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Fear quietly steers a lot of people toward hesitation, avoidance, and a smaller life than they want. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explains why you should refuse to let fear decide what you attempt or achieve. Rob Artigo: One thing I want to talk about today is, or the main topic here today is about fear, because fear […]

From Covid to hurricanes and supply chains, there is no telling what you and your company may face, but just because it is unpredictable and sudden, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the challenges and solutions of the wild circumstances you are likely to face when you least expect it. Rob […]

There are no time-outs on the path to excellence. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn, Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, discusses longevity and why engaging your body and your brain in some form of work daily will help live longer and have a more satisfying and successful life. Rob Artigo: Ray, I want to talk about something that […]

Plan all you want, but if you do not intend to finish you probably lack the discipline to get it done in the first place. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the elements that turn ideas or desires into realities. Rob Artigo: Ray, I hear people talking about discipline, and sometimes they just say they picture a […]

The pivot is something entrepreneurs are familiar with as a move that comes when something else fails or is bound to fail. So why should leaders plan a pivot when everything is going great? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explains the plan to pivot should come early. Rob Artigo: Ray, most people treat a pivot like a […]

Most people, leaders and founders, treat a plan as something you tighten once the pressure is already on. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn argues the real advantage is decided earlier, in the quiet stretch when nothing is forcing the choice and the calendar still has room to move. Rob Artigo: Ray, planning late is very common. You probably […]

In this Tough Things First Podcast: Is it possible to live as if you’ll die tomorrow, yet plan as if you’ll never die? Ray Zinn has spent a lifetime proving that holding both ideas at once is how you turn today into a company, a culture, and a legacy that outruns you. Rob Artigo: Ray, today’s line sounds like a […]

One of the first decisions that can make or break a company is who you start it with. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses why he treats that choice as more consequential than the product itself.   Rob Artigo: Today we’re talking about one of the earliest decisions that can make or break a new company, picking a […]

In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn’s explains why launching on a tight number is like taking off without enough fuel to reach the destination.  Rob Artigo: Ray, today’s topic is one founder’s learned the hard way, you always need more startup capital than you think. You’ve said if you don’t have enough cash, don’t start. Really just don’t […]

America’s national debt has crossed $40 trillion, a milestone built by both parties and now charging businesses and families through higher interest, inflation pressure, and a government that spends as if cash were optional. In this Tough Things First conversation, Ray Zinn asks why Washington refuses the balance-sheet discipline every private enterprise must practice.  (Watch Now!) Rob Artigo: Ray, this […]