Show Notes

Building a successful business isn't just about strategy—it's about finding people who truly understand how your brain works.

In this episode, Patrick Casale shares the deeply personal story behind the creation of the NeuroPreneur Circle and why he believes community is one of the most important ingredients for sustainable entrepreneurship. Drawing from his own experiences with autism, ADHD, chronic illness, masking, and searching for belonging, he explains what makes this space different and why connection can be just as transformative as business coaching.

Whether you've struggled to find your place, felt misunderstood in traditional entrepreneurial spaces, or simply want to build your business alongside people who "get it," this episode offers a glimpse into the vision behind a community designed by and for neurodivergent entrepreneurs.

You'll learn:

1. Why belonging and authentic community are essential for long-term success as a neurodivergent entrepreneur.
2. How masking, chronic overwhelm, and feeling misunderstood can impact both your business and your wellbeing—and what supportive community can change.
3. What makes the NeuroPreneur Circle different, including its focus on practical business support, genuine connection, and neurodiversity-affirming resources without replacing therapy.

Learn more about the NeuroPreneur Circle here: allthingspractice.com/neuropreneur-community

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✈️ Check out available Retreats
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Transcript

PATRICK CASALE: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur Podcast. Today I'm going to talk about the NeuroPreneur Circle community that I have created and the reason that I think it's so important. 

I, like probably a lot of you, have spent a lot of my life struggling to find my place and sense of belonging, and my community. And it's been really hard for me throughout a lot of my life to feel connected, accepted, understood, without having to explain myself at great length, further causing confusion by offering too much context or not enough. People who understand my communication style, who understand the way that I communicate, can be sometimes received or perceived as like blunt, direct, rude. 

But if you are neurodiversity affirming and understanding, maybe you're thinking, "Oh, he's just getting straight to the point, because it's easier for him in terms of sensory experience, and cognitive overload, and allowing him to really just be his true self.” And that's what I wanted.

You know, when I realized that I was going to be stepping away from retreats, and coaching programs, and reducing a lot of the things that I'm doing in my business because of the season of life that I'm in, and the burnout that I've been in. I've been in autistic ADHD burnout, so ADHD burnout for over two and a half years, and it's been really horrible. It's been really painful. It's really exhausting. I don't wish it on my worst enemy. And you know who you are, just kidding. 

And I also really have been struggling with capacity and a lot of chronic illness that has been developing and compounding, a lot of neuroimmune conditions that I've been, you know, just adding to the list and stockpiling, like POTS or postural orthostatic tachycardia, a form of dysautonomia where my autonomic nervous system is not working properly, mast cell activation syndrome, aka MCAS, and then, hypermobility EDS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, in addition to being autistic ADHD. And it's been a wild ride, you know? 

I would like to say I'm in like a low capacity season of hibernation and dormancy, but I think this is now baseline because I used to think I could get back to five or six years ago when I was producing and creating all of these things, and that is not a reality. And I also don't want it to be my reality. 

I've realized that for me, being values-aligned and anchoring into my why is really important, and showing up authentically me is really important, and getting my message out to the world has always felt like my life's mission to support other people to feel less alone, and more understood, and more supported, and just affirmed. 

So, I had been playing with the idea of building a neurodivergent entrepreneur Circle community for a long time. And I really needed to slow most of my life down professionally and personally to have the bandwidth, and the capacity, and the spoons to start that process. What I ended up doing was hiring Becky, who is a Circle building coach, and my brain fog is really bad right now because, like, what the hell was Becky's, what's the word? Building site. And I cannot think about it. And she was just on my podcast, too. Oh my God! But anyway, I'll get to that, and I will make that right. 

And I hired her and her team to support me, and that was really, really helpful. Becky Pearson Davidson is her name. And I don't know why that didn't come to my mind. And she also is the founder of Affinity Collective. And she handles, like really supporting people through their Circle build journeys. And it was unbelievably helpful, especially for my executive functioning, that's been unbelievably helpful alongside my online business manager Jenna, who has been a godsend in helping me stay, like, you know just organized, and really well supported, and navigating a lot of the pieces that I struggle with. I'm a visionary. I'm a creative. I don't do the behind-the-scenes very well. I don't stay organized and structured very well. 

