Bob Russo

Trusted Advisor, Consultant and Coach

for your career, your business and your life

"Everyone needs a trusted advisor at least once in their life - I want to be there when you need one."

​

Guiding CEOs, Executives and Leaders on their path to greater success.

For efficiency’s sake, I’ll assume you’ve been around the block enough to know that my top tier coaching certifications, Masters in Psychology, and storied career as an executive aren’t what makes me special. Sure, most coaches don’t have 30+ years experience as a team leader and executive at a $100B corporation to draw from, but that’s really only one piece of the story…

I was a social worker in the Bronx in the 70’s. I went into dangerous neighborhoods to solve some really difficult problems. Literally my life was put into danger, and I was rewarded with a salary of nine thousand dollars a year. Everyone said it must be the worst job in the world, but I loved it. I was helping people, doing good work, and I was great at it, but it was not enough to sustain a reasonable lifestyle.

But my wife and I were on welfare and food stamps when we started having children. No matter how much you love a gig, that’s not the ideal situation. So I started looking for other opportunities. 

Everyone said you can’t go straight from being a social worker to working for IBM. Well HA! I sure showed them! Except… they were right. I completely bombed my first interview. The hiring manager told me it wasn’t my resume holding me back, it was my confidence. I didn’t really believe I could do the job, and he could see it. 

It wasn’t my first brush with Impostor Syndrome, and certainly not my last. I’ve since learned to lean into it, to enjoy being out of my element, to let it excite me rather than hold me back. It’s actually become a focus of my coaching with several clients, one of which you can read about on the Results Page. If I only knew then what I know now…

Thankfully, I was able to cut my teeth at a smaller tech company for a while, learn a bit more about the trade, and come back to IBM with some swagger. I knew a bit more about who I was and what I needed to do (along with how to conduct myself in the interview), and they hired me as an Associate Programmer in 1981. 

Over the next 14 years, I enjoyed a steady rise through the ranks into middle management. I served IBM well. People liked me, I got things done, I made friends, had fun, broke some rules, and climbed the ladder. I was married to the most amazing woman, and we had two beautiful children together. I had a great job and a great lifestyle. Life was good.

Which is why it was so difficult to risk everything and come out as gay at 45 years old. 

I knew I could lose everything, but I had to stop hiding. 

To my surprise, my colleagues, friends, and loved ones were all incredibly supportive, and my career and family life thrived. They saw an act of courage. I showed myself and others that I’m not afraid to take risks, that I’m confident in my ability to adapt, and I became a fuller version of myself. I wasn’t holding anything back. Perhaps not surprisingly, in retrospect– that’s when I accelerated from middle management to the executive level. I led my teams from the heart. I connected with my employees and peers on a deep, human level, and I continued to grow as a person and as a leader.

Wondering how it affected my family life? Well, I’m currently married to the most amazing man on Earth. My former wife began our wedding ceremony with a prayer and my son was my best man. 

So yes, I’ve served on the Board of Directors for the New York City chapter of the International Coaching Federation, and I have all the formal education and certifications you could ask for in a coach. But so much of my real education comes from life experience. I’ve taken big risks, I’ve failed, I’ve succeeded, I’ve led, I’ve listened, and I’ve figured out how to help the best and brightest people in the world stop thinking with their head so damn much and start leading with their heart. 

If you’re wanting more out of life, more out of your career, more out of your employees and team members– let’s have a conversation. Find a time that works for you below and schedule a half hour call. 

No commitment, no pressure, just come prepared as you are. We’ll get to know each other, I’ll ask some questions, maybe find out what your goals are (or what you think they are), and by the end of that half hour, we’ll know if we want to work together or not. I’ll give you time to sleep on it, speak with your advisors, whatever you need to do, and then get back to me. It’s either a hell yes let’s move forward, or it’s not. 

If this wasn’t enough Bob Russo back story for you, the Videos page contains a pair of interviews where Rich Litvin surprises me by telling the story of how life shaped me into the coach I am today, and together we reveal my biggest secret to success.