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Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs on Filling the Skills Gap and Doing Social Good For the popular TV host, business sometimes comes down to mercenary versus missionary.

By Jason Fell

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

For Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs, business sometimes comes down to two positions: mercenary or missionary. Before your mind gets trapped in the gutter, let Rowe explain.

"By missionary position I mean doing something decent but not founding your entire businesss on it," he says in an interview with Entrepreneur. Because, of course, "altruism in and of itself isn't really going to do much of anything." You have to take care of yourself first before anyone else.

As host of Discovery's Dirty Jobs, and now CNN's Somebody's Gott Do It, Rowe has toiled alongside countless entrepreneurs -- most often in dirty, unwanted trade industries. When a job is unwanted, it often means there is a gap between the demand for those jobs and people who are trained and willing to perform them.

So when Rowe has time away from his mercenary self as a TV personality, he turns on his missionary mode. In 2008, he launched the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, which awards scholarships to students pursuing a career in the skilled trades.

For more on Rowe's thoughts on mercenary vs. missionary, and filling the skills gap, check out the short video above.

Related:

Mike Rowe: To Be Successful, Don't Fear the Dirty Work

Mike Rowe: This One Thing Can Make Any Job Feel Like a Soul-Sucking Waste of Time

Mike Rowe: Curiosity Is Key to Success

Mike Rowe: Don't Pursue Your Passion. Chase Opportunity.

Jason Fell

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

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