How to Build a Brand People Trust with Scott Harrison: An EOFire Classic from 2022

Key takeaways

Building a trustful brand involves inspiring positivity and encouraging contributions, not shame or guilt.
Early and consistent giving in the business journey can lead to greater success and fulfillment.
Access to clean water is a fundamental human right and dramatically changes lives, especially in vulnerable communities.
Innovative transparency and direct impact communication build trust and motivate ongoing support.
Reinventing traditional models, such as ensuring 100% of donations go directly to causes, increases donor confidence and engagement.
Personal stories highlight the profound impact of basic needs like clean water, motivating collective action.

Summary

The Power of Giving During Business Growth

Scott Harrison discusses his core belief that giving should be integrated into the journey of building a successful organization or business. He emphasizes that many people delay generosity until they reach certain milestones, but he advocates for giving along the way as a secret to success. Scott shares how this philosophy influenced Gary Vaynerchuk's approach and underpins the mission of charity water.

Introduction to Charity Water and Its Mission

Scott Harrison explains the origins of charity water, a nonprofit dedicated to providing clean and safe drinking water worldwide. He highlights the progress made, reducing the number of people without water from 1 in 6 to approximately 1 in 10, currently at 771 million. Scott emphasizes the importance of this basic human necessity and the ongoing efforts to eliminate water scarcity.

Scott Harrison's Personal Journey and Reinvention

Scott shares his remarkable transition from a nightclub promoter in Manhattan to a social entrepreneur committed to global water issues. His turning point came after a personal trip to Liberia, West Africa, where exposure to the suffering caused by lack of water profoundly changed his life. He sold his possessions and dedicated himself to making a difference, leading to the founding of charity water.

Innovative Approaches in Charitable Giving

Scott discusses how charity water reimagined traditional charity models by ensuring 100% of donations go directly to water projects, with overhead funded separately. He stresses the importance of transparency, showing donors the exact impact of their contributions through satellite images and photos. The non-shame-based, empowering branding approach helps foster trust and engagement.

Scaling Success and Impact Stories

Scott reflects on the growth of charity water, from initially raising funds through small events to over $700 million raised, impacting over 15.5 million people. He attributes this success to a clear mission, community engagement, and relentless focus. Scott shares impactful stories, including a tragic account from Ethiopia and a life-changing story from Uganda, illustrating the profound difference access to water makes.

How Listeners Can Get Involved and Make a Difference

Scott encourages listeners to contribute through the spring, a recurring monthly donation community, which supports ongoing water projects. He highlights how simple acts, like cutting streaming subscriptions or small donations, can significantly impact lives. The emphasis is on collective, continuous effort to help eradicate water hardship globally.

Show notes

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2022. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant.

Scott Harrison is the founder and CEO of charity: water, a non-profit with the mission of bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

Top 3 Value Bombs

1. Build a brand that inspires the best in people, not shame or guilt, and encourages them to contribute time and money to help others.

2. Today, 771 million people still lack clean water, a shift from 1 in 6 to 1 in 10 people globally.

3. Being born in a village without water changes everything about life.

Help bring clean and safe water to every person on the planet - Charity Water