Building a Business: Depth Over Illusion.

Better Business Better Life Podcast. Episode #61. The Costa Rica success story with Richard Blank Welcome to another episode of Better Business Better Life. I’m your host, Deborah Chantry Taylor. I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs and their leadership teams get what they want out of business and life. So good morning, and welcome to another episode of Better Business better life. Today I’m joined by the delightful Richard Blank, who is a CEO of the Costa Rica’s call center. And we’ve just been having a wee chat before we came on live today. And just hearing a bit about Rich’s background, it’s absolutely fascinating. So I can’t wait for him to share his stories with you. Richard, welcome. On the show, I invite successful business owners and expert speakers to share their successes. They are open and honest about the highs and lows of business and also life as a business owner. We want to share those learnings with you to inspire you, but also to help you avoid some of the common mistakes. My hope is that you take something from each of these short episodes that you can put into action to help you get what you want, not only out of your business, but also your life. Quite a story with many twists and turns...At the beginning of the new millennium, a 27 year old Mr. Blank relocated to Costa Rica to train over 5000 employees for one of the larger call centers in San Jose. After 4 years, he decided to stay in Central America and dared himself to keep the faith in starting a call center company with the new skills acquired while living abroad. CCC celebrated its 14th year on February 6th, 2022. Building a Business: Depth Over Illusion Nothing's ever a smooth ride. Maybe one single business that starts in fifth gear on cruise control. But I knew that I had the foundation ethically, morally, and with the experience that at least the odds were in my favor. Now, when I first started, I launched my website October 4th of 2007. February 6th of 2008, I landed my first account. It was one seat for 50 hours. I could have overextended myself, rented some space, did the whole bells and whistles to make that impression, but it didn't make much sense to me. That wasn't the sort of image that I was trying to do. It was like the old Western towns. If you walk behind the front of the building, you see it's just a stand. There's nothing behind there. I didn't want to be a billboard cutout. I wanted to have depth. https://youtu.be/5CiL0N8wnmg https://youtu.be/nuTEPsCFWbY 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. In addition, entered into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business along side other famous alumni. Paying it forward 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #DeborahChantryTaylor #BetterBusinessBetterLifePodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO

Finding Strength in Setbacks But, you know, no one ever wants a setback. But here's the positive that came out of it. First is I got to judge myself during chaos. And I really liked my composure and how I handled myself. I'm a real person. You have emotions, but I didn't lose it. I was able to stand tall with that. Secondly, it was almost like seeing if I was a one trick pony. But no, lightning did strike twice. True to Oneself and Setting Realistic Goals I was dipping my toe in the water a lot before 27 choosing to come here. So it just really wasn't on a whim. The opportunity was, but the preparation was always in momentum since I was 18 years old. So that's number one. And number two, I always believe about being true to oneself. The worst thing you could ever do is not look in your own eyes in the mirror. Now, I won't be a professional golfer. There are certain things that you have to be realistic with. I can't be a rock star. But if you set out certain small goals and you can accomplish those, then you can easily master other levels. And even though some people might have not taken your path, it doesn't mean it's a wrong path. It's just, it's not their path. And as long as your intentions are honorable and you're not hurting anybody, you're being responsible with your family and finances. Hiring Philosophy: Fresh Talent vs. Experience That's a great question. Well, first is I like to address their second language capacities. Anybody that speaks a second language to me bears the mark of higher education. Secondly, I don't need someone, Deborah, that has call center experience. I can always teach them a CRM and a phone system. That could be done in like 20 minutes. But how about someone that has never worked at a center before with skills? You and I can mold them. They can be our squire to the night. And they're not coming in with bad habits. They're not a jumper. They're not a cancer. Because if you bring in someone that is exceptionally talented, it's almost like a mercenary. They're not loyal to a single flag. They will just go to the next place that will pay them more. The Power of Human Interaction I think we should put our phones down, Deborah, and look at each other for having lunch and talk. Like people used to do