#20. Scott Marcus: A Tale of Radio Waves, Life Transitions, and Spiritual Journeys

Scott Hammond: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages, my friend, the man,

legend, Scott Q Marcus. Hi, Scott.

Scott Marcus: Hi, Scott.

Scott Hammond: Okay, let's just get this part out of the way.

Scott Marcus: [chuckles]

Scott Hammond: How long have we known each other,

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I know. We really are

Scott Hammond: … that we're from?

Scott Marcus: Um, well, we just decided, as we just talked about it,

the– we're, we're recording in October.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: Uh, right about now is probably 40 years.

Scott Hammond: It would've been '83.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: 'Cause I moved up here in June of '83.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And you said you came here in fall, uh, to the radio station.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: In '83.

Scott Hammond: Got hired by the GM at, uh-

Scott Marcus: Grant Maynard

Scott Hammond: … KDA/KFMI by Ellen. Well, Ellen said, "Hey, we're interviewing

for this sales job in radio-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … in South G Street in Arcata, California."

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: That's right over here.

Scott Marcus: Yes. [chuckles]

Scott Hammond: And, um-

Scott Marcus: I'm glad you defined it-

Scott Hammond: Yeah. It's, no

Scott Marcus: … because now I can find my way.

Scott Hammond: It's right there. Yeah. [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: It's right there. I see it.

Scott Hammond: I see it now.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: The, um… And then, uh, got a job in sales.

We were pregnant and, and, uh, had to work real, real work with-

Scott Marcus: Well, you and I weren't pregnant.

Scott Hammond: Well, no.

Scott Marcus: No. Your wife was pregnant.

Scott Hammond: Was Joan pregnant then? She probably was.

Scott Marcus: No, she was not, 'cause Daniel would've been about five

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that would be weird.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Okay. The math doesn't work. Anyway,

I'll let you tell the rest, Scott.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. So, um, when we met, we discover– First of all,

and ironically, there was a third Scott working there, if you remember Scott Miller.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I know Scott well. He's still here.

Scott Marcus: Oh, is he still here?

Scott Hammond: He lives right here in Eureka.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Right up, right over here-

Scott Marcus: Right there

Scott Hammond: … on the map.

Scott Marcus: Um, but I remember a slight aside,

and of course, we all had hair. I don't know if Scott Miller still has

Scott Hammond: He does, yes

Scott Marcus: … I have it. Um, but, uh-

Scott Hammond: Not, not so much

Scott Marcus: … so he came in, somebody came in one day,

for Scott.

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh.

Scott Marcus: And so I, I happened to be the one who worked

The other two of you were out on the street a lot. And I said, "Well, I'm Scott." And he said, "No, not-

Scott Hammond: Not you

Scott Marcus: … Which, which Scott?" He said, "Uh,

wear glasses." "Um, he's got curly hair." "Well, [chuckles] Which-

Scott Hammond: He's got-

Scott Marcus: "Which one is it?"

Scott Hammond: He's got a beard of some sort.

Scott Marcus: 'Cause we all had at that point-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Marcus: … full heads of hair. But anyway, what we discovered was I was

married to my first wife at that point, who has passed away since then.

And, um-

Scott Hammond: Named Joan

Scott Marcus: … Joan.

Scott Hammond: I'm married to Joanie.

Scott Marcus: Right. Our wedding anniversary was June 28th.

Scott Hammond: June 27th.

Scott Marcus: I had-

Scott Hammond: Same year.

Scott Marcus: Same year.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. We have our-

Scott Marcus: Were you at, at 1981?

Scott Hammond: Correct.

Scott Marcus: Okay. Um, my now oldest son, you didn't have all

your kids yet, but, uh, is Daniel and your-

Scott Hammond: Daniel Scott.

Scott Marcus: Daniel Scott.

Scott Hammond: Jacob Scott.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And your mother's name is Wanda Hammond.

Scott Marcus: No. [laughs] And then what was it? Daniel's born in November.

When is Jacob born?

Scott Hammond: Jacob was December.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Um, and we used to just joke that if a, if

a bus ever hit one of us, the other one better quick go into hiding

Scott Hammond: Yeah, just-

Scott Marcus: And there were more parallels, too. I just can't remember.

Scott Hammond: Go home. Yeah. Single mom-

Scott Marcus: Mm.

Scott Hammond: Raised us-

Scott Marcus: That's right

Scott Hammond: … in Southern California.

Scott Marcus: Well, I wasn't raised by a single mom.

Scott Hammond: Oh, you weren't?

Scott Marcus: No, I wasn't.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: My parents split up, but that was at their 25th anniversary, and-

Scott Hammond: Oh, well that's different

Scott Marcus: … I was 24 at that point.

Scott Hammond: But we both had single moms when we met.

Scott Marcus: Yes. Okay.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Glad we got that out of the way.

Scott Marcus: All right.

Scott Hammond: All right.

Scott Marcus: So it's been wonderful being here. I'll catch you next time, bud.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, thanks for coming.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Scott, Scott Miller. Scott Miller, ladies and gentlemen.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Wait.

Scott Marcus: I'll be here all week. Tip your waitress.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: See you later.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, Scott Miller is still local.

That's funny 'cause-

Scott Marcus: Is he? What does he do?

Scott Hammond: … he was a friend, and he got into sales and radio.

Scott Marcus: Oh, okay. Right.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And that… So you have a whole radio background,

You were, you went to school, uh, in Southern California?

Scott Marcus: Correct.

Scott Hammond: And then started in Bakersfield market?

Scott Marcus: No. Um, I went to UCLA.

Uh, almost dro- almost failed out. I was, like, a straight A student in high school when you got into college, you really had to work for it. Um, versus in high school, it just all came to me. And, uh, I screwed around. I also got really involved in extracurricular. I was on the helpline. Um, I had two jobs 'cause I, the scholarship wasn't enough to carry me through. Um, and, uh, I was even back then relatively politically active, so I did everything but study.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Um, and

I was dating, um, a girl in high school. I was first year college. She And sh- she and I split up, and I was working at the student store. I got a new job. I started working at the student store 'cause I wanted to just change my whole

life.

Scott Hammond: This is in Westwood UCLA?

Scott Marcus: UCLA student store. Br- uh, I worked in, what did they call it?

Bear Wear, 'cause it's the UCLA Bruins.

Scott Hammond: The Bruins.

Scott Marcus: And the clothes, you know, it's all got UCLA emblazoned on.

That's called-

Scott Hammond: Got it. Gold

Scott Marcus: … that department was called Bear Wear.

Scott Hammond: Blue and gold.

Scott Marcus: Uh, Bear-

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Uh, yes. Right. Um, and

they started playing the college radio station, KLA. It was a closed circuit college radio station. Uh, it was an AM commercial radio station-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Scott Marcus: … which for college was just unheard of.

Scott Hammond: KLA.

Scott Marcus: KLA. So, uh,

uh, I went up to apply to be on the radio I could make the story longer, but I'll make it shorter. Ended up getting a job as a jock, a DJ, uh, and doing some news. And when I gradu- I ended up moving up as music director, program director, and I stayed an extra year in college, continue to work at the radio station. Graduated. First gig was doing weekends in Palm

Springs at-

Scott Hammond: That was it

Scott Marcus: … KDEZ.

Scott Hammond: In the Dez.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, KDEZ. And my, my last day at KDEZ, it was summer.

It was, I kid you not, 117 degrees with a thundercloud sitting

overhead.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: It was miserable. So I did weekends

Ended up landing a job in Provo, Utah, K-E-Y-Y. I went there. I was supposed to do afternoon drive, non-radio folks in, in the audience would be, like, 3:00 to 7:00 PM, which is a nice shift.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Second-best shift to morning drive, 6:00 to 9:00 or 6:00 to 10:00.

[clears throat] When I got up there, they put me in the all-night sho- uh,

Scott Hammond: The overnight?

Scott Marcus: Yeah, the overnight. Last-

Scott Hammond: Graveyard.

Scott Marcus: Lasted about

six weeks, maybe eight, before they fired me.

Um, went back to SoCal.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Ended up working at KUTY in Palmdale.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: Worked there for a while. They brought in some

consultants. Goodbye, Scott.

Scott Hammond: So long again.

Scott Marcus: [chuckles] I'm on my way again. There's an expression in radio

tell the success of a disc jockey by how big his trailer is.

Scott Hammond: His trailer.

Scott Marcus: So my, my trailer was growing.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: So I ended up landing a gig in Redding. That's where I met Joan.

Worked in Redding for a couple of years, moved down to Bakersfield, worked at KERN, which was-

Scott Hammond: Ooh, wait, bake, bake go for a minute. Okay.

Scott Marcus: Okay. And then I moved from KERN in Bakersfield

shift to ended up in morning drive at KKXX, which was the classic ro- It turned out it became a classic rock and I loved it there until I moved up here.

Scott Hammond: Was that in Bakersfield too?

Scott Marcus: That was also in Bakersfield.

Scott Hammond: What was the other station in LA about the time we were teenagers?

It was album-oriented rock. The signal went down to San Diego, It was great. They played S- Steely Dan.

