When Daniel Matalon arrived in Atlanta in 2003, he had no money, no cell phone, and no clear path forward. He was coming off multiple rounds of treatment centers and barely had the energy to get dressed each morning. Today, he runs A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, one of the most respected bail bond companies in the Southeast with locations across Georgia and Alabama. This is the story of how it happened.
In the latest episode of the Justice Unfiltered podcast, Daniel sat down with his brother, Ryan Matalon (COO), and Director of Operations, Jesse Fellabaum, to share the real, unfiltered story behind the company. No PR spin. No polished corporate narrative. Just three men talking about failure, persistence, and what it actually takes to build something from nothing.
The Early Days: Go Phones and QuikTrip Copies
“I didn’t even have a cell phone when I came to Atlanta,” Daniel shared during the episode.
His first phone after arriving was an AT&T Go Phone. You know the kind. You pay a set amount, and when the minutes run out, you’re done talking until you find more money. There were weeks when friends and family couldn’t reach him because he simply couldn’t afford to reload the phone. The bar was low. Waking up, taking a shower, and putting on clothes felt like an accomplishment.
His first job? Digging holes for a landscaping company. He came home covered in dirt with more ant bites than sense. From there, he moved into hotel work before eventually finding his way into the bail bond industry through a mentor, Charles Shaw, in Gwinnett County.
By March 2007, A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds was born.
Starting a Business with Nothing
The early days of A 2nd Chance were scrappy. Daniel called Comcast to set up a landline at his house, then immediately forwarded it to his MetroPCS cell phone. That phone stayed with him everywhere. The landline never rang again.
His office supplies? A cheap receipt book from CVS (the carbon copy kind that costs four or five bucks) and access to the copy machine at the QuikTrip near the Cobb County Jail. Copies were ten cents each.
“Sometimes, dude, I’d walk around with the bank bag for a week,” Daniel recalled. “Couldn’t even make a deposit.”
His very first bond was a DUI case in the City of Marietta. The client had called both his wife and his girlfriend to pick him up. They both showed up. At the same time. In the lobby.
Welcome to the bail bond business.
Ryan Matalon: The Brother Who Became the COO
Ryan Matalon graduated from the College of Charleston in May 2008 with plans to flip houses. Then the housing market collapsed.
He went to Italy to pick up a cousin studying abroad, while Daniel was back in Atlanta hustling to keep the business alive. When Ryan returned, Daniel had an opportunity waiting for him.
“I was disappointed that my older brother, I’m probably gonna have to take care of him for the rest of my life,” Ryan admitted on the podcast. “The irony is, he ended up saving me by giving me a job.”
Ryan came in making about $10 an hour under the table with a contractor. Daniel gave him something better. A purpose.
When Ryan walked into A 2nd Chance, there was no system for collecting on payment plans. No calendar. No follow-up process. If someone owed money after getting bonded out, nobody was calling to collect it.
Ryan fixed that. He bought a desk calendar and started writing names on each day. Every Friday, he made calls. He took notes like “Don’t let Jimmy tell you he’s not paying. Last week he said he was gonna pay.”
That simple system evolved into something much bigger. While competitors were still using carbon paper and 13-page forms that had to be mailed to Office Depot for printing, Ryan pushed the company toward digital solutions.
“Our competitors are on carbon paper while we’re on iPads,” Ryan used to tell people. “That’s the difference.”
Jesse Fellabaum: From Brandsmart to Bail Bonds
Jesse Fellabaum was selling televisions at Brandsmart USA when he first met Daniel and Ryan. Ryan came in one day trying to negotiate a discount on a Bose stereo. Those were price-protected items. No discounts allowed. Jesse held firm.
Apparently, that was some kind of test.
A week later, Jesse sat down with Daniel at a Taco Mac in Kennesaw. He hard-negotiated $17 an hour to join the team. At the time, Daniel was probably paying $10 to $11 an hour for most positions.
“I know what I’m worth,” Jesse remembered thinking. “And I’m not coming for less than 17.”
Jesse joined in September 2010 and is now approaching 15 years with the company. He admits he walked in knowing absolutely nothing about bail bonds. Zero. If you threw him into a Chipotle, he could figure out how to make chicken. But bail bonds? That was a different story.
He learned from Daniel, Ryan, and an admin named Lynda, who immersed him in the details.
Today, he oversees operations and has built what he calls “the best team in the business.”
The Loyalty Factor at A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds
One word kept coming up throughout the podcast conversation: loyalty.
