How a Rock Legend Played Bass for My Call Center. #garrygarybeers #inxs ...

Stories from Real Life Podcast. Philly Native Makes Name for Himself in Costa Rica with Richard Blank Why should you listen to this podcast? Because "Stories from Real Life" reminds us we’re not alone. In every episode, expert interviewer Melvin E. Edwards dives deep into the moments that shape who we are—messy, moving, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking. Whether you're stuck, healing, or just curious about the human experience, these stories help you feel seen, understood, and connected. Host Melvin E. Edwards My name is Melvin E. Edwards, an introspective storyteller known for crafting intricately layered and profound narratives predominantly in written form. This distinctive quality lends a unique touch to my podcast. Embrace this movement subtly as we delve into heartwarming tales and sprinkle in some light-hearted humor. Melvin E. Edwards, a sixth-generation Texan, boasts a distinguished career transition from an acclaimed newspaper reporter and columnist to the vibrant realm of Texas politics. Initially covering Texas high school football, he swiftly ascended to become a speechwriter for the Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Texas. His literary prowess shines through two award-winning books that meticulously trace his Texan lineage back to the days of the Republic of Texas, earning him recognition as one of the pioneering African-American members of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. A detail-oriented leader who uses analytical and interpersonal skills, and pressure-tested experience to identify problems and create sustainable and collaborative solutions. Executive-level communications expert in education, community, and government fields. Proven track record in public relations, media relations, and public policy. Ep. 109 - From Philadelphia to Costa Rica: Richard Blank's Journey Richard Blank shares his journey from growing up in Philadelphia to establishing a thriving call center in Costa Rica. He discusses the importance of following one's passion, the challenges of family expectations, and the significance of soft skills in business. Richard also delves into his love for pinball machines and how they relate to his life philosophy. The conversation highlights the balance between technology and human connection in today's world. Falling in Love with Pinball: From Arcades to Collecting That's awesome. All right. You just mentioned pinball and I know you're a pinball aficionado. Tell me about your love for pinball machines and how you began collecting them. The same age we grew up during the years of the arcades and I could play asteroids for 45 minutes. But a pinball machine, that quarter and sometimes 50 cents, those things go quick. That's a luxury item. I can't afford that. It's like a senior in high school. But I knew this, though. I love the marquees and the artwork. And I love the sounds and the fantasy and design. And so I always said to myself, if I ever had the money and the space, I'm going to grab at least a machine. Well, little do I know that arcades are going out of business in Costa Rica and people are giving them away. And so you have to make a decision. Do you take all you can eat? Of course you do. Finding Home and Embracing New Beginnings Abroad The second I walked off the plane, it's like the Brady Bunch video when they go, what, to Hawaii? I mean, go on. You know when you're in vacation, when you walk off the plane and the weather feels good and it smells good and everyone looks good, you're out of your mind. This is 10 times better than home. No offense. And so I wanted to live in a place that felt like a Saturday where I didn't feel bad going home. I am home. And I wanted to stay as long as possible. And I wanted to start a new life. I wanted to see without any sort of connections or advantages or things that I know, can I literally start from scratch and see if I could do something in life? Yeah, but you would have made more money in the States, your family's real estate business. I know, but I also wanted to drink life. And I wanted to see what I could do. And the home cooked meal tastes 10 times better. How a Rock Legend Played Bass for My Call Center One of my best friends in Costa Rica is a rock star named Igni Faroqui, and he wrote a song about my call center called Shine Like the Sun. So, of course, in excess of my favorite band, I listened to some of their podcasts. And Gary Gary Beers mentioned that he owned a company out in Los Angeles. I checked it out, and one section was Hire Gary. If you got a song, he'll take a listen to it. So I sent it to him, amongst three pages of how much I love their music, and he's the man, but... You know, it's the kind of thing where price didn't matter. You're at the restaurant, order what you like. He said, Richard, I can offer you this, this, and this. I go, I'll take it all. So he played bass on a track. He also added a couple of synthesizers and other different ways to play. And then he did a performance video for us. And so I would have just paid him the money just for writing me. The fact that he did it. It was great. But Melvin, I tell you, my friend, a lot of people get inspiration from art in many different ways, from music and paintings and whatever. https://youtu.be/VRA-azF8yf4 https://youtu.be/-_LyFF6MQDk https://youtu.be/HR9cI7O1gfY https://youtu.be/wAFs6eYoMKk Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Melvin E. Edwards, Stories from Real Life 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/ #MelvinEdwards #StoriesfromRealLifePodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO #trend #trending #listennow #subscribe #podcastclip #podcastvideo #videopodcasting #podcastguest.#CostaRicaCallCenter #LifeReinvention #SalesLeadership #PinballCEO #TelemarketingMastery #PodcastEpisode

So anyway, no one ever wants to be a CEO of a call center. Ask a single kid growing up in high school what they want to be when they grow up. Or even in kindergarten, it's always astronauts and firemen. No one ever says call center. In fact, you're raised to hate us and hang up on us. Seriously. And look what Hollywood does with us and television shows. I mean, seriously. I mean, if you had one life vest and it was a used car salesman or telemarketer. Wait, don't tell me. I'm kidding. My point being, Melvin, damn it, this is the kind of thing that is a very nice thing. It's soft skills. It's really advanced communication skills. It's a way to retain a client and to make somebody's day. But I saw the interworkings of a call center. You could always use the server room, the predictive dialer, disposition reports, noise canceling headsets, QA and automation. But I was looking for the magic.