I have all sorts of like ways that I stay organized and structured that I've built in over my lifetime, but they're all very chaotic. They're not necessarily effective or efficient. So, building the community was important to me because sense of belonging. I think we all want to belong as human beings. And I think that's what I was trying to do with the retreats that I was hosting was just creating a sense of belonging, and connection, and community, and feeling like you finally found your people, where you could finally be yourself around them, and just unmask, and be authentically you and be vulnerable. 

And I did create that very successfully. I hosted over 25 retreats and summits over the last five years in over 10 different countries, on four different continents. And it just destroyed me. I love traveling. And I love planning. And I love creating. And I love trip planning and researching. But the hosting part for me was really exhausting from an energetic perspective, from a sensory perspective. It really did push me into this intense burnout. You know, flying in and out of the country, transitioning to new time zones, environments, vacation rentals, hosting groups of people for five to seven days, taking on and absorbing their energy, and their anxieties, and their stresses, and their vulnerabilities. 

So, I had to stop. And I said last year, you know, I'm probably never going to do one again, and I've already since walked back on that. But I'm going to do that very intentionally, only doing one retreat a year, and it's going to be a neurodivergent entrepreneur retreat in New Zealand every single time, because that's where I've felt the best physically, and mentally, and emotionally in my life, in the time that I've spent in that beautiful country. So, that is on the table for October 24 to 30, 2027. So, if you're interested, go take a look at it. We still have a couple spots left. And it's going to be amazing. 

But I also knew that I wanted to build community, and get off Meta, and get off Facebook, and Instagram, and all of these platforms that are just soul-sucking, and exhausting, and algorithm-driven, and build something that felt really unique. So, I came up with the NeuroPreneur Community in collaboration with this podcast, The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur Podcast.

And what I want to do is create something from the autistic ADHD perspective because I see a lot of communities that are entrepreneurial based, but they're really typically ADHD dominant most of the time, which no shame to that, but there are a lot of people like myself who are AuDHD, or who are autistic, or have other forms of neurodivergence, because neurodiversity, neurodivergence, being neurodivergent is not a synonym for being autistic or ADHD. Although, social media would lead you to believe otherwise. So, there's such a wide range of the umbrella of, like, anything that deviates from neuronormativity. 

So, we are going to build something really unique, and really intentional, and really values-driven. And my goal, although we're going to be working on our entrepreneurial goals and our journeys, my goal is also to create a container to support you with either you’re in burnout recovery, if that's the space that you're in, or burnout prevention, because I don't want you to get to the place that I'm at. It's really not an enjoyable mental, and energetic, and emotional place to be. And so, if we can avoid that, we're going to try to do that at all costs. 

And then, obviously, a space for those of you who are chronically ill, but you’re business owners, and you’re creatives, and you’re visionaries, and you’re entrepreneurs, and your capacity is lower, or diminished, or it's changed due to becoming disabled and working through a lot of our own collective internalized ableism together, supporting one another through that journey of this low capacity moment and season in our lives. And maybe it's a permanent season, getting used to that, you know, building differently, creating differently, not rushing, not allowing capitalism and hustle culture to dictate how we move forward. So, that's going to be foundational, making it accessible, making it anti-racist, making it supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community, gender expansive people, making it supportive of all forms of neurodivergence, so that we have a very cool, creative, eclectic neurodiverse group. 

And we're going to build slow. We're only going to have 50 founding members coming in at first, just to kind of test the waters. I want to make sure we can build safety for people to be able to unmask, and be vulnerable, and really show up authentically. And I think I do a really good job of that. That's always been a gift of mine. 

And I think it's because I model that behavior, and show up very authentically, and never shy away from talking about the struggle. And am very honest about the hardships of being a small business owner, and even more so the hardships of being a neurodivergent, chronically ill business owner. So, we're going to be having a lot of real depth-based conversations. And I think that's a great thing to have. 

