A Stogie for the Road

Hosted by Shawn Dirksen aka Stogie

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Jul 2026

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About the show

A Stogie for the Road Raw. Real. Redeemed. A Stogie for the Road is a no-fluff podcast for men who’ve been through hell and are ready to rise. Hosted by a man who lost it all and built it back, this show dives into mental health, masculinity, fatherhood, addiction, and finding purpose — one hard conversation at a time. Light up, tune in, and walk the road toward something better.

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54 recent

July 5, 202640 min

STOP CHASING THE UPGRADE | Why Modern Love Keeps Failing

We've turned relationships into shopping carts.The second things get difficult... We convince ourselves someone better is waiting just one swipe away.We've been sold the lie that happiness is always in the next relationship, the next person, the next thrill.But what if the real tragedy isn't staying too long...It's walking away from someone who was actually willing to fight for you?In this episode, I go all in on the modern obsession with "upgrading" our partners, disposable relationships, dating apps, social media, and the fantasy that there's always someone better around the corner.We talk about why people confuse butterflies with love, why loyalty has become one of the rarest traits in modern society, and why so many people don't realize what they had until it's gone.Because here's the uncomfortable truth...The next person won't magically erase your problems.They'll just introduce you to a whole new set of them.If you think lasting love is about constantly finding someone better, this episode is going to challenge everything you've been told.Sometimes the greatest mistake you'll ever make isn't choosing the wrong person...It's giving up on the right one because real love stopped feeling new.Light up a cigar, buckle up, and let's have the conversation nobody wants to have.A Stogie for the Road Podcast — where accountability beats excuses, commitment still means something, and we say the things everyone's thinking but nobody wants to say.

June 21, 202640 min

THEY HATE ME... BUT THEY NEVER MISS AN EPISODE

They watch every clip.They listen to every episode.They know every detail.They can quote things I said six months ago better than I can.And they swear they can't stand me.Welcome to the strange world of modern outrage, where some people spend more time monitoring other people's lives than building their own.In this episode of A Stogie for the Road, Shawn dives headfirst into the bizarre culture of hate-watching, social media obsession, professional critics, and the people who seem to have unlimited time to analyze, investigate, screenshot, and obsess over complete strangers on the internet.What kind of person spends hours listening to somebody they claim to hate?What kind of person follows every post, every video, every comment, and every move while insisting they don't care?At what point does a hater stop being a critic and become your most dedicated fan?This episode is a hilarious, unapologetic, and brutally honest rant about the spectators of life—the people sitting safely in the stands while criticizing the people willing to step onto the field.We break down why successful people don't spend their lives obsessing over strangers, why critics often become accidental promoters, and why some people would rather monitor your progress than confront their own failures, fears, excuses, and missed opportunities.This isn't just about haters.It's about courage.It's about risk.It's about the difference between creating and criticizing.Building and complaining.Living and watching.Most importantly, it's about refusing to let the opinions of people who aren't doing anything stop you from becoming the person you're meant to be.If you've ever been judged for chasing a dream...If you've ever had people laugh at your goals...If you've ever had critics rooting for your downfall...If you've ever been told to sit down, shut up, and stay in your lane...This episode is for you.Because at the end of the day, the people spending their lives watching will never understand the people spending their lives doing.Light a cigar.Pull up a chair.And remember:The people trying to stop the train keep buying tickets.

June 15, 202637 min

EVERYBODY'S GOT A DISORDER & NOBODY'S GOT A BACKBONE

What happened to just being a person?In this episode of A Stogie for the Road, Shawn goes on a hilarious and unapologetic rant about modern life, where every personality trait needs a diagnosis, every disagreement requires a therapy session, and everybody seems to have an excuse but nobody wants responsibility.From self-diagnosing through TikTok and turning every inconvenience into a condition, to the obsession with labels, attachment styles, and endless emotional analysis, Shawn asks a simple question:What happened to common sense?But this episode goes deeper than that.It's about men who have forgotten how to speak honestly.Men who spend years swallowing their opinions to keep the peace.Men who wake up one day wondering how they became supporting characters in their own lives.This isn't a life-coach seminar. This isn't a self-help lecture.It's a cigar-smoking, microphone-grabbing reminder that life is short, the clock is running, and nobody gets out of here with a second chance.Stop waiting for permission. Stop apologizing for having a voice. Stop explaining yourself to people who aren't living the life you want.Because at the end of the day, the critics don't pay the price for your regrets.You do.A funny, raw, old-school rant about modern nonsense, forgotten backbone, and why the goal isn't to be comfortable—it's to leave everything you've got on the field before the final whistle blows.Light a cigar. Pull up a chair. Let's talk. 🎙️🚬🔥A Stogie for the Road Podcast "Everybody's got a disorder. Nobody's got an excuse. Game time."

June 7, 202629 min

SHE SAID NO... SO YOU THREW A TANTRUM? | The Death of Emotional Control

A woman says "no" and suddenly some grown men are acting like civilization has collapsed.In this episode, Shawn dives headfirst into one of the most disturbing trends on social media: men losing their minds over rejection. From viral videos of women being attacked for refusing phone numbers, to the growing inability of people to hear the word "no," we're breaking down what this says about modern culture, emotional maturity, masculinity, and accountability.This isn't a male-bashing episode.It's a wake-up call.We'll talk about:Why rejection isn't violenceThe difference between confidence and entitlementHow social media rewards victimhood and outrageWhy so many people are emotionally controlled by strangersThe loneliness epidemic among menWhy accountability has become a dirty wordAnd why hearing "no" might be one of the most important skills you'll ever learnThe strongest people aren't the ones who get their way.They're the ones who can hear "no" and still keep moving forward.If this episode pisses you off, good.That means we're talking about something real.🎙️ A Stogie For The Road PodcastBecause life doesn't owe you a yes. And maturity starts when you realize that.

