Hot Ashes Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Lee welcomes co-host Chris and first-time guest Walia to the Hot Ashes Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about music, military life, community, and the stories that keep a podcast going. Chris talks about his work as an ambassador for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Heroes, his book Earn This Chair, and an upcoming author event at the Carolina Museum of the Marine. Walia share...

Send us Fan Mail Running races is one thing. Agreeing on grits? That might be the bigger challenge. In Episode 58 of the Hot Ashes Podcast, Lee, TK, and the crew settle in at George’s Cigars in Swansboro, NC, for race stories, strong food opinions, and the usual arguments around the table. Cody joins us to celebrate the shop’s runners and talk about his Yellowstone and Grand Teton race plans. We g...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Hot Ashes, Lee and TK welcome Don Radley and his son Eddie for stories about family, service, and life in Maine and North Carolina. Don and Eddie share highlights from their Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., including the veterans’ memorials and the warm reception they received. The conversation also ranges through Maine hunting and fishing, tuna stories, music...

Send us Fan Mail For the first time since Episode 1, it’s just Lee and TK on the Hot Ashes Podcast! They catch up over cigars and drinks, swap stories about camping and Busch Gardens, get into TV, horror movies, and martial arts, then talk band rehearsals, music gear, merch, and getting back behind the DJ booth. Plus: low-country boils, ghost stories, band chemistry, wedding gigs, and a little loc...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast! This episode starts with cigars and drinks, then dives into whitewater rafting, kayaking, river safety, and unforgettable stories from the water. Malcolm and Solange share their experiences as guides, including a rookie’s dramatic Big Drop incident, a high-stakes trip on the Zambezi, and what it takes to read rapids and keep a boat safe. The...

Send us Fan Mail The crew is back with cigars, drinks, and plenty to talk about. This week, TK shares stories from a high school reunion, and the group reflects on how life changes after high school—and after leaving the military. They discuss the challenges of transitioning to civilian life, finding a new sense of purpose and community, and why control, courage, and consistency matter. They also...

Send us Fan Mail Lee, TK, Chris, Solange, Roger, and the George's Cigar Shop crew are back for another episode about everything and nothing. This one goes from soaking jokes to heaven-and-hell theories to Lee opening up about living with a heart condition that shocks him back into rhythm — plus AI that blackmails its boss, 1,000 workouts in 100 days, and why nobody actually loses their tribe...

Send us Fan Mail A birthday dinner that fell apart in real time, a diesel truck that refuses to die, and a neighborhood Facebook war that ended in a plot twist. Lee, TK, Cody and Solange are back around the table. Cody walks us through the worst Outback experience ever recorded — the whisper-talking waiter who took a knee beside the table, the beer they wouldn't replace, the prime rib they di...

Send us Fan Mail We’re back in the lounge with cigars lit and drinks poured, catching up with Roger’s return from 29 Palms, talking military desert misery, porta-john legends, and why shared suffering is weirdly hilarious. From there we tumble into a long-form hang about: Dungeon Crawler Carl – why it’s a cult favorite, audiobooks vs “actually reading,” and how voice actors bring characters to lif...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast for our milestone Episode 50 , featuring a very special guest: Georges , owner of Georges’ Cigar Shop and a true Lebanese legend. Georges joins Lee, TK, and Dakota for an unforgettable conversation about cigars, Macallan 18, the Lebanese Civil War, dangerous combat missions, politics, faith, friendship, and how he created a cigar lounge that f...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast ! In this episode, Lee , TK , Dakota , and Amy fire up some premium sticks, pour serious bourbon, and dive into everything from embassy security in Iraq and business class hacks to wild injury stories , military life , and spicy takes on work, family, and culture . We kick things off with cigar and drink pairings (including the Herrera Esteli...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Hot Ashes Podcast, Lee and TK are back in the lounge with cigars, craft beer, and two special guests: Cody and Jim Roche, a retired Navy Seabee commander and bona fide ultra marathoner. We kick things off with our usual cigar and drink rundown, then drift into: Hilarious stories about first cars, driver’s ed, and sketchy road tests Life as a Seabee and how J...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 47 of the Hot Ashes Podcast, Lee and TK welcome back Solange for a wild recap of her six-week Europe adventure . From surviving a record-breaking Paris heat wave and dancing at a masquerade ball to hitchhiking in Costa Rica , staying with strangers, and floating through Champagne caves at Veuve Clicquot , this one is stacked with stories. We also get into Syrian home co...

