Takin A Walk Episode Ten with Scott Brown in Portsmouth New Hampshire

Speaker 1:

Welcome to, “Takin’ A Walk,” an excursion to converse, connects, and catch up at a cool location with some of the most interesting people you can find. Here’s Buzz Knight

Buzz Knight:

Today on this episode of Takin’ A Walk, I’m excited to be in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to meet up with a man who fits into many categories of description: attorney, politician, ambassador, basketball coach, musician among them. He’s also the author of his incredible life story, “Against All Odds.” I’m pleased to be here in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, taking a walk with Scott Brown. Well, Scott, thank you so much for taking a walk with me. It’s so nice to meet you.

Scott Brown:

Hello. Thanks. Great to be here and welcome to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Buzz Knight:

Beautiful village. I think you have a little history here. Probably walking, running, cycling here in these parts?

Scott Brown:

Yeah. Yeah. I was born, actually, we’re going to walk down to the river and across the river is the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. And that’s where the birthing hospital was for Pease Air Force base, where my dad was in the Air Force and my mom was a waitress at Hampton Beach and they met and fell in love, had me, and here we are.

Buzz Knight:

Here we are. Wow, God. Well, it’s an honor to be here. And so first of all, taking a walk, probably for you, it’s really more taken a run over your life as I see how your childhood and your life evolved. Right? I mean more so running and cycling?

Scott Brown:

Yeah, listen, I think I was probably one of the original kids who had, I don’t want to be disrespectful, but probably some form of ADD, where I was like, go, go, go, go, go. I’ll never forget when I was younger. I lived with, because my family was a little dysfunctional, I lived with my grandmother and she would, I would, obviously I was a terror, and she would actually wouldn’t hit me, wouldn’t yell at me. She would make me sit in the middle of the kitchen for 15 minutes in a chair looking at the clock. And it was like crazy, crazy torture. And that it just made me stop and slow down. And that was the worst thing you could do for me.

Scott Brown:

But yeah, I’ve always been, and then obviously as I was growing up, still very energetic. And my mom gave me a basketball and said, “Here, just dribble it. Just go.” And that’s what I did. I took it everywhere, on dates, used to sleep with it, used to talk to it. So it seems kind of funny right now, but it’s what got me kind of through some of the tough times.

Buzz Knight:

Well, I was going to say it saved you in so many regard at various points either to keep you occupied or get you away from some of the problems that were going on in your family life, right?

Scott Brown:

Yeah, yeah. Listen sports, if it wasn’t for sports, a good coach, a good teacher and a judge that gave me a second chance, I’d either be dead or in jail. There’s no doubt in my mind. I was going down just such a bad path and I wasn’t a bad kid in a reflection. I was just angry. Angry that my mom and dad were battling and I angry that they were married and divorce four times each and angry we kept having to move. Angry, I couldn’t get enough food. Just angry, angry, angry.

Buzz Knight:

So where is anger now in your life? We all have anger. And for someone who’s been through what you were through in your life, is it ever possible to erase that anger?

Scott Brown:

Yeah. Yeah, of course it is. Yeah. I’m actually, I feel pretty balanced now. It takes a lot to get me angry. Like someone will say, “Don’t you hate that person?” I’m like, “Ah, no.” Let’s cross over here. I’m like, “No, I really don’t.” It takes a lot to get me angry and I don’t think I hate anybody, but we actually just find a way to prioritize things and recognize that, I personally don’t sweat the small stuff, I don’t focus on the negative. I try to find solutions and ways to just kind of move forward.

Buzz Knight:

So, Judge Zoll, that’s how you pronounced it, right?

Scott Brown:

Yeah, Sam Zoll, yeah. Sam Zoll, yep.

Buzz Knight:

So he taught you an incredible lesson?

Scott Brown:

So yeah, listen, I was hanging around with some older kids. I was stealing records. I had farmer pants and a jacket I would take and slip them in the farmer pants and button up the jacket and walk out like waving at everybody. So it was… I got caught, and thank God I got caught, because I went into the judge’s chambers, which you couldn’t do today. And I remember my mom was kind of yelling out in the outer area and in the chambers.

