Author Archives: Rusty Rueff

About Rusty Rueff

Rusty Rueff, author of purposed worKING. Rusty Rueff is the former Chairman Emeritus of The GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles. He most recently completed the successful 16 month leadership role as Coordinating National Co-Chair for Technology for Obama (T4O) for the reelection of President Obama and ten-years of Board service and President of the Board of Trustees of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Corporately, most recently Rueff was the Chief Executive Officer at SNOCAP, Inc. until the acquisition of the company by imeem, Inc. in April 2008. Before joining SNOCAP in 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Electronic Arts (EA) from 1998 until 2005. He was also with the PepsiCo companies for more than ten years, with the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies for two years, and in commercial radio as an on-air personality for six years. Rusty holds an M.S. in counseling and a B.A. in radio and television from Purdue University. In 2003 he was named a distinguished Purdue alumnus, and he and his wife, Patti, are the named benefactors of Purdue’s Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. He is a corporate director of Glassdoor.com and runcoach. He is the co-founder and Executive Committee Member of T4A.org, serves on the Founding Circle of The Centrist Project and a founding Board Member of The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition. He is also the co-author of the book Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business. Rusty and his wife, Patti, reside in Hillsborough, CA and Charlestown, R.I.

day 2305: Ripple Seats

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 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”

For both live theater performances and live music concerts, venues will reserve what they call “Ripple Seats”.  These are the seats, front two to three rows, center.  They are reserved to be sold to the most ardent and excited fans.  The top-grossing Broadway (and now global hit) show Hamilton, does a lottery for these seats and then sells them at some ridiculous low price like $10.  That’s a big difference than Row C center where the patrons might have paid $10,000 (yes, some have).  So, why sell Ripple Seats?  Well, when a live artist is looking for energy to feed from, having those fans who know every word in front of them, makes a huge difference. And, those in the Ripple Seats send an energy back and through the rest of the audience.  Sometimes, it is as simple as those close up, by example, giving everyone else the permission to clap, stand, dance or cheer!  Who sits in the Ripple Seats of your company?  Do you know who the ardent and passionate fans and followers are?  Are you giving them front row access to your best and “new”?  Consider, that Ripple Seats are packed with power, when filled!

The first shall be last.  The last shall be first.  Jesus’ teaching runs counter to all that we know and experience daily.  But, He certainly isn’t asking us to be last in speaking up for Him and not to be making our own ripples of His love, grace and mercy.  I remember from childhood a poster that said “Enthusiasm is Contagious”.  Maybe that is what God is calling for us to be for Him today, a little more enthusiastic about Him and to create a few ripples. The beauty is that we can create those ripples from any seat we have been given.

Reference: Matthew 20:16 (New Living Translation)