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The Courage to Lead Podcast by Coach Harlan. The grit to build a sales team with Richard Blank "The Courage to Lead" is a podcast hosted by business and leadership coach Harlan Hammack. In the podcast, Harlan interviews entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and industry leaders about their experiences with risk, resilience, and leadership. The podcast aims to provide listeners with practical advice and inspiration to step up and lead with courage. Coach Harlan and iB4e Coaching delivers Business and Leadership Coaching for executives, entrepreneurs, and small business professionals. Richard Blank – Ep 270: Courage to Build Culture, Not Just a Company At just 27, Richard Blank took a leap that would shape the rest of his life — relocating to Costa Rica to train over 5,000 employees at one of San Jose’s largest call centers. That bold move sparked a journey filled with unexpected turns, cultural challenges, and remarkable growth. Today, Richard is the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC), a company he founded in 2008. With a background in communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona — and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla — Richard combines motivational leadership with tactical communication strategies to empower his team. Over the years, he’s personally trained more than 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. Beyond the headset and call metrics, Richard brings a unique twist to company culture: gamification. CCC boasts the largest private collection of restored American pinball machines and Rock-Ola jukeboxes in Central America — a reflection of his belief that fun, connection, and shared experiences are key to building strong teams. A passionate mentor and educator, Richard is also a keynote speaker and scholarship donor at his alma mater, Abington Senior High School, where he supports students pursuing world languages at the university level. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, resilience, and how culture can transform performance. Cultural Shocks and Lessons From Doing Business Abroad Well, let's go with the shock and then we'll go with the lessons. And I must've been exceptionally ignorant thinking this is that if I show up with a smile and a handshake, that they're going to treat me a certain way. Yeah, they'll treat me a certain way, but they'll also charge me 20% more. And that's being nice. You know, it's usually 50%. And so I realized real fast, there's a local cost and a gringo cost. And so what I needed to do is to have a face man for me. the face man of the A-team to go out and negotiate for me on the sly so I can save that money and get things done. So that was a shock. But I also realized about, wait, there's absolutely no way that I have the time to be certified in Cisco, to be an attorney here in this country, to know all of the labor laws. Are you out of your mind? No, seriously. And so I needed to hire specialists now. How Practicing Rhetoric Changed My Life But this was one of the few shows where I would rewind, rewind, rewind and practice, practice, practice, because I would get tingles. I go, man, this guy is money. It's like butter. I go, what is he doing? And instead of studying mathematics and architecture and engineering, I was watching Face Man, Remington and Sherlock. And I was picking up vocabulary, rhetoric, and certain rebuttal skills, and I would borrow them. And I would use that on dates and in class and in business. And for some odd reason, people would look at me like I'm clever. It's just the face, man. And so that's my advice to your audience. Overcoming Setbacks and Finding New Success but there's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating those that assisted you along the way and believed in you when you're the most delicate, when you were young. Because I tell you what, you don't know the whole story. When I was in seventh grade, I got kicked out of a private school. I was supposed to graduate Germantown Academy. It's an extremely beautiful elite private school in Fort Washington. I think Bradley Cooper went there. Anyway, I was there till seventh grade. My dad and brother graduated there, but I was having a tough year, man. I was losing focus and the teachers kind of gave up on me. And from being kicked out of a school to then being in a hall of fame at another, That, to me, between me and your audience, that put something to bed that was sitting there for a long, long, long time. I wanted to put that to bed. Unique Approach to Identifying Leaders in Hiring And I go through the three stages, coach. The first stage is the interview process. forget showing up on time and filling out your resume or whatever. I'm going to ask you to turn your piece of paper over and give me a couple of paragraphs of a coming of age moment. I want to know if you beat up a bully or saved a kitten. Why? Because it's zig and zag, loosey goosey coach is going to ask you a question. And I want to know if you can get off the script and answer it. So that's the number one thing. And I want to see what you answer me. If it's something that's If you're a marathon runner, did you learn the violin? Or are you a professional chef? That shows commitment and dedication in other areas outside the call center. And so I look at that. So it's a lot of self-respect there. https://youtu.be/D_Jy0Bz7kDk https://youtu.be/AUSbOZuh-DY https://youtu.be/3Bydcm_tVsM https://youtu.be/W0KRvjAIfUk https://youtu.be/Ab3NDs-ZJ6U Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Coach Harlan, The Courage to Lead Podcast, 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 After over 20-years as a management consultant specializing in Organizational Change and Business Transformation, Coach Harlan brings his experience and expertise to small and mid-sized businesses around the country. Meet Coach Harlan Harlan Hammack is a Business and Leadership Coach based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the Founder and President of iB4e, a management consulting firm focused on Organizational Change and Business Transformation. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, a private pilot, and host of The Courage to Lead podcast. Harlan has had the pleasure of coaching friends, colleagues and clients through his management consulting business. Now, he is focused on helping small- to mid-sized business owners achieve their financial freedom. "All it takes is a clear vision, the strength to let go of the things that are holding you back, and the courage to step out into the unknown." Schedule a Free Discovery Chat No time to work ON your business? No problem. After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I will identify the vital changes you need, and then my team and I will do the work while you run your business. Ready to roll your sleeves up and dive in? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll work with you and your leadership team to take your business to the next level. 1:1 and group coaching options available. Training, that is. What knowledge or skills do your employees need? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll help you implement an education and training solution to build your world-class team. Are You Driving Your Business... ... or is your business driving you? Are You Feeling Stuck? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Let me ask you a question: Do you have a business or do you have a job? You may own a business, have a business name, a business bank account, and even have business cards. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a business. If you're working the same number of hours as your employees, if you're still trading hours for dollars, then you have a job. If you can't plan a vacation without worrying that the business will falter in your absence, then you have a job. I can help you fix that! A business should work FOR you, generating revenue and profits FOR you whether you are there or not. Let me show you how to build the foundations for your success. You need three things to succeed in business: Strategies, Systems, and Controls. Strategies Where do you want to go? What do you want your business to be? What's your next best move? Your business plan and strategic plan help drive your Vision to achieve your next level of success. Systems Every business runs on a system, a set of business processes and procedures. Systems make your business actionable, measurable, repeatable, and sustainable. Controls Maintain control of your business. Establish the KPIs and reports necessary for you to check on the health of your business from anywhere in the world. Location independence. Now that's success. Let's work together! Coaching Programs iB4e Coaching offers 1:1, group, and enterprise-level coaching programs designed to fit your needs. Executive coaching, strategic planning, brainstorming, communication skills, and more. Online Webinars Take advantage of our live and pre-recorded webinars dealing with industry hot topics. Need to sharpen your saw? Let iB4e Coaching help you. Live Seminars iB4e Coaching offers live seminars and custom events focused on your specific needs. From industry-specific topics to leadership development, employee engagement, and strategic planning skills. 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/ #CoachHarlan #TheCouragetoLeadPodcast #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

The Courage to Lead Podcast by Coach Harlan. The grit to build a sales team with Richard Blank "The Courage to Lead" is a podcast hosted by business and leadership coach Harlan Hammack. In the podcast, Harlan interviews entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and industry leaders about their experiences with risk, resilience, and leadership. The podcast aims to provide listeners with practical advice and inspiration to step up and lead with courage. Coach Harlan and iB4e Coaching delivers Business and Leadership Coaching for executives, entrepreneurs, and small business professionals. Richard Blank – Ep 270: Courage to Build Culture, Not Just a Company At just 27, Richard Blank took a leap that would shape the rest of his life — relocating to Costa Rica to train over 5,000 employees at one of San Jose’s largest call centers. That bold move sparked a journey filled with unexpected turns, cultural challenges, and remarkable growth. Today, Richard is the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC), a company he founded in 2008. With a background in communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona — and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla — Richard combines motivational leadership with tactical communication strategies to empower his team. Over the years, he’s personally trained more than 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. Beyond the headset and call metrics, Richard brings a unique twist to company culture: gamification. CCC boasts the largest private collection of restored American pinball machines and Rock-Ola jukeboxes in Central America — a reflection of his belief that fun, connection, and shared experiences are key to building strong teams. A passionate mentor and educator, Richard is also a keynote speaker and scholarship donor at his alma mater, Abington Senior High School, where he supports students pursuing world languages at the university level. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, resilience, and how culture can transform performance. Cultural Shocks and Lessons From Doing Business Abroad Well, let's go with the shock and then we'll go with the lessons. And I must've been exceptionally ignorant thinking this is that if I show up with a smile and a handshake, that they're going to treat me a certain way. Yeah, they'll treat me a certain way, but they'll also charge me 20% more. And that's being nice. You know, it's usually 50%. And so I realized real fast, there's a local cost and a gringo cost. And so what I needed to do is to have a face man for me. the face man of the A-team to go out and negotiate for me on the sly so I can save that money and get things done. So that was a shock. But I also realized about, wait, there's absolutely no way that I have the time to be certified in Cisco, to be an attorney here in this country, to know all of the labor laws. Are you out of your mind? No, seriously. And so I needed to hire specialists now. How Practicing Rhetoric Changed My Life But this was one of the few shows where I would rewind, rewind, rewind and practice, practice, practice, because I would get tingles. I go, man, this guy is money. It's like butter. I go, what is he doing? And instead of studying mathematics and architecture and engineering, I was watching Face Man, Remington and Sherlock. And I was picking up vocabulary, rhetoric, and certain rebuttal skills, and I would borrow them. And I would use that on dates and in class and in business. And for some odd reason, people would look at me like I'm clever. It's just the face, man. And so that's my advice to your audience. Overcoming Setbacks and Finding New Success but there's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating those that assisted you along the way and believed in you when you're the most delicate, when you were young. Because I tell you what, you don't know the whole story. When I was in seventh grade, I got kicked out of a private school. I was supposed to graduate Germantown Academy. It's an extremely beautiful elite private school in Fort Washington. I think Bradley Cooper went there. Anyway, I was there till seventh grade. My dad and brother graduated there, but I was having a tough year, man. I was losing focus and the teachers kind of gave up on me. And from being kicked out of a school to then being in a hall of fame at another, That, to me, between me and your audience, that put something to bed that was sitting there for a long, long, long time. I wanted to put that to bed. Unique Approach to Identifying Leaders in Hiring And I go through the three stages, coach. The first stage is the interview process. forget showing up on time and filling out your resume or whatever. I'm going to ask you to turn your piece of paper over and give me a couple of paragraphs of a coming of age moment. I want to know if you beat up a bully or saved a kitten. Why? Because it's zig and zag, loosey goosey coach is going to ask you a question. And I want to know if you can get off the script and answer it. So that's the number one thing. And I want to see what you answer me. If it's something that's If you're a marathon runner, did you learn the violin? Or are you a professional chef? That shows commitment and dedication in other areas outside the call center. And so I look at that. So it's a lot of self-respect there. https://youtu.be/D_Jy0Bz7kDk https://youtu.be/AUSbOZuh-DY https://youtu.be/3Bydcm_tVsM https://youtu.be/W0KRvjAIfUk https://youtu.be/Ab3NDs-ZJ6U Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Coach Harlan, The Courage to Lead Podcast, 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 After over 20-years as a management consultant specializing in Organizational Change and Business Transformation, Coach Harlan brings his experience and expertise to small and mid-sized businesses around the country. Meet Coach Harlan Harlan Hammack is a Business and Leadership Coach based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the Founder and President of iB4e, a management consulting firm focused on Organizational Change and Business Transformation. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, a private pilot, and host of The Courage to Lead podcast. Harlan has had the pleasure of coaching friends, colleagues and clients through his management consulting business. Now, he is focused on helping small- to mid-sized business owners achieve their financial freedom. "All it takes is a clear vision, the strength to let go of the things that are holding you back, and the courage to step out into the unknown." Schedule a Free Discovery Chat No time to work ON your business? No problem. After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I will identify the vital changes you need, and then my team and I will do the work while you run your business. Ready to roll your sleeves up and dive in? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll work with you and your leadership team to take your business to the next level. 1:1 and group coaching options available. Training, that is. What knowledge or skills do your employees need? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll help you implement an education and training solution to build your world-class team. Are You Driving Your Business... ... or is your business driving you? Are You Feeling Stuck? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Let me ask you a question: Do you have a business or do you have a job? You may own a business, have a business name, a business bank account, and even have business cards. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a business. If you're working the same number of hours as your employees, if you're still trading hours for dollars, then you have a job. If you can't plan a vacation without worrying that the business will falter in your absence, then you have a job. I can help you fix that! A business should work FOR you, generating revenue and profits FOR you whether you are there or not. Let me show you how to build the foundations for your success. You need three things to succeed in business: Strategies, Systems, and Controls. Strategies Where do you want to go? What do you want your business to be? What's your next best move? Your business plan and strategic plan help drive your Vision to achieve your next level of success. Systems Every business runs on a system, a set of business processes and procedures. Systems make your business actionable, measurable, repeatable, and sustainable. Controls Maintain control of your business. Establish the KPIs and reports necessary for you to check on the health of your business from anywhere in the world. Location independence. Now that's success. Let's work together! Coaching Programs iB4e Coaching offers 1:1, group, and enterprise-level coaching programs designed to fit your needs. Executive coaching, strategic planning, brainstorming, communication skills, and more. Online Webinars Take advantage of our live and pre-recorded webinars dealing with industry hot topics. Need to sharpen your saw? Let iB4e Coaching help you. Live Seminars iB4e Coaching offers live seminars and custom events focused on your specific needs. From industry-specific topics to leadership development, employee engagement, and strategic planning skills. 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/ #CoachHarlan #TheCouragetoLeadPodcast #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

The Courage to Lead Podcast by Coach Harlan. The grit to build a sales team with Richard Blank "The Courage to Lead" is a podcast hosted by business and leadership coach Harlan Hammack. In the podcast, Harlan interviews entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and industry leaders about their experiences with risk, resilience, and leadership. The podcast aims to provide listeners with practical advice and inspiration to step up and lead with courage. Coach Harlan and iB4e Coaching delivers Business and Leadership Coaching for executives, entrepreneurs, and small business professionals. Richard Blank – Ep 270: Courage to Build Culture, Not Just a Company At just 27, Richard Blank took a leap that would shape the rest of his life — relocating to Costa Rica to train over 5,000 employees at one of San Jose’s largest call centers. That bold move sparked a journey filled with unexpected turns, cultural challenges, and remarkable growth. Today, Richard is the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC), a company he founded in 2008. With a background in communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona — and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla — Richard combines motivational leadership with tactical communication strategies to empower his team. Over the years, he’s personally trained more than 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. Beyond the headset and call metrics, Richard brings a unique twist to company culture: gamification. CCC boasts the largest private collection of restored American pinball machines and Rock-Ola jukeboxes in Central America — a reflection of his belief that fun, connection, and shared experiences are key to building strong teams. A passionate mentor and educator, Richard is also a keynote speaker and scholarship donor at his alma mater, Abington Senior High School, where he supports students pursuing world languages at the university level. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, resilience, and how culture can transform performance. Cultural Shocks and Lessons From Doing Business Abroad Well, let's go with the shock and then we'll go with the lessons. And I must've been exceptionally ignorant thinking this is that if I show up with a smile and a handshake, that they're going to treat me a certain way. Yeah, they'll treat me a certain way, but they'll also charge me 20% more. And that's being nice. You know, it's usually 50%. And so I realized real fast, there's a local cost and a gringo cost. And so what I needed to do is to have a face man for me. the face man of the A-team to go out and negotiate for me on the sly so I can save that money and get things done. So that was a shock. But I also realized about, wait, there's absolutely no way that I have the time to be certified in Cisco, to be an attorney here in this country, to know all of the labor laws. Are you out of your mind? No, seriously. And so I needed to hire specialists now. How Practicing Rhetoric Changed My Life But this was one of the few shows where I would rewind, rewind, rewind and practice, practice, practice, because I would get tingles. I go, man, this guy is money. It's like butter. I go, what is he doing? And instead of studying mathematics and architecture and engineering, I was watching Face Man, Remington and Sherlock. And I was picking up vocabulary, rhetoric, and certain rebuttal skills, and I would borrow them. And I would use that on dates and in class and in business. And for some odd reason, people would look at me like I'm clever. It's just the face, man. And so that's my advice to your audience. Overcoming Setbacks and Finding New Success but there's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating those that assisted you along the way and believed in you when you're the most delicate, when you were young. Because I tell you what, you don't know the whole story. When I was in seventh grade, I got kicked out of a private school. I was supposed to graduate Germantown Academy. It's an extremely beautiful elite private school in Fort Washington. I think Bradley Cooper went there. Anyway, I was there till seventh grade. My dad and brother graduated there, but I was having a tough year, man. I was losing focus and the teachers kind of gave up on me. And from being kicked out of a school to then being in a hall of fame at another, That, to me, between me and your audience, that put something to bed that was sitting there for a long, long, long time. I wanted to put that to bed. Unique Approach to Identifying Leaders in Hiring And I go through the three stages, coach. The first stage is the interview process. forget showing up on