and enjoy those sort of experiences. You might be here, but your mind is elsewhere. And these are the sort of, I guess, muscle memory and skillsets that once again, if people have, they could be the incredible individuals that are bridging groups of people together and resolving issues and not letting things get escalated or out of hand in regards to emotional situations with family or friends. And really just once again, finding their composure. So when they do give a delivery and they make their case that it's representing themselves in the best light. And we try to do the same here, ma'am, at this call center. Building a Unique Company Culture Yeah, that's fantastic. And I know that you were saying before, you've got about 150 staff at the moment in the call centre, it can grow up to 300. And you actually know most of them by name, you spend time with them. And tell us a little bit about the special room that you've got there. I know everybody's by name. It's like a car wash. They have to go through my section if they're working at the ball center. And it usually happens on the first day, Deborah, before they take a single phone call or even go into the training room for soft skills and product training. I bring them into my free play arcade. I'm an avid collector of American pinball machines, jukeboxes, and retro arcade machines. And gamification is very important for my environment. It reduces attrition. It builds friendships. People can let off steam, recharge batteries and hang out with me, Deborah, in a neutral environment where they can beat the boss in pinball one day. We're having fun instead of just absorbing. Now they're contributing because they really are bonding. And so for me, yes, ma'am, I know everybody's name. And when they come here, I try to break bread with them. Besides what COVID did, which caused a lot of the agents to work from home, and we can talk about that later, while they are here, when I am with them, I will make sure to walk the road stop and not just say, Deborah, you're doing a great job. I literally have listened to a call or I'm there at the moment and give you that sort of positive feedback about your rebuttals, a positive escalation, your tone are just sounding amazing on the phone. And I'll do it in front of everybody. And you might say to me, well, Richard, you're the only boss who does it. And I go first, that's a shame. And second ever, the reality is I might be the last one that ever does it unless I'm the last boss you ever have. And you start doing it as your company culture and tradition. Empathy and Self-Discovery Perfect. We're going to hear a little bit more about that in a moment. Just in terms of, I always like to ask my guests around their professional and personal bests, just so that listeners can get a bit of a sense of who you are. So what would you say are your personal and professional bests? Well, my professional best is showing empathy towards those that work with me. When I was at my friend's center, I understood dignity and how people felt about themselves and Sometimes people, not just in call centers, Debra, but any industry could feel like a number expendable, just grinding out their time. And I believe that the way to get the best out of somebody is to motivate them and to invest in those individuals and find ways to promote and to delegate. So it was very easy for me to start this company in regards to compassion. I hired professionals in IT, HR, accounting and law But I was really more focused on the soft skills, the onboarding, the training and building relationships with people. That's my professional side. Now, on my personal side, I'm almost 50 years old. So I'm really looking back at my 18 year old self. I made that commitment to take that forced march and sometimes alone because as a dreamer Deborah you might not be able to compare notes with your friends and family and the last thing I wanted was a Debbie Downer in my life telling me I couldn't do it and it's the sort of thing that people may love you and support you but they may not understand you and you and I were on vision quests We had spiritual life journeys. I was being responsible. I had good intentions and good faith. But I also realized that there were certain things that I needed to do to have a fulfilled life. My good friend, I really didn't want to live somebody else's life. I was really looking to live my own life. And so those are the sort of two accomplishments that I could share today. Pursuing Passion with Preparation And I just wanted to continue being a nomad and this sort of passion that we have in our blood to go somewhere that might be calling us. I was responsible about it. I did my due diligence. I was dipping my toe in the water a lot before 27 choosing to come here. So it just really wasn't on a whim. The opportunity was, but the preparation was always in momentum since I was 18 years old. So that's number one. And number two, I always believe about being true to oneself. The worst thing you could ever do is not look in your own eyes in the mirror.

Richard Blank is the Chief Executive Officer for Costa Rica’s Call Cente...

