I have nothing to sell today.

Life, Passion & Business podcast. How to explore your calling in Costa Rica with Richard Blank. Exploring the creativity of the human spirit with just five simple questions. Those questions give us a window to explore the journey and life story of people that look like they have it sorted. Explore your calling, are you on a life path that feeds your soul? My guest on the show believes that everyone has a calling. Richard Blank is a native of Philadelphia born to a family with more than the average means and there was a plan. He was on a path to an Ivy League education to study medicine or law. But even at that age, he knew it was important to be inspired in his chosen career. Neither of these was his calling. He convinced his parents to let him take a different path. He went to the University of Arizona, earning a bachelor’s degree in communication and Spanish. For his junior year at the age of 21, he took a semester at a university in Madrid. It was about absorbing the language and the Spanish way of life. While he did enjoy the party scene. He also took the opportunity to travel on trains and stay in youth hostels. He explored the art and culture of Europe. On returning to the US he took an internship with a Spanish TV station. And for a while and another job working with an importer of Corona Beer. He used his bilingual ability and communication skills to create opportunities for himself and built a career in telemarketer training. The Big Break The life-changing break came when he was 27 years old. He relocated to Costa Rica to train employees for one of the larger call centres in San Jose. He was hooked on the industry, the country and the culture In his mid-30s he started his own call centre. It began with one seat in a communal office, and it was slow and steady journey. Today he owns a building and directly employs 150 people. Over the last 10-plus years, he has trained over 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. His hobby is collecting vintage pinball machines. Explore your calling What is so interesting about this interview, is that Richard has nothing to sell. He reached out to me because he was inspired by the work that we do. And the stories that we share at life passion and business. It is about the our calling and why we are here. Our conversation is not about telemarketing. It is about Richard’s life and the philosophy that has helped him move to a new country and build a successful business. It gives him the opportunity to give back to his adopted community. He believes everyone has a calling. For him, it was to major in Spanish and explore the culture, and look where that got him. I hope this inspires you to explore your calling. Life, Passion & Business podcast. Special Episode: "Explore Your Calling" guest expert Richard Blank https://youtu.be/me7Lwk1HsB4?si=328BkjOUnd_agTs_ https://youtube.com/shorts/pGiyk78wpoc https://youtu.be/aAaW5EuOZ0o https://youtube.com/shorts/lne12Mzn_oM https://youtu.be/fugzibF8iVM https://youtube.com/shorts/KncaPvu2myQ https://youtube.com/shorts/8s8h43SD7tQ https://youtube.com/shorts/nne-FgIr6uY https://youtu.be/eoAYiL5XDh4 https://youtube.com/shorts/fvOYPscr2o4 Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Richard Blank produced a Rap Breakdancing video commercial https://youtu.be/GQvGZYcX71s?si=3I6N3p-LVxwTvnh2 #PaulHarvey #RichardBlank #CostaRica #CallCenter #Outsourcing #Telemarketing #BPO #Sales #Entrepreneur #B2B #Business #Podcast #Leadgeneration #education #lifepassionbusiness Life Passion & Business is dedicated to exploring what it takes to be Extraordinary, to face challenges and rejoice in the opportunities they bring, and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living. 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 representative 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/ Paul Harvey: Rediscover your Zing for life. I help disillusioned business owners restore the passion and refine the story that makes their life matter. | Midlife Coach | Podcast Host | Marathon Runner. Originally living and working in London, Paul has over 30 years of experience working in product development and marketing. Since his move to the North of Scotland in 2004, he built a career as a Business Advisor and Coach. His current focus is on his Life Passion and Business Podcast, created to support inspiration and passion for life and business. He also runs Virtual Events and creates Resources to enhance life experiences and develop the human spirit. Where are you in your life story? Are you achieving or living the life that you want? I was a digital marketer and have seen the inside of hundreds of businesses. As a podcast host, I have interviewed a lot of people, more than 400 but less than 1000. My conclusion from those explorations and conversations is that we all look to achieve, to make life better for ourselves, our families, and the greater good of humanity. In every conversation, business or situation, we want the narrative or story we experience to balance with the story we believe. When they do, that is the path of true contentment and happiness. When they don't, that is the source of frustration and disappointment. The key to this is building the right story, one that fits with who you are, your values and your dreams. The task is to ground that story into the reality of the world you inhabit. Book a call, and let us explore what could be possible with a new story If you ask me what’s it all about? I would have to start by saying I have always been curious about everything. I love hearing people’s stories