To be or not to be with Scott Thomas
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In this episode of Uncharted: Your Sidekick for Life, we sit down with Scott Thomas.
His journey is one that may resonate with anyone who’s felt like they’re missing the mark, even as they work harder and harder to hit it.
Scott didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur. He grew up with familiar dreams—first of becoming a veterinarian, then later a doctor. But early on, he found himself pulled in directions that felt forced, not right, like clothes that just didn’t fit.
“I’ve known what I didn’t want more than what I did.”
To me, this phrase holds a great truth.
In my own journey to figure myself out, I discovered more of what I didn’t want rather than what I did, and that narrowed my path to what made me feel happy. It’s a great trick that people often forget to share. As we enter this world, we’re asked who we want to be; rarely do they ask, Who would you like not to be? To be or not to be? I guess Shakespeare understood it better than we did.
From early aspirations in medicine to a winding detour through the corporate world, Scott wrestled with finding his place, often feeling like he was failing in the process.
At one point, Scott joined Accenture, a role that promised prestige and stability, but the work left him cold. He poured hours into it—80-hour weeks—but discovered little meaning in his dedication.
“I don’t mind working if it’s real work,” he said. “But if it’s just about putting in time, that doesn’t sit right with me.”
This restlessness, this unwillingness to settle, became a recurring theme, one that would both propel him forward and complicate his life—or did it really?
A chance encounter on a plane became a turning point, as these things often are in hindsight. He met a business founder who saw Scott’s ambition and offered him a role in a new venture. It felt like an opportunity—finally, a step toward something meaningful. He took the plunge, but it wasn’t long before he felt that familiar disconnection again.
“I just didn’t fit,” he admitted, the sense of failure and isolation creeping back in. “I was a misfit. I’d failed twice in a row, and I was only 24.”
It’s hard to imagine now, seeing Scott in his element, but at that moment, he was spiralling.
Looking for a sense of direction, Scott invested in a skills assessment test, hoping it might reveal some hidden strength, some answer to what he should be doing with his life.
“I needed something outside myself to tell me who I was.” He paused, then added, “My parents always believed in me, but that didn’t help me figure out where I actually belonged.”
This was a low point, but it was also a beginning. The test results didn’t hand him a roadmap, but they gave him clarity—a starting point to rebuild from.
Scott moved to Austin, chasing not a job this time, but a place where he felt he could grow. He began piecing together his strengths, his experiences, his interests in a way that was both personal and deeply strategic. It led him to start IntelliKey, a B2B agency, later merging it with his wife’s business to create MODintelechy. This wasn’t just a professional shift; it was Scott finding a way to work that felt authentic, a way that used the best of him without bending him into someone he wasn’t.
Talking to Scott, you get the sense that he’s less interested in what he’s accomplished than in what he’s learned along the way.
"You don’t know what you’re doing until you look back,” he said, laughing, as if the years of struggle were somehow funny now. “But I’m glad I went through it. I built a career around stacking skills that didn’t seem to fit together at the time.”
For Scott, Austin became a home in more ways than one. He joined the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), a global community that introduced him to peers who understood his journey because they were on similar ones. Scott describes it as finding his “tribe.” The people in EO helped him see his missteps not as failures but as building blocks. He’s now both a mentor and a mentee in the organization, giving back what he’s learned, but also continuing to learn from others.
“I’ve made so many mistakes,” he said with a knowing smile. “That’s what I bring to the table when I’m mentoring. All my mistakes, so others don’t have to make them.”
Scott’s philosophy on work-life balance is one he arrived at the hard way. Rather than trying to do everything all at once, he sees life in seasons, accepting that sometimes work will take the lead and sometimes family needs to come first.
“It’s not about doing it all every day. It’s about being there fully for what needs you most in that moment.”
This approach—focusing on what matters in each season—has allowed him to live more fully, whether he’s closing a deal or spending time with his family.
Scott’s story is a reminder that sometimes finding your way isn’t about following a straight path or reaching a particular destination. It’s about the willingness to get lost, to question, to change course again and again until you end up somewhere that finally feels like home.
So, after hearing Scott’s journey, we’re left wondering: What would it look like to embrace our own seasons, to be okay with not having it all figured out? What could we learn if we gave ourselves the time to get lost before we found our way?
Listen to Scott Thomas on Uncharted: Your Sidekick for Life – Episode 7, Season 2
Scott Thomas: a seasoned entrepreneur and strategist with a rich background spanning both corporate and startup environments. With over a decade of experience at leading brands and consulting firms, including Accenture, Cunningham, and AT&T, Scott has been instrumental in pioneering new initiatives across diverse sectors. Early in his career, he led groundbreaking projects like the first Direct Banking implementation for Bank of America in 1997, built a video-based knowledge management system for a construction firm, structured operations for AT&T Broadband’s retail initiative, and developed AT&T's IP licensing business from the ground up.
In 2007, Scott shifted from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, founding Intelechy Group—now MODintelechy—a trailblazing marketing automation consultancy. In 2018, his firm merged with The MOD Studio, a creative agency, to form a powerhouse in data-driven creative marketing for ambitious brands. As a co-founder of MODintelechy, Scott currently leads strategy and business development, helping clients harness the full potential of creative, data-informed marketing.
Natalie Peyton: Peyton studied theatre and film in Australia, New York and LA and performed stand-up on the “three coasts.” She honed her podcast executive skills over the last 4 years developing and producing dozens of podcasts and even hosts a children’s mindfulness bedtime program. If you would like to listen to her work, here it is: Snoriezzz
Leon Vanstone: Leon brings his curiosity and sharp interviewing skills to the table, facilitating insightful discussions with our mentors, extracting valuable lessons and insights to empower listeners on their own path to growth and achievement.
Dan Dillard: Dan, with his thoughtful approach and engaging style, delves into the minds of our mentors on the podcast, crafting compelling interviews that uncover the wisdom and experiences driving their success and impact.
This blog was written by Anais Schmidt, one of the hosts of the Uncharted Podcast. Anais is also an aspiring musician. When not in her studio, she tours Europe with Monte Mai.
If you would like to join the conversation email us at anais@foundingup.com
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