Balancing Leadership: Personal Habits for Focus

Brand-Forward Leadership podcast. Episode 7. Filling Your Sales Needs with Costa Rica's Call Center Our 30 to 45-min podcast shares amazing founder stories who reveal the smartest strategies for scaling TODAY. Our audiences are not newbies. They're ready for their next phase of massive growth! Gerry Foster Branding, CEO and Brand-Forward Leadership podcast host, Gerry Foster has been in the strategic branding field for over 30 years. He's helped over 100,000 small businesses in 600 different industries with their branding. He has been podcasting for three years and has been on more than 200 podcast and media guest appearances. Your host, Gerry Foster, talks with Richard Blank of Costa Rica's Call Center. Costa Rica's Call Center is a state of the art BPO Telemarketing outsource company that personally trains call centers across Central America. They are bilingual and professionally trained and they can do the same for your staff. Brand Forward Leadership Podcast has accepted Richard Blank's Balancing Leadership: Personal Habits for Focus If you can't settle on yourself and make yourself balanced and focused, how could you expand and assist others? So what's very important for me is my own me time. I wish I had the discipline to do Eastern meditation, but I don't. But I have other things that I do that enables me to decompress any sort of distraction and stimulation by putting the phone away. There are three things that I do every week that I have to do. I have to wake up every day at 530 and hit the gym. So I'm in there for about two hours. So I feel good about myself and can get my thoughts. I also love washing my convertible car on a Sunday. So I enjoy that as well. And I do pinball marathons. And so when I do these things, it orders my mind to expand and then I can put things in perspective https://youtu.be/kkOsASOJNMs https://youtu.be/zcjX757dKXA 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/ #GerryFosterBranding #BrandForwardLeadershippodcast #AmsterdamTalkpodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO Gerry Foster Branding, Brand-Forward Leadership podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer, Lessons in Financial Resilience But it's not about the forward motion. What happened in 2010, and this is one of the bad things I did in business, was put all of my eggs in one basket. I went from 90 seats to four. I built it back up, obviously. But this is the one thing I did do. I had enough acorns to last that winter. So I saved more than enough money to weather that storm. I didn't have to beg, borrow, or steal. And I realized that that's part of business, the ups and the downs. And one of them is to be financially stable. So I don't walk the rows yelling at people. If you take the account away, I can't pay my lights. Unexpected Disappointments and a Touch of Humor And so my good friend, if anything or nothing, that's the one part that empathetically does from time to time surprise and disappoint me. I totally get that. I totally get that. I want to switch gears and talk about your clients for a moment because I've been in the branding industry for 30 plus years. I like to tell people I started when Jesus was wearing sandals and dinosaurs were roaming the earth The Invisible Work Behind Success As much as I am impressing you today, I gave you a good show and I'm glad I did. But on the flip side, you have done such great work prior to me being here. And everybody sees it looks easy, right, Jerry? Look at you today. But nobody saw what you've done off camera, all that dedicated practice you did, all the preparation you did in the last 30 years. to get to where you are today. So I applaud that as well, my friend. Thank you so much. You don't make me cry. Please do. Business Ethics and Realistic Client Expectations I'll give you three answers. The client, the agent, and myself. How does that sound? Okay. Go ahead. I would prefer if the client called me that they'd first judge me on merit, not price. I could recommend 10 places to do at half my price. That's number one. I want them to follow the labor laws because we do things ethically here. And this is the way that I was raised by my grandparents. So there's no wiggle room on something like that. Right. And then I would like for them to have realistic expectations and to go over real metrics, because as much as you want to reverse psychology and motivate me, I'm also an expert in the call center industry. So if you give me certain sort of numbers and metrics and expect me to make 20 calls an hour when there's an average five minute talk time on 12 calls, it's not going to happen. I can't increase time. Mutual Admiration of Leadership Qualities You got to have a part two one day, Jerry, when you come and visit me. My goodness. I mean, I'm almost breathless here because you have such depth in this capacity of entrepreneurship and leadership. And I just I just, again, want to applaud you and acknowledge you for who you are. And the stand that you are for the people in Costa Rica, I mean, you are such a blessing to that community. They do, Jerry. And I appreciate that. But let me throw a compliment back at you for your brand forward leadership. From Philly to Costa Rica: An Entrepreneurial Journey How does a boy from Philly come to Costa