Scaling a 7-Figure Service Business Without Losing Client Trust – Leadership Lessons with Lem Garcia

Scaling a service business to seven figures is a challenge many entrepreneurs face. The key to sustainable growth isn’t just acquiring more clients—it’s about building trust, creating a client-centered experience, and mastering leadership. In this episode of the Catalytic Leadership Podcast, Dr. William Attaway sits down with Lem Garcia, founder of Lem Garcia Law, to discuss how he grew his law firm from a solo practice to a multimillion-dollar business without compromising quality or client relationships.

Lem shares powerful leadership lessons on delegation, business scaling, and reputation management, offering valuable insights for entrepreneurs, agency owners, and service-based business leaders. He emphasizes the importance of personal branding, team-building, and delivering exceptional service in a competitive industry. Whether you’re an agency owner, coach, or business leader, this episode provides actionable strategies to scale without sacrificing the trust that drives long-term success.

If you want to transition from being a service provider to becoming a CEO, lead with impact, and create a business that thrives without you micromanaging every detail, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Lem Garcia

Follow Lem Garcia Law on Instagram @lemgarcialaw or reach out via email at lem@lemgarcialaw.com.

Books Mentioned:

• "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction & Guest Background
• 3:49 From Solo Practice to a 7-Figure Business
• 9:22 Leadership Growth: The CEO Mindset Shift
• 15:07 Client-Centered Business Growth Strategies
• 20:27 Overcoming Industry Misconceptions & Building Trust
• 25:52 Delegation & Scaling Without Losing Personal Touch
• 31:17 Final Insights & Leadership Advice for Entrepreneurs

Transcript

Dr. William Attaway: 0:37

It is such an honor today to have Lem Garcia on the podcast. Lem is the owner and lead attorney at Lem Garcia Law, one of Southern California's fastest growing personal injury firms. Known for his client-centered approach and dedication to securing substantial settlements, lem has built a multi-million dollar firm from the ground up, starting with limited resources and a big vision. He's a true role model, especially for Filipino Americans in the legal field, and is passionate about making personal injury law more compassionate, transparent and accessible. Lim, I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for being on the show.

Lem Garcia: 1:17

Thanks for having me so happy to be here.

Dr. William Attaway: 1:20

I think it's going to be a great conversation. I've been looking forward to this one.

Lem Garcia: 1:23

I am too.

Intro/Outro: 1:25

Welcome to Catalytic Leadership, the podcast designed to help leaders intentionally grow and thrive. Here is your host, author and leadership and executive coach, Dr William Attaway.

Dr. William Attaway: 1:42

So let's start with this. I would love for you to share some of your story with our listeners, particularly around your journey and your development as a leader. How did you get started?

Lem Garcia: 1:53

Well, I started the practice in 2014 just by myself, no employees and then, I think a year later, was able to hire somebody and then since then, it's just kind of just been doubling in size as far as the staff goes, and now we're at 20 staff members. So, yeah, my journey as a leader has been very fulfilling and, I think, really challenging for me. I just started off by myself and really no, really no background of managing a team at another workplace. Just, you know, I was working as a legal assistant and then I went to school and then I started my practice a couple of years afterwards and I just kind of learned along the way, read a bunch of books and just applied them at work and just really tried to apply everything that I learned from all the books that I've read. And, yeah, it's just been, it's been very rewarding and fulfilling.

Dr. William Attaway: 2:48

That's pretty remarkable. I mean to start, you know, just over 10 years ago with just you, and to already build a team of that size in a multimillion dollar practice. I would imagine that it's probably just been straight up into the right right. There's been no hiccups or challenges, no big issues.

Lem Garcia: 3:07

No, there were a lot of big hiccups and challenges along the way. I think as far as just profits go, it was challenging during COVID, but besides that, things have been on a steady pace upward. I think the biggest challenge that I had was just growing as a leader, really listening to the team and what they were looking for and really focusing less on the business, as like helping clients and getting more clients, and more of growing the staff, growing the team, learning what they need from me as a leader. And then I really just saw that leading by example is probably the most important thing from start to finish. As long as I just lead by example, I think that the team follows after that.

Dr. William Attaway: 3:57

I love that you keyed in on the role that you have as the leader to be that example, but also into what I think is a leader's superpower way too seldom used, and that's listening, listening to the team, hearing what they're saying, seeing them as actual 3D human beings. Too few leaders do that, I'm afraid, and I love that you keyed in on that as part of what you've learned so far in the journey.

