I'm gonna say I got me a CEO on the show tonight. My Worthless 2cents Table Podcast guest Richard Blank Costa Rica's Call Center

Louisiana Country Boy: Oh, get ready, Get ready, Get ready. Here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Oh yeah. Answer me, boy. The Louisiana country coming internationally. Wait a minute, I'm gonna say more time. Coming at love internationally. Ooh, that's a big old word for the old country boy internationally. Look it here. Oh look here. Old country boy going tell y'all I I I'm just tick a pink over. Here I am. Tickle pink. Um, y'all know I don't do no introduction, but look, I got my pipe pot. I am international. Not, That's right. That's right. I done did it. I done did just na nerve. But I'm going to shut up and I'm gonna tell y'all this. I have a fantastic gentleman on the show now. Uh, I ain't going, I ain't going. I am, I'm gonna pump him up. I'm gonna pop him up cause I, I got me a c e O I'm gonna say I got me a c e o on the show tonight. Yes, I. Yes, I do. This man right here is the CEO of Say, Say. Yeah, y'all can Google it. You can Google if you want to say, say that's right, and he gonna tell you all about it, or whatever you want to tell you. Cause he is the special guest chef. Now Chef. Without further ado, am my new worry, Richard. Without further ado, as I always. Sit back, relax. Put on your head. Give oh Richard, ceo. Put something in their ear. Have you away my friend. Richard Blank: I, I am speechless. Donny, I've done almost close to a hundred podcasts. That is undoubtedly the greatest introduction I have ever heard. I thank you so much, sir. That was trumpets in a red carpet. . Louisiana Country Boy: Hey, I appreciate you. I appreciate you. You coming on. I appreciate you coming. I thank you so much for, uh, you know, the table and humbled to have you. It is, uh, it is indeed an honor and I'll say, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Look old country boy. I'm gonna shut my mouth. I'm, you know, I'm all excited. Palms all sweaty. You know, it's like, it's like meeting the president. I'm but I'm gonna shut up and I'm gonna let you have your way. Sir. You know what? You introduce yourself, Uh, you, you are the. I'm gonna just sit here and be ready to eat. I was ready. I ain't ace nothing all day. I said Rich's gonna come cook tonight, so we going to eat what Rich is cooking tonight. . Richard Blank: Well, I really appreciate you extending that southern charm. And you know we have a northeast Philadelphia guy hanging out with a southern guy, so to see where this goes tonight. Louisiana Country Boy: All right, well just send me one of them on Phll chase types. I'll tell you, I lock them fine. Just Richard Blank: remember one thing my friend, You gotta put wiz on it. I don't like when people put or mozzarella . Louisiana Country Boy: That works. I can do that. But this is Richard Blank: great. We're old men, white beards, a lot of wisdom to share. Your audience. You know, it's very funny off the podcast as well, when we're off the air, we were just talking about such incredible things about our lives and our family. Yes. And we were sharing some intimate details just to get to know one another. But we have so much in common. We are on the same page. Our, our goal is just to elevate and uplift others by passing forward what was taught to us by our beautiful and incredible. And grandparents. And so I guess we're just gonna be passing along some of that wisdom with some fun stories Louisiana Country Boy: too. Hey, that, there it is there. You know what, Richard? I, I think that, and I said this and I share this with you, that that's one of the most important things, and I think we, we, a lot of us got away from it is, is about sharing that is about, you know, at some point people thought that the way that they was brought up was terrible, you know? And, and it was like, Oh, well I don't wanna talk. But you know, I, I look at it like this for my, my parents, my, you know, as we, I was coming up, they could only give me what they had to give. Um, they couldn't, they, you know, they couldn't teach me, you know, about how to, how to drive a, you know, a spaceship because they'd never driven one. That's right. But what they could do was give me the tools that they had for me to be a better person. And I think that if we mostly embraced that and start embracing it wasn't that they was bad. They gave us what they. And if each person somehow we just went like, Oh, I don't wanna talk about it. I don't wanna talk about it. But we wouldn't, I know I wouldn't for sure be where I am today if I, if they had to pull it into me. Richard Blank: That's wonderful. When your family believes in you and encourages you, now they won't let you run wild and get in too much trouble. But when they saw that you were gravitating towards something that was positive, if it was education, your. Your athletics, your friends, or what you have done with this amazing podcast. Naturally you get that sort of momentum and, and your family supports you on that. Even though they've never done it, they don't even know how to start it. But the fact that we are representing our families in the best light, I think it's a beautiful thing. Louisiana Country Boy: Yes, indeed. I, I totally agree with you. I totally agree with you. Well, look, you know, just