Mike sits down with Danny Combs, founder of TACT (Teaching the Autism Community Trades), a program that teaches people with autism skilled trades ranging from welding to woodworking to IT. With equal parts heart and hard data, Danny walks Mike through how TACT is helping fill critical labor shortages while giving thousands of gifted, detail-driven students a path to meaningful, good-paying work. It's a conversation about talent, potential, and the untapped workforce hiding in plain sight. Danny'...
Dec 02, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 461
Mike sits down with the two innovative minds behind Digs — an app that's helping to streamline the home-building process. It's a candid look at what happens when tech guys wander into the world of lumber, drywall, and delayed inspections—and try to fix it. If you've ever wondered whether artificial intelligence can actually help build a house, or at least make the whole ordeal a little less maddening, this conversation is for you.
Nov 25, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 460
Mike meets actor, writer, and director Steven Grayhm , whose award-winning film Sheepdog is about to hit theaters. Steven breaks down how a three-hour ride with a tow truck driver led him on a 14-year odyssey to get to the truth about veteran post-traumatic stress. It's a conversation about grit, service, sacrifice, and the complicated realities faced by the men and women who stand their post long after the uniform comes off. Steven's passion for telling their stories with honesty and respect sh...
Nov 18, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 459
In honor of Veterans Day, Mike speaks with co-host of The Big Weekend Show Marine Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Johnny Joey Jones, who served eight years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician in Iraq and Afghanistan—where he lost both legs in the line of duty. These days, he's on a mission to highlight those who serve, from American warfighters to first responders, which he does powerfully in his new book, Behind the Badge . It's a honest tribute to those who run toward the danger when others run...
Nov 11, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 458
Mike joins author and energy expert Alex Epstein to discuss Bill Gates' surprising new stance on climate change, the growing clash between "human-centric" and "anti-impact" environmentalism, and how the AI revolution is reshaping global energy demands. They also explore what this shift means for philanthropy, fossil fuels, and the future workforce driving America's next energy boom.
Nov 04, 2025•46 min•Ep. 457
Security expert, author, and entrepreneur Gavin de Becker joins us to discuss his newest book, Forbidden Facts: Government Deceit & Suppression About Brain Damage from Childhood Vaccine s —a hard-hitting investigation into how government agencies and industry cover up evidence and manipulate public belief. We also discuss the attempted assassination at Butler and how neatly it was tied up in a bow. Gavin also reveals who he believes really killed Robert F. Kennedy Sr.—spoiler alert; it ain't...
Oct 28, 2025•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 456
Mike chats with Philip Diehl, the 35th Director of the U.S. Mint and the man behind the most successful coin program in American history—the 50 State Quarters. They talk about the surprising history of the U.S. dollar coin, how a coin gets designed and approved, and the unexpected reason why the mikeroweWORKS Trades Coin—a symbol of American skill and pride—wasn't actually made in the America.
Oct 21, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 455
Mike sits down with Amie Ichikawa—former inmate, prison reform advocate, and founder of Woman II Woman , an organization dedicated to protecting the rights and dignity of incarcerated women. Amie shares her firsthand experience in the California prison system, the disturbing reality of fully intact men being housed in women's prisons, and the silence surrounding it. Now on the outside, she's using her voice to protect those still inside. It's a raw conversation about justice, safety, and speakin...
Oct 14, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 454
NBA player turned human rights activist Enes Kanter Freedom shares his remarkable journey growing up in Turkey under an oppressive regime, his rise to NBA stardom, and the high personal cost of speaking out against tyranny. From being exiled by his home country to being effectively blackballed from the NBA, Enes opens up about the courage it takes to stand alone—and why he refuses to stay silent. He also discusses his powerful new book, In the Name of Freedom , and what it means to fight for som...
Oct 07, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 453
Mike sits down with former high school volleyballer Payton McNabb, who was knocked unconscious by a spike to the face, delivered by a male competing on the girls' team, and woke up in the middle of a national controversy. What followed wasn't just a concussion and long-term neurological damage. It was a brutal, firsthand lesson in biology, politics, and the high cost of pretending that reality is up for debate.
Sep 30, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 452
Meredith Olson is president of Vela , a nonprofit that funds everyday entrepreneurs who are ditching the traditional school model in favor of something a little more… flexible. Vela doesn't run schools—it supports people creating their own. From homeschool co-ops to microschools in living rooms and libraries, Vela empowers parents, students, and entrepreneurs to reimagine education outside of traditional systems. With more than 4,200 schools being supported, Vela is quietly fueling one of the mo...
Sep 23, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 451
Serial entrepreneur, lipstick farmer, and season 2 undercover billionaire Elaine Culotti unleashes a no-holds-barred critique of California's downward spiral. From endless red tape and anti-business policies to the sluggish response to the Palisades fire, Elaine argues that leadership under Gavin Newsom has been nothing short of disastrous. She doesn't just complain—she hints she might run for governor herself.
Sep 16, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 450
Comedian, podcaster, and self-described "troubled white" Theo Von joins the party for a candid discussion about the bone he found on his way to the studio, what he was manifesting during the Lion's Portal, and why he loves 'Merica. There's a little wrestling, a little recovery, and lot of talk of a new Mike and Theo Antique Road Show-type show featuring American-made entrepreneurs. It's patriotic, hilarious, and it might just be the start of something strange and great. WARNING: THIS EPISODE IS ...
Sep 09, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 449
Mike chats with Dr. Sheree Utash, Ed.D., president of WSU Tech and a national leader in workforce education. They talk about how she reinvented a community college into a national model for workforce development, her role in taking Mike's S.W.E.A.T. Pledge and shaping it into the mikeroweWORKS curriculum, and why she believes skilled trades are key to America's future. It's a perfect pre-Labor Day discussion.
