Growing a business comes with risk. However, attorney and entrepreneur Matthew Neill Davis believes those risks can be anticipated and prevented. In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker speaks with Matthew about how he built Davis Business Law—a firm that expanded from Enid, Oklahoma to nine offices across the Midwest and South. More importantly, he explains how his Strong Protected Business System helps entrepreneurs protect their growth before it’s too late.
🏢 How the Strong Protected Business System Started
The Strong Protected Business System was born out of Matthew’s frustration. He had seen too many business owners lose everything to preventable mistakes. As a result, he created a framework to help his clients avoid catastrophe by identifying risks early.
“It’s heartbreaking to see people’s dreams smashed by things they could have prevented.” — Matthew Davis
At its core, the system helps businesses identify:
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Catastrophes – Planning for worst-case scenarios
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Ignorance – Discovering what you don’t know
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Ineptitude – Fixing what you know but haven’t done
In other words, it’s about thinking ahead instead of reacting too late.
💰 Financial Planning and the Strong Protected Business System
Financial protection is a critical part of being a strong protected business. For example, Matthew shares a gut-wrenching story where one conversation about insurance saved a client’s oilfield company from financial ruin after a tragic accident.
“He asked, ‘What about the company?’ and I said, ‘We’re fine — because we had that conversation.’”
Furthermore, Matthew emphasizes that legal strategy and financial planning must evolve together. You can’t protect your company effectively if you treat those as separate silos.
📘 Resource: Download the free Legal Best Practices by Business Stage guide at DavisBusinessLaw.com/resources.
📈 Scaling Smart: Lessons in Growth
From eight to nine locations (and counting), Davis Business Law grew quickly—often through opportunity, rather than strategy. Nevertheless, Matthew and his team learned to adapt.
“We were just too dumb to know we couldn’t do it.”
As the firm grew, they discovered that the middle is the hardest. In fact, growing from $2M to $5M was far more painful than reaching $10M. That’s because mid-stage growth requires expensive investments—CFOs, systems, hiring—without the revenue efficiency you get at higher scale.
👥 Leadership and the Strong Protected Business System
Leadership is another pillar of the Strong Protected Business System. According to Matthew, leading a professional service firm is like running a wolf pack. Therefore, he must stay present and involved, not just behind a desk.
“If you’re going to abdicate your leadership role, your firm will fall apart.”
In addition to setting the tone, Matthew participates in team training, hiring discussions, and firm-wide learning. This kind of leadership reinforces the core of a legally and culturally protected business.
For more on leadership, check out our related episode on Building a Strong Company Culture.
🧭 When Should Small Businesses Start Legal and Financial Planning?
It depends. While not every startup needs a full legal team, some form of legal and financial planning should begin early. For instance, if your business has vehicles or deals in high-liability services, insurance and contracts are essential—even in year one.
In contrast, businesses with fewer assets may wait until they pass $1M in revenue to implement advanced strategies like succession planning.
In addition, Matthew recommends using a blend of employee count and revenue benchmarks to decide when to take legal steps. You can find a breakdown of those recommendations for free on the Davis Business Law website.
🔥 Signature Question: What It Takes
Every episode ends with our signature question:
“In your experience, what does it take to be a successful business owner?”
For Matthew, the answer is simple yet powerful: leadership is the lid. If the owner isn’t growing, neither is the company. More importantly, in a service-based business, the leader must stay engaged, visible, and responsive.
“Your leadership is your lid. Your firm won’t grow beyond you.” — Matthew Davis
🖇️ Resources Mentioned
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DavisBusinessLaw.com – Home of the Strong Protected Business System
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The Art of Preventing Stupid by Matthew Davis
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💬 Meta Summary for Promotion
In this episode of Business Owners Tell All: What It Takes Episodes, attorney and entrepreneur Matthew Davis shares how his Strong Protected Business System helps business owners anticipate risk, plan ahead, and build smarter, stronger companies. From legal lessons to leadership strategy, this episode is packed with insight.
