Scott Harrison: From Night Club Debauchery To Humanitarian Devotion | How To Find What Drives Your Soul
Sep 23, 2024
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Scott Harrison, founder of charity:Water, shares his incredible journey from a nightlife promoter in New York City to a dedicated humanitarian. He candidly discusses the emptiness of his former life and a life-changing sabbatical in Africa, where he witnessed the devastating clean water crisis. Harrison emphasizes the transformative power of access to clean water and its impact on communities, especially women and girls. He champions a new approach to charity that fosters transparency and encourages personal involvement in humanitarian efforts.
Scott Harrison transitioned from a hedonistic nightclub promoter to a passionate humanitarian after witnessing the global water crisis in Africa.
He founded Charity Water to provide clean drinking water, emphasizing its crucial role in health, education, and economic empowerment, especially for women and girls.
Harrison advocates for transforming philanthropy through transparency and accountability, showcasing donor impact to foster trust and encourage greater contributions.
Deep dives
Transformation from Nightclub Promoter to Humanitarian
Scott Harrison shares his transformative journey from a successful nightclub promoter in New York City to the founder of Charity Water. After a decade of indulging in the nightlife scene marked by excessive partying and superficiality, he experienced a deep sense of emptiness and sought a more meaningful life. A pivotal moment occurred while volunteering on a hospital ship in Africa, where he witnessed the dire consequences of unsafe drinking water. This realization drove him to abandon his hedonistic lifestyle and dedicate his life to providing clean water to those in need.
The Vision Behind Charity Water
Harrison founded Charity Water with a clear vision: to bring clean drinking water to every person on the planet. He recognized that access to clean water is fundamental to health, education, and economic growth, particularly for women and girls who disproportionately bear the burden of fetching water. By leveraging his promotional skills, he turned his knowledge of fundraising into a mission that would not only provide immediate relief but also improve long-term community resilience. Charity Water has since mobilized millions of people to support this vital cause, raising nearly a billion dollars to date.
Reimagining Charity and Philanthropy
Charity Water aims to redefine how people perceive and engage with charitable giving, focusing on transparency and accountability. By providing donors with clear evidence of their impact—such as photos and satellite images of completed projects—the organization fosters trust and confidence in the charitable process. This approach invites skeptics back into philanthropy, encouraging them to help make a difference through generous contributions. Harrison emphasizes that genuine acts of charity can enrich not just the recipients but also the givers, creating a collaborative community striving for a common good.
The Multifaceted Impact of Clean Water
Access to clean water extends beyond health benefits; it facilitates education and economic opportunities, especially for women. Harrison illustrates that many girls miss school due to the lack of sanitary facilities and water, which hinders their education and future prospects. Furthermore, the time saved from not having to fetch water allows women to engage in income-generating activities, thus improving their families' economic situations. The ripple effects of providing clean water leads to healthier communities and empowers individuals to break the cycle of poverty.
Finding Purpose Through Service
Harrison emphasizes that true fulfillment and happiness come from serving others rather than pursuing personal gain. He compares his previous lifestyle, driven by materialistic desires, to his current mission, which is rooted in compassion and humanitarianism. By aligning his passions with altruistic goals, he finds greater meaning in his work and encourages others to do the same. This realization highlights that anyone can create a positive impact, regardless of their background, as long as they identify a cause that resonates with their values and motivates them to act.
I bring you a great story of…drive. And the fruition I find most people experience, where we start off in life driven by our base desires and find the shallowness and meaninglessness of it and wonder if this is all life has to offer. I’ve known of Scott Harrison for many years, but never got the chance to dig into his story and drive myself. Scott is founder of charity:Water and has literally put a dent in the global clean water crisis. He’s been so successful, not only do celebrities want to hang with him, but he’s become a celebrity himself. Scott’s story began by abandoning his faith-based upbringing to spend almost 10 years as a nightclub promoter in New York City. He had great success in driving other people to drink themselves into oblivion and made the nightclubs a lot of money. He was literally paid to party and he imbibed to the fullest degree with drugs, alcohol, sex and everything that goes along with it. As his soul began to dry up, he took a sabbatical to volunteer on a hospital ship as a photojournalist. While in Africa he witnessed people drinking out of a cesspool of water he wouldn’t have used to clean his glasses. He returned to New York City two years later and put his promotional skills to work to found the non-profit organization charity: water in 2006. Scott has not only made a global impact for clean water but today he’s changing how we view and do charity at large. Following is my conversation with Scott to understand what has driven him. You’ll hear his story and his infectious drive for his chosen devotion, clean water. You may not want to devote yourself to clean water, but this show will increase your drive to devote yourself to what you feel called to. You can get Scott’s full story in his book, Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World.
Got a comment or question about an episode? Want to ask a question about your drive? Email me. I don’t want to just talk to you here, I want to talk with you. kmiller@kevinmiller.co.
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