They had-

Scott Marcus: KLOS was one of them.

Scott Hammond: KLOS was the one.

Scott Marcus: And KMET I think was the other.

Scott Hammond: There's another. There's a third one. It had LA in it.

K, uh-

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I don't remember.

Scott Hammond: Ah, something LA.

Scott Marcus: I don't remember any… That's what it's called, AOR,

Scott Hammond: It was really good.

Scott Marcus: Uh, I don't remember any other AOR.

Scott Hammond: It was probably talk radio with Rush Limbaugh on it. Well,

Scott Marcus: [laughs] No, he wasn't around then,

Scott Hammond: Sports talk.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs] That wasn't me.

Scott Hammond: So what brought you to Humboldt?

Scott Marcus: The radio gig.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: In '83, I was running a,

a newsletter for disc jockeys that I started, [clears throat] excuse me, called the Small Market Association of Radio Talent Newsletter, SMART. And I knew nothing about running a business. I would sit there with a little typewriter that I bought and type up articles, and-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … then I went to the local photocopier and-

Scott Hammond: Copied them

Scott Marcus: … copied them off, and I-

Scott Hammond: Mailed them.

Scott Marcus: Somehow I got a subscription base of,

I don't know, uh, it wasn't even 100, but couple of dozen, and I didn't even know to charge, so I would just say, "Send me money and some people would. And then Radio & Records, which paper, [clears throat] one of the two major time, picked it up as a story.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: And they ran a whole story on it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And then I got a whole bunch of people, gave me a little bit of

notoriety, and they were in Bakersfield. So I was working in Redding,

and… No, I was working in Bakersfield. I was working in Bakersfield. I was doing morning drive on the number one station, having a good old time, had good ratings. Joan was pregnant, and we, we had no plan to leave, and I got a phone call from a guy named Grant Maynard-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: … who was, as you know, the general manager up here.

Scott Hammond: He's our boss, yeah.

Scott Marcus: And he said he'd like to hire me to come and be program director.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And I was like, "Who are you?"

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: And filled me in. Long story short,

I figured I'd stay up here a couple of years-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: …

and then I would move to the Bay Area and work at

KFRC.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Scott Marcus: That was my goal. But the way he found

me is the consultant for the stations up here, KATA and KFMI, which are now ESPN and Power

96, I think.

Scott Hammond: Still the same calls, though, right?

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: I think they're the same call letters.

Anyway, the way he found me was the guy who was consulting up here, Mike Hesser-

Scott Hammond: Yep

Scott Marcus: … was also consulting some radio stations in

would do is they would call another station they were consulting, in this case he called KGOE. KG, KG, yeah, it was KGOE. It was an oldies station in Bakersfield.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: And they said– That was the station he was consulting,

is giving you trouble? Who would you like to get off the air?"

Scott Hammond: Ah. [laughs]

Scott Marcus: So they, they said, "Scott Q Marcus."

Scott Hammond: So that was you again.

Scott Marcus: It's, well, I, I was at KKXX-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Scott Marcus: … but they said, "Get him off the air because he's,

Scott Hammond: Oh, okay.

Scott Marcus: "And if you can get somebody off the air,

points in the-

Scott Hammond: I see

Scott Marcus: … in the ratings." So they called me up,

And I did, and I've been here-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … uh, 40 years. KFRC doesn't even exist anymore-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Marcus: … so there's not a chance I'm gonna go

Scott Hammond: Does radio exi- [laughs]

Scott Marcus: It's, uh, radio-

Scott Hammond: Kind of, yeah.

Scott Marcus: This is radio now.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, we're… [laughs]

Scott Marcus: This is it.

Scott Hammond: Welcome to radio, folks.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, you have a great face for radio,

Scott Marcus: Do I? [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I thought, I thought you should know that.

Scott Marcus: Thank you.

Scott Hammond: So, so what-

Scott Marcus: So you know I got into radio 'cause I have small hands.

Scott Hammond: I do.

Scott Marcus: Because you've heard the expression,

Scott Hammond: We pause. Ooh, that's a good one.

Scott Marcus: That's an– That was an old radio joke that I bought.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: You purchased it.

Scott Marcus: I did. I had a joke service.

Scott Hammond: We pause.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] And you used to every, every month you'd get a little–

There was no internet.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: You'd get a little thing in the mail, and all these jokes,

you want.

Scott Hammond: Oh, these are great.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Makes me think of SNL with the little arms with what's her name.

Anyway, so I digress. So what I know about you and being local is, uh, famous Weight Watcher. We'll talk about that.

Scott Marcus: 34 years.

Scott Hammond: Famous, uh, motivational and professional speaker.

Scott Marcus: Appreciate that.

Scott Hammond: You got me, got me into that.

Scott Marcus: And so you and I got into… We slept together, you and I.

Scott Hammond: That's-

Scott Marcus: We ought to probably clarify that, but-

Scott Hammond: That's probably a good thing to clarify. We'll clarify in a minute.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Or do we need to? Then, uh, also, um, uh,

and now acting and-

Scott Marcus: Uh-huh

Scott Hammond: … a Renaissance man, and I teasingly call you a pastor,

Scott Marcus: I am a, a, a second level.

Scott Hammond: You guys call it practitioner, right?

Scott Marcus: Practitioner.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And we'll, we'll-

Scott Marcus: It'd be like a deacon or something.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. We'll go, we'll go there.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: But, um, so radio career, you were actually very good on the air.

I remember being-

Scott Marcus: Thanks

Scott Hammond: … super impressed in morning drive.

Scott Marcus: I loved it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And we formed a friendship then.

Scott Marcus: And then I did a talk show too.

Scott Hammond: You did?

Scott Marcus: I did lots of talk shows.

Scott Hammond: I didn't know that.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: With who?

Scott Marcus: Well, KATA, uh, KATA, we had a talk show on the

AM side. It was called… I remember the theme was "Because life is not black and white," and it was a talk show, like, from 9:00 to 10:00What was it called? I don't remember what it was called, but the whole theme conversations. And so I would host it-

Scott Hammond: Okay

Scott Marcus: … once in a while. I forget who the AM program director was.

He was Steve somebody or another.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, long hair guy.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Carlos' friend.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Uh-

Scott Hammond: I remember he said the F word. They were talking about funk, and it

funky at the Old Town Bar and Grill.

Scott Marcus: Right. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And Carlos and I are driving back to the station,

and he, and he popped out. [laughs] And Carlos lost his mind in the car. He goes, "FCC's gonna k- I'm gonna go kill Steve right now."

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Yeah, he-

Scott Hammond: I'll never forget that.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. So he– But so I did it there,

I left KATA and I went to the ra- TV station, but I was doing some work at KHSU, and I did Tuesday night talk [clears throat] for quite a while.

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Scott Marcus: So I, I-

Scott Hammond: At KHSU

Scott Marcus: … I, I think once a month. And

commercial talk is so much easier than public talk because in commercial talk, if nobody's calling in you could go, "Well, let's go to a break."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: With public, it was just-

Scott Hammond: Here you are.

Scott Marcus: Here we are. There's, uh-

Scott Hammond: We should-

Scott Marcus: What do you wanna talk about now? [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Hey, next– Nick, m-make a call quick, Nick, or help us out.

So I'd like to maybe take all these phases of life-

Scott Marcus: Sure

Scott Hammond: … and ask one question, and then I wanna come back to you and-

Scott Marcus: Okay

Scott Hammond: … talk about your,

your perspective of Humboldt County, its culture, its people, its future, and we'll, we'll get there. But, uh, top three things you're proud of maybe first half, quarter of life in radio. What, w-how were you a difference maker?

Scott Marcus: Top three things I'm proud to stuff in radio?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, just that, that radio phase, if you will.

Scott Marcus: I was good at what I did.

Uh, one of– I have very few regrets in life, one of which was coming off the air.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: I really liked being on the air.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: I ended up moving into management, as you know, and I think I

I think I was good at it, but-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … radio was, man, just being on the air, there

was almost nothing like it-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … u-until I found speaking, uh, doing a motivational speech,

uh, was able to take that over. [clears throat] So I I think I had a, an ear for programming-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … for being able to make a radio station.

You know, people who are not in radio think that, well, jockey, and you just, he or she just puts on-

Scott Hammond: Magic

Scott Marcus: … puts on stuff.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: You know? And-

Scott Hammond: Push a button.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's a jukebox.

Scott Marcus: But there's a lot going on behind the scenes about what type of

music, different types of classifications of

Scott Hammond: Time of day.

Scott Marcus: What was that?

Scott Hammond: Time of day.

Scott Marcus: Time of– I thought you said a bidet.

Scott Hammond: A bidet?

Scott Marcus: We didn't have a bidet at the TV sta-

Scott Hammond: No [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: … at the radio station.

Scott Hammond: Maybe.

Scott Marcus: We, we wouldn't have needed one, but-

Scott Hammond: It was disgusting

Scott Marcus: … that bathroom was pretty-

Scott Hammond: It was really gross.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Yeah.

Scott Hammond: There was a bidet in South G Street. We, you just didn't know about it.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Oh, Lord.