Lem Garcia: 4:21

I think ultimately, everything comes down really to listening and responding to that. You have to get the feedback just from helping clients to the team here and managing the team. You're really just listening to everybody, because people do give feedback and you just really, if they're not assertive all the time, you just really have to pick up on the cues of what they're trying to tell. You really just pause and reflect on it and say, hey, I think they want this from me. How can I deliver that for them? Will it be a client or a staff member? Like, how can I give that to them so that everyone's experience is just more fulfilling and enriched by what we do?

Dr. William Attaway: 5:03

You know the field that you're in in personal injury law. There's a lot of opinions and perceptions around what that is and, I imagine, quite a few misconceptions that people have as you deal with that. What are some of those things that people look at what you're doing and they have those misconceptions. What are some of those? And are there things that you would love people to know about what leadership looks like in your context?

Lem Garcia: 5:28

Well, the misconception I think in our field I guess a popular term is ambulance chaser or that we just were here and we just, you know it's all about quantity versus actually providing service and it's just one file after the next, the same clients, as just a file number even opened.

Lem Garcia: 5:55

The practice was to kind of dispel these myths that lawyers are that way that we're not approachable, that we're not friendly, that we're not helpful, when really we're here for people when we're in a time of need and they need us the most and we're here to help guide them through a really challenging, difficult time in their life, when the insurance company the other side is trying to give them the least amount of money to settle their case and we're here on their side fighting for them when the insurance company really isn't on their side, really isn't being a good neighbor and wants to pay them pennies on the dollar what their cases were. So attorneys personal injury attorneys are really here to help the public. We give free advice and we just want to guide clients from start to finish and give them peace of mind that they will get compensated what they deserve if they just follow our lead on their case, giving back on being open-handed, with the generosity, the advice that you're sharing.

Dr. William Attaway: 6:54

But something else stands out about you and when I was researching you we were talking about doing this episode together. One of the things that stood out was a couple of words that do not typically go along with being an attorney your commitment to compassionate, client-centered care. I live outside DC, which feels like the lawyer capital of the known universe. Right, I mean, you can't really throw a rock without hitting one around here. Compassionate, client-centered care I've got to tell you that is not something that I have associated with attorneys, and seeing that in what you're building really, really jumped out. Can you tell me about that and why that's such a value? And seeing that in what you're building really, really jumped out.

Lem Garcia: 7:37

Can you tell me about that and why that's such a value? No-transcript focus on their needs. So hopefully, with what we do in our focus, by doing that we deliver that and then in turn, the competition sees that and says you know what? Maybe we should improve the way we handle things, focus more on the client, make their experience the best as possible, because people really deserve that. They're in a tight spot and they deserve to have someone that is going to guide them and listen to them what their needs are and deliver that, not just in a legal sense, but also just being there for someone that's going to listen to their problems and come up with a solution for them. So we've been focused on focusing on that and I think that's a big reason why you know we've been able to be so successful is that we really focus on providing the clients the best service possible and then also, at the end, the best results possible. I mean, the results are not just what it's all about. It's also about the service they receive from the beginning to the end.

Dr. William Attaway: 9:00

You know that reminds me of what one of my mentors told me years ago, that you want to criticize by creating. Get on the solution side of the problem. If you see a hole or a gap in culture in your industry, whatever it is, don't just be critical of it. Create the solution. And that sounds like what you're doing in the field. And this is one of the reasons I was looking forward to talking, because I think that is what really makes a catalytic leader stand out when you are saying, hey, I want to get on the solution side of this. I want to create something that other people will be inspired by enough to move toward it themselves. That's what it feels like you're doing in the personal injury world. Have you seen that? Have you seen other firms, other attorneys, kind of leaning in as they watch what you're doing?

Lem Garcia: 9:51

Yeah, I think so. I think I've been seeing that when I started in 2014,. Yeah, that was really a big thing. What you said is that, instead of just complaining, just really be a part of the solution, and I wanted to be a part of that solution where we're providing a service to the public. People have a resource that they can go to for guidance with a firm that's going to be friendly, approachable, a firm that where you can call and you know you're going to have someone that's really listening to you and looking to help you with your case and give you what you're looking for really, and I wanted to deliver that kind of just improve, maybe just anything. Improve the industry a little bit, maybe just anything to improve the industry a little bit.

