Sipping with Maria & Tika Gee podcast Season 2 Reunion Special.Episode #10 with Tomeka, Dana & Richard Blank
This podcast is about everyday life. We do not talk about Politics, Religion, or Celebrities! There are enough Blogs, Vlogs, and other Podcasts that talk about that stuff. Here we will talk about everyday issues, we will have a variety of guests on the show from all walks of the park. You will laugh, you will cry, you may want to come through your listening device and choke us, even call and curse us out! And that is fine. But if you like Culture, Fashion, Philosophy, Business, Traveling, In a Relationship or NOT! This Podcast is for you.
Thank you Tomeka, Dana, and Richard for coming back for the reunion.
Tamika Gatlin is the volunteer coordinator for a brighter side to ASD her job is to organize events and much more
The Journey of Richard blank Mr blank talks about business building skills and much much more Mr blank is also the CEO of the Costa Rica call centers Dana tells all it talks about the trauma she had as a child after her favorite cousin left
This podcast is about everyday life. We do not talk about Politics, Religion, or Celebrities!
There are enough Blogs, Vlogs, and other Podcasts that talk about that stuff. Here we will talk about everyday issues, we will have a variety of guests on the show from all walks of the park. You will laugh, you will cry, you may want to come through your listening device and choke us, even call and curse us out! And that is fine.
But if you like Culture, Fashion, Philosophy, Business, Traveling, In a Relationship or NOT! This Podcast is for you.
Leadership with Empathy & The Decline of Job Training
Well, first and foremost, thank you so much for mentioning that. I have learned something being an owner of a company that you do have leverage. You can always hire, fire, make or break somebody. And so it should be humbling for the fact that somebody wants to come and add wind in your sails and you're only as good as the people that support you. And so for me, it's so important to make sure they have their dignity and that you show empathy. and that they're just not treated like a number or a robot, that these are investments and these individuals should be given delegation so they can grow within your company. So it's very important for me to see how high and how far these individuals can fly with me. So I'm always their biggest fan, always putting one in their sales. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, I have a story to tell. So I have, I'm an independent contractor. Um, And I get different contracts for different jobs. And I am learning that the, I don't even know what to call it. The people that are doing these 1099 jobs are getting lazy. And what I mean by getting lazy is the training. They don't even train me no more. What they're doing is sending you links to videos and you train yourself. I done had five contracts do that to me. You train yourself, they send you these videos, you look at these videos, you train yourself and then you go out on the floor. I don't agree with that. I feel like just because you're a contractor doesn't mean that you're gonna be able to go through and just do it. You still need that training. And I'm glad you don't do that, Mr. Blank.
https://youtu.be/TJ92rBNNIkw
https://youtu.be/ulqS8ZgEg1A?si=rEa12DfGqTHZYAjX
https://youtu.be/gen4mLeCq8I
Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ
Sipping with Maria & Tika Gee 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
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/
#SippingwithMariaTikaGeepodcast #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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
https://youtu.be/yYqbU9t9wm8
https://youtu.be/7MS_otvgGT4
https://youtu.be/nHvXMgWDlBA
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/
Download Yami Healer from https://sdtoons.com/yami-healer-season-1/
The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows
一瞬で治療していたのに役立たずと追放された天才治癒師、闇ヒーラーとして楽しく生きる
DR. ROBERT YOUNG:
AS ARMAS BIOLÓGICAS E A PREVENÇÃO
NÃO EXISTE NENHUM NOVO ‘VÍRUS’.
NÃO EXISTE NENHUMA AMEAÇA DE
VÍRUS.
AS FALSAS ‘VACINAS’ ‘COVID’ SOMENTE MATAM E NÃO NOS PROTEGEM DE ALGO QUE NEM EXISTE.
https://rumble.com/v15wpv1-dr.-robert-young-bioweapons-and-prevention.html
A Kerry Cassidy do Project Camelot faz uma entrevista com o Dr. Robert Young.
ᴥ Este vídeo trata das armas biológicas ‘covid’ e como estão sendo usadas contra nós. Trata das tais 'variantes' do ‘covid’, as ‘variantes’ da falsa epidemia fabricada que a Máfia de Crimes ‘Covid’ esta criando.
