Empathy and Conflict Management.

Seeker Solution podcast "What It Takes". A Leadership and philosophy chat with guest Richard Blank. On the What It Takes podcast, your host, Jamie Seeker encourages business owners to tell all! They'll share not only their expertise, but their stories and their purpose.We cover a wide range of topics – the good and exciting, the challenges and sometimes the ugly. Experiences and lessons learned that our guests have faced along the way.We believe that every person has a unique message which can positively impact the world. We let our guests share on the subjects they’re well-known for. No matter the topic, you’ll be hearing real stories from real people. Episode 7. From Talk to Action: Leadership and Communication Strategies for Success. Join us as we sit down with Richard Blank, the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, who relocated from the U.S. to Costa Rica and has trained over 10,000 telemarketers in his 17-year business journey. Richard shares his expertise in building strong teams, conflict management, and advanced communication techniques like phonetic micro-expression reading. He also discusses his leadership philosophy, gamification techniques to engage employees, and the importance of empathy in management. Whether you're running a business or leading a team, this episode is full of actionable insights and strategies to elevate your leadership and communication skills. ⁠ Richard shares:⁠ The art of mastering soft skills in business⁠ Training 10,000+ bilingual telemarketers⁠ Using gamification to motivate teams⁠ Insights on conflict management & empathetic leadership⁠ Key Topics Discussed: Richard's unique journey from the U.S. to Costa Rica and how he built a call center from scratch The challenges and successes of training over 10,000 bilingual telemarketers Advanced communication strategies, including phonetic micro-expression reading Gamification techniques to boost employee motivation and engagement Conflict management strategies and the importance of empathy in leadership Practical advice for business owners on growing steadily, with a focus on soft skills and emotional intelligence Key Quotes: "It's about perseverance, dedication, and really loving what you do. When you're passionate, the results will follow." "The art of speech and mastering soft skills can turn a simple conversation into a business success story." "You can’t rush growth—it’s about slow, steady progress, making each step count." Empathy and Conflict Management Well, I try to listen as much as possible because I could get the first impression. You know, Jamie's cursing. I'm like, Jamie's cursing because she never curses. I go, something must be going on. So I like to give the benefit of the doubt. Come on, what's going on with Jamie today? And so I'll let you guess it out. I don't like scenes so we can do things privately. And it's not a principal office thing. You decide where you're most comfortable. Do you want to walk around the block or do you want to go to the third floor office? And so you have some coffee. People are there that you care about are sitting with you. If you need to describe it in Spanish first so it's easier for you, that's great. I'll buy a logo and it's your language. So make your point perfectly clear. And we see what we can do. I give a track record into consideration. I'm going to say it again. Life happens. I've seen men twice my size just break down and start crying. And I've seen women that are half my size as bold as a lion and I couldn't be more proud and everything in the middle. And so it's a sensitive moment for people. And a lot of the times, Jamie, when they've made themselves so vulnerable and they become embarrassed or you could use that as leverage against them and you don't, you realize that you really respected them and they showed you their core. And so if you want to talk about somebody that will be with you for the next five years, well, maybe you got them to get it out and they had nowhere else to get it out and they were losing their mind and all of a sudden it's you. And sometimes you can't help it. And it depends on how you react to it. And I've always been raised to really respect people's emotions because they'll forget what you say to them, but they'll never forget how you make them feel https://youtu.be/xVfw8Y3jaq8 https://youtu.be/JMe2m18tqw4?si=76CN8MxjMs9jCoM4

Jamie Seeker founded Seeker Solution to help entrepreneurs and business leaders learn, grow and thrive. As one of the only full-service, boutique business operations companies in the U.S. offering customizable, holistic business solutions, Seeker Solution provides strategic support and result-driven tools that enable business owners, managers and C-Levels to take their company to the next level. Seeker Solution’s hands-on approach cultivates a synergetic environment to expertly assess, identify, develop, and execute a strategic business solution for each client and its company’s operational needs. Jamie’s mission was to create a holistic business concept that was more than business coaching or leadership development. She launched Seeker Solution with the mission to sharpen a business owners’ personal skills and abilities, help accomplish their entrepreneurial vision, achieve their company’s specific objectives, and accelerate their company’s growth. Owner, Principal Consultant Hi I’m Jamie Seeker and I specialize in Business and Financial Management. I founded Seeker Solution with a heart for business owners and leaders and my goal is to help improve business operations in their companies. We are also here as a resource for our clients to ask for advice, lean on for support and be an understanding and listening ear when you just need to unleash and vent! You see, I started off my career in operations management, so I understand because I’ve been there. And now that I have a business of my own, I connect with other owners through a common understanding of experiences that only we face in this role. Prior to starting Seeker Solution, no matter what company I was with or what level of