Scott Hammond: It's for management only. [laughs]

Scott Marcus: I, I, you know, I don't know if I can classify it down to,

things in radio per se. I, I was good at it. I enjoyed it. I brought some entertainment. I think I brought a level of news that people didn't have.

Scott Hammond: Huh. Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Uh, politics has always been important to me.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And I brought that in, not as much as a jo- a disc jockey as-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … when I did the talk shows.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: I got a lot of people– I gave people work.

I had, a couple of years ago… No, it had to be more than that 'cause I was, we still had Jack. Jack was, uh, our dog. Uh, so it would've been probably about 10 I was walking my dog through our neighborhood. So the… What are we now? So let's say early 2012-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … or so. [clears throat] And I'm–

Scott Hammond: You're right in, right in Eureka, right?

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Right? Right.

Scott Marcus: Right. [laughs] Don't, don't show them where I live.

Now they'll show up at my house. Oh.

Scott Hammond: Right over there, folks.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Yeah, right over there. [laughs]

But I'm walking my dog as I was, as I was prone to do, and this big white pickup truck pulls up next to me while I'm walking and slows down, and he's matching my pace. And I'm thinking, "Oh, what is this about?" [clears throat] and rolls down his window, and he says, "You Scott Marcus?" I go,

"Yeah."

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: And he goes, "You remember me?" I go, "No."

And he says, "I used to work for you at KATA about 30

Scott Hammond: Who was it?

Scott Marcus: Uh, I don't remember his name. And he said, "I did all nights."

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Scott Marcus: I said, "I, I'm sorry. I, you know-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … it's been 30 years. I don't remember." And he said,

Scott Hammond: Oh, wow.

Scott Marcus: And I thought, "Oh, crap. Here's where it all ends."

Scott Hammond: Here's where the-

Scott Marcus: He's gonna pull a rifle out. He's gonna boom-

Scott Hammond: Here's where the gun comes out

Scott Marcus: … blow them away. Yeah. And I said, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Scott Hammond: Who was it?

Scott Marcus: He goes, "No, no, no, no, don't be sorry."

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: He said, "You did it with grace. You

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Scott Marcus: "You told me that I just wasn't cut out for this

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Marcus: "And there was other fields that you thought I would be better for."

Scott Hammond: Oh, nice.

Scott Marcus: "Um, and you were very nice about it." And he goes,

right, and I started this construction business. Notice the name on the side of the truck."

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Marcus: "And I'm making lots of money and loving my life, and I owe it to you."

Scott Hammond: I'm a millionaire. Thank you.

Scott Marcus: And I thought, "Well, good. At least one of us went on to become a

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: [laughs] I was gonna say, I think you surrounded yourself with good

Scott Marcus: I've– My management philosophy has always been

You know?

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Scott Marcus: Hire somebody who is going to make you work

as opposed to I always wanna be the best. I… Back to Mike Hesser. M- I, I did not… Mike Hesser and I got along okay, and I-

Scott Hammond: He was hardcore East Coast, Chicago, whatever.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I think he was from New York or somewhere like-

Scott Hammond: He was. And they called him Hesser.

Scott Marcus: Hesser.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And he had designer jeans-

Scott Hammond: Oh, yeah

Scott Marcus: … Jordache designer jeans that were always,

[chuckles]

Scott Hammond: And he didn't fit in at Humboldt at all.

Scott Marcus: No, he didn't. He didn't.

Scott Hammond: What is he doing?

Scott Marcus: But he was a consultant, so he'd come up here, and like I said, I,

I didn't c- uh, nothing personal. I just, we just, I, I guess we got along, but he just wasn't my style.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Marcus: But I remember, I, I try and learn from everybody, and he had,

piece of advice that I'll share. So Mike Hesser, if you're one of the millions of people who are listening to this podcast right now-

Scott Hammond: Hesser

Scott Marcus: … yeah.

Scott Hammond: Shout out.

Scott Marcus: His comment was, "If I have a dollar and you have a

dollar-And we trade dollars, we each end up with a dollar. If I have an idea and you have an idea and we trade ideas, we each end up with two ideas.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: And obviously-

Scott Hammond: Good one

Scott Marcus: … 40 years later, that s-still resonates.

So I've always kinda used that. I'd rather have ideas that I can't use than-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … not have ideas that I can.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And in order to get the ideas, you have to make it a safe place for

express ideas.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Safe environment.

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Be a safe person.

Scott Marcus: Be a safe person.

Scott Hammond: Yep. So, uh, you were speaking… You still

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm. I am.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: I, I do that.

Scott Hammond: So you're professional and you've traveled the world and-

Scott Marcus: Yeah, the country.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And you-

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: … uh, and you were kind enough to invite me along to-

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … uh, uh, learn the craft out at National Speakers

Scott Marcus: That's where we slept together.

Scott Hammond: Right, yeah. And went to conference different times.

Scott Marcus: It means different beds, but in the same room.

Scott Hammond: I think that's true.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. It is true. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: It's hard to remember.

Scott Marcus: I, I love you like a brother.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Not like a wife.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Or I'm just gay.

Scott Hammond: Amen, brother.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So, [laughs] so having said that-

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … um,

that was a, a great stepping stone for me to kinda blog and, you know, write and now podcast. I think it's all, it's all, uh, uh, in many ways a tribute to some of the input you had in my life, so-

Scott Marcus: No, thank you

Scott Hammond: … thank you. That's part of why we're sitting here,

parts. But I, I wanted to ask you, so you, you did a lot of traveling, did a lot of writing.

Scott Marcus: Still do.

Scott Hammond: You still have an online, uh, um, business with speaking?

Scott Marcus: Yeah. I, I… It's still there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: But I still write. I mean, I've written a column for several

newspapers to this day. I started that in 2004, and I still go and-

Scott Hammond: Still the T-Time Standard local?

Scott Marcus: Time Standard is one of them, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I don't, I don't take the paper anymore,

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Their-

Scott Hammond: But you were very consistent

Scott Marcus: … their circulation has, uh, neee, gone

down.

Scott Hammond: What is, what is a newspaper? I, I have no idea.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I don't know what. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Is it an 8-track?

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: It's a bowling ball?

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I have no idea.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Uh, w- so having said that, what your, what is your,

um, what was the core of what you did in, in a minute? And h- what was your best takeaways from your speaking

Scott Marcus: What was the core of what I did-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … speaking wise?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I mean, you, you did a lot of different content.

I mean, everything from weight loss to

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: But I'll, I'll let you s- I'll let you fill that in.

Scott Marcus: I put it all under the umbrella of

habit change.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: What you say to yourself determines what you do to yourself.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: And

if you don't… Y-you ca- a- and my background was, you know, being overweight. That's, you know, I was a fat kid. I was the one who was beat up and teased. I lost 100 pounds as a teenager. You know, that was the first time I went on Weight

Watchers, which would've been 1970. And what I realized after losing the weight, putting it on, losing the weight, putting it on, et cetera, in my late 30s when I lost it for the hopefully final time, it's not about… In that case, it's not about what you eat. It's about what you say about what you eat.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: And if you don't change what you say to yourself, you will

never change what you do to yourself.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: Your thoughts are an external reflection. Excuse me.

Your actions are an external reflection of your thoughts.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Uh, which is part of the core philosophy of my

And

I learned you have to change that inner dialogue.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: So

if there was an umbrella… I mean, when I first got speaking, as, know, when you first get s-started as a speaker, to four people waiting at a bus stop, and, "Hi, I'm glad to be here today" [laughs]

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Because you wanna speak to anybody.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Uh, and, and one of the funny things, 'cause I

California chapter of-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Marcus: … National Speakers Association.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: And I used to welcome the new members

to our meetings, and what I used to say

is there's that old Jerry Seinfeld joke about more people are afraid of dying than they are of… Excuse me. More people are afraid of speaking in public than they are of dying, so to a funeral, more people would rather be in the box

Scott Hammond: Correct

Scott Marcus: … which is the Jerry Seinfeld joke.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And I said, "We," referring to these people who

"we're very different."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: We, w-we think

that we speak so well. We're, first of all, of people in some cases and speak, and we have a big enough ego to believe that they need to pay us for this opportunity.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: So-

Scott Hammond: It's called narcissism.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Yeah, yeah.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Yeah, it's called a healthy ego. Uh-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … some are narcissists, you know?

But what… So I, at, at first I would speak about anything. You know, uh, just give me the opportunity. And then I learned over time that my emphasis was more on habit change, and because of my radio background where had to be quick and sharp-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … to succeed in that, I have, I learned I had a quick wit.

I wasn't, as a speaker, and I'm still not, v-very static.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: I, I did not have to come up

I had the, the road that I would go.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: But there was bumps and all that,

say something, I was able to follow that and then find my way back again.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: So that's why I like the motivational the most.

But it was all about change what you say to yourself.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: And I developed a funny story, an hour-long keynote speech-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … that I could break into workshops,

perfectionism.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And if you, you know how perfectionism,

gets in the way of getting better, so that would be my…

I became a, uh, myOn my email signature, as well as the stuff I would send out, it would say Scott Marcus CRP.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Like yours says FO9-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … at least it used to. And CRP was, you know, chief

recovering perfectionist.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Um, and do you still have FO9 on yours?

