1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,240 Speaker 1: About eleven years ago, we were in Haiti and I 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: was introduced to a little girl who was thirteen. She 3 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: spent three to four hours every day collecting water. So 4 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,040 Speaker 1: I say to this kid, I'm like, well, hey, you know, 5 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: I kind of joke and say, now you have more 6 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: time for homework. And she looks at me totally seriously, 7 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: and she's like, I don't need more time to do homework. 8 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: I'm the smartest kid in my class. And I said, 9 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: all right, well, so what are you going to do 10 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: with all this time that you just found? You your 11 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,120 Speaker 1: new found four hours a day. And she looked at 12 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: me and she goes, I'm gonna play. Hey everyone, welcome 13 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in 14 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: the world. Thanks to each and every single one of 15 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: you that come back every week to listen, learn, and grow. Now, 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: I know that our community add on Purpose. All of 17 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 1: you are activists. Our community is dedicated to making positive 18 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: change in the world. I know that all of you 19 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: have got behind so many causes that we've prioritized and 20 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: given a platform too on this podcast, and this is 21 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: one of those episodes. So if you've been looking and 22 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: waiting to do something positive in the world, to feel 23 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: like you're a part of the solution. Then I want 24 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: you to listen to this episode. I want you to 25 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: share it with all your friends and family that are 26 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: of the same energy and spirit, because this one's going 27 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: to make a huge difference. Today I'm sweeking of two 28 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: incredible guests, Gary White and Matt Damon, who are co 29 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: founders of water dot Org and Water Equity. While everyone 30 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: knows Matt as an actor and producer and screenwriter, in 31 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: two thousand and six he founded H twenty Africa Foundation 32 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 1: to raise awareness about water initiatives on the continent. Matt's 33 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: active participation in the work of water or dot org 34 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: and Water Equity has positioned him as one of the 35 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: world's experts on water and sanitation issues now. In nineteen 36 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: ninety one, Gary launched Water Partners, now the international NGEO 37 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: known as water dot Org. Today, he leads two organizations 38 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: in creating and executing mark driven solutions to the global 39 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: water crisis, driving innovations in the way water and sanitation 40 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: projects are delivered and financed. Welcome to on Purpose, Matt 41 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: Damon and Gary White. Matt and Gary, thank you so 42 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: much for being here. And I know today we're talking 43 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: about your book, The Worth of Water, our story of 44 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: chasing solutions to the world's greatest challenge. I highly recommend 45 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,399 Speaker 1: everyone goes and grabs a copy of the book while 46 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: you're listening or watching, but we will be diving into 47 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: that and discussing it. Gary and Matt, thank you for 48 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: being here. It's so good to see you. Good to 49 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: see you. Thank you for sharing your incredible platform with 50 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: us too. This is really awesome. We appreciate it for sure. 51 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: Thanks jay No, thank you for doing the work. You know. 52 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: I spent three years living as a monk in India 53 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: after business school, and a lot of the work we 54 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: did was around building sustainable villages and a big part 55 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,399 Speaker 1: of that was making sure that clean water reach those places. 56 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: So I have a personal affy to the work that 57 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: you're doing, and so when this came across my desk, 58 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: I was, to be honest, just super enthusiastic and excited 59 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: to talk about it. I'd love to start off from 60 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: both of you individually telling me about what is the 61 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: water crisis and water issue right now for those who 62 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: are unaware or those that have kind of seen it 63 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: but kind of think, oh yeah, like isn't aren't. There 64 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: are a lot of people dealing with that, and you know, 65 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: it's kind of been talked about for a while. I'd 66 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: love to hear from both of your perspectives personally as 67 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: to what you believe the issue is right now. Well, 68 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: if I can go ahead and jump in, that's all right. 69 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: It's it's so complex, it's kind of hard to distill 70 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: it it. I'll give it a shot. I think that 71 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: for us, we tend to think of the water crisis 72 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: is something that's looming. We know that, you know, a 73 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: climate change, water resources are getting more scarce, and that 74 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: is a looming crisis, and it is important we should 75 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: be focused on that. But for seven hundred and seventy 76 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: one million people around the world today, the crisis is 77 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: already upon them. Right. They're the ones that when they 78 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: woke up this morning, they didn't necessarily know where they 79 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: were going to get water for the day. They didn't 80 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: know how much time they were going to have to 81 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 1: spend walking to collect that water, or sometimes they have 82 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 1: to buy it from these these urban slum vendors who 83 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: sell it for prices that are ten to fifteen times 84 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: more than what they would pay if they had a 85 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: water connection. So to them, the water crisis is a 86 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:36,799 Speaker 1: daily struggle to make sure that they have enough water 87 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: in order to kind of live the day. And then 88 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: when you're struggling day to day like that, that water 89 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: crisis becomes like a family health crisis, it becomes an 90 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: education crisis, it becomes lack of employment crisis because your 91 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,679 Speaker 1: focus so much on getting water or paying for water 92 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: that you're not in school, you're not healthy, and so 93 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: it is basically something that's right now robbing hundreds of 94 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: millions of people of their futures because until you have water, 95 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: nothing else matters. Thank you for that, Gary, I really 96 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: appreciate that. And the main thing that I'm hearing there 97 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: is just we think of people just not having water 98 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: to drink, and then it's almost like, well, wait a minute, 99 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: let's think about the act of getting water and what 100 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: that takes away time from i e. Their economic space, 101 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: their home space, their family, the cooking, the feeding that, 102 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: you know, everything that it expands out to. So thank 103 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: you for that. I want to extend the same question 104 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 1: to you as well. I'd love to hear about for 105 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: you personally, what you see is the issue so well, 106 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: I think Gary just did a pretty good summary there. 