Destroying Call Center Stereotypes and Appreciating the Craft. #business...

Scale Tales From the Ground Up. The Business Infrastructure show Podcast Episode #213 Richard Blank Curing back office blues. Growth is not a bad thing. But too much growth, too fast presents a set of challenges often overlooked when discussing small businesses. The emphasis tends to center on the marketing and promotion necessary to grow your business, and not on the operations and business infrastructure needed to scale your business in a sustainable manner. These back office operations can make or break your business. The Business Infrastructure show provides solutions and real life stories to owners and operators of fast growing small businesses seeking practical tips for dealing with growth spurts. A few years after graduating from university, he accepted an offer to conduct training at a call center in Costa Rica. At 27 years old he decided to call Costa Rica home. That was over 20 years ago. And he never looked back. In this episode, Richard takes us on his journey as he leverages his advanced Spanish-speaking skills, business prowess, and emotional intelligence to build and scale Costa Rica s Call Center from a one-seat to a 300-seat operation. While his friends pursued careers in fields like law, medicine, and technology, Richard Blank went in a completely different direction language. In fact, his love of language and communications led him to study abroad for one semester in Spain. That experience changed the trajectory of his life. Discover how Richard used a cash-only approach to invest in the business infrastructure required to lay a foundation for sustainable growth, his tips for reducing attrition, and why he urges entrepreneurs to act their wage. Growth is not a bad thing. But too much growth, too fast presents a set of challenges often overlooked when discussing small businesses. The emphasis tends to center on the marketing and promotion necessary to grow your business, and not on the operations and business infrastructure needed to scale your business in a sustainable manner. These back office operations can make or break your business. Following a Path Less Traveled Richard, surely there's more to your story than this. Let's try that again. That's why you do the best interviews, Alicia. Thank you so much. How about this? When I was in high school and I graduated, most of my friends were going to Ivy League and studying law, medicine, engineering, and architecture. I myself decided to double down on languages. It was my favorite class. And at the University of Arizona, once again, being a communication major, I was able to focus on public speaking rhetoric and nonverbal communication. And so that was very important for me. Sometimes I kind of felt like a dreamer. and i was almost doing this alone but since my great-grandparents came from europe from romania russia germany and Poland, they came at the turn of the century. And so when they came to the United States in the early 20th century, and they learned English and were entrepreneurs, it was pretty much my strongest argument to my parents on what I was trying to do. Our family were nomads, we were risk takers. And for me, all I know is that I wanted some sort of adventure. And I know that by learning a second language, it would open many doors for me. And so my natural progression pretty much got me to where I am today. Growth Through Cultural Exposure Backpacking around Europe opened a whole new world for Richard. He learned the valuable lessons of evaluating and focusing on what really matters in life, as well as not taking certain things, experiences or people for granted. And what I figured out then was that the things that we hold so dear in the United States really didn't make a difference overseas. We're really just looking at your essence. So it just opened my mind. that there are other places in the world where I could learn and be accepted. And I guess my main thing, and I'm very proud of this, is that when you're 21 years old in Europe, all you want to do is party and have a good time, which I did. But if a party began at eight o'clock, what I made sure to do before that time was to see as many museums and buildings and as much artwork and architecture as I could. So at least I could put in my time to grow and see these incredible historical artifacts that made our cultures, our Western civilization. And so that was the year that I read more books and didn't watch television and really mastered Spanish. And so that was probably the year that I grew the most. Introduction: Overcoming Challenges and Fears Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live or work in another country? Be honest. I know I have. It s a big reason why my team operates remotely around the world. But it s not the same as living in those countries. How do you get over the mental hurdles to try something different in your business when everyone is telling you, no, no? This is the Business Infrastructure Podcast, the show where we offer strategies, tactics, and resources to cure back office blues and keep your business operating as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. I m your host, Alicia Butler-Pierre, and you re about to hear from someone who set his fears aside, listened to his inner voice, and proved all the naysayers wrong when he started a business in another country. This episode is brought to you by Equilibria Incorporated, the company behind this podcast where we design scale-ready business infrastructure for fast-growing small businesses. Richard's Pinball Collection and Its Role in Company Culture And you know what? It was true. As I looked at Richard, he was dressed impeccably. Not sure if you noticed it, but he mentioned playing pinball. Here's another interesting fun fact about Richard. He owns the largest collection of American pinball machines in Costa Rica. For him, providing a place where his team can have fun on the job is equally as important as them providing quality service. After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. These are such amazing machines, and they're usually older than the agents. And you and I both know that when you play these games on the Internet, it's one