Scott Hammond: Oh, I, my kids call me FO9.

Scott Marcus: Do they [laughs] ?

Scott Hammond: It means father of nine.

Scott Marcus: Father.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Which was something you and I came up with-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: … 'cause you needed some sort of-

Scott Hammond: It's good

Scott Marcus: … letters after your name.

Scott Hammond: It's-

Scott Marcus: So it was F-

Scott Hammond: BA, BS.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, and nobody ever asks, do they?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: You know, I put CRP, I don't think anybody even asks.

Scott Hammond: Oh, he's an FO9.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, he's an FO9.

Scott Hammond: Is that, is that a military rank?

Scott Marcus: Yeah [laughs] , that's it.

Scott Hammond: Kind of.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Um-

Scott Hammond: As a matter of fact

Scott Marcus: … I was gonna stop after an FO8,

nine.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, had to go, had to go nine.

the last-

Scott Marcus: [coughs]

Scott Hammond: … I don't know, five, 10 years from professional speaking to

more localized-

Scott Marcus: [coughs]

Scott Hammond: … city of Eureka acting,

um, uh-

Scott Marcus: I got old

Scott Hammond: … sp- a spiritual journey.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Uh, pastoring, if you will.

Scott Marcus: [coughs] Um,

I got… Speaking is, is, i- as you know, has its glamour to it.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: You know, you're, you go to a city [clears throat] and

they put you up, hopefully in a hotel, which is hopefully

nice.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: And then you come down to the stage and, you know, people

wanna hear what you have to say.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Marcus: And, you know, they applaud and it's, and,

and they-

Scott Hammond: Buy your book maybe

Scott Marcus: … buy your book and, you know, your CDs, join for your s-

services. Backroom sales as they're called. [clears throat] And that part's fun. I did not like the process of getting there or coming back.

Scott Hammond: Ah.

Scott Marcus: And there was a-

Scott Hammond: You mean flying, flying out of Humboldt?

Scott Marcus: Yeah, Humboldt.

Scott Hammond: The actual physical travel.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I didn't mind, once the plane took off-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … I was fine.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: But our airport, especially back then, was so unreliable.

Scott Hammond: I see.

Scott Marcus: Uh, to this point, it's still not a very reliable airport.

And I was always so nervous, will I get out of here on time? Coming back was an inconvenience if I didn't get back.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: But I had already done the gig. But getting out of here, I,

'cause I couldn't get out of here.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: So what would happen is if I had, let's say, a, a Wednesday

gig in some other city-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … whereby everybody else could leave to go

Wednesday, I'd leave on, like, Sunday.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: So that I, in case the flight was delayed

Scott Hammond: Right, right

Scott Marcus: … I'd still have a couple of days to get out

Scott Hammond: To drive to the city and-

Scott Marcus: [coughs]

Scott Hammond: … San Francisco.

Scott Marcus: Which meant I had to pay for extra hotel nights 'cause it wasn't right

that. And, and I was not charging [clears throat] my

was, uh, three grand maybe. And some speak… Which some people go, "Wow, you got $3,000 for a speech." Hey, for being on the road for a week-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … and all the material and all the information

But that said, I have a good friend, uh, who's a speaker, who we both know, um, and I won't say the name of the person say the pay scale, to the tune of $10,000 to $15,000 a presentation.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Marcus: So-

Scott Hammond: Is that she?

Scott Marcus: That is. Um, so-

Scott Hammond: She's terrific.

Scott Marcus: Yes, she is. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: I like her.

Scott Marcus: So do I. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: She, sh- who, who shall not be named.

Scott Marcus: Right, because I've just outed the pay scale.

But anyway, that became so stressful to me and in NSA, National Speakers Association, not National Security Administration, there was another speaker who I befriended. His name was Doug Stevenson.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And he had that same problem, but he was out of Denver.

Scott Hammond: Storyteller, right?

Scott Marcus: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And he would say that hi- what one of the things his wife told him

"You need to love the whole thing."

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: The speaking is

the money-making part.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: But you need to love from the, from, you need to love the marketing,

to love the travel, you need to love the delays.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Scott Marcus: You need to love the hassles. And I just couldn't love it all.

Scott Hammond: The adventures.

Scott Marcus: The, uh, y- I mean, some of it was really cool.

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: And when the airports worked-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … it was great, but the, the travel just got me to a point where I

wanna do this anymore-

Scott Hammond: That's the third one

Scott Marcus: … unless I can drive it-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … or unless I can be paid enough-

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Marcus: … that, all right, so if you're paid $10,000, $15,000,

city-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … a few days early and getting a extra hotel room.

So that's what got me out of it. I still do presentations. I've spoken on cruises, um, several times.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: That, which,

talk about a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Scott Hammond: It's an interesting job.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: We had a comedian in England-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … on a cruise.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: He went from really bad to really filthy to, like, off the

hook, and it's like-

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: … there's children in the audience. Like,

Scott Marcus: Well, they warn you, hopefully.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, a little bit.

Scott Marcus: So I

started m- and my, my personal economy started to fall apart.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: And I remember sitting in a hot tub with my wife, this

2013, and she said to me, it was one of those, you used the term that I really like, I've, I've taken it, uh, courageous conversations.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: It's an expression I picked up from you.

She decided to have a courageous conversation.

Scott Hammond: Trademark Scott Hammond.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Ding.

Scott Hammond: Not at all.

Scott Marcus: And she said to me one night, she goes, "You're just

not… I don't know what's going on with you, but you're not the guy that I married."

Scott Hammond: Whoa.

Scott Marcus: "And you used to have a spark. You used to be fun."

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: "And now you're just always down and looking for ways to cut

expenses."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: "And, and, and I, I realize things are tight for you right

I need you to change that." And she was brave enough to say it, and I was smart enough to listen.

Scott Hammond: Wow. Good.

Scott Marcus: So I said, "All right. I'll change it." And

I, I, that night I came up with, speaking of the pastoring, I came up with probably my main life affirmation.

Scott Hammond: Which is?

Scott Marcus: Which is, I live in a state of constant abundance

need them.And from that moment, I said, "All right. I'll, I'll accept that and I'll change it." affirmation, and I sw-I swear, Scott, within that week-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Scott Marcus: … I, I was g- clients who I hadn't heard from,

Scott Hammond: Started calling?

Scott Marcus: Uh, literally. Yeah. You, I think you know Patty Thomas.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Um, I had done a lot of work with her.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: She was a local therapist who now lives in Washington.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Scott Marcus: I hadn't heard from her in… I mean, you know, loose touch.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: But she reached out of the blue, said, "Scott,

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Marcus: "Would you be able to help me with this?" And I started working for the

Eureka. They had– I was doing my own presentations,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: They said, "Why don't you come work for us,

r-rent the room in the Adorni Center. F-you won't have to rent it." It was just-

Scott Hammond: Be yours

Scott Marcus: … it's yours, you know.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Marcus: And-

Scott Hammond: The big room

Scott Marcus: … I d- I got some advertising clients-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … who kicked in, uh, out of the blue.

And I mean, just things turned around.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: So-

Scott Hammond: But you were open to her conversation and her wi-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … her wise-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … wife counsel.

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. I, I-

Scott Hammond: That's not easy

Scott Marcus: … I think so

Scott Hammond: … did the work.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. It hurts though for a minute.

Scott Marcus: It, it does. I,

I, I don't think people can hurt you with believe it in part.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Like, if I was to say to you,

uh, "You're a lousy football player."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: You probably would, "Meh." Say it, say it to me,

I've got nothing vested in being a lousy football player.

Scott Hammond: Probably right. [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: But if I was to say to you-

Scott Hammond: Be careful

Scott Marcus: … "Your fathering skills aren't so good."

Scott Hammond: Yeah. "And your mom dresses you funny."

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Well, but I mean, in all seriousness-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … if I was to say, you know, "You– I,

skills," then you would kinda go, "Whoa," because that matters to you.

Scott Hammond: Good point.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. So-

Scott Hammond: Good point taken

Scott Marcus: … when your wife says, when my wife says something to me,

because I already knew I was there.

Scott Hammond: Your spark is-

Scott Marcus: My spark was gone.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: My sparkle.

Scott Hammond: Your sparkle.

Scott Marcus: Didn't have sparkle. I didn't have sparkle.

Scott Hammond: You're sparkling today, by the way.

Scott Marcus: I'm sparkling.

Scott Hammond: You're… [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Yeah, I'm sparkling.

Scott Hammond: Can I call you Sparky?

Scott Marcus: You can. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: See me. So [laughs] getting weirder and weirder.

Scott Marcus: Yes.

Scott Hammond: Um-

Scott Marcus: Should I dress in sequins for you?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, that would be great. Um,

[laughs] so help me stay on track. So you've, uh, you made that transition then to, to, [laughs] to, to, to pastoring, if you will. Spiritual-

Scott Marcus: Practitioner, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. And so the city of Eureka, travel less,

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: But still following your pa- And so-

Scott Marcus: And I do marketing consulting for the Small Business Development Center,

another source of income for me.