The Do Zone Podcast. How to read the room while in the dark. Special episode with Richard Blank. If you’re a busy entrepreneur who’s looking to get more stuff done in less time, grab something to take notes with and follow along as we discover lessons from some of the world’s most productive small business owners. Discover how to overcome your fears and anxieties and take purposeful, impactful action. If you’re tired of being stuck where you’re at and determined to break through that barrier in front of you, this is the place to be. Balancing Work and Personal Life with Me Time I have me time. Me time, I work out every day for about two hours before coming to the office. I like to drive to work in a convertible, that's me time. And on Sundays, I like to do a pinball marathon. I have the largest collection of American pinball in Costa Rica. Sundays are pinball days. Why do I do this? Because after 20 minutes of decompressed stimulation, I'm able to think. I just can't sit there and think of my goals. No, the things that I enjoy doing were done because of the goals that I achieved. And so when I'm able to take any sort of distractions aside and really find my balance and my center during these periods of time throughout my day of chaos, I'm able to refocus again and see where my priorities are. I like to sleep on things and calm down because if I have an impulse control because I'm from Philadelphia, I might just start yelling, but I'd rather not do that. I'd like to take a step back, potentially understand your position and your ideas calm down a little bit and then come back to you with more of a level head. Controlling Calls in Sales: Match, Mirror, Pace, and Lead The idea here is Anytime you want to control a call, control the conversation. And if you're on, if you're in phone sales, these are all techniques and strategies for you to be ultimately in control of the call or the outcome of the call. That's where you need to be. And one of those is the way it's been explained to me. And I think this is where you're going is called match and mirror pace and lead. And so the idea, the way this was actually explained to me by my very first sales trainer, Nate Brooks, amazing dude. If you guys know him, he's retired now. Go find him. He's in North Carolina playing tennis somewhere. Educate Others For Yourself As I mentioned before, these are individuals that haven't experienced it yet. So maybe it's your position to educate them on it. And then eventually one day you'll be vindicated. They'll come around and tell you that you're right all along. And to a certain extent, that doesn't even really matter. No, not really. Because you're not doing it for them. You're doing it for you. Respecting Names and Identity I've been I'm surrounded. I'm actually also bilingual. I also speak Spanish. So and I spent some time in Costa Rica. I'm surrounded by Latinos all the time. And a lot of them who live in the U.S., their name is difficult to pronounce to any regular American person. And so they come up with a nickname or they just say, oh, just call me this, just call me that. Well, no. What do you prefer to be called? What's your actual name? Because I've always believed there needs to be at least one person on this planet calls you by your real name. And so I'll ask and I'll take the time to make sure that I'm pronouncing it correctly. because it's important to me that you know that I see you, that you're worth pronouncing your name correctly. Strategic Communication and Time Management Pausing is important to see if they react to something. If they're answering speed is off, you clarify it again to ensure you never say I'm sorry or excuse me. It's for my clarification. You fall on those certain swords. And those are the sort of simple skills that I believe that could give you certain controls to reduce your time. But Richard, it's a 10 minute phone call. Yeah, but it could be a 20 minute if you have to repeat yourself or you have to call them back. I'd rather have insurance policies of tie down questions and confirmations every now and again, Josh, just to make sure somebody is with me. The Power of Perseverance in Podcasting And speaking of, you mentioned the podcast thing. We're somewhere very close. This episode is going to come out somewhere close to about the 50 mark. So we launched in February of 2022. We're somewhere around 50 episodes at this point. But I actually did a podcast before for four years called How to Lose Money with Paul Moore. We did 238 episodes. And my very first one was horrible. And my second one, horrific. My 10th one, not very good. And the thing that got me good at that was I didn't quit. The thing that got me good at interviewing people was more interviews with people that practice off the stage. That's really what it is. I'm not skilled or talented. I'm just battle-tested. The Power of Writing Things Down I definitely believe that they need to have some sort of system that And I think the best system you could have is old school system. Forget typing something in, grab an old school piece of paper and write it down and keep these things with you. Keep it in your pocket. I know it's common sense and people have said this a thousand times, but There are certain