CHARLOTTE, N.C. - s4story -- CHARLOTTE, N.C.— Rustie, a Charlotte-area leadership strategist, turnaround specialist and founder of Lead Forward™, has been selected to compete in the national Top Host competition.

The competition gives aspiring hosts the opportunity to compete for a six-episode podcast produced by iHeartRadio, an appearance on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and $25,000.

For Rustie, the opportunity connects naturally with work she has already been building around leadership, workplace culture and conversations that move beyond polished talking points.

"I ask the questions people think but don't say — and create the kind of conversations where real people stop performing and start talking," Rustie said.

Through Lead Forward™, Rustie focuses on leadership development, organizational culture, employee retention and operational turnaround. Her approach grew from more than two decades of hands-on leadership experience and a belief that better workplaces are built by addressing the conversations organizations often avoid.

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That same philosophy is what she hopes to bring behind the microphone.

"I'm not interested in perfect answers," Rustie said. "I'm interested in what happens when people feel comfortable enough to tell the truth. Those are the conversations that teach us something."

Public voting for Top Host begins October 5, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. Supporters may cast one free vote every 24 hours during active voting.

Rustie plans to use the competition not simply as an opportunity to host a podcast, but as a platform for conversations about leadership, work, resilience, community and the experiences people often think about but rarely say out loud.

About Rustie / Lead Forward™

Rustie is a turnaround specialist, leadership strategist and founder of Lead Forward™, a Charlotte-area leadership and organizational development business. Lead Forward™ works from a simple premise: Regulated leaders build regulated cultures. Rustie's work focuses on helping organizations address the places where people and performance have become stuck — and move forward.

Media inquiries / interviews:
Rustie
Founder, Lead Forward™
Charlotte, North Carolina

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Lead Forward™
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