Dave: Hey everyone, Dave here with another episode of the Philly Tech Entrepreneurs podcast. I’m here with my friend Scott. Met Scott at one of our recent events, a super cool guy in UI/UX design with over 13 years of experience. This guy’s been involved in a lot of different industries, which always impresses me. He’s the CEO of Emerald Origins, aiming to redefine medical cannabis care and education. But in a past life, he’s also done a karate tournament SaaS, had an art company, done commercial printing, web design agency, and he’s an established DJ. I’ve listened to some of his tracks, his stuff is great. Just an all-around creative type and Renaissance Man. Scott, glad to have you here today. How are you doing?
Scott: Doing pretty good, man. And I didn’t have to pay you anything to say all that nice, so thanks, man.
Dave: Not at all. I need your help with the intro, but yeah, here we go. So thanks for giving me a lot to work with. Most importantly, I know you traveled farther than many people to get to one of the events, which we really appreciate. It shows that the community is growing beyond just central Philly. What’s your history and relationship with the Philly area? Where did you grow up, and where are you now?
Scott: I actually grew up in Philly. I was born in Kentucky but was raised in Northeast Philly, around Roosevelt Boulevard. We moved to the suburbs for better education around third or fourth grade. I lived in Center City for a while, and now I’m up in Quakertown, planning on trying to get back down to Philly because of the exciting industry hubs forming there.
Dave: There are a few things happening, and we’re looking forward to seeing you at more meetups. With all the things you work on, it’s hard to structure the conversation. Let’s talk a bit about Emerald Origins, the company you’re gearing up for launch with. Introduce us to the concept and what you guys have been up to.
Scott: Emerald Origins is a cannabis telehealth platform and electronic medical record system for doctors, providing a better way of managing patient care. We have tools and surprises in the works to facilitate this, with education being a key component that’s often missing. We aim to provide structured, organized education to help patients and doctors because understanding how to use the plant makes all the difference. It’s different for everyone, and a lack of education can lead to negative experiences for newcomers.
Dave: That’s awesome. With the launch coming, let’s pivot away for a bit and hold that for a second conversation. I want to talk about creativity, inspiration, generating ideas. You seem like someone who’s cracked that code, always having ideas. Where do you get your inspiration from, and how do you decide what’s a good idea versus a bad one?
Scott: Most of my ideas come from personal experience or passions within a certain space. When I started my web design company, it was because of a bad experience and thinking I could do it better. My ideas often arise from wanting to improve something based on my own experiences.
Dave: Managing many projects must be challenging. How do you approach juggling all these different endeavors?
Scott: I have tons of plans and ideas, but my neurodivergent brain makes structured days challenging. I try to compartmentalize the type of work, focusing on design, planning, or research on specific days to avoid constant context switching, which drops my efficiency.
Dave: That’s interesting, considering how different tasks utilize different parts of the brain. Now, despite all the projects, you’ve been super engaged in the community, showing a lot of time for personal development. How do you approach leveling up and learning new things?
Scott: I’ve reignited my passion for reading physical books to reduce screen time and embrace my ADHD. Business books nowadays are chunkable and actionable, allowing me to pick up and drop as needed. I digest a bunch of information that I need at the time, then try to execute it.
Dave: Knowledge is power. Leaders are readers, and it’s about making time for it. For people wanting to learn more about you, your UI/UX design services, or the companies you’re working on, where should they get in touch?
Scott: They can check out my site at howmeetswhy.com.
Dave: Hopefully, by the time you’re listening to this, it will all be live, so we can already check it out. Scott, thanks for being an engaged member of the community.