I Teach Leaders how to Build Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego – and Have a Lot of Fun Along the Way.
Speaking experience
About Rusty
I teach leaders around the world how to build thought leadership focused on impact, not ego to build trust in an increasingly skeptical world.
Read More
See what is being said about Rusty’s message
The Authority Advantage
My latest book, The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego (Forbes Books, 2023) is written alongside my friend and partner Adam Witty…
Authority Marketing
Authority Marketing: How to Leverage 7 Pillars of Thought Leadership to Make Competition Irrelevant (ForbesBooks, 2019), was written alongside my friend Adam Witty, Founder & CEO…
Mastering the New Media Landscape
The world of mass media, in which a few, prime national outlets controlled the messages we all see and hear, has largely vanished. The giant boulders you once had to move to get coverage…
Ventures
Rusty loves having the opportunity to be a part of a number of organizations and collaborate alongside so many talented people. These are his current ventures.
Take The Quiz
Is your personal thought leadership driving trust for your brand? Take my Trust Leadership Assessment to find out.
Keynotes & Workshops
Rusty Shelton a dynamic speaker who uses humor and targeted examples to challenge assumptions about personal branding, showing audiences how to build authentic thought leadership focused on impact, not ego.
Press
What We Look for from Leaders During Crisis
How To Engage Your Audience With Quizzes
Austin Under 40 Finalists Announced
Sign up for the newsletter
Blogs
The magic of second chances ~ Happy 8th birthday, Zilker Media
Zilker Media turns 8 years old today. It was a second chance, a shot-in-the-arm and a true, unexpected blessing all rolled into one when we launched the agency on…
739 Days and The Magic of Momentum
I have been thinking a lot lately about the power of momentum. This week I closed all 3 rings on my Apple Watch for the 739th day in a…
Want to Win With Content? Think Progress Over Perfection As We Head Into The New Year
What is the one thing that holds many leaders back from trying new things? Perfectionism. As leaders, we’re often guilty of the endless pursuit of perfection, particularly when it…
Resources
Here are a number of e-books, downloads and resources that will help you on your journey to make a bigger impact and grow your thought leadership.
Connect With Rusty
Worst Super Bowl of all time?
"One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful." — Sigmund Freud
South by Southwest, the long-running media and music conference in Austin, Tex., is launching a book imprint, SXSW Books, focusing on works by experts and innovators across creative industries.
Looking forward to being back in SF for @SFWC 2025 in a few weeks. @PaigeVelasquez and I are going to be leading a masterclass on building a Modern Author Brand on Feb 6th at 9 AM ~ $149 to register - we will be bringing a ton of value #SFWC25 ()
Texas Longhorns safety Michale Taaffe:
“Sam Ehlinger’s dad that passed away, always told us, ‘You sing the Eyes of Texas, no matter what's going on.’”
#HookEm