thing. But when you are with the machine, especially pinball, You can really feel it. And so to give these agents that sort of gaming experience is just, and it's free play as well. I don't charge them. But it's just really one of those special sauce things that we do here at Costa Rica's call center, which my opinion, Alicia, reduces attrition. Scaling a Business Without Loans: Richard's Journey And over the course of six years, I saved enough money to be able to purchase a three floor building that can house 300 agents. And so I did this without any sort of loans or partners or mortgages. because I don't like paying interest. The year is 2008. Richard lands his first client and eventually grows and scales Costa Rica's call center from one seat to 150 on up to 300 seats. I'm sure you're wondering how he achieved this kind of scale in just six years without seeking outside investments. Don't go anywhere because after the break, Richard will share the details of how he did it and how he sustains it. You started your business because you believed you could make a difference. But now you have more demand than you can keep up with, and if you don't get your operations in order soon, you could lose everything you've worked so hard to build. The chaos is causing angry customers, bad reviews, failed audits, and more. Starting Small: Richard's Strategy of Buying Used We're back, and before the break, we learned about the humble beginnings of Costa Rica's call center and how Richard Blank, as founder and CEO, scaled his operations without outside investments. But how? Well, one thing he did in the beginning was buying used. That is, he strategically purchased either brand new or gently used furniture and computers from other call centers that were going out of business. Here's Richard. The Path to Success: Humility and Dedication I think the greatest thing you can do in the beginning is to be very humble, appreciative. And if you, it's like the game of life. You need to start out in the tent and then you end up in the, in the mansion, but you go through your certain stages. And as long as you can keep pace where you act your wage and and you do it accordingly, you're going to be exceptionally successful. And most people love to hear about the story. They could care less about where I am today. They really want to know about the struggle. And I guess, Alicia, my last parting bit of advice is dedicated practice. And so if anybody really wants to master their craft, they have to put in the time off the camera when your friends aren't around, when you're by yourself. And so if you can invest that sort of time in yourself, you'll be more than prepared when the time comes to shine. The Special Sauce of Pinball in the Workplace These are such amazing machines, and they're usually older than the agents. And you and I both know that when you play these games on the Internet, it's one thing. But when you are with the machine, especially pinball, You can really feel it. And so to give these agents that sort of gaming experience is just, and it's free play as well. I don't charge them. But it's just really one of those special sauce things that we do here at Costa Rica's call center, which my opinion, Alicia, reduces attrition. Destroying Call Center Stereotypes and Appreciating the Craft But I'd like to maybe destroy some of those stereotypes and misconceptions. A lot of people make a living doing customer support and making outbound and receiving calls for companies. It just so happens that a call center has a certain infrastructure in regards to IT support and the sort of equipment we have and the levels of supervision. Notice Richard said infrastructure. He's really talking about business infrastructure, the linking of an organization's people, processes, and tools, which includes the equipment he's referring to for sustainable and profitable growth. And so what I saw walking in here was an environment where English second language agents were conversing on the calls, were converting calls and getting positive escalations, getting amazing feedback. Today, since everything is now omnichannel non-voice support, where all we're doing is chatting and texting, I still saw the art of speech. I thought it was beautiful. https://youtu.be/qw09sFl1DZU https://youtu.be/Gpq-w_WWdn8 https://youtu.be/Cf1PDpZu67M https://youtu.be/It9x2zUkxC8 https://youtu.be/TYSM3A8Wlx0 https://youtu.be/DG1TJ9JcS0k https://youtu.be/Kg_qKh-mqxU https://youtu.be/rBmgKSYfl7A Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Alicia Butler Pierre, Scale Tales, 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 Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc. Her career in operations began over 20 years ago while working as an engineer in various chemical plants and oil refineries. She invented the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure and authored, Behind the Fa ade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success. It is the world s first published book on business infrastructure for small businesses. Alicia hosts the weekly Business Infrastructure podcast with a global audience across 60 countries. Equilibria, Inc. is an operations management firm specializing in business infrastructure for fast-growing organizations. Our mission is to provide access to tips, resources, and proven frameworks that revolutionize the way small businesses operate. We do that through original podcast episodes, blog posts, videos, presentations, workshops, and coaching sessions. The Business Infrastructure Podcast has accepted Richard Blank's invitation to join the audience for a solid discussion regarding starting a company from scratch in Costa Rica as an expat. Topics discussed with Richard advanced telemarketing strategy, conflict management, interpersonal soft skills, customer support, rhetoric, gamification, employee motivation, phonetic micro expression reading. 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, Richard shared his knowledge and trained over 10 000 bilingual telemarketers. 