Ethan Thornton doesn't shy away from problems—he goes looking for them. At just 22, the founder of Mach Industries is tackling some of the biggest challenges in American defense manufacturing, rethinking how weapons are designed, built, and produced.

In this episode, Ethan takes Mike deep into the problem he believes America can no longer afford to ignore: How did we get to a place where China has such an enormous advantage in manufacturing, production capacity, and the ability to produce things at scale? And, more importantly, what are we going to do about it?

Ethan explains why the future of American defense may depend less on building increasingly sophisticated—and increasingly expensive—weapons, and more on figuring out how to build more capable weapons that cost dramatically less. He breaks down the theory behind that approach, why affordability and scale can be weapons in their own right, and why innovation in defense manufacturing isn't simply about creating better technology—it's about changing the economics of warfare.

And that may be the biggest problem Ethan is trying to solve: not simply how to build the next generation of weapons, but how to build them faster, cheaper, and at a scale that can restore America's manufacturing advantage. Because when it comes to solving big problems, Ethan doesn't just like a challenge—he likes a lotta problems.

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For decades, Americans have been told that cholesterol is public enemy number one. But cardiologist and heart surgeon Dr. Philip Ovadia says we've been fighting the wrong battle. Despite decades of lowering cholesterol with drugs and dietary advice, heart disease remains the #1 killer in America—and Dr. Ovadia believes it's time to rethink what's really making us sick.

After losing more than 100 pounds by adopting a diet centered primarily on meat, Dr. Ovadia began challenging conventional wisdom about cholesterol, nutrition, and metabolic health. Mike sits down with the bestselling author of Stay Off My Operating Table to discuss why he believes insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction—not cholesterol—are driving the epidemic of heart disease. They also dive into his new book, Stay Off My Kitchen Table, available today, and explore why his message has become one of the most talked-about—and controversial—in modern medicine.

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Todd Rose, bestselling author of Collective Illusions, former Harvard professor, and co-founder of Populace, joins Mike for a conversation about the surprising gap between what people really believe and what they think everyone else believes.

Together they explore the collective illusions that shape our society, the barriers that keep us from living our best lives, and the disconnect between public perception and private conviction.

They also dive into Todd's newest brainchild, Be The People, a growing movement that empowers ordinary citizens to bridge divides, strengthen their communities, and prove that meaningful change often begins with one good thing.

Follow Be The People on Instagram to see how Americans are coming together to solve problems, strengthen their communities, and help one another. You might even find your own way in.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joins Mike for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the U.S. economy, the ideas behind his influential speech While America Slept, and the policies he believes can restore long-term American prosperity. Then they take a deep dive into the new Trump Accounts—how they work, who qualifies, and why Secretary Bessent believes they could give the next generation a stronger financial foundation.

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Vice President JD Vance joins Mike for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, family, and the future of America. From the dignity of work and the lessons he learned in the Marine Corps to his return to Christianity and the deeply personal journey that inspired his new book, Communion, Vance reflects on the people and experiences that shaped him. He also explains why America's energy future may determine whether we can keep pace with China in the decades ahead.

Big thanks to our terrific sponsors

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Before he became the Father of His Country, George Washington was a young man with doubts, ambitions, failures, and a calling that would eventually shape a nation. Mike sits down with filmmaker and entrepreneur Jon Erwin to discuss his new film Young Washington, and to explore the remarkable true story behind America's most iconic founder.

Jon also shares how he launched The Wonder Project and his mission to tell stories that elevate faith, hope, and the human spirit. Along the way, he recounts the extraordinary legacy of his grandfather, a recipient of the Medal of Honor whose courage during World War II left an indelible mark on his family. It's a conversation about character, conviction, and the people who inspire history long before history remembers their names.

This July 4th, make Young Washington part of your Independence Day celebration. See the film, share it with your community, and help spark civic curiosity about the character, leadership, and founding principles that continue to shape our nation. Get tickets here: https://bit.ly/TWIHIYoungWashington

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What if school could be reimagined from the ground up? This week, Mike sits down with entrepreneur and education innovator MacKenzie Price, the founder of Alpha School, a model that's attracting global attention for helping students learn twice as much in half the time.

Using artificial intelligence, personalized learning, and an unconventional approach to education, MacKenzie is challenging nearly every assumption about how kids should be taught.

She also makes the case that meaningful change in education won't come from top-down mandates, but from bottom-up solutions created by parents, teachers, and entrepreneurs willing to rethink the status quo. From test scores to life skills, she explains why some believe the future of education has already arrived—and why the world's most talked-about school may be just getting started.

Learn more about Alpha School at: https://bit.ly/4xGuTNU

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In honor of Father's Day, we're sharing several hilarious chapters from the audio version of Peggy Rowe's bestselling book About Your Father.

Buy all three audiobooks from bestselling author Peggy Rowe for $30 or $15 individually at:

https://bit.ly/MomsAudiobooks

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Why do so many of the things that make us stronger, healthier, and happier require doing things the hard way? Mike sits down with bestselling author, journalist, and researcher Michael Easter to explore the surprising benefits of discomfort, challenge, and voluntary hardship in a world engineered for convenience. Easter, whose work has appeared in Men's Health, Outside, Esquire, and Scientific American, discusses the ideas behind his bestselling books The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain, along with his newest release, Walk with Weight: The Definitive Guide to Rucking. From carrying heavy loads to carrying life's burdens, Michael explains why the easiest path is rarely the most rewarding—and why embracing difficulty might be the key to a better life.

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Spontaneous Order might sound like a contradiction, but according to author, entrepreneur, and educator Connor Boyack, some of society's most important innovations emerge without a master plan.

Mike sits down with Connor, the bestselling co-creator and co-author of The Tuttle Twins book series that inspired the hit animated show, founder and president of the Libertas Network and a leading advocate for teaching the principles of liberty, entrepreneurship, personal responsibility, and free markets to the next generation. Connor shares the mission that drives his work: helping families understand how free people, voluntary cooperation, and decentralized problem-solving can create remarkable outcomes.

Along the way, he and Mike explore the power of ideas, the importance of questioning assumptions, why history still matters, and how a children's book series grew into a cultural phenomenon reaching millions of families. This conversation offers a fascinating look at the relationship between freedom, education, and the unexpected order that can arise when people are left free to innovate.

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Mike Rowe sits down with Blake Scholl, the former Amazon software engineer turned aerospace entrepreneur who walked away from Silicon Valley to revive supersonic passenger travel.

As the founder of Boom Supersonic, Blake explains the century-long pursuit of faster flight. From the Cold War race to break the sound barrier to the rise—and fall—of the Concorde, Blake explains why supersonic travel disappeared just as it seemed destined to change aviation forever. He also shares how Boom Supersonic is working to make high-speed passenger flight practical again, and what it will take to shrink a 12-hour flight into just a few hours.

Along the way, Mike and Blake discuss innovation, risk, engineering breakthroughs, and why some people refuse to accept that getting somewhere faster is a problem already solved.

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