Tough Things First

The question is what has more value, the price of an education or work experience? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says one has an edge over the other. He’ll explain why smart choices will help you navigate these life decisions. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo, your guest host for this edition of the Tough Thanks First podcast. […]

Running in circles pushing a cart full of goals will lead to two things. Exhaustion and a cart full of unfulfilled goals. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the difference between action for action’s sake and action with purpose. (Watch the Video Podcast here.) Rob Artigo: Rob Artigo here, once again your host for this edition of […]

Good or bad, a rise in wages results in reaction. The earner may first have more money, but prices follow and can wipe-out the gains. In this Tough Things First reality check, Ray Zinn explores a game that is less than zero sum when it’s forced. Rob Artigo: We once talked about kiosks. What we were talking about was […]

Effective leadership is about being a people person, not about people pleasing. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn wonders if a better understanding of your own leadership style can help you communicate better with different personalities. Ray Zinn: Hello there, Rob. Rob Artigo: Your idea was, what kind of leader are you? And I bet the listeners are […]

Diversity is a natural course of business. Not just in gender and race, but in thought. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the key differences between the proverbial left and right brains on the job. Rob Artigo: Now you’re someone who has run a diverse workplace at Micrel. You’ve ran it for decades, all walks of life […]

The enemy of innovation comes in many different forms, but usually the goal is the same. To throw you off your game. As Ray Zinn tells us in this Tough Things First podcast, stifling innovation can take a whole company out. Rob Artigo: Let’s talk about this, ways in which innovation can be stifled in our businesses, in our organizations, […]

Some train wrecks are easily seen coming down the tracks while others go off the rails because of bad drivers. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the faulty CEO who goes off the rails because their priorities get out of whack. Rob Artigo: Well, a company called Stability AI was sold to investors as a, quote, “Herculean […]

The Chips and Science Act is supposed to lower silicon chip manufacturing costs, create jobs, and strengthen supply chains. It all started three years ago, but as Ray Zinn explores in this Tough Things First Podcast, China’s head start caught many by surprise. Rob Artigo: Hi, Ray. I was reading about this fresh influx of about $8.5 billion in… Ray […]

Between global turmoil and more local chaos, how do you stay focused in life, and stay profitable in business? In this Tough Things First Podcast, Ray Zinn explores the finer points or knowing where to put your energy and what to avoid. (Watch Video Podcast) Rob Artigo: Well, 2024 has been marked by small but vigorous protests around the world […]

Many entrepreneur’s know when their mojo is working, but some people just do not know how to tap into it. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn offers a surefire way to find your mojo. Rob Artigo: Entrepreneurs at their heart are creative, ambitious people. Am I generally right when I say that? Ray Zinn: Absolutely. You have to […]

Loyalty in the mafia means something different than loyalty in its most productive and meaningful ways, or does it? Is blind obedience really loyalty? Ray Zinn explores the finer points and graces or loyalty. Rob Artigo: Rob Artigo here once again, your host for this edition of the “Tough Things First” podcast. I’m an entrepreneur in California, wonderful to be… […]

Entrepreneurs rarely get what they “deserve”, but most everyone gets what they focus on, good or bad. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn takes a deep dive into our focus and how it drives the results. Rob Artigo: You wrote recently, we generally get what we expect, and you say the reason is our focus is on what […]

YouTube and TikTok users know this all too well. Fact: We live in a more isolated work environment, often at home, in our own little space, with what seems like a lot more to accomplish. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses “creator burnout”, why it happens, and how to deal with it. (Watch the video podcast here…) […]

Diversity, equity, and inclusion has supplanted merit as an important decision tool in hiring for many companies, but has it helped or hurt businesses and employees? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores fundamental truths about fairness, that DEI has set aside. Rob Artigo: Well, because of all this talk about DEI, that’s the diversity, equity and […]

Clashes in the streets are never pretty, and Ray Zinn says they never really do much other than cause more division and anger. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray lays out why protests are negative by nature, but are they evil? Rob Artigo: It seems like we’ve spent the better part of the last seven years in some state […]

In life and business decisions must be made, but they do not always have to be hard decisions if you are prepared. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores a list of lessons learned that can help you be ahead of the game. Rob Artigo: Well, I was reading a Forbes piece. It had some experts, and these […]

The ups and downs you feel about how quickly or slowly you are getting ahead are not imaginary, but if you are waiting for some magic, government, pixie dust, for a boost out of a downturn well… In this podcast, Ray Zinn ponders the question, should you be relying on the government or yourself for your prosperity? Rob Artigo: Well, […]

Ai continues to make headlines and alter the way we think about art and plagiarism, and even the law. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the diverging lines between what is your creative endeavor and what has no copyright at all. (What we discuss here is anecdotal, based on news reports, and should not be construed as […]

Covid is still affecting the work place and what other trends might we see in 2024. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn Discusses when he expects most people will be back in the office. (Click here for the video.) Rob Artigo: Welcome to the Tough Things First podcast, your indispensable source for business, leadership and life advice with […]

“Divide and conquer,” is a frequently used term and almost as frequently misused when unity is what you’re really after. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn talks about how a winning team in business or on the playing field is one that focuses on what unites, not what divides. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo, your guest host for […]