A máfia criminosa que dirige o governo dos E.U.A. colocou o Dr. Young, a Dra. Mikovits ambos na cadeia por terem revelado coisas deste tipo e que os controladores desta máfia universal, os criminosos nã querem que a população saibam. Eles querem que as pessoas fiquem dependentes do cartel médico que mata por intermédio de coisas como a quimo-terapia e os tratamentos por radiação. Os mesmos criminosos controlam as buscas no Google, a mídia, a televisão, a maioria dos governos e assim espalham fake news á população, enganando a todos. Quando alguém busca a verdade, é logo des-animado por este cartel, que via a Internet informa o indivíduo que a verdade é fake news. Invertem a equação e as pessoas são enganadas. As pessoas que falam a verdade são chamadas de fake news e os verdadeiros espalhadores de notícias falsas, os jornais, a TV, se apresentam como a verdade. Assim, o povo fica confuso e não sabe em quem acreditar.
Assim, os que não sabem a verdade são impedidos de a conhecerem.
Por isso estamos aqui, para lhe ajudarmos a fugir destas mentiras do sistema e lhes informar a verdade da verdadeira ciência verdadeira ciência pleomórfica do Béchamp pleomórfica do Béchamp. A ciência atual do Pasteur é uma fraude!)
Então o câncer é um programa oficial para reduzir a população na superfície da terra. Doença no sentido geral, particularmente a virologia é um cientismo falso que está sendo usado para transferir
riqueza para um pequeno grupo de pessoas e para reduzir a população que eles consideram em excesso. Essas são as duas coisas primárias que eu sinto que é muito específico e que são o resultado direto desses maus atores. O resultado desejado por esta elite de criminosos que dirigem os governos, a falsa ciência atual, é de transferirem a riqueza para si mesmos e de reduzirem a quantidade de pessoas que caminham pela terra. Então eles estão tomando sua borracha mágica e apagando o mais rápido possível os ferimentos e as
mortes que estão vindo do último golpe que eles têm eles tem sacado, que é a sacanagem do tal ‘Covid’.”
O TAL VÍRUS 'COVID' NÃO EXISTE, DIZ O DR. YOUNG.
E este ‘virus’ que nem existe, que nunca tem sido purificado, passado por um centrífugo e comprovado existir. Nenhum cientista no mundo tem feito isso. Todo este negócio de ‘covid’, as imagens, é tudo fabricado de forma virtual por um computador. E depois pegam as
sequências genéticas virtuais e fabricam este negócio em um laboratório.
O TAL DE 'COVID' É UM ENVENENAMENTO QUÍMICO E POR RADIAÇÃO, USANDO VÁRIOS AGENTES DE TRANSFECÇÃO, ORGANOIDES PRODUZINDO VENENOS NO CORPO DAS PESSOAS.
NÃO EXISTE NENHUMA AMEAÇA DE VÍRUS. NÃO EXISTE NENHUMA ‘VACINA’ QUE POSSA OFERECER IMUNIDADE contra alguma coisa que nem existe. (Ele pode ser mais claro do que isso?)
Episode 79 of Off the Comma podcast lands today and I’m talking with Richard Blank from Costa Rica.
In this episode, we talk to Richard Blank. He is empathetic, confident and has “old school grit”. Richard lives in Costa Rica.
You’re stuck, I get it. I’ve been there too. I call it “sitting on a comma”. We all know what it’s like to feel stuck in life and not know where to go next. This podcast is all about what it’s like to be on the comma, as shared by individuals just like ourselves. We will explore what they experienced, what they learned and how they got themselves off the comma. See more at YouTube @offthecomma!
Richard tells us about getting off the comma created by familial and societal expectations. Growing up in a world where he was expected to follow a prescribed path, Richard describes feeling like he didn’t fit in and appearing as a failure to those around him. Allowing himself to “fail out” led him to find a new path and surprise himself with what he would find along the way. Paying attention to his instincts and the signs along the way, he ultimately found himself in another country, speaking a different language, and enjoying a success he never imagined. Tune in to hear what Richard means when he says “friends tell me they wish they had tried”.
https://youtu.be/UjjNcZ79crM
https://youtu.be/clTjtxUt8UQ?si=XsocL8_ZbFZxE_9m
Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ
Richard would like to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations and/or causes that matter to him and invite you to consider supporting them and/or sharing their messages:
"Shine like the Sun" by Igni Ferroque https://youtu.be/wnQX8TEagis?si=XtJsaPrlWSznZ-gV Igni Ferroque is a Costa Rican rock group that was born at the end of 1978. Igni Ferroque, which from Latin means iron and fire, performed its first concert in the Colegio La Salle auditorium on September 15, 1978. Roberto "Ferroque" Ruiz leads all the weight of the direction of the group and marked the beginning of a process of musical growth and development of relevance inside and outside of Costa Rica.
