- 5 minutes ago
In this powerful episode of The Clarity Mandate Podcast, Dr. Vivian Atud sits down with Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center, to explore how a one-way trip from Philadelphia to Costa Rica became a life’s work, a business, and a leadership philosophy rooted in human connection. Richard shares how he moved to Costa Rica at 27, trusted the signals around him, started from one seat, and built a bilingual call center operation that has trained thousands of agents.
But this episode is not simply about call centers. It is about communication as leadership. It is about what happens when empathy becomes a business system, when language becomes a bridge across cultures, and when play becomes part of performance.
Richard explains why the phone is still one of the last places where a stranger’s voice can change someone’s day. He opens up about the mechanics of staying in Costa Rica, building a company in a foreign country, hiring local specialists, developing trust, and creating a workplace culture where people feel seen, valued, and motivated.
Dr. Vivian and Richard also explore his famous pinball and arcade culture inside the workplace. For Richard, the game room is not a gimmick. It is a performance system. It helps employees release stress, maintain rhythm, build connection, and return to work with renewed energy. In an industry often associated with burnout and attrition, Richard built an environment where play, discipline, and human warmth work together.
The conversation also goes deep into the art of communication. Richard shares practical insights on listening, tone, pacing, strategic pauses, open-ended questions, positive escalation, gatekeeper respect, company name recognition, and how agents can create trust within the first few seconds of a call.
One of the most powerful moments in the episode is Richard’s philosophy that “words should be used for light and warmth, not to burn.” This becomes the moral center of the conversation. In a business environment where persuasion can easily cross into pressure, Richard makes the case for empathy, ethics, clarity, and human dignity.
https://youtu.be/XznqoXRGuiQ
But this episode is not simply about call centers. It is about communication as leadership. It is about what happens when empathy becomes a business system, when language becomes a bridge across cultures, and when play becomes part of performance.
Richard explains why the phone is still one of the last places where a stranger’s voice can change someone’s day. He opens up about the mechanics of staying in Costa Rica, building a company in a foreign country, hiring local specialists, developing trust, and creating a workplace culture where people feel seen, valued, and motivated.
Dr. Vivian and Richard also explore his famous pinball and arcade culture inside the workplace. For Richard, the game room is not a gimmick. It is a performance system. It helps employees release stress, maintain rhythm, build connection, and return to work with renewed energy. In an industry often associated with burnout and attrition, Richard built an environment where play, discipline, and human warmth work together.
The conversation also goes deep into the art of communication. Richard shares practical insights on listening, tone, pacing, strategic pauses, open-ended questions, positive escalation, gatekeeper respect, company name recognition, and how agents can create trust within the first few seconds of a call.
One of the most powerful moments in the episode is Richard’s philosophy that “words should be used for light and warmth, not to burn.” This becomes the moral center of the conversation. In a business environment where persuasion can easily cross into pressure, Richard makes the case for empathy, ethics, clarity, and human dignity.
https://youtu.be/XznqoXRGuiQ
Category
🦄
CreativityTranscript
00:00Most people think a call center is a building full of headsets
00:06like my guest today is wearing and scripts.
00:10But my guest actually thinks a call center is a cathedral of human communication.
00:18And you'd argue that the phone is actually the last place on earth
00:24where a stranger's voice can still change your entire day.
00:30At the age of 27, Richard Blank left northeast Philadelphia for Costa Rica
00:38on what was actually supposed to be a short trip.
00:42Guess what? He never returned home.
00:45He learned the business from the inside.
00:48And in his mid-30s, he started from a single seat
00:54and built it into a bilingual operation that has trained over thousands of agents.
01:01He also owns the largest collection of restored American pinball machines
01:07in Central America, and he has actually used them to run his company.
01:13So I want you to stay with me because we are not talking about a hobby today.
01:18We're talking about a leadership system.
01:21Welcome to the Clarity Mandate, Richard Blank.
01:26Well, doctor, I am so happy to be with you and your amazing audience today.
01:31Now, behind the scenes, we had to work on it a lot to get here today.
01:35Thank you for your grace.
01:37Thanks for giving us some grace with our scheduling issues.
01:40Of course, doctor. Listen, I made the cut.
01:43I would have done anything to be on your show, so you are great.
01:47Anyway, I just want your audience to know there are two individuals out there
01:50that worked very hard to be here today.
01:53Thanks, Richard.
01:54So you were in your 20s, around 27, in a foreign country,
02:01with a one-way pattern forming around what was supposed to be a temporary kind of trip.