goals that I have, like this podcast, I reminded myself with a sticky note that I wrote myself. To me, it had a little bit more magic to it, more power to it. I put something to it. I keep looking at it. It's almost like a boxer getting ready for their rounds, you know. And so you can embrace that sort of stuff, I believe. I believe in metaphysics. Prove me wrong. Prove me wrong that if you write something down, that if you put it in your pocket, if you touch it, if you look at it and you keep it and you think about it different ways, that it doesn't prepare you more. So unless you can tell me that this sort of metaphysics does not exist, I believe in doing certain sort of spiritual or traditional or some sort of stuff https://youtu.be/EP4keCwVuRM https://youtu.be/EP4keCwVuRM?si=gXl5uyBA1IdROYqC https://youtu.be/L5jESEy3EcY https://youtu.be/sTBOZq_rdDI https://youtu.be/qq-Ab0uirqU https://youtu.be/lh-8txT2k2o https://youtu.be/F85gldLQ0tw https://youtu.be/hYODdW9NyTE Josh is a serial entrepreneur and business consultant who lives in Austin, Texas. No Nonsense Podcast. Interviewing high performing entrepreneurs and sharing insights from decades of experience. Do Zone DNA Profile. Discover exactly how you are built for maximum productivity and learn how to get more done in less time. A Tribe of Doers. Surround yourself with peak performers who will share their best practices and push you to succeed. If you're an entrepreneur or business owner looking to get more stuff done in less time, I've put together a list of my 5 best secrets for 10x'ing your productivity. These 5 strategies form the backbone of my ability to perform at peak levels and run circles around most of my peers while still being able to live the life style I want. My mission (and passion) is to show people how to break free from the shackles of their current business and create the life and career they actually want in a very short period of time. It may not be in the way you think (no this doesn’t involve performance enhancing drugs weirdo) – it's actually related to two very simple concepts.... Mindset and Leverage. I already hear you saying, “That's great, Josh, I've heard that before, but I don't need any more buzz words or pep talks. I need action”. The truth is, you’re right. You DO need action. But you need what I call... Deliberate Action. Only deliberate action will create exponential results. And fortunately, once you understand what this is, you’ll be able to apply it in MINUTES – even if you’ve been stuck where you’re at for years! I look forward to connecting with you soon, so we can explore this together and create your specific path! ATTENTION ENTREPRENEURS: *Tired of getting to the end of the day wondering where the time went? *Spending more time putting out fires than starting new ones? *Frustrated you can't get ahead for all the catching up from behind? WE GOT YOU! The Do Zone DNA Profile is designed to show you exactly how to operate in your most productive state by uncovering and leveraging hidden character traits you probably didn't even know you had. Who is the Do Zone DNA Profile Assessment for? For Entrepreneurs Learn how to launch new projects with ease, and in record time. Set up the optimal productive environment that matches your concentration style, so you can steer clear of progress killing distractions. ?Develop the timeline that matches your preferred pace, so you can march forward at the velocity that works best for you. ??Build the right team and fill the right roles, so you can leverage the collective genius around you to accomplish amazing things quickly without having to jump down a million rabbit holes on your own. For Business Owners and Employers Learn how to increase the production of your business and have a positive impact on revenue and profit growth without touching sales or marketing Build a work place environment that facilitates optimal performance for each and every employee, so you can maximize production and minimize wasted time and payroll. ?Discover how your business actually solves problems for its customers and clients, so you can serve them better and more efficiently, and build new, highly profitable products for them. ?Set agendas, targets, and deadlines that work for you and your employees, so you can all move forward at the correct pace, not just “as fast as we can.” ??Understand your specific role as a leader AND member of your team, so you can empower your employees to help you build your business to massive success. For Employees and Teams Learn how to get more done in less time which will lead to an increased value of production and more income for you. Build a workspace that accommodates how you like to work, so you can enjoy what you do and maximize your productive energy. ?Discover your creative powers and how your brain works in productive mode, so you can spend more time performing tasks you love and less time on the ones that stress you out. Determine how you like to work with relation to time, so you can stop feeling guilty for being a “last minute procrastinator” or for being “too thorough” and instead build a healthy environment that matches your pace. ?Understand your role as part of a larger team, so you can build confidence by claiming