107 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: But to follow on to that, I would just say 108 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 1: that the effect of that, right, leaving aside the needless 109 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: disease and death right that occurs when you don't have 110 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: access to clean water and sanitation, you know, because we're 111 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 1: losing a million children under the age of five, you know, 112 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: to every year to completely preventable illness, right and and 113 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: and so that's its own tragedy, right. But but when 114 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: you look at the other effects of not having access, namely, 115 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: you know, because this disproportionately affects women and girls. Uh, 116 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: so many girls aren't in school because they they have 117 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: to for the sake of the survival of their families, 118 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:25,720 Speaker 1: be out looking for water every day and so and 119 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: so you can imagine what that does to the to 120 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: the outcomes of their of their lives and to their potential. 121 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: So it's not only this this needless disease and suffering. 122 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,799 Speaker 1: It's it's also robbing people of their potential in ways 123 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: that are really incalculable. Um. And that was the very 124 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: first water collection I went on. Um this is fifteen 125 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: sixteen years ago, and I was in Zambia in this 126 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: really rural village and and I was it had been 127 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: arranged for me to meet this girl when she got 128 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,799 Speaker 1: home from school, and we walked together to this well 129 00:06:57,920 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: and and and I talked to her. It was about 130 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: a mile away. And in the course of our conversation, 131 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 1: I said, you know, I said, are you going to 132 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: live here for the rest of your life? Is this 133 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: where you want to live? And she got really shy 134 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: and she goes, no, No, I don't want to live here. 135 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: I want to go to the big city. We're in 136 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: this really rural area that she goes, I want to 137 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: go to Lusaka. I want to be a nurse, right, 138 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: and and I totally just connected to her because I 139 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: remembered being fourteen and I was going to go to 140 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: the big city with Ben Affleck and we were going 141 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: to be actors. We were going to New York and 142 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 1: and uh and that's like what a fourteen year old 143 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,239 Speaker 1: should be thinking about, right, They should be dreaming about 144 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: their futures and the possibility that awaited them. And it 145 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: wasn't until I got in the car and was driving 146 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: away that I realized, had it not been for the 147 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: foresight of someone to sink a borewell a mile from 148 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 1: this kid's house, she wouldn't have been in school, you know, 149 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: she wouldn't she wouldn't dream of someday being a nurse 150 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: and contributing to the economic engine of her country, and 151 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:54,800 Speaker 1: and and and helping people, you know, being a health 152 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: frontline healthcare worker, you know, all the things that and 153 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: living her dream really right, and so and so that 154 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 1: was kind of an epiphany for me. And and and 155 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: just the far reaching effect of lack of access, because 156 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: I really found that it underpinned everything, It undergirds every 157 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: issue of extreme poverty, It touches all of them. And 158 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: so the fact that nobody was really talking about it, 159 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: and it was this vastly interesting and complex thing, massive 160 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 1: problem that that was what first got me really interested. Yeah, 161 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: that's beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that. And 162 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 1: I think there was a line in the book that 163 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: really struck me. And you said that for that girl, 164 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: water was life, and it was also a shot at 165 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: a better life. And when you make that comparison of 166 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: what you were thinking about at fourteen, what she's thinking 167 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: about at fourteen, now I'm thinking about what I was 168 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: thinking about at fourteen. And I would encourage our listeners 169 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: and viewers right now. And Gary, I'm sure you've thought 170 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: about this many times, but I'd like everyone who's listening 171 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: and watching to think, what were you thinking about at fourteen? 172 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: What was your choice that you were having to make? 173 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: And you just realize how far off it is from 174 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 1: someone who doesn't have access to water and clean water, 175 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: and that just makes you start pause and think and 176 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: go wow, Like I may think I may not have 177 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: this opportunity, or I may not have enough money to 178 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: move to a city, but it's like here we're talking 179 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: about not even having water and clean water to have 180 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: access to, let alone all those choices. One thing that 181 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: comes to mind, and I want to hear this from 182 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: both of you because you know this has been work 183 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:25,719 Speaker 1: that you've been doing for a number of years. This 184 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: is not something that you know, both of you've just 185 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: got involved with. Then you know it's it's it's your 186 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: life's work. It's it's it's something you're truly passionate about 187 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: when you first saw the pain for both of you, 188 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: when you first when I hear those numbers, seven hundred 189 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: and seventy one million people, is that right? Did I 190 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: get that a number? Right? Gary? Like seven hundred and 191 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 1: seventy one million people you know don't have access to 192 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: clean water. When I'm hearing Matts you share the statistic 193 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: just right now, we're losing a million children at Yeah. 194 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: When I'm hearing those numbers, they are so high, right, 195 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: they're astronomical. I hear a lot to people when they're 196 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: exposed to that much pain. Our natural inclination is to 197 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: feel like we can't do anything, And our natural inclination 198 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: is to feel a bit helpless, to feel sad, to 199 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: feel disheartened. We feel like our empathy takes over and 200 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,679 Speaker 1: we go, well, what can I do? When you first 201 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: saw that, what gave both of you the feeling a 202 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: that you had to do something, but be that what 203 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: you do could make a difference. Let's start there, and 204 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: then I'll follow up with another question. Let's start there, 205 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: and Garrett, you can go first again. For us, I 206 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: came at it from a kind of an almost analytical 207 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: perspective after I had that emotional response to it. Right, So, 208 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 1: when I was in Guatemala as an undergraduate, you know, 209 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: in university, doing a volunteer project there, just seeing this 210 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 1: girl going and collecting this filthy water out of a drum, 211 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 1: you know, in the slums, and walking back through this 212 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: sewage filled lane that that to me was one person, right, 213 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: and then coming back and then learning that this was 214 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: the story for hundreds of millions of people, I didn't 215 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: get discouraged. I just like could see that one person 216 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:14,720 Speaker 1: and it's like, okay, if we can just kind of 217 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: tackle this, you know, even one person at a time, 218 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: that was kind of the idealistic view of it. And 219 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: and so to me, what's been important about this journey 220 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: that we kind of chronicle in the in the book 221 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,599 Speaker 1: is that you know, you have to have that in 222 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:33,959 Speaker 1: goal in mind, and that can be daunting to see that. 223 