02:09Most people in your kind of position will feel the same uncertainty that you did.
02:16But guess what?
02:17They would go back home.
02:19You stayed, and you eventually built.
02:23I don't want the romance of the story.
02:27I want the mechanics of the decision.
02:30What was the specific signals to you that made you to trust staying and building?
02:38And what made you to understand that this was actually a strong signal
02:44and not just some wishful kind of thinking?
02:47Because think about going somewhere for what was supposed to be a short trip
02:51and then making a decision to stay and build the way you have done.
02:56It's really something I'd like you to speak to.
02:59Of course.
03:00In fact, it's one of my favorite subjects.
03:03Doctor, as you know, being bilingual, it bears the mark of higher education.
03:08It's something you can bring with you, and it's not heavy.
03:11And so I was coming to Costa Rica, as they say in baseball, starting on third base.
03:17I had momentum.
03:18Spanish was my major in college.
03:20I had an open mind in regards to other cultures,
03:24and I was willing to leave my culture behind
03:28and get past certain guilt, pressures, and expectations
03:33and try to live a free and beautiful life.
03:37Now, 27 is an interesting age, Doctor.
03:40You have some individuals in the past that were very prominent at 27,
03:44like Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain.
03:49These individuals are at the peak, but then again, they're preserved.
03:54And so at 27, it's almost like your soul is telling you to have a hero's journey,
04:00to go out there and drink life and test the waters and see what you got,
04:04see if you got some grit and vigor.
04:06And so when I was given this one in a million opportunity, I wasn't foolish.
04:11I realized that after two months and seeing this environment, especially the call center environment,
04:16where it seemed easy to me, that I knew that this was the best soil for my plant to grow.
04:24And so I was able to put everything aside and think of myself first
04:30and what would give me the most beautiful and fulfilled life.
04:34And thankfully, I've been here for 25 years celebrating 19 in business.
04:41And it's been a dream and fortune does favor the brave.
04:47And if you're willing to take that grand leap of faith and really give it your all,
04:54don't be surprised if you do not go the distance like a prize fighter.
04:59And even if you don't win, like Chuck Wettner, who went the distance with Ali,
05:03they still make a movie after you as a winner.
05:05Richard, you are not just building a call center.
05:08It's like you can actually write poetry the way you respond.
05:12But let's stay on the subject.
05:15Relocation is really one leap.
05:18But starting your own company in a foreign land in your 30s after you already understand
05:26and you knew how the business was from the inside, for me, that was really a second quarter leap for
05:36you,
05:36not just being out there and being in the call center, but actually living where you were to start your
05:43own.
05:44And for me, someone can say, first moving into that country, Costa Rica, where you are enjoying and it's home
05:53and you're telling me about how beautiful it is, someone can be like, oh, no, that was like a big
05:59leap.
06:00But taking the second leap of actually going out there and starting your own organization,
06:08training agent, owning the system yourself, what does the clarity moment look like for you?
06:15So what gave you the certainty that you could not just let fears or anything else stand in the way
06:24of you
06:25doing what you've actually done by building the organization?
06:29Yes, Dr. Will.
06:31Fear is that morbid anticipation of things that haven't happened yet.
06:35The big old boogeyman.
06:37When you're given information and clarity, it reduces stress and fear.
06:42And let's be realistic.
06:44On a hockey team, I'm a goalie.
06:46I'm not a left winger.
06:47I know my position.
06:48I know my place.
06:50And in Costa Rica, I needed to...
06:52My son is here.
06:53He used to be a goalie in Hope.
06:55That's right.
06:56You know, double pad stacks.
06:58Bertie Perrant, my hero.
07:01Think of this, doctor, as me being a trunk of a tree.
07:04I needed roots and branches in order for stability and growth.
07:07And I did not have the time, the patience, maturity, or the cognitive skills to go to school for IT,
07:15to go to law school in Costa Rica to learn the labor laws,
07:19to go to school for accounting and all those and human resources.
07:25I didn't have the time.
07:27Too much weight would have made me miserable.
07:29And so I had to hire specialists, home court advantage individuals that could speak for me,
07:37show me the way, make it easier so I could concentrate on what I do the best.
07:44And so that's a trust factor.
07:48I prefer to promote from within, but when it was specialists, naturally, you needed certain certifications and different things.
07:57But I surrounded myself with individuals who saw the vision.
08:02This was a brand new company back in 2008 that was starting.
08:06I was renting a turnkey station at a blended center, like an internet cafe.
