From US to Costa Rica

Richard Blank's Unique Journey Hi, Jamie. I'm so happy to be with you and your audience today. I'm definitely going to share some secrets on what it takes to be a studio and go the distance. Yes, yes. Well, let's just go ahead and start with your journey. And I mean, you and I were just talking about weather. I'm still in my tank top weather here in sunny Arizona, but you are in Costa Rica. Your journey to get there is quite unique. What motivated you to move abroad and start a call center there? That's an excellent question. I was building on momentum. My favorite class in high school was Spanish and I doubled down and decided to be a Spanish major at the University of Arizona, by the way, in Tucson. Go cats and bear down. And then I had a couple of jobs post-grad where I could put seabla espanol on my business card. But at 27 years old, I was given a one in a million opportunity to work at a friend's center in Costa Rica for just a couple of months. I took it, put my stuff in storage in Tempe, and kind of just was here. Just never left. I've been here for 24 years. Seeker Solution podcast "What It Takes". A Leadership and philosophy chat with guest Richard Blank. On the What It Takes podcast, your host, Jamie Seeker encourages business owners to tell all! They'll share not only their expertise, but their stories and their purpose.We cover a wide range of topics – the good and exciting, the challenges and sometimes the ugly. Experiences and lessons learned that our guests have faced along the way.We believe that every person has a unique message which can positively impact the world. We let our guests share on the subjects they’re well-known for. No matter the topic, you’ll be hearing real stories from real people. Episode 7. From Talk to Action: Leadership and Communication Strategies for Success. Join us as we sit down with Richard Blank, the CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, who relocated from the U.S. to Costa Rica and has trained over 10,000 telemarketers in his 17-year business journey. Richard shares his expertise in building strong teams, conflict management, and advanced communication techniques like phonetic micro-expression reading. He also discusses his leadership philosophy, gamification techniques to engage employees, and the importance of empathy in management. Whether you're running a business or leading a team, this episode is full of actionable insights and strategies to elevate your leadership and communication skills. Richard shares:⁠ The art of mastering soft skills in business⁠ Training 10,000+ bilingual telemarketers⁠ Using gamification to motivate teams⁠ Insights on conflict management & empathetic leadership⁠ Key Topics Discussed: Richard's unique journey from the U.S. to Costa Rica and how he built a call center from scratch The challenges and successes of training over 10,000 bilingual telemarketers Advanced communication strategies, including phonetic micro-expression reading Gamification techniques to boost employee motivation and engagement Conflict management strategies and the importance of empathy in leadership Practical advice for business owners on growing steadily, with a focus on soft skills and emotional intelligence Key Quotes: "It's about perseverance, dedication, and really loving what you do. When you're passionate, the results will follow." "The art of speech and mastering soft skills can turn a simple conversation into a business success story." "You can’t rush growth—it’s about slow, steady progress, making each step count." What It Takes, Seeker Solution podcast, Jamie Seeker, 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,trend, trending https://youtu.be/xVfw8Y3jaq8 https://youtu.be/JMe2m18tqw4?si=76CN8MxjMs9jCoM4 ⁠