Stop Solving the Wrong Problems in Your Business

Why do entrepreneurs struggle to grow their businesses even when they're working harder than ever? Often, it's because they're solving the wrong problems. In this episode of The Lazy Entrepreneur Podcast, I talk with Kevin St. Clergy, serial entrepreneur and author of Beyond Blind Blaming, about how cognitive biases, limiting beliefs, and ineffective business systems can prevent business growth. Kevin shares his Reflect, Connect, Decide (RCD) framework to help business owners uncover hidden challenges, make better decisions, and build businesses that grow without requiring more hours from their founders.

Why Your Business Isn't Growing: Are You Solving the Wrong Problem?

You've invested in marketing. You've hired employees. You've tried new productivity tools, worked longer hours, and made countless changes to your business.

But somehow, you're still stuck.

If this sounds familiar, you might assume you need a better marketing strategy, more qualified employees, or stronger time management skills.

But what if none of those things is the real problem?

During our conversation, Kevin shared an important lesson from his experience building and scaling businesses: entrepreneurs often spend enormous amounts of time and money fixing symptoms instead of identifying the underlying problem.

This pattern can lead to wasted resources, frustrated teams, and founder burnout.

The solution isn't necessarily to work harder.

It's to understand what's actually preventing your business from moving forward.

What Is Blind Blaming in Business?

Blind blaming is the tendency to assume you know what's causing a recurring problem when the actual cause may be something entirely different.

Kevin developed this concept through his own experiences as an entrepreneur and explains it in his book, Beyond Blind Blaming.

One of his most powerful examples came from a period when he was running a successful business but struggling with forgetfulness, follow-through, and productivity.

People around him believed he had ADHD. His business partner even arranged for him to work with an ADHD coach.

After several months, the coach suggested something else might be happening. Further medical evaluation revealed sleep apnea.

Kevin had been trying to solve a productivity problem when an underlying sleep-related health issue needed attention.

His experience illustrates an important lesson for business owners:

Before changing your strategy, make sure you've correctly identified the problem.

This doesn't mean every productivity challenge has a hidden medical cause. It means that assumptions—even widely shared ones—can lead us toward ineffective solutions.

Three Cognitive Biases That Keep Entrepreneurs Stuck

Why is it so difficult to recognize when we're solving the wrong problem?

Kevin explains that our brains rely on mental shortcuts, known as heuristics, to make decisions efficiently.

These shortcuts are useful, but they can also contribute to cognitive biases that influence business decisions.

1. Availability Bias: Assuming the Obvious Answer Is Correct

Availability bias can cause entrepreneurs to focus on the explanation that comes to mind most easily.

For example, imagine your business isn't generating enough sales.

Your immediate assumption might be:

“Our marketing isn't working.”

So you hire another marketing agency, redesign your website, or increase your advertising budget.

But what if your marketing is actually generating plenty of leads?

Kevin shared an example of a business where approximately half of incoming calls weren't being answered.

The problem wasn't necessarily lead generation. It was how the business handled incoming opportunities.

Practical takeaway: Before spending more money on marketing, examine your existing sales process. Track metrics such as:

• Number of incoming leads
• Percentage of calls answered
• Cost per lead
• Appointment conversion rate
• Sales conversion rate

These numbers can help reveal where potential customers are being lost.

2. Confirmation Bias: Looking for Evidence That Supports Your Assumptions

Confirmation bias happens when we favor information that supports what we already believe.

Suppose you believe your employees aren't motivated.

You may notice every missed deadline or mistake while overlooking problems with onboarding, training, or unclear expectations.

The more evidence you collect to support your original belief, the harder it becomes to consider alternatives.

This is especially dangerous for business owners because their assumptions can influence hiring, leadership, and operational decisions.

Practical takeaway: Ask yourself what evidence would prove your original assumption wrong. A strong leader doesn't need to have every answer. A strong leader needs to remain willing to learn.

3. Becoming Too Focused on the Wrong Solution

Kevin describes a third challenge: once entrepreneurs become committed to solving a particular problem, they may stop considering other explanations.

They keep investing time, money, and effort into a solution that doesn't address the underlying issue.

For example, a business owner might repeatedly replace employees when the real problem is inadequate training.