Scott Brown:

And the judge says, “Hey, I see you like music.” And I said, “Yeah. Yeah, I love music.” He goes, “Oh.” We started talking about music. I said, “Wow, this guy’s pretty cool.” He says, “Well, what do you do? You like sports?” I go, “Oh my God, I love sports.” He said, “What’s your favorite sport?” And I’m kind of shortening it a little bit but I said, “Well, basketball is my favorite sport.” He says, “Why?” I said, “Well, because you can be an individual, but you can also, there’s structure, there’s a team. There’s a way to kind of work together to have a good result, hopefully.” He goes, “Wow, that’s amazing.” He said, “You any good?” I said, “Yeah, I average, I don’t know, 30, 39 points a game.” He says, “Wow, that’s amazing.” He says, “You have any brothers and sisters.” I go, “Yeah, I have a half brother, two half sisters.” He says, “Oh, that’s fantastic. Do they look up to you?” I go, “Yes. I’m the rock of the family.”

Scott Brown:

Now, here I am at that age, drinking, driving, and stealing my mom’s car and I’m the rock of the family. And he says, “Wow, that’s great. How do you think they’d like to see you play basketball in jail? Because that’s where you’re going.” And I’m like, whoa. And he said, “I want you to write me a 1500 word essay in how you let your brother and sisters down and how they would not like to see you play basketball in jail.”

Scott Brown:

And there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t remember that. And it’s interesting. I just used that. I coach boys junior high basketball. They were at a game and like three or four of them did some just stupid stuff. You know, skateboarding in the hallways, trying to climb over fences that were locked, and they got in trouble. And they’re my star players and I asked the principal and the athletic director to let me handle it.

Scott Brown:

And the principal listened to what I said, because she didn’t know about my background. And then I said, “I want you guys to write me a 500 word essay and how you let your teammates, your school, and your principal and athletic director down. And she said that it was really great because they really took it to heart. It was powerful. It was meaningful. And I think it served a purpose.

Buzz Knight:

It served quite a purpose for you, didn’t it?

Scott Brown:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It did. It made me realize like, “Oh my goodness, I’m really, really screwing up here.” And like I said, I didn’t think I was a bad kid. I was just lost.

Buzz Knight:

But it was obvious that so many people that were sort of outside of your family life, the judge as an example, coaches that you dealt with, were tremendously influential in turning points for your life. I’m not surprised to hear you say that you’re coaching basketball at all, based on obviously the impact that coaches made to you.

Scott Brown:

Yeah. Listen, I coached before I went to New Zealand as the ambassador. I, I played ball since I was nine years old, high school, college had wonderful opportunities. But yeah, I enjoy it. I coached Ayla who went to Boston college and full scholarship and Ariana and yeah, I just enjoy the passing on the things that I was taught. I used to go to, god, I went to Nelson Sanders, Collins, [inaudible], Sanders, Pete Maravich, all these amazing camps where I learned so much about everything and I just feel it’s important to pass it on. We’re four and oh the kids are, are really great. And we’re really learning. Yesterday was a fantastic practice where they finally got it, you know?

Buzz Knight:

Are there any particular things about that generation that concern you around social media device addiction? Just as examples.

Scott Brown:

Well, you just nailed it. Yeah. Listen, the kids, they’re wonderful kids, but they’re locked in on their phones and iPhones. You look at TikTok. Today there’s a threat, a national threat, to go and shoot somebody at school. That’s what you know, TikTok. So now here we are listening to these stupid people who are doing stupid things and affecting our daily lives, but you have to pay attention based on what you see recently.

Scott Brown:

So yeah, I remember when our kids were growing up, “Mom, Dad, Everyone has no Nintendo. And I would say, “You mean no friendo?” Yeah. Because that’s what… They don’t have any friends. They’re in their rooms. Let’s go out and play some ball and let’s go out and go to the movies. And so yeah, we never had any of that stuff growing up and it wasn’t until they were in what? High school or late junior high, just to have a phone for safety purposes.

