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

    How the Light Gets Out—Insights from Ryan Bell

    As a kid, he asked whether the green he saw might be someone else’s red. The reaction taught him a lesson he carried for years: maybe it was safer not to be weird.   In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Ryan Bell for a conversation about late diagnosis, masking, grief, inner-child work, autistic joy, and what it takes to build a life around the way your mind actually works.   Ryan spent years succeeding while feeling disconnected from himself. Then a brutal stretch of loss, trauma, divorce, and grief broke him open and eventually led to diagnosis. He describes chaos as being trapped inside a shaken snow globe, and how rebuilding meant more than becoming regulated. It meant recovering the parts of himself he had shut down: creativity, spirituality, play, and joy.   This conversation goes deep into why neurodivergent people can become so good at cauterizing parts of themselves, what happens when your inner child no longer trusts you, and why Ryan now treats his own life as an experiment in learning how to live well. He shares the Sunday ritual that helps him reconnect with eight-year-old Ryan, why autistic joy is worth protecting even when it looks strange to other people, and how humor can become a way for light to come out of darkness.   If you’ve ever learned to edit yourself so you wouldn’t seem weird, this one’s for you.   Key topics   - The childhood moment Ryan learned “I need to not be weird” - Late diagnosis and recognizing years of social self-editing - External success vs. an inner sense of non-personhood - The inner critic and the cost of an unsafe childhood - Grief, trauma, and the collapse that led to diagnosis - The parts of ourselves we shut down to survive - Moving from grief toward growth - What happens when your inner child doesn’t trust you - Relearning play through simple childhood rituals - Autistic joy, unmasking, and going deep - Learning to become a better friend to yourself - Humor as a way light comes out of darkness   Timestamps 03:39 - The inner critic, safety, and rebuilding  06:26 - Loss, grief, and the turning point that led to diagnosis  08:52 - Chaos, regulation, and looking inward  11:04 - Moving from grief toward growth  13:01 - Applying brand strategy to understanding yourself  16:14 - Inner-child trust and making room for play  18:23 - Neurodivergence, spirituality, and staying curious  20:03 - Autistic joy, unmasking, and going deep  27:48 - Humor as a way light comes out of darkness  29:32 - Thriving as you are—and how context changes what a trait means    **Connect with Ryan:**  @RyanBellGuide · bellguidance.com   Connect with Ryan Bell: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanbellguide/·       @RyanBellGuide · www.bellguidance.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. Nov 2

    The Company You Keep—Insights from Marc Champagne

    His app reached nearly 90 million people. Then it shut down anyway.   In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Marc Champagne, host of Behind the Human and author of Personal Socrates, who helps CEOs and people leaders slow their minds down so they can see their next move clearly.   Marc's practice started quietly: early mornings in a corporate sales job, reading and journaling before anyone else was up. That habit became a guided journaling app, and when the business model failed, Marc had to lean on the very tools he taught, with his wife and his men's group holding steady while he rebuilt through books, podcasts, and speaking.   This conversation goes deep into shame, the gap between who you were and who you're becoming, and why a trusted council sees what stress hides from you. I also own my own pattern: too much confidence, and suffering through constraints I could have named sooner.   If you've ever mistaken a season of transformation for being stuck, this one's for you.   Key topics Mental fitness as a decision-making strategy under chaosBuilding an app to 90 million people, and letting it goThe role of a spouse and a men's group in hard seasonsStuck vs. transformation, and how journaling shows the differenceWhy awakening is only the start of the workCouncils, co-authors, and outside perspectiveSetting deadlines to break a loopWhy struggle makes a better teacher  Timestamps 01:18 Sales, morning practices, and mental fitness 03:14 Creating a guided journaling app 06:39 Leaving corporate and the fear of the wrong path 07:34 The app that reached millions and still shut down 08:48 Marriage, identity, and changing circles 12:41 The men's group that helped him reset 14:04 The impact of consistent accountability 15:34 Shame, the new book, and quick fixes 18:14 Awakening is only the beginning 19:15 Stuck vs. transformation 21:15 Bringing hard things into the room 26:36 Slowing down instead of forcing a decision 27:05 When his edge becomes a blind spot 29:20 Jonathan on excess confidence and constraints 31:09 Deadlines to avoid getting trapped in a loop 39:26 Why struggle makes a better teacher 41:32 When a conversation feels like meditation 44:41 Questions for the wisdom keepers 47:42 Build your own council of voices 49:10 Compassion and staying in the world Connect with Marc Champagne: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-champagne-14767b17/Website: https://konect.to/marcchampagne    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. Oct 26

