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

Get Your Mojo Working

14 days ago 10m 38s

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 creativ

Loyalty

27 days ago 13m 37s

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 ag

Focus and Outcomes

Apr 10th, 2024 9m 7s

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, w

Creator Burnout

Apr 3rd, 2024 16m 13s

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 “c

Merit Based Hiring

Mar 20th, 2024 14m 31s

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

Are Protests Evil?

Mar 6th, 2024 8m 50s

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:

Difficult Projects

Feb 21st, 2024 11m 22s

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 Artig

Who is Responsible for Your Prosperity?

Feb 14th, 2024 12m 41s

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, s

Ai, Creative Work and a Twist That may Surprise You.

Feb 9th, 2024 14m 35s

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

2024 Trends – More work from home?

Jan 24th, 2024 16m 18s

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 t

Divide and Conquer?

Jan 10th, 2024 10m 12s

“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

White Lies

Jan 3rd, 2024 14m 23s

They may seem harmless, but in business and personal lives a white lie can take on a life of its own. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn looks at what qualifies as a white lie, and, if done by accident, what to do about. Rob Artigo:

The Interview

Dec 27th, 2023 13m 5s

For the entrepreneur who wants to scale, hiring is going to happen. Can there be good interviewers and bad interviewers in this process? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn uses a lifetime of hiring knowledge to help interviewers and

Hope and Optimism

Dec 20th, 2023 11m 44s

Is there a difference between hope and optimism? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn gets to the heart of the matter and warns there is a danger of letting your hope and optimism overrule your logic. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo, your gu

No Consequences.

Dec 13th, 2023 16m 32s

It seems everywhere we turn these days, lawmakers are opting to demolish basic rules of society. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the troubling trend of a world without consequences and why it can only get worse unless we

The Elements of Ambition

Dec 6th, 2023 10m 38s

Wealth does not mean success. Many people got wealthy other ways, and never could claim they were ambitious in their efforts to get there. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the building blocks of ambition, and why it is nece

Curiosity and Innovation

Nov 22nd, 2023 12m 2s

Early tech often seems like it solves a problem that doesn’t need fixing, but it can and does lead to sweeping change over time. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the nexus between curiosity and innovation and why they are

Stress and Distraction for the Essential Leader

Nov 1st, 2023 21m 16s

Things in life that we have to deal with include stress and distraction. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says there are different degrees of stress and distraction and you have to know yourself to stay ahead and stress free. Rob

The War Alternative.

Oct 19th, 2023 15m 22s

From politics to road rage, there are all kinds of wars, but do they all need to be fought? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses conflict in our homes, communities, and abroad and how to seek alternatives to fighting. (Click H

Self Calibration

Oct 4th, 2023 10m 23s

The purpose of self calibration, like self awareness, is to improve your chances at success through recognizing, analyzing, and addressing your weaknesses. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses how to self calibrate, who to tru

Robotics and AI Coming for your Jobs?

Sep 20th, 2023 16m 16s

In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores how robotics and AI have been around a long time. The pessimistic view, and the optimistic view have their points. But only one is really correct. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo here once again,

How Self-Awareness Can Make You a More Consistent Leader.

Sep 6th, 2023 10m 53s

How does an effective leader constantly calibrate his or herself and does it boost consistency? In this Tough Things First Podcast, Ray Zinn explores the value of self-awareness through a regular inventory of personal strengths and weaknesses.

Success is NOT a solo journey.

Aug 23rd, 2023 10m 43s

A leader may make decisions and plans, but executing on that vision requires a team. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the positive attributes of the leader who knows how to give credit where credit is due. Rob Artigo: I’m R

Loud Quitting: Tantrum your way out of future job prospects.

Aug 9th, 2023 17m 46s

The trend had been “quiet quitting” where an employee stops putting out any effort at all at work, but just draws a paycheck. Now, they are quitting, but doing it loud, publicly, and on social media. In this special Tough Things First video pod