Scott Hammond: Right, which-

Scott Marcus: I've done that for 20 years also

Scott Hammond: … it's all in the same wheelhouse, though,

Scott Marcus: Yeah, for the most part. That's helping small businesses who don't

And then I work for the North Coast Repertory Theatre, not only as an actor-

Scott Hammond: Ah

Scott Marcus: … but I'm, uh, I'm one of very few people who

It's, like, you know, few hours a week, but I do that. I handle the front, what's called house management,

Scott Hammond: The front office

Scott Marcus: … front office, when I'm not on stage.

Scott Hammond: Well, all that adds up to the past, right?

It's, it's like you've had this arc-

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … that makes perfect-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … in some ways, perfect sense.

Scott Marcus: Right. Well, I think so.

Scott Hammond: So, hey, we're gonna quick stop. Ready?

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: This is the quiz part.

Scott Marcus: Oh, is it? I didn't know we had a quiz.

Scott Hammond: There's a, there's a prize in here.

Scott Marcus: Okay. [laughs] Is there really?

Scott Hammond: We're bringing it back to Humboldt.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, you have unlimited budget tonight to take

Where do you and she go?

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Um, we, we usually go to Subway.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Subway, okay.

Scott Marcus: But-

Scott Hammond: Subway it is

Scott Marcus: … okay, if the budget is larger-

Scott Hammond: Cheap date

Scott Marcus: … um, the– we just celebrated my birthday a few weeks

went, and that's where we usually go, tends to be Bayfront.

Scott Hammond: Bayfront.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. We-

Scott Hammond: Nice

Scott Marcus: … used to go to Sea Grill.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Uh, I don't know why we've stopped.

We have no problem with Sea- I know why, 'cause they didn't have the salad bar anymore. I love the salad bar.

Scott Hammond: They got rid of the salad bar?

Scott Marcus: It was COVID.

Scott Hammond: World-class.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It was amazing.

Scott Marcus: Uh, so we tend to go to Bayfront.

Scott Hammond: Bayfront's delicious.

Scott Marcus: Mm, I think so.

Scott Hammond: Uh, where do you go on a hike if you

say an afternoon picnic, and you just got in the car with Mary Ann. Where would you guys find yourselves?

Scott Marcus: Out of town.

Scott Hammond: Out of– Okay.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, we just-

Scott Hammond: You like Gasquet, right? You like the Middle Fork Ranch.

Scott Marcus: Well, yeah, but it's not there anymore.

Scott Hammond: Is it gone? Did it burn?

Scott Marcus: No, they just sold it. They sold it all.

Scott Hammond: They finally sold it.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. I know you and I used to go there.

I mean, not you and I together, but we both liked Middle Fork Ranch.

Um-

Scott Hammond: Yes, we did.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Separately.

Scott Marcus: We fi- [laughs] We found a place in Grants Pass

Um, but we just came back-

Scott Hammond: Nice

Scott Marcus: … just, just this week. Uh, we just got back on Monday.

Uh, we found an Airbnb in between Ukiah and Hopland about-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Scott Marcus: … two, two miles east of 101 up a hill

Scott Hammond: Very nice.

Scott Marcus: And that wa- Yeah, it was very nice. We like that.

So we like to-

Scott Hammond: I'd like to get that link, in fact.

Scott Marcus: I would be glad to give it to you.

Scott Hammond: The other place-

Scott Marcus: The guy was an excellent host.

Scott Hammond: The guy, the other place you go to is Applegate,

Scott Marcus: Applegate?

Scott Hammond: Is it Applegate by Grants Pass?

Scott Marcus: No, it was in Grants Pass.

Scott Hammond: It's right in GP, okay.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, it was right there.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, a little bit outside. I mean, maybe half a mile outside.

Scott Hammond: On this, on this side?

Scott Marcus: On this side, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: On this side. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: You wanna point to it on the map? [laughs]

Scott Hammond: That's right. [laughs] It's on this side.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] It's on McDowell Road, as a matter of fact, for people who,

Scott Hammond: No, Grants Pass is-

Scott Marcus: … 199 and then-

Scott Hammond: I love, I love Southern Oregon. I mean,

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … is beautiful.

Scott Marcus: Well, and you have family up there, don't you?

Scott Hammond: Yeah, we had all, a lot of kids in Medford.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And some grandkids. We're going tomorrow morning at oh-dark-30

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: So, uh, so more on that. So let's, uh, uh, last question.

And we-

Scott Marcus: Oh, is that it? We're done?

Scott Hammond: No, no.

Scott Marcus: Oh, okay. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: No, we're just getting started.

Scott Marcus: Okay. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: It's only two more hours.

Scott Marcus: Okay. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So, uh, what… If you were to, um,

um, uh, go to breakfast, where would you take Mary Ann?

Scott Marcus: Uh, I guess that when we go to breakfast, it's usually, uh,

Gil's By The Bay.

Scott Hammond: Oh, Gil's is delicious, yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I thought you were gonna say Los Bagels 'cause that's

us.

Scott Marcus: You know, uh, it,

I like Los Bagels. Nothing personal, Los Bagels. I have a little bit of trouble spending eight or nine bucks on a bagel.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it used to be a buck and a half.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Uh, but the bagels are great.

Scott Hammond: Yep.

Scott Marcus: Um-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … but yeah, we-

Scott Hammond: No, they've done a great job, and they, they…

Arcata gets a little slow on Sunday mornings.

Scott Marcus: Do they?

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: When you live up in McKinleyville.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, I'm gonna complain right now.

Scott Marcus: When, where you live.

Scott Hammond: So, so, uh, who was Scott at 15? Just really

quick, 10-second answers.

Scott Marcus: Fat, insecure, smart

Scott Hammond: One-word answers. I like it. Who was Scott-

Scott Marcus: You didn't say one word

Scott Hammond: … Who was Scott Marcus at 20?

Scott Marcus: Where was I at 20? I was in-

Scott Hammond: College

Scott Marcus: … college. Okay. Uh, [laughs] fat,

insecure, uh, and learning that he wasn't as smart as he thought.

Scott Hammond: No. [laughs] Better.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Who were you at, say, uh, 30? So it's 10 years later.

You're up here.

Scott Marcus: Uh, was I up here yet? No, I don't think I-

Scott Hammond: You would've been, yeah. I started the radio station at 24.

Scott Marcus: Well, well let's see.

Scott Hammond: You would've been 24 at Arcata.

Scott Marcus: In '83 I would've been 29. Yeah, when I moved to Arcata I was 29.

So at that point, um, I was thin. I was at my right weight. Uh, who was I at, at 30? Uh, thin, enjoying my career.

Scott Hammond: Was that TV then, where you're channel 20…

Was it ch-

Scott Marcus: No

Scott Hammond: … 23 in Arcata?

Scott Marcus: It, it, when I was 30 years old it would've been '84,

station.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: How old are you now?

Scott Marcus: 69.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Yeah, you're a little older.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: Every day.

Scott Hammond: Every day. [laughs]

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: You're… I have stuff to respect you as my elder.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] I just turned 69, what is today, the 12th?

Scott Hammond: Happy birthday.

Scott Marcus: So two weeks ago.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, we gotta go do a burger.

Scott Marcus: There we go.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I'll, I'll buy. Okay, yeah.

Scott Marcus: Okay. About time.

Scott Hammond: You're on.

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: Universe of abundance, see it's coming to you again.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] I'll take it where-

Scott Hammond: We're gonna go see Victor at In-N-Out Burger.

[laughs]

Scott Marcus: So, so the way that philosophy works incidentally,

from this place, you know, we just talked about.

Scott Hammond: The one in Hopland?

Scott Marcus: In wine country, yeah.

And we have a, at our house, we have a nice TV. It's a 55-inch flat screen, uh, made by, what's it, the Roku people, TCL or whatever.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Marcus: And it does a good job. I, I'm not meaning to sound like arrogant.

Scott Hammond: Co- It's a Costco TV.

Scott Marcus: It's… No, it was actually a Target TV.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Close enough.

Scott Marcus: Good enough. Uh, and we've had it, as it turns out,

know this 'cause I just looked up to see when we got it. So my wife and I go down to this place, and the TV they've got, it's again 55 inches, but it's, it's like you're looking into another

Scott Hammond: It's 3D.

Scott Marcus: It's so crystal-

Scott Hammond: Nice

Scott Marcus: … clear, and my wife and I are going-

Scott Hammond: What?

Scott Marcus: … "Oh, my God, have we become capitalists? Look at

That's just amazing."

Scott Hammond: We're gonna get a new-

Scott Marcus: So we, we wanna get a new TV, so we come back, and it, I say,

we're go- we'll find a TV." Um, and then after we came back we said, we really don't need a TV. We're, you know, I said, "Don't worry. We're gonna find a TV, And she goes, "Really?" I said, "Yeah. Trust me, I'm putting it out to the universe. It's gonna happen." What I was looking at right before you got here, you saw me checking some texts.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: A friend of mine has got a 55-inch one-year-old TV

wants to know if anybody wants it.