Aug 26, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 448
Tommy Mello founded A1 Garage Door Service—a 100 million-plus-dollar business. Tommy shares how he went from reselling Bowflex, cleaning pools, and painting garage doors to building one of the largest home service companies in the country. He talks about the hustle, the screw-ups, and the systems that helped him scale, including his no-nonsense approach to hiring and promoting based on performance, not resumes. It's a real conversation about work ethic, taking ownership, and why a broken garage ...
Aug 19, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 447
Actor, director, and pseudo-troublemaker Nick Searcy is back! Nick recounts what he saw at the Capitol on January 6 and why he made Capital Punishment and its sequel, The War on Truth . Also discussed is Nick's unfiltered memoir, Justify This: A Career Without Compromise , where he shares stories from his long career in Hollywood, and a new project about gospel singers that might just redeem him—at least a little. It's a conversation full of laughs, sharp elbows, and more than a few surprises....
Aug 12, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 446
America's Grandmother stops by to discuss the haunting melody of Adagio for Strings , dropping one's phone in the toilet, and Peggy's handsy masseuse.
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 445
Filmmaker Jack Teetor joins to discuss his new documentary, Blind Logic , about his granduncle, Ralph Teetor, who revolutionized the automotive industry. From inventing cruise control to influencing the development of the automatic transmission, Ralph was an automotive visionary, which is ironic since he did all that while being blind since childhood....
Jul 22, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 444
Former Texas Governor and U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry stops by to talk about two things most folks wouldn't expect in the same sentence—AI data farms and psychedelic therapy. Perry breaks down why the Lone Star State is set to become a digital powerhouse for AI server farms and what that means for energy, jobs, and infrastructure. Then the conversation turns to ibogaine —a little-known psychedelic that holds big promise for veterans and first responders battling PTSD and addiction. Texas ju...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 443
Salena Zito is a prolific author, award-winning reporter, and our great friend. No one knows the heartland like Salena, and she's here to discuss the future of AI and the energy needed to pursue it, the sudden resurgence of interest in the skilled trades and how Pennsylvania is helping lead the way, and her brand-new book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland . Salena gives a firsthand account since she was just four feet away f...
Jul 08, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 442
Jillian Michaels is a renowned fitness expert, television personality, podcaster, and bestselling author known most for her role on The Biggest Loser . She has built a global brand around health, wellness, and personal empowerment through fitness.
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 441
Arguably America's greatest living playwright, David Mamet, drops by to discuss movies, theater, philosophy, and his new book, The Disenlightenment: Politics, Horror, and Entertainment , in which he offers sharp insights into American culture, politics, and the art of storytelling. WARNING: THIS EPISODE IS MARKED EXPLICIT as the language gets quite spicy, and we did not quack the f-bombs. Otherwise, the episode would resemble a waddling of ducks....
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 440
New York Times bestselling author Codie Sanchez has a background working in finance but gave up Wall Street for Main Street. She is a blue-collar entrepreneur and investor known for buying and growing "boring" cash-flow businesses like laundromats and car washes. She founded Contrarian Thinking to help others achieve financial freedom through unconventional investing.
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 439
Jan Jekielek is a senior editor with The Epoch Times and host of " American Thought Leaders ." He has extensively covered the issue of forced organ harvesting in China, particularly concerning Falun Gong practitioners. It is estimated that 60,000 to 100,000 organs annually have been involuntarily extracted from political prisoners in China. Jan's investigative work has brought international attention to this human rights atrocity....
May 27, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 438
437: Neal McDonough—Clear the Mechanism The perennial character actor villain turned leading man drops by to talk about the first film where he finally gets to kiss the girl at the end, The Last Rodeo —and that girl is played by his wife, Ruvé. Coincidence? Not a chance. That's the only way Neal would do it. Neal also discusses how he secured a return to Taylor Sheridan's Tulsa Kings, why he thought Sylvester Stallone might deck him on set, and the greatest career advice Clint Eastwood gave him....
May 20, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 437
Once named one of Inc. magazine's 10 most admired CEOs, Garry led WD-40 for 25 years. At that time, his leadership and positive corporate culture grew WD-40 into one of the world's most recognized and well-loved brands. In this episode, Garry discusses how he achieved this and why he detailed it in his book, Any Dumbass Can Do It ....
May 13, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 436
Amid the tariff wars, Mike sits down with two men whose businesses are NOT affected by foreign supply chains. Josh is a master bladesmith and founder of the Montana Knife Company , and Bayard is founder and CEO of American Giant . Both men are uniquely positioned to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of making products entirely in the United States.
May 06, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 435
You may know Sarah as the on-camera producer from Facebook's Returning the Favor with Mike Rowe. She is also a two-time Emmy-winning storyteller, social anthropologist, founder and CEO of Common Ground Studios , and the absolute cheeriest person you'll ever meet! Sarah talks with Mike about their new show, People You Should Know, which will premiere May 2 on Mike's YouTube channel @therealmikerowe ....
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 434
Peggy Rowe, a.k.a. Mike's three-time NYT bestselling mom, is back for a check-in. In this episode you'll hear about the horrors of hoarding, books you'll never read, dancin' chicken, crab pickin', and a Mother's Day story about a toy that really sucks!
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 433
The multilingual, bass-thumping, capitalist dives into what made him fall in love with America, his unforgettable first job involving prosthetic testes, and the etymology of the word a**hole. It's a free-wheeling discussion from Moses to Superman and everything in between.
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 432
