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 845: Replaced

purposed worKING No Comments

“So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!”

South by Southwest (SxSW) has become a huge music, film, and interactive festival in Austin, TX. Over a two week period the town is overtaken by those who work in their respective industries as bands, films and technologies are showcased. It’s a real scene and it’s also a see and be seen event. I had an interesting observation this past weekend while I was there about how the world changes and the impact of that on people. In 2007 I was at the SxSW music week with the digital music company I was running at the time. That year we had a tent with bands that attendees really wanted to see so we, and my team, were an “attraction”. But, we were far from the biggest attraction. At the time there were others who were on top the industry who couldn’t move through the streets without being swarmed by people wanting to talk to them, pitch their bands, businesses and services. Everywhere, in particular these two co-founders went, they had an entourage and they held court for a week. I distinctly remember a moment in the lobby of the nicest hotel in town with the two of them being photographed by the press as if they were rock stars. Well, at the time, they were rock stars in their own way as they once graced the cover of every magazine and periodical. But as we know, fame is fleeting. Fast forward to the present and this year’s SxSW. As the huge late night crowd, in the same hotel lobby, sought out the current “stars” I walked in and there sat one of the two, now by himself, with his head down over his smartphone, doing email, texting, or maybe playing a game. There was no one coming up to him. It appeared that few even knew he was. The moment had passed and the star had been brought back down to earth and replaced by another set of people who were now on the rise.

The things of this world, like our businesses, people around us, and our “fame” are replaceable, just like we all are. We can’t hang our egos and identities on the things of this world. They come and go. The only thing that can’t be replaced and won’t ever be replaced is Jesus and our relationship with Him. We live in time where everything moves faster than ever. Our lives and the days that we have here are fleeting from us quickly. When all is said and done it won’t be the scene in the hotel lobby that carries us to the next chapter in our eternal lives, it will be the star of all stars who will be the One to carry us forward in His arms. What a promise. What a gift. Whatever we do today, let us please not take for granted the irreplaceable One who is our Lord and Savior and what we can do to bring glory to Him.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 3:11 (New Living Testament)