Rica and start a call center? I don't know, but this is what I do know. It was positive reinforcement from this community, from this country, and from the agents that work with me. And so as long as I have this sort of momentum, right, then I can understand what thriving is all about. Breaking Down Telemarketing Stereotypes This is so great to have you here because there's a lot of, I think, false information, bad intel, false news, if you want to call it that, about quote unquote telemarketers, that they interrupt our meals, that all they're trying to do is sell something that we don't need or don't want. So kind of put everyone at ease. Let's break down some of those stereotypes that you are not, my friend. Can you talk a little bit about that? Sure, of course. Well, the first thing is since I'm in a position of leverage and I'm a CEO of 150 seat call center, I have the ability to hire, fire, make or break. And I've decided to do the former. And so empathy is very important for me, Jerry, because if nobody shows up, I have no friends and there's no birthday party. So it's very important for me, especially on the first day, is to put in perspective that what they have done by walking into my call center bilingual first bears the mark of higher education. But secondly, it's 10 times harder than what they're about to do. And secondly, since they have invested their youth in English as I have my youth in Spanish, I understand the importance of vocabulary, not just dichos or expressions. I emphasized a thesaurus so they can learn more similes to be able to expand their vocabulary and to be able to be more descriptive and understood.

The Journey to Starting a Call Center

The Amsterdam Talk podcast with your host ROD. Betting on yourself with Richard Blank The Amsterdam Talk podcast is about keeping individuals aware of what is happening in the community, the world, the culture, etc. Amsterdam Talk is not your average podcast; we like to have those tough conversations. Our guests provide excellent insight and give authentic stories from a personal point of view to give the listener details about what they have learned from their experiences. Our motto is that we never know what someone is going through, and the podcast allows listeners to hear that they are not alone in this world. Season 4 | Episode 21 In this episode of Amsterdam Talk, we talk with Richard Blank CEO of Telemarketing Company in Costa Rica. Betting on yourself is a powerful concept. It means having confidence in your own abilities and potential. It’s about setting goals, taking risks, and investing in your own growth and development, even when the path isn’t guaranteed. Here are a few key aspects to consider: Self-Belief: Trust that you have the skills and drive to achieve your goals. This belief can be a strong motivator and help you push through challenges. Setting Goals: Define what you want to achieve and create a plan to reach those objectives. Having clear goals gives you direction and helps measure progress. Continuous Learning: Invest in acquiring new skills and knowledge. The more you learn and adapt, the better equipped you’ll be to face new opportunities and challenges. Resilience: Be prepared for setbacks and failures. Betting on yourself means you’ll face obstacles, but resilience helps you recover and keep moving forward. Taking Risks: Sometimes, you need to step out of your comfort zone. Calculated risks can lead to significant rewards, and they’re often necessary for personal growth. Self-Care: Take care of your mental and physical well-being. Betting on yourself also means ensuring you’re in a good place to pursue your goals effectively. https://youtu.be/sI4l28jrn48?si=KVc7fF284XF94Hzp https://youtu.be/YHLdcFHb5ao https://youtu.be/RoXpY8rsFOY https://youtu.be/GyPqEGYugs0 https://youtu.be/inEXSfyORws https://youtu.be/nO2J10CyQig https://youtu.be/gv3-M5-hCIw https://youtu.be/Hzx3Inbj_X8 College Life and Famous Roommates they have to accept it. If they really want to let you live that sort of life, Rod, that you're looking to live. Okay. So you went down to Tucson, Arizona, and you... Let me make sure I got it right. So you got a communications, you got a communication and a Spanish degree from University of Arizona. So you did that. Oh yeah. That was a fun degree. I have an undergrad of communication as well. You know, that's a fun degree. Hey, just if anyone follows Wildcat basketball during those years, I was fortunate enough to be a roommate of the great Khalid Reeves. And also post-grad, I lived with Ben Davis when he was a rookie for the Suns. And so just some very good shout outs to some cool Wildcats that had lived with me. You still speak to them? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And... You know, it's interesting when you're seeing some of the greatest guards in the nation that's on ESPN highlights, and you're just sitting there playing, you know, Street Fighter with them and hanging out and cooking food and just chilling, watching Bruce Lee movies. Life Decisions and Metaphors responsibly in-state tuition was very inexpensive in Arizona during the nineties. And so I was not dropping a lot of dough to go to school and living in Tucson was very cheap. That was a lot of fun. Okay. And so I was being somewhat responsible and at least I was going to make myself marketable and The naysayers and the great believers are the ones that don't want you to throw up on a roller coaster. But unless you get on there and you do the loop-de-loops, you're never going to know how to live, especially if you wait and get in the first cart. That's even better. I'm willing to let two or three people pass me so I can sit in the front row. And that's drinking life. And when I look back at my young self and the sort of big boy decisions that I was making that I needed to carry the rest of my life, My intuition was speaking because I was too young to understand the experience and the value of it. I had no idea where this was going to go, but I could capture this light and this energy. Maintaining Composure Amidst Chaos But sometimes maturity goes with having conversations with people that you don't want to have. And the truth may hurt when you do discuss certain advertising or where the market is going or what's happening with the internet. And It's just how it's, it's relayed and how you listen and how you can once again, receive certain energy, which may be negative at times and try to readjust tones. That's what doctors do or attorneys can do. They're used to people screaming and cursing and spitting and kicking tires, but these individuals need to sew hearts, win cases and as pilots are land planes when people are screaming around them. And so you need to, you need to respect the individual that has the straight line amongst the chaos Nostalgia and Technology: A Humorous Take And the less that we do those sort of human interactions, the more alone we're going to feel. It's quite the shame because when you look at old movies from the 60s and 70s, no one's looking down. Unless they're reading a newspaper or book or something. Everyone's looking around and seeing what's happening in the scene. Comment on it. Participate in it. Get involved. Today... It's almost like the movie, The Breakfast Club. It would have never existed. They all would have been on their phones the whole time. And when I walk downstairs and I'm in the lunchroom, you'll have the tables of four or five people sitting together and each one of them is watching something differently. And as much as I tease about it and break their back and talk about what it was like in the 80s, and they're like, okay, okay, grandpa. Nostalgia for the Social Past And when I walk downstairs and I'm in the lunchroom, you'll have the tables of four or five people sitting together and each one of them is watching something differently. And as much as I tease about it and break their back and talk about what it was like in the 80s, and they're like, okay, okay, grandpa. whatever you're right. I'll just go play some pinball. I leave you alone. And it's almost, it's, it's sad because there was nothing better that you get that knock on the door, the doorbell ringing and you'd run there and it's your buddy that wants to go ride bikes or climb trees with you. And so those are the memories, my friend. And I'm trying to still instill that with the people today. The Decline of Human Interaction I see people that wait in line at the supermarket so they can have the interaction with the person compared to doing self-checkout. There's some people that like that experience and that's why they go to that store or they've known Betty for 15 years and it's part of their routine. And the less that we do those sort of human interactions, the more alone we're going to feel. It's quite the shame because when you look at old movies from the 60s and 70s, no one's looking down. Unless they're reading a newspaper or book or something. Everyone's looking around and seeing what's happening in the scene. Comment on it. Participate in it. Get involved. Today... It's almost like the movie, The Breakfast Club. It would have never existed. They all would have been on their phones the whole time. The Journey to Starting a Call Center So what made you start this, you know, your business up, your company? What made you start your company? I was 35 and I was getting old and I was trying, you know, when I left my friend's company, I did make phone call for my family real estate business in the United States and then the market fell out. And so I had a little bit saved. I had some knowledge and I had the desire. And one of my friends says, hey, Ricardo, why don't you just start a call center? And I said, oh, in Gaza, am I going to do this? How are you going to get to that level? And so, yeah. The first thing I was taught was to slow down, calm down. What can we do? What can we control? Well, I always believe in home court advantage. Let's be realistic. And so someone needed to have space that I could rent a section of, like an internet cafe. So there was a blended call center where I could rent a turnkey station for premium, but I could scale accordingly and they're responsible, the internet and the rent and everything. I can come and go like a plane seat 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/ #AmsterdamTalkpodcast #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Gamification #CEO Amsterdam Talk podcast, Richard Blank,Costa Rica's Call Center, Outsourcing, Telemarketing, BPO, Nearshore, Sales, Entrepreneur, B2B, Business,Podcast,Gamification,Leadership,Marketing, Radio, Guest, Money, education, trainer,