The Real Mike Rowe

When I turned ten, my mother told me she couldn't poop for several days after giving birth to me. On my eleventh birthday, she told me that I weighed in at nearly ten pounds, most of which was attributed to the size of my head. When I turned twelve, she called me "her little intruder," and told me I never would have made it into the world without an "episiotomy." When I asked her what that was, she told me. In great detail. Is it any wonder I send flowers? Thanks Mom, for another trip around the sun. (You too, Dad!)

Lots of people with deeply held opinions and reliable Internet connections are working very hard to get your attention with insightful commentary, witty observations, and hot takes on breaking news. Some are better than others, but no one is better – or more prolific - than @jchilders98 . I first stumbled across Jeff’s blog, Coffee and Covid, early in the lockdowns, and took enormous pleasure in his daily musings. Jeff is a lawyer by trade, but don’t hold that against him. He used his legal expertise to push back against the local officials in Alachua County, Florida who tried to force the citizenry to mask up while INSIDE their own homes – or face arrest. For Jeff, that was a bridge too far, and his determination to fight that particular variant of authoritarianism eventually led to a day in court and a winning verdict – a verdict that caused dozens of neighboring counties to return to their senses and overturn their mandatory masking mandates. He was right, in other words, at a time when being right was very risky, very unpopular, and very expensive. It was during this time that Jeff began to chronicle his legal adventures in a blog called Coffee and Covid, where he shared the details of his case, along with a lot of other information relevant to the pandemic – much of which ran counter to the fear and dread that seemed to define every headline. Jeff offered his readers a steady diet of context, perspective, honesty, and most of all, hope – all of which were in short supply six years ago. Today, Coffee and Covid has grown into something truly extraordinary – a daily vituperation of all the mendacity fit to print on a rich variety of headlines, that clocks in between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Again, that’s every day, seven days a week. The sheer volume is both impressive, and unprecedented. In just five years Jeff has published the equivalent of ten Bibles. But it’s not the volume of content that’s led to Coffee and Covid’s success – it’s the weird mix of intelligence, sarcasm, exasperation, determination, humor, and relentless optimism that’s turned this small-town southern lawyer into a trusted citizen journalist with far more readers than CNN has viewers. Here’s a link to today’s post, which is a fine example of what he churns out every day. coffeeandcovid.com And here’s a link to our conversation. bit.ly/TWIHI474JeffCh… What a pleasure to meet a lawyer who can speak in plain English, and his lovely wife, Michele. Thank you both for flying across the country and spending a few days in Gomorrah.

@RepRileyMoore My pleasure. The crowd, for what it’s worth, loved it!

Thank you for shouting out the Jumpstart Savings Act, @mikeroweworks! Starting a business in the trades can cost more than $100,000—an upfront barrier that keeps too many hardworking Americans from pursuing these important careers. My bill creates a tax-free way to save for the tools, licensing, and startup costs needed to build a career in the trades. I first launched this successful program as West Virginia’s State Treasurer, drawing on my own experience as a welder. Now it’s time to bring this idea to the federal level—helping Americans save, start businesses, and strengthen the workforce we need to Jumpstart America’s new Golden Age.

open.spotify.com/episode/16n2QN… Jeff Childers @jchilders98 is a lawyer, who turned into a writer, and then a citizen journalist with hundreds of thousands of devoted followers who devour his every word. His daily Substack, Coffee and Covid, is a marvel. Every entry consists of 2,000 - 6,000 words, grouped up in a way that never fails to make me laugh and take heart. He is, without question, the most optimistically snarky and prolific observer of current events online, and I was delighted to finally chat with the man who risked his career to get the mask mandates rolled back in Florida.

@ofctimallen Knock em dead, brother.

Warnors theater here Fresno Ca. Cool as hell built in 1928. Doors just opened and crowd is filling in so grateful I can fill such a room.

