12/09/2025
Meet Tom Burchhardt, Founder of Summit's Way Strategies
Over the last decade, Tom has worked across multiple industries: wine production, craft beverage operations, managing regional sales for a coffee company, and helping startups figure out their early stages.
He loved the work. But he kept seeing the same thing.
Business owners who were experts at their craft, roasting coffee, making wine, building software, running service companies, spent most of their time buried in operations instead of doing what they actually loved.
And most had no idea what their businesses were worth or how to build something they could eventually exit on their terms.
That's when Tom realized his calling wasn't just in business operations. It was in being a guide for business owners trying to build valuable, transferable companies.
He founded Summit's Way Strategies after moving into comprehensive financial planning. Working with families and businesses, he saw the same challenge everywhere: passionate owners needed someone who understood both the business side and the personal goals driving everything.
Someone who would sit on their side of the table with their CPA and attorney. Not as another vendor, but as an advocate making sure everything connects.
Today, Tom helps business owners understand what their companies are worth and what's holding back that value. Then they work together to close the gaps.
He brings genuine curiosity to every conversation because the best strategies come from understanding what actually matters to you, not what a textbook says should matter.
Tom's clients come from all over: restaurants, coffee shops, service businesses, tech startups, insurance agencies, breweries, wineries. The common thread? They're experts in their craft who want to build something valuable while getting back to what they love most.
Success means three things: growth in business value, the ability to focus on what you want in your business, and an exit that gives you what you need for the road ahead.
Every mountain has its own path to the summit. Every business owner's journey is different. But with the right guide and a proven approach, that summit is always within reach.
When he's not working with business owners, you'll find Tom exploring the outdoors with his family, hiking trails and camping under the stars. Those adventures remind him that the best journeys aren't taken alone.
Curious about what your business is worth or what's holding back its value?
