Welcome back to The Ownership Advantage! In this episode, host Tanner sits down with Bart Davis, co-founder and CEO of 512 Financial, to explore what happens when a business you built for freedom starts trapping you instead. Three years ago, Bart was at the center of everything in his company—knowing every client, making every call, and wearing every hat. Fast forward to today: after two acquisitions, national expansion, and explosive growth, Bart can no longer see and touch every part of his business.
Tanner and Bart dive into the deeply personal challenges leaders face when scaling—letting go of control, navigating feelings of letting the team down, and redefining what it means to provide value as an owner. Bart shares candid stories about the terror and relief of handing off responsibilities, the importance of building a strong leadership team, and the tactical moves that made their scaling journey smoother—including how acquisitions accelerated growth and what it takes to integrate new people and cultures.
If you’ve ever wondered how to maintain your mission, lead with transparency, and set bigger goals as your business outgrows you, this episode is packed with actionable insights and honest reflections. Plus, Bart gives practical advice for businesses not quite ready to hire a CFO, and shares his evolving perspective on AI, leadership, and why your dreams for your company should always be bigger than you think.
00:00 ”Navigating Growth and Ownership”
03:31 Scaling Beyond Direct Oversight
09:07 Seasoned Co-Founder Drives Growth
11:44 ”Embracing Time Tracking Necessity”
16:52 Learning Through First Acquisitions
20:13 Accelerant for Growth and Scaling
23:03 ”Critical People Integration in Business”
24:45 Streamlined Onboarding for 512 Employees
30:10 Guaranteed Profit Share Commitment
32:19 Transparency Drives Communication
35:52 Benefits of Fractional Business Services
39:46 Focus on Key Business Metrics
44:54 AI Leadership and Growth Strategy
45:51 Optimizing Workflows With AI
51:59 Celebrating Growth and Future Goals
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