That Was Stupid - podcast cover

That Was Stupid

Jonathon M. Seidljonseidl.substack.com
Candid conversations on taking chances and proving everyone wrong! A fun, informative, and creative show interviewing leaders, celebrities, influencers, newsmakers, and even regular people about monumental, life-changing decisions that caused everyone at the time to say, "That was stupid."

jonseidl.substack.com
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Episodes

The one where the Christian filmmaker gets death threats (Episode 20)

Josh Doyle is a natural-born adventurer. He’s done everything from lead camping trips in the Middle East to spending a week fishing in the remote Alaskan wilderness. But his greatest adventure has been starting a viral YouTube channel that has amassed millions of views and followers. It’s also, you could say, his stupidest decision. Why? Because the point of the YouTube channel— I Found the Truth — is to bring the hope of Jesus to the Muslim world. And that has been nearly as dangerous as it has...

Dec 18, 202435 min

The one where the female entrepreneur says goodbye to the beautiful thing she created (Episode 19)

Lara Casey Isaacson is a serial entrepreneur. She’s the mind behind the wildly successful companies Southern Weddings and Cultivate What Matters. That success meant everything was great and she’d never leave, right? Wrong. So how did she go from being the founder and CEO of two successful companies to giving it all up to be a stay-at-home homeschool mom? Well, that’s episode 19 of “That Was Stupid.” In this episode, Lara shares her journey of building her businesses, the challenges she faced, an...

Nov 14, 202457 min

The one where the mom becomes a Food Network star (Episode 18)

Susie Bulloch was writing recipes as a side hustle in-between wrangling kids. But what was a hobby eventually turned into something bigger. Much bigger. Susie is now the founder of Hey Grill Hey , one of the most successful barbecue websites in the country. She’s stared on Food Network, cooked with superstars Bobby Flay and Michael Symon, and runs a successful barbecue school called The Grill Squad . Susie is now one of the most recognizable names and faces in barbecue. But how did she go from m...

Oct 16, 202450 min

The one where the former NASA employee sends stories to space (Episode 17)

Beth Mund’s idea was as stupid as her voice is smooth: send stories to space, with actual astronauts. Beth worked at NASA for years in public relations and fell in love with the stars as well as educating people on what’s “out there.” Her time at the space agency eventually led to the idea of partnering with space launches to send personal stories beyond the reach of gravity. So she started a non-profit that does just that. How? Why? What does it take to do that? And how can YOU send your actual...

Oct 03, 202449 min

The one where the woman leaves a cult (Episode 16)

Carrie Sheffield vividly remembers finding her father’s writings and realizing something was wrong. Up until that point, she and her family were convinced her dad was a prophet in the LDS church. They traveled around the country, living in tents and motorhomes. The abuse she encountered was her “normal.” However, shortly after finding her father’s letters she found the courage to leave the cult her family had created. Not surprisingly, those she loved told her she was “stupid.” But that’s just t...

Sep 18, 20241 hr 1 min

The one where the wife has an affair with her husband's best friend (Episode 15)

Sarah Matzke was your typical, young, married, suburban woman. Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, she was just starting out her life with her husband. Except, she had a secret. She was secretly having an affair with her husband’s best friend. That secret was eating away at her, until she eventually came clean. But was it too late for her marriage to be saved? What did she need to realize about herself? And what small compromises years earlier lead to a full-blown affair? In Episode...

Sep 04, 20241 hr 1 min

The one where the pitcher becomes a pastor (Episode 14)

Brandon Moore had a dream. A dream he was so dedicated to that even when everything was pointing to an unhealthy obsession, he ignored it. Until he couldn’t. From a young age, Brandon wanted to be a professional baseball player. And as a young man, that dreamed seemed like it was going to come true. For a moment, it did. After playing college ball at the University of Arkansas, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers to be a pitcher. But the dream soon turned into an unhealthy obsession. Despite...

Aug 21, 20241 hr 10 min

The one where the divorced mom builds an empire (Episode 13)

Bryson Kessler’s life didn’t end up looking exactly like she thought it would. After being in ministry for years, a divorce changed her trajectory. That raised a lot of questions and doubts, not only among others but a little in herself. Still, despite the setback, she found love again. She also found her purpose: a boutique that catered to women. But finding your purpose and living it out are two different things. Building an empire isn’t easy and requires a lot of faith, as well as being willi...

Aug 07, 202455 min

The one where the World Series winner becomes a prisoner (Episode 12)

Brandon Puffer had it all. He had a family, he had a World Series ring, and even though he was back in the minor leagues he was being groomed to become a coach. One night, though, he threw it all away. After having given up alcohol completely for years, he started dabbling again. So when some of the younger players finally convinced him to spend a night out on the town, he went all in. What happened that night is easily the most stupid decision of his life, and it led to over three years in pris...

Jul 24, 202456 min

The one where the pastor makes a truly stupid decision (Episode 11)

No one is immune from making a stupid decision. Not even a pastor from one of the country’s largest churches. Let me introduce you to Lee Coate. Lee is an executive pastor at The Crossing Church in Las Vegas. He’s a sought-after speaker and consults other churches and ministries all across the country. And his advice is based on experience — painful experience at that. At one point in his career, Lee was so burned out he “pulled the ripcord,” as he puts it. That decision led to a lot of pain, bu...