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: You know, our vision is that everyone in our lifetime, 224 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: you know, has access to say water, and that the 225 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: challenge that becomes to match the scale of the solution 226 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: to the scale of the problem. Right, And I knew 227 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: that philanthropy alone wasn't going to be that solution. Philanthropy 228 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: has a role to play, but it was only by 229 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,319 Speaker 1: traveling in meeting women who were in these circumstances. I 230 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: met a woman in India who had gone to a 231 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: loan shark and was paying one hundred and fifty percent 232 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: interest to that loan shark just so she could build 233 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: the toilet that she wanted other people who are doing 234 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:12,320 Speaker 1: this to taking out loans for water connections at exorbitant 235 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: rates and then using those insights and saying, well, what 236 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: if you know, we could turn the problem around and 237 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: look at like getting these people access to these small 238 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 1: loans what we now call water credit that would then 239 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: unleash them to get the solutions that they wanted. So 240 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, but my 241 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: point is that you just have to take the problem 242 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: a step at a time and find a solution that's there, 243 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: evolve it, get the insights, and move on, and that 244 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: is the journey. And I think that's one of these 245 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: kind of the subplots I guess of the book is 246 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: that any of these seemingly intractable, big social problems do 247 00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: have solutions. If you're tenacious, if you innovate, and you 248 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: work hard at it, you believe that we can get there. Yeah. 249 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: That's I would just say it's interesting because because I 250 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: had the exact same kind of reaction that Gary did, 251 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 1: which was to say, Okay, well, I'm this is a 252 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: this is a complex issue, and I don't understand it entirely, 253 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: but I know that if I raise money, if I 254 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: create an organization and raise money and start start doing 255 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: his direct impact. We're building wells, right, I've seen the 256 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 1: power of one well, so if it if a thousand 257 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: people have access to that one, well, then I've helped 258 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: a thousand people. So why don't I start there? Why 259 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: don't I just start moving forward? Why don't I start 260 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:36,319 Speaker 1: as Gary's you know, take that first step. I don't 261 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: know where the road is going, but I know I'm 262 00:13:39,559 --> 00:13:42,559 Speaker 1: not getting there if I don't start walking. And so 263 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: so that was what and so I did, I'm sure 264 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: incredibly naive things. And I didn't you know, and and Gary, 265 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:51,319 Speaker 1: you know when we met in the two thousand and 266 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,560 Speaker 1: eight Gary, you know, we talked about in the book, 267 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: Gary led with all of his failures, right, which was 268 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: an incredible attractive thing, incredibly attractive thing to me because 269 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: I think that is how, you know, we can't be 270 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: afraid of failure, We can't be afraid of you know, 271 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: that can't stop our momentum, right, And it's how we learn, 272 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: and it's how we grow um. And and and so 273 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: I I knew that I had to partner with somebody 274 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: who had a more sophisticated understanding of of of this issue, 275 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: and I looked around for the the best person available 276 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,360 Speaker 1: and uh and when they would not take my call, 277 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: I found Gary, So no I and and and that 278 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: was really the one thing that I did, and this 279 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: all of this work, that was really I'm really happy 280 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: that I did that. It was that it was really 281 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 1: one of the smartest choices I've ever made in my life. 282 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: And because of this water credit that Gary is talking about, 283 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 1: which was this idea that that came from his experience 284 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: and his lifetime of experience of being in these communities 285 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: and talk to people and understanding what life was like. 286 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: He also understood that people in the poorest communities were 287 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: paying for water. They were already paying for it, and 288 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 1: in most cases paying way more than the middle class, 289 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: way more than the people staying in the fancy hotels, 290 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: you know, who take it totally for granted. They weren't 291 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: connected to the infrastructure and as a result, their life 292 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: was built around trying to get it. And uh. And 293 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: so that insight led him to this hypothesis that these 294 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: loans could actually be paid back quite easily. And that's 295 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: what you know, forty three point seven million people later, 296 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: you know, these loans have paid back at over ninety 297 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: nine percent. So it's really the book is really us 298 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: trying to bring the story of these women because you know, 299 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: you know, over ninety percent of our borrowers or women 300 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: and this kind of incredibly heroic women like an individual 301 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: with you know, one by one by one, you know, 302 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: to the tune of millions and millions of them have 303 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: paid these loans back at at over ninety nine percent. 304 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: And it's just a it's a beautiful story and it's 305 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: and it's about philosophically how we feel about about trying 306 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: to help. It's not a kind of paternalistic here's your solution, 307 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: You're welcome. It's like it's going into the communities and 308 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: and and and listening and then ultimately nudging a market 309 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: towards people and letting them solve their own problems. And 310 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: that's what we've seen happen now over forty three million times. 311 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: And that's really cool. Yeah, that's that's an incredible impact. 312 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: And I love the way you're thinking about it and 313 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: the idea that there isn't just a one size fits 314 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: all solution. It's not about throwing money at it. It's 315 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: actually giving people the tools and the skills and the abilities, 316 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: as you've rightly said, to solve their own challenges so 317 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 1: that they feel empowered in the process rather than dependent 318 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: again on another outside source. In another way, I mean, 319 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: can you expand more for those who don't know how 320 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: the lack of access to water impacts girls and women's 321 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: more than boys and men, and and when you uncovered 322 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: that tell us some of the reasons, because I don't 323 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: know if everyone knows why or how that exists as 324 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: a discrepancy, but also tell us some of the stories 325 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: of some of the women that you've worked with as well. 326 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 1: Women and girls have been the ones and families that 327 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 1: have been charged with collecting the water for their households 328 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: almost universally around the world. So they obviously have the 329 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,960 Speaker 1: greatest stake in this, and the greatest stake in trying 330 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 1: to find a solution, and the greatest stake in ensuring 331 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: that that solution is sustainable. And that to us, you know, 332 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: is like an insight, that's an observation. So it's like, well, 333 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: let's how are we going to shape our solutions to 334 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 1: meet their needs? And that's why you know, more than 335 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 1: eighty five percent of the borrowers under our water credit 336 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: program are women, and so they're the ones that are 337 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 1: repaying these loans at a ninety nine percent rate, and 338 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 1: they are the ones that have even more incentive to 339 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: make sure that if something breaks down, that it gets repaired. 