Garry Gary Beers INXS bassist performance video. "Shine Like The Sun" rock song by Igni Ferroque. https://youtu.be/ieGjN5H4xPQ?si=Om43wjxtkf9w8VTP I highly recommend Mr. Garry Gary Beers. The working relationship was easy and stress free. My firsthand knowledge involved the attention to detail, clarity to avoid miscommunication and the generosity of his sincere efforts. Experiencing a comfortable first time business deal was a pleasure. The financial investment in working with Mr. Beers was worth the extemporaneous chance to meet a multi-platinum bass guitarist. Most importantly, the bonus of sharing his music and imagination with fans
Paul Briley, Off the Comma 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
Episode 79 of Off the Comma podcast lands today and I’m talking with Richard Blank from Costa Rica.
In this episode, we talk to Richard Blank. He is empathetic, confident and has “old school grit”. Richard lives in Costa Rica.
You’re stuck, I get it. I’ve been there too. I call it “sitting on a comma”. We all know what it’s like to feel stuck in life and not know where to go next. This podcast is all about what it’s like to be on the comma, as shared by individuals just like ourselves. We will explore what they experienced, what they learned and how they got themselves off the comma. See more at YouTube @offthecomma!
Richard tells us about getting off the comma created by familial and societal expectations. Growing up in a world where he was expected to follow a prescribed path, Richard describes feeling like he didn’t fit in and appearing as a failure to those around him. Allowing himself to “fail out” led him to find a new path and surprise himself with what he would find along the way. Paying attention to his instincts and the signs along the way, he ultimately found himself in another country, speaking a different language, and enjoying a success he never imagined. Tune in to hear what Richard means when he says “friends tell me they wish they had tried”.
https://youtu.be/UjjNcZ79crM
https://youtu.be/clTjtxUt8UQ?si=XsocL8_ZbFZxE_9m
Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ
Richard would like to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations and/or causes that matter to him and invite you to consider supporting them and/or sharing their messages:
"Shine like the Sun" by Igni Ferroque https://youtu.be/wnQX8TEagis?si=XtJsaPrlWSznZ-gV Igni Ferroque is a Costa Rican rock group that was born at the end of 1978. Igni Ferroque, which from Latin means iron and fire, performed its first concert in the Colegio La Salle auditorium on September 15, 1978. Roberto "Ferroque" Ruiz leads all the weight of the direction of the group and marked the beginning of a process of musical growth and development of relevance inside and outside of Costa Rica.
Garry Gary Beers INXS bassist performance video. "Shine Like The Sun" rock song by Igni Ferroque. https://youtu.be/ieGjN5H4xPQ?si=Om43wjxtkf9w8VTP I highly recommend Mr. Garry Gary Beers. The working relationship was easy and stress free. My firsthand knowledge involved the attention to detail, clarity to avoid miscommunication and the generosity of his sincere efforts. Experiencing a comfortable first time business deal was a pleasure. The financial investment in working with Mr. Beers was worth the extemporaneous chance to meet a multi-platinum bass guitarist. Most importantly, the bonus of sharing his music and imagination with fans
Paul Briley, Off the Comma 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
Episode 79 of Off the Comma podcast lands today and I’m talking with Richard Blank from Costa Rica.
In this episode, we talk to Richard Blank. He is empathetic, confident and has “old school grit”. Richard lives in Costa Rica.
You’re stuck, I get it. I’ve been there too. I call it “sitting on a comma”. We all know what it’s like to feel stuck in life and not know where to go next. This podcast is all about what it’s like to be on the comma, as shared by individuals just like ourselves. We will explore what they experienced, what they learned and how they got themselves off the comma. See more at YouTube @offthecomma!
Richard tells us about getting off the comma created by familial and societal expectations. Growing up in a world where he was expected to follow a prescribed path, Richard describes feeling like he didn’t fit in and appearing as a failure to those around him. Allowing himself to “fail out” led him to find a new path and surprise himself with what he would find along the way. Paying attention to his instincts and the signs along the way, he ultimately found himself in another country, speaking a different language, and enjoying a success he never imagined. Tune in to hear what Richard means when he says “friends tell me they wish they had tried”.
https://youtu.be/UjjNcZ79crM
https://youtu.be/clTjtxUt8UQ?si=XsocL8_ZbFZxE_9m
Richard Blank hired bassist Garry Gary Beers of INXS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieGjN5H4xPQ
Paul Briley, Off the Comma 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
Richard would like to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations and/or causes that matter to him and invite you to consider supporting them and/or sharing their messages:
"Shine like the Sun" by Igni Ferroque https://youtu.be/wnQX8TEagis?si=XtJsaPrlWSznZ-gV Igni Ferroque is a Costa Rican rock group that was born at the end of 1978. Igni Ferroque, which from Latin means iron and fire, performed its first concert in the Colegio La Salle auditorium on September 15, 1978. Roberto "Ferroque" Ruiz leads all the weight of the direction of the group and marked the beginning of a process of musical growth and development of relevance inside and outside of Costa Rica.