Instead of asking, “Why can't I find good employees?” consider:

“Have I created an environment where employees can succeed?”

This simple shift can lead to better leadership decisions and more effective business systems.

The RCD Method: A Framework for Better Business Decisions

One of the most practical lessons from Kevin's book is his RCD Method: Reflect, Connect, Decide.

This framework helps entrepreneurs reconsider recurring challenges, seek outside perspectives, and take action.

Step 1: Reflect — Ask Better Questions

Reflection starts with one question:

“Is there something else going on that I can't see?”

When a business problem keeps returning, resist the temptation to immediately implement another solution. Instead, examine your assumptions.

For example:

• Is my marketing actually failing, or am I targeting the wrong audience?
• Are my employees underperforming, or have I failed to train them properly?
• Do I need more customers, or do I need a better business model?
• Am I struggling with productivity, or have I created an unsustainable workload?

Reflection helps entrepreneurs separate symptoms from potential root causes.

Step 2: Connect — Get an Outside Perspective

One of the biggest challenges of entrepreneurship is recognizing problems from inside your own business.

You're emotionally invested in your decisions, employees, customers, and results.

That's why Kevin emphasizes the importance of connecting with people outside your immediate circle. These might include a business coach, business mentor, mastermind group, or experienced entrepreneur.

Effective business coaching creates space for difficult questions, objective feedback, and accountability. Similarly, business mentorship can expose founders to strategies and perspectives they haven't considered.

Kevin shared an example of a podcast booking agency that believed it needed better marketing. After reviewing the business, he identified two different opportunities: clarifying its ideal customer and changing how its services were positioned.

Rather than serving a broad audience, the agency focused on coaches—clients it enjoyed serving and could help effectively. It also shifted from simply providing podcast bookings toward helping clients use podcast appearances to grow their businesses.

According to Kevin, these changes helped the agency grow its monthly revenue from approximately $50,000 to $150,000.

The lesson?

Sometimes business growth doesn't require more marketing.

It requires a better understanding of whom you serve and the value you provide.

Step 3: Decide — Stop Overthinking and Take Action

Once you've reflected and gathered outside perspectives, you need to make a decision. Kevin calls this the final step of his RCD Method.

Entrepreneurs can become trapped in analysis, constantly researching possibilities without implementing anything. But business growth requires action.

You won't always make the perfect decision. Sometimes a strategy will fail, and you'll need to adjust. However, thoughtful action creates information you can use to improve your next decision.

The goal isn't perfect decision-making. It's making informed decisions, learning from the results, and moving forward.

Why Business Coaching and Mentorship Matter for Growth

Entrepreneurs are often expected to solve every problem themselves. But being a business owner doesn't mean you have to figure everything out alone.

Business mentoring and business coaching can help entrepreneurs identify blind spots, challenge limiting beliefs, and create clearer growth strategies.

Kevin shared that he continues to invest in coaching and mastermind groups even after building and exiting successful businesses. His reasoning is straightforward: as businesses grow, entrepreneurs encounter new challenges that require different skills and perspectives.

An outside advisor may notice problems that internal teams have normalized. For overwhelmed founders, coaching can also provide structure and accountability.

A useful coaching conversation might examine:

• What business problem keeps recurring?
• What assumptions are you making about its cause?
• What information supports or challenges those assumptions?
• What alternative explanations should you investigate?
• What specific action will you take next?

Good mentorship doesn't simply provide answers.

It helps you become better at asking questions and making decisions.

How to Scale Your Business Without Working More Hours

One of the most interesting parts of my conversation with Kevin was his approach to working less.

Despite operating multiple businesses, Kevin shared that he typically finishes working between noon and 2 p.m.

That doesn't mean his businesses require no effort. Instead, he has spent years building the systems, processes, and teams that make his involvement less necessary.

This aligns closely with what we talk about on The Lazy Entrepreneur Podcast.

Sustainable business growth isn't about making yourself indispensable. It's about building a company that can operate effectively without your constant involvement.

Kevin identifies three important areas.

1. Change Your Beliefs About Business Growth

Many entrepreneurs believe doubling their revenue requires doubling their effort. Kevin calls this a “belief lid”—a limitation created by what you believe is possible.

