Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Episode 79 of Off the Comma podcast lands today and I’m talking with Ric...

Episode 79 of Off the Comma podcast lands today and I’m talking with Richard Blank from Costa Rica. In this episode, we talk to Richard Blank. He is empathetic, confident and has “old school grit”. Richard lives in Costa Rica. You’re stuck, I get it. I’ve been there too. I call it “sitting on a comma”. We all know what it’s like to feel stuck in life and not know where to go next. This podcast is all about what it’s like to be on the comma, as shared by individuals just like ourselves. We will explore what they experienced, what they learned and how they got themselves off the comma. See more at YouTube @offthecomma! Richard tells us about getting off the comma created by familial and societal expectations. Growing up in a world where he was expected to follow a prescribed path, Richard describes feeling like he didn’t fit in and appearing as a failure to those around him. Allowing himself to “fail out” led him to find a new path and surprise himself with what he would find along the way. Paying attention to his instincts and the signs along the way, he ultimately found himself in another country, speaking a different language, and enjoying a success he never imagined. Tune in to hear what Richard means when he says “friends tell me they wish they had tried”. Richard would like to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations and/or causes that matter to him and invite you to consider supporting them and/or sharing their messages: "Shine like the Sun" by Igni Ferroque https://youtu.be/wnQX8TEagis?si=XtJsaPrlWSznZ-gV Igni Ferroque is a Costa Rican rock group that was born at the end of 1978. Igni Ferroque, which from Latin means iron and fire, performed its first concert in the Colegio La Salle auditorium on September 15, 1978. Roberto "Ferroque" Ruiz leads all the weight of the direction of the group and marked the beginning of a process of musical growth and development of relevance inside and outside of Costa Rica. Garry Gary Beers INXS bassist performance video. "Shine Like The Sun" rock song by Igni Ferroque. https://youtu.be/ieGjN5H4xPQ?si=Om43wjxtkf9w8VTP I highly recommend Mr. Garry Gary Beers. The working relationship was easy and stress free. My firsthand knowledge involved the attention to detail, clarity to avoid miscommunication and the generosity of his sincere efforts. Experiencing a comfortable first time business deal was a pleasure. The financial investment in working with Mr. Beers was worth the extemporaneous chance to meet a multi-platinum bass guitarist. Most importantly, the bonus of sharing his music and imagination with fans. You’re stuck! ​I get it! I’ve been there too. I call it “sitting on a comma™.” Something in your life is on pause and you’re not sure how to get moving again. You’re having difficulty unlocking the answers on your own. I can help you get unstuck from whatever is holding you back in important parts of your life: your career, relationships, identity, personal goals or new endeavors! Let me be your mirror. Let’s talk about how working with me can challenge your thinking and reveal new options. I can help you find the clarity to get yourself off the comma, to create motion, vision and results in your life. If you or someone you know is sitting on a comma, contact me today. It’s your journey and I know it can be amazing! ​Off the Comma is built to empower individuals, teams and organizations to see possibilities and create the outcomes they want for themselves. When change is wanted and needed, I help you declutter in work, life and space. About Paul Briley, ACC, CPTD, MBA: I leverage my 25+ years of experience in learning, leadership, consulting and coaching to help you bring your vision to life. My career was built on consultative thought leadership focused on creating impact on people, culture and results. Throughout my career, I have helped people get moving. I'm known for helping people assess their current state, define goals and outcomes, then build plans and move to action. My consultative approach helps build custom solutions and services based on your unique needs and experiences. When the pandemic and racial reckonings happened in 2020, I found myself sitting on a comma (along with the rest of the world). Through observation, asking questions, listening and challenging, my horizons expanded and my values shifted. By 2021, I realized that getting myself off the comma meant helping others do the same. Off the Comma™ was born. ​While doing my own inner work, I also decided to end my relationship with alcohol in 2021. Now that I'm alcohol free (AF), I offer support to people who are sober curious and looking to change their own relationship with alcohol. Being alcohol free is an important part of achieving the clarity you need to create the life you want. I build relationships based on a sense of purpose, action-orientation and having fun in the process. It’s all about helping you through your journey, while challenging you to tap into the wisdom you carry inside. Consulting With over 30 years experience in organizational Learning & Development, we help you design, develop and deliver your learning strategy, team and programs. Coaching Having spent an entire career working with individuals and teams, I have a passion for helping people bring their vision to life. As an ICF Accredited coach, I want to help you achieve the outcomes you seek. Organizing Organizing, sorting, decluttering and making things simpler has always been a passion of mine. This shows up in all the work that I do. Let me help you do the same: at home, work, play and in your physical and mental environments. Helping bring your vision to life! Consultative & Strategic TALENT DEVELOPMENT Leader with an eye toward impact on People, Culture & Results Close Consultation with Business Stakeholders to Design & Develop STRATEGIC LEARNING SOLUTIONS Align Business GOALS & CHALLENGES with oversight of Design / Development / Delivery / Measurement of BLENDED Learning Products Evaluation of ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES & Design / Development of Solutions to meet those Challenges Professional COLLABORATOR and ACTIVATOR Helping individuals and companies organize and build ROADMAPS Complex Projects Intuitive Problem Solving Process Holistic Point of View/Big Picture Thinking Bring People and Resources Together Develop Focused Solutions Talent Development System Architecting the Learning Function: Needs Analysis / Assessment / Design / Development / Implementation / Evaluation Adept at custom Programs tied to Unique Business Needs & measuring Performance Outcomes Experienced at building and developing teams and structures for the Learning function Skilled within a changing Matrix Environment and using influence to Build Relationships Paul Briley is a specialist in the Learning & Development community. He leverages his passion for vision and his diverse history of working with professionals across a variety of business segments, including: Retail, Multi-unit Health Care, Managed Care, Manufacturing, eCommerce, Small Practice, Wholesale, Operations Support/Corporate Office, Government and Consulting. https://youtu.be/UjjNcZ79crM Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Paul Briley, Off the Comma 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 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, he shared his knowledge and trained over 10 000 bilingual telemarketers. Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica s Call Center since 2008. 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. 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/ #PaulBriley #OfftheCommapodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #trend #trending #listennow #subscribe #podcastclip #podcastvideo #videopodcasting #podcastguest