This episode is different.

To close out the season, Seth steps out from behind the questions and reflects on what he’s learned from nearly 100 conversations with athletes, founders, musicians, and high performers from all walks of life.

After analyzing every transcript from the past year, Seth shares 10 core through-lines that kept showing up—identity, suffering, faith, high performance, mental health, community, and the quiet tension between who we are and what we do.

He opens up about losing his father, becoming a husband and soon-to-be father, pornography recovery, burnout, ambition, and the ongoing work of becoming someone he’s proud of. This episode explores the real cost of chasing excellence, why “making it” rarely feels the way we expect, and why who you are when no one’s watching matters more than any résumé.

The second half of the episode gets deeply personal—vision for the future of the show, lessons from building Stupid Questions over years of false starts, and why curiosity, truth, and heart have to stay at the center of everything.

This isn’t a recap.

It’s a reflection.

And an invitation to ask better questions of yourself.

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Nothing Novel: https://nothingnovel.life

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In this deeply personal and unexpectedly vulnerable episode, I sit down with Lisa Burgoyne, CEO of The Landing—a Houston-based nonprofit serving survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation through trauma-informed, Christ-centered care. Lisa’s decades of experience in child advocacy, counseling, and frontline anti-trafficking work give her a perspective that is both sobering and full of hope.

What begins as a conversation about her life and mission becomes something more. As Lisa opens up about the realities survivors face—trauma, homelessness, addiction, broken family systems—I find myself drawn into sharing parts of my own story, wrestling aloud with trust, childhood wounds, and the long, messy process of healing. Together, we talk through why sexual abuse persists, how pornography and unchecked appetites fuel exploitation, why so many victims go unseen, and what it takes to rebuild a life after trauma.

Lisa brings clarity, compassion, and wisdom to an issue most people avoid because it feels too dark to face. She also offers practical insight into recognizing secondary trauma, the cost of leading in this space, and how faith and community make this work sustainable.

Whether you’ve experienced trauma, love someone who has, or simply want to understand the world more honestly, this conversation will likely hit deeper than expected. And if you feel moved to support Lisa’s work, visit thelanding.org—even a small act can make a real impact.

Lisa’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/lisabourgoyne/

The Landing: https://thelanding.org

The Landing IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelanding_hou/

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In this episode, I sit down with South African-born athlete, coach, and entrepreneur Natasha van der Merwe—a woman whose life has spanned pro tennis, professional triathlon, coaching at the highest level, and now leading a 23-coach organization at NVDM Coaching.

We go deep into the stories behind her leadership, her faith, and the experiences that shaped her—including losing her father at 15, navigating the pressures of elite sport, rebuilding her confidence through motherhood, and learning to show vulnerability without losing strength.

Natasha opens up about what it means to steward a calling, how she balances ambition with faith, why relationships are the core of great coaching, and the challenges of raising a daughter while running a rapidly expanding business.

This conversation is layered, emotional, and rich with perspective—from identity and grief, to entrepreneurship, to parenting and the future of triathlon. Whether you're an athlete, a leader, a parent, or someone figuring out who you’re becoming, Natasha’s story will leave you thinking long after it's over.

Natasha’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/natashavdm81/

NVDM Coaching IG: https://www.instagram.com/nvdmcoaching/

Support the Pod: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch⁠

Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