Kevin McCarthy is President of Blind Spot Assessments and a CSP-certified speaking professional whose journey from entrepreneur to federal inmate reshaped his life's mission: helping leaders uncover the blind spots that sabotage success. We spoke about how high achievers—especially entrepreneurs and executives—can unknowingly make devastating choices while believing they're on the right path.

Kevin shares the riveting story of how he went from leading the 13th-largest Century 21 franchise to losing everything in the dot-com crash, getting swept into the largest stock fraud in Washington state history, and ultimately serving 33 months in federal prison—not for what he knew, but for what he failed to see.

“I was guilty. I just didn’t know in the context of the moment that I was helping him further a crime.”

“Context is king… We don’t always take a moment to step back and evaluate the big picture.”

We explored how blind spots form, how trust without scrutiny can backfire, and how entrepreneurs, in particular, are vulnerable due to high-speed decision-making and isolation. Kevin explained how self-deception distorts perception—and how true leadership begins with awareness and humility.

“You think you know what you know. But you have to step back and ask: What else could be going on here?”

He also shares how prison became his unexpected retreat—a place where he finally had space to reflect on identity, character, and purpose. The insight he gained led him to study cognitive psychology, create the Blind Spot Assessment, and now train others—especially middle managers and leadership teams—to build trust, engagement, and clear-eyed decision-making.

Key themes discussed:

• The hidden cost of unexamined trust
• How “perception gaps” sabotage teams and engagement
• Why most people believe they’re self-aware—and aren’t
• The danger of promoting experts into leadership without support
• Why skepticism isn’t cynicism—it’s self-preservation

Takeaways:

• Blind spots don’t make you a bad person—they make you human. But they can still ruin your career if ignored.
• Asking better questions and surrounding yourself with truth-tellers is essential leadership hygiene.
• Self-awareness isn’t a given. “Only 10–15% of us actually are self-aware.”
• Leadership success depends more on managing perception than just performance.
• If you want to grow your team, start by growing your self-understanding.

Whether you're an entrepreneur running at full speed or a leader wondering why your team’s engagement is slipping, this conversation with Kevin McCarthy is a wake-up call—and a roadmap.