The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

Staff Genealogist for Sons of the American Revolution, Jessie Hagan forgoes his Derby party to school Mike and Chuck on their revolutionary lineage, why it matters, and why Knobel is a fitting name for Mike's whiskey.

Two-time NYT bestselling author, Peggy Rowe stops by to discuss her upcoming third book, how not to tape your students to a chair, and what it's like to give your best friend's eulogy.

Adam Carolla talks frankly about growing up invisible, his podcasting leap of faith, and how he brought his construction work ethic to comedy.

Master podcaster and chronicler of Hardcore History, Dan Carlin joins the conversation to discuss his process, the war in Ukraine, and the pitfalls of judging yesterday's events with today's values.

Mike and Chuck go guestless to talk Australian DJs, Satan's pool, killing iguanas, and everything else that fills the squares on Mike's calendar.

Bloody do-gooder and Returning The Favor alum, Katie Hughes of GirlsBuild.org talks curiosity, confidence, and how a broken toaster changed the course of her life.

Celebrity fitness trainer and unapologetic carnivore, Vinnie Tortorich talks diet, hormones, and why he has a beef with the fake-meat industry.

Dave Ramsey joins Mike to discuss his documentary, Borrowed Future; How Student Loans Are Killing the American Dream, the pitfalls of three easy payments, and why great BBQ never comes from a microwave.

Owl Vans owner, John Willenborg talks about the six, six-figure welding jobs he has open, his stint on season 2 of The Apprentice, and the difficulty in telling his white-collar parents that he wanted to leave Berkley to weld.

Scott Flansburg, aka the Human Calculator, makes a repeat appearance to bring breaking news on his quest for truth regarding the real origins of basketball.

Today's guest is Spanky Taylor, whose company does fan management and threat assessment for high profile celebrities. Oh yeah, and she broke her billion-year contract and escaped Scientology.

Former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill, with his wife and writing partner, Lisa McCubbin Hill, discuss Clint's service to five presidents including JFK and that fateful day in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

President and Professor of Historical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Dr. Peter Lillback dissects Episode 124: At the Crossroads and literally schools Mike and Chuck.

Brian Kilmeade, the utility player of FOX News, chats with Mike about Lincoln and Douglass, Rogan and Spotify, Johns Hopkins and how we all want our lives back.

Journalist Salena Zito drops by to discuss the dignity of work, the populist movement, the censorship culture, and why she refers to Mike as her brother from another mother.

Mike's parents drop by to give him an update on their recent bout with COVID. Spoiler Alert: They're fine.

The Aquatic Indiana Jones, Jeremiah Sullivan, drops by to discuss art, Science, risk, and the joy of embracing the idiom Safety Third.

Mike and Jay talk for an hour. Hilarity ensues.

Mike rings in the new year with a case of Covid. Chuck has questions.

Mike's mom is back with another heartfelt, yet wildly inappropriate catch-up with her oldest son. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll dream of cornhole. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas.

Mike chats with Sarah Yourgrau, one of the producers of Returning the Favor, to discuss why so many people loved the show, why it won an Emmy, why it made so many people cry tears of unbridled joy, and why it's cancellation took so many by surprise.

Mike talks to John Rich about what led to their viral smash, Santa's Gotta Dirty Job, and a whole lot more, including an outrageous phone call to Donald Trump, that led to the title of this episode.

Chuck crashes Thanksgiving at Mike's house, fails to book a proper guest, and relies instead on listeners to pose interesting questions for Mike to answer. The listeners come through, as always.

How safe is your space? This is the question Mike attempts to answer with Justin Folk, a filmmaker who left Hollywood behind to make the kinds of movies he believes matter most.

Mike's guest is a man called Lindsay Schnebly, an accomplished voiceover artist whose unusual name inspired a town, almost.

Mike interviews Chloe Hudson, a 28-year-old welder who received a work ethic scholarship from mikeroweWORKS, and went on to earn six-figures a year, and more recently, the subject of a new documentary called Trading Up. Together, they unpack The S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, and try to determine why a writer named Jake Maynard thinks it's "bonkers."

Mike has a very serious conversation with a very funny guest about a very serious topic that turns out to be very funny.

Mike chats with David Keltz, an actor from Baltimore who has assumed the identity of Edgar Allen Poe, and memorized most of his published works.

A show about nothing, a guy named Jerry, and the audition that changed television. Followed by a very funny conversation with Enrico Colantoni, one of the few actors to be a series regular every week for the last 20 years.

Mike has a most enlightening chat with his TV Big Brother, the one and only Tim Allen, who still seems a little incredulous that Mike didn't return to Last Man Standing to finish what he started. As for why Tim now lives on the runway of an airport, well, that's a bit of a mystery...

