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.

Ways to Support the Show:

Nothing Novel: https://nothingnovel.life

Socks: https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch

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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/

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

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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

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After 20 years as a professional triathlete, Josh Amberger is stepping up to the start line one last time—PatagonMan XTri—his final race as a pro and maybe ever. In this round-two conversation, I get to hear Josh open up in a way he never has publicly about what it means for him to close the chapter on the only life he’s known since he was a teenager.

We talk about the emotion of letting go, why he chose Patagonia Man as his farewell, the relief and grief wrapped up in retirement, the changing landscape of elite sport, the beauty of racing for experience rather than results, and what life after triathlon might look like for him—from gravel racing to rediscovering creativity to supporting Ash as she chases her own career.

It’s a raw, honest conversation about transition, identity, and what happens when you stop just doing the thing…and finally let yourself feel it.



Josh’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/josh_amberger/

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

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In this episode, I sit down with Josh Vernon, the North American Partnerships Manager for SuperTri and a co-host of Another Triathlon Podcast. From the moment we hit record, Josh’s calm presence and grounded perspective pulled me in.

Josh talks openly about the two versions of himself: the man he was before the hurricanes hit the Virgin Islands, and the man he became afterwards—a father fighting for custody, a husband learning how to show up, and a person choosing sobriety, purpose, and a totally new way of living.

Josh’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/joshmvernon/

ATP Pod: https://www.instagram.com/anothertriathlonpodcast/

Nothing Novel: https://nothingnovel.life

Socks: https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch

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

I sit down with Trevor Witt—USAT Project Podium’s social media manager and the creative mind behind so many of their films. We talk about how a kid from Oregon who grew up around triathlon walked away from the sport, went to photography trade school, and stumbled into his dream job after a trip to Xterra Worlds. Trevor shares about his parents’ influence, his faith, his inner critic, and what it’s like to log 70 flights a year while trying to “smell the roses” and not get numb to it all. We get into perfectionism, stress, storytelling, and why he believes so fiercely that someone from this team will win Olympic gold. It’s a surprisingly honest conversation with a 23-year-old who’s already thinking deeply about who he is, what he’s building, and how to stay grateful along the way.

Trevor’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/trev_itt/

Trevor’s 2025 racap video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbJFm3kaNWE
Nothing Novel: https://nothingnovel.life

Socks: https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch
Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

I sit down with singer-songwriter and Dadville co-host John McLaughlin to talk about how a borrowed bike pulled him into triathlon, what really went down during his first Ironman, and how music, fatherhood, faith, and discipline shape the way he moves through life. From his mid-race flat tire to the quiet grind behind becoming a better artist, John opens up about ambition, identity, parenting, and the power of simply listening—reminding me why growth usually shows up in the places we least expect.

Jon’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/jonmclaughlin/

Jon’s new Album: https://open.spotify.com/album/4wotNEGiymduDcFVvAmE1R?si=PIjtccRRSlSn_wEVwhbwiQ
Jon’s Tour: https://www.jonmcl.com/tour
Nothing Novel: https://nothingnovel.life

Socks: https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch
Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠

I sit down with Jenna Caer — triathlete, Ironman age-group champion, coach, mom, and co-host of Another Triathlon Podcast. We unpack her unlikely path into sport, going from a shy, book-obsessed kid to someone who now thrives in community, coaching, and even acting and modeling. Jenna talks openly about weight loss, ADHD, building confidence, learning balance, motherhood, and what she’s learned from over a decade inside endurance sports. A grounded, honest conversation about growth, identity, and why this sport keeps pulling us back in.
Nothing Novel: https://nothingnovel.life
SQ Socks: https://stupidquestions.show/pages/sq-merch

Jenna’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/jennacaer/

Another Triathlon Pod: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FdC2xn8igfMIU6RwIvgJc?si=61f46576d3a94397
Newsletter: ⁠https://stupidquestions.show/pages/newsletter-signup⁠