From the Baltimore Opera to QVC shopping channel, executive producer, host, and best-selling author Mike Rowe has had hundreds of jobs and relished his role as a chronic freelancer. He’s best known as the “dirtiest man on TV,” a title he earned on the hit TV series Dirty Jobs. He has narrated hundreds of documentaries about space, nature, dinosaurs, and how stuff works. He has also forged a handful of partnerships with iconic brands and filmed a boatload of Ford commercials.
Most recently, Mike is in search of remarkable people making a difference in their communities on the series, People You Should Know. You can also watch him on the TBN series, Somebody’s Gotta Do It, or listen to him on The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe. His book by the same name is a New York Times bestseller.
Mike is also the CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity that debunks myths and misperceptions about the trades and helps close the skills gap. The foundation has granted, or helped facilitate the granting of, more than $17 million in technical and vocational education, including Work Ethic scholarships.
In his spare time, Mike keeps a lively conversation with more than six million Facebook friends, where he talks about everything from the musings of his persnickety terrier named Freddy to the merits and pitfalls of blind patriotism.
Interviewed by Winn Claybaugh, Mike is a natural storyteller, lending his skill to champion blue-collar and “dirty job”–type workers, who many would say are the fabric and foundation of powerful companies and countries. During this interview, Mike shares stories about what he learned as an apprentice working with hundreds of individuals who do the work that many others choose to avoid. Not only are they some of the happiest people Mike has met, but they show up with immense dignity and pride. Winn and Mike also discuss the value and need for trade schools and why four-year college degrees may not always be the “golden ticket” that society continuously endorses. Mike also shares beautiful stories about his 80+ year-old mother, a best-selling author and storyteller in her own right. Bottom line: Mike has a deep-rooted, innate curiosity about people in general, with a powerful platform to champion important voices, stories, and causes.
RELATED LINKS
Website: https://www.mikerowe.com/
Website: https://www.mikeroweworks.org/
Scholarship: https://www.mikeroweworks.org/scholarship/
Podcast: https://www.mikerowe.com/podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikerowe/
X: https://x.com/mikeroweworks