Rusty first spoke at Harvard on the changing world of marketing & PR at the age of 23.
He is a dynamic speaker who uses humor and targeted examples to challenge assumptions about thought leadership, showing audiences how to build authentic personal brands focused on impact, not ego.
His keynotes are highly reviewed for a mix of story-telling, candor and practical, put-it-into-action-next-week guidance – showing leaders how to make an impact and build trust in an increasingly skeptical world dominated by artificial intelligence – and have a lot of fun along the way.
Rusty often hears from leaders who walked in the door to his presentation with the belief that building thought leadership was an exercise in ego that they left the room not only convinced that they absolutely had to dive in, but also that they were comfortable doing it based on the tangible, evidence-based roadmap it provided them.
If you’d like to hear that same kind of feedback, contact Rusty about how he can give value to your audience!
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Videos
Keynote Speaker Reel
The Power of Personal Branding ~ EO Alchemy
Authority Summit Recap
Topics
The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego
Leaders are operating in an increasingly skeptical world where trust in institutions & businesses is at an all-time low.
But while your audience may no longer trust your company, they are willing to trust YOU, if you are visible to them in an authentic, mission-driven way.
Based on a proven framework that Steve Forbes calls “bold and transformational,” this presentation will show attendees how to:
- Build a meaningful, authentic personal brand in the age of AI that operates as an on-ramp back to their company & positions them to make a bigger impact
- Conduct an online brand audit and make intentional changes to ramp up visibility and impact to drive business goals
- Focus their content marketing efforts on best & highest use to build intentional relationships with clients, strategic partners, talent and others
- Have a lot of fun along the way
Thought Leadership in the Age of AI
AI is moving at breakneck speed – are you keeping up as a leader?
ChatGPT is the new Google. Prompts are the new search. Your digital brand is your new handshake.
Let’s be honest – the speed of which AI is disrupting our world feels a bit overwhelming to many leaders.
But in eras of significant change, forward-thinking leaders seize on opportunity and this presentation will show how to leverage AI to accelerate trust, create differentiation and create an unfair advantage in the marketplace over competitors.
In today’s AI-driven world, two things matter more than they ever have: speed & trust.
This eye-opening and practical session reveals why leadership visibility matters more than ever, and how leaders can take control of their online narrative to drive trust, relationships, and business growth. Attendees will learn how to:
- Evaluate how AI tools and search engines currently see you, and why it matters for referrals, recruiting, and reputation
- Understand the differences between Google searches and the intent-based prompts that LLMs like ChatGPT are fielding to ensure visibility (SEO vs. AEO)
- Create a strong first impression that reflects your values and positions you as a trusted leader
- Align your digital presence with your leadership brand–without spending hours online
- Use your existing activities (public speaking, talent recruitment, community involvement, investor relations) to increase discoverability and authority online
- Understand how to future-proof your reputation in an AI-influenced landscape
This session will leverage case studies, research and story-telling to challenge assumptions from leaders about creating a digital presence to ensure that when AI (or a real person) looks you up, they find a leader worth trusting—and a company worth doing business with. If you’re a leader ready to differentiate your institution in an increasingly commoditized market, this session will equip you with the mindset and methodology to do just that.
YPO, WPO & EO Learning Events & Forum Presentations
Rusty loves delivering learning events for YPO, WPO & EO chapters and forums around the country. For chapter-wide events, Rusty typically delivers either a keynote-style presentation or a longer workshop and, for forum presentations he conducts preliminary online brand audits and helps members build a roadmap to take control of their personal brands and online reputations.
Keynotes customized to your audience
Most of Rusty’s keynote speeches & workshops are designed specifically for the audience’s needs, so if you have a certain topic in mind, please email him to talk more about it.
Rusty’s LinkedIn Newsletter
Click here to subscribe to Rusty’s bi-weekly LinkedIn newsletters, which shows how to build thought leadership focused on impact, not ego.
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