Garry Gary Beers INXS bassist performance video. "Shine Like The Sun" rock song by Igni Ferroque. https://youtu.be/ieGjN5H4xPQ?si=Om43wjxtkf9w8VTP I highly recommend Mr. Garry Gary Beers. The working relationship was easy and stress free. My firsthand knowledge involved the attention to detail, clarity to avoid miscommunication and the generosity of his sincere efforts. Experiencing a comfortable first time business deal was a pleasure. The financial investment in working with Mr. Beers was worth the extemporaneous chance to meet a multi-platinum bass guitarist. Most importantly, the bonus of sharing his music and imagination with fans.
You’re stuck! I get it! I’ve been there too.
I call it “sitting on a comma™.”
Something in your life is on pause and you’re not sure how to get moving again. You’re having difficulty unlocking the answers on your own.
I can help you get unstuck from whatever is holding you back in important parts of your life: your career, relationships, identity, personal goals or new endeavors! Let me be your mirror.
Let’s talk about how working with me can challenge your thinking and reveal new options. I can help you find the clarity to get yourself off the comma, to create motion, vision and results in your life.
If you or someone you know is sitting on a comma, contact me today.
It’s your journey and I know it can be amazing!
Off the Comma is built to empower individuals, teams and organizations to see possibilities and create the outcomes they want for themselves. When change is wanted and needed, I help you declutter in work, life and space.
About Paul Briley, ACC, CPTD, MBA:
I leverage my 25+ years of experience in learning, leadership, consulting and coaching to help you bring your vision to life. My career was built on consultative thought leadership focused on creating impact on people, culture and results.
Throughout my career, I have helped people get moving. I'm known for helping people assess their current state, define goals and outcomes, then build plans and move to action. My consultative approach helps build custom solutions and services based on your unique needs and experiences.
When the pandemic and racial reckonings happened in 2020, I found myself sitting on a comma (along with the rest of the world). Through observation, asking questions, listening and challenging, my horizons expanded and my values shifted. By 2021, I realized that getting myself off the comma meant helping others do the same. Off the Comma™ was born.
While doing my own inner work, I also decided to end my relationship with alcohol in 2021. Now that I'm alcohol free (AF), I offer support to people who are sober curious and looking to change their own relationship with alcohol. Being alcohol free is an important part of achieving the clarity you need to create the life you want.
I build relationships based on a sense of purpose, action-orientation and having fun in the process. It’s all about helping you through your journey, while challenging you to tap into the wisdom you carry inside.
Consulting
With over 30 years experience in organizational Learning & Development, we help you design, develop and deliver your learning strategy, team and programs.
Coaching
Having spent an entire career working with individuals and teams, I have a passion for helping people bring their vision to life. As an ICF Accredited coach, I want to help you achieve the outcomes you seek.
Organizing
Organizing, sorting, decluttering and making things simpler has always been a passion of mine. This shows up in all the work that I do. Let me help you do the same: at home, work, play and in your physical and mental environments.
Helping bring your vision to life!
Consultative & Strategic TALENT DEVELOPMENT Leader
with an eye toward impact on People, Culture & Results
Close Consultation with Business Stakeholders
to Design & Develop STRATEGIC LEARNING SOLUTIONS
Align Business GOALS & CHALLENGES with oversight of
Design / Development / Delivery / Measurement of BLENDED Learning Products
Evaluation of ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES
& Design / Development of Solutions to meet those Challenges
Professional COLLABORATOR and ACTIVATOR
Helping individuals and companies organize and build ROADMAPS
Complex Projects
Intuitive Problem Solving Process
Holistic Point of View/Big Picture Thinking
Bring People and Resources Together
Develop Focused Solutions
Talent Development System
Architecting the Learning Function:
Needs Analysis / Assessment / Design / Development / Implementation / Evaluation
Adept at custom Programs tied to Unique Business Needs & measuring Performance Outcomes
Experienced at building and developing teams and structures for the Learning function
Skilled within a changing Matrix Environment and using influence to Build Relationships
Paul Briley is a specialist in the Learning & Development community. He leverages his passion for vision and his diverse history of working with professionals across a variety of business segments, including: Retail, Multi-unit Health Care, Managed Care, Manufacturing, eCommerce, Small Practice, Wholesale, Operations Support/Corporate Office, Government and Consulting.
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/
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