Who We Are
Business Counsellors
John Dahl is the founder of Business Counsellors. He is an entrepreneur, business developer, business owner and attorney. His unique understanding of what it takes to own, grow, and manage growing businesses is what he brings to Business Counsellors’ clients.
John started his first business at 11, and hasn’t stopped since. Before college or law school, John created, and operated numerous businesses and successfully sold two of them. He specializes in overall legal and business strategy, is a creative problem solver, and leverages his experience and professional skills to accomplish anything he sets his mind to. When developing the nation’s first contiguous VoIP long distance network ION Communications John saved $12.5 million in infrastructure investment by negotiating exclusive agreements with existing videoconference networks for their unused bandwidth. He was able to negotiate and secure financing for a profitable sale of the business during the WorldCom crisis and the market tech bubble bursting, which was arguably the worst time in history for .coms and telecos. John created a business environment at his call center AccelTel which kept turnover 18% below industry average resulting in a savings of over $200k annually onboarding new hires. He negotiated the profitable sale of this business in conjunction with ION Communications as its marketing wing.
More recently John has worked with cutting edge engineering Co-Creation platforms and the IP issues associated with their use. John has also been involved with nationwide retail launches in permanent locations and temporary roadshow applications. John has managed company growth in businesses from $0-5MM in revenue in less than one year, and growth from 8 to over 200 employees in less than 6 months. He is well versed in all aspects of business, and as such is a valuable resource for any organization.
John holds a B.S. in finance from the W. P. Carey School of Business, a MBA from San Diego State University and a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. John is an incredibly resourceful, self-motivated professional with excellent legal, strategic, problem solving, and technical skills in a wide variety of fields.
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Recommendations
Derrick Mains
I have had the pleasure of working with John for nearly five years, and I can confidently say that he is an exceptional leader, attorney, and business partner.
One of John's greatest strengths is his diverse set of experiences. He brings much more to the table than just legal expertise. John has an entrepreneurial angle to his thinking that makes him a valuable resource when making business decisions. He has a keen understanding of the broader business landscape and can provide boards and business leaders insightful advice beyond just the legal aspects of a situation. This makes him a trusted advisor rather than just a counsel.
John has consistently demonstrated excellent communication skills, professionalism, and a strong work ethic throughout the years we have worked together. His attention to detail and dedication to achieving the best possible outcome for his clients is unparalleled. John's ability to build strong relationships with clients and colleagues alike makes him an asset to any team.
I am confident that John would be a great addition to any business or legal team, and I wholeheartedly recommend him without reservation.
Clint Lotz
Having been in business myself for over 10 years, I've had the opportunity to work with all types of attorneys. But when I started working with John, I was blown away. He has experience in Law yes, but as a previous Entrepreneur John sees things from multiple angles. When presented a situation or problem, he carefully considers all sides and advisies you as such.
Any attorney can 'worst case' is for you, John does that but also gives you all the alternatives. He can put himself in your shoes, because he's likely been in a similar situation. That's the kind of people you want to have around you, those that are not just thinking about the worst possible outcome. They are thinking about your business as if it were their own and what they would do.
It's an entirely different experience working with John. He's a wealth of knowledge with all his experience and education yet somehow has always remained approachable, open and honest.
If you are seeking excellent legal guidance for your business or are looking for someone who can really help with strategy or board work, John is the one.
Truly one of the most talented and professional people I've ever had the pleasure of working with.
Bryan Anderson
Let there be no doubt that without John and other risk taking entrepreneurs that were willing my to take on the big communication giants, we might still be paying 10 cents a minute for long distance. If you are looking for an Executive with the ability to think outside the box, ask why, create, implement, and make positive changes, John is that leader.
Aurélien François
…right around the time the company started partnering with established companies and organizations such as BMW, Domino’s Pizza, GE or Rapid Equipping Force to name a few. His legal expertise and insight played a determining role in materializing several of these contracts. Furthermore, his interpersonal skills and adaptability led him to take on successfully “Project Manager” and later “Director of Retail Operations and Licensing” roles. John is definitely a valuable professional you want on your team.
Lee Herge
John brings a diverse skillset allowing him the ability to recognize paths to success and roadblocks along the way. He has led e-commerce efforts at [Company] and worked in business development and project management for its white label business. His experience in retail both at [Company] and as an entrepreneur along with his legal background and MBA would provide valuable for any size company from startup to global multinational.