter and Scott is inspiring, and listeners are likely to come away feeling the same.
