In this episode, Sarah Tourville sits down with Christian Dodder, founder of Fire Protection Services and longtime EO Atlanta member, to celebrate EO Atlanta’s 30th anniversary and unpack an inspiring entrepreneurial journey.

Christian shares how he transitioned from selling his first company under a non-compete to diving headfirst into the complex, regulation-heavy world of fire and life safety systems with zero prior experience. Discover how he scaled a small mom-and-pop operation into a $12M powerhouse with 77 employees, all while staying focused on his niche: inspections and maintenance, not construction.

We cover:

• Why recurring revenue and regulation made fire safety attractive
• How saying “no” became a competitive advantage
• The power of focus and strategic growth
• Reinventing yourself mid-career
• Scaling leadership and stepping out of the day-to-day

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or looking for your next pivot, this conversation is full of practical insights, real talk, and lessons in building something meaningful from the ground up.

Recorded live in celebration of 30 years of EO Atlanta.