08:10It wasn't fancy, but I was able to pay, make my margin, and run a business.
08:15But also, I'm going to tell you something.
08:18Man, that was the greatest time ever, doctor.
08:21Yeah, it's fancy now.
08:22I got the building and all the bells and whistles.
08:24But when you first start out and that little spark turns into a flame, flame into a fire, and then
08:29it becomes an inferno,
08:31you realize you created something from nothing, like magic.
08:34And so I look fondly upon those days.
08:37I know it was a grind and it wasn't first-class conditions,
08:39but the people that were with me saw me grinding it out, as you were mentioning,
08:45and setting the example of someone showing up to work and paying the taxes and just being there motivating you.
08:53And there's also, doctor, some people that want to be seen and noticed and given that chance to be a
09:00squire to an item promoted
09:02compared to one that works at an Amazon, for an example, will be lost amongst thousands.
09:07And so we were selective, and individuals gravitated towards us because they wanted that sort of mentorship.
09:13They wanted me to invest in their career, make them more self-confident and self-reliant.
09:18And so you could always hire, doctor, that dirty dozen.
09:21You don't need a whole army.
09:23And so I was able to grow my company row by row and seat by seat and finding the right
09:28people.
09:28And so that's how I did it.
09:31That was the best leadership, paying it forward in my own way.
09:35And that was received and given such a positive reinforcement that it gave me enough go-go juice to keep
09:42going.
09:43Wow.
09:43That just speaks to who you are and some of the things I've been reading about you.
09:48I mean, let's pay off the pinball.
09:52You've said build an environment.
09:55You're building an environment.
09:57You're not just building a call center.
09:59And you literally play pinball with your employees.
10:05The call center industry, I mean, it's famous for talking about scrapes, burnouts, and people living under pressure.
10:15But you build the opposite.
10:18So I want you to break down the system for me.
10:21How does gamification culture and clay become such kind of, in my view, a measurable performance and retention system for
10:32what you have actually built out there?
10:36Yes, doctor.
10:37Well, my good friend, I'm not going to lie to you.
10:40We have burnout, large attrition, scripts and rebuttals and training, you name it.
10:47That doesn't go away in a call center.
10:49But what I attempted to do was increase their vocabulary, their strategy, and their diplomacy through certain rhetoric, semantics, tone
11:03adjustments, certain strategic pausing.
11:06Oh, we can get into those mechanics.
11:07But the game room, oh, and so many reasons.
11:11What a happy medium.
11:12It's a place to let off steam, hang out with me.
11:15I grew up in the 80s, owning a pinball machine.
11:18It was like Ricky Schroeder and Silver Spoons.
11:20It was a dream.
11:20And so one man's trash is another man's treasure.
11:25And if someone's selling a pinball machine, I'm going to say, hey, doc, come on, let's drive four hours.
11:29Let's only deal with a couple of wads of 20s and come back with these machines.
11:34And what did that do?
11:37It was almost like a Willy Wonka effect.
11:39When people were coming in interviewing my company, they saw the game room.
11:43And they realized this was a place that besides working hard, you could have fun and meet people from different
11:47departments.
11:48But psychologically, doc, it's almost like when you watch someone that runs in a city and they're at a stoplight,
11:56they run in place to keep their momentum.
11:58If you come downstairs and you get on your phone for Instagram or go have a cigarette and just medge
12:03out, you ice a kicker.
12:05But if you get on that pinball machine or my arcade machines, what you're doing is using hand-eye coordination,
12:12timing, but you're keeping in rhythm.
12:14So when you go upstairs, you're even stronger than before.
12:17And I always believed in play.
12:18That's why we had recess as children.
12:20But you know what it really is?
12:23I got to see somebody laugh.
12:25Not at me.
12:26And I had something stupid.
12:28But when you're seeing someone play and you see them laugh, first, they laugh funny so you can tease them.
12:35But, doctor, you see a different side.
12:38They lower the mass.
12:40It's the real person.
12:41And so there's even the haptics, the touch on the shoulder, which you're really not supposed to touch your boss.
12:46But if we had a great game of air hockey and you just beat me by, look at that sort
12:52of bonding, anchoring, bridging, and connecting.
12:57And so, like, you know, there's nothing wrong with hanging out with your boss and playing game.
13:01And then we can go upstairs and play.
13:03Wow.
13:04That's just amazing, Richard.
13:05That's just amazing what you've built out there.
13:08And it's not surprising that you've trained thousands of bilingual agents.
13:14At that volume, I mean, you cannot rely just on talent and charisma.
