Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur Podcast

Jonathan Domsky
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

Welcome to The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur Podcast, hosted by Jonathan Domsky.   This show is for entrepreneurs who have always known their brain doesn't run like everyone else's — and built something real because of it, not despite it.   Every episode, I sit down with a founder who thinks differently, and find the pattern in their story, often before they've said it out loud themselves — the cost their wiring has carried, the gift it's actually been, and what's still in the way of designing a life and business that finally fit.   Some guests have already done this work. Others are still figuring it out, right alongside you. Either way, you'll hear that you're not the only one who's ever felt like the odd one out in the room and still built something nobody else could have.   🔔 Subscribe if you're ready to stop managing your wiring and start designing around it.

  1. 5d ago

    Fired from "Supposed To"—Insights from John Barrows

    John Barrows got fired — and instead of spiraling, he treated it as a redirect. That's the thread running through everything he's built since: sell a company, hit a wall, and come out the other side closer to the career he actually wanted.   In this episode, I sit down with John Barrows, a sales trainer and entrepreneur who's built his career on authenticity, resilience, and figuring things out as he goes.   John's path wasn't a straight line — selling a company, navigating a leadership shakeup, getting fired — but each turn pushed him closer to a career genuinely built on his own values instead of borrowed ones. What he's landed on is a recalibration: values over culture, honesty over branding, and real confidence that his instincts — intuitive, direct, occasionally unconventional — have been an asset the whole time, not a liability to manage around.   This conversation goes deep — from what it actually costs to be authentic in business, to leaning on community and mentorship instead of white-knuckling it alone, to how he's thinking about AI's role in a field that runs on human connection.   If you've ever wondered whether being fully yourself is compatible with being taken seriously, this one's for you.   Topics covered: Recognizing his own thinking style and intuition as a strength, not a workaroundAligning core values with both career and personal lifeHow AI augments human connection in sales rather than replacing itGetting fired — and using it as a redirect toward real purposeLeaning on community and mentorship instead of going it aloneStorytelling and self-awareness as tools for growth and influence  Chapters: 03:47 — Lessons from selling a company and a leadership shakeup06:11 — The mindset shift after being fired19:37 — Teaching resilience and independence to kids23:26 — Aligning core values with career decisions33:49 — When authenticity costs you opportunities40:16 — Human connection alongside AI's evolving role63:15 — The human touch in sales and leadership  Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/Website: jbarrows.com  Connect with Jonathan: ·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ ·       Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ ·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  2. Aug 10

    Alive in the Problem—Insights from Jonathan Meier

    Jonathan Meier looks at systems most people never question and asks: does this actually make sense? That question took him from hacking onto a TEDx stage to rebuilding how education should work. In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Meier, a young entrepreneur reshaping how we think about learning, dopamine, and disruption. Jonathan sees the world through a rational, systems-first lens — one that lets him spot loopholes in education, networking, and event-building. He's founded businesses on overlooked inefficiencies and pulled off a TEDx event on strategic, low-effort outreach. This conversation goes deep — the low-dopamine trap of classrooms, why critique feels more respectful than praise, and the uneasy truce between his rational detachment and the parts of life — fatherhood, faith, connection — that don't run on logic. If you've ever felt the systems around you were built for someone else's brain, and started building your own workaround, this one's for you.   Topics covered: Why traditional education produces a low-dopamine, passive learning experienceUsing AI, gamification, and brain science to redesign how people learnEngineering a TEDx event through strategic, high-leverage outreachExtreme sports and risk-taking as a way to stay energized and sharpPreferring critique over praise as a marker of real respectFatherhood, human connection, and the limits of pure logicFaith, purpose, and staying disciplined without a fixed timeline  Chapters: 01:40 — How autism shaped his learning and passions03:09 — Where traditional education falls short04:47 — Low dopamine in school vs. video games08:15 — Building curiosity-driven teaching09:46 — AI, gamification, and brain science in learning12:02 — Founding early businesses through loopholes12:35 — Navigating legal and systemic barriers as an entrepreneur16:33 — Hacking together a TEDx event18:25 — How to pitch influential people with low-effort asks23:49 — The thrill of solving meaningful problems24:03 — Extreme sports as a source of vitality29:50 — Unconventional habits that serve focus32:47 — Where analytical thinking meets emotional appreciation35:05 — Finding fun through work and problem-solving38:36 — The joy of fatherhood despite logical skepticism42:24 — Why he prefers critique over praise48:43 — Pursuing goals aligned with a higher purpose50:14 — Faith and purpose through life's challenges  Connect with Jonathan Meier: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmeier-me/Website: jmeier.me  Connect with Jonathan: ·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ ·       Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ ·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  3. Aug 3

