I’m an Austin native (ok, mostly! I moved here when I was 8) who bleeds burnt orange and would tell you that the all-boats-rise entrepreneurial culture of this town is one of the greatest things about a city that overdelivers at almost every turn.

I live just west of town where the hill country really gets rolling, in Spicewood with my wife & high school sweetheart, Paige, and three kids – Luke, Brady & Sadie.

At 41 I’m a very happy and blessed man because I’m surrounded by so many great people, starting with my family, but also including wonderful partners, a fabulous team, generous mentors, great friends and an EO forum that challenges the hell out of me.

I love what I do.

Speaking. Coaching. Writing. Trying to make my kids laugh (or at least embarrass them).

But mostly I love the teaching.

I am blessed to get to teach great leaders how to build thought leadership focused on impact, not ego in an increasingly skeptical world – and have a lot of fun along the way.

I often hear from leaders that they walked in the door to one of my presentations or picked up one of my books with the belief that building thought leadership was an exercise in ego, that they left 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.

I believe entrepreneurship is one of the greatest forces for good on this planet and that kind of feedback drives me to do more of this kind of teaching, as it has never been more important for entrepreneurs and leaders to create an Authority Advantage. 

Leaders are operating in an increasingly skeptical world, a new reality backed up by a recent Gallup study which shows 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.

That’s where I can help. I do this through keynotes, workshops, books, ventures and, our agency, Zilker Media.

I’m also passionate about entrepreneurship, faith, college football, plane etiquette, and other random things you can read about on the blog.

If I can be of assistance to you, either as a speaker at your next event, a workshop leader for your sales team or a sounding board for your nonprofit, please let me know.

If you’re looking for an award-winning agency to help you and your organization build a people-driven brand, check out  Zilker Media.

If you’re looking for a company to help you write and publish your new book, check out the award-winning publishing company that acquired my first agency and that I am still proud to work closely with, Forbes Books. 

If you’re looking for resources on how you can grow your platform, I hope you’ll find this website helpful. I look forward to connecting with you soon!

To your success,
Rusty

Resources