bit.ly/TWIHI473WillSw… U-Haul just released its annual "Growth Index" for all 50 states. For the 6th straight year, California is ranked No. 1 in the nation for people moving out versus moving in. To celebrate this latest milestone, I invited @WillSwaim to offer a few reasons as to why 2 million people have left California, and why so many more are poised to follow. If you still live here, as I do, I think you’ll be familiar with many of these reasons, all of which can be easily confirmed by your favorite AI assistant. If you don’t live here, and find yourself thinking, “well, this is what the people voted for,” I won’t disagree with that analysis. Government is like television in that way – we tend to get what we deserve. But Will Swaim is not here to discourage you from coming to California – he’s here to tell you that California is coming to you - at least, if our current Governor winds up in White House. And, as the Director of The California Policy Institute, Will wants America to understand the following: California ranks 48th in education. California has the highest housing costs in the U.S. California has the highest unemployment rate in the country. California has the highest energy prices, highest gas prices, and highest marginal tax rate of any state. California is #1 in homelessness. After spending $24 billion to fix the homeless problem, the money is unaccounted for and now the problem is even worse than it was. California spent $14 BILLION on a “high-speed” train that was supposed to connect LA & SF by 2020—but hasn’t laid a mile of track. Fraudsters stole $33 billion from California’s unemployment system, including $20 billion in a federal loan that Governor Newsom refuses to repay. Federal investigators just caught Governor Newsom in a conspiracy to hide gender-transition plans in public schools. California wants to confiscate 5% of billionaire wealth — and those billionaires are already leaving the state. California’s aggressive climate mandates often outpace practical implementation, creating blackouts. California lawmakers voted to make abortion available to anyone from anywhere in the world — at taxpayer expense. Despite the highest gasoline taxes in the U.S., California roads are among the worst in America. For decades, California has allowed environmentalists to block brush clearance and other wildfire-risk reduction efforts, turning small fires into deadly disasters. In spite of doubling government spending, Governor @GavinNewsom wants to raise taxes yet again and provide free Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants. Governor Newsom has also pushed for reparations to people who never were enslaved from taxpayers who never owned them, in a state where slavery has always been illegal. Governor Newsom has signed 5,710 new laws in 7 years—a quarter of all new state laws passed in the U.S. in a state with the nation's most complicated regulatory system. Governor Newsom has forbidden state employees from traveling to states whose politics he despises (like Montana) yet he travels to these states repeatedly. Governor Newsom temporarily paused the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases which led to a bevy of lawsuits costing the state and its counties billions of dollars. Governor Newsom signed an anti-harassment bill that led to an explosion of child sex trafficking that has turned downtown LA into a thriving marketplace for predators. We don’t cover all of these points in the attached conversation, but we do cover a few – enough I hope, to encourage people who live outside of California to keep a close eye on what’s happened to the Golden State. Personally, I’m still amazed the voters forgave the Governor for violating his own mandates by dining at French Laundry, even as his constituents were being arrested for surfing and walking on the beach. I don’t believe that level of hypocrisy should ever be forgotten, and like many of you, I have little sympathy for an electorate that would vote to give such a person further control over their lives. On the other hand, like Will Swaim, I still live here and would prefer to keep it that way. But if you ask me why, I’m afraid I still can’t provide a persuasive reason...

I sat down with Will Swaim to talk about how the state of California wound up with sky-high gas, energy, and tax rates—and bottom-tier education outcomes. Consider this an ad hoc public service announcement that might help save America in ‘28. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the…

For nearly 20 years, I’ve argued that closing the skills gap will only happen if lots of private companies – large and small – take steps internally to make a more persuasive case for the opportunities that exist within their own organizations and then support those opportunities with incentives that work. Consider the program just announced by my old friends at Trident Seafood, who are grappling with a shortage of skilled workers in Alaska. If you watch Deadliest Catch, you might know that Trident processes a LOT of seafood, including most the King Crab that made the show famous. In fact, if you want to read a true rags to riches story, google Chuck Bundrant, the founder. Chuck worked his way up from a greenhorn in 1961. He revolutionized the industry with a legendary boat called The Billiken - the first crab boat in Alaska to catch, cook, and freeze crab. Chuck went on to form Trident, a privately held, multi-billion-dollar seafood behemoth that employs nearly 10,000 people today – many of whom are skilled tradesmen. He passed in 2021, but his reputation as a risk taker will endure, and his legacy will be around for as long as crustaceans are on the menu. I admire what Chuck built, but what I admire even more is Trident’s Skilled Trades Trainee Program. It uses structured training focused on industry needs, as well as mentoring to develop skilled trades personnel for shore-based plant processing operations throughout Alaska. Through a partnership with Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC), Trident developed a two-year skilled trades training course, with an additional two-year post-commitment of employment with the company. Trainees spend their first year rotating between coursework and applying their learnings at a Trident facility, with exposure to most of the skilled trades. Mentors are provided, and Trident funds their education, books, tools, travel and hourly wage. During their second year, trainees narrow their focus on a specific skilled trade of their choosing. Time spent in the field pairs students with a mentor who specializes within the trade they’ve selected. In their third and fourth years, the trainees are assigned to a Trident facility full-time where they’ll continue their on-the-job training. Check it out. bit.ly/4l6LbddLooks like they're taking applications all of March. It’s a modest investment with the potential for huge payoffs in the future, and a pretty great template that could be emulated by lots of other companies, in lots of other industries. Here’s hoping they will... PS. In other news, mikeroweWORKS is accepting applications as well, for another round of work ethic scholarships. We support a lot of the same trades that Trident does, and a few others well. Apply at mikeroweWORKS.