Scott Hammond: Right. Did you claim it?

Scott Marcus: I said I wanna go look at it.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Marcus: You know, I, if it's not better than mine,

if it's got-

Scott Hammond: Oh my

Scott Marcus: … that clarity, I, it's boom.

Scott Hammond: It's yours.

Scott Marcus: Uh, this-

Scott Hammond: But the other one in the bedroom.

Scott Marcus: This, uh, we don't need one in the bedroom.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, we, Joanie won't allow it.

Scott Marcus: We have one in there that we just-

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's-

Scott Marcus: It's no need for it

Scott Hammond: … kind of weird.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Um, but this is, this is what's called in

our spiritual philosophy a demonstration, where you put out what you want and then boom, there it is.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: You know?

Scott Hammond: It's good.

Scott Marcus: Whoop, there it is.

Scott Hammond: There it is.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And, and I think it works for other things in

Scott Marcus: Oh, of course

Scott Hammond: … and-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … love, forgiveness. I think it probably has to do with a lot

non-physical things-

Scott Marcus: Oh, yeah

Scott Hammond: … that-

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … you know, I could manifest, um-

Scott Marcus: I'm teaching a class-

Scott Hammond: Great

Scott Marcus: … right now every Tuesday called Change Your

all about the core-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … fundamentals of the philosophy.

Scott Hammond: Nice. Let's talk about Humboldt before you go

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: So what, what do you like mostly,

most about Humboldt? The county, the…

Scott Marcus: For one, I like… 'Cause we thought about moving.

Scott Hammond: Everybody has, right?

Scott Marcus: Yeah, everybody has. Um, I like that, well, we've lived

here, I've lived here 40 years, and my wife has lived here since '79, so 44 years, 45 years.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And

providing you treat other people well-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … I mean, everybody has run-ins with somebody

person of integrity and you're honest-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … and you treat people well, and you don't have to go darting into the

alleys when you see somebody coming.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Uh, case in point, you'll remember there

station years ago that was our competitor who, I forget his name, but who would screw everybody over.

Scott Hammond: Oh, he's awful.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Yeah. Um-

Scott Hammond: Who was that? Oh, I know.

Scott Marcus: Nellie, was that his… Oops, sorry.

Scott Hammond: Oops.

Scott Marcus: [laughs] Anyway, uh-

Scott Hammond: He's long gone.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, he's, I'm sure he is. But providing you treat people well,

living in a smaller community because you go into the grocery store and people know you.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: At times it's inconvenient, you know-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … you're just running in to get something.

Scott Hammond: Hey.

Scott Marcus: You walk down the street. On our neighbor- I've lived on, uh,

matter of fact, last week was 22 years since we moved in.

Scott Hammond: Wow, that long? Okay.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, we've been there that long. So, you know, there's-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Scott Marcus: … a couple people on the block who have

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: But, you know, everybody kinda knows each other.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: I love the fact…

I miss the warm evenings of-

Scott Hammond: Mm

Scott Marcus: … 70 to 80 degree evenings.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: But to get the 70 to 80 degree evenings,

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: And-

Scott Hammond: Fair point

Scott Marcus: … I love the fact that, you know, today, what is it, 65 degrees or

something?

Scott Hammond: 60. Perfect.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, with a light breeze. I love that.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: I love the artistic

component of this-

Scott Hammond: Big community, big culture, yeah.

Scott Marcus: There's, you know, I mean, there's musicians-

Scott Hammond: Oh

Scott Marcus: … there's actors, there's art, and my wife's a successful

printmaker.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Uh, there's jewelers, there's dancers.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, it's, I, I, I resonate with people

who are like that. I like the fact that it is a classical, basically liberal community-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … where it's live and let live

mostly. There, every community has its-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … colorful component.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: But people are accepted here for the most part, irrespective of

how they look or who they love or what they do-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … providing, again, they don't treat other people poorly.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: So I like all of those things. I like being involved with the city of

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: It's got some issues, and I'm just on the periphery.

I handle a lot of their marketing for community services.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: But I like-What the city of Eureka is doing.

I like the city of Eureka.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: So

I will live here in, until I pass-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … would be my intention.

Scott Hammond: Those of us who've stayed.

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: What do we know?

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's terrible here, folks. You, you wouldn't like it.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. I mean, there are some people-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … including some family members I have who

here."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: It's like, "Nah, come on."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: You know? I mean, there's issues with our growth right now.

Scott Hammond: Sure. Obviously.

Scott Marcus: You know, finding a place to live.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: What would you like to see for the future of Humboldt as a county?

What do you, what do you see? What would you like to see? What do, what do you fear?

Um-

Scott Marcus: What do I fear?

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I, I don't wanna focus on that necessarily-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … but…

Scott Marcus: What I would like to see

is– I mean, this is gonna sound ridiculously generic. I'd like to see more love and compassion.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: There is no situation where adding love and kindness

to it will make it worse.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: It just, it just doesn't exist.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: So I would like to see more of that. I would like to see even

more of a celebration of the arts.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: I would like to see people celebrated for who they

are, again, irrespective of what they look like,

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: My fear

is not just for Humboldt, [clears throat] but it would affect

Humboldt. I mean, this is, as climate change goes, this is a better area to be than many others.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: [clears throat] But this is a heavy time in the world.

You know, as, as we're talking right now, Israel is bombing Gaza.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And

the House is without a, a speaker.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: You know, the, the House of Representatives has no

Our government is ungovernable. Climate change is running rampant. Uh, we have a candidate, the leading candidate for the Republican Party, Donald Trump, is at n- 91 counts against him, indicted, a alleged criminal.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: I'll go so far as say he is. Um,

this isn't, this is not the Age of Aquarius.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: This is not what I expected it to be.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: And I'm afraid, quite frankly, that we effed it all up-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … our generation. You know, I know the millennials certainly blame

us. I don't like to think I did it, but my generation, our generation screwed up.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And we didn't make it better, we made it worse.

Scott Hammond: Some aspects.

Scott Marcus: In, in many ways.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. And I fear that

that is spreading and becoming-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Scott Marcus: … uh, uh,

a, a week ago, it was Ukraine and Russia.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: Now it's Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Hamas.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And next week it'll be something-

Scott Marcus: Hopefully not

Scott Hammond: … weirder.

Scott Marcus: But that's-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … what it feels like, like a, the proverbial snowball-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … rolling down a hill.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: It–

So that's my fear.

Scott Hammond: I quit news about two years ago.

Scott Marcus: You quit the news?

Scott Hammond: I, I, I just quit it.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. I, I-

Scott Hammond: I, I knew about Israel right away-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … but 'cause the news that you need, you'll hear.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I guess that's true.

Scott Hammond: The rest of it's just g- a lot of bullshit commentary-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … between Fox News and CNN.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, and, and a lot of-

Scott Hammond: You know, they're-

Scott Marcus: … people, there's, it's just we don't have news,

kinda like we're doing right now. [chuckles]

Scott Hammond: Kinda like, yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Exactly, so.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um, any, you mentioned regrets.

Any chief regrets?

Scott Marcus: I try not to focus on regrets. Um, I regret I was

born too early to go on the Starship Enterprise.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Okay? I, I would-

Scott Hammond: It's regretful.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. I would've, I would've changed teams to be with

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: So he, he was my choice.

Scott Hammond: Funny, funny you'd say it. We're w- rewatching the whole thing.

Scott Marcus: Oh, are you?

Scott Hammond: Just watched "Generations," and we're starting in on, uh-

Scott Marcus: I don't have Paramount Plus

Scott Hammond: … "First Contact." It's all the, the movies,

Scott Marcus: Oh, okay. Yeah. I have– But, uh, I'm,

I'm going through the whole series-

Scott Hammond: Oh, that's different

Scott Marcus: … "Better Call Saul." Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Okay. There's not an Enterprise on that.

Scott Marcus: No, it's not. And we, and, and speaking of TV,

Netflix, or no, on Amazon Prime, that somebody referred us to. It's a Masterpiece Theatre series called "The Un- Unforgotten."

Scott Hammond: "Unforgotten"?

Scott Marcus: Oh, it's fantastic.

Scott Hammond: Really?

Scott Marcus: Yeah, it's about, uh, uh, detectives in, in Great Britain

who specialize in what are called historic crimes.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: Like they'll– Somebody in an excav-

Scott Hammond: On-

Scott Marcus: … is building a building, and they dig up bones.

Scott Hammond: Mm.

Scott Marcus: And they go, "Oh, my God, what are these?" And they have to figure

Scott Hammond: Oh

Scott Marcus: … and what was the crime from 30 or 40 years ago.

Scott Hammond: "The Unforgotten."

Scott Marcus: Yeah, "The Unforgotten." Uh, somebody recommended it to us, and, uh,

She was spot on.

Scott Hammond: Huh.

Scott Marcus: Uh-

Scott Hammond: With that new TV you're gonna go pick up.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs] We'll watch it on our own TV.

Scott Hammond: You're manifesting it right now.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, there we go. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Um, [laughs] so I, I don't–

I try not to have many regrets. Uh, I wanted to make a series of mentally

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … which I thought would be fun.

