Learning Leadership Through Real Experiences and Empathy

Conversations Ignite Podcast presents Building Dreams in Costa Rica: pure Passion with Richard Blank Welcome to "Conversations Ignite," where your host Robbie Ross brings you thought-provoking and entertaining interviews and stories. Dive into engaging discussions that explore diverse personalities and personal experiences, designed to ignite your curiosity and inspire your own journey. Welcome to Conversations Ignite, where every episode sparks new perspectives. Join host Robbie Ross as he delves into the diverse world of personalities, from everyday inspirations to extraordinary journeys. Through candid interviews and personal anecdotes, Robbie explores what ignites passion, creativity and strength in individuals across different walks of life. Whether you're seeking insights or simply curious about people's experiences, let these conversations ignite your curiosity and understanding. New episodes are available each week. Tune in and let the sparks fly! You can catch "Conversations Ignite" on all your favorite podcast platforms. Whether you're commuting, relaxing at home, or on the go, tune in to our engaging discussions and inspiring stories. Listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more. Don't miss out on the conversations that ignite curiosity and inspire change. In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Richard Blank, the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, who shares his remarkable journey from Philadelphia to Costa Rica at the age of 27. Richard talks about how his bilingual skills opened doors across Latin America and how he built his company from the ground up, overcoming numerous challenges along the way. We dive into his leadership philosophy, which focuses on empathy, motivation, and the power of human connection in the call center industry. Richard also discusses his unique approach to training over 10,000 bilingual telemarketers and the tools that have helped him succeed, like phonetic micro-expression reading and the famous Buffer-Boomerang Technique. In addition to his professional expertise, Richard shares his personal passions, including his massive collection of restored American pinball machines and antique jukeboxes, and how gamification plays a key role in his company’s culture. He reflects on the importance of authenticity, following your dreams, and embracing the journey with integrity. This episode is filled with insights on leadership, the future of AI in telemarketing, and how living authentically can bring true happiness. Tune in for a conversation that goes beyond business and explores what it means to live a fulfilling and impactful life. From Troubled Youth to Getting Life Together staying out late, stealing cars, boys town. I mean, come on. I went the hard way. I wanted to get my act together. I knew what it was like to feel low and have people not believe in you and parents not want their kids to play with you. So you got to get your act together. And it's better off that you do it at a young age And you realize it's not fun to get in trouble and it's better to be a good kid. And so maybe I got it out at those stages and look what it turned into now. Learning Leadership Through Real Experiences and Empathy Oh, the greatest cops were the bad kids back in the day. And the best teachers were the bad students. And the best warriors were the ones that actually fought. and have their scars. And so I just don't write checks and I'm not an administrator. I can jump on these phone calls and retain this client and teach them a thing or two. This is my wheelhouse. I'm not to brag, but man, if you spend a quarter of a century doing something, you better be good at it. Not only was I good enough, instead of just focusing on myself, I wanted to expand and bring others up. And so, wow, those four years that I spent at my friend's center where you heard the good, the bad, and the happy and the sad, it easily, allowed you to relate to the people that were on the phone. And so I have learned a few things that you never mess with people's money or their kids. That's number one. Number two, give people the benefit of the doubt because this can be a texting job that there are things that happen outside of the office that you don't even know might affect their performance. And I judge people accordingly. And I know if someone needs a timeout, it doesn't have to be during designated break times. You might need Robbie to put some water on your face and go play some pinball for five minutes or something. https://youtu.be/MiiQN09fVbU https://youtu.be/O1c7pLF6gVs?si=yiLPtirltkpRG2ai https://youtu.be/RVaF2wcKJ8c Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Robbie Ross, Conversations Ignite Podcast, Richard Blank, Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing Call Centre, BPO, Nearshore Contact Center, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business, Podcast, Gamification,Leadership, Marketing, CX, Guest, Money, B2C education, BPO trainer,call centre, contact centre, contact center,trend, trending Welcome! I'm Robbie Ross, the host of "Conversations Ignite." Born in Colorado Springs and raised in Georgia, I've always had a passion for storytelling and connecting with people. My journey has been shaped by my experiences, including a life-changing kidney transplant in August 2022. This pivotal moment inspired me to pursue my dream of podcasting, bringing engaging discussions and inspiring stories to light. Join me as I explore diverse perspectives and meaningful conversations that spark curiosity and ignite change. Witnessing amazing transformation Giving back to those in need is truly inspiring.Overcoming challenges and achieving success. 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. 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. 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/ #RobbieRoss #ConversationsIgnitePodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #trend #trending #listennow #subscribe #podcastclip #podcastvideo #videopodcasting #podcastguest The Grit and Heart Required to Build Something But I tell you what, man, Sometimes the greatest memories you have is the initial grind when you played a bar and only two people showed up as a musician. You still played it and you played your heart out. And so every account that came in, every agent that got me to grow to my 150 where I am today, it was exhilarating. It was weird. It was, you're on a high, you're jumping clouds. And so you have to be not crazy nor reckless But you have to, from time to time, really dip your toe in and to see if you're brave enough to slay a dragon. Because most people have the desire, but most never leave the castle. And are we the crazy ones? I don't know, maybe bold, grit, and John Wayne-ish. But in the end, it's those that are seaworthy. I mean, you've practiced for this your entire freaking life. Go out there at least once and see if you can beat Johnny and the karate kid. My goodness. I mean, live your life. It's like, you know, when you ever see the bully pick on the kid, but the kid had the lion's heart to fight back and even got one good shot in, even though he got beat up. The whole school respected him. You respect someone that's got heart, that's willing to die with their boots on and to go for it. Techniques for Positive Escalation and Genuine Connection with Clients Another example. instead of saying, excuse me, Robbie, because your dog is barking or I can't hear you or something. We fall on swords. It's a play like in chess, you sacrifice pawns. So I'll say for my clarification, was it A, B, C or one, two, three? Maybe by the third time I'm asking for clarification, you realize to put the dog outside. But then I'm not done yet. I'm gonna say, yo, Robbie, I love dogs. What's the name of your dog? His name is Champ. What breed is he? He's a German Shepherd. Really? How old is your puppy? He's 12. Nice, champ. German Shepherd, puppy at 12. These are the sort of anchoring techniques people need to be very attentive. They need to be in the moment to catch that dog bark and put the script aside. And so one other suggestion that I would make, which separates us from other telemarketers, is the positive escalation. If I speak with Judy before she transfers me to you, I'm going to let her know how amazing she is. And when I get transferred to you, Rob, before I even introduce myself, I'm going to let you know how amazing Judy is. Think about your defense. There is no defense. Your defense from a 10 goes to a one. I'll take that nine and use it horizontally for momentum. Mass has to go somewhere. Give it to me. I'll take it. I'll take your nine points. And then you wonder why conversations last five minutes.