If you assume growth always requires more personal work, you may hesitate to delegate responsibilities or invest in better systems.

Instead, consider how your business could grow through stronger processes, capable employees, and improved leadership.

2. Build Systems Before You Need Them

A business that depends entirely on its founder becomes difficult to scale. Documenting recurring processes allows employees to complete work consistently.

Start with activities such as customer onboarding, sales follow-ups, client communication, and daily operations.

Kevin recommends creating playbooks and using recorded demonstrations to explain how tasks should be performed. Automation and AI tools can also support process documentation and repetitive workflows.

The objective is to reduce unnecessary dependence on the business owner. If you suspect you've already become the bottleneck, start with 10 Signs You've Become the Bottleneck in Your Business, then listen to my conversation with Heather Porter on how to stop being the bottleneck in your own business.

3. Train Employees Instead of Expecting Them to Figure Everything Out

Hiring someone doesn't automatically solve a capacity problem. Employees need clear expectations, documented processes, and effective training.

Kevin described how his businesses invest time in onboarding, daily conversations, and role-playing before allowing new team members to take full responsibility.

He also encourages teams to discuss mistakes openly and explain what they'll improve. This approach helps create a culture where employees can learn rather than simply fear failure.

For entrepreneurs, that means fewer recurring problems and less time spent correcting preventable mistakes. And if you're deciding who to bring on in the first place, my episode on why lazy entrepreneurs hire for their weaknesses is a good next listen.

The Connection Between Entrepreneur Mindset and Business Growth

Business growth isn't only about marketing, revenue, or operations. Your beliefs about yourself can influence how you lead, hire, delegate, and make decisions.

Kevin shared how changing his personal identity helped him become more consistent with his fitness goals. Instead of identifying with old habits, he began thinking of himself as an athlete and aligning his daily actions with that identity.

A similar principle can apply to entrepreneurship.

If you constantly tell yourself, “Nobody can do this as well as I can,” you may struggle to delegate.

If you believe your business can't survive without you, you may unintentionally build systems that reinforce that dependence.

And if you associate success with constant exhaustion, you may overlook opportunities to create a healthier business model.

This is where entrepreneur mindset, leadership development, and sometimes life coaching can support personal growth alongside business strategy.

Kevin also spoke about the value of working with a therapist to understand patterns from his past. Therapy and mental health treatment are distinct from business or mental health coaching, and each serves different needs.

The larger lesson is that building a sustainable business often requires personal growth as well as operational improvement.

How to Stop Solving the Wrong Problems This Week

You don't need to overhaul your entire business tomorrow.

Start with one recurring challenge. Write down what you believe is causing it. Then ask:

“Is there something else going on that I can't see?”

Look at the evidence. Speak with someone outside your immediate business environment. Choose one informed action and establish how you'll evaluate its results.

You might discover that your biggest obstacle isn't what you originally thought.

And that discovery could save you months of frustration, unnecessary expenses, and wasted effort.

Final Thoughts: Build a Business That Supports Your Life

The biggest takeaway from my conversation with Kevin St. Clergy is that entrepreneurs don't always need to work harder to grow.

Sometimes they need to stop, question their assumptions, and identify the actual problem.

Whether you're struggling with sales, leadership, employee performance, or business systems, the solution starts with awareness. From there, business coaching, mentorship, better decision-making, and stronger operations can help you create sustainable growth.

On The Lazy Entrepreneur Podcast, our philosophy is simple:

Build your business strong before you step away.

Because the goal isn't just to build a successful company. It's to create a business that supports the life you want to live.

If you're realizing you've been solving the wrong problems in your own business, that's exactly the kind of thing I help clients work through. Book a free consultation and let's talk about where you're at.

About the Podcast Guest

Kevin St. Clergy is a serial entrepreneur, business strategist, TEDx speaker, and author of Beyond Blind Blaming. He previously built a digital marketing business that achieved an eight-figure exit in 2020. His work focuses on helping entrepreneurs recognize hidden challenges, improve decision-making, and develop stronger businesses.

Learn more at blindblaming.com, and look for his TEDx talk, Solving the Wrong Problem Perfectly.