especially when the achievements have been big and the journey to get there has been tough. Lets face it, there is no achievement without the struggle to get there. It’s the set backs and challenges that make it worth while and they are the stories we love to tell over and over again. Another thing I am passionate about is moving people forward. You could say it’s my life’s purpose and those who know me well will tell you it’s true. It’s one of the things I became aware of when I started my life discovery quest. Sometimes it’s just little things like starting a conversation with a bored looking checkout assistant, and other times it’s supporting people with the bigger things. Whether it’s friends, family, colleagues or clients there’s often a way to lift people up and it feels good when you see it happen. My greatest sadness in life is that I was never able to help my dad move forward. He had a tough life which probably stems from finding his mother dead on the bathroom floor when he was just 8 years old. Life was never easy after that and he started work young with the belief that you get a job and you stick at it whether you like it or not. His great love was my mum. She was bubbly and outgoing and he was happy to tag along with whatever she was doing. Sadly she passed away many years before he did and he never really recovered. My dad’s death was a turning point for me. I could see myself settling into a midlife rut and didn’t want to end up like him, with sadness and regrets. But I didn’t know how to do it. Everything starts with an action. Recognising I needed to do something, my first instinct was to reach out to people who were living the dream and discover how they got there. Because I love talking and enjoy listening to podcasts, it wasn’t long before the idea of starting my own emerged. It took a year, and in the early days the guests were people I knew and the gaps were filled with my own life experiences. Now, several years later and with well over 100 conversations, the Podcast has become my main focus. It’s very satisfying to see the stats steadily rising and knowing there are people who enjoy listening. My questions were formed out of my personal search for answers. Over the years I am recognising how life changing it can be to just stop and reflect on these important life issues… What’s it all for and how do we stay passionate and motivated? What does being successful really mean? Is it all about getting the house, the car, and the job or is there more to it than that? How do I measure my value in the world? What am I giving that makes it worth while? And from these questions the inevitable next one is… The one thing that’s certain is the meaning of life will be different for everyone. The only way we will find it is by starting the search. Whether that is seeking it in the world around us, or finding it within, the journey is rich and exciting. This is what makes the bumps in the road worthwhile. So, what’s it all about for me? People and family, business, fitness, hobbies. I do a lot. My wife says I never stop, but every day is filled with things I enjoy doing. Q. Is it possible to create your perfect day? A. Yes, and it’s easier than you think. The problem is most people leap into action without a clear plan or any real consideration of what they want from the day. If this is you, there’s a simple solution. This process stems from my work with the podcast. I use it for daily success and feel certain it will support you too. There’s nothing complicated, it’s a simple mindfulness hack for daily success. All that’s required is a 5-minute process every morning that will change your perspective and shift how you use your day. For People Who Are Looking For Inspiration And Answers To Life’s Big Questions Through the Life Passion & Business podcast, events and resources, we expand the boundaries and push the limits to explore what it takes to live with passion and purpose, and apply it to all aspects of business and personal life. We All Know There’s More Than One Answer To Every Question That is why I choose podcast guests and speakers who have faced and overcome their own challenges. They have lived through difficulties and found solutions for bringing passion and purpose to the things they do. In listening to these real life stories we reveal clues and inspiration to rise through our own challenges and embrace the fulfilling life that is waiting to be lived. If you are interested in people and their journey through challenge and change, then you are in the right place. 1. What are you passionate about? 2. What does success mean to you? 3. What is your contribution to the world? 4. What is the one question you wish people would ask? 5. And what is the meaning of life to you? The Life Passion & Business mission is to explore what it takes to be extraordinary; face challenges, rejoice in the opportunities they bring and expand our vision into new ways of thinking and living. There is a lot to gain from listening to other people’s stories, however the real work begins by taking action in your own life. It’s not about wishful thinking and believing the good things only happen to other people. It’s About Deciding What You Want And Setting A Path To Achieve It A good place to start is with The Five Questions eBook & worksheets, and the next place is to explore our Events and Resources. They are compiled to help you to find your way to a life filled with Inspiration, Passion, Purpose, Vision and Success. https://lifepassionandbusiness.com/richard-blank-explore-your-calling/ https://costaricascallcenter.com/en/outbound-bpo-campaigns/