Lem Garcia: 10:35

I think that's happened because in 2014, firms weren't really focused on getting reviews online and I saw that gap there that like, okay, I think things are changing. People are more on their phone more often, Google reviews are getting more popular, Yelp reviews are getting more popular. Let me deliver a great service and results, get a bunch of reviews online, and I think it'll be a good resource for the public, but then also just kind of improve how things are being handled, Because if we're getting cases in the area and things aren't, you know, other firms are kind of impacted by that or they're even seeing us grow. They'll say, hey, what are they doing over there? And they'll see our you know our presence, our marketing material and maybe it'll cause them to say, hey, you know, maybe we should improve the service that we're delivering so that we can build a better business for ourselves.

Dr. William Attaway: 11:30

You know, often with growth and you have experienced a significant amount of growth in the last decade with growth comes the temptation and often the tendency to become more distant, more corporate, less personal. Doing as the leader, as the owner, to make sure that growth does not compromise the quality of what you and your team do and the personal touch that is inherent in, like you say, in those moments when people come to you and they're in pain, they have been injured, how have you ensured that growth doesn't cause you to lose what makes that special?

Lem Garcia: 12:13

We do that by always just focusing on the personal touch, on the connection with the client and the quality that we're delivering. We're not always focused on growth. Growth needs to expand. We need to grow because you have to deliver the type of service that we're delivering consistently. You just can't grow at the fastest speed because then the results begin to suffer. So the focus is always on just delivering the best service possible, the quality and keeping that connection with with the clients. And yeah, that's it's. It's a bit of a push and pull where if you grow then you start to lose it, but as long as we continue to focus on just having that connection with clients, that's the most important thing the growth can come second. We don't need to take over the whole California, we just need to make sure that we're helping one client at a time.

Dr. William Attaway: 13:09

I love that A lot of the people listening to this episode are entrepreneurs. They are starting something or have started something and as they are building and growing, are there things that you have learned as you have been building your practice from scratch that you think would be helpful for them to hear, as they are in a similar vein in a building season?

Lem Garcia: 13:31

When you're building really just have to stay positive and be willing to make sacrifices, knowing that things will work out in the end. If you don't believe that things will work out, that you start thinking negatively, then you're not going to be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that your business goes in the right direction. So just continue to think positive, make the sacrifices and just keep your head down and keep pushing.

Dr. William Attaway: 14:01

That's good advice, no matter what you're doing. I love that there are aspiring lawyers who come from so many different backgrounds, many of them underrepresented backgrounds. Given where you have been and where you are and where you see yourself going, what advice would you give to them about carving out a path in the legal field while still staying true to their heritage and their values?

Lem Garcia: 14:28

I think ultimately that just comes down to being a genuine, authentic person, being yourself at all times. Don't try to meet other people's expectations of you. Just stay true to who you are and that's going to come across in your marketing and in your personal interactions with people. And I think ultimately people really just trust people that are genuine, authentic people. They're not putting up a facade of who they are, they're just stay true to who they really are and represent their heritage and their cultural background, and just that really just helps build the trust. If you start to lose that, then I think you just people might see that and then they say, well, I'm not really sure there's something missing, like I'm not getting that, I'm not really getting who that person is. So just stay true to yourself.

Dr. William Attaway: 15:20

Love that. You know you have to lead in a different way, at a higher level, today than you did five years ago, and that same thing is going to be true five years from now. How do you stay on top of your game? How do you level up with the new leadership skills that your practice, your clients, your team are going to need you to have in the coming years?

Lem Garcia: 15:45

I think it's always just looking forward in a way where you're not complacent and you're always just reflecting on yourself, looking at it like, okay, well, let's not get too high, let's not get too low, let's not bask in any kind of success or get down on any kind of failures that we've had. Just kind of stay level-headed. Okay, what am I doing right, what am I doing wrong? Doing a constant self-assessment and saying, okay, well, the things that we're doing right, let's keep on doing that. But just really looking at it in an honest way, like, where can we improve, where can I improve? And do that Because I think to get to the next level, it's going to require a different version of yourself, like someone that hasn't gone this far.

Lem Garcia: 16:25

So you're going to have to learn new skills, maybe change who you are, in a way that says, okay, well, if I tone back at this, then I can take the next step. You just have to really look at yourself closely and say, okay, what version of me is going to need to come out so that we can take the next step?

Dr. William Attaway: 16:46

That's great, you know, if you could go back 15, 20 years and have a conversation with yourself. Given what you know now, what would you love to go back and?