And then, of course, we are going to work on your entrepreneurial goals. Like, we're not going to just talk about the struggle. We're going to really work towards building the things that you are passionate about, especially if you feel like they’re values aligned. Especially if you feel like, you know, if you're ADHD and you have an interest-based nervous system. And we're going to really work towards building that. 

For those of you who are autistic, or like I want to build, but I have to do it in a very slow, intentional, specific, consistent way, we're going to honor that. For those of you who are autistic ADHD, like myself, where you feel like you're in this tug of war all the time, like, we're going to build that. And if you have other forms of neurodivergence, dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette's, TBIs, personality disorders, etc. CPTSD, all of the different forms of neurodivergence, we're going to try really hard to create a community where we can exist, and we can show up as our unmasked, authentic selves. And we are going to really, not only build these creative dreams and ventures that we have, and I'm going to use all of the wisdom and experience that I've had along the way because I have no business training, but I've created multiple seven-figure businesses. I've had a lot of success in my life. And I'm really grateful for that. 

And I always try to find, like the secret sauce or the recipe, and the recipe has just been, like, building the plane as I fly it, making a lot of mistakes, being very honest, being very raw, being very vulnerable, attracting the right people, building know, like, and trust factors because of how I show up. And I'm going to help you do that too. 

And then, we're going to work really hard to body double, hold each other accountable. So, we're going to have bimonthly body doubling sessions. We're going to have a group coaching call where we really talk about burnout, burnout prevention, and recovery, how to support ourselves through low capacity seasons, chronic illness, etc., so that people can share their own experiences. I can offer my own experiences, my own clinical takes, because I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor. 

And then, we're going to also be doing deeper dives. What I'm calling like the unexpected journey. You know, kind of modeling things off of my love for Lord of the Rings. So, you know, when Gandalf shows up and convinces Bilbo that he should go on an adventure, and you know, it was quite unexpected for that Hobbit to leave that cozy Hobbit hole behind and go out into the wild world where anything could happen, and a lot of dangers and perils existed. So, we're going to have coaching calls around that. 

We're going to have coaching calls that I'm framing as Doubt Yourself, Do it Anyway. Deep dive, like focused calls, maybe hot seat coaching for some of you who want to put yourselves out there and really get, like, group coaching collectively. So, we're going to do that. 

We're going to have a forum for just support. We're going to have forums specifically for you to talk about your special interests, your current hyper focuses, deep diving it without shame. We're going to have forums specifically for medical care, and burnout recovery, and resource sharing, trying to really build something very unique, and very different, and very intentional. So, I think that, you know, I hope that it's going to feel like it's valuable. I hope that, you know, if you're listening to this and it feels like something you might need, that you take a look at it and make a decision for yourself. 

We're going to try to price it really low so that it's always accessible. We're going to have equity spots available, especially for those of you who are multiply marginalized and finances are a barrier. You know, we never want that to be preventative. So, there's going to be lots of ways for you to show up, lots of ways for you to have access to all of the resources that I've built. 

And if you don't know what I've done along the way, and you need some like, “Hey man, I need to hear what you've done before I commit to this.” I am a licensed clinical mental health counselor. I started a private practice back in 2016. It is now a group practice that employs 25 neurodivergent therapists throughout North Carolina. I have done a TED Talk. I've done handfuls of keynotes. I've hosted and co-hosted over 25 retreats and summits all over the world, coaching programs, courses, paid speaking engagements, a book deal where I'm writing about late-in-life autism discovery, monetized both of the podcasts. This one, which was formerly known as the All Things Private Practice podcast, and the Divergent Conversations podcast that I co-host with Dr. Megan Neff of Neurodivergent Insights. 

So, I've had a lot of success along the way. I've made a lot of mistakes along the way. I'm a leader in a lot of these settings. And I think that's always been something that feels really natural for me. I want to support you on your own unexpected journey, where you are going to be running out of your hobbit hole into the world, putting your ideas out there before they're ready, and working through rejection sensitive dysphoria, and feelings of being perceived, and the overwhelm that comes with that, and just really honoring the fact that we deserve to get our ideas out there and take up space, and show up authentically, and unmasked when it feels safe enough to do so, and really pursue our dreams because life is so short, you all. It is so freaking short. 