    Be More Good—Insights from Jay Wilkinson

    His grandma Esther gave him the one thing that couldn't burn. Everything else was lost in the fire. In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, I sit down with Jay Wilkinson — founder of Do More Good — for a conversation about purpose, presence, and what it actually means to build a business that serves more than shareholders. Jay's story starts with his grandmother Esther, whose confidence shaped how he moves through the world long before he had language for it. It runs through the quiet difference between motivating people and manipulating them, the outsider's habit of reading a room before speaking in it, and a shift — hard-won — from performing success to actually being present for it. Then the house fire. Then the grief. Then the rebuild, not just of a home, but of what capitalism owes the people inside it. This conversation goes deep — into breathwork, ownership as an ethic, and legacy as the only metric that survives you. If you've ever built something impressive and still felt like the people closest to you were paying for it — this one's for you.   In this episode Motivation vs. manipulation — and where the line actually sitsCuriosity, social skills, and growing up feeling like an outsiderLosing everything in a house fire — and learning to hold griefWhy Jay believes capitalism needs to changeA purpose-led ownership model that protects employees and communitiesThe personal cost of ambition — and being present in marriageBeing misunderstood as distant while actually deeply observingDefining legacy — what all the work is really for  Chapters 01:14 — Seeing yourself as "different" — and learning to value other people's gifts02:49 — Grandma Esther's influence and the confidence she instilled06:03 — The difference between manipulation and motivation07:42 — Curiosity, social skills, and feeling like an outsider11:22 — The shift from performance to presence15:51 — Losing everything in a house fire and learning to hold grief23:49 — Building a purpose-led ownership model for businesses27:46 — Sharing profits with employees, communities, and future growth32:17 — Reclaiming capitalism through stakeholder value39:43 — The personal cost of ambition and learning to be present in marriage42:38 — Being misunderstood as distant while deeply observing and caring50:30 — Defining legacy: what all the work is really for  Connect with Jay Wilkinson: LinkedIn:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaywilkinson/ Websites:     www.firespring.com www.jaywilkinson.com   Connect with Jonathan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  4. Jul 27

    The Credential of Love—Insights from April Ratchford

    Most people said there was nothing out there to help her son. So April Ratchford built it herself. In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with April Ratchford — occupational therapist and host of Adulting with Autism — to explore what happens when a mother's love becomes a business and a lifeline for families with nowhere else to turn. April never fit the mold of a tidy, organized student — her backpack was, in her words, "a big sea of paper." That same wiring gave her an uncanny ability to read social patterns, even as reading a room stayed out of reach. When her son failed out of college at 19, April went looking for resources built for young adults like him. She found nothing. So from a spare room, no team, no budget, no plan — she built Adulting with Autism into 2.7 million downloads and an Apple Top 200 show. This conversation goes deep — into the letters she wrote to senators and a governor (the one reply came from Buckingham Palace), emotional vs. physical risk, and her vision for a foundation that catches young adults when the system lets go. If you've ever built something out of love before you ever called it a business — this one's for you.   In this episode: Why April's brain does social pattern recognition effortlessly — and reading a room, not at allThe spare-room origin story behind 2.7 million downloads and an Apple Top 200 rankingWriting to senators and a governor — and the one reply that actually came backThe pivot point where a hobby became a business, and what changed operationallyMarketing agencies, funnels, and letting go of the parts of the business she hatesBurnout, boundaries, and what she does when she needs to do absolutely nothing  Timestamps: 01:00 – Childhood chaos and the plea to just trust her01:19 – Social pattern recognition vs. reading the room04:24 – The illusion of vulnerability behind hosting a podcast05:24 – Why Adulting with Autism exists: her son's story10:39 – From hobby to business: the operational turning point12:54 – Handing off marketing to focus on what she does best16:04 – The master's degree she earned out of love, not ambition18:23 – Writing to senators, a governor, and Buckingham Palace's reply20:17 – What her son's maturity taught her about letting go26:28 – The conditions April needs to do her best work28:54 – What still doesn't come naturally: sales and market affiliations29:38 – Burnout, yoga, and rebuilding the roots  Connect with April Ratchford: Website: www.adultingwithautism.com LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-ratchford-780283273/   Connect with Jonathan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  5. Jul 20