Scott Hammond: [chuckles]

Scott Marcus: And, and they would each have something on it,

say, um-

Scott Hammond: "Men suck"

Scott Marcus: … "Unnecessary anger really pisses me off."

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Um, and one of the other ones was,

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Uh, so I, I– Not too many regrets. I, I

mean, I wish– The proverbial aging comment that probably everybody makes, I wish I knew then what

I know now.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: But I didn't.

Scott Hammond: Right.

Scott Marcus: So.

Scott Hammond: It's an old Rod Stewart song. Uh-

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs] It was. Uh, was it "The Killing of Georgie"?

No, no, no, it was-

Scott Hammond: It's, uh-

Scott Marcus: I, I know the song we're talking about, yeah

Scott Hammond: … "Him and Faces."

Scott Marcus: Yeah. No, no, it was, it– No, it was, uh, he was on his own at

Scott Hammond: Um, it's, um…

I'll think of this song in a minute. So, uh, any parting shots? Anything– What– I have one more question.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Uh, it's the hardest one.

Scott Marcus: Are we seriously coming to a close here when you say one-

Scott Hammond: Pretty quick.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: In the next hour. Uh, who are you

and– now, and what do you want?Having, having said all of that stuff, who's Scott Marcus and what does he want today in the studio?

Scott Marcus: Well, that's a great question.

Who am I?

Scott Hammond: In Toastmasters we called this the pregnant pause.

Scott Marcus: [chuckles] The power of-

Scott Hammond: Well, the power-

Scott Marcus: … power of the pause.

Scott Hammond: The power of the pause. Well, while you-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … gather your thoughts I'll, I'll make more comments.

We were in Toastmasters together for many years.

Scott Marcus: Yes, we were. We were.

Scott Hammond: Thank you so much.

Scott Marcus: I won Toastmasters awards too.

Scott Hammond: Oh, yes. You were head of a speaker.

Scott Marcus: I, I did that well. Who am I? I, I,

I think I'm adopting more and more

that I'm more than I think that I am. I don't… I, the, I, I could use the cliché that I am a spiritual being having a human experience. I have learned that each of us… If we could, if we could take this room, and there's three of us in here. There's good old Nick over behind the, the controls.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Everybody, good old Nick.

Scott Marcus: Good old Saint Nick. If-

Scott Hammond: Saint, Saint Nick, I like that

Scott Marcus: … if we could

break this down into the quantum level, the bosons and the quarks and all that other stuff, we wouldn't see any of this. We would see collections of energy, and the table would be energy, this room would be energy, you'd be some form of energy. I'm some form of energy.

Scott Hammond: Some matrix stuff. We're The Matrix.

Scott Marcus: Nick, Nick is a form of energy. I mean, we, it,

And therefore there… First of all, there's no separation between any of us.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: We are all one. But that aside,

we exist, I, I exist, since the question was me,

first-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … that happens to be having this physical

And

so I'll go with spiritual being having a human experience. That said, curious.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: I like to think of myself as compassionate and kind,

grateful.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Humorous.

Scott Hammond: At times.

Scott Marcus: At times. [laughs] Even when it's inappropriate-

Scott Hammond: I think you're sen-

Scott Marcus: … as that was in my joke before we started.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: It's mildly sens- humorous.

Um, I think you're sensitive. I think you're, you're empathetic.

Scott Marcus: I think I'm s- thank you. I do too.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. I think that's part of who you are.

Scott Marcus: I, I'm not the old, old-school traditional guy that, you know,

when I was in high school, that the way guys were supposed to be. I was always a sensitive guy.

Scott Hammond: That's good.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: It is now, I think.

Scott Hammond: It's, it's… Yeah, absolutely it is.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: I agree. Um,

I was read- So, so I did… I, I'll read this 'cause it'll be humorous.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: 'Cause you said you were humorous.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: You'll find some humor in that.

Scott Marcus: All right.

Scott Hammond: Uh, Scott Q Marcus, a resident of Eureka, California,

Scott Marcus: Oh, that's right. Do you wanna read where you got that,

Or you're just gonna read it?

Scott Hammond: No, this is all true. You wrote it.

Scott Marcus: No, I did not. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So-

Scott Marcus: I know what you're reading, though.

Scott Hammond: So, so-

Scott Marcus: It's not true

Scott Hammond: … AI wrote this for you.

Scott Marcus: Yes.

Scott Hammond: So thank you, artificial-

Scott Marcus: I, uh, so before you do that, 'cause I'm really curious.

Scott Hammond: Sure.

Scott Marcus: 'Cause I tried to look it up afterwards, after you-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … after you sent this to me, and I went to Bard-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … and I said, "Who is Scott Q Marcus?" And it said,

Scott Hammond: Don't know.

Scott Marcus: No, no.

Scott Hammond: Never heard of-

Scott Marcus: I went to ChatGPT or whatever it's called.

Scott Hammond: That's what this is.

Scott Marcus: And I said, "Who is Scott Q Marcus?" And it said-

Scott Hammond: Don't know the bum

Scott Marcus: … it said, "Don't know."

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: "Not enough information." So how you managed to get this-

Scott Hammond: Well, I, I-

Scott Marcus: Yeah

Scott Hammond: … me and ChatGPT, we got a little thing going.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Um, but I, I thought it was… It's, it's very generic.

Scott Marcus: Okay. It's got a, got a lot of-

Scott Hammond: It's like reading your horoscope.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: It's, "You today will meet a person."

Scott Marcus: Yeah. It, it's pretty accurate.

Scott Hammond: Well-

Scott Marcus: There, there are some definite flaws

Scott Hammond: … you'll have a conflict today.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: You know?

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I know.

Scott Hammond: You will think thoughts.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Scott Q Marcus, a resident of Eureka,

personal transformation and commitment to wellness. So what wellness is kinda-

Scott Marcus: Wellness, yeah

Scott Hammond: … plays into– I think it's a good word.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, I do too.

Scott Hammond: Born with a passion for-

Scott Marcus: And I'm gonna do a buzz when the, when it's wrong. I'll go,

Scott Hammond: I'll give you the bell. Here.

Scott Marcus: No, I… [laughs] Okay, you can give me the bell. I got the bell.

Scott Hammond: There's the bell. Okay.

Scott Marcus: Here we go.

Scott Hammond: He's gonna ring the bell if it's different.

Scott Marcus: I ring the bell if it's, if it's incorrect.

Scott Hammond: Born with a passion for health and fitness.

[bell dinging] [laughs]

Scott Marcus: I feel, speaking of, uh, of, uh,

Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, what was the name of the, in the wheelchair? [bell dinging]

Scott Hammond: Oh, that… Yeah, that guy.

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Marcus struggled with his weight in his earlier years.

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm.

Scott Hammond: I don't know. Bell there.

Scott Marcus: There's… No, that's true.

Scott Hammond: That's true.

Scott Marcus: That's, that's definitely true.

Scott Hammond: However, this challenge became a catalyst for his

lifestyle.

Scott Marcus: That's true.

Scott Hammond: Marcus' story is one of resilience and determination.

Scott Marcus: Mm…

Scott Hammond: Okay?

Scott Marcus: Okay. Sure.

Scott Hammond: I think you're resilient.

Scott Marcus: I'll take it. I'll take it.

Scott Hammond: I would give you that.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: Uh, he overcame obesity and embarked on a mission to share his

knowledge with others.

Scott Marcus: Okay.

Scott Hammond: He became a certified fitness trainer.

[bell dinging] [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Do you see?

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: Do you like it now?

Scott Hammond: Wellness coach, and a motivational speaker. Okay.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, yeah. Okay.

Scott Hammond: Using his own journey as a source of inspiration-

Scott Marcus: Mm-hmm

Scott Hammond: … for countless individuals-

Scott Marcus: Okay

Scott Hammond: … seeking to improve their lives.

Scott Marcus: Okay. So far, yeah.

Scott Hammond: This isn't all that BS-y yet.

Scott Marcus: Okay. That, that's so far pretty sure.

Scott Hammond: Should I, should I continue?

Scott Marcus: Please.

Scott Hammond: Okay. We have time.

Scott Marcus: I got a bell.

Scott Hammond: Nick, are we good? Saint Nick says yes.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um, [clears throat] one of Marcus' most

Weight Loss Diaries. [bell dinging]

Scott Marcus: I never wrote that book.

Scott Hammond: Well, not that you remember.

Scott Marcus: No, I-

Scott Hammond: [laughs]

Scott Marcus: … I even looked that book up the way…

Um, and it has nothing to do with me. She happens to be a weight loss person, but I looked it up 'cause I said, "Where the hell did it come from?"

Scott Hammond: It talks about the book, so-

Scott Marcus: I wrote ni- Well, let's remember-

Scott Hammond: You did a, you did a lot of other books, though

Scott Marcus: … I wrote, I've written nine books.

Scott Hammond: Some of them about weight loss.

Scott Marcus: Uh, one of them specifically about weight

A-

Scott Hammond: One

Scott Marcus: … and then I wrote a, a, like a self-help pamphlet thing

Scott Hammond: So I wonder how AI assigned you this book, so.

