A Stogie for the Road
A Stogie for the Road
Shawn Dirksen aka Stogie
A Stogie for the RoadRaw. 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.
HE SAID SHE SAID PODCAST ( PILOT EPISODE )
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.Some might make you rethink everything you thought you knew.Coming from opposite perspectives but united by a commitment to honesty, Shawn and Renee bring real-life experience, hard-earned lessons, and plenty of playful banter to every conversation.No scripts.No filters.No pretending life is perfect.Just two people who have been through hell, lived to tell the story, and aren't afraid to call bullshit when they see it.Because sometimes the truth lives somewhere between what he said and what she said.
May 31
1 hr 19 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 30
25 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 23
45 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 11
51 min
WE’RE ALL INSANE NOW
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 safe in this episode.This is a brutal, hilarious, over-the-top breakdown of:Social media narcissismFake “healing” cultureModern dating disastersPodcast brosHOA psychopathsSubscription scamsMen buying ridiculous expensive toysThe death of shameAnd why America now feels like one giant strip mall with anxietyNo politics. No heavy trauma talk. Just comedy, chaos, and the kind of unfiltered observations that make you laugh because they’re painfully true.If you’ve ever looked around and thought: “Are we all becoming insane?”This episode is for you.
May 11
23 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.
May 2
34 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.
Apr 25
34 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.
Apr 18
42 min
The Porn Trap: How Fantasy Is Destroying Men
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, and his own personal journey of self-reflection and therapy, Shawn talks honestly about how easy it is for fantasy to become an escape from real life—and how that escape can slowly drain motivation, confidence, and genuine connection.This episode isn’t about shaming anyone. It’s about awareness, responsibility, and having the courage to confront habits that might be holding you back from the life you actually want to build.If you’ve ever wondered how the modern internet is reshaping masculinity, relationships, and the way men seek connection, this conversation pulls the curtain back.Because the truth is simple: Fantasy may feel good in the moment—but it was never meant to replace real life.
Mar 14
1 hr 8 min
Secrets, Power, and the Truth That Always Surfaces
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 pattern it made me think about: the culture of silence that exists wherever power, reputation, and accountability collide.From families to institutions to some of the most powerful people in the world, history shows the same pattern over and over again — secrets buried behind closed doors, people convinced the truth will never catch up to them, and the illusion that influence can protect them forever.We’ve seen this dynamic play out in some of the biggest scandals in modern history, including the Epstein case, which exposed how power can create a system where people believe the rules no longer apply to them.But the truth has a way of surfacing.Eventually.This episode is a conversation about integrity, accountability, and the reality that a man’s character is defined by what he does when nobody is watching.Because if the truth coming out someday terrifies you…that’s usually the sign something in your life needs to change.
Mar 5
25 min
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