Hear stories from traveling 2,500 miles across India by Rickshaw and driving a “Shoe-Baru” from the UK to Cape Town. In Part 2 of this interview, Scott Brills tells the story of driving from the UK to Cape Town in cars decorated as Chuck Taylor sneakers. He describes his experience getting stuck in Aswan in Southern Egypt, and then evading Bandits in Ethiopia and plowing through a makeshift roadblock. Scott then reflects on doing the “Rickshaw Run” in India 3 times and describes the uniquely rich and immersive experience of traveling 2,500 miles across India in a tuk tuk. Next, he talks about falling in love with Japan and founding his company “Eat Japan” which runs small group tours for people to experience Japanese culture through food. Scott then talks about his distilling and brewing experience and his upcoming launch of his own tea brand, “Asa Tea”. He then offers tips on language learning, as well as business lessons from starting companies in 6 countries. Scott also shares some thoughtful advice on avoiding the pitfalls of voluntourism and the white savior complex. And finally, he reflects on the impact over 2 decades of travel has had on him and what travel means to him today.
Episode #322: Evading Bandits in Ethiopia, Eating Japan, and Launching “Asa Tea” with Scott Brills.
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Scott Brills
Scott Brills is an international entrepreneur and world traveler who currently runs businesses focused on adventure tourism in Tanzania and food tourism in Japan. He is the co-founder of the award winning “Pomoja Safaris” in Tanzania, and the founder of “Eat Japan” which runs small group, multi-day guided tours focused on the Japanese culinary world. Scott has earned certifications in the fields of tea, sake, shochu, and wine. Partnering with distilleries around the world he distills his own spirits, and most recently spent some time in Japan developing a new line of sake from scratch. He is also in the process of launching his own tea brand later in 2025. Scott has been a full time digital nomad since 2002, has started companies in 6 countries, he speaks 5 languages, and has now traveled to over 100 countries.
What You'll Learn
- The Unique Value of Traveling 2,500 Miles Across India by Rickshaw
- How and Why to Experience Japan Through Food
- How to Learn Multiple Languages Quicker and More Effectively
Links From the Episode
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TOP 2 BOOKS THAT SCOTT RECOMMENDS
TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
OTHER ARTISTS MENTIONED
TOP 5 HIP-HOP EMCEES
EVENTS MENTIONED
PLACES IN JAPAN MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
PLACES IN INDIA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Agra
- Arusha
- Delhi
- Jaipur
- Jaisalmer
- Jodhpur
- Kashmir
- Kerala
- Meghalaya Province
- Mumbai
- Rajasthan
- Red Fort
- Shillong
- Taj Mahal
LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
- Matt: Asheville, North Carolina
- Scott: Dallas, Texas
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Africa
- Cape Town
- Aswan, Egypt
- Elephantine
- Europe
- India
- Japan
- London
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Ethiopia
- Tanzania
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South America
- Khartoum, Sudan
- United Kingdom
CONTACT AND FOLLOW SCOTT
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[1:13:] Driving from the UK to Cape Town in Cars Decorated as Chuck Taylor Sneakers
[4:39] Getting Stuck in Aswan, Egypt
[7:10] Evading Bandits in Ethiopia
[10:29] Doing “The Rickshaw Run” in India 3 Times
[13:13] The Unique Value of Traveling 2,500 Miles Across India by Rickshaw
[16:29] Falling in Love with Japan
[22:59] Cultural Immersion through Food and Founding “Eat Japan”
[27:41] Consulting on Distilling and Brewing
[28:31] Launching “Asa Tea” in 2025
[30:31] Tips on Language Learning
[34:11] Navigating the Pitfalls of Voluntourism and the White Savior Complex
[37:08] Business Lessons from Building Companies in 6 Countries over 20 Years
[39:46] The Impact Travel Has Had on Scott
[42:14] What Travel Means to Scott Today
[43:25] The Lightning Round
[52:18] Contact and Follow Scott