Why NorthStar Exists
Most business owners spend decades building something valuable — and then discover, too late, that the business they built cannot be sold, transitioned, or handed off without enormous loss. Not because it is a bad business. But because no one ever told them what buyers actually look for, or helped them build toward that standard while there was still time to act.
NorthStar Value Group exists to close that gap — by connecting relationship-driven advisors with growth-minded business owners through education, collaboration, and trust. Two platforms. One ecosystem. One mission: help owners build companies worth owning, and help advisors build practices worth having.
"The best outcomes for business owners happen when the right advisors are in the room — early, educated, and working together."
— Ray Croff, Founder & CEO
The People Who Built This
Two practitioners with decades of real-world experience — one who built and exited businesses, one who scaled them. Together, they created the ecosystem that connects advisors and owners in a way that actually works.
Ray Croff
Mobius Financial Advisors · CEPA · CVGA
Ray Croff is the founder of the Trusted Advisor Collaborative and CEO of Northstar Value Group. He is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and Certified Value Growth Advisor (CVGA) with over 15 years of experience working directly with business owners on value building, succession planning, and exit strategy.
Ray's perspective is shaped by something most advisors lack: he has been on the other side of the table. As a former business owner who ran a company with employees, equipment, and real estate, he understands the complexity, the emotional weight, and the financial stakes of transitioning a business — not just as a concept, but as a lived experience.
That firsthand knowledge led Ray to develop the Owner's Roundtable — a structured educational process for helping business owners understand and increase the value of their companies. From that foundation, he created the Get A Grip program, a 6-module roundtable series that has helped business owners across the country prepare for growth, transition, and exit.
In 2020, Ray was named one of the best CEPAs in the United States and served as Dallas Chapter President of the Exit Planning Institute. He previously built and led the Advisors Edge platform, which connected advisors with business owner clients through education-first roundtables. The Trusted Advisor Collaborative is the next evolution of that work — a fully modernized, team-based platform built under Northstar Value Group.
Credentials & Recognition
- ◆CEPA — Certified Exit Planning Advisor
- ◆CVGA — Certified Value Growth Advisor
- ◆Dallas EPI Chapter President
- ◆Named One of the Best CEPAs in the U.S. (2020)
Patrick K. Smith
Growth Architect & CMO · Relationship Marketing
Patrick K. Smith is the Chief Marketing Officer for Northstar Value Group, the Trusted Advisor Collaborative, and the Business Owner Platform. As a Growth Architect and CMO, he brings over 40 years of real-world business scaling experience — from managing 100-door truck docks to building multi-state real estate firms averaging millions in annual sales.
Patrick's philosophy is simple: a business should serve its owner, not the other way around. He pioneered "Relationship Marketing" principles in the 1990s — principles that remain the foundation of how the TAC builds trust with business owners today. He combines those time-tested frameworks with the most advanced AI-powered growth tools available, helping advisors and business owners organize their models, automate the busy work, and build companies that run independently of their daily presence.
In 2013, a serious automobile accident forced Patrick to step back from his businesses. His recovery attorney recognized the power of the marketing and growth systems Patrick had built — and asked if he could replicate them for other clients. That moment became the spark for his current work: helping business owners build systems that scale without them, and creating assets valuable enough to sell.
At the TAC, Patrick architects the marketing infrastructure that gives advisors a consistent, professional presence — from automated follow-up systems and content libraries to AI-powered outreach tools and the brand identity that positions every TAC team as a trusted authority in their market.
Expertise & Background
- ◆Growth Architecture & Systems Design
- ◆Relationship Marketing (since the 1990s)
- ◆AI-Powered Business Automation
- ◆40+ Years of Real-World Business Scaling
"Guiding Advisors. Empowering Owners. Creating Legacies."
— The NorthStar Value Group Mission
Ready to Find Your Direction?
Whether you are an advisor looking to grow your practice or a business owner ready to build real value, your next step starts here.