Jul 10, 202454 min

The one where the journalist takes a wild journey (Episode 10)

There’s a good chance that we might not have one of the most recognizable names in faith journalism if he would have listened to his detractors. Billy Hallowell is one of the country’s premier reporters, focusing on issues of faith, politics, and culture. He’s interviewed everyone from the president to leading atheists. He’s also the author of four books. But when he was trying to decide what to do with his life and expressed an interest in journalism, more than one person told him, “that was st...

Jun 26, 202445 min

The one where the professional musician becomes a #1 realtor

Did you hear about the Christian musician who became a #1 realtor? “That Was Stupid” is back, and our first guest of the season is a former Christian musician who gave up music to be a… real estate whiz? Yup! Logan Walter spent all his life in music. He recorded albums, he toured, and he made it his life. It’s what he was known for and it’s what he did. It even was the “family business,” so to speak. So when he decided after the pandemic to completely pivot and become a realtor, a lot of people ...

Jun 12, 202453 min

The one where we're back!

Season 1 was a blast. We interviewed Miss America about leaving America; we talked to an ESPN star who gave it all up to work for a non-profit; and we even talked to a successful businessman who drank sewage in order to bring the world clean water. We took a break last May to work on some other things; most importantly I took a break to work on myself. You’ll actually be getting that story very, very soon. But now we’re back! For Season 2, we have some great guests lined up, including a worship ...

Jun 10, 20246 min

The one where we're on a break

Just like Ross and Rachel, we're officially on a break! In fact, we've called a wrap on Season 1 of That Was Stupid. We're taking the summer to book more great guests, hire more people, and prepare for an incredible Season 2. Here's an update from our host, Jon Seidl. Get ready! Get full access to The Veritas Daily at jonseidl.substack.com/subscribe

May 30, 20235 min

The one where the influencer refuses to be influenced

Sydney Pritchard Benson (Sydney Michelle Benson) is an influencer. That might make some people cringe. After all, an influencer's job is to, well, influence people. And there are plenty of "influencers" who confirm the stereotypes. Sydney, though? She's different. In fact, she did something really stupid when it came to her wedding. She refused to be influenced by the closest people to her. Instead of throwing a massive Texas wedding (where everything is bigger) she eloped. That caused a lot of ...

May 24, 202351 min

The one where the Hollywood reporter stands up to Hollywood

Megan Alexander has been an NFL reporter as well as a correspondent for Inside Edition. You've seen her face, even if you don't realize it. She also has several "that was stupid" stories. Stories that led her to the pinnacle of the NFL, and those that meant she could lose her job. Every story has a common theme: she stood up for what she knew was right and was honest. Now you get to hear all of them, while also being armed with some pretty incredible advice when it comes to taking your own stand...

May 16, 202345 min

The one where the mom starts a multi-million dollar business

Brett Seidl went to college to study Spanish and marginalized communities. She even lived in the Latin American bush for a time. So how did she end up starting a multi-million dollar interior design firm? It began as a passion, and that passion turned into a big leap of faith after she had her first child. She shares the inspiring story of going from being the strategic director at a non-profit to starting an interior design business with no degree in the industry. Her advice for not only moms b...

May 09, 202347 min

The one where the ESPN star gives it all up

Jason Romano was at the pinnacle of his professional career. He was, after all, the digital producer at ESPN on its biggest radio show, "Mike and Mike." but after 17 years at "the worldwide leader," he started getting an itch to do something different. Something bigger. Something of greater consequence. So he took a contract position with zero benefits and a 40% pay cut to help start...a sports podcast. How did it turn out? Well, that's his "that was stupid" story. Jason gives an in-depth look a...

May 02, 202357 min

The one where the businessman drinks sewage to save the world

Christopher Beth never imagined drinking raw sewage. But that's where he found himself after making a radical decision. He left a successful business consulting career after visiting the Amazon in order to pursue the daunting task of brining the world clean water and a message of hope. He details how he ended up finding a small filter that can give a family a lifetime of clean drinking water, why he decided to do it, and what others told him when he made it his life goal. He also explains how he...

Apr 25, 202352 min

The one where Miss America leaves America

Kirsten Haglund (now Kirsten Mueller-Daubermann) won the Miss America pageant in 2008 in stunning fashion. But now? She's the only reigning Miss America to not live in the United States. Why? And why did she leave a successful news career to move overseas and teach spin classes? She shares the details and even spills on her time at Fox News and what fellow Miss America Gretchen Carlson told her during their time working together. Does she have regrets? Well, you'll just have to listen... Get ful...

Apr 18, 20231 hr 5 min

The one where we introduce 'That Was Stupid'

Welcome to the new podcast That Was Stupid, the show all about taking chances and proving everyone wrong! In this introductory episode, host Jon Seidl walks you through how the idea came about, explains what you can expect, and peels back the onion on his background. Settle in and get ready for the inaugural season of That Was Stupid! Get full access to The Veritas Daily at jonseidl.substack.com/subscribe...

Apr 18, 202311 min
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