    The Power of Later—Insights from Scott Bloom

    For years, he needed the laugh. Then he learned to give it away.   In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Scott Bloom, a comedian whose instinct to find humor in everything has shaped his work, his relationships, and the way he measures success.   Scott spotted his comedic, pattern-seeking mind as a kid, and his father encouraged it. That instinct took him into stand-up and then, unexpectedly, into corporate events. Along the way it became parody: The Atomic Morning Miracle started as a joke and turned into a sharp look at the hidden assumptions of productivity culture. But being watched by thousands isn't the same as being seen, and Scott is candid about how hyperfocus and workaholism pulled him away from his family.   This conversation goes deep into why achievement doesn't guarantee fulfillment, why Scott chose success over fame, and how he learned to meet anxiety with curiosity instead of catastrophe. He shares the habit of future-tripping, the simple question that shrinks our fear of embarrassment, and his distinction between happiness that depends on circumstances and joy that doesn't.   If you've ever made a low-stakes moment feel high-stakes, or chased an outcome hoping it would finally make you happy, this one's for you.   Key topics From needing an audience's laughter to serving the roomThe unexpected path from stand-up to corporate eventsParody as a lens on productivity cultureBeing watched by thousands without feeling seenChoosing success over fameHyperfocus, workaholism, and presence at homePandemic anxiety and catching "future-tripping"Asking "So what?" to loosen the fear of embarrassmentHappiness that's caused vs. joy that can be uncaused  Timestamps 00:40 — Thinking Differently from an Early Age 03:04 — Vulnerability, Narcissism, and Finding Balance 05:13 — From Stand-Up to Corporate Events 07:58 — Creating The Atomic Morning Miracle 12:00 — Being Seen on Stage vs. Being Known 13:54 — Authenticity Onstage and at Home 14:41 — Choosing Success Over Fame 17:18 — Work, Fatherhood, and Being Present 19:14 — Anxiety, Perspective, and Leaning Into Challenges 21:38 — Humor as a Release Valve 23:23 — Low-Stakes Living and Letting Go of Outcomes 24:37 — When Jokes Pay the Bills 25:54 — Parodying Self-Help and Hustle Culture 28:21 — Finding Joy Beyond Achievement 30:00 — Vision, Possibility, and Letting Life Surprise You 32:34 — Role Reversal: Jonathan's Entrepreneurial Story 39:25 — Scott's Work, Book, and Closing Message   Connect with Scott Bloom: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbloomconnects/Website: scottbloom.net    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. Oct 19

    No Faces, Just Trust—Insights from Robert Annis

    He doesn't remember his own wedding. For forty years, he didn't know that wasn't normal. In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Robert Annis, who builds systems that make room for different minds, instead of asking people to perform normality. Robert spent decades assuming everyone experienced the world as he did. Then, in his forties, he learned he was autistic, ADHD, face-blind, unable to voluntarily visualize, and living without the autobiographical memory most people take for granted. He shares the hidden mechanics of masking face blindness, reconstructing meetings from his calendar each morning, and the grief that came with a late diagnosis, along with why project management felt less like a career than a way to survive. This conversation goes deep into what trust looks like without a shared archive of memories, why teams, not individuals, need to be well-rounded, and how the same wiring that creates enormous friction is also his strength. He calls it a superpower with kryptonite. If you've ever spent your energy performing normal instead of doing your best work, this one's for you. Key topics Why Robert spent roughly 40 years not realizing his inner experience was differentThe grief that can accompany a late diagnosisSimple workplace changes that could have made an enormous differenceHow trust works when memory isn't something you can rely onThe "superpower and kryptonite" reality of neurodivergenceTimestamps 00:00 - A life without reliable faces, imagery, or memory 02:12 - "I spent forty years not knowing" 03:17 - Masking face blindness by mirroring familiarity 03:47 - Late diagnosis, rejection, and grief for what might have been 07:10 - Inclusion as a competitive advantage 09:03 - The cost of masking in corporate life 12:09 - What would have helped Robert thrive at work 16:28 - Well-rounded teams, not well-rounded individuals 21:57 - "I don't remember our wedding" Connect with Robert Annis LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robannis Websites: neurocharity.org, gwspartners.co.uk Explore NEURO's work on neuroinclusion, cognitive diversity and organisational intelligence: https://www.youtube.com/@NEURO-YTu 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. Oct 12

