534: Anchored Leadership in a Shifting World with Rusty Rueff

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What if lasting success isn’t about what you achieve—but who you become?

Rusty Rueff

In this powerful episode, host Nicole Jansen sits down with Rusty Rueff—renowned tech executive, startup advisor, philanthropist, and co-author of Faith Code—to explore how inner purpose and spiritual identity provide the only truly unshakable foundation for life and leadership.

Drawing from two decades of reflection, Rusty shares a compelling metaphor: Are you building your life on a solid platform (faith, values, purpose), or just stacking up flashy but fragile apps (titles, possessions, roles)? In this conversation, Nicole and Rusty unpack why true freedom, resilience, and fulfillment only come when you lead from your source code—a deep connection to something greater than yourself.

From navigating profound personal loss and professional upheaval, to cultivating spiritual habits and daily disciplines, this episode offers practical insights and soul-level encouragement for leaders ready to build from the inside out.

What You’ll Learn:

Why Faith Code was written and why these principles are more relevant than ever
The “Platform vs. App” metaphor—and how it redefines success
How to respond when your “apps” crash: job loss, health struggles, identity shifts
How loss and disruption can become gateways to inner freedom
Why love—God’s love, self-love, and love for others—is the cornerstone of resilience
The difference between loving as a feeling vs. loving as a verb
How to realign your life through energy, time, and priority audits
The daily disciplines that strengthen your platform
What grows stronger as everything else fades—and why that’s your true legacy

Podcast Highlights & YouTube Chapter Titles:

0:00 – Anchoring in a World of Change: Meet Rusty Rueff
Rusty’s extraordinary journey and the core question: What makes a life truly unshakable?

2:01 – The Birth of Faith Code: Why Platform vs. App Matters
A university talk that sparked a 20-year reflection and life-changing metaphor

6:47 – Building on the Wrong Things: The Hidden Limits of “Apps”
Why success, status, and stuff can’t hold you up when life shakes you down

8:19 – Your Source Code: Identity Anchored in Faith
Living from a deeper foundation that can’t be taken away

11:18 – When the Apps Crash: Finding Freedom Through Loss
How major life shifts uncovered something more permanent

13:46 – God’s Love: The Ultimate Platform
The one thing that never leaves, fades, or fails

16:34 – Love as a Verb: Daily Choices That Build Resilience
Taking love from belief to consistent, impactful action

19:38 – Rebuilding Priorities: Applying the Faith Code
Practical tools for transforming your calendar, habits, and mindset

23:34 – The Art of Time: Energy, Rhythm, and Alignment
How Rusty uses his calendar to stay rooted in what matters most

27:28 – The Spirit That Grows Stronger with Time
A reflection on legacy, aging, and the one part of life that only gets better

Memorable Quotes:

“Are you building your life as a platform or just stacking up apps? Your apps can crash. Your platform must endure.”

“What’s the one thing God gives that can’t be taken away? His love. More reliable than the sunrise.”

“Love isn’t love unless it’s acted on. It’s not a noun—it’s a verb.”

“Everything fades… except your spirit. It can become the strongest part of your life—especially in the end.”

Episode Resources:

Follow and Connect with Rusty Rueff:

Website: rustyrueff.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustyrueff

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