Lem Garcia: 16:58

tell yourself Well, that's a tough one. I think if I went back and told myself, don't worry, things are going to be okay, then I wouldn't work as hard. I feel like when I was I'm 42, so 27 years old If I told myself when I entered law school like, hey, things are going to be okay, then maybe I don't work as hard, Maybe I don't spend 12 hours in the library, Maybe.

Lem Garcia: 17:21

I don't read more books that I need to read. Maybe I don't go to more conferences than I need to go to, so that's hard. I wouldn't want to give myself that reassurance at that age that things are going to be okay, that I think it would take away from the hustle and the grind of everything. That's what first comes up when you ask me that, like 15 years ago, I was really just filled with worry and anxiety about what was going to come next and say, okay, I got to figure this out, because now it's just entering law school, right, and I don't even know if I was going to come next and say, okay, I got to figure this out, because now it's just entering law school, right, and I don't even know if I was going to graduate, pass the bar, so yeah, and going back, then maybe I would just tell myself just to keep on working hard, that's it Good advice, yeah, and not say it's going to be okay. I'll just say you got to work hard and and they're like, all right, keep your shoulder down.

Lem Garcia: 18:14

Yeah.

Dr. William Attaway: 18:16

I like that. You are a continual learner and that's come up in our conversations so far. I'm curious if there's a book that has made a really big difference in your journey that you would recommend to the leaders who are listening.

Lem Garcia: 18:29

Yeah, there's a couple books I think that I read 15 years ago. The first one that comes to mind is Success Principles, I think, by Jack Canfield, the author of the Chicken Soup for the Soup series. Yeah, so he wrote a book called Success Principles just goes over different ideas. I love that book, really helpful. Read it several times. And then another one by Rick Warren Purpose Driven Life Great book, also 15 years ago. Great book Really just helps you reflect and think about what's important to you and what you need to do to fulfill your purpose.

Dr. William Attaway: 19:05

I love how that book starts Memory serves. The first line in that book is it's not about you, it's about way more than just you. I love that perspective and that is what I hear so much in what you've been saying. This isn't just about building your dream, your kingdom, here. This isn't just about growth and a bigger practice. This is about being able to serve more people in that compassionate way, in that client-centered, caring way, and I got to tell you if ever I needed a personal injury attorney, you're the guy I'd want to call, because it sounds like you are the person who would actually listen and who would care, and I would imagine many of our listeners feel the same.

Lem Garcia: 19:54

Thank you, I appreciate that very much.

Dr. William Attaway: 19:57

I mean, you're in California and I'm in Virginia, so I doubt that would work. But you know, Hopefully you never need anybody. That's right, right. This is the thing you hope, right, and this has been such a fantastic conversation. I've so enjoyed talking with you and hearing some of your story and what you've learned so far. I know our listeners are going to want to stay connected to you and continue to learn from you and more about what you're doing. What's the best way for them to do that?

Lem Garcia: 20:22

Well, you can follow us on Instagram at Lem Garcia Law, and you can also just contact me, email me, lem, at lemgarcialawcom.

Dr. William Attaway: 20:31

We'll have all those links in the show notes Lem, thank you for your time, your generosity today and sharing from your journey, and I cannot wait to see what's next for you.

Lem Garcia: 20:41

Thank you so much for having me.

Dr. William Attaway: 20:43

Thanks for joining me for this episode today. As we wrap up, I'd love for you to do two things. First, subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode, and if you find value here, I'd love it if you would rate it and review it. That really does make a difference in helping other people to discover this podcast. Second, if you don't have a copy of my newest book, catalytic Leadership, I'd love to put a copy in your hands. If you go to catalyticleadershipbookcom, you can get a copy for free. Just pay the shipping so I can get it to you and we'll get one right out.

Dr. William Attaway: 21:19

My goal is to put this into the hands of as many leaders as possible. This book captures principles that I've learned in 20 plus years of coaching leaders in the entrepreneurial space, in business, government, nonprofits, education and the local church. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn to keep up with what I'm currently learning and thinking about. If you're ready to take a next step with a coach to help you intentionally grow and thrive as a leader, I'd be honored to help you. Just go to catalyticleadershipnet to book a call with me. Stay tuned for our next episode next week. Until then, as always, leaders choose to be catalytic.

Intro/Outro: 22:03

Thanks for listening to Catalytic Leadership with Dr William Attaway. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss the next episode. Want more? Go to catalyticleadershipnet.