US Air Force Veteran, Russ Long is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and served in the field as a contracting officer. His decision to transition out after five and a half years of active duty led him to founding and operating Long Capture, which is now a multi-million-dollar company assisting tech companies with obtaining DoD opportunities. There are many lessons to be learned in this episode. Enjoy the show and please share the Make Your Move podcast with your fellow veterans.
Summary
A graduate of Air Force Academy, Russ Long obtained his Management Degree and served his country in the contracting field. He explains how he joined the Air Force to see the world yet never left the United States. Working as a deputy to different fight commanders, Russ explains how his work helped the organization as a whole.
The contracting field in the Air Force is a civilian-heavy organization and the bureaucracy can hinder progress on numerous fronts. This along with limited control over his active duty career path led Russ to transition out of the military after five and a half years to focus on his startup, Long Capture.
Russ shares how talking to the right people and groups can help a future entrepreneur transition out of service while starting a new enterprise. The traditional network one may associate with in the military may not be the right group to look for guidance when exploring this post-military career path.
Entrepreneurship has many challenges, including finances, staffing, and business development. Russ shares the challenges he faced during his startup and how scaling up his business occurred only after building a solid foundation.
Russ now enjoys the freedom of working with his team at Long Capture and shares how he finds balance in life and his business. Spending time in the right places is key to his success.
Episode Highlights
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01:15– 00:8:31: US Air Force veteran Russ Long shares his career as a Contracting Officer and the duties associated with the responsibility.
00:8:32 – 00:14:41: Russ discusses how he made the decision to transition out of the service after 5.5 years and how he founded his company, Long Capture which is now a multi-million dollar company assisting tech companies looking to sell to the federal government.
00:14:42 – 00:19:00: Russ shares how obtaining career transition guidance from a traditional military network on entrepreneurship may not be the best avenue when starting a new post-military career enterprise.
00:19:01 – 00:27:06: When it comes to balance, Russ advises people to spend time in the right places and to value your time. He and Gene discuss the importance of reading and how what we learn from reading contributes to life and business success.
Your Move
Show Resources:
There are only two weeks before Christmas. Make Your Move – Charting Your Post-Military Career is a great resource and gift for anyone who is about to or has transitioned out of military service. Order your copy at Amazon.
100% of the proceeds of Make Your Move go to Freedom Fighter Outdoors.
Freedom Fighter Outdoors started as an awareness of the physical, mental, and emotional suffering of the men and women who served our country in the military.
Connect with Gene on LinkedIn for more useful tips and proven strategies to maximize your post-military career success.
Connect with Russ Long here.
Learn about Long Capture here
Order your copy of Million Dollar Influence: How to Drive Powerful Decisions through Language, Leverage, and Leadership at milliondollarinfluence.net