ownership of certain projects and roles within the company. For Coaches and Masterminds Help your students and clients get clarity on how they operate, so they can stay focused on the big picture of your program. Facilitate a productive environment for each participant in your programs, so they can get more done in less time, and thank YOU for it. ?Discuss new concepts related to time management and productivity and how they can apply to what you are teaching. Transform how your group thinks, acts, and believes about the value of their time and the world they build around them. We LOVE working with teams! The Do Zone DNA Profile fosters an environment of electric energy with your team, helping every team member in every role is cranking on all cylinders and your business is reaching new heights. Your team will become an unstoppable juggernaut of productivity. Develop a complete understanding of HOW you personally get stuff done...and how you don't. Get more done in less time! Create and execute your plan for optimal productivity. ?Identify opportunities for leverage and growth Determine personal strengths and weaknesses related to productivity Uncover and maximize your highest level skills and talents. It isn’t about teaching you something new... It’s about discovering who you already are. Time How long do you take to get things done? Do you like to start early and take your sweet time, stopping to smell the roses along the way? Or are you a last minute crammer, constantly accused of “procrastinating”? The Do Zone DNA will help place you on the spectrum for how sensitive you are to time pressure. Your Time DNA report will assist you in understanding how to build a plan that embraces these time tendencies rather than shun or eliminate them. Ambience Do you keep your place tidy, or is it a mess? Surprisingly, neither one of those situations is necessarily good or bad for your productivity. What matters is that you embrace what works and avoid what doesn’t. The Do Zone DNA shows you how your environment affects your ability to execute. Your Ambience DNA report will help you design the work space that fits your inherent preferences, no matter how outside of the “norm” they may look for others. Personnel Build a team…or don’t. Either way, the Do Zone DNA shows you multiple ways to leverage other people’s efforts for successful outcomes, or how to maximize your productivity solo if that’s your thing. The primary variable here is you and how you tend to get more things done. Your Personnel DNA report will show you how you interact with others, what you prefer and how to avoid team environments that are potentially counterproductive for you. Execution Do you follow the rules or make them? Or do you just break them? The Do Zone DNA will tell you if rules and structure are a good thing for you, or an unnecessary hindrance. Not all rules should be followed all the time, and not all people should always follow rules. Your Execution DNA report will provide you the necessary ammo to know when you should be sticking to the script, and when you should be writing it yourself. Facts about the 4 elements: 81 unique variations encompassing a variety of DNA Profiles ~1% chance you and someone else you know have the same profile More than one year in development for this assessment Offer the Do Zone DNA to your mastermind, company, or networking group! We offer custom packages, partnerships, and incentives for those interested in leveraging the Do Zone DNA within their community in order to help more people get more stuff done. There are lots of ways for us to work together on this, but here’s one key point worth making… **We provide top tier training, support, and assistance on the topics of productivity, time management, business fundamentals, sales and marketing to your ENTIRE member-base COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE.** If you host, own, or control a group of 100 or more entrepreneurs, business owners, or employees, and you think they could benefit from getting more stuff done in less time, let’s talk. If you have a mastermind, networking group, large company, or an online or in-person community of any kind, let’s talk. I’m Josh Thomas, a 15+ year, battle-hardened entrepreneur and small business consultant. I’ve spent my entire career constantly chasing after the ultimate balance of time and value. Join me and shave years off your timeline to progress and results as we discover how to become the most elite versions of ourselves. I’ll share every single insight, tip, trick, tool, and resource with you both from what has worked for me before, and what I discover anew. And along the way, we’ll each get to know some of the best in the business and learn from them too! Starting a call center in Costa Rica as an American Ex-patriate, Richard has dissected hundreds of thousands of hours of sales conversations. In this episode, he breaks down a concept he calls micro-expression reading and how it can completely change the way you approach sales forever. Richard’s vision quest journey 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. 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Leadgeneration #Appointmentsetting #thedozone

The Power of Perseverance in Podcasting.