management I was in, it was ALWAYS so much more than what one person should handle alone. I had many times throughout my journey where I felt overwhelmed and alone. It didn’t matter how many hours I added to my work day, I could never seem to keep up and the load only got heavier and heavier. This is why I started Seeker Solution. It took me stepping out and away from the hustle to realize that I didn’t have to do it alone. And that what I went through and learned from could be repurposed to help others overcome those same obstacles. Podcast Vision: Jamie Seeker created What It Takes to combat the sense of isolation many business owners experience. The podcast will feature entrepreneurs and decision-makers who openly share their stories, challenges, and wins to inspire others. Target Audience: Business owners and entrepreneurs with growing teams, particularly those generating around seven figures in annual revenue, and those in transition from solopreneurs to managing larger teams. What Listeners Can Expect: Authentic conversations with business owners about startup journeys, overcoming feelings of overwhelm, navigating company growth, and actionable steps for personal and professional development. Guest Profiles: Entrepreneurs at various stages of business growth—from those beginning to recognize the need for operational changes, to those actively managing transitions, and leaders who have successfully navigated these phases. Notable Quotes: "You’re really not alone. There’s a whole community of business owners that are doing these things every day that are feeling the same things you’re feeling." "Our show is about business owners telling all—the good, the bad, and everything in between. By hearing others’ stories, you might not feel as alone and can learn how to avoid obstacles they’ve already overcome." 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. 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. In addition, inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business. 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. Hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ 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://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #WhatItTakes #SeekerSolutionpodcast #JamieSeeker #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #trend #trending Magic Moments in Networking And I'm like, That's who I am. They're like, man, I totally was going to give you the business. You had no idea even who I was. It was before I even came into your office that day. I was in the parking lot. That's the money. That's the juice. That's when they see you as who you are. And then the next thing you know, you're sitting in an office across from one another, laughing about the tire, teasing, back slapping. You walk out and people are like, best friends? Of course I'm hiring this guy. Um, that's all just find those magic moments and capture them. Yeah, Jamie. Motivating and Managing Your Team And you also kind of allude to that a bit in how you manage your team. You emphasize employee motivation and You know, they keep coming back because they like you. So talk a little bit about your techniques like gamification. I mean, you threw some boxing in there and some other things. How does this play a role in keeping your team engaged and motivated? You got to realize they have a life outside the office. They're taking care of kids and their parents and they have stress or they're in love and they have puppy love that day. I don't know. Come on, Billy. Keep making phone calls. Not only kidding, but. How do I know? Because I've been there. The greatest cops were the kids that broke windows in their teens. They can see the kids and they know how to readjust and not saying I was a straight A student. Absolutely not. But I tell you what, I love giving second chances when they're deserved. And I have to follow labor laws. That's important. From US to Costa Rica: Richard Blank's Unique Journey Hi, Jamie. I'm so happy to be with you and your audience today. I'm definitely going to share some secrets on what it takes to be a studio and go the distance. Yes, yes. Well, let's just go ahead and start with your journey. And I mean, you and I were just talking about weather. I'm still in my tank top weather here in sunny Arizona, but you are in Costa Rica. Your journey to get there is quite unique. What motivated you to move abroad and start a call center there? That's an excellent question. I was building on momentum. My favorite class in high school was Spanish and I doubled down and decided to be a Spanish major at the University of Arizona, by the way, in Tucson. Go cats and bear down. And then I had a couple of jobs post-grad where I could put seabla espanol on my business card. But at 27 years old, I was given a one in a million opportunity to work at a friend's center in Costa Rica for just a couple of months. I took it, put my stuff in storage in Tempe, and kind of just was here. Just never left. I've been here for 24 years. Training Telemarketers: The Art of Speech and Soft Skills Well, if people like you, they'll come back and listen to you. So it makes it easier. But think of this. When I was at my friend's call center, I learned the business from the inside out. So I was learning retention, customer support, onboarding, training. So it was almost like pre-season. I was given four years worth of training classes. And that's where the half of the 10,000 came. And then when I started my business, it was the other half. But you get better at it. Everyone should learn things. the meat. What I like is the finesse. They really should learn soft skills, transitional sentences, and replace easy, lazy vocabulary with things that are striking. So at least you can captivate and move conversations forward. So it's the art of speech. I expect more from people. I constantly want them to work on their trade. And so for me, my classes were very entertaining. I referred to a lot of the early 80s movies like Fast Times and Ferris Bueller. They were looking at me like, who? Oh, I know those well.