Scott Brown:

You see in Virginia and others, they’re not participating their schools and kids lives and activities in the schools. So they don’t really see what’s going on. They’ve trusted educators to do the right thing. And you know, many of them are, but others are doing something that others may not agree on. There’s a wonderful generation of young, at least the kids that I’ve been dealing with, and I’ve only been back for 10 or 11 months now from New Zealand, but you know, I’m still hopeful.

Buzz Knight:

So when you think of nonprofits that are going through challenges in these days, what are some nonprofits that are important to you that you might want to call attention to?

Scott Brown:

Well, we’ve always supported a lot of the food banks in the area. People are hurting. So we’ve had food bank drives, coat drives, the basic necessities that people need. Those are important to us. We’ve also done, Gail and I, have done a lot of work in the past and we’ve been away from it, people with disabilities, taking care of those more vulnerable, The Wrentham Developmental Center, The Friends of Wrentham, sponsored by the Patriots. We were so active in that, hiring people with disabilities to get out in the work force and be and live independently is really important.

Scott Brown:

The cancer, cancer seems to be everywhere. When Gail was in New Zealand she raised $250,000 for the New Zealand Cancer Society. And her sister had a stroke. So the Stroke Association. So I think everybody who is affected, or knows somebody who’s affected by something, that they tend to go to that direction and try to support those amazing causes.

Buzz Knight:

Well, I know music’s important to you as well. Music was sort of a saving grace for you, whether it be your Kiss posters and your Kiss music that you just went to nuts over or now, even as you were telling me in the recent times, playing guitar with Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick. Talk about how music is such a unifying force to people and to you as well?

Scott Brown:

Well, what do we all agree on? Music, food, family, and sports. We may, you know, Yankees, Red Sox, Patriots, and really nobody, quite frankly, but I’m kidding, kidding, but you know, really, but you throw in politics and it gets a little weird. That being said, for me, I never played guitar until I lost the election for the U.S. Senate. And the girls got me a guitar. And you always have these bucket list things. I’m 58 years old at that point. I’m like, “What do I want to do?” Well, I’ve always wanted learn how to play guitar, bang. I always want to learn how to put together and take apart bikes, bang. I want to learn how to make sushi, make pizza, flip it up in the air and twirl it around. These silly things, but things that I’ve always in the back of my mind wanted to do.

Scott Brown:

So I volunteered at a bike store, put together and I worked on probably 200 bikes, sold for them, probably 50 and then when I left, they gave me a bike, a real bike. And then obviously the guitar, I’m self-taught and I’ve played six times with Cheap Trick. I played with Warrant, FireHouse, Ayla Brown, James Montgomery, and I have my own band in New Zealand and here. And it’s something that I find exceedingly invigorating. And I could have the worst day in the world and have everything falling apart and then go into my little man cave, turn on the volume really, really louder than it should be and sing and play. And it’s like, “Oh, what a great day.”

Scott Brown:

So yeah, music, I think, and Ernie Boch, who’s a dear friend, he has the Music Drives Us charity that he has. He gets it too. Kids need an outlet and to do something that’s not technical, or I should say multimedia in terms of the Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, whatever, and actually pick up an instrument and learn it and express yourselves that way. That’s pretty cool.

Buzz Knight:

So your family is doing well during all of this. Talk about what’s going on with the family. Got a lot of exciting things happening?

Scott Brown:

Yeah. Yeah. Listen, we were away for four years. It was difficult, but you know, the kids, Ariana was in Syracuse, Ayla was in Nashville and we’re like, “Oh, well, might as well go.” So I went to New Zealand, I chose to go there. The president appointed me and we had a great experience. And then all of a sudden, Ariana moved back to New Hampshire, Ayla moves to Massachusetts. They’re like, “Where are you?” And well, so we’re here, new grandparents, little baby girl, she’s nine months. And then Ayla’s married and they’re all doing, knock on wood, all doing well. Challenges like every other family.

Scott Brown:

We have our own personalities. We’re all, Ayla’s like a carbon copy of me. So we’re always kind of banging heads. We both have bands, we’re both… And I give her, I give her a lot of grief just because I’m a dad and anyone who’s a dad knows that. And then Ariana is just like mom, but yeah, I got two good son-in-laws and you know, working hard. We’re healthy, obviously, which is good. And we’re just trying to kind of muddle along and make a difference.