time and filling out your resume or whatever. I'm going to ask you to turn your piece of paper over and give me a couple of paragraphs of a coming of age moment. I want to know if you beat up a bully or saved a kitten. Why? Because it's zig and zag, loosey goosey coach is going to ask you a question. And I want to know if you can get off the script and answer it. So that's the number one thing. And I want to see what you answer me. If it's something that's If you're a marathon runner, did you learn the violin? Or are you a professional chef? That shows commitment and dedication in other areas outside the call center. And so I look at that. So it's a lot of self-respect there. https://youtu.be/D_Jy0Bz7kDk https://youtu.be/AUSbOZuh-DY https://youtu.be/3Bydcm_tVsM https://youtu.be/W0KRvjAIfUk https://youtu.be/Ab3NDs-ZJ6U Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Coach Harlan, The Courage to Lead Podcast, 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 After over 20-years as a management consultant specializing in Organizational Change and Business Transformation, Coach Harlan brings his experience and expertise to small and mid-sized businesses around the country. Meet Coach Harlan Harlan Hammack is a Business and Leadership Coach based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the Founder and President of iB4e, a management consulting firm focused on Organizational Change and Business Transformation. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, a private pilot, and host of The Courage to Lead podcast. Harlan has had the pleasure of coaching friends, colleagues and clients through his management consulting business. Now, he is focused on helping small- to mid-sized business owners achieve their financial freedom. "All it takes is a clear vision, the strength to let go of the things that are holding you back, and the courage to step out into the unknown." Schedule a Free Discovery Chat No time to work ON your business? No problem. After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I will identify the vital changes you need, and then my team and I will do the work while you run your business. Ready to roll your sleeves up and dive in? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll work with you and your leadership team to take your business to the next level. 1:1 and group coaching options available. Training, that is. What knowledge or skills do your employees need? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll help you implement an education and training solution to build your world-class team. Are You Driving Your Business... ... or is your business driving you? Are You Feeling Stuck? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Let me ask you a question: Do you have a business or do you have a job? You may own a business, have a business name, a business bank account, and even have business cards. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a business. If you're working the same number of hours as your employees, if you're still trading hours for dollars, then you have a job. If you can't plan a vacation without worrying that the business will falter in your absence, then you have a job. I can help you fix that! A business should work FOR you, generating revenue and profits FOR you whether you are there or not. Let me show you how to build the foundations for your success. You need three things to succeed in business: Strategies, Systems, and Controls. Strategies Where do you want to go? What do you want your business to be? What's your next best move? Your business plan and strategic plan help drive your Vision to achieve your next level of success. Systems Every business runs on a system, a set of business processes and procedures. Systems make your business actionable, measurable, repeatable, and sustainable. Controls Maintain control of your business. Establish the KPIs and reports necessary for you to check on the health of your business from anywhere in the world. Location independence. Now that's success. Let's work together! Coaching Programs iB4e Coaching offers 1:1, group, and enterprise-level coaching programs designed to fit your needs. Executive coaching, strategic planning, brainstorming, communication skills, and more. Online Webinars Take advantage of our live and pre-recorded webinars dealing with industry hot topics. Need to sharpen your saw? Let iB4e Coaching help you. Live Seminars iB4e Coaching offers live seminars and custom events focused on your specific needs. From industry-specific topics to leadership development, employee engagement, and strategic planning skills. 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/ #CoachHarlan #TheCouragetoLeadPodcast #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

The Courage to Lead Podcast by Coach Harlan. The grit to build a sales team with Richard Blank "The Courage to Lead" is a podcast hosted by business and leadership coach Harlan Hammack. In the podcast, Harlan interviews entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and industry leaders about their experiences with risk, resilience, and leadership. The podcast aims to provide listeners with practical advice and inspiration to step up and lead with courage. Coach Harlan and iB4e Coaching delivers Business and Leadership Coaching for executives, entrepreneurs, and small business professionals. Richard Blank – Ep 270: Courage to Build Culture, Not Just a Company At just 27, Richard Blank took a leap that would shape the rest of his life — relocating to Costa Rica to train over 5,000 employees at one of San Jose’s largest call centers. That bold move sparked a journey filled with unexpected turns, cultural challenges, and remarkable growth. Today, Richard is the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC), a company he founded in 2008. With a background in communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona — and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla — Richard combines motivational leadership with tactical communication strategies to empower his team. Over the years, he’s personally trained more than 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. Beyond the headset and call metrics, Richard brings a unique twist to company culture: gamification. CCC boasts the largest private collection of restored American pinball machines and Rock-Ola jukeboxes in Central America — a reflection of his belief that fun, connection, and shared experiences are key to building strong teams. A passionate mentor and educator, Richard is also a keynote speaker and scholarship donor at his alma mater, Abington Senior High School, where he supports students pursuing world languages at the university level. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, resilience, and how culture can transform performance. Cultural Shocks and Lessons From Doing Business Abroad Well, let's go with the shock and then we'll go with the lessons. And I must've been exceptionally ignorant thinking this is that if I show up with a smile and a handshake, that they're going to treat me a certain way. Yeah, they'll treat me a certain way, but they'll also charge me 20% more. And that's being nice. You know, it's usually 50%. And so I realized real fast, there's a local cost and a gringo cost. And so what I needed to do is to have a face man for me. the face man of the A-team to go out and negotiate for me on the sly so I can save that money and get things done. So that was a shock. But I also realized about, wait, there's absolutely no way that I have the time to be certified in Cisco, to be an attorney here in this country, to know all of the labor laws. Are you out of your mind? No, seriously. And so I needed to hire specialists now. How Practicing Rhetoric Changed My Life But this was one of the few shows where I would rewind, rewind, rewind and practice, practice, practice, because I would get tingles. I go, man, this guy is money. It's like butter. I go, what is he doing? And instead of studying mathematics and architecture and engineering, I was watching Face Man, Remington and Sherlock. And I was picking up vocabulary, rhetoric, and certain rebuttal skills, and I would borrow them. And I would use that on dates and in class and in business. And for some odd reason, people would look at me like I'm clever. It's just the face, man. And so that's my advice to your audience. Overcoming Setbacks and Finding New Success but there's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating those that assisted you along the way and believed in you when you're the most delicate, when you were young. Because I tell you what, you don't know the whole story. When I was in seventh grade, I got kicked out of a private school. I was supposed to graduate Germantown Academy. It's an extremely beautiful elite private school in Fort Washington. I think Bradley Cooper went there. Anyway, I was there till seventh grade. My dad and brother graduated there, but I was having a tough year, man. I was losing focus and the teachers kind of gave up on me. And from being kicked out of a school to then being in a hall of fame at another, That, to me, between me and your audience, that put something to bed that was sitting there for a long, long, long time. I wanted to put that to bed. Unique Approach to Identifying Leaders in Hiring And I go through the three stages, coach. The first stage is the interview process. forget showing up on time and filling out your resume or whatever. I'm going to ask you to turn your piece of paper over and give me a couple of paragraphs of a coming of age moment. I want to know if you beat up a bully or saved a kitten. Why? Because it's zig and zag, loosey goosey coach is going to ask you a question. And I want to know if you can get off the script and answer it. So that's the number one thing. And I want to see what you answer me. If it's something that's If you're a marathon runner, did you learn the violin? Or are you a professional chef? That shows commitment and dedication in other areas outside the call center. And so I look at that. So it's a lot of self-respect there. https://youtu.be/D_Jy0Bz7kDk https://youtu.be/AUSbOZuh-DY https://youtu.be/3Bydcm_tVsM https://youtu.be/W0KRvjAIfUk https://youtu.be/Ab3NDs-ZJ6U Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Coach Harlan, The Courage to Lead Podcast, 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 After over 20-years as a management consultant specializing in Organizational Change and Business Transformation, Coach Harlan brings his experience and expertise to small and mid-sized businesses around the country. Meet Coach Harlan Harlan Hammack is a Business and Leadership Coach based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the Founder and President of iB4e, a management consulting firm focused on Organizational Change and Business Transformation. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, a private pilot, and host of The Courage to Lead podcast. Harlan has had the pleasure of coaching friends, colleagues and clients through his management consulting business. Now, he is focused on helping small- to mid-sized business owners achieve their financial freedom. "All it takes is a clear vision, the strength to let go of the things that are holding you back, and the courage to step out into the unknown." Schedule a Free Discovery Chat No time to work ON your business? No problem. After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I will identify the vital changes you need, and then my team and I will do the work while you run your business. Ready to roll your sleeves up and dive in? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll work with you and your leadership team to take your business to the next level. 