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Mike Rowe Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) is perhaps the best storyteller and pitchman I’ve ever had on the show. You might know Mike from his eight seasons of Dirty Jobs, but that’s just a tiny piece of the story. His performing career began in 1984 when he faked his way into the Baltimore Opera to get his union card and meet girls, both of which he accomplished during a performance of Rigoletto. His transition to television occurred in 1990 when — to settle a bet — he auditioned for the QVC Shopping Channel and was promptly hired after talking about a pencil for nearly eight minutes. There, he worked the graveyard shift for three years, until he was ultimately fired for making fun of products and belittling viewers. Now, he is a massively successful TV host, writer, narrator, producer, actor, and spokesman. Enjoy! Intro [00:00] Dirty Jobs and the surprising respectability of biting the balls off a sheep [7:22] Developing the skill of impromptu performance [15:40] How Mike started working at QVC [18:30] The QVC audition process and selling a pencil [21:00] The distinguishing characteristics of the best sellers on QVC [24:12] How Mike was fired from QVC three times [29:18] American Airlines and unlimited access to first-class travel [32:57] On being a sanguine freelancer from the age of 28 to 42 [39:24] When hubris led to a change [42:44] On selling Dirty Jobs to Discovery and the authenticity critical to the show’s success [46:22] Constraints, antagonists, and parameters for creative projects [57:06] The Ford project [1:00:31] Pursuing opportunities when you’re not passionate about the projects [1:02:41] Daily practices or morning rituals [1:07:27] Procrastination and managing distractions [1:09:38] Most gifted books [1:13:34] Most astonishing narration work [1:24:16] Why William Shatner was always ahead of his time [1:29:06] Why great storytellers find it hard to tell their own stories [1:33:07] On starting The Way I Heard It, Mike’s podcast [1:39:22] When you think of the word “successful,” who is the first person who comes to mind and why? [1:50:02] If you could have a billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say? [1:50:55] If you could have every high-school graduate in the US read/watch/consume 2–3 things, what would you prescribe? [1:55:41] Advice to your 30-year-old self [2:10:56] Connect with Mike Rowe: Like Mike Rowe on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe Follow Mike Rowe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeroweworks The Importance of Being Dirty: Lessons from Mike Rowe Show notes: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/05/04/mike-rowe/ SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1dSzTkW About Tim Ferriss: Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running. Connect with Tim Ferriss: Visit the Tim Ferriss PODCAST: https://bit.ly/2rYjUBr Visit the Tim Ferriss BLOG: http://bit.ly/17jDHw3 Like Tim Ferriss on FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/1avYUxq Follow Tim Ferriss on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/17d94TE Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2IfH37J Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2IfH37J

Tim FerrisshostMike Roweguest

Jun 9, 20162h 21mWatch on YouTube ↗

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EPISODE INFO

Released: June 9, 2016
Duration: 2h 21m
Channel: Tim Ferriss
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) is perhaps the best storyteller and pitchman I’ve ever had on the show. You might know Mike from his eight seasons of Dirty Jobs, but that’s just a tiny piece of the story. His performing career began in 1984 when he faked his way into the Baltimore Opera to get his union card and meet girls, both of which he accomplished during a performance of Rigoletto. His transition to television occurred in 1990 when — to settle a bet — he auditioned for the QVC Shopping Channel and was promptly hired after talking about a pencil for nearly eight minutes. There, he worked the graveyard shift for three years, until he was ultimately fired for making fun of products and belittling viewers. Now, he is a massively successful TV host, writer, narrator, producer, actor, and spokesman. Enjoy! Intro [00:00] Dirty Jobs and the surprising respectability of biting the balls off a sheep [7:22] Developing the skill of impromptu performance [15:40] How Mike started working at QVC [18:30] The QVC audition process and selling a pencil [21:00] The distinguishing characteristics of the best sellers on QVC [24:12] How Mike was fired from QVC three times [29:18] American Airlines and unlimited access to first-class travel [32:57] On being a sanguine freelancer from the age of 28 to 42 [39:24] When hubris led to a change [42:44] On selling Dirty Jobs to Discovery and the authenticity critical to the show’s success [46:22] Constraints, antagonists, and parameters for creative projects [57:06] The Ford project [1:00:31] Pursuing opportunities when you’re not passionate about the projects [1:02:41] Daily practices or morning rituals [1:07:27] Procrastination and managing distractions [1:09:38] Most gifted books [1:13:34] Most astonishing narration work [1:24:16] Why William Shatner was always ahead of his time [1:29:06] Why great storytellers find it hard to tell their own stories [1:33:07] On starting The Way I Heard It, Mike’s podcast [1:39:22] When you think of the word “successful,” who is the first person who comes to mind and why? [1:50:02] If you could have a billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say? [1:50:55] If you could have every high-school graduate in the US read/watch/consume 2–3 things, what would you prescribe? [1:55:41] Advice to your 30-year-old self [2:10:56] Connect with Mike Rowe: Like Mike Rowe on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealMikeRowe Follow Mike Rowe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeroweworks The Importance of Being Dirty: Lessons from Mike Rowe Show notes: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2016/05/04/mike-rowe/ SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1dSzTkW About Tim Ferriss: Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running. Connect with Tim Ferriss: Visit the Tim Ferriss PODCAST: https://bit.ly/2rYjUBr Visit the Tim Ferriss BLOG: http://bit.ly/17jDHw3 Like Tim Ferriss on FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/1avYUxq Follow Tim Ferriss on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/17d94TE Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2IfH37J Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2IfH37J

SPEAKERS

Tim Ferriss
host
Entrepreneur, author, and host of The Tim Ferriss Show.
Mike Rowe
guest
TV host and narrator known for Dirty Jobs and creator of The Way I Heard It podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Tim Ferriss, featuring Tim Ferriss and Mike Rowe, Mike Rowe Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast) explores mike Rowe on Pencils, Dirty Jobs, Passion, Work Ethic and Storytelling Mike Rowe recounts a career built on lost bets and crashed auditions, from the Baltimore Opera to talking about a pencil for eight minutes at QVC, a freelance mercenary stretch, and an American Airlines travel show that came with a must-fly pass.

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