The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

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 speaking up for women who have been denied a voice. Today's episode is sponsored by PureTalk.com/Rowe Save 50% off your first month! ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. American-Giant.com/MIKE Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order. PrizePicks.com/mike Use code MIKE to get $50 in lineups after placing your first $5 lineup.

14 Okt 1h 21min

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 something bigger than the game. Shout out to our great sponsors American-Giant.com/MIKE Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order. PureTalk.com/Rowe Save 50% off your first month! KnobelSpirits.com Spend $100, get bitters-infused sugar cubes FREE. Just add to cart & use code CARL. PrizePicks.com/mike Use code MIKE to get $50 in lineups after placing your first $5 lineup.

7 Okt 1h 21min

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. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $40 off plus free meat for life with new subscription. ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. PureTalk.com/Rowe Save 50% off your first month! KnobelSpirits.com Spend $100, get bitters-infused sugar cubes FREE. Just add to cart & use code CARL.

30 Sep 1h 6min

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 most important grassroots education revolutions of our time. Today's episode is sponsored by NetSuite.com/Mike Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for FREE. GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $40 off plus free meat for life with new subscription. PrizePicks.com/mike Use code MIKE to get $50 in lineups after placing your first $5 lineup. SkillsUSA.org/mike Join the skilled trade movement!

23 Sep 1h 33min

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. Big thanks to our awesome sponsors PureTalk.com/Rowe Save 50% off your first month! ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. GoodRanchers.com Use code MIKE to get $40 off plus free meat for life with new subscription. PrizePicks.com/mike Use code MIKE to get $50 in lineups after placing your first $5 lineup.

16 Sep 1h 32min

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 MARKED EXPLICIT FOR LANGUAGE AND CONTENT. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors American-Giant.com/MIKE Use code MIKE to get 20% off your order. TrumanBoot.com Use code MIKE for 15% off. PrizePicks.com/mike Use code MIKE to get $50 in lineups after placing your first $5 lineup. BuildSubmarines.com Explore available careers!

9 Sep 1h 34min

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.

26 Aug 1h 8min

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 door—and a strong dose of meritocracy—can open a lot more than just your garage.

19 Aug 1h 28min