The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
  • 4.9 (41K)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED DAILY

What started as a series of short mysteries for the curious mind with a short attention span has evolved into enlightening conversations for the not-so-short attention span. Whether it's a short mystery, a long conversation, or an audio book, The Way I Heard It is a veritable box of chocolates for the ears, because you never know what you're going to get.

  1. 17H AGO

    482: Xi Van Fleet— Don't Be a Shiny Little Screw

    Mike sits down with author and Cultural Revolution survivor Xi Van Fleet for a conversation that's equal parts personal history and cautionary tale. Xi recounts her childhood under Mao Zedong's China, where conformity wasn't encouraged—it was enforced. As a schoolgirl, she watched teachers publicly humiliated, neighbors turn on each other, and young people mobilized as ideological foot soldiers. Education gave way to indoctrination, and individuality was crushed in favor of collective obedience—the kind that produces "shiny little screws." Drawing from her first book, Mao's America, Xi lays out how mass movements rooted in ideology often rely on dividing people into opposing groups—"good" versus "bad"—to consolidate power. She also comments on how youth are frequently weaponized to accelerate cultural upheaval and dismantle traditional institutions, often by encouraging them to reject established norms and embrace radical ideologies. These patterns, she argues, aren't relics of history—they're recurring tactics. And they are showing up in America today! The conversation then turns to her latest work, Made in America, where the focus shifts from warning signs to origin stories. The central theme: the rise of Communist China wasn't inevitable—it was, in part, enabled by decisions made in the United States. Xi explores how decades of policy, economic cooperation, and ideological blind spots helped transform China into a global superpower, creating what she sees as one of America's greatest modern challenges. It's a conversation less about politics and more about people, choices, and consequences where Xi ends with a warning to America and why resisting the urge to become a "shiny little screw" might be more important than ever. Big thanks to our awesome sponsors ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $40 off your first order and free meat for life. Pestie.com/Mike to get an extra 10% off your order. AuraFrames.com/Mike Use code MIKE to get $25 off their best-selling Carver Mat frame.

    1h 50m

  2. APR 28

    481: Jason Altmire—Trade Up

    Former congressman Jason Altmire has spent years in Washington—and even more time outside it—making the case that America's biggest opportunity isn't behind a desk, but behind a welding mask, a set of tools, or the wheel of a big machine. Now leading Career Education Colleges and Universities, he's on a mission to close the skills gap and reconnect hard work with real opportunity. In this episode, Mike and Jason dig into why millions of good jobs go unfilled, why the stigma around skilled labor refuses to die, and what it'll take to convince a new generation that "college for all" might not be the answer. Along the way, they unpack the ideas behind Jason's book, Trade Up: Why the Future Belongs to Skilled Trades and How Career Education is Transforming the Workforce—and make a compelling case that the fastest way to achieve the American Dream might be to pursue a skilled trade. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors PureTalk.com/Rowe Get UNLIMITED hi-speed data for just $34.99 per month! SkillsUSA.org/mike Join the skilled trade movement! GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $25 off your first order & FREE meat for life. mikeroweWORKS.org/scholarship to apply for a work ethic scholarship.

    1h 22m

  3. APR 21

    480: Matt Ebert—The Billion Dollar Car Wreck

    Matt Ebert didn't set out to build a billion-dollar business—he just wanted to fix cars the right way. Today, he's the CEO of Crash Champions, one of the fastest-growing collision repair companies in the country, valued in the billions and trusted to bring wrecked vehicles back to life. Mike sits down with Matt to unpack what really happens after a crash, why the skilled trades behind collision repair matter more than ever, and how a kid with no grand plan or college degree wound up leading a national powerhouse. Along the way, Matt tells how he got his start in the business, proving that sometimes the road to success begins with a single accident (or two) … and a desire to fix it. Many thanks to our excellent sponsors ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $25 off your first order and FREE meat for life. K12.com/Rowe See what's possible for your child with K12's Career and College Prep AuraFrames.com/Mike Use code Mike to get $25 off their best-selling Carver Mat frame.

    1h 35m

  4. APR 14

    479: Evan Voyles— The Connoisseur of Irony

    Neon lights aren't supposed to be profound. They're supposed to buzz, flicker, and sell you a cold beer or a bad decision. But Evan Voyles—founder of The Neon Jungle—has made a career out of bending that expectation into something stranger… and maybe a little wiser. Evan is a self-taught craftsman who works with fire, gas, and fragile tubes of glass to make signs that don't just glow—they say something. His work has been commissioned by brands, collected as art, and—on more than one occasion—made people stop and wonder if the joke is on them. In this episode, Mike sits down with a guy who makes a living lighting things up—literally—and wrestles with why any of it matters. They talk about the strange line between art and advertising and why irony is harder to come by than you'd think. It's a conversation about craft, culture, and the quiet satisfaction of making something with your hands… even if what you make is a glowing reminder not to take any of it too seriously. Big thanks to our awesome sponsors PureTalk.com/Rowe Choose a wireless company who shares YOUR values. NetSuite.com/Mike Download their FREE business guide, Demystifying AI American-Giant.com/MIKE Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order. SkillsUSA.org/mike Join the skilled trade movement!

