The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

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.

Johnny Carson didn't just host The Tonight Show—he defined late-night television. In this episode, Mike talks with comedian and pop-culture historian Mark Malkoff, author of the book Love Johnny Carson, about Carson's quiet influence, off-camera generosity, and the unlikely ways his legacy still shapes comedy today. It's a short history lesson, a love letter to show business, and a reminder that some icons never really leave the stage. Tip o' the hat to our excellent sponsors AuraFrames.com/Mike Use code Mike to get $35 off their best-selling Carver Mat frame. ZipRecruiter.com/Rowe to post a job for FREE. K12.com/Rowe See what's possible for your child with K12's Career and College Prep MCSF.org/apply Check your availability and apply today!

Mike chats with billionaire entrepreneur and producer Thomas Tull, a man whose career has repeatedly put him just one degree away from greatness. Tull talks about his ownership stakes in professional sports teams including his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, how he helped create a data-driven approach to marketing blockbuster films through Legendary Pictures and why understanding audiences mattered as much as the movies themselves. Along the way, Tull explains how it feels when his rock band, Ghost Hounds, takes the stage to open for none other than The Rolling Stones. Today's episode is sponsored by PureTalk.com/Rowe Choose a wireless company who shares YOUR values. MCSF.org/apply Check your availability and apply today! Lineman.edu to find your pathway to the trades FoldsofHonor.org/scholarship to donate or apply.

Mike sits down with the dean and co-founder of Paul Mitchell Schools to talk about how an industry built on scissors, sinks, and human connection quietly shapes culture, opportunity, and second chances. Known by just about everyone who's met him as relentlessly—and genuinely—nice, Winn shares his improbable journey from former meth addict to one of the most influential educators in beauty, his deep commitment to philanthropy, and the philosophy behind his book Be Nice (or Else!). It's a conversation about redemption, dignity in work, and the unexpected people who end up running the world—one haircut at a time. Today's episode is sponsored by PureTalk.com/Rowe Choose a wireless company who shares YOUR values. NetSuite.com/Mike Download their FREE business guide, Demystifying AI MDriveForMen.com Try Boost and Burn to aid energy, metabolism and fat burning MCSF.org/apply Check your availability and apply today!

Tech founder, defense disruptor, and founder of Anduril Industries Palmer Luckey chats with Mike about the strange haircut on America's military bureaucracy—all business in the front, chaos in the back. Luckey explains how Anduril is trying to bring speed, accountability, and modern technology to national defense, often in spite of layers of red tape. Along the way, they discuss why Palmer got into defense contracting, who was pivotal in the Department of Defense becoming the Department of War, and why he donated to AOC.

On this eye-opening episode, Mike welcomes filmmaker and television veteran Del Bigtree of The HighWire to discuss his newest documentary, An Inconvenient Study—a film that investigates what happened to the most thorough childhood vaccinated vs. unvaccinated study ever done. They discuss how Del convinced a doctor at one of the most prestigious health institutes in the nation to conduct the study, the shocking findings, and why the study has never seen the light of day… until now.

Mike sits down with the two innovative minds behind Digs — an app that's helping to streamline the home-building process. It's a candid look at what happens when tech guys wander into the world of lumber, drywall, and delayed inspections—and try to fix it. If you've ever wondered whether artificial intelligence can actually help build a house, or at least make the whole ordeal a little less maddening, this conversation is for you.

In honor of Veterans Day, Mike speaks with co-host of The Big Weekend Show Marine Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Johnny Joey Jones, who served eight years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician in Iraq and Afghanistan—where he lost both legs in the line of duty. These days, he's on a mission to highlight those who serve, from American warfighters to first responders, which he does powerfully in his new book, Behind the Badge. It's a honest tribute to those who run toward the danger when others run away. With his trademark humility and humor, Joey talks about courage, purpose, and the importance of minding the wake you leave behind.