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 336: Road Warriors

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No matter how “green” we become and how advanced the communication technology, the airports remain full of business travelers. It is true, there are times in business when nothing can replace the live face-to-face contact with other people. Negotiations get concluded not only with the stroke of a pen, but with a handshake. So travel becomes a part of many working people’s lives. For me, business travel, while so many times such a great adventure and chance to go places I would never go otherwise, is an extra stress of life. The day before a long trip and the time away, no matter how well prepared, adds some stress and consternation into what is already a busy and overly subscribed life. I can feel that pit in my stomach as i think about getting ready for the long trip. There is many a story from those who travel extensively and consistently that their personal life suffers and the activities while out on the road did not contribute to them being more healthy or settled. George Clooney may win an Oscar in a couple of weeks for portraying the problem so well. All of this said, there is no getting around the fact that if you are going to work there is a real possibility that you are going to have to travel for business, at least once in a while. Throughout the Bible the great heroes were also all traveling all the time too. Many of these men of the Bible make our definition of “Road Warriors” seem very thin. Paul spent the latter part of his life away from him home, on the road, working. Jesus, during his ministry, moved from place to place, with no real home base. In the old testament, Moses, Abraham, etc. were all on the move at some point or another doing God’s work. Being out there on the road is part of life. Yet, how often do we think about covering our travel with the protection of God? In Genesis 28:20-21, Jacob gave us his travel prayer; “…If God will be with me and protect me on this journey and give me food and clothing, and he will bring me back safely to my father, then I will make the Lord my God.” Jacob knew the Lord to be his God but he wanted God’s protection upon his journey. For those road warriors who are reading this, or even if you are the infrequent business traveler, call on God to cover you with his protection before you hit the road. The road can be full of many influences and obstacles that can get in the way of your “safety”. Lift up your travel time to Him and take Him along with you on those business trips. Having Him as your traveling companion can make all the world of a difference.

Reference: Genesis 28:20-21 (New Living Testament)