The second day of Auto Glass Week featured more informative seminars, more visits to exhibitor booths on the show floor, and a speech from keynote speaker Mike Rowe. The television host, author, and narrator talked to a packed house about the job that makes people's lives possible.

“I want to tell you about the moment in my life when I realized everything about work was wrong,” said Rowe.

The story began when Rowe's mother gave him a call to inform him that his grandfather, a jack of all trades, was very close to turning 90 and wished to see Rowe do something that "resembled work." After this conversation, Rowe went to his manager at his San Francisco news station and suggested a feature to show the lives of regular people and the kinds of work they do. Rowe ventured into fields that are not frequently known to the general public, such as San Francisco's sewer systems, to report on them.

Rowe then described his experience in the sewers:

"It takes a minute for your eyes to adjust, but your nose doesn't take time at all."

Rowe thought this seemed to be a work environment. Somewhere his grandfather would be familiar with. Rowe's perspective on work entirely transformed as a result of his time mingling with the cockroaches, rats, and excrement that live in San Francisco's sewers.

“I was watching something that I had not seen before,” said Rowe.

He came to the conclusion that everything he had learned throughout his career had been incorrect after spending time in the sewers. During his time in front of the camera, he had grown distant from everything.

“At that moment, in my cubicle, I saw something on my screen that looked like truth,” said Rowe. “I needed something to give me a shake.” He cut the video, aired it, and was let go the following day. Rowe then took the segment, distributed it, and transformed it into Dirty Jobs on Discovery. After that, according to Rowe, "the last 30 years have been like groundhog day in the sewer. But it's been great.”

Rowe came to understand that many business owners struggle to find experienced laborers during his time on Dirty Jobs. Rowe's organization, mikeroweWorks, was established as a result, and it works to reduce the skills gap by dispelling myths and preconceptions that deter people from applying for the many available professions.

“That’s why I am here today,” says Rowe. “I am standing by to help out. If that doesn’t work, I have the sewers.”

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