Anna Vocino is fun to talk to, and very easy to listen to. Partly because she's a professional voice actor with a long list of credits you'll be familiar with, and the proud owner of a smooth, comforting alto. But also, because Anna is filled with passion, enthusiasm, credibility, experience, and actual knowledge about one of the few topics we all still have in common - food. I've been looking forward to this conversation ever since I met Vinny Tortorich on the podcast several years ago, who told me repeatedly that I would love what Anna has to say about our collective addiction to chewing and swallowing things. He was right. Aside from her many excellent Eat Happy cookbooks, which I've been using for years, @AnnaVocino is launching a food company that's making all sorts of sugar free, yet oddly delicious offerings. (I'm now officially addicted to her sugar free, filler free, high protein cheese bites.) Together, she and Vinny have made a very persuasive case for cutting WAY back on sugar intake and guided a lot of people toward a healthier life as a result. Our whole conversation is here. bit.ly/TWIHI472AnnaVo… Bon apetit!

If you’re tired of seeing my face in your newsfeed or on the TV, apologies in advance, because it’s about to get a lot worse. By the end of the year, you’re going to be absolutely sick of me, due to America’s ever widening skills gap, and our ongoing attempts to close it with a record number of work ethic scholarships from mikeroweWORKS, and therefor, a record number of invitations to apply. The situation is serious. Skilled tradespeople are retiring much faster than they’re being replaced. For every 5 that leave the workforce, two come in. The math is not sustainable, and not a week goes by that I don’t hear from some industry leader wondering if I can help with their recruiting challenges. Every trade is in demand like never before. In fact, there’s been so much outreach from so many CEO’s and elected officials, that we’ve doubled the size of our scholarship fund, and extended the application period this year from six weeks to nine months. Last year, we received 10X the number of applications we normally get, and this year, with the disruption of AI, I suspect the number will be even higher. These are AI-proof, six-figure jobs that don’t require college debt, but instead, training. Thus, I will be cluttering up the media landscape with an onslaught of invitations to apply for scholarships, (like the one attached,) and good-natured appeals to support our efforts with a modest (or immodest) donation. Toward that end, I’m pleased to announce that the enrollment period is officially open. Funds are now available to help train the next generation of skilled workers. My goal this year is to award $10 million in scholarships, and you’re invited to apply today. Or, if the spirit moves you, to support our efforts with a donation of any size. The donate button is big and red and hard to miss at mikeroweworks.org. If nothing else, please share this, so others can be similarly annoyed with another unsolicited invitation to help us close America's skills gap.

I saw Airplane when I was a senior in high school and thought it was the funniest movie I’d ever seen. My date, however, did not agree. In fact, she didn't laugh at all. Not even once. Not even when the Japanese soldier stabbed himself to death in the window seat, rather than listen to Ted Striker drone on and on about his broken heart. When the credits rolled, she looked at me like I was an alien. “What’s the matter with you?” she asked. “How was any of that funny?” In her defense, there were others in the theater who didn’t get it, several of whom left early. But there were many others like me who not only laughed themselves sick but stayed to watch it again. So, my date left me in the theater and spent the next two hours shopping in the mall, while I laughed even harder the second time around. “Tell me Johnny, have you ever seen a grown man naked?” "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue!” "Pardon me Stewardess, I speak Jive." And this gem, perhaps the greatest exchange in the history of cinema, between two very sophisticated ten-year old Caucasians dressed like adults. Boy: Coffee? Girl: Yes, please. Boy: Cream? Girl: No, I take it black....Like my men. Later, in the food court, I bought my date a Coke and a slice of pizza, but it was too late. The damage had been done. “I can’t believe you’d rather sit there alone and watch that stupid movie again instead of spending time with me. "Surely," she said, “you not that much of an idiot.” “Don’t be too sure,” I said. “And don't call me Shirley.” That was our last date, obviously, thanks to @TheDavidZucker, the man who wrote and directed this ridiculously silly film along with Jim Abrams and Jerry Zucker. Since its release, Airplane! is now considered one of the greatest comedy films ever made, inspiring numerous references, homages, and further parodies in popular culture. In fact, in 2010, Airplane! was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," proving once and for all that my date had no sense of humor. What an honor to meet interview David Zucker, 46 years later. And what a relief to learn that he can still make me laugh... Our whole conversation is here. bit.ly/TWIHI471DavidZ…

