Tough Things First

No matter how large or small your creative teams are, you’ll want to maximize their cohesiveness and innovation. But that’s almost never easy. Ray Zinn has worked with creative teams his entire career and there’s hardly a situation he hasn’t experience. In this Tough Things First episode he’ll flatten that learning curve for managers at any level.

Spending your life in academia doesn’t promise wisdom, any more than working in the trenches guarantees knowledge. In the latest Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the need for balance and how making a weakness a strength is important for success. Rob Artigo: Rob Artigo here, your guest host, for another edition of the Tough Things First podcast. I’m […]

Why do venture capitalists (a.k.a. vulture capitalists) always want controlling interest in a startup? Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO never took VC money, so he has some keen observations on why the VCs do this and why you might want to avoid it. Guy Smith: Hello everybody. Welcome to another episode of the Tough Things First podcast. I’m your guest […]

Nearly every startup pivots. In this Tough Things First podcast episode, Ray Zinn chats with Shariq Shah, one of Ray’s ZinnStarter fellows, to discuss how they are pivoting, why it is important, and why entrepreneurs should plan on pivoting. Ray Zinn: Hello everyone. Welcome to another fabulous podcast of toughthingsfirst.com. Really grateful today to have Shariq Shah with me. Shariq […]

Learning from mistakes is a team process used by fighter pilot squadrons. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn chats with entrepreneur and former fighter pilot Ofir Paldi to discuss learning organizations. Ray Zinn: Welcome to another Tough Things First podcast. This is a fantastic opportunity to be with you again today, and to just talk about, really, some […]

Can you train yourself to be an entrepreneur? Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO says ‘yes’ and explains how. Guy Smith: Hello once again and welcome to the Tough Things First podcast where we sit down and have a chat with Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, Mr. Ray Zinn. Today we’re going to be covering what I know is the topic […]

How do entrepreneurs get past the desire to quit? Ray Zinn, a man who avoids using the word “quit” sits in discussion with Suzanne Evans whose has been on the Inc 500/5000 list of fasting growing companies for 5 straight years. Ray Zinn: Good morning everyone. So happy to have you with us today on this podcast. My name is […]

We’ve all experienced crossroads in life, but is there a way to know when you’re making a good decision? Ray Zinn has seen more than his share of turning points and crossroads, and in this edition of the Tough Things First podcast, Ray discusses the art of making the right moves. Rob Artigo: Welcome back to another edition of the […]

Startup branding expert Keli Hammond chats with Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, Ray Zinn, about the importance of branding for early stage companies. Keli Hammond is CEO of B Classic Marketing & Communications in Washington, DC and author of the marketing book Craved: The Secret Sauce to Building a Highly-Successful, Standout Brand. A highly sought-after speaker, trainer and writer, Hammond regularly […]

A Q&A between Ray Zinn, the longest serving CEO in Silicon Valley, and some new ZinnStarter Fellows – students participating in Ray’s college entrepreneurship project.