The Do Zone Podcast. How to read the room while in the dark. Special episode with Richard Blank. If you’re a busy entrepreneur who’s looking to get more stuff done in less time, grab something to take notes with and follow along as we discover lessons from some of the world’s most productive small business owners. Discover how to overcome your fears and anxieties and take purposeful, impactful action. If you’re tired of being stuck where you’re at and determined to break through that barrier in front of you, this is the place to be. Balancing Work and Personal Life with Me Time I have me time. Me time, I work out every day for about two hours before coming to the office. I like to drive to work in a convertible, that's me time. And on Sundays, I like to do a pinball marathon. I have the largest collection of American pinball in Costa Rica. Sundays are pinball days. Why do I do this? Because after 20 minutes of decompressed stimulation, I'm able to think. I just can't sit there and think of my goals. No, the things that I enjoy doing were done because of the goals that I achieved. And so when I'm able to take any sort of distractions aside and really find my balance and my center during these periods of time throughout my day of chaos, I'm able to refocus again and see where my priorities are. I like to sleep on things and calm down because if I have an impulse control because I'm from Philadelphia, I might just start yelling, but I'd rather not do that. I'd like to take a step back, potentially understand your position and your ideas calm down a little bit and then come back to you with more of a level head. Controlling Calls in Sales: Match, Mirror, Pace, and Lead The idea here is Anytime you want to control a call, control the conversation. And if you're on, if you're in phone sales, these are all techniques and strategies for you to be ultimately in control of the call or the outcome of the call. That's where you need to be. And one of those is the way it's been explained to me. And I think this is where you're going is called match and mirror pace and lead. And so the idea, the way this was actually explained to me by my very first sales trainer, Nate Brooks, amazing dude. If you guys know him, he's retired now. Go find him. He's in North Carolina playing tennis somewhere. Educate Others For Yourself As I mentioned before, these are individuals that haven't experienced it yet. So maybe it's your position to educate them on it. And then eventually one day you'll be vindicated. They'll come around and tell you that you're right all along. And to a certain extent, that doesn't even really matter. No, not really. Because you're not doing it for them. You're doing it for you. Respecting Names and Identity I've been I'm surrounded. I'm actually also bilingual. I also speak Spanish. So and I spent some time in Costa Rica. I'm surrounded by Latinos all the time. And a lot of them who live in the U.S., their name is difficult to pronounce to any regular American person. And so they come up with a nickname or they just say, oh, just call me this, just call me that. Well, no. What do you prefer to be called? What's your actual name? Because I've always believed there needs to be at least one person on this planet calls you by your real name. And so I'll ask and I'll take the time to make sure that I'm pronouncing it correctly. because it's important to me that you know that I see you, that you're worth pronouncing your name correctly. Strategic Communication and Time Management Pausing is important to see if they react to something. If they're answering speed is off, you clarify it again to ensure you never say I'm sorry or excuse me. It's for my clarification. You fall on those certain swords. And those are the sort of simple skills that I believe that could give you certain controls to reduce your time. But Richard, it's a 10 minute phone call. Yeah, but it could be a 20 minute if you have to repeat yourself or you have to call them back. I'd rather have insurance policies of tie down questions and confirmations every now and again, Josh, just to make sure somebody is with me. The Power of Perseverance in Podcasting And speaking of, you mentioned the podcast thing. We're somewhere very close. This episode is going to come out somewhere close to about the 50 mark. So we launched in February of 2022. We're somewhere around 50 episodes at this point. But I actually did a podcast before for four years called How to Lose Money with Paul Moore. We did 238 episodes. And my very first one was horrible. And my second one, horrific. My 10th one, not very good. And the thing that got me good at that was I didn't quit. The thing that got me good at interviewing people was more interviews with people that practice off the stage. That's really what it is. I'm not skilled or talented. I'm just battle-tested. https://youtu.be/EP4keCwVuRM https://youtu.be/EP4keCwVuRM?si=gXl5uyBA1IdROYqC https://youtu.be/L5jESEy3EcY https://youtu.be/sTBOZq_rdDI https://youtu.be/qq-Ab0uirqU https://youtu.be/lh-8txT2k2o https://youtu.be/F85gldLQ0tw Josh is a serial entrepreneur and business consultant who lives in Austin, Texas. No Nonsense Podcast. Interviewing high performing entrepreneurs and sharing insights