Threads of Enlightenment podcast. Host Ken Primus interviews expat CEO Richard Blank
Threads of Enlightenment: Unlocking Your Best Self, is your gateway to discovering life-changing principles of self-development and growth. We dive into inspiring stories of resilience, healing, and transformation. From overcoming devastating challenges like mental illness, substance abuse, and financial loss to learning how to embrace your inner power, this podcast celebrates the indomitable human spirit. Tune in to learn actionable steps for overcoming fear and achieving your desired outcome. Whether you're battling anxiety or looking for guidance on personal growth, Threads of Enlightenment is here to inspire your journey.
From Philly to Costa Rica: Watch how one man's bold move at 51 transformed his life and opened doors to unexpected dreams. Richard shares his inspiring journey of leaving Philadelphia behind to embrace a new chapter in Costa Rica, proving it's never too late to reinvent yourself.
After building a successful life, Richard now explores new passions including writing children's books, art, and music. His story shows how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to extraordinary opportunities and personal growth.
Discover how this former Philadelphia native found purpose through giving back, creating a scholarship for language students, and embracing a simpler, more fulfilling lifestyle. Richard's journey reminds us that success isn't just about material wealth - it's about gratitude, continuous learning, and having the courage to follow your dreams, no matter your age.
Join us for an authentic conversation about second chances, finding happiness in unexpected places, and the wisdom that comes from embracing both life's challenges and opportunities. Perfect for anyone considering a major life change or seeking inspiration to pursue their dreams.
From leaving Philadelphia to building a thriving 150-person company in Costa Rica, this is the story of how taking a leap of faith led to creating something extraordinary. After working in call centers for 4 years, I saw an opportunity to build something different - a company focused on advanced communication, conflict management, and genuine human connection. Unlike massive corporate call centers, we've created an environment where employees aren't just numbers - they're part of a community where mentorship, growth, and second chances matter. With pinball machines, arcade games, and a culture that values personal development, we've proven that sometimes the best business decisions come from following an unconventional path. Join me as I share my 16-year journey of building a company that puts people first, the challenges of international business ownership, and why leaving my comfort zone in Philly was the best decision I ever made.
Richard's leap of faith led to a life-changing adventure. Hear how this man from Philadelphia found love, purpose, and success after moving to Costa Rica on a whim. Richard shares his journey of learning Spanish, embracing a new culture, and building a thriving business. Discover the power of stepping out of your comfort zone and following your dreams. Richard discuss overcoming fears, seizing opportunities, and finding fulfillment in unexpected places. Get inspired to take your own leap of faith and create the life you've always wanted.
Discover practical wisdom about cultural adaptation, language learning, and the courage it takes to chart your own path. Richard's story demonstrates how taking calculated risks and staying true to your passions can create a life more fulfilling than you ever imagined.
Whether you're dreaming of living abroad, learning a new language, or simply seeking inspiration to make a bold life change, this episode offers valuable insights and motivation. Richard's journey shows that with dedication, cultural sensitivity, and an open heart, you can create success anywhere in the world.
Takeaways
Time is valuable and should be respected
Compliments have the power to change someone's state
Embracing new experiences and taking risks can lead to personal growth
Learning a new language opens doors and allows for deeper connections
Following your passion can lead to a fulfilling and meaningful life. Becoming a disciple and practicing discipline in daily life is powerful and trains the mind.
Giving back to the community that has enriched your life is important.
Simplicity and gratitude are key to finding happiness and fulfillment.
Success is built on a million thank yous and the support of mentors and loved ones.
Embrace challenges and setbacks as part of the journey and learn from them.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
02:02 - Serving Mankind: Purpose and Impact
04:06 - Family Background and Influence
09:28 - School Experience: Lessons and Growth
17:16 - Genesis of Spanish: Origins and Development
22:05 - Falling in Love: Personal Journey
27:18 - Adapting to Costa Rican Culture and Lifestyle
32:47 - Becoming a Disciple: Spiritual Growth
35:30 - Richard's Business Journey: Starting Out
41:10 - Employee Departure: Values and Expectations
43:15 - Unique Qualities: What Sets Us Apart
47:40 - Richard’s Heartbeat: Core Values
48:40 - Life After Retirement: Richard’s Plans
52:45 - Outro
54:07 - End
Family Upbringing and Its Impact
And when you walk in the space of being present, you notice things. So Richard, one of the things that we do here at Threads of Enlightenment, and I told you we go back in that time machine, You have done much, and I can't wait to get into all of that as we move through your life. One of the things that we do is revisit our starting point, if you will, that starting point and location, and we call it the family. We have mom and dad strangers, and you are a stranger, and you are put into this pod, as they say. And mom and dad is about to deposit some data into you based on their culture, their perception, all of these different things, their programming, their And they're going to begin to put some data information into you so that they want to help you out, as they say, so you can be that good man and that young man on this planet. What was your family like?
