Jacob Becker has owned and operated eight businesses across multiple industries, making him one of the most experienced serial operators in the self-funded acquisition community. Having built, bought, and sold businesses ranging from service companies to product-based operations, Jacob has developed hard-won playbooks that work across diverse sectors.

At SMBash 2026, Jacob tackles one of the most underserved topics in ETA: what it actually means to be an executive. Drawing on his experience owning and operating eight businesses, he shares how to make the mindset shift from technician to true CEO — covering how to lead teams you didn't hire, how to make decisions under uncertainty, and how to build the habits and systems that define effective executive leadership in an acquired SMB.