    Heaven on Earth, Inc.—Insights from Brett Hurt

    As a kid, he took apart Pong to see how it worked. Decades of success later, he's still asking if what he's doing is enough. In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Brett Hurt, serial entrepreneur behind Coremetrics, Bazaarvoice, and data.world, whose pattern-spotting instinct lets him imagine technological futures before they arrive. Brett grew up between two models of intelligence: an inventive father and an academically minded mother. Computers gave him a brain-to-brain connection he couldn't find at school, where he was bullied and learned how it feels to win physically and still lose emotionally. He went on to build the success he thought he wanted, only to find it didn't answer a deeper question: what kind of challenge is actually worth pursuing? This conversation goes deep into the emptiness Brett calls "successful sleepwalking," why presence matters after extraordinary experiences, and how to keep an open heart while practicing discernment. He shares how his wife Deborah's intuition complements his pattern-seeking mind, why he invites trusted people to tell him he's wrong, and how tikkun olam, healing the world, gives him a purpose larger than stimulation. If you've ever reached the goal and wondered why the days still disappear, this one's for you. Key topics Taking apart Pong and finding connection through computersBeing bullied: winning physically, losing emotionallyConventional success vs. feeling fulfilledIs what he's doing enough, and what does "enough" mean?Tikkun olam: a purpose rooted in healing the worldMaterial abundance vs. spiritual abundance  Timestamps 02:41 - Two very different models of intelligence at home 07:12 - Why Brett believes the future can be hopeful 08:59 - Achieving success—and still feeling empty 12:00 - Bringing spiritual insight back to ordinary life 14:23 - Finding purpose beyond financial return 18:51 - The role of the heart in business 21:13 - What openness costs—and why discernment matters 23:00 - Practicing self-compassion and making better choices 26:48 - How inner values shape business decisions 32:38 - "I'm trying to figure out if what I'm doing is enough" 38:48 - Tikkun olam and a purpose larger than stimulation 47:00 - What stands in the way of abundance 49:59 - Jonathan challenges the idea of spiritual abundance Connect with Brett Hurt: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretthurt/Website: www.lucky7.io 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. Oct 5

    Glitch Brain Genius—Insights from David Pichette

    In first grade, David Pichette felt like he wasn't on this planet. At five, the violin brought him back.   In this episode, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with David Pichette, founder of Mainstage Multimedia, a touring musician who now runs his agency like a band.   His takeaway isn't that he needed fixing, but that kids need to know they're wired differently, not weird. Violin at five gave him something to hold onto, and by 2011 that same wiring pulled him from touring into founding an agency built to run like a band.   This conversation goes deep, from finding structure inside chaos, to what an artist's path costs the people who love him, to how AI is amplifying creativity rather than replacing it.   If your mind works differently, is that something to fix, or to build a life around?   In this conversation: Why kids need to know they're wired differently, not weirdHow violin at five became his stabilizing anchorFrom childhood creativity to a professional music careerWhy 2011 brought the shift from touring to founding his agencyWhat touring taught him about real production workWhy his team operates like a band, in syncFinding structure inside chaos and messy ideasThe selfish side of art and its cost to familyTeaching his kids to follow purpose over safetyLearning AI as a way to amplify creativity, not replace it  Timestamps 01:54 - Why kids need to know they are not weird for thinking differently 04:02 - From childhood creativity to a professional music career 05:01 - Why a creative agency felt like the next chapter 07:39 - The musician's skill of listening and translating ideas into collaboration 10:05 - Finding structure inside chaos and messy ideas 10:53 - Why his brain rejects "that's impossible" thinking 12:25 - The selfish side of art and what it costs the people around you 14:16 - Teaching his kids to follow purpose instead of safety 15:59 - Learning AI and why it can amplify creativity 17:05 - A parent using AI to write custom songs for his kids 18:28 - Tools making creativity more accessible to non-experts 21:13 - The cocooning phase of personal growth and inner transformation 22:24 - Why modern life has more convenience but also more anxiety and loneliness 23:43 - Why schools and culture can unintentionally suppress creativity 26:24 - Growth, plateaus, and why cocooning matters before reinvention 27:22 - Normalizing midlife reflection and the urge to rethink direction 28:21 - Permission to stop performing for others and ask what you actually want   Connect with David Pichette: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpichette-director/Website: mainstage.pro  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

