Ruston Pierce is the Head of School at highly regarded Mount Pisgah Christian School just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. He was hired at Mount Pisgah in January of 2017. Ruston has created an innovative leadership development program for his staff. The RISE (Reach, Inspire, Serve, Equip) program accepts only a limited number of staff per year. Staff members have to complete an application process with the goal of finding the right staff members each year to go through the program. The program helps staff members develop their leadership skills so that they can be better in their current positions but also be more prepared for future advancement opportunities. Before coming to Mount Pisgah, Ruston spent time as the Head of School at Concord Christian School in Knoxville, TN. Concord Christian was recognized as the fastest growing private school in the city, moving from 11th to a 2nd overall ranking among private schools in Knoxville over a 3-year span as ranked by the Knoxville Business Journal. During his tenure, the school completed a strategic marketing plan, successfully renewed dual accreditation, initiated a recent capital campaign, expanded marketing and social media plans while doubling enrollment to approximately 1,200 students across all divisions. Ruston also served as the Director of Dual Enrollment at Bryan College, Director of Development and Assistant Principal at Grace Baptist Academy, Dean of Student Affairs at Silverdale Baptist Academy and as a member of the Young Life staff.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- Building a winning team of faculty and staff members
- How he helped build his school’s incredible social media following
- His innovative leadership development and mentorship program for his faculty and staff
Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified National Sales and Leadership Coach, motivational speaker, as well as the founder and president of Begin To Win. Jeff previously held the position of Director of Training for over 20 years, as well as the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at CVS Systems, a national electronics distributor. He recently spent 2 1/2 years growing an electronics retail company from a small start up to one of the fastest growing Dish retailers in the Midwest. As Vice President of American Wireless Entertainment, Jeff was responsible for hiring managers and sales people, as well as opening 6 locations in a year and a half. He has experience in every aspect of the sales business and knows the process very well. Jeff is passionate about everything he does and he is an excellent choice as a coach, trainer, or consultant for you or your company. Jeff spent most of his life in central Indiana with his wife and three daughters, but Jeff and his wife Penny recently moved to North Port, Florida, allowing Jeff the freedom to travel the nation as a coach and consultant.
Chad R. Allen serves as the editorial director for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. He is also a writer, editor, speaker, entrepreneur, and creativity coach. Chad is also the creator of