Scott Marcus: Her name is Carrie something or another.

I-

Scott Hammond: Carrie Marcus.

Scott Marcus: No, it's not. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Beyond his writing, Scott Marcus has been a sought-after

Scott Marcus: Okay. I like that

Scott Hammond: … delivering motivational talks-

Scott Marcus: I like that

Scott Hammond: … workshops in health and wellness-

Scott Marcus: Okay

Scott Hammond: And personal growth all over Humboldt and beyond.

Scott Marcus: Okay. Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Um,

his passion for helping others transform their lives has earned him recognition and

respect in the community.

Scott Marcus: Okay. I, I can take that.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Now, uh, in summary, Scott Q

Marcus's life is a story, story, life story is a testament of the power of determination and the ability to inspire others.

I, you know-

Scott Marcus: Okay

Scott Hammond: … when people, when I claim you as a friend on occasion-

Scott Marcus: [chuckles]

Scott Hammond: … people know you fr-

[laughs] They, they know you from, um, from Wei- Weight Watchers.

Scott Marcus: Yeah, the Weight Watcher guy. The Weight Watcher-

Scott Hammond: You were there for what? 25, 30 years.

Scott Marcus: 34 years.

Scott Hammond: Are you still part of it?

Scott Marcus: No.

Scott Hammond: It's all online or something now, isn't it?

Scott Marcus: Uh, yeah.

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: They, they, um, after COVID, things went crazy, and I-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … became the sole employee up here,

we can f- we can put you on standby and then call you back when we need you."

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And I asked the supervisor, "How often have they called them-

said, "Oh, they never have." I said, "Well, then why are you putting me on

standby?"

Scott Hammond: Why would you do this? Yeah.

Scott Marcus: "Just, just cut me loose."

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And no thank you, no nothing. Bitterness? Not much.

Uh, they just cut me loose. Not even an email, just-

Scott Hammond: Just bye

Scott Marcus: … 34 years, and that was it.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. Love ya.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: See ya, bye.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: In summary, Ma- Marcus's life story

determination and the ability to inspire others. From overcoming obesity, obesity and, and becoming a successful

author.

Scott Marcus: Okay. No, I've, I've got nine books.

Scott Hammond: Okay. Well, yeah, nine books. Yeah, that's-

Scott Marcus: That, that, that would be… So, and I write a column.

Scott Hammond: And hey, okay, that's author-

Scott Marcus: That's, that's authoreness.

Scott Hammond: Yeah. That's author-esque.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And a motivational speaker.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: He has left an indelible mark in the world of health and fitness.

Scott Marcus: Eh.

Scott Hammond: Eh, indelible.

Scott Marcus: I guess the definition is what is-

Scott Hammond: I wonder who the bell going.

Scott Marcus: I- I just… What's the definition of indelible?

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: So my last question to you-

Scott Marcus: Okay

Scott Hammond: … is, um-

Scott Marcus: There's the bell. [bell dings] [laughs]

Scott Hammond: The bell tolith. My last question is what, uh,

them to say about you at your, your eulogy? What are we gonna say, and, and what does the tombstone read?

Scott Marcus: I had to, for practitioner training,

I had to write my own funeral service-

Scott Hammond: Oh, nice

Scott Marcus: … which is

quite an eye-opener.

Scott Hammond: I bet.

Scott Marcus: And

I don't remember… So we each had to re- write it and read it, and I, I picked the music, um, uh, what, what songs I want. My overriding song is by, um,

OneRepublic.

Scott Hammond: Down to the music.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. Oh, yeah. I, I got five songs. You know?

Scott Hammond: Oh.

Scott Marcus: Five songs. And the, the closing song,

um, is "I Lived" by OneRepublic.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: And

I think I wanna… I, I, I don't know what I have. I don't know Well, first of all, I'm not gonna have a gravestone.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: 'Cause I, I actually, after I had the cancer scare earlier this

year and found out that I don't have it, thank God, I decided to start getting my life, my end of life affairs in order.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: [clears throat] And got in touch.

Again, the universe sends you what you need. So after I get this cancer scare, there's, on a telephone pole of all places, a flyer for end of life planning. I go, "All right. Well, thanks universe."

Scott Hammond: Cool.

Scott Marcus: "Let's go do it."

Scott Hammond: Tear that phone number off.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. So, you know, I just took a photograph of it.

[laughs]

Scott Hammond: Took a picture.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. But I… So I've got a, a cremation plan.

I will be a tree.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Scott Marcus: Uh, there's a type of cremation thing where

and you turn into a tree.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Scott Marcus: So someday I will be shade for travelers and a place for birds to be.

Scott Hammond: And some-

Scott Marcus: But-

Scott Hammond: … very funny tasting apples. [laughs]

Scott Marcus: [laughs] I actually wanna be a golden chain tree. I love golden chains.

Scott Hammond: Those are beautiful. Yeah.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. We used to have one in our backyard.

Scott Hammond: Oh, they're great.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. So

I don't have a eulogy or a, a, a one line on a gravestone thing, but I would like to be remembered as, a- again, kind, compa- with the way I described myself-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … a, a little while ago, made a difference, that I left…

Ever since I was a small child, I remember one of the drivers I've had is to do good.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: To

leave the world a little better than I found it. To this day, I told, I mentioned my fears about what's going on I have, like, that much tolerance for

intolerance.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: For people who

persecute others. For the, the, the whole thing in Ukraine just rips me apart.

Scott Hammond: Hmm.

Scott Marcus: People, uh, they're, they're like you and me and Nick

There were people doing this, and then, a- and now the-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … you know. And one can argue that I,

um, and what his government has done. Um, so I… And, and certainly what Hamas has done, there is no excuse for it whatsoever. That is not equal retaliation.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: That is just brutality-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … depravity.

But I, I look at innocent Israelis and Palestinians-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … who had nothing to do with that

Scott Hammond: Right

Scott Marcus: … and have now been just literally

and I, it, it, it hurts my heart.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And I want to-

Scott Hammond: Yeah

Scott Marcus: … do something

to ma- I, I can't fix the big world. I can barely fix that map.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: But

to make this little section of the world a better place than how I found it-

Scott Hammond: Hmm

Scott Marcus: … in whatever way that is.

Scott Hammond: Amen, brother. Good word.

Scott Marcus: Thank you. And so it is. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: And so it shall be.

Hey, appreciate you, my friend and my brother.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. You too, my brother.

Scott Hammond: And actually say I love you on-

Scott Marcus: Love you too

Scott Hammond: … l- live.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: And, uh-

Scott Marcus: Well, we're recorded, aren't we? Are we live?

Scott Hammond: Not really.

Scott Marcus: Okay. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: I'm alive.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. See, I'm one of those guys who can say,

Scott Hammond: Love you back.

Scott Marcus: There you go.

Scott Hammond: All right. Are we gonna keep saying it?

Scott Marcus: Uh, sure. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: Repeat that again, please.

Scott Marcus: Actually, we sound alike. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: I kind of like that when you say…

When you talk to me like that. Appreciate you being on. Thanks.

Scott Marcus: Can I do one quick plug?

Scott Hammond: Oh, please. Plug away.

Scott Marcus: Okay. Uh, "It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play"-

Scott Hammond: Uh-huh

Scott Marcus: … starts November 17th at the North Coast

Scott Hammond: Okay.

Scott Marcus: Um, I, it's, it's gonna be like a 1940s radio show.

Um, I play one of five actors. My character is Harry "Jasbo" Haywood. He's a comedian in the mid-'40s. He's, doesn't really exist.

Scott Hammond: Jasbo.

Scott Marcus: And please, everybody come and see it.

I will be playing 10 voices, including Clarence the Angel.

Scott Hammond: Wow.

Scott Marcus: Uh, Uncle Billy.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Uh, Harry Bailey, the hero, who was also located-

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm

Scott Marcus: … on the grounds.

Scott Hammond: Your brother. Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: Uh, Sam Wainwright. Hee haw.

Scott Hammond: Mm-hmm.

Scott Marcus: And, uh, who else do I play? Ernie the cab driver,

dialect.

Scott Hammond: Perfect.

Scott Marcus: We're, we're changing him up a…

November 17th to December 10th. After a year like this,

Scott Hammond: Yeah.

Scott Marcus: And it's a family play.

Scott Hammond: Nice.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: NCRT, downtown Eureka.

Scott Marcus: North Coast Repertory Theatre 5th and D.

Scott Hammond: Is that… I think I've got it. It's, is it-

Scott Marcus: [laughs]

Scott Hammond: It's right here in downtown Eureka?

Scott Marcus: Like, I think you're poi- Yeah, there you go.

Scott Hammond: Is that close?

Scott Marcus: Right. Same block as Starbucks.

Scott Hammond: And y- and you live right over here.

Scott Marcus: Yeah. [laughs]

Scott Hammond: So you can walk to the theater, right?

Scott Marcus: I actually do sometimes.

Scott Hammond: Yeah, it's right there.

Scott Marcus: Yeah.

Scott Hammond: Hey, appreciate you. Thanks, Scott, for being here.