As a California resident who owns a gun, a small dog, and a nice house that happens to be in a neighborhood overrun with coyotes, I feel an obligation to share this... youtube.com/shorts/0JlEzL3…

I want to offer a quick congratulations to my friend Matt Malone, who put his money where his mouth is, as I knew he would. As the attached press release will attest, Matt’s company, @groundworks, just awarded $31 million dollars in dividends to several thousand employees who spend their days in crawlspaces, trenches, and basements, doing a long list of dirty jobs that have saved many thousands of homes across the country from all sorts of calamity. bit.ly/4kLQa2I I took an interest in this company a few years ago, when I learned that Matt had implemented a program that turned all of their workers into owners, giving the frontline workers a chance to participate in whatever success the company might enjoy. I also encouraged Matt to feature his actual employees in a completely unscripted, totally authentic advertising campaign – something no one in his industry has ever dared to do. “What would that look like?” he asked. “A totally unscripted ad campaign?” “Well,” I said, “if we do it right, it’ll look a lot like an episode of Dirty Jobs.” That was three years ago. Since then, Groundworks has doubled in size, and their employees, (who are now owners), have kicked my ass with a level of vigor and enthusiasm that reminded me of the good old days. These guys are not only experts at what they do, they LOVE what they do, and I've enjoyed working alongside all of them. Honestly, I hope more companies follow Groundworks example. It’s funny how so much of the traditional drama between labor and management fades away, when everyone owns a piece of the pie. Congratulations, Ground Works! Keep it dirty!

Surely, you must listen to this... directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/…

If there were an Olympic event for "Competitive Fan-Girling," @mmalkoff would be standing on the podium with his gold medal, wearing a 1970s necktie and weeping as the Tonight Show theme filled the stadium. Because nobody loves Johnny Carson like Mark Malkoff. And I mean nobody. His book is called Love Johnny Carson: One Obsessive Fan's Journey to Find the Genius Behind the Legend. It's the result of an eight-year deep dive that involved 400 extensive interviews with the most memorable Tonight Show guests. The result is a very funny, non-traditional, but very insightful look at the most extraordinary career in show business. In the book, Mark tackles the burning questions that have kept him up at night for decades: The Grudge Match: Why did Johnny stop talking to Joan Rivers? (Spoiler: It involves more than just a missed birthday card). The Banned List: Why were icons like William Shatner and Orson Welles effectively ghosted by the King of Late Night? The Carnac Conspiracy: Setting the record straight on the true—and slightly less mystical—origins of the Great Snarky One. And many, many more. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just someone who wonders why your parents still swing at imaginary golf balls with an invisible club, Malkoff's journey is a hilarious reminder that some obsessions actually pay off in hardcover. I enjoyed my interview with him as much as I enjoyed reading his book - both of which I heartily recommend. Our entire conversation is here. bit.ly/TWIHI470MarkMa… His book is here. amzn.to/4kBAL5e

“I’m just a bill. I am only a bill, sitting here on Capitol Hill…” If, after reading those lyrics, you immediately recalled the timeless melody from Schoolhouse Rock, congratulations – you’re old. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a blast from my past you should watch immediately. bit.ly/4kp0ZYt If for no other reason, so that you might hear for yourself the tune that was stuck in my brain for the duration of the conversation you’re about to listen to and the long journey of a bill that I very much hope becomes a law but might not, because…you know, certain elected officials are idiots. The bill is called The Jumpstart Savings Act, and it was just introduced by a congressman from West Virginia named Riley Moore, a former welder and miner trying to inject a little common sense into Capitol Hill. The Jumpstart Savings Act is designed to establish savings accounts modeled after 529 college savins plans, allowing individuals to contribute up to $25,000 annually tax-free. Like 529s, these funds grow over time and can be used later for trade certifications and apprenticeship programs. But unlike 529s, this money can also be used to purchase tools, equipment, licenses, and other small business startup costs. Under the bill, existing 529 college savings can be rolled into Jumpstart accounts without penalty. The implications are significant, especially when you consider the financial impediments of starting a small business in the trades. A welder, for instance, who is fully trained and willing to work as a sole proprietor, faces huge startup costs - the tools alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Throw in the cost of a work truck, and you’re looking at a six-figure barrier to entry. Likewise, plumbers and electricians with an entrepreneurial spirit. The barriers to entry are huge. Allowing people to invest and save for careers in the skilled trades is long overdue, and the only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because Washington has failed to recognize the importance of the skilled trades and therefore passed lots and lots of legislation that benefits certain academic pursuits over others – specifically, jobs that require a four-year degree over those that require training. This bill, if passed, would go a long way in incentivizing the next generation to consider the many benefits of mastering a skill that’s in demand and help level the playing field in the race to encourage more skilled learning and more entrepreneurial spirit. Finally, as a rule, I don’t interview elected officials. At least, not those currently in office. I’ve made an exception here, because Rep. Riley Moore has proposed something truly consequential – something that would absolutely benefit many of the 3,500 scholarship recipients that mikeroweWORKS has been privileged to assist, along with countless others contemplating a career in the skilled trades. And he was a lot of fun to talk to, even though I only had him for 40 minutes. Anyway, I’m doing what I can to encourage everyone on both sides of the aisle to push this thing forward. You can help by watching and sharing (I’d say write your local congressman, but I’m not sure anyone does that anymore). Our whole conversation is here. bit.ly/TWIHI469Ripley… PS. This is the only bill I know of to be supported by the Teamsters as well as the Chamber of Commerce. That gives me hope that those knuckleheads opposing it will come to their senses...