shoot us about yourself, Richard. I mean, you know, I. They already know about me. I'm just old country boy, like, you know, hot oil cornbread and collar greens, but . But that's, that's just me. You know, I might, I might even meet a pig feeder two, but that's just, that's just me that, you know. But, you know, be, you know, like I said, it's your show. Look, it is just your show, what they call facilitator. I'm just a fci. Richard Blank: Actually, you and I are splitting this pizza tonight. Don't worry, I'm not taking that extra slice and I don't double dip either in double dip. But, um, no. My story, it's got some twists and turns. I didn't fall into the trap of pre-disposition opinions or someone setting a career for me when I graduated high. At Abington in 1991, I decided to double down on my favorite class, which was Spanish. I didn't go law medicine. I didn't go Ivy League. I was a, I was a dreamer. I was somebody that knew that I didn't want to be in a certain box without walls. If I had to do homework for the rest of my life, I wouldn't be on this podcast smiling. I'd be depressed. I , but. I decided to follow through on humanities and by speaking a second language opened so many doors. And when I was 27, my friend, I had an opportunity to move to Central America, to Costa Rica, north of Panama and south of Nicaragua was only supposed to come down for two months and work at a friend's call center just to teach English. Well, as I mentioned, if you can get past your parents' guild, you can live anywhere in the world. So I wanted to take this one in a million opportunity. That crossed my path. I could have always. Right. But when I came here, I was, I was speechless in regards to just first being in Central America Paradise, but when I was at my friend's call center, I was seeing these bilingual individuals that were on the phones and being creative in the artist's speech that it, I was enticed and, and I saw certain areas my friend, where I could give them their dignity. I could show empathy. And by working with the people, not starting as a C level executive, I was with once. , I was able to see what it was like. Right. And when I had the chance in my mid thirties with impulse control maturity and enough finances to throw my hat in the ring, I decided to go for it. And my wife and I started this business and you know, through just the stars being aligned and some grit and determination, I'm pretty much celebrating almost my 15th year in business. Wow. We feed over a hundred families. . And that to me is the greatest reward. Money always comes and trust me, golden jewels, they lose their luster. You look for other things in life Yes. To inspire you. And if you can give a lot of the times, it will come back three or four times and assist you. Louisiana Country Boy: That's most that's, that's so true. You know, and to, to leap out there and take that, that step of faith. Um, and you know what you. It's money can't buy money, can't buy the things that you're talking about as, as far as treating people with dignity, money can't buy that, that that's something you like Self with dignity. Right? And that's, that's something that, that, that's internal, you know, And, and I wish that more people would, could grasp that you, you know, your. That's what it says. You know, the first time that, that you and I talked and I told you, Look here, I could do an email all day, but I need to see the fussing face to face. And that's just me. Um, you know, there's so much that you can gain from just having a conversation with a person, just an open, honest conversation. It doesn't have to be about business, anything else, but it just has to be about knowing the person's character, what this person is. And, and Richard Blank: people need the self-reliance. Donnie, they need self-confidence. You, you say you wish more people were like this. They always had it in them, but one day you have to leave the castle to slay the dragon and save the princess. It's when are you going to begin, right? When are you going to, when are you gonna have a coming of age moment done that changes your trajectory of. . So everything after that just builds on that sort of positive momentum. And so you can't force it. You can't hit the ball and drag Johnny. Right. But maybe through your example or tapping in is what you and I have done to certain areas of interest. You could unlock that sort of potential. There's a lot of naysayers, my friend, people that will be great believers and tell you, you can't do it. I'm not telling you to be egocentric or selfish. Right. But it's better off to live your. Hmm. Than live a life Louisiana Country Boy: of others. Yes, yes, yes. You know, that's, uh, and it's so freeing for me, for me personally, it is so freeing to be able to just be who I am, you know? And I tell people, just be who you are. Be who you are. You know, I, I, I did old shit, Richard. I did a shirt. It. Just be who you are. Cause everybody else is already taking, You can't be nobody else they're already taking, you know, And if people would understand that and just be, cuz we're all, we all, I believe each and every one of us with a hundred percent of me has a, has a gift inside of that. And I'm not fitting try to get Rich's gift cuz that's not my gift. But I do have something that's mine and I think each and