The Burn Down Podcast
Two hosts share cigars with entrepreneurs, athletes, and entertainers, creating a relaxed space for conversations about their journeys and mindsets.
This is a long-form interview show set in a virtual cigar lounge. The hosts are active participants who build rapport with guests, making it feel more like a casual 'hang' than a formal interview. The conversation centers on the guest's origin story, entrepreneurial journey, and personal mindset, often branching into tangents on culture, business, and life lessons.
“The central ritual of smoking cigars with every guest sets a distinctively informal and masculine-coded tone. Unlike many interview shows, the hosts are not just facilitators but active participants, sharing their own anecdotes and opinions, which fosters a dialogue rather than a simple interrogation.”
Who hosts this show
Founded by Eric Josefson and Justin Heisig, The Burn Down Podcast brings people from all walks of life together over a cigar. The show's premise is that cigars can be a great connector, creating a comfortable environment for guests to share their stories. They host conversations with guests ranging from professional athletes like Ed Reed and John Starks to entrepreneurs and cigar makers. Eric and Justin aim to inspire, uplift, and provide value through these casual, long-form discussions.
Other ventures
- The Diligent Cigar (Cigar Brand)
- The Blueprint Cigar (Cigar Brand)
- Merchandise line
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03Hustle Hard With Dominick DiFilippo | Episode 321Jun 6, 2026 · 1h 53m
- 04
- 05
- 06The VIP Experience w/ The VIP Country Club | Episode 320May 9, 2026 · 1h 35m
- 07Two Brothers, One City (NYC) - Silverback Contracting | Episode 319Apr 4, 2026 · 2h 03m
- 08Union Trained, Self‑Made| Mike Lelia - Lelia Electric CorpMar 6, 2026 · 1h 44m
Notable episodes
- 01Hustle Hard With Dominick DiFilippo | Episode 321
A prime example of the show's focus on serial entrepreneurship and the 'hustle' mindset, covering real estate and multiple business ventures.
- 02The VIP Experience w/ The VIP Country Club | Episode 320
Highlights the show's connection to local, high-end New York area businesses and provides specific insights into the hospitality industry.
- 03Two Brothers, One City (NYC) - Silverback Contracting | Episode 319
A classic entrepreneurial origin story that fits the show's core theme of building a business from the ground up, with a focus on family dynamics.
What you'll be asked on this show
Hosts Eric and Justin cultivate an extremely informal, 'lounge' atmosphere, often starting episodes by establishing a personal connection with the guest before diving into their professional life. They favor broad, open-ended questions about a guest's origin story, such as how they got started or what motivated them to take a leap of faith. The hosts are not adversarial; instead, they actively listen and contribute their own related experiences, creating a collaborative conversation. The interview flows organically, with tangents and sidebars being a common feature, reflecting the casual nature of a chat over cigars.
Co-hosted by Eric Josefson and Justin Heisig, the format is a weekly, long-form conversational interview conducted while smoking cigars. Episodes are typically over an hour and feature a fluid, unscripted dialogue where hosts and guests share stories and opinions, often with drinks in hand.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
4- Q.01
“What were you doing before, and what made you take the leap to start your own business?”
This question is frequently used to frame the guest's entire entrepreneurial origin story.
- Q.02
“How did you get into the business and what made you stay in it for so long?”
A common opening question to understand the guest's career path and longevity.
- Q.03
“How did you come up with the name for your company?”
The hosts ask this to uncover the story and identity behind the guest's brand.
- Q.04
“Did you like living on Staten Island?”
This question is used to understand how a guest's upbringing and environment shaped them.
process
3- Q.01
“What was your very first job after starting the company?”
This question is used to get a concrete story about the guest's earliest days as an entrepreneur.
- Q.02
“How did you get your first client?”
A follow-up question to explore the guest's initial strategy for finding business.
- Q.03
“Tell me about the space; what's the layout like?”
A direct question to get specific, tangible details about a guest's business or venue.
personal
3- Q.01
“What were some of your failed businesses?”
Asked after a guest mentions failures, this question explores learning experiences and resilience.
- Q.02
“Who is the older brother?”
When interviewing family members, the hosts start with personal dynamics to frame the relationship.
- Q.03
“What's your favorite type of event to work on?”
This question aims to reveal the guest's personal preferences within their professional life.
advice
1- Q.01
“Do you think a band or a DJ brings more of an experience to a wedding?”
When interviewing industry experts, they ask for professional opinions on common debates.
money
1- Q.01
“Why that specific number?”
When a guest states a very specific goal, the hosts probe to understand the unique motivation behind it.
Signature segments
- · Smoking cigars with guests
- · Pouring and discussing drinks
- · Entrepreneurial origin stories
- · Conversational, unscripted interviews
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books a wide range of guests but has a clear affinity for entrepreneurs, especially from the New York and Connecticut areas in fields like real estate, contracting, and hospitality. They also frequently feature professional athletes, entertainers, and military veterans who have a compelling story of personal or professional 'hustle'.
- Dominick DiFilippoon Hustle Hard With Dominick DiFilippo | Episode 321
- Thomas Esposito & Vinston Joyon The VIP Experience w/ The VIP Country Club | Episode 320
- Elias & Brandon Lebronon Two Brothers, One City (NYC) - Silverback Contracting | Episode 319
- Mike Leliaon Union Trained, Self‑Made| Mike Lelia - Lelia Electric Corp
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast promotes its own membership program for exclusive discounts and giveaways, suggesting a direct-to-consumer revenue model. They also appear to sell their own branded cigars and merchandise through their website.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of The Burn Down Podcast?
- The podcast is founded and hosted by Eric Josefson and Justin Heisig.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a weekly, long-form conversational interview where the hosts and a guest talk over cigars. The discussions are relaxed, unscripted, and often over an hour long.
- Is The Burn Down Podcast still active?
- Yes, it is a weekly podcast with new episodes released regularly.
- What kind of guests do they feature?
- They interview people from all walks of life, with a focus on entrepreneurs, professional athletes, entertainers, military veterans, and cigar industry figures.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on their official website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
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