I met this week’s guest last summer at an energy summit at Carnegie Mellon University. He heard me talking about our country’s ever-widening skills gap, our quest for energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate America’s manufacturing capabilities. He pulled me aside after my remarks and spoke quickly and quietly. “You don’t know me,” he said, “but I love everything you’re doing, and I agree with everything you’ve said. I think the lack of skilled workers is probably the most pressing issue of our times. I’d like to talk to you about expanding your scholarship program.” I thanked him for his interest and directed him to the website, where people can support our efforts in a number of ways, most of which involve clicking on the red donate button. “Thanks,” he said. “My name is Thomas Tull. I’ll be in touch.” The name was familiar, but I didn’t know why. I filed it away in my short-term memory bank and went on to my next meeting, fairly sure we’d never talk again. I meet a lot of people who agree with me, often with great enthusiasm, but never follow through. On the flight home, however, I recalled our brief meeting and went looking to see who Thomas Tull was. According to Grok, he used to own laundromats and auto repair shops before forming a band called The Ghost Hounds that opens for The Rolling Stones. Interesting. An entrepreneur and musician who jams with Keith Richards and just happens to care deeply about skilled labor, energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate our manufacturing base. I kept reading, however, and learned that Thomas Tull also owns a piece of the New York Yankees. And the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s also a philanthropist who sits on the board of The Smithsonian and The Baseball Hall of Fame. Interesting. An entrepreneur, musician, sports fan, and philanthropist who happens to care deeply about skilled labor, energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate our manufacturing base. I kept reading and finally realized why I knew his name. Thomas Tull started a movie studio a few years ago called Legendary Entertainment. With zero experience in the entertainment industry, he produced a movie called 300 – which told the story of Sparta’s storied defense of Thermopylae while making Gerard Butler’s abs eternally famous. He then formed a relationship with Christopher Nolan and produced an extraordinary film called Inception. And then, The Dark Knight trilogy. And then, the entire Hangover franchise. And so forth. Unlike traditional studio heads, Thomas treated movie production like a diversified portfolio. He was among the first to use advanced data analytics and AI to determine how to market films and figure out which projects were worth the risk. Forty films later, Thomas sold Legendary for $3.5 billion dollars and started a company called Tulco, which is currently in the process of changing the world through massive investments in AI and defense. He’s also involved in the business of de-extinction and currently trying to bring back the woolly mammoth and dodo bird. Interesting. An entrepreneur, musician, sports fan, philanthropist, Hollywood producer, investor, naturalist, and multi-billionaire tech genius who happens to care deeply about skilled labor, energy independence, and the pressing need to reinvigorate our manufacturing base. It was at this point I began to wish I had taken Thomas Tull’s phone number. Happily, there was no need. Thomas reached out to my office a few days later and asked if we could continue our conversation on my podcast. That struck me as a fantastic idea. “I’ll come to you,” he said. “At your convenience.” “How about now?” I asked. And so, Thomas Tull flew across the country to record the conversation you’re about to hear. We discussed a lot, including his relationship with my favorite backup singer of all time and the curious way he’s always found himself adjacent to greatness over the course of his extraordinary career. I loved every minute of our conversation, and I bet you will, too. bit.ly/TWIHI468Thomas… And now, I have his phone number…