340 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: And I think that's one of the beauties of water 341 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 1: credit as well, because oftentimes water projects do break down. 342 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: You know, some of the statistics are that about half 343 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 1: of the water projects fail after five years. And if 344 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: you have access to an ecosystem of finance for water 345 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 1: and sanitation, not just a one and done grant, but 346 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: you can access a micro loan to go get the 347 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: the you know, solution that you need to fix you know, 348 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: your your your water tap or whatever. That is an 349 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: important part of the whole model and giving people you know, 350 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: we talk about, you know, not necessarily seeing people living 351 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: in poverty as a charity problem to be solved, as 352 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:44,640 Speaker 1: much as a market to be served. And in order 353 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:46,399 Speaker 1: to kind of make the market work, we have to 354 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: kind of nudget towards the poor, which is what we 355 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: do with with water dot org to help, you know, 356 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: get microfinance institutions that we partner with around the world 357 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: the to de risk this for them because it's a 358 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: new thing to loan for water and toilets, and they're 359 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: not quite sure how it works. So we can use 360 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: our philanthropic capital to kind of help them do market 361 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: research to design these loan products so that they can 362 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,959 Speaker 1: go out and make these forty three million loans that 363 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: have happened so far. And that is kind of the concept. 364 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:20,680 Speaker 1: And you know, one way to just boil it down 365 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 1: with a story, right A woman I met in the 366 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: Philippines recently. Her name was Lunadiza, and she was paying 367 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: sixty dollars a month to a water vendor who was 368 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 1: selling water off the back of a truck, not even 369 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: good quality water. And she took out a loan from 370 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 1: one of our partners, and her loan repayment her payment 371 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: each month is five dollars. Her water bill each month 372 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: is five dollars. So right there, you see fifty dollars 373 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: back in her pocket. I mean, think about you know, 374 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: when you're living in poverty, fifty dollars is a lot 375 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: of money. You can now work to get your kids 376 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,280 Speaker 1: into school. You know, you can now afford the medicines 377 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: that you might need for your for your family. You 378 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,239 Speaker 1: can invest in your future and build a future. And 379 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 1: I think that's what we're trying to help people unlock, 380 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: and that's whose stories you know, we're fortunate to be 381 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: able to tell in the book. Yeah, Gary, that what 382 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: I find fascinating there, Matt, just before we come to 383 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: you that how have those obviously those water vendors who 384 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: are not selling the clean water or the best word, 385 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: they've built up a certain level of authority and control 386 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: and these markets, and like how is that is that 387 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,760 Speaker 1: being dismantled as well by you doing this work? Like 388 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: where where are those people? Like? Kind of because I 389 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: feel like that is so difficult obviously if you're not 390 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: if you haven't traveled to these countries, it's hard for 391 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: people to understand how that even works. But but that 392 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: kind of like authority, influence and power and control, how 393 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: are they reacting to the dismantling of their economies? Because 394 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: I'm sure that there's you know, conflict or pain back 395 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,359 Speaker 1: from that side, Like how does that all work? Sorry 396 00:20:57,359 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 1: if it's an ignorant question, but it's just no, no, 397 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: no at all. And I think that I guess one 398 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: thing to understand is that even they are not making 399 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: a fortune off of this system, right, It's uh, it's 400 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: just really expensive to find water, to put it in 401 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 1: a truck, to buy the diesel, to drive the truck 402 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 1: around and distribute it. I mean, the efficiency of that 403 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 1: versus doing it through a pipe is incredible, right, So 404 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: it's no surprise that they have to charge those amounts. 405 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: And so yes, there's going to be dislocations there with 406 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,159 Speaker 1: with some of these vendors, but we haven't seen that 407 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: crop up as a problem. You know, it happens incrementally. 408 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: You know, everybody in the world is used to kind 409 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: of having to reinvent themselves, and so I think that 410 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: you know, they might go on to other businesses and 411 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: you have tanker truck water that's needed for construction site still, 412 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: so they can kind of adjust to those types of markets. 413 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: But that makes sense, and that what about you? Is 414 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: there a particular story? I mean, there's plenty in the book, 415 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:00,400 Speaker 1: but if if there's someone that comes to mind, now 416 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: where you know you saw women being more negatively affected 417 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: by this than men. Obviously we've got the answer of 418 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: why from Gary, But is there a particular story that 419 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: stands out or an experience in that direction. About eleven 420 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 1: years ago, we were in Haiti and at a we 421 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: kind of were there for the kind of the christening 422 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: of this new water system in this small village, and 423 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 1: it was a real celebration. And amidst this celebration, I 424 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: was introduced to a little girl who was thirteen, and 425 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 1: you know, she and I got her story, and her 426 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,640 Speaker 1: story was that she spent three to four hours every 427 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: day collecting water. And she was very lucky because that 428 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: was she could still be in school. But after school, 429 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 1: every day she went and she collected water. Took her 430 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: three or four hours to get water for a family. 431 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:47,360 Speaker 1: So I say to this kid, I'm like, well, hey, 432 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: you know, I kind of joke and say, now you 433 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,479 Speaker 1: have more time for homework, right, And she looks at 434 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: me totally seriously, and she's like, I don't need more 435 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:57,480 Speaker 1: time to do homework. I'm the smartest kid in my class. 436 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: And the way she said it, I knew she was 437 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: telling me the truth. I was like, oh, I remember 438 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 1: being thirteen, and like, I remember you in my class. 