In this episode of the Leading with Curiosity Podcast we explore Apple's former Worldwide Director of Finance, Rusty Gaillard's exploration of the choices we make in life and career that have led him to a new career in Executive Coaching. What Kind of Life do You Want?

Connect with Rusty - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustygaillard/

Connect with Nate - www.nateleslie.ca & https://www.linkedin.com/in/natelesliecec

“I enjoyed my first job at Apple as supply/demand manager, but every morning I woke up to see what had gone wrong overnight (since all manufacturing was in China). I loved the problem solving, but I didn’t love the stress & constant fire drills.

I moved to finance and was promoted to Worldwide Director, which was my goal at the time. I was leading global projects, a key contributor to the company-wide financial forecasting process, & building a team from scratch. Great opportunity and great challenges, but my son was 2 at the time, and I was torn between more hours at work or more with my son and my wife.

I felt like I was failing in both places.

I was supposed to hire a manager to report to me at Apple, but instead I took that manager position, demoting myself. I loved the freedom to follow my life’s priorities - volunteering at my son’s school, enjoying evenings free of work - but I didn’t realize I had put myself into a dead-end job. I was there for 8 years. I knew there had to be a way to have both a meaningful job and a good life, but I didn't know how to find it. I felt stuck there for years before I got the help I needed to figure it out. That’s why I’m a coach - to help you find your version of meaningful work + a good life.”