Daniel is loyal to a fault. Ryan and Jesse both acknowledged that he holds onto people longer than he probably should. Employees who may have been let go years ago get another chance. And another. And sometimes a fifth.
There’s a reason for that.
“There were days that were so dark,” Daniel said. “It was so easy just to be like, done.”
His own experience at rock bottom shaped how he leads. He knows what it feels like to have nothing and to need someone to believe in you anyway.
One employee, Kyle Wallon, has been with the company for over 10 years. He has a tattoo of the A 2nd Chance logo on his arm. According to Jesse, Kyle should have been fired at least a dozen times in the early days. But Daniel kept giving him chances.
“He believes that we gave him a second chance at life,” Jesse explained. “That’s his passion.”
That’s not an isolated story. The entire culture at A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds is built around the idea that people can change. People deserve opportunities. And showing up matters more than almost anything else.
From Family to Team: How the Business Evolved
In the early days, A 2nd Chance operated like a family. That was even part of the core values. But as the business grew, that mindset created challenges.
The company eventually shifted its language from “family” to “team.” The distinction matters.
Anyone can be a member of a team. The Atlanta Braves roster is full of people who aren’t related to each other. But they all believe in the mission. They all show up. They all contribute.
When you call everyone family, it becomes harder to make tough decisions. And in a business where people are sitting in jail waiting for help, those decisions matter.
Technology: Staying Ahead of the Competition
One of the biggest factors in the company’s growth has been its willingness to embrace technology early.
When COVID hit in 2020, A 2nd Chance already had its digital infrastructure in place. They didn’t scramble to adapt. They were ready.
Daniel is the first to admit he’s not the technology guy. But he’s smart enough to know he needs to stay ahead of it.
“When you don’t, you get behind the 8-ball,” he said. “You get swallowed eventually.”
The transformation from handwritten forms and yellow pages to digital contracts and online systems has been massive. It’s also been a competitive advantage. While other bail bond companies were still operating the old way, A 2nd Chance was already moving faster.
Giving Back: The A Second Chance Community Foundation
Community involvement isn’t a marketing strategy for Daniel. It’s what drives him.
“The funnest part about being at the top of A Second Chance has been the community piece,” he said. “Being able to go out and give back.”
The company partners with local sheriff’s offices for school events beyond the typical backpack drives. They show up to read to students. They support law enforcement. They put their money where their mouth is.
A sheriff recently told Daniel that the most valuable thing he gives is his time. Anyone can write a check. Showing up for eight hours, following up, meeting with people afterward, that’s different.
The A Second Chance Community Foundation already exists, but Daniel plans to expand its presence significantly in 2026. It’s a passion project that represents everything he believes in.
What’s Next for A 2nd Chance
The company has grown to include A 2nd Chance Monitoring for electronic monitoring services alongside the bail bonds operation. Locations now span Georgia and Alabama with plans for more.
When asked about national expansion, Daniel didn’t hesitate.
“100 percent,” he said. “Lots of plans on many fronts across all A2C brands.”
He’s been quiet about the details because he doesn’t believe in talking about things until they’re done. But there’s a deal he’s been working on for 10 months that involves an entire state of business. Major undertaking. Still in progress. But happening.
After 19 years, Daniel says his energy level is just as high as it was on day one. The team has grown. The systems have evolved. But the mission remains the same.
Everyone deserves a second chance.
The Legacy: He Showed Up
When asked what sentence he hopes people use to describe his legacy, Daniel didn’t have an immediate answer. So Jesse jumped in.
“He showed up. That’s it. I think it’s as simple as that.”
Jesse shared a personal story that captured exactly what that means. When his father passed away shortly after Jesse started working at A 2nd Chance, Daniel somehow figured out where the family was gathering in Virginia. Before Jesse even arrived, there were flowers waiting as a memorial.
“I knew instantly I’d found where I want to end my days working,” Jesse said.
That’s the A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds origin story. Not a polished corporate timeline. Not a list of achievements. Just three men who showed up when it mattered, stuck together through the hard parts, and built something that gives other people the same chance they got.
Listen to the Full Episode
Hear the complete conversation on the Justice Unfiltered podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.
📻 Atlanta’s ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station: Xtra 106.
About Justice Unfiltered
Justice Unfiltered is presented by A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds on Extra 106.3, Atlanta’s only conservative news and talk station. The podcast features candid conversations with law enforcement leaders, attorneys, elected officials, and community voices. Topics include bail reform, court processes, public safety, and the justice system.
A 2nd Chance Monitoring provides electronic monitoring and alcohol monitoring services across Georgia and Alabama, helping defendants stay compliant while awaiting trial.