439 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: You are this one. And uh And I said, all right, well, 440 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: so what are you going to do with all this 441 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,239 Speaker 1: time that you just found that, you know, your your 442 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: new found four hours a day. And she looked at 443 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: me and she goes I'm gonna play. Wow. Yeah, and 444 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: I just in it. But it like buckled me, you know, 445 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: I because at the time, my oldest daughter was thirteen, 446 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: and you know, so again I felt that connection to 447 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,719 Speaker 1: this kid and like, what else should a thirteen year 448 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 1: old girl be thinking about, you know, she should be 449 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: thinking about playing? And that's you know again another one 450 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: of those incalculable ways in which this is so pernicious, right. 451 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: It just robs people of you know, in this case, 452 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: it robs children of their childhoods, you know, and they're 453 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: there and then their potential, the potential of their adulthood. 454 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,160 Speaker 1: So um so so yeah, it's things like that, and 455 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: it's good for us. You know. We go out about 456 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: once a year. I I I go once a year. 457 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: Gary goes a little quite a lot more often, but 458 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: um to to kind of go to these do these 459 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,160 Speaker 1: field visits and kind of connect to people and talk. 460 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: And it's just because as these numbers are accelerating and 461 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: we're and we're kind of going from strength to strength 462 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: with our with our with our work, which is really exciting, 463 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 1: it's it's important to kind of keep and you know, 464 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: keep remind ourselves of of of what it means because 465 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,000 Speaker 1: it becomes numbers. Forty three point seven million people, I mean, 466 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: what a number. But you know, I'm I'm still thinking 467 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: about a girl I met twelve years ago, you know, 468 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: And and so there are a lot there's so many 469 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,880 Speaker 1: millions of these people that will never meet. But um, 470 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:35,479 Speaker 1: but all of the stories are are like that, you know, 471 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: and this is all about positive change. Yeah. Absolutely. As 472 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: a follow up to that matter, how is how is 473 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 1: your work with those people affected your daughter too? Because 474 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,119 Speaker 1: I'm intrigued as to how you know, for her seeing 475 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 1: her father, you know, be so service focused and you know, 476 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: giving energy to this like have you taken have you 477 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: and Gary too, have you taken your kids out? Like 478 00:24:57,960 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 1: you know, have have you taken other children out? Young 479 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,439 Speaker 1: people out? I'm just fascinating to hear how it feels 480 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: when you're looking at someone your age as opposed to 481 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: both of you obviously as older men looking at younger people, 482 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: but like to have people looking at people their own 483 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: age who have this mindset. I would love to hear 484 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 1: some stories in that regard. I talk about in the 485 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 1: book My Mom and and how she took me as 486 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: a teenager to hit places where I witnessed extreme poverty 487 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:23,640 Speaker 1: and it was you know, and she didn't do any 488 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: finger wagging at me or lecturing. She just let me 489 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: absorb it. And it really impacted me. And so my 490 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: kids are what our oldest is twenty three, and so 491 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: she's out of the nest. And then we've got a 492 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: fifteen to thirteen and eleven year old. And so I've 493 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 1: taken the twenty three year old and and uh, and 494 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 1: I've taken our fifteen year old. We took her on 495 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: a trip to the Philippines a few years ago, so 496 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: she might have been thirteen at the time. You know, 497 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,080 Speaker 1: it's it's kind of eat different with each kid. You 498 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: kind of see why at what age can you is 499 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: this gonna be positive? Positive? You know, it's it's just 500 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: gonna influence you posatively. And so I took my my, 501 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: my daughter and her best friend on a trip and 502 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,719 Speaker 1: it was and it was great. And it's you know, 503 00:26:10,359 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: letting them absorb, you know, with the kind of privilege 504 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: that they have and they come from and that you know, 505 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: this is all about where you're born, and you're born 506 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: into a family you don't have any you know, say 507 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,640 Speaker 1: over it, and uh, and and and letting them try 508 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:26,680 Speaker 1: to put their let them try to put their lives 509 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: in some context, which is how I felt, what I 510 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,160 Speaker 1: felt happened to me when when I when I when 511 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:37,199 Speaker 1: my mother introduced me to a larger world, Suddenly my 512 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: life started to make more sense, right and I and 513 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: you know, we're all trapped in these subjective realities and 514 00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: limited by them in some way. But I feel like 515 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,479 Speaker 1: travel and experience like this is kind of the greatest 516 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: gift because it helps at least to try to open 517 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: us up. Yeah. I think that's beautiful what you said 518 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: about gauging when it's right for the individual, because everyone, 519 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, there's no right age for any of them 520 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: to have this experience, but really making it personalized, I 521 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 1: think that makes a lot of sense. Gary. How about you, 522 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,199 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. I had 523 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,719 Speaker 1: a chance to take my daughter to Kenya and Ethiopia 524 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: when she was about the same age as MAT's daughter, 525 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 1: when we were in the Philippines, and uh, yeah, it's 526 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,719 Speaker 1: it's you know, those types of experiences you never know 527 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:27,119 Speaker 1: how they're going to reverberate later, you know, certainly, you know, uh, 528 00:27:27,920 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: you know, having that experience helped shape her. You know, 529 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: she's done some great volunteer work herself. She was a 530 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: volunteer teacher, you know, after she got out of college, 531 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:40,119 Speaker 1: and so I think some of the echoes of what 532 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: she saw there and experience there, and the fortune that 533 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: she has relative to many others in the world as 534 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: has cropped up and will continue to. Yeah. Absolutely, I 535 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: want you to explain Gary. We've mentioned it a few 536 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,119 Speaker 1: times now, uh, and of course you talk about it 537 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 1: deeply in the book. For our audience, I'd love to 538 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: for you to explain exactly, in a simple way, how 539 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 1: warter credit work. And then, Matt, I want you to 540 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: talk about when you actually, you know, you had a 541 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: hard time accepting the idea behind water credit, and then 542 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: what made you change your mind to it, because I 543 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 1: think that's what I find fascinating about this partnership between 544 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 1: both of you is that it wasn't just like this, 545 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 1: Oh we both loved this, let's get on, you know, 546 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:19,720 Speaker 1: it wasn't It wasn't as simple as that. There's there's 547 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 1: been a lot of planning, thought, intention behind this partnership 548 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: between both of you, and I'd love to understand that's Gary, 549 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 1: if you can explain what it is how it works, 550 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,399 Speaker 1: how it functions. We've obviously heard about some of the 551 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: benefits and some elements of how it works, but I 552 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: just want people to have