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. #AliciaButlerPierre #ScaleTales #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Leadgeneration #Appointmentsetting #businessinfrastructureshow https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/ Trusting Intuition: Taking the Leap to Start a Life and Business Abroad And if you can get past your parents' guilt, you can live anywhere in the world. And so when that one in a million opportunity crossed my path, I decided to take it. Turns out it was a year after working with those importers of Corona that Richard's one in a million opportunity surfaced in Costa Rica. I literally had to make a decision to stay in the United States and continue working or to go down there for a couple of months. And I guess it was more of my intuition because there's a lot of naysayers out there, Alicia, and we've lost you. And they're the Negative Nancys and Debbie Downers. And these are usually the people that love you so much and they're trying to protect you. But their N-O means they don't K-N-O-W enough about my vision quest, my spiritual journey. And so my intuition said, Richie, go for it. I know that this is the right thing. You're not just dipping a toe. You've been studying Spanish your whole life. And I believe that you could do well. And if it didn't work out, I could have always come home after a couple months. But I also believe in positive reinforcement. And the fact that I did learn a second language, I was open-minded and embraced this new culture and traditions here. it really gave me this reinforcement to stay here. And I fell in love with the girl of my dreams and we got married and we started a life together here and started a business together here. So as much as it's different from my family's expectations in the United States and what all of my friends did, once again, I was being very true to myself, that 18 year old that decided to take that huge risk on myself. And not to be able to compare notes to my friends that were doing different things. But the one thing I do know is that my circle did support me. Setting the Stage: Confronting Fears to Start a Global Business Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live or work in another country? Be honest. I know I have. It's a big reason why my team operates remotely around the world. But it's not the same as living in those countries. How do you get over the mental hurdles to try something different in your business when everyone is telling you, no, no? This is the Business Infrastructure Podcast, the show where we offer strategies, tactics, and resources to cure back office blues and keep your business operating as good on the inside as it looks on the outside. I'm your host, Alicia Butler-Pierre, and you're about to hear from someone who set his fears aside, listened to his inner voice, and proved all the naysayers wrong when he started a business in another country. This episode is brought to you by Equilibria Incorporated, the company behind this podcast where we design scale-ready business infrastructure for fast-growing small businesses. Richard Blank is the founder and CEO of Costa Rica's Call Center. His journey to the successful entrepreneur he is today spans across three continents and is filled with introspection and sprinkled with lots of common sense along the way. Stay tuned as he takes us along for an interesting ride. This is episode 213, From the Ground Up, How Richard Blank Built Costa Rica's Call Center. Dreams, Languages, and Family Heritage: Choosing a Unique Path That's why you do the best interviews, Alicia. Thank you so much. How about this? When I was in high school and I graduated, most of my friends were going to Ivy League and studying law, medicine, engineering, and architecture. I myself decided to double down on languages. It was my favorite class. And at the University of Arizona, once again, being a communication major, I was able to focus on public speaking rhetoric and nonverbal communication. And so that was very important for me. Sometimes I kind of felt like a dreamer. and i was almost doing this alone but since my great-grandparents came from europe from romania russia germany and Poland, they came at the turn of the century. And so when they came to the United States in the early 20th century, and they learned English and were entrepreneurs, it was pretty much my strongest argument to my parents on what I was trying to do. Our family were nomads, we were risk takers. And for me, all I know is that I wanted some sort of adventure. And I know that by learning a second language, it would open many doors for me. And so my natural progression pretty much got me to where I am today.

Why Real Work Beats Fancy Bells and Whistles: Lessons from Rocky and the...

Salty Ginger Talk Podcast. How Richard Blank Built a 7-Figure Business in Costa Rica Welcome to Salty Ginger Talk, a podcast and video platform for people who want to improve themselves every single day. Hosted by Joe Canfield, this channel is built for thinkers, doers and self-leaders who are tired of excuses and ready to take control of their growth. We dive deep into powerful life principles like personal responsibility, emotional discipline, self-control and the stoic mindset. Whether it's solo reflections or raw conversations with bold entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders, each episode pushes you to think deeper and act better. If you're committed to self-mastery and living with intention, you're in the right place. Subscribe now and join us on the journey to a more focused, fulfilled and resilient life. In candid conversation, we delve deep into mindset strategies that fuel success in both business and personal relationships. Discover how to cultivate a mindset primed for growth, navigate challenges with resilience, and foster relationships that support your journey to a fulfilling life. Learn practical steps to build a thriving business while nurturing a happy personal life, blending ambition with balance for sustained success. From Philly to Pura Vida: Richard Blank’s 7-Figure Success in Costa Rica 🇨🇷 What happens when you leave behind the noise, expectations, and pressure and chase your own vision? At just 27 years old, Richard Blank walked away from a life in Philadelphia to follow his intuition and built a 7-figure business in the heart of Costa Rica. In this episode of Salty Ginger Talk, we dive into