I'm also going to be bringing in neurodivergent guest coaches, and trainers, and consultants, and speakers on different topics throughout the year, so we'll make sure that those are all scheduled, and you can get a sense of what topics people are going to be covering. 

But a lot of it will be like trauma trainers who will help you rewire your nervous system, so it's not impacting your entrepreneurial and business decisions. People who work on perfectionism, people who work on human design, those who work on all sorts of cool alternative ways of thinking, people who have created lots of different businesses in their lifetimes. We're going to bring in artists, speakers, podcasters, doctors, physical therapists, etc., all of whom own their own businesses and have their own unique experiences and lived experience perspectives. 

We're going to try really hard to lift up the multiply marginalized members and support them. We're always going to ensure that we have a thread specifically for mutual aid and community aid for those of you who may need additional financial support for whatever reason, without shame or explanation. 

So, I just want to create a space that feels really unique, really safe, really different than what you typically may experience elsewhere, and just support your nervous system, and your neurology, and your neurotypes, so that we're not fighting against it; we're working with it, and we're embracing dynamic disability. We're embracing differences. We are celebrating neurodiversity. We are celebrating being just a different, unique, eccentric, quirky, potentially weird, like myself human that is moving through this world who maybe has felt for like a lot of their lives like an alien, or like you didn't really belong, or that you never fully arrived. So, we just want to honor that. 

And I leave you with that. And I encourage you to get on the waiting list. This is going to be opening up in early September. And again, only to 50 members with a founding member price that will lock in for life. And then, as we build that community container and that culture, and it feels really good, and it feels really supportive, and engaging, then we will open it up to more people.

But that's going to be a slow build because intentionality is everything. And I am someone who believes in nuance and seeing both sides of the coin in all sorts of ways. So, we're going to have a lot of interesting discussion and very nuanced, complex discussion where you may not always agree with people and what they're saying, but we're going to treat it with respect and curiosity, like Ted Lasso says, like, “Be curious, not judgmental.” And that's going to be a big part of this. 

And there might be people in the community who are very early in their neurodiversity exploration and discovery phase, and they might be using language that doesn't feel affirming. And instead of attacking them, we're going to support and educate. We're going to provide information. We're going to grow together. We're only as strong as our most vulnerable members, and that goes without saying in all aspects of community. 

So, I hope you join me at the NeuroPreneur community. I hope you listen to the Neurodivergent Entrepreneur podcast. And I hope you continue to follow your dreams despite the struggles, the illnesses, the chronic pain, the exhaustion, the brain fog, the fatigue, the GI stuff, the everything, you all. You can see the circles under my eyes. And like, I actually got six hours of sleep last night for once in my life, and I still am just exhausted all the time, but one thing that does light me up and create excitement is the creative flow process and being able to support other people in their journeys. So, I'm doing this, and my podcast, and a few handful of speaking opportunities, and engagements, and trainings over the year, no more overcommitting to things, no more stacking my schedule, no more filling all the free time because my ADHD is restless, and bored, and understimulated. 

So, I've learned a lot along the way. And I hope to also support you in that way so that you can work through some of this stuff. And I just want to be very transparent that this is not going to be a therapeutic space. I am a mental health therapist, but I'm not going to be putting the therapist hat on in this space. 

So, I'm not going to be offering therapeutic advice. I'm not going to be your therapist. I am a therapist. I'm just not your therapist. Happily try to support you with finding the right supports in terms of medical and mental health care, and we'll create a certain thread for that as well, where people can share neurodiversity affirming healthcare resources and mental health care resources. But I'm not going to take on that role. And I just need that to be abundantly clear. I just don't have the capacity, you all. And it would be dangerous for me to do that anyway. 

So, I hope this all makes sense to you. I hope this is exciting. I hope this feels like what you need. And I am so excited to take this journey with you. And I am so excited to kind of teach you from my doubt yourself, do it anyway mentality and framework.

So, I'll see you in September. Looking forward to having you join. If you have questions, reach out. Let us know. The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur podcast is on all major platforms and YouTube every single Wednesday. Make sure to download, like, subscribe, and share. And I will see you there.