a really clear idea and 553 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: then Matt, if you could tell us about your journey 554 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 1: with how you change your mind about it, that would 555 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:41,000 Speaker 1: be great for sure. I mean, I'd be happy to 556 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:44,440 Speaker 1: I think, you know, it is rooted in that concept 557 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: that people are already paying for water right the challenges 558 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: they don't have that you know, two three hundred, four 559 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: hundred dollars up front that they need to get a 560 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: water connection, or to build a toilet at their home, 561 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: or to install a handpumper a water tank, and so 562 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: they are struggling day to day. They can afford you know, 563 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: a dollar or two a day to get water, but 564 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,000 Speaker 1: they can't afford those those large investments. And so what 565 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 1: we saw, you know, we saw that people were struggling 566 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 1: with this, and so it's like, well, what if we 567 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 1: could get microfinance institutions that are already operating around the 568 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: world just to make loans to them. That makes complete sense, right, 569 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: and then they would repay the loans. Well, we went 570 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 1: knocking on the doors of a lot of those MFIs 571 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: microfinance institutions, and we kind of got the door slammed 572 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: in our face, Like, you guys don't understand microfinance. It's 573 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: about income generating loans. You know, we make loans for 574 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: sewing machines or cows because like, by the end of 575 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: the week, you're generating revenue because you're selling clothes and 576 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: you're selling milk, and this is why it works. And 577 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,360 Speaker 1: we're like, but we believe it will work because it's 578 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: going to help these people work at paying jobs and 579 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: you know that part of it. So it's like we'll 580 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: take on the risk. And this is why we raise 581 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: philanthropic capital because we need to make grants to a 582 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: lot of these part so that they can derisk these 583 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: types of loans, so that they can do the market 584 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 1: research and understand what things are good to loan for, 585 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,880 Speaker 1: what technologies are good, which ones are not, to help 586 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: them then launch lending businesses. Once they do, then they 587 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: go to the capital markets and get the wholesale capital, 588 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,479 Speaker 1: then break it into millions of these micro loans. And 589 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: so for a woman who gets that loan literally overnight, 590 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: you know, she may have been spending three hours a 591 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 1: day securing water the day before. She now has a 592 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: water tap right at her home, and so literally the 593 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: values created overnight for her to go out and work 594 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: at a paying job so that she can repay the loan. 595 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: And now you fast forward in these loans, three point 596 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,320 Speaker 1: five billion dollars in loans have gone out and they're 597 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: repaid at a ninety nine percent rate. Over eighty five 598 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: percent of the borrowers live on less than six dollars 599 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: a day, about thirty percent live on less than two 600 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: dollars a day, and yet they keep coming for word 601 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: to take out these loans because it makes sense for them, 602 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,959 Speaker 1: and they get the solutions that they want, and they 603 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: don't feel like a charity case anymore. They feel like 604 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: a market as a customer that's being served. And that's 605 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: how the whole thing can work financially. So that we've 606 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: now got the financial plumbing, if you will, that connects 607 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 1: the global capital markets where people can get a financial 608 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:26,760 Speaker 1: return on their investment. Two women making a few dollars 609 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: a day, everybody wins and we all move forward. Yeah, Gary, 610 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: thank you for that. Thanks for connecting the dots. I 611 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: know we talked about, you know, parts of that all 612 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: over this conversation so far. But that was a really 613 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: comprehensive breakdown, and I think that really helps because there's 614 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 1: so many facets of that that I think is new. 615 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: It's just so new, it's so alien to us, which 616 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: just shows how big an issue it is and how 617 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: much emphasis it needs. And Matt tell us about when 618 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: you first had the idea and you were skeptical slightly, 619 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,960 Speaker 1: I guess, and then you obviously have come around one 620 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 1: was excited about it as I, as you know, as 621 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: I kind of drilled down on it and and and 622 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:10,239 Speaker 1: and really worked it over with Gary and thought about it. 623 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 1: But there there was the aspect of it that was 624 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: a little stomach turning, which was, wait a minute, we're 625 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: going to make people, the poorest people on earth pay 626 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: for you know. I mean they're gonna take these, We're 627 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: gonna loan the money. We're not gonna right. But but 628 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,080 Speaker 1: philosophically we're very aligned in this idea about you know, 629 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,360 Speaker 1: charity quote unquote charity, and and and and how as 630 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 1: you like like there's a paternalistic aspect to it. There's 631 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: a there's a kind of you know, here's your solution, 632 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 1: You're welcome, you know, uh, arrogance about it oftentimes. And 633 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: and and what Gary's talking about is with these loan programs, 634 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: the dignity that come with them, right, And it's it's 635 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: it's the dignity on the side of the borrower, but 636 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,360 Speaker 1: it's also on the side of the lender kind of going. 637 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: I see you as a human being. You're a customer, 638 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, we can do business. It's 639 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: a very different relationship than you're just some problem I 640 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:10,600 Speaker 1: got to throw money at, right, and and so so 641 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:13,520 Speaker 1: I I got over that pretty quickly, you know. I mean, 642 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: my stomach is like, oh god, market based solutions, Oh no, 643 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: what am I doing? But um but when I really 644 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 1: thought about it, and you know, it struck me as 645 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,840 Speaker 1: completely brilliant and um. And and that's been borne out. 646 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: I mean, we you know, we reached our first million 647 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:34,040 Speaker 1: people in twenty twelve, and and now you know we're 648 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: you know, we're at forty three million, we're reaching you know, 649 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: however many million a quarter now, um, And it's just 650 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: really accelerating and that and that is illustrative of of 651 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, the demand, right, the demand for these loans 652 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 1: because they make sense and um. And it's not that 653 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,959 Speaker 1: paternalistic kind of charity solution that's going to be not 654 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,840 Speaker 1: working in five years because it's nobody's going to take 655 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:02,400 Speaker 1: a loan out for something they don't want. Yeah, yeah, 656 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: they know what solution they need, and that's what they're 657 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: going to take a loan out for. And it's going 658 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 1: to work. And that's a sustainable solution for somebody. And 659 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 1: it's also them solving their own problem. And and it 660 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: just took us to to to to nudge the market 661 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:19,239 