Mike chats with Tim Cotton, the famous cop who saved a stuffed bird from the trash heap and went on to write a couple of bestselling books.

The true story of the most important novel ever written, and a conversation with the filmmaker who tried to put it on the big screen.

The Human Calculator, Scott Flansburg stops by to demonstrate his Guinness world-record abilities, introduce Mike to a better calendar, and explain why he is determined to uncover the real story of how basketball was invented.

Mike sits down with his "professional big brother," to discuss the relevance of 9/11, twenty years after the attack on America.

Mike responds to criticism from some guy named Tim Johnson, and celebrates the anniversary of mikeroweWORKS by reading the most popular essay of all time. Then, a spirited conversation with Chuck, the nervous producer.

Mike recalls the circumstances of a young man's first flight in a plane with an open cockpit, the mother who allowed it to happen, and the consequences that followed. With a little help from George Lucas, Jon Stewart, a mechanical shark, and a conversation with a pilot named Bill Whittle.

Mike responds to America's withdrawal from Afghanistan in the only way he can - with the true story of a genuine hero, followed by a conversation with Travis Mills - a man who lost his arms and legs in Afghanistan, and lived to tell the tale.

Mike reads the final and most disgusting chapter from his book, and then welcomes his mom back to the podcast, who takes the opportunity to once again steal the show and upstage her son at every opportunity.

A high speed chase, followed by a low speed chase, followed by a candid conversation with the executive producer who first allowed Mike to artificially inseminate a cow on local television.

Mike welcomes the author of The Four-Hour Work Week and many other best-selling books, not only to discuss the excellent advice for which Tim Ferriss has become famous, but rather to unpack the question he posed to Mike in 2008. The question that led to one of the most uncomfortable TED Talks of all time, and a speaking career Mike didn't know he wanted.

Mike takes a deep dive into the nature of authenticity, with a little help from Sean McCourt – a former Broadway actor who works today as a producer on After the Catch and contributor to The Way I Heard It, and God only knows what else. Sean also happens to be the father of Charlotte, the eleven-year-old Girl Scout made famous by her blisteringly honest critique of the cookies she was trying to sell to her Daddy's wealthy friend five years ago. A critique that unleashed a media blitz for which Mike accepts most of the blame. It's a rumination on the power of action, and inaction, and the squishy middle in between.

The true story of the most consequential pig in the history of Silicon Valley, or for that matter, the world. Followed by the true story of the most consequential pig in Mike's career – the one he put on a pedestal fifteen years ago, that went on to become the unofficial mascot of Dirty Jobs. Then, a most unusual redux, as Tom Frank returns to set the record straight, and explain in no uncertain terms why a brown garbage bag is a poor substitute for a leather vest.

Mike tracks down Tom Frank, the Hollywood producer who hired him to host the game show that launched his career in television, only to learn his old friend has become a life coach. Or possibly, a career coach. Whatever he is, Tom Frank knows where all the bodies are buried, and tells a story or two that Mike would probably like to forget.

A hashtag and a me-too on steroids, followed by a series of digressions too voluminous to list, concluding with the true story of the time Mike knocked a famous movie star on his ass.

After sharing the true story of a hard-charging master sergeant with a voice like a jackhammer who went on to become a famous artist, Mike recalls the lessons learned from his soft-spoken grandfather – an artist of a different kind - whose unique talents inspired a show called Dirty Jobs, and a foundation called mikeroweWORKS. It's a rumination on men who scream, and men who whisper, complete with a song about a nose that wouldn't stop bleeding.

The true story of two great teachers, two stuttering students, and two happy endings. Followed by a conversation about the beauty of "what," the danger of "how," and the timeless challenge of "trying not to try."

The true story of the first woman to go where no man had gone before, followed by the true cost of progress, the false value of safety, and a revealing conversation about the profoundly annoying sensation of being swindled by someone you trust.

This is a sad one. But also a funny one. And frankly, a weird one. There's sentimentality and singing. Nosebleeds and narcotics. Letters from beyond the grave, and perhaps most surprising, the sudden appearance of a giant scrotum. Probably easier to just listen.

A famous woman vanishes and triggers the largest manhunt in British history. A hundred years later, Mike loses all his money in an elaborate Ponzi scheme. Coincidence? Probably. But Chuck wonders what Mike's fictitious hero, Travis McGee, might have to say about the scandal, and Mike has some opinions on the matter – opinions that are somewhat upstaged, paradoxically, by a leaf blower.

A famous athlete takes great pains to conceal his true identity from millions of fans. Then, Mike welcomes Paul Kelley back to the podcast, to discuss a series of topics too disparate and strange to articulate in a two sentence description.