Against the Grain: Why Mike Rowe, Codie Sanchez, and Myford University Are the Real Alternatives

I’ve always gone against the grain. Groupthink has never sat well with me. When everyone rushes in one direction, I instinctively stop and ask: is this really the right path—or just the most crowded one?

For decades, the default path has been clear: go to college, rack up debt, hope the degree pays off. But today that path looks more like an unwinnable game. The costs are out of control, the timelines are too long, and the payoff is uncertain at best.

That’s why I pay close attention to people who offer real alternatives. Two standouts are Mike Rowe and Codie Sanchez. Both challenge the monopoly higher education has had on what it means to succeed. And both line up with what I’m building at Myford University: fast, practical knowledge you can apply immediately.

Mike Rowe: Dignity of Work

Rowe built his reputation on Dirty Jobs, showing the essential, unglamorous work that makes civilization possible. He noticed a simple but devastating truth: society was pushing kids toward four-year degrees while employers in trades—construction, electrical, welding, plumbing—were desperate for skilled workers.

Through his mikeroweWORKS Foundation, he’s given out millions in scholarships and created a “Work Ethic Curriculum” centered on personal responsibility. His message is simple: skip the debt, learn a trade, earn while you learn, and take pride in work that matters.

The trades aren’t easy—some are physically demanding and geographically tied—but they are faster, cheaper, and often more lucrative than many college degrees today.

Codie Sanchez: Buy Boring Businesses

While Rowe champions trades, Sanchez takes another contrarian angle: buy boring small businesses. Laundromats, car washes, HVAC companies, vending routes. Not sexy, not glamorous—yet profitable and everywhere.

Instead of chasing startup dreams, Sanchez teaches people to buy companies with existing cash flow and staff, often from retiring owners with no succession plan. Through her Contrarian Thinking platform, she breaks down deal structures, financing options, and operational playbooks.

This isn’t passive income. Running a business requires leadership, systems, and grit. But the payoff can be immediate—steady income, equity, and growth without waiting years for a degree or a startup to “make it.”

Where Myford University Fits

Rowe opens the door to skilled trades. Sanchez opens the door to small business ownership. Myford University provides the third piece: accelerated knowledge and application.

I built Myford on one principle: learn fast, apply it faster. Instead of four years of theory, you master essential business skills in days or weeks—and prove them through deliverables: business cases, financial models, marketing plans.

For the tradesperson, Myford gives the business skills to one day run their own shop. For the boring business buyer, Myford provides the frameworks to professionalize operations and scale. For anyone stuck between paths, Myford offers tools to act now.

The Bigger Picture

The old “college or bust” mindset is obsolete. We now have practical, proven alternatives:

• Learn a trade and earn while you learn.
• Buy a business and step into cash flow on day one.
• Acquire knowledge fast and apply it faster with Myford.

None of these paths are magic bullets. Trades can be tough, businesses risky, knowledge wasted if left unapplied. But compared to years of debt for uncertain payoff, they offer something far better: real skills, real ownership, real proof of value.

Closing

Going against the grain isn’t just rebellious—it’s rational. Mike Rowe and Codie Sanchez prove there are credible alternatives to higher education. Myford University complements both by giving you the tools to accelerate and apply knowledge immediately.

The only question left is: which path will you choose?

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