    The Joy Formula—Insights from Paddy Condon

    He couldn't read in third grade. Today he runs a multimillion-dollar remodeling business without ever swinging a hammer. In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, Jonathan Domsky sits down with Paddy Condon, founder of FBC Remodel and host of the Build Joy Podcast, to unpack how chaos nearly broke him — and how he turned it into the engine of his success. Paddy grew up feeling like an outlier, running from pain he didn't yet understand. That same wiring became his edge: a design-to-build business built on intuition, structure, and the formula that joy equals success plus wellbeing to the power of purpose. Along the way, he shut down an entire office to realign with what mattered, learned to lead from love instead of fear, and built a daily practice of gratitude that keeps him joyful even when the work gets hard. If you've ever felt like your brain works against the grain of "normal" success, and wondered whether that's a liability or a gift, this episode will change how you see it.   Topics Covered: Paddy's early challenges, including being unable to read in third grade and feeling like an outlierThe development of Paddy's joy formula: Joy = Success + Well-being to the power of purposeHow chaos and pain led Paddy to find the structure that fuels his creativity and successThe importance of leadership rooted in love, connection, and authenticityNavigating transitions and trusting in the flow of life and businessPaddy's unique perspective on wiring and how being different is a source of powerThe influence of Brother David and gratitude practices in shaping Paddy's outlookHow embracing vulnerability and humility enhances leadershipThe role of daily intentions and reflection in achieving a fulfilling life Timestamps: 00:00 - Paddy Condon's journey from chaos to joy 02:54 - Embracing being an outlier and the power it brings 04:44 - The influence of Brother David and gratitude practices 09:06 - The joy formula: joy = success + well-being to the power of purpose 10:55 - Finding structures that fit divergent thinking and resisting chaos 14:18 - The importance of trusting intuition in business decisions 15:40 - Watching his father's struggles and running from pain 19:53 - Leading with love and connection at work 24:04 - The story of restoring flow in his business 28:32 - Giving himself permission to do things differently 30:26 - Embracing community and shared growth over competition 36:47 - The importance of setting daily intentions for a fulfilling life 44:11 - The significance of daily practices in maintaining energy and joy   Connect with Paddy Condon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-condon-b037581/ Website: https://fbcremodel.com/   Connect with Jonathan: ·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ ·       Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ ·       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  6. Jul 13

    Rooted in Difference—Insights from Richard Dickson

    IBM taught Richard Dickson how to conform. The patterns he couldn't stop seeing had other plans.   In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Richard Dickson, founder of Play It Green, on a mission to make sustainability commercially irresistible.   Richard's neurodiverse wiring kept spotting connections everyone else missed — and made conformity feel like a costume. He took it off, building a company where profit and social impact aren't a trade-off, powered by three pillars: reduce, repair, re-give.   This conversation goes deep — storytelling as a driver of change, and an economy built on value and empathy.   If you've ever felt the perspective you were told to suppress might be your greatest contribution — this one's for you.   In this episode: Richard's early signs of neurodiversity and how pattern recognition shaped his worldviewThe story behind leaving IBM's conformity culture for purpose-driven entrepreneurshipMaking sustainability commercially irresistible through behavior change, not guiltThe three pillars of climate action: reduce, repair, re-giveHow storytelling and narrative drive societal change and consumer behaviorLeadership, role clarity, and building relationships that challenge you to growEmpathy, patience, and long-term thinking as tools for addressing global issuesPractical advice for aligning personal values with business through incremental change  Timestamps: 01:24 — Understanding Neurodiversity and Individuality 02:38 — The Journey of Entrepreneurship and Self-Discovery 07:00 — Building a Sustainable Business Model 11:01 — The Shift Towards Conscious Capitalism 13:19 — Creating Societal Change Through Education 15:29 — The Role of Consumer Behavior in Sustainability 17:11 — The Importance of Perspective and Cognitive Differences 18:22 — Facilitating Change in Commercial Systems 20:27 — Surrounding Yourself with the Right People 22:38 — Intensity and Its Impact on Relationships 23:11 — Embracing Differences and Finding Strength 24:17 — Navigating Emotions and Relationships 26:23 — Harnessing Unique Thinking for Business Success 29:11 — Translating Passion and Managing Frustration 35:54 — Overcoming Self-Doubt and Embracing Values 42:01 — The Mission of Play It Green   Connect with Richard Dickson: LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardiandickson/ Website:    www.playitgreen.com   Connect with Jonathan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardiandickson/ Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  7. Jul 6