Richard's High School Spanish Adventure
That's a wonderful question. And before I tell you about my Renaissance period, I have to compliment your smooth move. My man, I love that last story. Hey man, one of the best things I did. Looking great. Would you put on some of the car? I mean, that's my man. Making moves. That was one of my smooth movements. We all definitely did learn something. Kind of like Mike DeMone with Rat and Fast Times at Richmond. Hi, Ken just taught us. I love it. Anyway. So I'm back in Northeast Philly at my proud Abington High School. And all of my friends were going to be doctors and lawyers and engineers and architects. And they had a plan. I had no plan except sports and girls and goofing around. But my favorite class was Spanish. And I don't know about you, but sometimes you got to get the like wake up call. And I got the chills. I said, if I'm the only one. that could speak Spanish out of all my friends. A, I could speak to the girls over there, you know, because they speak Spanish. And B, I might be able to get a job or put se habla espanol on a business card, which gives me an angle. But it wasn't the cute pat on the head parlor trick. My parents thought it was fleeting or a passing moment. The difference was the dedicated practice. I was not the best student. All right, let's be real. But the one class that I did above and beyond was Spanish. It wasn't cramming. It wasn't copying notes. It wasn't study groups. No, man, I was doing the Mr. Miyagi Danielson kicking on the beach. Really, no joke. I was watching the movies, reading the books. And I said, this is good. And I can build on it. And it's flexible because it's everywhere. There's tons of Spanish speakers in Philly and in the world. And every time that I would do my 5%, 7%, one word, maybe a sentence.
Richard's Philosophy: Pay It Forward with Compliments
That's quite simple. On the top of my list is paying it forward with sincere compliments. I don't need to be at one place at one time, one time a year. I can do it all day long. Compliment someone's hair, how they make a sandwich for you with extra pickles. Or somebody takes their time to do something right. It's very easy to give them reinforcements It moves them forward. It moves me forward. It's free. And it sticks. Because that could be the one thing that person needed that day to start that engine. Or really just to get them over the end zone and have a touchdown. And so I look for the thing that's not common, that's unique. So I'm paying closer attention than most that just glance over others. And so it's most importantly for me to make someone feel better about themselves that day. At least one thing out of 10, I can find that's good about them.
And I don't know about you, but sometimes you got to get the like wake up call. And I got the chills. I said, if I'm the only one. that could speak Spanish out of all my friends. A, I could speak to the girls over there, you know, because they speak Spanish. And B, I might be able to get a job or put se habla espanol on a business card, which gives me an angle. But it wasn't the cute pat on the head parlor trick. My parents thought it was fleeting or a passing moment. The difference was the dedicated practice. I was not the best student. All right, let's be real. But the one class that I did above and beyond was Spanish. It wasn't cramming. It wasn't copying notes. It wasn't study groups. No, man, I was doing the Mr. Miyagi Danielson kicking on the beach. Really, no joke. I was watching the movies, reading the books. And I said, this is good. And I can build on it. And it's flexible because it's everywhere. There's tons of Spanish speakers in Philly and in the world. And every time that I would do my 5%, 7%, one word, maybe a sentence. The positive reinforcement that I got from a bilingual Spanish speaker, it was like a Mario coin. It wasn't a thousand, but it added up. They said, Richard, go, go, go, go. Here's a couple more words. Richard, let me balance your bike on the grammar here. Let me help you here. All I kept doing was expanding the base, expanding that base and growing. And so by the time I graduated, I had an intermediate level.
https://youtu.be/3a237rFKdlw
https://youtu.be/xxPBm_B-H-0
https://youtu.be/Mf648Pc9uNU
https://youtu.be/h8tRuPqNNDY
https://youtu.be/kh-S4pV3bws
Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ
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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.
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/
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