crossing jordan

STEVEN VALENTINE: Actor/Magician. Many credits include; House, Monk, Just Shoot Me, Will & Grace, Dharma & Greg, Psych, Charmed and Crossing Jordon.

Welcome to episode 45 of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast.

This week I welcome back my special guest co-host, M. Quentin Williams, CEO & Founder of Dedication to Community.

Together, we interview Scott Williams, Executive Producer and Writer for the CBS hit TV show "NCIS".

Scott was born and raised in Yonkers, NY. After his first semester at SUNY Cortland, he was told by the Dean that he was failing all subjects except English. That is when his life changed and Scott tried his hand at writing. Truly just takes one person to provide direction or believe in us when we are unsure of our own direction.

While going to school and going after an acting and writing career, Scott spent several years bartending both in NY and then in California. He shares how his bartending experience actually helped him land a job at 'NYPD Blue'.

Scott wrote feature scripts for Ron Howard, Kevin Costner and Ray Liotta, which ultimately led him to television.  Since then, he’s written and produced many shows, including “Third Watch”, “Crossing Jordan”, “Bones” and “Castle”. For the last 11 seasons, he’s served as an Executive Producer and writer on CBS’ top-rated show “NCIS.”

Scott is also co-founder of “Shane’s Inspiration” InclusionMatters.org, a Los Angeles based non-profit organization dedicated to developing inclusive playgrounds around the world and providing education programs teaching tolerance and inclusion. Scott and his wife Catherine founded Shane’s Inspiration in memory of their son Shane, who passed away in 1997 from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Today, Shane’s Inspiration has opened 72 inclusive playgrounds throughout the United States and in Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Israel, and Russia with over 55 more in development. Visit: inclusionmatters.org for more information.

Having lost both his father and sister to cancer, Scott also serves as Advisory Board president for WeSPARK, an LA-based non-profit that provides support and programs for patients and their families dealing with cancer. www.wespark.org.

Throughout this interview Scott is so genuine. He shares about experiencing imposter syndrome still 25 years later from behind the computer as he is writing. He also shares what he does to put it at bay. His words exactly to himself, "I'll show you". Scott also talks about not letting worry be your bully. Q shares an incredible quote from Gandhi during this part of the interview. If you ever let worry take over, take a listen to this. 

Scott talks about remaining humble and not letting our ego's rule us. He shares something funny during this part of the conversation, "Mark Harmon takes out his garbage too." Sometimes we forget that we are all just humans. There are so many words of incredible wisdom and nuggets of information shared in this extremely inspirational interview.

Listen in to hear Scott's answer to, 'if I knew then, what I know now'. Thank you to Scott and my guest co-host Q for sharing their time and journey's with all of us.

Next week, my guest is Susan Slotnick,  author of Flight: The Dance of Freedom. She is a choreographer, humanitarian, and artist.  She has helped change the perspective and mindset of countless incarcerated men by allowing them to experience emotions through transcendental art. Susan brought dance class into the prison system. Another incredible interview!

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