    Built for the Storm—Insights from Dr. Ari Levy

    Most doctors are trained to treat symptoms. Ari Levy built a practice around treating people. In this episode, Jonathan Domsky sits down with Dr. Ari Levy — founder of Shift Medical and former Chicago Blackhawks team physician — to explore what happens when love, presence, and human connection become the operating system for healthcare. Ari's path wasn't a straight line from med school to practice. Years spent reading non-verbal cues in elite athletic environments sharpened an emotional intelligence he'd later build an entire care model around — one where intensity, preparation, and genuine presence aren't in tension but reinforce each other. That same instinct led him to found The Distillate, a nonprofit fighting burnout among healthcare workers and frontline caregivers. This conversation goes deep — into the difference between clinical detachment and authentic engagement, how to measure something as unmeasurable as the human soul, why "truthful love" might be the most underused leadership tool in medicine, and what it actually takes to build a team that can hold both intensity and rest. If you've ever wondered whether care and performance have to be traded off against each other — this one's for you. In this episode: Dr. Levy's journey from Blackhawks team physician to building a care practice rooted in love and human connectionHow reading non-verbal cues and patterns sharpens empathyBalancing intensity, preparation, and presence — personally and professionallyPractical approaches to recognizing personal limits and operating in flow Timestamps: 03:32 - The impact of understanding non-verbal cues and emotional intelligence 05:28 - Clarifying the misperception of intensity and its role in success 09:29 - Balancing chaos and stillness as a personal strength 10:13 - Reflecting on childhood wounds and how they shape worldview 17:49 - The connection between physical optimization and mental clarity in elite environments 19:21 - Measuring the "human soul" and meaningful life metrics 20:57 - How Ari integrates analytical data with emotional health 22:12 - Fostering balance and honoring personal needs in life and work 28:24 - The dissonance between the clinical system and authentic human connection 31:18 - The importance of surrounding oneself with supportive, growth-oriented teams 36:53 - Addressing fatigue and recovery across physical, emotional, and mental dimensions 41:26 - Overcoming challenges around ego, confrontation, and patience 45:40 - Balancing intense work with intentional rest and reflection   Connect with Dr Ari Levy: Websites:    www.business-support-agency.com www.shiftlife.com www.arilevymd.com LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/arilevy/   Connect with Jonathan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

  8. Jun 29

    Wired to Correct—Insights from Margie Smolarek

    What if the thing you were punished for noticing as a kid is the exact thing that makes you brilliant at business? In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Margie Smolarek, a business psychologist and strategist who built her practice on a simple but radical premise: most business problems are actually misdiagnosis problems, and the founders who see patterns everyone else misses have a superpower, not a deficit. Margie grew up seeing what was broken — in rooms, in systems, in people — long before she had the language or the power to do anything about it. That same pattern recognition that once felt isolating became the foundation of her work: helping founders unmask, understand their own neurodivergent wiring, and build businesses that don't require them to perform a version of themselves that burns them out. She talks candidly about rejection sensitivity, energetic trauma, and what it actually looks like to run a company from a place of agency instead of armor. This conversation goes deep on burnout, masking, and why "seeing what's wrong" might be the most undervalued skill in entrepreneurship. If you've ever felt like your brain works differently than the room around you — and wondered whether that was a liability or the whole point — this conversation is for you. Margie's journey from childhood pattern-spotting to business psychologist and strategistWhy neurodivergent traits like autism and ADHD become strengths once properly channeledAgency and authenticity as the real foundation of entrepreneurial successManaging burnout and energy with workflows built for neurodivergent mindsBorrowing Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen for branding and client experienceRejection sensitivity, masking, and the trauma underneath bothWhat it means to unmask and lead from your actual self 00:00 – Introduction: from childhood awareness to entrepreneurial methodology 01:20 – Margie's story: processing differently, perceiving patterns effortlessly 02:20 – Seeing business systems like Sherlock Holmes 04:22 – Energy work, human design, and energetic mapping 07:04 – Agency and control: why neurodivergent entrepreneurs excel 11:25 – The post-COVID shift: founders need space and strategic clarity 12:28 – Balancing impulsiveness with energy management 14:02 – Redesigning workflows for neurodivergent minds 16:52 – Applying Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen to business agility 22:29 – Understanding rejection sensitivity disorder 25:00 – Trauma, masking, and identity 28:23 – Unmasking authenticity in work and life 32:23 – Living in alignment with your core values 36:37 – Choosing collaborators aligned with your authentic self   Connect with Margie: Website    www.business-support-agency.com LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/in/marzena-smolarek/   Connect with Jonathan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-personal-growth-coach/ Website: https://untangled-coaching.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePattern-SeekingEntrepreneur

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Welcome to The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur Podcast, hosted by Jonathan Domsky.   This show is for entrepreneurs who have always known their brain doesn't run like everyone else's — and built something real because of it, not despite it.   Every episode, I sit down with a founder who thinks differently, and find the pattern in their story, often before they've said it out loud themselves — the cost their wiring has carried, the gift it's actually been, and what's still in the way of designing a life and business that finally fit.   Some guests have already done this work. Others are still figuring it out, right alongside you. Either way, you'll hear that you're not the only one who's ever felt like the odd one out in the room and still built something nobody else could have.   🔔 Subscribe if you're ready to stop managing your wiring and start designing around it.

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