Skip the business school debt. Buy a business instead!
Contrarian Camp 2026 compressed what feels like an elite MBA in small business acquisitions into three relentless days of learning from people who have actually done the work. No theories. No academic case studies. Just operators, investors, brokers, finance gurus, and acquisition entrepreneurs sharing the frameworks, strategies, and hard-earned lessons they use to buy, grow, and sell businesses every day. The pace was intense. The content was dense. And every minute was actionable. The price of admission? Worth its weight in gold—and then some. But the biggest asset wasn't the curriculum. It was the room. There's nothing more valuable than surrounding yourself with a community of people who think differently, challenge your assumptions, openly share what works (and what doesn't), SHOUT OUT to: @Rylan Harvey, @Stan Sanchez, @Tia Marciel, @Gunakar Golagana, @Hants White, @Candice Seiger, @Heather & Chris Williams, (not an exhaustive list) WOW, just wow! These great individuals genuinely want to see you succeed, it’s not about them, but YOU. When you're immersed in a room full of buyers, owners, capital providers, and operators, your standards rise, your confidence grows, and your excuses disappear. Because of this community and everything I learned at Camp, I'm reviewing acquisition opportunities through an entirely different lens. I now have my first deal on the table, and instead of wondering if I can evaluate it, I have the confidence, frameworks, tools, and network to move through the process with conviction and speed. That's the real ROI. Contrarian Thinking doesn't just teach you how to buy businesses. It gives you the mindset, the playbooks, and the community to actually become an exceptional owner. If you're serious about acquiring a business, this isn't an expense—it's an investment that pays dividends long after the weekend ends. Sincerely, --The Lumberjack