Richard’s incredible transformation from dreamer to CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center Discover how Richard: 1. Built a 150+ employee company from scratch 2. Trained over 10,000 telemarketers in communication mastery 3. Created a positive workplace culture focused on motivation & human potential 4. Collected the largest pinball & jukebox collection in Costa Rica 5. Uses the famous Buffer-Boomerang Technique for high-conversion sales 6. Collaborated with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers on a rock project 7. Gives back through education, leadership and global impact This episode is for anyone looking to reinvent their life, build something meaningful, and lead with heart. On Friday, May 30th on Salty Ginger Talk: From Philly to Pura Vida — The Vision Quest of Richard Blank* At 27, Richard Blank left behind family expectations, societal pressure, and the grind of Philadelphia life to follow a dream. What started as a bold leap of faith turned into a 7-figure success story in Costa Rica — and a deeply spiritual life of purpose, passion, and pinball. As CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008, Richard has trained over 10,000 telemarketers and grown his company to 150+ employees — all while mastering the art of communication, sales psychology, and yes… building the largest collection of restored American pinball machines and jukeboxes in Costa Rica. In this high-energy episode, he shares: Advanced telemarketing and sales techniques Phonetic micro-expression reading & employee motivation The Famous *Buffer-Boomerang Technique* A rock video with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers (!) Giving back through scholarships and global impact If you’ve ever wanted to **reinvent your life**, unlock human potential, and have a little fun doing it — don’t miss this one. Level up your life with bold conversations on discipline, purpose and mindset. Convincing My Family to Let Me Follow My Own Path Hey, but guess what? You think it wasn't about the principal or the teacher. It was about convincing my parents. Imagine sitting down with Mr. Mrs. Blank and telling them that I'm not going to go to Harvard Law like grandpa, Columbia business like my pops or Washington and Lee University like my older brother. I didn't have the grades or the maturity. You got to be kidding me. And so my argument to them was think of great grandpa that came from Eastern Europe, moved to the United States at the turn of the 20th. He didn't speak English. They went to New York. They're in the garment industry. We made our money during the Depression. So don't you dare imagine if they didn't move. and take that chance in their early 20s. And so it's in our blood. And how could you ever extinguish a spark of somebody? I was living a romantic sort of feel. I was like, guys, I'm studying a language. Where could it take me? I don't know. But this is what I do know. I'll be the only one out of my friends can do it. I can put Seattle Espanyol on a business card. And every single time I've met somebody that speaks Spanish, I've been embraced. So I think I found the magic dust in this world to make my life a little bit easier. And so they said, okay, well, if we're going to send you to college, you better be serious about this. I'm like, okay. So I had to, this is the kind of thing you can't spin. Real Success: Focusing on What Truly Matters And you've yet to hear Richard, very successful guy, talk about things. You've heard him talk about people. You've heard him talk about relationships. You've heard him talk about experiences. You've heard him talk about memories, but But you haven't heard him talk about, look at my fancy new car. Look at my beautiful house. Look at my blah, blah, blah. He's talked lovingly about his wife. Not a mistake, not a coincidence that he's been successful because he focuses on the things that are truly important in life. And that fills your tank back up. That gives you the energy to get up and charge into a day instead of waking up and begrudgingly facing a day. Swept Away by a New Culture and Love incredible tropical garden. So before dinner, when the sun was coming down at twilight, just like out of the movies, we're strolling. Arm in arm through this thing. And I'm new to this country. So every second she's like, I want you to look at this plant. Look at this thing here. It's edible. Look at this flower here. It is medicinal. And she's just showing me all of this stuff. And I go, first, I say to myself, you're an idiot, Richard. You totally didn't prepare for this. And second, I'm in awe. I have never been swept away by such incredible knowledge where it's not like going to the mall and knowing the new Louis Vuitton bag or a certain designer out of Milan. This was something that she's just going like an encyclopedia left and right about her beautiful country and what it is and What to do? And I said, I need to marry this girl. Why Real Work Beats Fancy Bells and Whistles: Lessons from Rocky and the Gym And so I always felt that bells and whistles go so far. A lot of people would rather work with you for dignity. It's kind of like Rocky III. He lost against Clubber Lang in that fancy gym, and he went to the gym with Apollo Creed that had the leaking...pipes and sweat and stuff and that's that's on the beach baby sprints on the beach all day long i trained in so many gyms since i was 17 but the best gym ever was ed's gym on the top of foxcroft pavilion and jake in town these were guys who were getting off of construction sites and there were posters of cory evertson and heather thomas on the wall and they're listening to ysp these are like men's men and if you don't know how to put your weights away and take your turns they're gonna kick you out of there but you learn https://youtu.be/fOJzuNTwvpQ https://youtu.be/0rOyxBWRHCs https://youtu.be/zas2ErvV-qk https://youtu.be/ilNdfNNHf4E https://youtu.be/Pf4pDV__RQY Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Salty Ginger Talk, Joe Canfield, 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/ #JoeCanfield #SaltyGingerTalk #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

Swept Away by a New Culture and Love. #costarica #romance #marriage #tra...