13:20I believe that you need kind of, you've talked about your systems and all that, but you need really a
13:28repeatable kind of system that will turn some ordinary Joe out of college or out of high school, whatever it
13:36is,
13:37to someone that a complete stranger from the outside can actually feel comfortable talking with.
13:45And for me, I want you to talk about one of the single most common mistakes that maybe your new
13:54agent make that maybe most executives might not actually signal,
14:02but the kind of systems that you have put together can help you really build because the numbers don't lie,
14:09the numbers of agents that you've trained.
14:12Yes, and the metrics, of course.
14:15That's right.
14:15The number one rule that people need to do when communicating is to listen.
14:22I know what I know.
14:23I'd love to know what you know.
14:25Your priority might not be mine.
14:28It's a great way to, I guess, shed time, cut the fat, focus on areas.
14:36And if someone is interested in one topic, stop the horizontal, go to the vertical, and just ask a ton
14:42of open-ended questions that require explanation.
14:47It's like the books, choose your own adventure.
14:50I'm just the rudder of your ship.
14:51You lead me in this dance.
14:53It's all good.
14:54And you'd be surprised when you're doing 30-second checkpoints, doctor, by asking tie-down or clarification questions,
15:05if things make sense, sounds good, may we move forward, that on a 10-minute conversation, you probably have 20,
15:1330-second checkpoints.
15:16So no doors are left open.
15:18And then you wonder why people convert more calls, have better metrics in regards to talk time, first call resolution,
15:27upselling referrals, you name it.
15:30And it's not like they're slick or the wolf of Wall Street.
15:34No, they have beautiful structure.
15:35They ask the right questions.
15:37They listen.
15:38And through certain deduction, they dance with the beautiful art of speech.
15:45And if they're exceptionally creative, which I believe, they should close their eyes.
15:50And once again, removing your taste, touch, and smell on the phone, your hearing should be expanded.
15:56But what about image streaming?
15:59Meaning, doctor, put color in your words.
16:03Really be descriptive.
16:05And you will capture them.
16:07And then when that happens, it's just the most, you were mentioning strangers before.
16:14Strangers are friends you haven't met yet.
16:16You and I have been communicating.
16:17This is the first time we're face-to-face.
16:19But I tell you what, we're never going to forget about each other.
16:22And if someone asks me about the doctor, I don't know if she's the greatest.
16:25I love her.
16:26But you are the greatest.
16:27Jess, I believe you are more of a poet than just, like, we'll talk about this.
16:35But you are just great, Richard.
16:36You are.
16:37Doctor, I don't want to put it down.
16:39A becarpe diem.
16:40Seize the day.
16:41Tomorrow we shall die.
16:42And if you live every day as a romantic and as a poet, then pay it forward.
16:46Give compliments to people.
16:47Smile.
16:48Just try to have good days because you're getting older.
16:51You know, you might as well start now.
16:54Thanks, Richard.
16:55You have a line that I keep looking back to.
17:00And you say, words should be used for light and warmth, not to burn.
17:07For me, that's like a moral philosophy of communication, not just a sales.
17:13It doesn't look like a sales tactic.
17:16And for me, in your industry, that is not something that is common.
17:21So here's the tension I want you to look at.
17:26In a business built, the industry where persuasion, so where exactly is the line between influence and using your kind
17:37of approach?
17:37How do you train the number of people you have trained to stay on the right side when the metric
17:44sometimes is pushing them maybe to stay on another side?
17:49Because they want to get the results because everyone is tracking the metrics and all that.
17:56Yes, ma'am.
17:56Well, I always believe that if your base foundation revolves around empathy, compassion towards others, you really can't go wrong.
18:05You have good faith and good intentions.
18:06But tell me this.
18:09When your best friend told you they loved you and believed in you when you were at your lowest, wasn't
18:16that the greatest thing you ever heard?
18:17That was light, that was warmth, and that was love.
18:21And then somebody that you believed in so disappointed you by saying something to you that was so unexpected.
18:34Well, that's the burn.
18:37And I mean, if you want to make fun of it, you could look at Eminem's movie, Eight Mile, but
18:41that's what they do.
18:42Rappers go back and forth and have a rap battle.
18:45So they're not really trying to rip hard.
18:47They're just trying to be creative, and I get it.
18:49But when someone publicly defaces somebody or just rips into somebody, that's raw.
18:55And unfortunately, I'd rather get punched in the face 20 times than have the people that I love the most
19:04in this life say something to me that scars.
19:07And so you have to be exceptionally careful.
