E62 The Strong Protected Business: How One Lawyer is Teaching Entrepreneurs to Think Ahead

Описание: In this episode, Jamie Seeker talks with Matthew Neill Davis, founder of Davis Business Law—a firm that has scaled to nine locations across the Midwest and South, making the rare leap onto the Inc. 5000 list. Matthew shares how he built a multi-office law firm from Enid, Oklahoma, his philosophy behind the "Strong Protected Business System," and real-world lessons in preventing disaster before it strikes.

A heavy metal guitarist and author of The Art of Preventing Stupid, Matt opens up about how he's helping entrepreneurs think ahead, avoid legal pitfalls, and scale with confidence. From emotional client stories to candid advice on financial planning, this episode is packed with insights for business owners who want to protect what they're building.

📌 Key Takeaways & Notes
🏢 Scaling a Law Firm
Expansion started with opening an office in Oklahoma City and continued organically to 9 offices including Denver.
Growth was often opportunistic—“We were just too dumb to know we couldn’t do it.”
🛡️ The Strong Protected Business System
Developed in response to seeing clients make preventable mistakes.
Encourages businesses to identify vulnerabilities before they become liabilities.
Focuses on three key areas:
Catastrophes
Ignorance (what you don’t know)
Ineptitude (what you know but don’t do)
💥 Memorable Story: Insurance Saved the Business
Client with a major oil field company upgraded insurance after Matthew intervened.
A tragic accident involving one of their trucks could have bankrupted the company—but didn’t, because of that decision.
“He asked, ‘What about the company?’ and I said, ‘We’re fine—because we had that conversation.’”

💰 Financial Blind Spots
Many businesses lack adequate insurance coverage.
Legal risk often underestimated, especially in high-liability sectors like trucking or healthcare.
“Your capabilities are your lid. If you're not constantly improving, you're holding your company back.”

📈 Growth & Profit Margins
Middle stages of business (e.g., $5M in revenue) are the toughest: you need leadership infrastructure but haven’t hit high-revenue efficiency.
Growing too fast without planning can squeeze margins and overwhelm systems.
📊 When to Plan
Legal and financial planning should scale with the business’s growth stage.
Davis Business Law offers a free resource outlining legal best practices by revenue/employee count on their website.
👥 Leadership & Culture
Leading a professional services firm is like running a wolf pack—you must be involved and set the tone.
“If you’re going to abdicate your leadership role, your firm will fall apart.”

💬 Memorable Quotes
“We're just too dumb to know we can’t do it.” — on fearless scaling
“It’s heartbreaking to see dreams smashed by preventable mistakes.”
“Your leadership is your lid. Your firm won’t grow beyond you.”
“What about the company? — We’re fine, because we had that conversation.”
“Revenue does not equal profit. The middle stages of growth are the hardest.”