Marcus asks: "My business is good right now. Maybe too good. I've got more deal flow than I can handle. I talked to a guy last Tuesday and still haven't followed up. I know I'm losing business, but I can't just ignore new leads either. I feel like I'm playing whack-a-mole and losing. How do I get ahead without hiring someone I can't afford yet?"

In this episode, Scott calls out Marcus's false narrative ("I can't afford to hire" is an excuse, not a fact), reveals the two reasons you hire (capability vs. capacity), and challenges Marcus to flip the question from "I can't afford this" to "How CAN I afford this?" You'll learn the Uber model for hiring (pay for finished products, not hours), discover the real reason Marcus is stuck (control issues and fear of letting go), and understand why every time Scott hires someone—even when scared—the business grows.

The bottom line: You're not stuck because you can't afford help. You're stuck because you're afraid to let go. Name the fear, hire smart, get out of the way, and let magic happen.

Got a business question? Ask Scott here: scotttodd.net/ask

Maya asks: "The market I work in is doing well, but my peers are making more sales in other areas. I want to grow fast, but I worry I'll stretch my team too thin and screw up what's already working. My peers talk about scaling like it's the goal. But is there real value in going deeper where you're already winning? How do you know when expansion is smart versus just a distraction?"

In this episode, Scott reveals the critical difference between a working system (functions in one place) and a scalable system (proven in multiple markets), shares his own expansion failure story (opening a second location that required a completely custom playbook), and gives Maya permission to ignore peer pressure and go deep instead of wide. You'll learn how to test if your playbook is truly scalable, when to use separate teams for new markets, and why building for your desired lifestyle beats chasing peers' growth metrics.

The bottom line: Go deep before you go wide. Extract every bit of gold from your current market before chasing the next one. And if scaling isn't in your heart, don't let peer pressure force you into it.

Got a business question? Ask Scott here: https://scotttodd.net/ask

Jordan asks: "I've built a small investment team, but everything still runs through me. Pricing, customer service, weekly emails—they all find their way back to me. I thought hiring would give me leverage, but instead it feels like I just created more people waiting on my decision. I don't want to lose control, but I also don't want to be the reason the company stalls. How do you design a business where people can act confidently without asking permission?"

In this episode, Scott calls Jordan out on the real problem ("I don't want to lose control"—your team feels that mindset), reveals the three-part delegation framework (train what winning looks like, teach how to think, empower to act), and shares his own refund policy story about letting go of control. You'll learn the one question that reveals bottlenecks ("What's preventing you from doing this without me?") and understand why the business only grows to the leader's capacity—meaning if you're the bottleneck, that's your ceiling.

The bottom line: Train outcomes, not steps. Teach thinking, not tasks. Empower action, not permission-seeking. Then get out of the way and watch what happens.

Got a business question? Ask Scott here: https://scotttodd.net/ask