1:1 and group coaching options available. Training, that is. What knowledge or skills do your employees need? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll help you implement an education and training solution to build your world-class team. Are You Driving Your Business... ... or is your business driving you? Are You Feeling Stuck? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Let me ask you a question: Do you have a business or do you have a job? You may own a business, have a business name, a business bank account, and even have business cards. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a business. If you're working the same number of hours as your employees, if you're still trading hours for dollars, then you have a job. If you can't plan a vacation without worrying that the business will falter in your absence, then you have a job. I can help you fix that! A business should work FOR you, generating revenue and profits FOR you whether you are there or not. Let me show you how to build the foundations for your success. You need three things to succeed in business: Strategies, Systems, and Controls. Strategies Where do you want to go? What do you want your business to be? What's your next best move? Your business plan and strategic plan help drive your Vision to achieve your next level of success. Systems Every business runs on a system, a set of business processes and procedures. Systems make your business actionable, measurable, repeatable, and sustainable. Controls Maintain control of your business. Establish the KPIs and reports necessary for you to check on the health of your business from anywhere in the world. Location independence. Now that's success. Let's work together! Coaching Programs iB4e Coaching offers 1:1, group, and enterprise-level coaching programs designed to fit your needs. Executive coaching, strategic planning, brainstorming, communication skills, and more. Online Webinars Take advantage of our live and pre-recorded webinars dealing with industry hot topics. Need to sharpen your saw? Let iB4e Coaching help you. Live Seminars iB4e Coaching offers live seminars and custom events focused on your specific needs. From industry-specific topics to leadership development, employee engagement, and strategic planning skills. 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/ #CoachHarlan #TheCouragetoLeadPodcast #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

The Courage to Lead Podcast by Coach Harlan. The grit to build a sales team with Richard Blank "The Courage to Lead" is a podcast hosted by business and leadership coach Harlan Hammack. In the podcast, Harlan interviews entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, and industry leaders about their experiences with risk, resilience, and leadership. The podcast aims to provide listeners with practical advice and inspiration to step up and lead with courage. Coach Harlan and iB4e Coaching delivers Business and Leadership Coaching for executives, entrepreneurs, and small business professionals. Richard Blank – Ep 270: Courage to Build Culture, Not Just a Company At just 27, Richard Blank took a leap that would shape the rest of his life — relocating to Costa Rica to train over 5,000 employees at one of San Jose’s largest call centers. That bold move sparked a journey filled with unexpected turns, cultural challenges, and remarkable growth. Today, Richard is the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center (CCC), a company he founded in 2008. With a background in communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona — and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla — Richard combines motivational leadership with tactical communication strategies to empower his team. Over the years, he’s personally trained more than 10,000 bilingual telemarketers. Beyond the headset and call metrics, Richard brings a unique twist to company culture: gamification. CCC boasts the largest private collection of restored American pinball machines and Rock-Ola jukeboxes in Central America — a reflection of his belief that fun, connection, and shared experiences are key to building strong teams. A passionate mentor and educator, Richard is also a keynote speaker and scholarship donor at his alma mater, Abington Senior High School, where he supports students pursuing world languages at the university level. This episode is packed with insight on leadership, resilience, and how culture can transform performance. Cultural Shocks and Lessons From Doing Business Abroad Well, let's go with the shock and then we'll go with the lessons. And I must've been exceptionally ignorant thinking this is that if I show up with a smile and a handshake, that they're going to treat me a certain way. Yeah, they'll treat me a certain way, but they'll also charge me 20% more. And that's being nice. You know, it's usually 50%. And so I realized real fast, there's a local cost and a gringo cost. And so what I needed to do is to have a face man for me. the face man of the A-team to go out and negotiate for me on the sly so I can save that money and get things done. So that was a shock. But I also realized about, wait, there's absolutely no way that I have the time to be certified in Cisco, to be an attorney here in this country, to know all of the labor laws. Are you out of your mind? No, seriously. And so I needed to hire specialists now. How Practicing Rhetoric Changed My Life But this was one of the few shows where I would rewind, rewind, rewind and practice, practice, practice, because I would get tingles. I go, man, this guy is money. It's like butter. I go, what is he doing? And instead of studying mathematics and architecture and engineering, I was watching Face Man, Remington and Sherlock. And I was picking up vocabulary, rhetoric, and certain rebuttal skills, and I would borrow them. And I would use that on dates and in class and in business. And for some odd