Speaker 1: towards them and let them claim their own agency and 662 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:23,359 Speaker 1: and and solve their own problem with with dignity. Yeah, 663 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,799 Speaker 1: I think that point in dignity is so powerful and 664 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:30,359 Speaker 1: so important. It's I know exactly what you mean. It 665 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: takes a while to get it around there because you're like, 666 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 1: wait a minute, are we charging people for you know, 667 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 1: like how how does this work? But yeah, and they're 668 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 1: going like if you're going across the desert and you 669 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: see somebody, you know, thirsty, you know, and then you 670 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 1: sell them a bottle of water, like you know, it 671 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 1: doesn't it doesn't feel right, you know. Yeah. Yeah, but 672 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 1: but you're saying as as you rightly said that from 673 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: a long term perspective and from a sustainability perspective, this 674 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,319 Speaker 1: person is now building confidence. They're they're building it, as 675 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 1: you said, a sense of agency. They're feeling empowered, they're 676 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:05,799 Speaker 1: feeling a sense of assurance that they are growing through 677 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 1: this journey as well, and they're able to, as you said, 678 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 1: learn it for things that are important to them. Tell 679 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,120 Speaker 1: me about this partnership for change that you both have, 680 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,359 Speaker 1: because I think, you know, I wonder whether when both 681 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: of you got passionate, because as far as I know, 682 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:21,200 Speaker 1: you got passionate independently and then of course connected with 683 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,359 Speaker 1: each other about this cause when you're looking for a 684 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,000 Speaker 1: partnership for change, I think that can you know, take 685 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: a lot of time, effort, patience. There's so many things 686 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:34,839 Speaker 1: that need to align. If there are people in our 687 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:37,560 Speaker 1: community audience thinking right now, like I'd love to have 688 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: someone else in my life that I could work with 689 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,760 Speaker 1: passionately about this, or I would love to find someone 690 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:43,719 Speaker 1: what are some of the things that they should look for, Matt. 691 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: We obviously know Gary was your second choice, so we'll 692 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:48,760 Speaker 1: start with what you're looking for in your first choice. 693 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: And Gary, I'm sure you had some other picks too, 694 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 1: but no, I would love to know what you were 695 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 1: looking for an a partner. Were you even looking or 696 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 1: was it just it was just so like, oh wow, 697 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 1: I'm so grateful that I've bumped into someone who has 698 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: this passion. From both of your perspectives, I'd love to 699 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: hear how you approach this, because making a change is 700 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 1: not easy. It's a long journey. You need different skill 701 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 1: sets and different networks and communities, and so I often 702 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: think that a lot of people say, oh, yeah, when 703 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: when I find someone, then I can do something. You 704 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: were both independently. I mean, Gary, you started in your 705 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 1: college days, right, So I want to hear about how 706 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 1: it was in the search of a partner, the pursuit 707 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: of the partner, and then what you actually looked for 708 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 1: and why it was a good fit. Well, I was 709 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,360 Speaker 1: looking for the expert in the space, and that Gary's 710 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:38,320 Speaker 1: name was the name that kept coming up, and um 711 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 1: and and in getting to know him, it was just 712 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:44,919 Speaker 1: clear why. And I mean he's just brilliant and these 713 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,080 Speaker 1: I mean this water credit innovation is a really big deal. 714 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:51,919 Speaker 1: Um and uh and and and he arrived at that 715 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 1: through his through his intelligence, but also through his tenacity. 716 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 1: And so he was he was a logical partner for 717 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 1: me exactly what I was looking for. I you know, 718 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: I kind of woke up in my late twenties with 719 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:10,760 Speaker 1: this very bizarre reality of being a celebrity and and 720 00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:15,000 Speaker 1: uh and and and wanted to find ways to do 721 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:20,480 Speaker 1: something good with that and and I needed help, you know, 722 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: and I wanted to be effective. I didn't want to 723 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 1: just It wasn't about soothing my own you know, ego. 724 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,920 Speaker 1: It was about really trying to do something that was helpful. 725 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 1: Um and uh. And I think just in meeting Gary, 726 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: like you know, we we joined our organizations and he 727 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 1: had had Water Partners at that point for twenty years 728 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,239 Speaker 1: and instantly gave up the title of Water Partners and 729 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:44,359 Speaker 1: for water dot org. And I think that showed like 730 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:48,719 Speaker 1: the humility, the lack of ego, right, And I think 731 00:37:48,719 --> 00:37:50,840 Speaker 1: we both came at it from that perspective. It was 732 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: never about us or about ego. It was really about 733 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: how can we be most effective? Right and that and 734 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: we're really aligned in that way and um and in 735 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 1: that sense, it's just the perfect partner for me. That's beautiful. 736 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:05,880 Speaker 1: You you made up for it, Matt. That was very 737 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:09,480 Speaker 1: half half out and uh, now January that that's that's 738 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:12,760 Speaker 1: so wonderful to hear. I love hearing about that, and 739 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 1: and the quality of humility and like you said, being 740 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: able to put aside water partners and start something on 741 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:21,919 Speaker 1: the water doorg. That's fantastic, Gary, Gary your thoughts. Yeah, 742 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: I think, uh, you know, the serendipity of it was, 743 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: that's definitely a play allowing our paths to cross. But certainly, 744 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:32,320 Speaker 1: you know, I had been heads down on this problem 745 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,359 Speaker 1: and had been trying to innovate and you know, this 746 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: this whole concept of you know, coming at it from. 747 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,399 Speaker 1: You know, initially I was very much about like, let's 748 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 1: go drill wells and let's uh, you know, raise a 749 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,480 Speaker 1: lot of money and give it away, but quickly realized 750 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: that there was never going to be enough, right, and 751 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: so this concept of lighting a candle versus cursing the 752 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,120 Speaker 1: darkness is kind of where where I came at it from. 753 00:38:56,320 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: And so I was trying to to find those ways 754 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:01,759 Speaker 1: to do that, and we you know, we were catching on. 755 00:39:01,840 --> 00:39:04,640 Speaker 1: You know, the water credit was was like it wasn't 756 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 1: like game Busters yet, but we knew that we kind 757 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: of had you know, a tiger by the tail in 758 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 1: terms of how this could scale and but you know, 759 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,400 Speaker 1: I'm an engineer, Like I don't what do I know 760 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:18,320 Speaker 1: about storytelling? What do I know about like moving an audience? 