Challenge Accepted with Mary Sullivan of mikeroweWORKS

Mary Sullivan, a straight-A biochemistry major while at Loyola University, thought she wanted to be a doctor but came to the realization that medicine wasn’t for her.  She chose law instead, studying at Georgetown University.  Upon graduation, she accepted a position at a full-service law firm in Los Angeles, learning the trade and transitioning to the entertainment arm. Mary came to realize that not growing up in the entertainment industry allowed her to think differently and push back on industry standards that didn’t make sense. In 2005, as a senior partner at her thriving boutique entertainment law office, she received a call from Mike Rowe, who needed an attorney. Mike arrived at Mary’s corner office three weeks later, covered in dust from working at a rock quarry while filming his soon-to-be hit television series, Dirty Jobs.  At the time of their meeting, her filthy-by-design client had no representation, agent, manager, or accountant. So, there was work to be done; Mary accepted the challenge.   

Mary is president of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation - a foundation co-created by both she and Mike - focused on promoting the skilled trades. Today student loan debt is the second highest debt category nationwide, with over 44 million borrowers owing an excess of $1.5 trillion dollars. Mary and Mike’s foundation have funded over five million dollars in scholarships for their Work Ethic Scholarship Program, providing training for the 7 million available jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree. 

Embracing a mission larger than herself, this powerhouse is the executive producer of many of Mike’s shows, including How Booze Built America, Six Degrees, Dirty Jobs, Somebody’s Gotta Do it, Returning the Favor, as well as The Way I Heard it with Mike Rowe podcast. It was a privilege to catch up with Mary, we warmly welcome her to this episode of Intrinsic Drive™.