MBBI Annual Conference recap: It’s been a few days, and I am still buzzing with the energy from the MBBI Annual Conference, “Grit to Growth: Winning in Uncertain Times,” held January 29, 2026, at Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort in Oak Brook, IL.
If we connected that day, thank you for the conversation. If we missed each other, I genuinely wish we had more time together.
MBBI Annual Conference Recap: Quick Snapshot
Event: MBBI Annual Conference, “Grit to Growth: Winning in Uncertain Times”
When: January 29, 2026
Where: Oak Brook, IL
Who it’s for: Dealmakers and M&A professionals across business brokerage, private equity, lending, advisory, and valuation
Learn more about the conference and the MBBI community here.
What Stood Out to Me
1) The room was built for real work, not just small talk.
There is a difference between networking and building working relationships. The best conversations were specific: who you serve, what you look for, what slows deals down, and what you need to move faster with fewer surprises.
2) “Uncertain times” rewards preparation.
Volatility does not reduce the need for good information. It increases it. Whether you are buying, selling, lending, or advising, the professionals who can quantify risk, document the story, and support decisions with defensible analysis will keep winning.
3) Collaboration is still the multiplier.
Deals move when the right people trust each other and can communicate clearly. Conferences like this compress time. You can have five conversations in a day that would otherwise take five months.
One Takeaway I’m Bringing Back Into My Work
One thing the conference reinforced for me is this: when markets feel uncertain, clean process matters more, not less.
If you’re a business owner, it’s easy to wait for the perfect moment. But the reality is that buyers, lenders, and advisors move faster when the fundamentals are organized. Clear financials. Clear expectations. Clear narrative behind the numbers. That is what reduces friction when timing matters.
If you’re on the deal side, the same principle applies. The professionals who can simplify complexity and keep everyone aligned create momentum. That is where transactions continue to move, even when conditions are not ideal.
I left the conference grateful for the people in this community and motivated to keep building relationships that turn into real collaboration.
Thank You to the Speakers and Organizers
A sincere thank you to featured speakers Steve Morrissette and George Wellmer for bringing strong insight to the day.
And to my co-chair, Jay Steiner, thank you for the months of work that kept everything on track.
Also, thank you to keynote speaker Coach Matt Doherty for being part of a full day built around deal collaboration and a practical perspective.
Sponsors and Support
Events like this happen because of the partners who show up and invest in the community. Thank you to the major sponsors Live Oak Bank and First Internet Bank, as well as Transworld Business Advisors of La Grange for sponsoring the keynote.
And thank you to AMP Business Valuations and Squash CPA for co-sponsoring the conference gift.
If You Want to Connect After the Conference
If we spoke at MBBI and you want to continue the conversation, send me a note and tell me what you are working on right now. One sentence is enough.
If we did not connect, I would still love to meet you. Introduce yourself and share what side of the deal table you are usually on (buyer, seller, lender, advisor, broker, attorney, or investor). I will point you in the right direction, even if it is not me.
If you’re preparing for a transaction and want an objective view of value drivers, take a look at our business valuation services.
Stay in the loop
If we met at the conference and want to follow up, send me a note and remind me where we talked. And if we didn’t meet, introduce yourself and tell me what side of the deal world you sit in. I’m always open to making good connections in this community.
Want to keep up with what I’m sharing? Join the AMP mailing list for updates on valuation, deal readiness, and what helps transactions run cleaner.