every person has that. And, and to be. For me again, if sometimes if we just humble ourselves and we just, we, we just kind of, I don't know, I, that's, you know, maybe some people call me crazy. I just believe in, in, in love, in everybody unconditional love. I, I believe in forgiveness. Mm-hmm. , you know, those things right there. Them two right there. Unconditional love and forgiveness. Man, look, here it goes. It goes, it goes, you know, And, and I don't do it because I'm looking for something to come back, right? Too many people say, Well I did this and, and, but they did. If if you looking and you're keeping a skull count, , you gonna lose the game. I'm telling you right now, you going to lose the game cause. What happens, and I have seen it push it. If you're looking for, If I'm looking for it to come, well, I did this for Richard. Richard ain't, but over here you got a hundred fold coming, but you ain't looking at that hundred fold. You still waiting on Richard. I'm gonna just sit here and wait for Richard. That's what I, And we miss it. We miss it. We just, Richard Blank: That's what I'm saying. And we were talking before, a lot of it are personal issues. Yes. That people may need to get through. Maybe they haven't met a best friend. Or a mentor or somebody like yourself that calls the balls and the strikes and will be forthright with somebody and tell 'em that they need to step up to the plate, order, stop overextending yourself and relax a little bit. It's people need to be a little bit more open. Yes. And to give that sort of feedback that they need. But you know, I, I, I think it's a wonderful thing that you're not looking for anything in return. Hopefully it's reciprocal, but it, it's amazing what a compliment would do to somebody. Or even as simple as opening a door for someone and allowing them to walk first. There's no pushing or shoving, and I like. , you know, ask for clarification with people instead of trying to ask them to repeat it or to give a certain opinion. It's better off today to use a little bit more diplomatic and strategic vocabulary because sometimes people can get offended. How about this? You said you wanted to see me face to face and I couldn't wait to meet you. A lot of the correspondence was via email, which was still as colorful as is is now . But a lot of this stuff could be misinterpreted. Right, Right. The tone, the the, the vocabulary. And so it's so important to keep communication skills open. Yes. And not just resort to texting and emailing because it, it really takes away from the relationship. And you, you're reaching thousands. So look at the sort of, uh, influence that you have. And so, um, I just hope people with that sort of responsibility that do have so many followers and people that listen to them, that they take that responsibly because it really can have an effect on people that watch Louisiana Country Boy: that material. Yes. Yes. And that's, you know, for me, like I say all the time, this is, I use this. This platform is just to be open and honest and transparent, and it, it has been a true blessing that when people have come, anybody that's come, I, I don't pressure anybody and, and be like, Oh, well this is what you gotta talk about. You know, I, I, I open it and that's why it's called table talk for me. Table. When you're sitting around the table, you're eating, that's where you're most comfortable. That's where you can just set and you can just have a conversation and you're open and you're honest and you're transparent. Cause you got a piece of chicken in your mouth and you're eating and, and you ain't worried about what? No, but, but that's where it is. And that's for me, That's, to get back to that. I wish that we all could get back to that. To that place where we are, we're not so confined where we're not so locked in to, to, I don't want to hear what you got to say cuz you don't say what I agree with. I never thought that it was wrong for me to listen to somebody just because I don't agree with it. Because, yeah, at a certain point we all think a certain way, but when you're open enough to be able to, I'm gonna just hear your side because guess what? Because I say at the end, Huh, I never thought of that because I was so locked into believing what I would wanted to believe that I didn't have an opportunity to open my mind to heal what others had to say. And I think a lot of people have t that way, and that's Richard Blank: unfortunate. It's impulse control. Either their ego is, is bruised. Or they're trying to shove in their point to make their point. If it's me and it's not a one and a done, but I'm gonna see you tomorrow, why don't you do all the talking? I'll just take the notes so I can calm down and then the next day I can come back to you with a level head and prioritize and, and ask for clarification or to add something, right? Or, or to take away something. And. It just doesn't have to be in the moment as they say, Let me sleep on it. Let me take a walk on it. If it's something that's emotional, you should take the time out till tomorrow. If it's fun, then all night long, just share ideas. But I, I miss and I remember about my childhood, the seventies and eighties when we didn't have the computer and we didn't have the cell phones, and a lot of the families didn't allow you to have a TV in the dining