Send us Fan Mail Hot Ashes Podcast – “Teeth, Time, and Tying the Knot” In this episode of the Hot Ashes Podcast, Lee, TK, Cody, and friends go full story-time on three big themes: dental horror/comedy, a beautiful Carolina wedding, and pushing the limits with endurance sports, skydiving, and diving. We kick things off with an announcement: new episode drop day is moving from Monday to Wednesday so...

Send us Fan Mail Hot Ashes Podcast Ep. 45 – Marine Corps Stories, Duramax Builds & Cigar Shop Banter We’re back on the patio at George’s Cigar Shop in Swansboro, North Carolina for Episode 45 of the Hot Ashes Podcast. It’s a hot, humid day, the ash is falling, and the stories are flowing. In this episode, Lee , TK , Cody , and Chris dive into: Cigars, drinks & shop talk What we’re smoking:...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Hot Ashes Podcast, Lee and TK sit down with Frank Tursi —four‑time published author, longtime journalist, and former Swansboro commissioner—to talk about his new book Tar Heel Boys of Summer , a deep dive into North Carolina’s Major League Baseball history . Frank shares how the book began as a COVID project and grew into a comprehensive look at the 501 Nort...

Send us Fan Mail We’re back at the table at George’s for one of our wildest episodes yet. TK is out camping, so Lee is joined by his brother Jared plus Roger , Rusty , Marv , and Cody for a chaotic mix of pain, laughs, and bad life choices. In this episode: 🔥 Lil Nitro 9 Million Scoville Challenge Roger and Rusty take on the infamous Lil Nitro hot gummy bear 5 full minutes with no relief – no dri...

Send us Fan Mail We’re back in the lounge with cigars lit and drinks poured for another laid‑back Hot Ashes hang. In this episode, Lee, TK, and Ed bounce from camping trips and casinos to AI, tick-borne illnesses, brutal hot pepper challenges, and even small-plane flying. In this episode: Moving the Hot Ashes podcast release day and upgrading the studio setup TK’s upcoming New York State camping t...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 41 of the Hot Ashes Podcast comes in hot. Lee, TK, Jarrad, and Chris light up at George’s Cigars and dive into everything from cigars and beer to customer service, AI, solo camping, bands, books, and even the moon landing. We kick things off with what everyone’s smoking and drinking, then revisit TK’s legendary “drunk episode” and how it felt from the inside vs. how fans s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Hot Ashes Podcast , we’re back at Georgia Cigar Shop in Swansboro, NC talking cigars, fitness, sobriety, veterans, mental health, and what it really means to have a tribe . We kick things off with what we’re smoking and drinking (or not drinking), then dive deep into: Health, Fitness & Self-Improvement Cutting back on booze, quitting soda, intermittent f...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast from George’s Cigars in Swansboro, NC ! In this episode, Lee, TK, and Solange light up some great sticks and dive into cigars, travel, fitness, and a whole lot of small-town coastal life. We kick things off with the My Father Blue and a Monte Cristo White Series , talk through our new Hot Ashes hats and upcoming swag (shirts, sweatshirts, stic...

Send us Fan Mail Dakota rolls in with a Dubai‑exclusive Opus X “Amor del Desierto” box, and this episode does not let up. The crew unboxes a $1,500+ box of cigars, talks pairings with Dalmore King Alexander III , swaps range day stories (6.5 Creedmoor, .357 mag, 1911s, AKs, EDCs, concealed carry), hits boats and sandbars on the Carolina coast, and gets into bowling near‑perfect games and what real...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to the Hot Ashes Podcast , recorded live at George’s Cigar Shop in Swansboro, North Carolina . In this episode we fire up George’s house cigars, crack a rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year (Lot B) , and get into everything from Tesla road trips and insane tolls to the new Carolina Museum of the Marine , AI, and life in and after the United States Marine Corps . If...

Send us Fan Mail We’re back inside the lounge for a Memorial Day episode of the Hot Ashes Podcast from Georgia’s Cigars in Swansboro, NC – tighter setup, cold AC, great cigars, and some heavy (and hilarious) conversations. In this episode, Lee, TK, Roger, Zach, and crew dive into: 🎙️ Podcasting & Content Creation Running a multi‑camera setup and the pain of audio drift and flaky editing tools...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Hot Ashes Podcast , Lee, TK, Amy, Dakota, and Roger light up some great sticks, pour serious bourbon, and dive into one of the most emotional and unfiltered conversations yet. We kick things off recapping our brother Cody’s retirement from the Marine Corps after 27 years of service — from Lee putting the uniform back on and giving a heartfelt speech, to the...