Life Lessons of a Recovering Douchebag with Joey Dumont

Joey Dumont returns to the show to share the inspiration behind his poignant, touching, and raw new book, Joey Somebody: The Life and Times of a Recovering Douchebag. Out now and available in stores, Joey’s book is relatable and all too typical for those who have struggled with addiction, abuse, and any type of loss or trauma. Joey talks about getting through the “heavy” chapters in the writing process, and on to lighter and more self-deprecating stories, as well as how he shed a lot of his douchebaggery in the process. Joey also catches us up on how he has been coping throughout the pandemic, what we can expect from him next, and why you may never hear him yelling from a hotel basement again.

 

Takeaways:

[4:18] Inspiration struck for Joey when his best childhood friend was tragically killed, and he saw how humor helped heal a fraction of the pain. In writing the book, he took the same approach to focus Chapters 1 to 4 on his tumultuous relationship with his father and step-father’s abuse, so he could get to the lighter matters towards the end.

[8:04] It was like therapy for Joey to write about his father, and he found the process therapeutic and cathartic. Yes, it was dark, but it became easier, the more he wrote.

[11:36] His writing process was really the first time Joey relived his brother’s death as well, and he knew he had to feel the emotions and cycle them through rather than push them down or try to distract himself away from the pain.

[17:37] Men, especially in our society, are taught to not show their emotions or grief when really being vulnerable actually takes courage.

[18:09] The persona we often carry around is heavy. If you can laugh at yourself, it helps you grow and even gives others around you the permission to be themselves.

[24:02] Joey shares his top douchebag moments that even to this day he still mildly cringes about! Gold watches and custom suits, we sure have come a long way.

[35:20] Confidence is great, but arrogance and puffing up due to insecurity typically have a different outcome. We need confidence to excel in the external world, but Joey talks about how he was able to connect more as a human with others when he realized how he was puffing up due to insecurity.

[50:31] Although Joey sprinkles in a lot of humor in his work, he knows mental health and addiction are two serious topics. What makes this book so powerful is how relatable and typical it is.

 

Quotes:

• “I wanted my kids to know that their heroes are vulnerable.” — Joey
• “You either cry it out or figure it out. You just can’t let it sit.” — Joey
• “If I can laugh at myself, it allows people to laugh with me in the process, and it takes away a lot of the anxiety.” — Joey

 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Joey Somebody

Joey Dumont | Instagram

Kitchen Confidential

The Art of Memoir

Marc Maron

Patrick James

Brand Storytelling

Vanity Fair Interview with Brad Pitt