reason, people would look at me like I'm clever. It's just the face, man. And so that's my advice to your audience. Overcoming Setbacks and Finding New Success but there's nothing wrong with respecting and appreciating those that assisted you along the way and believed in you when you're the most delicate, when you were young. Because I tell you what, you don't know the whole story. When I was in seventh grade, I got kicked out of a private school. I was supposed to graduate Germantown Academy. It's an extremely beautiful elite private school in Fort Washington. I think Bradley Cooper went there. Anyway, I was there till seventh grade. My dad and brother graduated there, but I was having a tough year, man. I was losing focus and the teachers kind of gave up on me. And from being kicked out of a school to then being in a hall of fame at another, That, to me, between me and your audience, that put something to bed that was sitting there for a long, long, long time. I wanted to put that to bed. Unique Approach to Identifying Leaders in Hiring And I go through the three stages, coach. The first stage is the interview process. forget showing up on time and filling out your resume or whatever. I'm going to ask you to turn your piece of paper over and give me a couple of paragraphs of a coming of age moment. I want to know if you beat up a bully or saved a kitten. Why? Because it's zig and zag, loosey goosey coach is going to ask you a question. And I want to know if you can get off the script and answer it. So that's the number one thing. And I want to see what you answer me. If it's something that's If you're a marathon runner, did you learn the violin? Or are you a professional chef? That shows commitment and dedication in other areas outside the call center. And so I look at that. So it's a lot of self-respect there. https://youtu.be/D_Jy0Bz7kDk https://youtu.be/AUSbOZuh-DY https://youtu.be/3Bydcm_tVsM https://youtu.be/W0KRvjAIfUk https://youtu.be/Ab3NDs-ZJ6U Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ Coach Harlan, The Courage to Lead Podcast, 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 After over 20-years as a management consultant specializing in Organizational Change and Business Transformation, Coach Harlan brings his experience and expertise to small and mid-sized businesses around the country. Meet Coach Harlan Harlan Hammack is a Business and Leadership Coach based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the Founder and President of iB4e, a management consulting firm focused on Organizational Change and Business Transformation. He is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, a private pilot, and host of The Courage to Lead podcast. Harlan has had the pleasure of coaching friends, colleagues and clients through his management consulting business. Now, he is focused on helping small- to mid-sized business owners achieve their financial freedom. "All it takes is a clear vision, the strength to let go of the things that are holding you back, and the courage to step out into the unknown." Schedule a Free Discovery Chat No time to work ON your business? No problem. After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I will identify the vital changes you need, and then my team and I will do the work while you run your business. Ready to roll your sleeves up and dive in? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll work with you and your leadership team to take your business to the next level. 1:1 and group coaching options available. Training, that is. What knowledge or skills do your employees need? After a comprehensive business needs analysis, I'll help you implement an education and training solution to build your world-class team. Are You Driving Your Business... ... or is your business driving you? Are You Feeling Stuck? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? Let me ask you a question: Do you have a business or do you have a job? You may own a business, have a business name, a business bank account, and even have business cards. That doesn't necessarily mean you have a business. If you're working the same number of hours as your employees, if you're still trading hours for dollars, then you have a job. If you can't plan a vacation without worrying that the business will falter in your absence, then you have a job. I can help you fix that! A business should work FOR you, generating revenue and profits FOR you whether you are there or not. Let me show you how to build the foundations for your success. You need three things to succeed in business: Strategies, Systems, and Controls. Strategies Where do you want to go? What do you want your business to be? What's your next best move? Your business plan and strategic plan help drive your Vision to achieve your next level of success. Systems Every business runs on a system, a set of business processes and procedures. Systems make your business actionable, measurable, repeatable, and sustainable. Controls Maintain control of your business. Establish the KPIs and reports necessary for you to check on the health of your business from anywhere in the world. Location independence. Now that's success. Let's work together! Coaching Programs iB4e Coaching offers 1:1, group, and enterprise-level coaching programs designed to fit your needs. Executive coaching, strategic planning, brainstorming, communication skills, and more. Online Webinars Take advantage of our live and pre-recorded webinars dealing with industry hot topics. Need to sharpen your saw? Let iB4e Coaching help you. Live Seminars iB4e Coaching offers live seminars and custom events focused on your specific needs. From industry-specific topics to leadership development, employee engagement, and strategic planning skills. 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/ #CoachHarlan #TheCouragetoLeadPodcast #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