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Tough Things First

Tough Things First

Hosted by Ray Zinn

BusinessMarketingInterviews guests

Episodes

10

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Discipline, servant leadership, entrepreneurial success

Listen to episodes

10 recent
August 21, 20269 min

Beyond Founder-centric Leadership

The cult of personality can only do so much. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores how to build systems, culture, and next-generation leaders who can carry the vision forward. Rob Artigo: Today, let’s talk about moving beyond founder-centric leadership. How do you build systems, culture, and next generation leaders who can carry on the vision without you […]

August 21, 20269 min

Innovation Discipline

Disciplined, customer-grounded innovation outperforms “move fast and break things.” In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses how to turn ideas into profitable reality without falling for the hype. Rob Artigo: Today, Ray, we’re talking about innovation discipline, how to turn ideas into profitable reality without falling for the hype. So Ray, why does disciplined, customer-grounded innovation consistently outperform the […]

August 18, 202610 min

Focus Filter

A focus filter is for making better decisions like getting rid of good but not great projects, and creating daily rituals that leaders can use to audit their own calendars and team building meetings. Ray Zinn Discusses that a decision tool for alignment with core vision, resource cost, long-term payoff) Rob Artigo: Ray, today we’re discussing a practical tool for […]

August 18, 20268 min

Hiring and Developing for Legacy Companies

How do you attract and grow talent that cares more about becoming better humans than just getting rich? Ray Zinn explores hiring and developing people who build legacy companies. Rob Artigo: Today we’re talking about one of the most important responsibilities for any leader, hiring and developing people who help build legacy companies. Specifically, how do you attract and grow talent […]

July 24, 202612 min

Civility

Ever wonder why some leaders build unbreakable teams while others fuel endless conflict? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores how true civility comes from one essential skill: seeing through the other person’s eyes—strengthens relationships and drives real business results. (Watch Now!) Rob Artigo: Ray, as you know, a couple of times each month we do a video […]

July 22, 20268 min

The Morality Crisis

You’ve probably heard people say that morality is declining — but is it really? And what’s the real difference between being a moral person versus an amoral one? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn cuts through the noise with clear thinking on why the distinction matters more than ever. Rob Artigo: Today we’re tackling a foundational but often […]

July 16, 202610 min

Demystifying “Trust But Verify”

You have heard it said many times, but most people get it wrong. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn uses smart business logic not magic to demystifying the proverb “Trust But Verify.” Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo, joined once again with Ray, as you’ve just heard his voice right there, founder, longtime CEO at Micrel Semiconductor for 37 profitable […]

July 14, 202613 min

Leading Through Geopolitical Whiplash

THIS PODCAST WAS RECORDED BEFORE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE US AND IRAN. IT REMAINS RELEVANT. Can an entrepreneur succeed and staying profitable even when some much seems out of control? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn has a reality check and some words of inspiration. (Watch Now!) Ray Zinn: Hey Rob, good to be with you today. […]

July 10, 20269 min

The Difference Between an Ambitious Founder and an Overly Optimistic One

Every founder dreams big. But there’s a razor-thin line between ambition that builds empires and optimism that quietly destroys them. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the subtle but critical difference between an ambitious founder and an overly optimistic one. Rob Artigo: Ray, today we’re exploring a subtle but critical distinction. What’s the difference between an ambitious founder […]

July 7, 20268 min

Smart Persistence

Ray Zinn is no gambler. In business, his trump card is knowledge. In this Tough Things First podcast, we explore why smart persistence is educated decision making. Rob Artigo: Well, today it’s really about smart persistence, knowing when to double down and when to just walk away gracefully. This is one of the toughest calls any leader can make. So […]

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