Salty Ginger Talk Podcast. How Richard Blank Built a 7-Figure Business in Costa Rica Welcome to Salty Ginger Talk, a podcast and video platform for people who want to improve themselves every single day. Hosted by Joe Canfield, this channel is built for thinkers, doers and self-leaders who are tired of excuses and ready to take control of their growth. We dive deep into powerful life principles like personal responsibility, emotional discipline, self-control and the stoic mindset. Whether it's solo reflections or raw conversations with bold entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders, each episode pushes you to think deeper and act better. If you're committed to self-mastery and living with intention, you're in the right place. Subscribe now and join us on the journey to a more focused, fulfilled and resilient life. In candid conversation, we delve deep into mindset strategies that fuel success in both business and personal relationships. Discover how to cultivate a mindset primed for growth, navigate challenges with resilience, and foster relationships that support your journey to a fulfilling life. Learn practical steps to build a thriving business while nurturing a happy personal life, blending ambition with balance for sustained success. From Philly to Pura Vida: Richard Blank’s 7-Figure Success in Costa Rica 🇨🇷 What happens when you leave behind the noise, expectations, and pressure and chase your own vision? At just 27 years old, Richard Blank walked away from a life in Philadelphia to follow his intuition and built a 7-figure business in the heart of Costa Rica. In this episode of Salty Ginger Talk, we dive into Richard’s incredible transformation from dreamer to CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center Discover how Richard: 1. Built a 150+ employee company from scratch 2. Trained over 10,000 telemarketers in communication mastery 3. Created a positive workplace culture focused on motivation & human potential 4. Collected the largest pinball & jukebox collection in Costa Rica 5. Uses the famous Buffer-Boomerang Technique for high-conversion sales 6. Collaborated with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers on a rock project 7. Gives back through education, leadership and global impact This episode is for anyone looking to reinvent their life, build something meaningful, and lead with heart. On Friday, May 30th on Salty Ginger Talk: From Philly to Pura Vida — The Vision Quest of Richard Blank* At 27, Richard Blank left behind family expectations, societal pressure, and the grind of Philadelphia life to follow a dream. What started as a bold leap of faith turned into a 7-figure success story in Costa Rica — and a deeply spiritual life of purpose, passion, and pinball. As CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008, Richard has trained over 10,000 telemarketers and grown his company to 150+ employees — all while mastering the art of communication, sales psychology, and yes… building the largest collection of restored American pinball machines and jukeboxes in Costa Rica. In this high-energy episode, he shares: Advanced telemarketing and sales techniques Phonetic micro-expression reading & employee motivation The Famous *Buffer-Boomerang Technique* A rock video with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers (!) Giving back through scholarships and global impact If you’ve ever wanted to **reinvent your life**, unlock human potential, and have a little fun doing it — don’t miss this one. Level up your life with bold conversations on discipline, purpose and mindset. Convincing My Family to Let Me Follow My Own Path Hey, but guess what? You think it wasn't about the principal or the teacher. It was about convincing my parents. Imagine sitting down with Mr. Mrs. Blank and telling them that I'm not going to go to Harvard Law like grandpa, Columbia business like my pops or Washington and Lee University like my older brother. I didn't have the grades or the maturity. You got to be kidding me. And so my argument to them was think of great grandpa that came from Eastern Europe, moved to the United States at the turn of the 20th. He didn't speak English. They went to New York. They're in the garment industry. We made our money during the Depression. So don't you dare imagine if they didn't move. and take that chance in their early 20s. And so it's in our blood. And how could you ever extinguish a spark of somebody? I was living a romantic sort of feel. I was like, guys, I'm studying a language. Where could it take me? I don't know. But this is what I do know. I'll be the only one out of my friends can do it. I can put Seattle Espanyol on a business card. And every single time I've met somebody that speaks Spanish, I've been embraced. So I think I found the magic dust in this world to make my life a little bit easier. And so they said, okay, well, if we're going to send you to college, you better be serious about this. I'm like, okay. So I had to, this is the kind of thing you can't spin. Real Success: Focusing on What Truly Matters And you've yet to hear Richard, very successful guy, talk about things. You've heard him talk about people. You've heard him talk about relationships. You've heard him talk about experiences. You've heard him talk about memories, but But you haven't heard him talk about, look at my fancy new car. Look at my beautiful house. Look at my blah, blah, blah. He's talked lovingly about his wife. Not a mistake, not a coincidence that he's been successful because he focuses on the things that are truly important in life. And that fills your tank back up. That gives you the energy to get up and charge into a day instead of waking up and begrudgingly facing a day. Swept Away by a New Culture and Love incredible tropical garden. So before dinner, when the sun was coming down at twilight, just like