  7. Sep 28

    The Black Sheep Edge—Insights from Tamara Loehr

    Tamara Loehr grew up the black sheep in an Australian mining town — and turned that into a source of pride, not shame, building businesses that drive profit and purpose.   In this episode of The Pattern-Seeking Entrepreneur, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Tamara Loehr, an entrepreneur whose zone of genius is challenging conventional business assumptions.   Tamara reverse-engineers strategy from the true why and the North Star, and she's using that instinct to bridge the gap in female entrepreneurship — acquiring established businesses and creating paths for the women already operating them to gain equity, the "first lady syndrome" she often finds hiding in plain sight.   This conversation goes deep on why so few women-led businesses cross seven figures, her "work-life blend" philosophy from her book Balance Is BS, and why she believes business can be a force for good in a rapidly changing world.   If you've ever needed permission to step fully into what you're capable of — or wondered whether you're the "first lady" in your own business — this one's for you.   Being labeled the "black sheep" early on became a source of pride, not shameHer mission: bridge the gap in female entrepreneurship by acquiring established businesses and creating equity paths for women operators"First lady syndrome": women who effectively run a business but don't own the equityHow support, infrastructure, and mentorship move women from operator to entrepreneurHer "work-life blend" philosophy — integrating family, travel, business, and personal lifeThe cost of masking, and why embracing creativity and authenticity mattersHow business can be a force for good in a rapidly changing world  00:00 — The black sheep origin story 04:49 — Creative thinking as her zone of genius 06:11 — Reverse-engineering from the North Star 07:51 — Bridging the gap in female entrepreneurship 08:59 — How Enterprise Growth Systems drives growth 10:00 — Finding the "first lady" already inside 12:19 — Cultural pushback and stepping into worthiness 13:45 — Why women thrive with support and permission 15:31 — Balance Is BS and redefining work-life blend 18:34 — The power of being a courage-giver 22:27 — The cost of suppressing creativity 27:00 — Growth, transition, and knowing when to move on 29:37 — Using business as a force for good   Connect with Tamara Loehr: ·      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaraloehr/ ·      Website: www.egrowthsystems.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

  8. Sep 21

    The Discipline of Curious—Insights from Ennis Olson

    Ennis Olson saved his team $600,000 in a week with a tool he taught himself to build. It took until his early 40s to understand the mind that built it.   In this episode, host Jonathan Domsky sits down with Ennis Olson, who spent years leading innovation at companies like Google and now champions what he calls neuro-convergent leadership.   People always called Ennis creative, imaginative, and smart. It took his first job after college to see how differently his mind actually worked. He followed his interests, spotted opportunities in the data, and moved toward problems worth solving. Then an ADHD and autism diagnosis in his early 40s explained the masking, the social exhaustion, and the subtext he kept missing. His conclusion: neurodivergence isn't a niche issue. It's a large part of normal human variation.   This conversation goes deep — from curiosity versus deliberate creativity, to the tone shift that changed how people treated him and the line between adapting and self-erasure, to building the Neurodiversity Network inside Google.   If you've ever wondered whether the answer is to fit the room or to find your people, this one's for you.   In this conversation: Why smart, capable kids still need coaching and directionTeaching himself SQL and saving $600,000 in a weekCuriosity vs. deliberate creativity: why innovation takes disciplineNeuro-convergent leadership: bringing neurotypes togetherLate diagnosis, masking, and taking things literallyWhen adapting helps and when it becomes self-erasureRelationships, unwritten social rules, and intensity as focusLeading by understanding what motivates people  Timestamps:   1:58 Why smart kids still need coaching and direction 3:15 Following curiosity into business opportunities 4:56 Why innovation requires deliberate creativity 6:09 Neuro-convergent leadership and the 30 to 40 percent stat 12:28 Finding community at Google through shared experience 13:53 A tone shift that changed how people treated him 15:01 When adapting helps and when it becomes a compromise 17:07 Building the Neurodiversity Network inside Google 20:41 Relationships, texting, and unwritten social rules 25:53 Intensity as focus in professional settings 30:09 Leadership as understanding people, not just executing tasks     Connect with Ennis Olson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ennisolson/Website: ennisfranklin@gmail.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

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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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