Buzz Knight:

And your wife’s running for office?

Scott Brown:

Yeah. After Afghanistan, listen, she is the most apolitical person, but after Afghanistan, when after we’ve served for four years, you know that if there was trouble, I would’ve be brought back and I never would’ve been left in a foreign country, dead or alive. And to have this administration leave hundreds, and potentially tens of thousands of helpers, interpreters, people who, green card holders, there and not even talk about it for almost a half a year now it’s abhorrent to us and triggered her to say, “You know what? I’m done. I’m going to get involved.” And I commend her. She’s really, really working hard, committed to making a difference, and it’s really her time. So I’m good with it.

Buzz Knight:

So lastly, so much of your life has been around leadership, resilience, dealing in crisis situations. What insight could you provide to someone on a personal basis on how to be resilient in difficult times and even on a business sense, what advice could you give?

Scott Brown:

Well, I’m the type of guy that the more stressed, the better. I love multitasking. I love juggling everything and finding solutions. Almost like a puzzle, you know? How fast can you put the puzzle together and how is it right? So, even when I’m walking, like down here, I’m thinking about, “Okay, these are all the things I need today. How can I do them most efficiently and how can I make sure that I don’t have to repeat them?” What’s that movie with Russell Crowe. I’m not a genius, but I’m definitely one who’s always thinking about problem solving in my brain.

Scott Brown:

I would encourage people to not get overly stressed out when you’re having difficult times. Be patient and trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’m finding many, many, many people in New Zealand, believe it or not, it’s the highest suicide rate for teenagers in the world. You’re thinking New Zealand, what are you kidding? They only have 5 million people. Yes, it’s the highest rate of suicide for kids. And the common theme is that people just felt checked out and they didn’t feel like people cared and they didn’t ask for help. In our military, we have over what, 22, 23 people killing themselves a day. Many of them hadn’t even served an active duty.

Scott Brown:

So the common theme is, you know what? If you’re having trouble, especially now with the pandemic, everybody, being yelled at, screamed at, “Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask. Get a vaccine, don’t get a vaccine. Go out, stay in. You can’t see your grandparents. If you have a funeral, you can’t go to it. You can’t visit your loved one in the hospital as they’re dying.” Are you kidding me? Find a way to figure it out, folks and let people live their lives.

Scott Brown:

But that stress has led to a lot of mental health issues. I believe mental health right now is probably the biggest thing that we’re facing as a society. And I feel that the biggest key to that is just asking for help and just kind of stepping outside your comfort zone and just letting your hair down a little bit and trust your friends and your family.

Scott Brown:

I have friends since fourth grade we just went, 10 of us went away for a weekend, and it’s like we saw each other yesterday and we haven’t seen each other in four years, at least I haven’t. And those are the people you can tell pretty much anything. And so if you have somebody like that, you really got to, if you’re feeling desperate, you really have to reach out because I can tell you only from learning and listening and observing that when, and if, you make that terrible decision and you’re gone, people will miss you. So, that’s kind of it.

Buzz Knight:

Well, Scott, I…

Scott Brown:

I was born right there by the way. That’s the Portsmouth Naval Hospital

Buzz Knight:

Does it look any different?

Scott Brown:

Yeah, well, literally my first breath was there and then my first house was over on Islington street and one of my grandparents, I’m actually a ninth generation, New Hampshire, believe it or not, son of the American Revolution out of Newington. And my daughter’s a 10 and my granddaughter’s now the 11th, but apparently I’m a carpet bagger here.

Buzz Knight:

Well, Scott, thank you so much for your generosity and your time.

Scott Brown:

Yeah, cool.

Buzz Knight:

And for taking a walk here in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Speaker 1:

Takin’ A Walk with Buzz Knight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Buzz Knight is an established media executive with a long history of content creation and multi-platform distribution.

After a successful career as a Radio Executive, he formed Buzz Knight Media which focuses on strategic guidance and the development of new original content.