Business, Bourbon & Cigars

Episode: 3 Deadly Business Blind Spots You Can Fix Today

Host: Scott Joseph
Date: September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, host Scott Joseph dives deep into one of the most insidious threats facing leaders and entrepreneurs: business blind spots. Drawing from his personal experience scaling multiple companies and from insights shared in his Me Plus Ultra mastermind group, Scott breaks down the three core categories of blind spots—leadership, operations, and strategy. He delivers a practical framework for uncovering these hidden weaknesses and provides immediately actionable steps so listeners can start fixing costly blind spots today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding Blind Spots & Why They Exist

[01:02 - 04:00]

• Blind spots are hidden flaws in your leadership, decision-making, or strategy, often lurking in specific teams like sales, marketing, finance, or operations.
• These blind spots quietly drain resources and can severely limit business growth.
• Scott shares a personal story about his tenure at J&L Marketing, believing sales was their main strength until data, strategy, and client support were revealed as true value drivers.
  • "I assumed what worked for me in the past... was automatically the best path for our future growth. I could not have been more wrong." (Scott Joseph, 04:15)

2. Three Essential Questions to Uncover Leadership Blind Spots

[04:05 - 08:30]

Scott introduces a practical exercise:

• Ask three trusted, radically honest people these questions:

  1. What's the one thing I consistently miss?
  2. Where do I create friction without realizing?
  3. Where am I overconfident?

• Purpose of each question:

  • Discover hidden patterns, overlooked decisions, and dangerous overconfidence.
  • "You have to ask the questions to people who will give you the truth. And more importantly, you have to listen without defending yourself." (Scott Joseph, 08:15)

3. Operations: Blind Spots in Process and Execution

[08:30 - 13:30]

• Blind spots aren’t only internal—they live in your processes, systems, and daily operations.
• "When you hear someone say, 'this is the way we've always done it,' rest assured you're losing your ass somewhere right now." (Scott Joseph, 10:22)
• Audit your business for revenue leaks (refunds, discounts, process errors), bottlenecks, and misaligned priorities.
• Example: Scott recalls hiring a VP of Operations who used stopwatches to map out real workflow times, leading to more effective redistribution and process optimization.

Action Steps:

• Review 6–12 months of financials to spot recurring mistakes.
• Map and time key processes with team input to reveal bottlenecks.
• Ensure every department’s actions align with company vision and KPIs.

4. Strategy: Spotting Higher-level Blind Spots

[13:30 - 18:40]

• Leaders often get so entwined with execution that they forget to ask if they’re focusing on the right things.
• Three strategy audit questions:
  1. What opportunities have we ignored that could drive growth?
  2. What are we doing that doesn’t matter?
  3. What am I assuming (about market, clients, team) that could be wrong?
• "A strategy without self-examination is a growth-limiting trap." (Scott Joseph, 18:25)

Action Steps:

• List and evaluate forgone opportunities from the last year.
• Ruthlessly audit initiatives—pause or kill low-impact activities.
• Test core assumptions against fresh data and feedback.

5. Fixing Blind Spots: Processes & Rituals

[18:40 - 21:25]

• Document identified blind spots: What are they? Why do they exist? How do they impact results?
• Delegate & elevate: Assign ongoing monitoring to someone else if you cannot personally oversee.
• Track only the KPIs that matter most.
• Schedule regular (even 30-minute) weekly sessions for reflection and blind spot assessment.
  • "Your business grows in direct proportion to the blind spots that you eliminate." (Scott Joseph, 20:45)

6. Final Challenge & Call-to-Action

[21:25 - 23:20]

• Identify one blind spot (leadership, operations, or strategy).
• Take one immediate action to address it.
• Invitation to attend the Business Bourbon & Cigars Leadership Retreat to connect with other proactive leaders and get direct mentorship & strategic insight.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Blind spots exist because we can't see ourselves clearly—they hide in our decision making, emotional responses, and assumptions about our team."
  (Scott Joseph, 03:32)

• "The money wasn't in what I assumed; it was in the things I couldn't see until I acknowledged my blind spots."
  (Scott Joseph, 04:23)

• "If you hear ‘this is the way we’ve always done it,’ rest assured you’re losing your ass somewhere right now."
  (Scott Joseph, 10:22)

• "Growth isn't just about new ideas—it's about speed of execution."
  (Scott Joseph, 12:05)

• "A strategy without self-examination is a growth-limiting trap."
  (Scott Joseph, 18:25)

• "Your business grows in direct proportion to the blind spots you eliminate."
  (Scott Joseph, 20:45)

Detailed Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|------------------------------------------| | 00:02–01:30 | Introduction & theme of blind spots | | 04:05–08:30 | Leadership: Three questions exercise | | 08:30–13:30 | Operational blind spots & process audit | | 13:30–18:40 | Strategy blind spots & audit framework | | 18:40–21:25 | How to fix blind spots systematically | | 21:25–23:20 | Challenge & retreat invitation |

Structure for Immediate Action

1. For Leadership:

   • Ask three trusted advisors Scott's trio of probing questions.
   • Listen openly—don’t justify.

2. For Operations:

   • Audit for invisible revenue leaks.
   • Map, time, and optimize processes.
   • Realign teams and KPIs with vision.

3. For Strategy:

   • List ignored opportunities, stop unimpactful work.
   • Challenge assumptions with fresh data and feedback.

Tone & Style

Scott Joseph’s delivery is direct, practical, and rooted in real-world experience. His storytelling is candid, and his advice is actionable, focused on what works “on the battlefield” rather than theoretical fluff. Listeners are encouraged to embrace uncomfortable self-reflection, take courageous actions, and leverage the collective wisdom of peers and mentors.

Bottom Line:
Blind spots are inevitable—but so is progress if you genuinely pursue, uncover, and address them.
“Your business grows in direct proportion to the blind spots that you eliminate.” (Scott Joseph, 20:45)