May 30, 202625 min

I Thought Parenting Got Easier

I was wrong.The diapers were easy.The sleepless nights were easy.The clogged toilets, broken microwaves, and chaos of raising five kids were easy.The hard part?Watching your children become adults and realizing you can no longer protect them from their own choices.This episode is about the heartbreak fathers don't talk about, the pressure they carry in silence, and the love that survives even when life doesn't go the way you planned!!!!!

May 23, 202645 min

"He Just Wants Attention” — Meanwhile Boomers Bought Houses For $14 And A Handshake

In this episode, Shawn unloads on the absolute insanity of modern life, the impossible economy younger generations inherited, and the nonstop criticism that comes with trying to build something online.From boomers lecturing people about “hard work” after buying homes for the price of a used lawn mower… to people mocking creators while spending eight hours a day rotting on social media themselves… nothing gets spared.Shawn dives into:why people hate content creatorsthe “he just wants attention” accusationthe difference between building something vs. sitting around criticizingwhy modern men feel trapped financiallysocial security, broken systems, and economic realitythe fear of chasing a dream publiclyand why he’s willing to keep going even if everybody around him thinks he’s lost his mindThe episode swings between hilarious rage, uncomfortable truth, dark comedy, and brutally honest perspective from somebody trying to claw his way into a different life while the internet watches from the sidelines.Because at some point you either:take the shotbuild the thingrisk looking stupidand bet on yourself……or spend the rest of your life explaining why you never tried.

May 11, 202651 min

Too Stubborn to Stay Broken

Some people don’t heal because life gets easier.They heal because they get sick of bleeding everywhere they go.This episode is for the men and women who kept getting hit… and kept getting back up anyway.In Too Stubborn to Stay Broken, Shawn talks about surviving the years that were supposed to destroy him — homelessness, isolation, betrayal, exhaustion, heartbreak, humiliation, fear, failure, and the quiet moments where quitting felt easier than continuing.But this isn’t a motivational speech.It’s a raw conversation about the reality of rebuilding yourself when nobody’s coming to save you.This episode dives into:What survival mode really feels likeWhy some people mentally collapse and others adaptThe dangerous comfort of victimhoodThe psychology of stubbornnessBuilding yourself back up while angry, exhausted, and emotionally wreckedLearning to laugh again after life hardens youAnd why refusing to quit becomes a weaponThere’s no fake positivity here. No guru nonsense. No “manifest your destiny” garbage.Just truth from somebody who’s been through hell and decided: “I may bend… but I’m not staying broken.”If you’ve been carrying pressure silently… If life hit you harder than expected… If you’ve been rebuilding yourself in private…This episode is for you.

May 2, 202634 min

GO FUND ME ???? GO FUNDYOURSELF ( stop begging and start building )

Everybody’s got a story. Everybody’s got a reason. Everybody’s got a link in their bio asking for help.And almost nobody wants to do the one thing that actually changes their life:Take responsibility and build something.This episode rips into the culture of public pity, online handouts, and the quiet addiction to being rescued. From grown adults treating the internet like a personal bailout system… to parents raising kids who think struggle is optional… this is the uncomfortable truth nobody wants to say out loud.This isn’t about people who truly need help. This is about the ones who refuse to help themselves.If you’re tired of watching people outsource their problems… If you’re done pretending effort is optional… If you believe discipline still matters…Then this one’s for you.No filters. No soft landings. No excuses.GoFund Yourself.

April 25, 202634 min

Customer Service Boyfriends & Dictator Dudes

Most men are getting it wrong—and nobody’s saying it out loud.You’ve got one side trying so hard to be a “good man” that they lose their backbone… apologizing, over-explaining, and turning relationships into a negotiation.Then you’ve got the other side—guys who are great at being “men”… confident, dominant, decisive—but they bulldoze everything in their path and call it leadership.So what are you supposed to be?In this episode, we break down the difference between being a good man and being good at being a man—and why missing either one will cost you your relationships, your respect, and your peace.This isn’t about alpha vs beta.It’s about strength with a conscience. It’s about standing your ground without becoming a tyrant. It’s about caring without becoming a doormat.No fluff. No fake motivation. No internet personas.Just the truth most men don’t want to hear—but need to.If you’re tired of extremes and ready to actually get it right… this one’s for you.

April 18, 202642 min

The Cage No One Talks About: When Good Men Feel Trapped

There’s a side of men’s lives that almost nobody talks about.Not the loud, toxic, headline-grabbing stuff… but the quiet pressure.The kind that builds over time.In this episode, we’re talking about the reality of men who show up every day—who work, provide, take care of their families—and still feel like they’re carrying everything alone.Men who feel stuck. Men who feel unheard. Men who are trying to do the right thing… while quietly losing themselves in the process.This isn’t about blaming. This isn’t about attacking anyone.It’s about telling the truth.About the weight men carry… the silence they live in… and the pressure to hold everything together no matter what.If you’ve ever felt like you’re responsible for everything but allowed to talk about nothing…This episode is for you.