out of the movies, we're strolling. Arm in arm through this thing. And I'm new to this country. So every second she's like, I want you to look at this plant. Look at this thing here. It's edible. Look at this flower here. It is medicinal. And she's just showing me all of this stuff. And I go, first, I say to myself, you're an idiot, Richard. You totally didn't prepare for this. And second, I'm in awe. I have never been swept away by such incredible knowledge where it's not like going to the mall and knowing the new Louis Vuitton bag or a certain designer out of Milan. This was something that she's just going like an encyclopedia left and right about her beautiful country and what it is and What to do? And I said, I need to marry this girl. https://youtu.be/fOJzuNTwvpQ https://youtu.be/0rOyxBWRHCs https://youtu.be/zas2ErvV-qk https://youtu.be/ilNdfNNHf4E Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Salty Ginger Talk, Joe Canfield, 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/ #JoeCanfield #SaltyGingerTalk #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 Why Real Work Beats Fancy Bells and Whistles: Lessons from Rocky and the Gym And so I always felt that bells and whistles go so far. A lot of people would rather work with you for dignity. It's kind of like Rocky III. He lost against Clubber Lang in that fancy gym, and he went to the gym with Apollo Creed that had the leaking...pipes and sweat and stuff and that's that's on the beach baby sprints on the beach all day long i trained in so many gyms since i was 17 but the best gym ever was ed's gym on the top of foxcroft pavilion and jake in town these were guys who were getting off of construction sites and there were posters of cory evertson and heather thomas on the wall and they're listening to ysp these are like men's men and if you don't know how to put your weights away and take your turns they're gonna kick you out of there but you learn

Real Success: Focusing on What Truly Matters. #business #callcenter #sal...

Salty Ginger Talk Podcast. How Richard Blank Built a 7-Figure Business in Costa Rica Welcome to Salty Ginger Talk, a podcast and video platform for people who want to improve themselves every single day. Hosted by Joe Canfield, this channel is built for thinkers, doers and self-leaders who are tired of excuses and ready to take control of their growth. We dive deep into powerful life principles like personal responsibility, emotional discipline, self-control and the stoic mindset. Whether it's solo reflections or raw conversations with bold entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders, each episode pushes you to think deeper and act better. If you're committed to self-mastery and living with intention, you're in the right place. Subscribe now and join us on the journey to a more focused, fulfilled and resilient life. In candid conversation, we delve deep into mindset strategies that fuel success in both business and personal relationships. Discover how to cultivate a mindset primed for growth, navigate challenges with resilience, and foster relationships that support your journey to a fulfilling life. Learn practical steps to build a thriving business while nurturing a happy personal life, blending ambition with balance for sustained success. From Philly to Pura Vida: Richard Blank’s 7-Figure Success in Costa Rica 🇨🇷 What happens when you leave behind the noise, expectations, and pressure and chase your own vision? At just 27 years old, Richard Blank walked away from a life in Philadelphia to follow his intuition and built a 7-figure business in the heart of Costa Rica. In this episode of Salty Ginger Talk, we dive into Richard’s incredible transformation from dreamer to CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center Discover how Richard: 1. Built a 150+ employee company from scratch 2. Trained over 10,000 telemarketers in communication mastery 3. Created a positive workplace culture focused on motivation & human potential 4. Collected the largest pinball & jukebox collection in Costa Rica 5. Uses the famous Buffer-Boomerang Technique for high-conversion sales 6. Collaborated with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers on a rock project 7. Gives back through education, leadership and global impact This episode is for anyone looking to reinvent their life, build something meaningful, and lead with heart. On Friday, May 30th on Salty Ginger Talk: From Philly to Pura Vida — The Vision Quest of Richard Blank* At 27, Richard Blank left behind family expectations, societal pressure, and the grind of Philadelphia life to follow a dream. What started as a bold leap of faith turned into a 7-figure success story in Costa Rica — and a deeply spiritual life of purpose, passion, and pinball. As CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008, Richard has trained over 10,000 telemarketers and grown his company to 150+ employees — all while mastering the art of communication, sales psychology, and yes… building the largest collection of restored American pinball machines and jukeboxes in Costa Rica. In this high-energy episode, he shares: Advanced telemarketing and sales techniques Phonetic micro-expression reading & employee motivation The Famous *Buffer-Boomerang Technique* A rock video with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers (!) Giving back through scholarships and global impact If you’ve ever wanted to **reinvent your life**, unlock human potential, and have a little fun doing it — don’t miss this one. Level up your life with bold conversations on discipline, purpose and mindset. Convincing My Family to Let Me Follow My Own Path Hey, but guess what? You think it wasn't about the principal or the teacher. It was about convincing my parents. Imagine sitting down with Mr. Mrs. Blank and telling them that I'm not going to go to Harvard