    1h 49m

  5. APR 7

    478: Nicholas Eberstadt—The New Misery

    Numbers don't lie—but they can obscure significant information. In this episode, Mike sits down with economist, demographer, and Harvard-educated brainiac Nicholas Eberstadt to explore a different kind of arithmetic—one that measures not just how many Americans we have, but how we're actually living. In his latest book, America's Human Arithmetic, Nick digs into three uncomfortable truths: first, the steady decline in prime-age labor force participation that persists even in strong economies. Second, the growing imbalance between those producing and those receiving—an economic equation increasingly tilted by entitlements and transfer payments. And third, a demographic slowdown marked by falling fertility and an aging population, reshaping the country's long-term trajectory in ways few are prepared for. Add those together and you get a new misery. This conversation is about the kind of math that doesn't stay on paper—the kind that shapes a nation's future whether we're paying attention or not. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $25 off your first order and FREE meat for life. Pestie.com/Mike to get an extra 10% off your order. mikeroweWORKS.org/scholarship Apply for a work ethic scholarship today!

    1h 33m

  6. MAR 31

    477: Adam Carolla Has Some Thoughts

    Adam Carolla sits down with Mike for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation on comedy, culture, and California. Adam breaks down his no-nonsense approach to making people laugh, building a podcasting empire, and telling the truth as he sees it—whether it's popular or not. The two also take a hard look at the Palisades more than a year after the fire, the growing frustration with California's regulatory maze, and what Adam really thinks about Newsom. Spoiler alert—it ain't good. Oh, you better believe Adam Carolla has some thoughts. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. NetSuite.com/Mike Download their FREE business guide, Demystifying AI MDriveForMen.com Use code ROWE for 20% off your first order. KnobelSpirits.com Spend $100, use code CARL, and get bitters-infused sugar cubes FREE.

    1h 54m

  7. MAR 24

    476: Michael Cadenazzi—The Department of War is Hiring

    What does it take to rebuild America's industrial backbone—and who's actually going to do the work? Mike sits down with Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy, to discuss his role at the Department of War (DOW) and his mission focused on restoring the muscle behind America's might. Cadenazzi makes the case that while the U.S. still produces world-class engineers and cutting-edge weapons designs, there's a growing gap where it matters most—the skilled workforce needed to actually build them. From welders and machinists to technicians and fabricators, he argues the country's strength depends on rebuilding the trades that turn ideas into reality. It's a candid conversation about work, purpose, and why the future of national security may hinge less on innovation—and more on the people willing to pick up the tools and get it done. Many thanks to our excellent sponsors PureTalk.com/Rowe Choose a wireless company who shares YOUR values. GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE for $25 off your first order and FREE meat for life. MDriveForMen.com Use code ROWE for 20% off your first order. American-Giant.com/MIKE Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order.

    1h 36m

  8. MAR 17

    475: Jan Jekielek—Killed to Order

    Mike talks with Jan Jekielek, senior editor at The Epoch Times and host of American Thought Leaders, to discuss his new book, Killed to Order: China's Organ Harvesting Industry and the True Nature of America's Biggest Adversary. It's an explosive investigation into allegations of state-sanctioned organ harvesting in China. Jan shares what he's learned from years of interviews with doctors, investigators, and even survivors of this gruesome industry where political prisoners are killed for their organs. The conversation is a rumination on good versus evil, raising urgent questions about human rights and medical ethics. Referenced in this episode is Jan's previous appearance on TWIHI 438: Jan Jekielek—The Terrible Truth About China Big thanks to our awesome sponsors K12.com/Rowe See what's possible for your child with K12's Career and College Prep ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. MDriveForMen.com Use code ROWE for 20% off your first order. FoldsofHonor.org/scholarship to donate or apply.

    1h 40m
See All (483)

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
40,661 Ratings

About

What started as a series of short mysteries for the curious mind with a short attention span has evolved into enlightening conversations for the not-so-short attention span. Whether it's a short mystery, a long conversation, or an audio book, The Way I Heard It is a veritable box of chocolates for the ears, because you never know what you're going to get.

Information

  • Creator
    The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    483
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © MRW Productions, LLC
  • Show Website
    The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

You Might Also Like