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A Stogie for the Road

A Stogie for the Road

by Shawn Dirksen aka Stogie

Careers Comedy Interviews

Season 5

The Board of Directors : How Outsiders Slowly Take Over Your Relationship

Who really runs your relationship? Is it you and your partner...or the committee sitting behind the scenes? In this episode of A Stogie for the Road, I dive into something almost nobody talks about: how friends, family, coworkers, therapists, social media, and internet "experts" slowly become the unofficial board of directors of your relationship. We break down the difference between concern and manipulation, loyalty and betrayal, boundaries and control, and why dragging your partner's name through the mud might be the very thing destroying the relationship you're trying to save. We'll also tackle the rise of internet psychology, why everyone suddenly thinks they're qualified to diagnose everyone else, how chaotic people become self-appointed life coaches, and why protecting your partner's reputation during conflict says more about your character than how you treat them when everything is going well. If you've ever wondered why so many relationships feel like they're being run by everyone except the two people in them, this episode is for you. Topics include: The "Board of Directors" phenomenon Concern vs. manipulation Protecting your partner's name Boundaries vs. control Internet psychology and weaponized labels Why chaotic people love giving advice Loyalty without self-betrayal Learning to trust your own judgment again Light a cigar, pour a drink, and join me for one of the most honest conversations I've had yet.

Do We Miss Yesterday... or Ourselves?

There’s something strange happening. Every day, we tell ourselves we miss "the good old days." We watch nostalgic videos. We share old photos. We talk about how life was simpler. But was it? Or do we miss something else entirely? In this episode of A Stogie for the Road, Shawn takes a funny—and unexpectedly personal—look at nostalgia, Flock cameras, Facebook, growing older, and the quiet realization that maybe we don’t miss the past as much as we miss the version of ourselves who lived there. This isn’t an episode about the 1980s or the 1990s. It’s about time. About memory. About why ordinary moments become priceless only after they're gone. And it asks one question that just might stay with you long after the cigar goes out: Do we miss yesterday... because of what it was... or because of who we were while we were living it?

The Lake Stevens Community Page Is the Greatest Reality Show in America 😂

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 out—it's about laughing at all of us. Because let's be honest... every one of us has read the comments thinking, "These people are insane..." while scrolling for another twenty minutes. Grab a cigar, buckle up, and let's take a hilarious ride through the greatest reality show in America... The Lake Stevens Community Page. 🔥 Warning: If you've ever complained about fireworks, e-bikes, loud boats, helicopters, or roundabouts... you might accidentally be one of the characters in this episode.

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.

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.

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."

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 violence The difference between confidence and entitlement How social media rewards victimhood and outrage Why so many people are emotionally controlled by strangers The loneliness epidemic among men Why accountability has become a dirty word And why hearing "no" might be one of the most important skills you'll ever learn The 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 Podcast Because life doesn't owe you a yes. And maturity starts when you realize that.

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!!!!!

Season 4

"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 creators the “he just wants attention” accusation the difference between building something vs. sitting around criticizing why modern men feel trapped financially social security, broken systems, and economic reality the fear of chasing a dream publicly and why he’s willing to keep going even if everybody around him thinks he’s lost his mind The 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 shot build the thing risk looking stupid and bet on yourself… …or spend the rest of your life explaining why you never tried.

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 like Why some people mentally collapse and others adapt The dangerous comfort of victimhood The psychology of stubbornness Building yourself back up while angry, exhausted, and emotionally wrecked Learning to laugh again after life hardens you And why refusing to quit becomes a weapon There’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.

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