I work directly with small business owners — on strategy, operations, and AI integration. No junior consultants, no reports that collect dust. Large firms bring frameworks and methodologies. I bring something different: time with you, under the hood of your business, finding what's actually going on.
Bennett Sewell — engineer, MBA, and owner-operator across four countries. I started Sewell Consulting because I wanted to put that experience to work for other owners.
Less putting out fires. More running your business
Who Am I
I'm a civil engineer by training, an MBA by education, and a small business owner by choice — for most of my adult life.
After six years practicing engineering in Dallas and Boston, I traded the drafting table for something harder and more interesting. I co-owned a furniture factory in Romania that exported to the US, UK, Germany and the Netherlands. I ran a technology company there selling hardware and ERP software. Then Argentina called.
I spent 19 years in the Argentine wine industry — six of them living in Mendoza. I founded El Gaucho Winery in the Texas Hill Country, where I poured my Argentine wines, served Argentine-style food cooked over an open fire, and built a business from scratch that I eventually sold on my own terms.
Along the way I learned what most business owners learn the hard way: the problems are usually the same regardless of the industry. Cash flow, operations, marketing, time. And the owner is almost always too close to see them clearly.
That's where I come in.
I started Sewell Consulting to work directly with small business owners — not as an outside expert with a clipboard, but as someone who has sat in your chair, felt the pressure you feel, and found a way through it.
I'm based in Austin. I work with clients anywhere.
What I do
Business Consulting
Small businesses rarely lack ideas. They lack the time and distance to see what's holding them back. I work directly with owners on strategy, operations, and financial performance — practical engagements focused on decisions you can act on.
AI Integration
Most small businesses know AI matters. Few know where to start. I help owners identify where AI creates real value and implement it in ways that are practical, affordable, and actually used.
Wine Sourcing & Trade
19 years in the Argentine wine industry — including six years living in Mendoza. Supplier relationships and market knowledge that can't be found in a directory.
WHO I WORK WITH
My background is in food and beverage — wineries, breweries, distilleries, and restaurants. These are businesses I understand from the inside: the margins, the seasonality, the staffing challenges, the gap between what the product deserves and what the operation delivers. If you own one of these businesses, we'll speak the same language from the first conversation.
Every business reflects the owner who built it — the decisions made, the culture set, the problems left unaddressed. That makes every engagement different. But underneath the specifics, the fundamentals are remarkably consistent: cash flow, operations, people, and direction. Those four things account for most of what's working and most of what isn't, regardless of what you make or sell.
The owners I work best with have usually hit some version of the same wall: the business is running them instead of the other way around. They're good at what they do, but the company has grown past the point where instinct alone is enough. They know something needs to change. They just haven't had the time — or the right outside perspective — to figure out what.
Some of those owners are also thinking about what comes next. If you're looking to exit in the next three to five years, the work starts now. Increasing the value of your business before you sell is not a last-minute project. It requires cleaning up operations, strengthening margins, and making the company less dependent on you — all of which takes time to show up in the numbers a buyer will scrutinize.
If any of that sounds familiar, we should talk.
Let's Talk
The first conversation is straightforward — no pitch, no pressure. I want to understand your business, what's working, and what isn't. If there's a fit, we'll talk about what working together looks like. If there isn't, I'll tell you that too.
Thirty minutes. No obligation.
Before we talk, take a look at how I think
The best client relationships start with alignment — not just on the problem, but on how to approach it. The pieces below represent my point of view on business, leadership, and what actually gets in the way of growth. If they resonate, we're probably a good fit. Just click on the button to read each position paper.
What to Expect
First call: 30 minutes, no agenda but yours
Proposal within one week if there's a fit
You work with me directly — start to finish
Reach Me Directly
Bennett Sewell
Bennett@sewellconsultingatx.com
(512) 699-7499
Austin, TX