room. And so when we would have our family dinners with grandma and grandpa and the cousins and my. , Sure the kids could participate a little bit, but we're listening to everything. No one's distracted, no one's leaving the table, right? Long dinners, passing around the food, It's filling our bellies and, and just having very kind conversations. And most of them really were about passing along that wisdom. Yes. Or when my grandparents and parents were telling stories for us to learn lessons, Uh, I treasure those today. People are on their phones, on, on watching tv or just flat out not having these sort of family dinners. Right? And you're talking about eating, but it's also, you know, remember break fast, you're breaking the fast. So it's, it's almost your health, right? And you're sharing this spirituality with people by. Sharing food and breaking bread and, and at this call center, it's important for me to have pizza or popcorn or other sort of things where even if it's something small, the fact that you and I are sitting together and I hand it to you and, and we're having some popcorn together, that solidifies relationships. Yes. Why you toast the wine? I mean, these are, I believe in these sort of traditions. Some people take it lightly just for a. Imagine if it was the only one time you had a chance to have dinner with somebody. Not only did we treat them, but extra cheese, the drinks, desserts, and you realize when it's all said and done that you gave them the best dinner they ever had and the best company. And it's, it's such a pleasure to give that sort of gift and I enjoy that. I, I'd rather give food than money Louisiana Country Boy: That was good. Richard Blank: It was really good. There's no conversation. We're not even talking , Hey, but check it out in Costa Rica, this culture, I'm sure it's around your neighborhood when you're invited somewhere, usually they give you a big plate. A lot of times they're gonna give you a second plate and you can't turn that down. You have to be sometimes even a third plane. And so, um, I like being fed and I like serving as well. And it's just, um, It's so complimentary here because my mother-in-law, my swagger, all she wants to do is feed me . It's great, you know when you go to that house, you're Louisiana Country Boy: getting a great meal. , God love it. My Worthless 2cents Table Podcast has accepted Richard Blank's invitation to join the audience for a solid discussion regarding moving abroad and starting a company from scratch in Costa Rica. Donnie Lewis-The Louisiana Country Boy- discusses with Richard advanced telemarketing strategy, conflict management, interpersonal soft skills, customer support, rhetoric, gamification, employee motivation and phonetic micro expression reading. A place to freely express our thoughts and feelings where your worthless 2cents is priceless sharing our journey with each other,and always remember “Your Approval Not Needed “ Richard’s journey in the call center space is filled with twists and turns. When he was 27 years old, he relocated to Costa Rica to train employees for one of the larger call centers in San Jose. With a mix of motivational public speaking style backed by tactful and appropriate rhetoric, Richard shared his knowledge and trained over 10 000 bilingual telemarketers. Richard Blank has the largest collection of restored American Pinball machines and antique Rockola Jukeboxes in Central America making gamification a strong part of CCC culture.Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. Mr. Richard Blank holds a bachelors degree in Communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona and a certificate of language proficiency from the University of Sevilla, Spain. A Keynote speaker for Philadelphia's Abington High School 68th National Honors Society induction ceremony. Giving back to Abington Senior High School is very important to Mr. Blank. As such, he endows a scholarship each year for students that plan on majoring in a world language at the university level. Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC) is a state of the art BPO telemarketing outsource company located in the capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica. Our main focus has been, and will always be to personally train each and every Central America call center agent so that we may offer the highest quality of outbound and inbound telemarketing solutions and bilingual customer service to small and medium sized international companies, entrepreneurs as well as fortune 500 companies. We encourage you to visit one of our call centers on your next personal vacation or business trip to Central America’s paradise, Costa Rica. While you are here, we would recommend taking an extra day of your trip to visit breathtaking virgin beaches, play golf next to the ocean, try your luck at deep sea fishing, explore tropical jungles, climb volcanos or just relax in natural hot springs. Come and see for yourself why call center outsourcing in Costa Rica is a perfect solution for your growing company and a powerhouse in the BPO industry. https://youtu.be/0en9BFJpmqI https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/

https://youtu.be/7gZ1e2vgLKg https://open.spotify.com/episode/6g8yr6ltjMRm2HZlL5NoFf https://www.spreaker.com/user/14867186/my-worthless-2cents-table-is-with-richar