Law like grandpa, Columbia business like my pops or Washington and Lee University like my older brother. I didn't have the grades or the maturity. You got to be kidding me. And so my argument to them was think of great grandpa that came from Eastern Europe, moved to the United States at the turn of the 20th. He didn't speak English. They went to New York. They're in the garment industry. We made our money during the Depression. So don't you dare imagine if they didn't move. and take that chance in their early 20s. And so it's in our blood. And how could you ever extinguish a spark of somebody? I was living a romantic sort of feel. I was like, guys, I'm studying a language. Where could it take me? I don't know. But this is what I do know. I'll be the only one out of my friends can do it. I can put Seattle Espanyol on a business card. And every single time I've met somebody that speaks Spanish, I've been embraced. So I think I found the magic dust in this world to make my life a little bit easier. And so they said, okay, well, if we're going to send you to college, you better be serious about this. I'm like, okay. So I had to, this is the kind of thing you can't spin. Real Success: Focusing on What Truly Matters And you've yet to hear Richard, very successful guy, talk about things. You've heard him talk about people. You've heard him talk about relationships. You've heard him talk about experiences. You've heard him talk about memories, but But you haven't heard him talk about, look at my fancy new car. Look at my beautiful house. Look at my blah, blah, blah. He's talked lovingly about his wife. Not a mistake, not a coincidence that he's been successful because he focuses on the things that are truly important in life. And that fills your tank back up. That gives you the energy to get up and charge into a day instead of waking up and begrudgingly facing a day. https://youtu.be/fOJzuNTwvpQ https://youtu.be/0rOyxBWRHCs https://youtu.be/zas2ErvV-qk Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Salty Ginger Talk, Joe Canfield, 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/ #JoeCanfield #SaltyGingerTalk #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 Why Real Work Beats Fancy Bells and Whistles: Lessons from Rocky and the Gym And so I always felt that bells and whistles go so far. A lot of people would rather work with you for dignity. It's kind of like Rocky III. He lost against Clubber Lang in that fancy gym, and he went to the gym with Apollo Creed that had the leaking...pipes and sweat and stuff and that's that's on the beach baby sprints on the beach all day long i trained in so many gyms since i was 17 but the best gym ever was ed's gym on the top of foxcroft pavilion and jake in town these were guys who were getting off of construction sites and there were posters of cory evertson and heather thomas on the wall and they're listening to ysp these are like men's men and if you don't know how to put your weights away and take your turns they're gonna kick you out of there but you learn Swept Away by a New Culture and Love incredible tropical garden. So before dinner, when the sun was coming down at twilight, just like out of the movies, we're strolling. Arm in arm through this thing. And I'm new to this country. So every second she's like, I want you to look at this plant. Look at this thing here. It's edible. Look at this flower here. It is medicinal. And she's just showing me all of this stuff. And I go, first, I say to myself, you're an idiot, Richard. You totally didn't prepare for this. And second, I'm in awe. I have never been swept away by such incredible knowledge where it's not like going to the mall and knowing the new Louis Vuitton bag or a certain designer out of Milan. This was something that she's just going like an encyclopedia left and right about her beautiful country and what it is and What to do? And I said, I need to marry this girl.

Convincing My Family to Let Me Follow My Own Path. #travel #dreamer #jou...

Salty Ginger Talk Podcast. How Richard Blank Built a 7-Figure Business in Costa Rica Welcome to Salty Ginger Talk, a podcast and video platform for people who want to improve themselves every single day. Hosted by Joe Canfield, this channel is built for thinkers, doers and self-leaders who are tired of excuses and ready to take control of their growth. We dive deep into powerful life principles like personal responsibility, emotional discipline, self-control and the stoic mindset. Whether it's solo reflections or raw conversations with bold entrepreneurs and purpose-driven leaders, each episode pushes you to think deeper and act better. If you're committed to self-mastery and living with intention, you're in the right place. Subscribe now and join us on the journey to a more focused, fulfilled and resilient life. In candid conversation, we delve deep into mindset strategies that fuel success in both business and personal relationships. Discover how to cultivate a mindset primed for growth, navigate challenges with resilience, and foster relationships that support your journey to a fulfilling life. Learn practical steps to build a thriving business while nurturing a happy personal life, blending ambition with balance for sustained success. From Philly to Pura Vida: Richard Blank’s 7-Figure Success in Costa Rica 🇨🇷 What happens when you leave behind the noise, expectations, and pressure and chase your own vision? At just 27 years old, Richard Blank walked away from a life in Philadelphia to follow his intuition and built a 7-figure business in the heart of Costa Rica. In this episode of Salty Ginger Talk, we dive into Richard’s incredible transformation from dreamer to CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center Discover how Richard: 1. Built a 150+ employee company from scratch 2. Trained over 10,000 telemarketers in