What happens when a military veteran, cigar industry insider, and all-around redneck philosopher joins us in the garage? You get one of our best episodes yet.

In Episode 33, we welcome our first ever fan guest, Joe Macko, joining us live from his backyard tent lounge in Georgia. Joe works in wholesale cigar sales at Santa Clara (the B2B arm of JR Cigars), and he's also building something genuinely cool on the side: Stogie Joe's, a cigar vending machine business targeting liquor stores and golf courses across Georgia. We dig into how it works, how he's funding it without a business loan, and where he sees it going.

We also talk Army life, deployment to southern Iraq, why Fort Dix in February is basically a war crime, the struggle of finding a good cigar lounge when everything closes at 8pm, and what it's like to love your job in the cigar industry.

Plus the usual chaos. Great smokes, honest opinions, and zero filter.

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📌 CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro and Episode Kickoff

02:15 - Meet Joe Macko: Veteran, Cigar Guy, Georgia Redneck

05:30 - What Everyone's Smoking Tonight

09:00 - Joe's Career in Cigar Wholesale at Santa Clara / JR Cigars

14:00 - Introducing Stogy Joe's: The Cigar Vending Machine Business

20:30 - How the Cabinet Humidor Vending Machine Actually Works

26:00 - Handling Age Restrictions and Compliance

31:00 - Funding the Business Without a Loan

35:30 - B2B Sales Life: Territories, Cold Calling, and Finding Your Groove

41:00 - Cigar Tax Talk: Georgia vs Pennsylvania

46:00 - Army Stories: Iraq, Fort Dix, and Frozen Tents

52:30 - Cigars in the Military and Care Packages Overseas

57:00 - How Joe Found Smoke and Steel

1:02:00 - Favorite Cigars and Building a Seven Humidor Collection

1:08:00 - The GOAT by AJ Fernandez: Where Can We Find This Thing?

1:13:30 - Dave West, Avow Cigars, and the Discord Community

1:18:00 - PCA Plans and the Late Night Party Invite

1:22:30 - How Fast Do You Smoke? The Great Debate

1:27:00 - Feedback From a Fan: What We're Doing Right

1:32:00 - Wrap Up and Final Thoughts