In this episode of Dirt Talk, I talk with Mike Willhite, owner of Willhite Grading and Excavation, about his past controversies, life lessons, and business experiences.

Most people know Mike from social media as he's shown off his Santa Barbara-based excavating business day to day for years now online.

While he's spoken openly about some of the recent rough life experiences, we dive into it all, and I have a lot more respect for him after this conversation. We talk about anything from jail time to parenting, and it's a conversation I'll no doubt remember.

"It broke me for quite a while. I had one employee I basically paid to relay my orders every day because I was buried in a bottle for five weeks. I was so utterly distraught and destroyed that I lost my family. I don't have anything to hide. I kept him there, so I didn't go out and do something stupid and lose my kid."

To learn more about Mike, check him out on Instagram at @willhitegrading.