761 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 1: What do I know about like having a big voice 762 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: in this? Because we were ready for that, because it 763 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:27,080 Speaker 1: we you know, we had a certain amount of humility 764 00:39:27,160 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: until that point. And then it's like, now we got 765 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,799 Speaker 1: to tell the story and then to be able to 766 00:39:31,800 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 1: get introduced to and cross paths with, you know, an 767 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:38,120 Speaker 1: incredible storyteller that Matt is, and seeing that firsthand, it 768 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: just was, you know, it was one of those things 769 00:39:42,160 --> 00:39:45,560 Speaker 1: one plus one equals three D for sure, and it 770 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:47,719 Speaker 1: seemed that way at first for both of us. But 771 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:49,680 Speaker 1: then as we got to know each other kind of 772 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:53,560 Speaker 1: at a deeper level, our philosophies and our upbringings and 773 00:39:53,560 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 1: our experiences, it's just like, Okay, I can really trust 774 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: this guy. I think we've both felt that for both directions. 775 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,400 Speaker 1: And once you have that trust and you have you know, 776 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:04,799 Speaker 1: everything set in motion, it's kind of a table set 777 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 1: for you and you bring those relative strengths. Uh. You know, 778 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: I can certainly say Matt has evolved more as a 779 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:17,000 Speaker 1: water expert than I have as an actor. But there 780 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,759 Speaker 1: but what I also he didn't tell you earlier is 781 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:22,160 Speaker 1: I went to Ben Affleck first, he turned me down. 782 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:26,360 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. You've both been so 783 00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:28,879 Speaker 1: generous with your time. I have one last question, which 784 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 1: is just how people can support. Of course, I highly 785 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:33,239 Speaker 1: recommend everyone goes and grabs a copy of the book 786 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: The Worth of Water, our story of chasing solutions to 787 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:40,040 Speaker 1: the world's greatest challenge. It will be in the comments, 788 00:40:40,080 --> 00:40:42,759 Speaker 1: the caption, the bio, the link in the podcast. You 789 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,200 Speaker 1: can go and order the book right now. But Gary, 790 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:47,960 Speaker 1: you used a water metaphor at the end of the 791 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 1: chapter of the chapter called the wave, and you said 792 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:55,080 Speaker 1: to end the crisis, we need a wave. I would 793 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,200 Speaker 1: love to know how my community can be a part 794 00:40:57,239 --> 00:40:58,880 Speaker 1: of that wave. How I can be a part of 795 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:02,120 Speaker 1: that wave. What are the opportunities and ways people can 796 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 1: get involved, because I think ultimately there's there's going to 797 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 1: be no one who reads the book that isn't moved 798 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,239 Speaker 1: by the work. Who everything you've shared today, I think 799 00:41:10,280 --> 00:41:12,880 Speaker 1: we'll want to move people into action. How can people 800 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 1: support That's that's the last question I want to ask you, 801 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:18,040 Speaker 1: because I know I'm mindful of your time as well. 802 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:20,560 Speaker 1: That's a great question, and you know this, we do 803 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:22,960 Speaker 1: need that support. This is such a big crisis. It's 804 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,439 Speaker 1: all hands on deck and there are a number of ways. 805 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 1: Of course, you know, as authors, Matt and I are 806 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,799 Speaker 1: donating all of our fees back to water dot org 807 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 1: for the book. So every time somebody buys the book, 808 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:37,520 Speaker 1: you are helping people get access to safe water. You know, 809 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:39,720 Speaker 1: if the book moves you take it to your book club, 810 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,840 Speaker 1: you know, spread the word that way, you know, pass 811 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,799 Speaker 1: the book on to someone else, because it is you know, 812 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,000 Speaker 1: these individual acts of people who provide that that funding 813 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:54,799 Speaker 1: that we need so that these individual stories that are 814 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:57,279 Speaker 1: in the book can come to life. That is what 815 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:00,040 Speaker 1: it's going to take from from all of us. And 816 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: to the extent that you know you're using your voice, 817 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:07,840 Speaker 1: Jay to help make this happen, We greatly appreciate. Yeah. Absolutely, No, 818 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 1: I would love to visit one of the places with 819 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:11,759 Speaker 1: you one day. I think it would be a really 820 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,279 Speaker 1: beautiful experience for me my team too, So we would 821 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 1: love to have it. Yeah, Yeah, that would be really Yeah, 822 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:20,719 Speaker 1: that would be really beautiful. That would be wonderful to do. So, Matt, 823 00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:23,239 Speaker 1: did you want to add anything to everything that Garager said? 824 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,200 Speaker 1: Of how anyone can get involved or anything that comes 825 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:27,239 Speaker 1: to your mind or hot well, yeah, I mean it's 826 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:29,880 Speaker 1: five dollars to bring a person clean water for life. 827 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 1: And uh, you know, so it's not you know, yeah, 828 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,160 Speaker 1: I know, it's it's it's it's crazy, but but that's 829 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: what it is. And and uh and yeah, and the 830 00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:41,719 Speaker 1: book obviously, you know, uh will you know all the 831 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:45,399 Speaker 1: you know, our money goes towards that, so um so yeah, 832 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:48,680 Speaker 1: and and and please share the story and uh, you know, 833 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:51,920 Speaker 1: talk about it. It's it's a really fascinating issue, I 834 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,680 Speaker 1: promise if you want to engage with it. And uh 835 00:42:54,719 --> 00:42:57,080 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, and and and try to kind 836 00:42:57,080 --> 00:42:59,600 Speaker 1: of move the needle, um, because it's again so hard 837 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:01,840 Speaker 1: for us to relate, you know, because because water is 838 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 1: in such abundance for us. Yeah. And as we always 839 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 1: say on purpose, it's like when we are a part 840 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 1: of the solution, the view of the problem changes. Right 841 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:12,520 Speaker 1: when you see these stories. And that's why I love 842 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:14,879 Speaker 1: what Gary and Matt have done here. When you read 843 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:16,920 Speaker 1: these stories and you hear these stories, and when you'll 844 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:18,759 Speaker 1: share the book with people and you get to see 845 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:22,640 Speaker 1: that change does work, that there are positive stories that 846 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: you know, we do live in a world that has 847 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:29,160 Speaker 1: challenges and issues, but that five dollars could make a 848 00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:31,719 Speaker 1: difference to someone's daily life and how they feel when 849 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:34,520 Speaker 1: they wake up in the morning, and that makes a 850 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:37,040 Speaker 1: difference like that has a ripple effect. And I think 851 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:40,560 Speaker 1: we need to tell these stories more because we can 852 00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:42,319 Speaker 1: get caught up in the stories if we can't do 853 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 1: anything and we are helpless. But Gary and Matt, I'm 854 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 1: so grateful that you've given us a platform through which 855 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:50,880 Speaker 1: we can all feel like we're having an impact. Again, 856 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:53,120 Speaker 1: highly recommend everyone grabbed the book. As you said, all 857 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:57,240 Speaker 1: proceeds from the book go towards all the amazing work. 858 00:43:57,840 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 1: And I thank you both for taking the time and 859 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: give me or energy and look forward to continuing to 860 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:05,120 Speaker 1: support you guys. So thank you so much for what 861 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:08,719 Speaker 1: you're doing. It's it's so powerful. Really appreciate it. Thanks 862 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: j take care. Thank you so much. Everyone who's been 863 00:44:11,719 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 1: listening or watching, make sure you share this interview, pass 864 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,719 Speaker 1: it along, tag us all on social media, letting us 865 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:21,080 Speaker 1: know what's resonated with you, what's connected with you. Share it. 866 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:23,080 Speaker 1: When you order the book, tag me to let me 867 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 1: know you've ordered it. So that I can reshare that 868 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:27,920 Speaker 1: across social media as well. And thank you all for 869 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:31,359 Speaker 1: listening and watching. Thanks Matt, Thanks Gary, thank you so much.