I'm Randy Long, and my career has been built on one idea: someone has to see the whole picture for a business owner. I'm based in Wilmington, North Carolina. I founded Long Family Office, and alongside my daughter Ellen I lead Build Prove Sell. Here's what has my attention right now.
On The Inspired Stories Podcast
I recently sat down with Anthony Codispoti on The Inspired Stories Podcast to talk about the idea my career was built on. You can read the story here or listen to the episode on Spotify.
I genuinely love what we do, and I have no intention of retiring. I continue to grow and add capabilities through being part of Joe Polish's Genius Network, where I get to learn from people like Dan Sullivan. If you're a business owner looking to build a saleable company, you can find me at Build Prove Sell and Long Family Office, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Getting companies ready before the sale
At Build Prove Sell we focus on pre-M&A work. We prepare a company to run so it is always ready for a sale or transition, whether to an outside buyer or the next generation. I built the Bulletproof Exit Process around that. We get the company, and the family, ready, which means getting ahead of tax planning, estate issues, and family dynamics as well as all the company consulting. I tell clients all the time that capital is a coward, and it will flee to a safer place if it senses too much risk in a deal.
Keeping every advisor working together
Accountants and attorneys each have their own specialties and work within their own silos. But someone has to see the issues from the top and make decisions on how and when to move forward. As a business grows, it runs into new problems, new opportunities, and new risks that none of those specialists sees in its entirety. We work with all the professionals and the clients to make sure everyone is working together for the client's best interests and moving the plans for the client forward on a timely basis.
Selling to the right buyer
When it's time to sell, I prefer to work with M&A firms that lean into selling to strategic buyers, rather than to private equity firms. Strategic buyers often pay a much higher multiple because they can use what's special about your business across their existing much larger operations.
Working alongside my daughter Ellen
Ellen has been working alongside me for 12 years. She's a macro planner like me, with a CFP, and she's a great public speaker. We work as a team for our clients, bringing both our perspectives to the table. That experience and my experience practicing law for 30 years has informed how I approach family legacy. I'm very big on making sure estate plans don't create or feed a conflict among children. We want peace and thriving relationships within the family, not just a thriving business. Family unity and shared values are the foundation of any lasting legacy.
Planning for life after the sale
The day an owner sells, the financial picture changes completely. When you live out of a business, a lot of your benefits and expenses are deductible and money moves with flexibility. When you live out of a portfolio, that all goes away: you make the money, you pay the tax, then you pay separately for what some of the benefits and expenses the business used to cover. Also, we spend a lot of time helping families build real net worth outside the company, so the family isn't exposed if something happens to the business before a sale could occur. We want the portfolio ready to do work it never had to do before.
Last updated September 2026.