Issue #23 • August 23rd, 2026

Hi Reader,

Most business owners spend years in the trenches, building, fixing, growing, and rarely stop to ask the bigger question: what does "next" actually look like for this business?

That question is exactly what the Business Transitions Summit was built to answer, and I'm excited to share that I've been named to the Austin 2026 Advisory Board.

What the Business Transitions Summit actually does

This isn't another generic business conference. It's a full day built specifically for owners who are serious about what comes next, whether that's scaling, restructuring, or eventually selling. Every session is designed to be practical, not theoretical, led by people who've actually done the work.

Here's a taste of what's on the agenda:

• Exit planning and the complete process for selling a business
• Building a sales system that's transferable to a new owner
• Minimizing tax consequences of a transaction
• What kills deals during due diligence, and how to fix it before it's too late
• Tying your business and personal financial picture together
• Using AI to strengthen your people strategy

My role

As an Advisory Board member, I've been working behind the scenes with a great group of local leaders and entrepreneurs to make sure this event actually delivers for the owners in the room, not just another day of panels for panels' sake.

The panel I'm leading

I'm hosting a session called Bootstrapped to the Exit: What It Really Takes to Build, Grow, and Sell a Business, joined by two fellow Birthing of Giants fellowship graduates, Chelle Neff of Urban Betty and Marc Bacher of Stuga Floors.

Between the three of us, we've built companies from scratch, without outside capital, and lived through the messy, unglamorous parts of growth that don't usually make it into founder highlight reels. This conversation is about the truth of that journey, not the polished version.

Why this matters if you're a business owner

• Learn what actually makes a business sellable, not just profitable on paper
• Get ahead of the tax and financial landmines that kill deals late in the process
• Build a sales system and operations that don't depend entirely on you
• Hear unfiltered stories from owners who've bootstrapped, scaled, and exited
• Sit in a room full of people wrestling with the same decisions you are

The details

Charles Schwab Campus, Austin, TX
October 6, 2026, 8 AM to 4 PM

If any of this resonates, I'd love to see you there. Use code GIANTS for a discount if you register by August 31st.

Register here: https://bts.zohobackstage.com/BusinessTransitionsSummit-Austin2026​

Mathias Ihlenfeld | Entrepreneur | Coach | Advisor

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