A Stogie for the Road

If you've ever opened the Lake Stevens Community Facebook page, this episode is for you. We're talking fireworks wars, e-bike Karens and Kens, helicopter conspiracy theorists, Ring Camera Randy, Roundabout Ron, pontoon DJs who think the entire lake requested their playlist, and the mysterious "suspicious person" whose biggest crime was... walking down the street. This isn't about calling anyone ou...

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 ep...

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 cul...

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,...

In this episode of He Said, She Said , Shawn and Renee tackle one of the biggest questions facing humanity: Would you let AI run your life? From relationships and parenting to careers, money, health, and personal freedom, we dive headfirst into the world of artificial intelligence and ask whether we're headed toward a future where machines make better decisions than people. Would you trust AI to p...

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...

One microphone. And absolutely no shortage of opinions. Hosted by Shawn and Renee, He Said. She Said. dives headfirst into the conversations most people are afraid to have. Relationships. Trauma. Family. Loyalty. Dating. Marriage. Men's issues. Women's issues. Personal growth. Life after heartbreak. And all the chaos in between. Some episodes will make you laugh. Some will make you uncomfortable....

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 eve...

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…...

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,...

Society has officially lost its mind. In this episode of A Stogie for the Road Podcast , Shawn throws the serious conversations out the window and dives headfirst into the absurdity of modern life in a full-blown rant. From emotionally unstable influencers and fake life coaches… to airports that feel like psychological warfare… to grown adults filming breakdowns for TikTok engagement… nothing is s...

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 sys...

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 y...

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 tr...

In this episode, Shawn takes an unfiltered look at the growing impact pornography and platforms like OnlyFans are having on men’s lives. What was once considered private entertainment has evolved into a powerful digital industry built on attention, dopamine, and loneliness—and many men are finding themselves stuck in a cycle they never intended to be part of. Drawing from research, cultural trends...

For the past few weeks the podcast has been quiet, and many of you have asked why. The truth is that sometimes life forces you into a season where the smartest thing you can do is stay silent and let certain processes play out. When serious situations unfold, every word matters — and sometimes silence is the most responsible choice. In this episode, I talk about why I stepped back and the bigger p...

This episode is about ownership — the kind that doesn’t come from blame, excuses, or public explanations. I talk honestly about where I handed my power away, how outside voices influenced decisions that weren’t theirs to make, and what it looks like to stop defending yourself and start fixing what actually matters. This isn’t about calling anyone out. It’s about calling myself forward. In a cultur...

This isn’t a highlight reel or a motivational speech. It’s an honest end-of-year reckoning. In this episode of A Stogie for the Road , I break down what this last year actually took from me — the illusions, relationships, and versions of myself that couldn’t come forward — and what it gave back in return: clarity, boundaries, discipline, and responsibility. We talk about why men repeat the same ye...

Most boys are not broken. They’re unfinished. They grow up without instruction, without initiation, and without a clear understanding of what responsibility actually looks like. So they drift — distracted, anxious, reactive — mistaking noise for strength and comfort for meaning. This podcast is about the slow, demanding work of becoming someone solid.

Today we talk about the biggest fight against our biggest enemy .........OURSELVES!!!!

Men die every day from family that eat them alive inside and out. Stogie talks about this and everything in between. You are not going to want to miss this.

Why so quiet ? oh ill tell ya why . you know Stogie may get quiet but it never stays that way . tune and see what has happened and what is next .

Tonight stoge goes off on the beta male masses the are everywhere !!! They have no idea of what is coming as stogie rains down an air strike against them . Sit back RELAX and listen to the soothing sounds of Stogie let them have it while enjoying a premium hand rolled cigar .

This one ain’t for the faint of heart. In a world full of excuses, victimhood, and men hiding behind comfort, this episode delivers a ruthless wake-up call. We’re diving into why so many men have gotten soft — and how adversity isn’t your enemy… it’s your invitation to rise. I’ll walk you through hard stats, real talk, and my own personal hell — raising kids that aren’t mine while standing beside...

This episode rips the mask off the modern man and asks one simple question: Are you still hiding behind excuses… or are you ready to lead? Host Shawn Dirksen AKA STOGIE takes the gloves off and delivers a raw, unapologetic gut-check to men faking strength while running from accountability. You’ll hear: Why fake confidence is killing your leadership The real cost of living a lie (and what science s...