The Big Reminder From The Septic Tank
During one of the first episodes of “ Dirty Jobs ,” Mike found himself in a septic tank on a sticky , humid , Midwestern day with Les Swanson . Les had quit his job as a guidance counselor and psychologist of 15 years to begin his septic tank pumping business just outside of Madison , Wisconsin . In that boiling tank , Les told Mike he was just tired of dealing with other people ’ s s--t .
Joking aside , Les confided in Mike that he left his stable career in counseling to open his own business because he saw a need in his community .
“ It was Les Swanson who said to me , ‘ I ’ m not here because I ’ m passionate about septic tanks ,’” Mike recalled . “‘ I ’ m here because I wanted to do something different . I looked around to see where everybody was going , and I went the other way .”
By that time , Les was enjoying a lucrative career and had built a loyal following around Madison . In many ways , Mike , whose career had begun at the Opera and landed him in the toilet — sometimes literally — was doing the same thing . He had stumbled out of the sewers and into an opportunity to use his talents for good .
“ It ’ s just the idea that you go into your life or career expecting to be surprised , expecting to be uncomfortable ,” Mike said . “ The lesson isn ’ t to not have passion . Passion is important to follow . Bring it with you in all things … Real job satisfaction comes from finding an opportunity and finding a way to be great at it , and then finding a way to love it .”
Mike had left a cushy career covering wineries and restaurant openings to dig into the infrastructure that helps daily life chug along . His grandfather ’ s prowess and ability to fix anything and everything wasn ’ t a trait he acquired , but it was his passion for trades and ability to be uncomfortable and incompetent that has enabled millions of viewers to this day to learn something new about the world around them . It ’ s his authenticity that drives this message forward .
Mike took his opportunity and transformed it into his life ’ s work and dedication . Today , Mike hosts his podcast , “ The Way I Heard It ,” to continue sharing stories that fascinate him . He also hosts numerous shows on cable networks , and his Facebook videos have garnered millions of viewers .
All of this , the work he does to “ close America ’ s widening skills gap ,” the legacy he ’ s left of telling seemingly small stories with a big purpose , and the lessons he has learned along the way , came from a motherly guilt trip and a face plant into someone else ’ s poop . That ’ s about as authentic and opportunistic as anyone can get . “ It ’ s very easy to trust someone covered in someone else ’ s crap ,” Mike explained . “ There ’ s just no way a guy like that is going to lie to you . He ’ s been utterly humbled .”
If Mike ’ s career is a testament to anything , it ’ s that the best way through is wading into the crap and letting others know you ’ re not afraid to do it .
Hear more from Mike Rowe and see Robin ’ s interview with him online at MSPSuccessMagazine . com / Mike-Rowe ! n
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