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 879: Capital: Part One – Input

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“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth”

I’m working with a number of companies who are are obtaining their next round of capital funding to support their business growth.  It’s a funny thing because regardless of the stage, the pattern is much the same.  The company/entrepreneur/founder/CEO puts together a story of the company, sometimes shorter or sometimes longer, then reaches to his/her network of investors who begin to set up meetings.  Then there is a dating thing that happens while waiting to see if someone falls in love with the company.  Once they do then the company tries to get others to fall in love with better terms, finally, hopefully, ending up with the best terms for the company and ones that the new investor feels like they got a bargain. What neither side knows at that time, like the beginning of any relationship, is how well it will go, but on the day of an executed term sheet and wired money, it all about a hopeful and optimistic good future.  How do we make the best decision about capital input, we certainly must do our homework an reference check, etc.  but at the end of the day, we make the decision like we do in many cases, based on how we “feel” about the new people who will be making the investment.  Yes, once again, it comes down to a set of shared values and principles that make us feel like the best capital input is occurring. 

As believers we see out all types of input in our lives.  We look for prayer, encouragement, fellowship, support, etc. We gather in small accountability groups to keep us on course and provide advice and counsel that is beyond that we might receive from those who don’t share our same beliefs.  Yet, at the end of the day, there is one place where we must lean, listen and learn, and that is for the voice of God.  Of course, God shows up with words from other believers and from the pulpit, but we also have to do our own listening and only we can read God’s word for ourselves and we have to enter into prayer with Him individually, if we want to hear His voice for us. Each and every day we are needing and seeking input for our growth.  Let’s today not forget that that growth comes from Him and what He has and will give us.

Reference:  1 Corinthians 3:7