communication mastery 3. Created a positive workplace culture focused on motivation & human potential 4. Collected the largest pinball & jukebox collection in Costa Rica 5. Uses the famous Buffer-Boomerang Technique for high-conversion sales 6. Collaborated with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers on a rock project 7. Gives back through education, leadership and global impact This episode is for anyone looking to reinvent their life, build something meaningful, and lead with heart. On Friday, May 30th on Salty Ginger Talk: From Philly to Pura Vida — The Vision Quest of Richard Blank* At 27, Richard Blank left behind family expectations, societal pressure, and the grind of Philadelphia life to follow a dream. What started as a bold leap of faith turned into a 7-figure success story in Costa Rica — and a deeply spiritual life of purpose, passion, and pinball. As CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008, Richard has trained over 10,000 telemarketers and grown his company to 150+ employees — all while mastering the art of communication, sales psychology, and yes… building the largest collection of restored American pinball machines and jukeboxes in Costa Rica. In this high-energy episode, he shares: Advanced telemarketing and sales techniques Phonetic micro-expression reading & employee motivation The Famous *Buffer-Boomerang Technique* A rock video with INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers (!) Giving back through scholarships and global impact If you’ve ever wanted to **reinvent your life**, unlock human potential, and have a little fun doing it — don’t miss this one. Level up your life with bold conversations on discipline, purpose and mindset. Convincing My Family to Let Me Follow My Own Path Hey, but guess what? You think it wasn't about the principal or the teacher. It was about convincing my parents. Imagine sitting down with Mr. Mrs. Blank and telling them that I'm not going to go to Harvard Law like grandpa, Columbia business like my pops or Washington and Lee University like my older brother. I didn't have the grades or the maturity. You got to be kidding me. And so my argument to them was think of great grandpa that came from Eastern Europe, moved to the United States at the turn of the 20th. He didn't speak English. They went to New York. They're in the garment industry. We made our money during the Depression. So don't you dare imagine if they didn't move. and take that chance in their early 20s. And so it's in our blood. And how could you ever extinguish a spark of somebody? I was living a romantic sort of feel. I was like, guys, I'm studying a language. Where could it take me? I don't know. But this is what I do know. I'll be the only one out of my friends can do it. I can put Seattle Espanyol on a business card. And every single time I've met somebody that speaks Spanish, I've been embraced. So I think I found the magic dust in this world to make my life a little bit easier. And so they said, okay, well, if we're going to send you to college, you better be serious about this. I'm like, okay. So I had to, this is the kind of thing you can't spin. https://youtu.be/fOJzuNTwvpQ https://youtu.be/0rOyxBWRHCs Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Salty Ginger Talk, Joe Canfield, 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/ #JoeCanfield #SaltyGingerTalk #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 Why Real Work Beats Fancy Bells and Whistles: Lessons from Rocky and the Gym And so I always felt that bells and whistles go so far. A lot of people would rather work with you for dignity. It's kind of like Rocky III. He lost against Clubber Lang in that fancy gym, and he went to the gym with Apollo Creed that had the leaking...pipes and sweat and stuff and that's that's on the beach baby sprints on the beach all day long i trained in so many gyms since i was 17 but the best gym ever was ed's gym on the top of foxcroft pavilion and jake in town these were guys who were getting off of construction sites and there were posters of cory evertson and heather thomas on the wall and they're listening to ysp these are like men's men and if you don't know how to put your weights away and take your turns they're gonna kick you out of there but you learn Real Success: Focusing on What Truly Matters And you've yet to hear Richard, very successful guy, talk about things. You've heard him talk about people. You've heard him talk about relationships. You've heard him talk about experiences. You've heard him talk about memories, but But you haven't heard him talk about, look at my fancy new car. Look at my beautiful house. Look at my blah, blah, blah. He's talked lovingly about his wife. Not a mistake, not a coincidence that he's been successful because he focuses on the things that are truly important in life. And that fills your tank back up. That gives you the energy to get up and charge into a day instead of waking up and begrudgingly facing a day. Swept Away by a New Culture and Love incredible tropical garden. So before dinner, when the sun was coming down at twilight, just like out of the movies, we're strolling. Arm in arm through this thing. And I'm new to this country. So every second she's like, I want you to look at this plant. Look at this thing here. It's edible. Look at this flower here. It is medicinal. And she's just showing me all of this stuff. And I go, first, I say to myself, you're an idiot, Richard. You totally didn't prepare for this. And second, I'm in awe. I have never been swept away by such incredible knowledge where it's not like going to the mall and knowing the new Louis Vuitton bag or a certain designer out of Milan. This was something that she's just going like an encyclopedia left and right about her beautiful country and what it is and What to do? And I said, I need to marry this girl.