Michael Rustom has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of internet technology consulting and sales leadership. His career began as an outdoor sales representative for AT&T, where his dedication to customer satisfaction quickly earned him recognition as one of Canada’s Top Account Executives. Over the years, Michael’s ability to flourish and exceed expectations under any conditions caught the attention of his superiors, who raised him up from his sales roles to more senior leadership positions, specifically within the tech sector.
Raised in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, Michael Rustom attended St. Michael’s Choir School and later attended Queen’s University where he studied Religion and History. His professional journey included working as an Account Executive at a technology systems integration firm, where he successfully expanded the company’s reach into new industries such as mining, finance, and government. His outstanding performance led to his promotion to Director of Sales for Ontario and Quebec, and eventually, he became Vice President of Sales by 2017.
In 2022, Michael founded Michael Rustom Inc., an information technology consulting firm dedicated to helping companies grow through integrating innovative technologies solutions. His company focuses on delivering projects that build businesses organically, drawing on his extensive experience in project delivery and systems integration. Michael Rustom’s deep industry knowledge and entrepreneurial drive, combined with his innate ability to cultivate strong relationships with clients make him an invaluable partner for companies looking to innovate and expand.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
Michael Rustom: My typical day usually starts with getting my 14-year-old daughter to school, which is a triumph on its own. After that, my morning is typically filled with client meetings and work calls, which take priority. I’m most productive in the morning, so I tackle challenging tasks like spreadsheets and any writing I have to do then. I save client meetings and similar activities for the afternoon to maintain high energy levels, and I always make sure to reserve time for prospecting so I have future business opportunities ready to go. I avoid working in the evening to prevent burnout.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Michael Rustom: In consulting, the ideas are often already there. My job is to help clients refine their go-to-market strategies or big projects. I also ensure that the fundamentals are in place before pursuing an idea. Educating clients on the necessary groundwork is crucial for turning ideas into reality and key to the success of any endeavour.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Michael Rustom: Remote work is a trend that seems to come up a lot when I’m consulting with clients. Sales organizations in particular wrestle with the idea of maintaining remote or partially remote workforces. For whatever reason, some companies don’t like the idea of their employees working from home, even though all the collected data shows no measurable drop in performance or productivity in those who do. So, as a consultant, that’s when I have to step in and point out that in order to attract top talent in 2024, you might have to keep an open mind about it.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Michael Rustom: I tackle distasteful jobs right away, something I often refer to as swallowing the frog. I find this approach prevents me from procrastinating
and ensures that I complete challenging tasks first.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Michael Rustom: Don’t get so caught up in roles and job descriptions. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone and take on new challenges—within reason, of course! I’m not going to attempt surgery this afternoon or anything like that. All I mean is that broadening your professional scope adds to your skill set and deepens your perspective on things.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
Michael Rustom: Cloud computing, once hailed as the ultimate solution, is now being scrutinized closely. Many companies find that traditional IT infrastructure can be more cost-effective and lower risk than cloud services, despite the years of hype around cloud computing.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Michael Rustom: Always look at things from the perspective of the sales professional when building a sales organization. Evaluate programs and policies as if you were the person who had to work under them to ensure they attract and retain top talent. That is my number one recommendation to clients.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Michael Rustom: I turn to certain individuals in my social or professional circle who can quickly snap me back into focus. Having mentors, coaches, and friends who can give you a kick in the pants when needed is absolutely invaluable.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Michael Rustom: Attention to detail and focusing on the nitty-gritty aspects of each individual project is really important. Preparing for potential issues ahead of time and educating clients on the necessary process ahead is the way I deliver successful projects, which in turn helps me get invited back for more work, as well as recommended to other projects.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Michael Rustom: Early in my career, I brought on a third-party contractor without taking a proper look at them, their work, and their business practices. I was in a bit of a rush, trying to win a business deal and I really needed this person’s help. Unfortunately, it backfired, but it taught me the importance of performing due diligence before making binding professional associations—especially ones that might reflect poorly on my reputation.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Michael Rustom: I recently spent money on a LEGO set commemorating Ayrton Senna and his McLaren F1 car. Building LEGO sets with my daughter is a great way to spend quality time together, making that $100 money well spent.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Michael Rustom: I like to hold in-person business meetings standing up rather than sitting down. When you keep people on their feet, there tends to be less dilly-dallying or time-consuming small talk—just a straight-up information exchange. By adopting stand-up meetings that last under ten minutes, it will free up a ton of time during the day to be productive in other ways.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Michael Rustom: Excel is invaluable for illustrating value in business pitches and projects. If the numbers make sense in a spreadsheet, it’s a good indication that the rest of the project will hold up.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
Michael Rustom: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield is a favourite book of mine. It reads exactly as he talks, offering practical life lessons and insights from his many interesting experiences as an astronaut.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Michael Rustom: The last show I watched was called Drops of God. It’s about a university professor and sommelier who amassed the largest private wine collection in the world. After he dies, his will sets up a competition between his only daughter and his best student to inherit the fortune. It delves into the world of wine expertise, showing the lengths people go to become experts—but you don’t need to be a wine expert to enjoy it. It’s beautifully shot, set in Japan, Italy, and the south of France. The story is great and suspenseful, with a cool premise that takes you down the rabbit hole of serious wine collectors.
Key learnings
- Prioritize challenging tasks in the morning to maintain productivity.
- View business strategies and policies from the perspective of those who will
execute them, especially when it comes to sales. - Envisioning and preparing for potential problems ahead of time is an important
step to delivering successful projects.