When you just start out in life, you may think very little about how you will be remembered. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses why that approach may lead to very little legacy at all.
Rob Artigo: One thing you do at this podcast, and your books, and everything that you’re doing is you’re creating a lasting legacy. It’s one of those things that a lot of people don’t really consider until they get along later in life, but you’ve built, over a lifetime, your legacy. So what truly makes a legacy last?
Ray Zinn: Well, your legacy is the one you write over time, and the earlier you begin it, the more long-lasting it will be. For example, if I said, “What’s the legacy of Al Capone?” what would you say?
Rob Artigo: The legacy of Al Capone is, well, it’s one of crime, but it’s almost like a historical legacy of the history of the mob. Because he’s such a famous figure, and in some ways, he’s more of a legendary figure now than anything else. But he was not … There’s two legacies. There’s one that’s kind of the mythological one, and then there’s the one that’s the-
Ray Zinn: Yeah. Yeah. What I meant was, you said it right, it’s crime. Okay?
Rob Artigo: Mm-hmm.
Ray Zinn: So if you think of Hitler, you think of what?
Rob Artigo: The Holocaust.
Ray Zinn: Holocaust. Okay? Or dictator, murderer, dictator.
Rob Artigo: Yeah. Right.
Ray Zinn: Or if you think of Einstein, you think of inventing and being a genius, or Stephen Hawkings, or you can talk about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. So what happens is you want to … So when you mentioned a person’s name, you want to say, “Okay. That’s who he is.” When you introduced this podcast, you said, “Ray Zinn, the Silicon Valley’s longest-serving CEO.” That’s my legacy. Okay?
So to be the longest-serving CEO, I’ve got to stay at it longer than anyone else. So when you talk about your legacy, you start that at a, quite a young age, and then you develop it over time. Your legacy is established or pretty much defined by the time you’re 40 or 45. That defines your legacy. I don’t know how you can look at yourself, who’s ever listening to this podcast, look at your age, and you can say, “Well, okay. I’m in my teens.” Okay. Well, you’re developing. You’re starting your legacy.
Then, if you’re 55 or 60, you’re pretty much done. There’s not much you can do to change it. It’s hard to change your legacy once you get to age of 55 or 60. Your legacy is already established. And so Rob Artigo, what is your legacy, Rob?
Rob Artigo: My legacy is 20 years in radio.
Ray Zinn: Okay.
Rob Artigo: I mean, I did get a book in there before I left my 40s, but I continue to work. I build on that legacy, but I guess I can’t change it. But I can build on it.
Ray Zinn: Well, when you introduced this podcast, you said, “This is Rob Artigo, Bay Area personality and announcer.” So you’ve defined your legacy when you said that. You think of other people that you know or are involved with, and depending upon their age, you can see what their legacy is going to be. I began writing church hymns recently, and the reason is I’m trying to increase the scope of my legacy so that I’m not known just as Silicon Valley’s longer-serving CEO. I want to broaden my legacy. And so the more things you get involved with … If you think of a famous Andre Agassi, what’s his legacy? It’s tennis.
Rob Artigo: Yeah.
Ray Zinn: Okay? Or-
Rob Artigo: Champion tennis player.
Ray Zinn: Yeah, or if it’s … I’m trying to think of one of the football players currently that are-
Rob Artigo: Tom Brady.
Ray Zinn: Okay. Tom Brady. Okay. Great quarterback, or if you’re Donald Trump or whatever, you define your legacy by what you’re accomplishing. So ask yourself, as you listen to this podcast, ask yourself, “What do I want my legacy to be?” And so to make it more enduring, you have to focus on it. You can’t just say, “Okay. I want to be known as world’s greatest tennis player.” You can’t do that by focusing on bowling or on chess or some other thing.
If you want to be known as a great author, book author, then you’d have to start writing some great books, and you can’t do it in your 60s. Again, the sweet spot of your legacy is when you’re in your 40s. That’s the sweet spot, and that defines, really, where you’re going to end up with the legacy that you want to achieve or be known for. So anyway, hopefully, that makes some sense to our listeners.
Rob Artigo: Well, Ray, for you, I see a generous amount of your legacy now being associated with your personal values being passed on to future generations, and that writing the hymns and things like that, I can see. The books that you’ve recently written have definitely contributed to that.
Ray Zinn: Thank you. Yeah. That’s true. I mean, I’m not trying to be just Silicon Valley’s longest-serving CEO. I really want to be known for my honesty, my integrity, my respect for everyone and dignity of every individual, and doing what it takes, no excuses. That’s really what I want to be known for and not just as Silicon Valley’s longest-serving CEO.
Rob Artigo: Of course, you also … I mean, look, you’ve gone across the spectrum in a lot of things that have helped develop this lasting legacy, and ZinnStarter is one.
Ray Zinn: Yeah. Well, ZinnStarter is an important program that I’ve instituted at seven or eight universities where entrepreneurs can learn to be entrepreneurs before they leave school, and we help fund that, their effort to do that. If their project or their company idea is accepted by the students that are involved in ZinnStarter, then we help fund that. We don’t take any ownership in it. We help fund it so they can start their legacy while they’re still in school.
Rob Artigo: Well, Ray, it’s a great conversation to talk to you about legacy. Because it, like we’ve discussed, it is very diverse, and it continues to grow and multiply. The listeners can join the conversation at toughthingsfirst.com, and they can also follow Ray on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The books are out there. Please pick them up, Tough Things First, Zen of Zinn series 1, 2, and 3, and on sale now, The Essential Leader: 10 Skills, Attributes, and Fundamentals That Make Up the Essential Leader, a top seller on Amazon. Thank you, Ray.
Ray Zinn: Thanks, Rob.