from decades of experience. Do Zone DNA Profile. Discover exactly how you are built for maximum productivity and learn how to get more done in less time. A Tribe of Doers. Surround yourself with peak performers who will share their best practices and push you to succeed. If you're an entrepreneur or business owner looking to get more stuff done in less time, I've put together a list of my 5 best secrets for 10x'ing your productivity. These 5 strategies form the backbone of my ability to perform at peak levels and run circles around most of my peers while still being able to live the life style I want. My mission (and passion) is to show people how to break free from the shackles of their current business and create the life and career they actually want in a very short period of time. It may not be in the way you think (no this doesn’t involve performance enhancing drugs weirdo) – it's actually related to two very simple concepts.... Mindset and Leverage. I already hear you saying, “That's great, Josh, I've heard that before, but I don't need any more buzz words or pep talks. I need action”. The truth is, you’re right. You DO need action. But you need what I call... Deliberate Action. Only deliberate action will create exponential results. And fortunately, once you understand what this is, you’ll be able to apply it in MINUTES – even if you’ve been stuck where you’re at for years! I look forward to connecting with you soon, so we can explore this together and create your specific path! ATTENTION ENTREPRENEURS: *Tired of getting to the end of the day wondering where the time went? *Spending more time putting out fires than starting new ones? *Frustrated you can't get ahead for all the catching up from behind? WE GOT YOU! The Do Zone DNA Profile is designed to show you exactly how to operate in your most productive state by uncovering and leveraging hidden character traits you probably didn't even know you had. Who is the Do Zone DNA Profile Assessment for? For Entrepreneurs Learn how to launch new projects with ease, and in record time. Set up the optimal productive environment that matches your concentration style, so you can steer clear of progress killing distractions. ?Develop the timeline that matches your preferred pace, so you can march forward at the velocity that works best for you. ??Build the right team and fill the right roles, so you can leverage the collective genius around you to accomplish amazing things quickly without having to jump down a million rabbit holes on your own. For Business Owners and Employers Learn how to increase the production of your business and have a positive impact on revenue and profit growth without touching sales or marketing Build a work place environment that facilitates optimal performance for each and every employee, so you can maximize production and minimize wasted time and payroll. ?Discover how your business actually solves problems for its customers and clients, so you can serve them better and more efficiently, and build new, highly profitable products for them. ?Set agendas, targets, and deadlines that work for you and your employees, so you can all move forward at the correct pace, not just “as fast as we can.” ??Understand your specific role as a leader AND member of your team, so you can empower your employees to help you build your business to massive success. For Employees and Teams Learn how to get more done in less time which will lead to an increased value of production and more income for you. Build a workspace that accommodates how you like to work, so you can enjoy what you do and maximize your productive energy. ?Discover your creative powers and how your brain works in productive mode, so you can spend more time performing tasks you love and less time on the ones that stress you out. Determine how you like to work with relation to time, so you can stop feeling guilty for being a “last minute procrastinator” or for being “too thorough” and instead build a healthy environment that matches your pace. ?Understand your role as part of a larger team, so you can build confidence by claiming ownership of certain projects and roles within the company. For Coaches and Masterminds Help your students and clients get clarity on how they operate, so they can stay focused on the big picture of your program. Facilitate a productive environment for each participant in your programs, so they can get more done in less time, and thank YOU for it. ?Discuss new concepts related to time management and productivity and how they can apply to what you are teaching. Transform how your group thinks, acts, and believes about the value of their time and the world they build around them. We LOVE working with teams! The Do Zone DNA Profile fosters an environment of electric energy with your team, helping every team member in every role is cranking on all cylinders and your business is reaching new heights. Your team will become an unstoppable juggernaut of productivity. Develop a complete understanding of HOW you personally get stuff done...and how you don't. Get more done in less time! Create and execute your plan for optimal productivity. ?Identify opportunities for leverage and growth Determine personal strengths and weaknesses related to productivity Uncover and maximize your highest level skills and talents. It isn’t about teaching you something new... It’s about discovering who you already are. Time How long do you take to get things done? Do you like to start early and take your sweet time, stopping to smell the roses along the way? Or are you a last minute crammer, constantly accused of “procrastinating”? The Do Zone DNA will help place you on the spectrum for how sensitive you are to time pressure. Your Time DNA report will assist you in understanding how to build a plan that embraces these time tendencies rather than shun or eliminate them. Ambience Do you keep your place tidy, or is it a mess? Surprisingly, neither one of those situations is necessarily good or bad for your productivity. What matters is that you embrace what works and avoid what doesn’t. The Do Zone DNA shows you how your environment affects your ability to execute. Your Ambience DNA report will help you design the work space that fits your inherent preferences, no matter how outside of the “norm” they may look for others. Personnel Build a team…or don’t. Either way, the Do Zone DNA shows you multiple ways to leverage other people’s efforts for successful outcomes, or how to maximize your productivity solo if that’s your thing. The primary variable here is you and how you tend to get more things done. Your Personnel DNA report will show you how you interact with others, what you prefer and how to avoid team environments that are potentially counterproductive for you. Execution Do you follow the rules or make them? Or do you just break them? The Do Zone DNA will tell you if rules and structure are a good thing for you, or an unnecessary hindrance. Not all rules should be followed all the time, and not all people should always follow rules. Your Execution DNA report will provide you the necessary ammo to know when you should be sticking to the script, and when you should be writing it yourself. Facts about the 4 elements: 81 unique variations encompassing a variety of DNA Profiles ~1% chance you and someone else you know have the same profile More than one year in development for this assessment Offer the Do Zone DNA to your mastermind, company, or networking group! We offer custom packages, partnerships, and incentives for those interested in leveraging the Do Zone DNA within their community in order to help more people get more stuff done. There are lots of ways for us to work together on this, but here’s one key point worth making… **We provide top tier training, support, and assistance on the topics of productivity, time management, business fundamentals, sales and marketing to your ENTIRE member-base COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE.** If you host, own, or control a group of 100 or more entrepreneurs, business owners, or employees, and you think they could benefit from getting more stuff done in less time, let’s talk. If you have a mastermind, networking group, large company, or an online or in-person community of any kind, let’s talk. I’m Josh Thomas, a 15+ year, battle-hardened entrepreneur and small business consultant. I’ve spent my entire career constantly chasing after the ultimate balance of time and value. Join me and shave years off your timeline to progress and results as we discover how to become the most elite versions of ourselves. I’ll share every single insight, tip, trick, tool, and resource with you both from what has worked for me before, and what I discover anew. And along the way, we’ll each get to know some of the best in the business and learn from them too! Starting a call center in Costa Rica as an American Ex-patriate, Richard has dissected hundreds of thousands of hours of sales conversations. In this episode, he breaks down a concept he calls micro-expression reading and how it can completely change the way you approach sales forever. Richard’s vision quest journey 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. 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. https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Leadgeneration #Appointmentsetting #thedozone The Power of Writing Things Down I definitely believe that they need to have some sort of system that And I think the best system you could have is old school system. Forget typing something in, grab an old school piece of paper and write it down and keep these things with you. Keep it in your pocket. I know it's common sense and people have said this a thousand times, but There are certain goals that I have, like this podcast, I reminded myself with a sticky note that I wrote myself. To me, it had a little bit more magic to it, more power to it. I put something to it. I keep looking at it. It's almost like a boxer getting ready for their rounds, you know. And so you can embrace that sort of stuff, I believe. I believe in metaphysics. Prove me wrong. Prove me wrong that if you write something down, that if you put it in your pocket, if you touch it, if you look at it and you keep it and you think about it different ways, that it doesn't prepare you more. So unless you can tell me that this sort of metaphysics does not exist, I believe in doing certain sort of spiritual or traditional or some sort of stuff