19:10And that's why, on the flip side, my friend, speaking about telemarketers, customer service agent, retention agents, people that prospect,
19:22my thoughts were always keeping a positive tone.
19:28Because people could find offense, they could give you a negative reaction, they could place you in a category of
19:36other telemarketers that are bothering their company or you during dinner.
19:41And so two things can happen.
19:44An agent can burn out from it, or they can choose a campaign that compromises their ethics, values, and morals,
19:50sell sweepstakes and things, and just ruin our reputation.
19:55Or you could be the individual at the law firm when somebody's having the worst day of their life.
20:01You walk them through the paperwork, or at the doctor's office, being Judy who picks up the phone and, while
20:07you're having the worst day of your life, sues you and gets you through that moment.
20:13And so I respect people that are capable of holding hands over the phone or walking people through a process.
20:19And I don't need to twist your arm, doctor.
20:22There's no forced hands here.
20:23That's a terrible sell.
20:25You know this from an extremely learned woman and educated, that from an educated point of view, individuals make a
20:34decision.
20:35And so as long as my delivery is clear, concise, I answer all your questions, roll the dice.
20:41Maybe put a little Richard smile and spark to it, but that's just the way the game is played.
20:46Wow.
20:47And I'm okay with that, and I'll tell you why.
20:49As much as I want to close every deal, India and the Philippines are half my price.
20:54I'm not a 24-7 shop.
20:57And we also don't speak other languages that people might require, like Chinese.
21:02So, unfortunately, through an educated point of view on my end, doctor, I couldn't accept your account.
21:07Yeah, but I want to work with you.
21:08I want to work with you, too.
21:10Love you.
21:11It's just not going to fit.
21:12And so it's nothing personal.
21:13And don't be surprised that if you get a call a year later and go, hey, I spoke to Dr.
21:19Duke.
21:19She said you're the greatest.
21:20She recommended you, even though you couldn't do business with her.
21:23And so most of my business, doctor, is from referrals of when I left the spark.
21:29Wow.
21:30That's amazing.
21:31The human connection, the focus on the individual.
21:36And I like what you just said.
21:38Don't make it personal.
21:39Have a positive attitude.
21:41And for me, let's talk about this counterintuitive perspective.
21:47So most of them, we assume that communication problems are information problems.
21:53That if people just had more facts, they'd understand.
21:58But you have watched thousands of conversations succeed, and you've seen some fail in real time.
22:08So for me, is the real failure point information, or is it something else entirely?
22:17Is it emotions?
22:18Is it pacing?
22:19Is it listening?
22:20I know you've talked about listening.
22:22Is it someone's ego?
22:23So what does the data that you've looked at from success and failure tell you about why some messages land
22:34and others fail?
22:36Well, yes, it's almost like a professor that won't time your exam.
22:41You don't feel rushed.
22:43I've been given the pass to pitch, either by a gatekeeper or a decision maker.
22:50And when that happens, the chains are removed.
22:54So when you're mentioning information, you have all the time in the world.
22:57You can even send more information.
22:59The information thing should not be the make or break.
23:01So I'm going to put that away if you get the pass to pitch.
23:04How do you get the pass to pitch?
23:06Well, you've got to make sure you make a pretty good first impression.
23:10And so what happens is, doctor, that most people are not living in the now.
23:19They're living in the now if they're being, I don't know, physically involved.
23:26Like, let's say, boxing.
23:27You're in the moment, or you're eating something, or there's some sort of sensation that your body is feeling.
23:34That's a now.
23:35But most of the time, you're just sitting around.
23:37You're thinking of, you're not here, unless you have some sort of physical simulation.
23:42And so it's very difficult to get people's attention.
23:47And so I had a couple tricks that I did to at least allow you to jump clouds and have
23:55romantic deaths.
23:56How about this?
23:58You've got to respect the kid that walks across the dance floor to ask his crush to dance.
24:01Even if she says no and he walks back, the whole school realized that because it's not hard.
24:06And even though you got rejected, you kind of learned from the learning experience that you are so bold and
24:12brave that nothing in the world can stop you.
24:14And so, and maybe she might say yes.
24:18And then you have the best night of your entire life.
24:20And so it's made on chances and it's made on that sort of shoulders back, chest out, chin up, and
24:27just, as you say, allowing the sun to shine on you.
24:31And so how do I play this telemarketing game?
24:36Well, I always believe that when someone's name is mentioned, Dr. Vivian, you say it with compassion and you say
24:46it like I've known you before.
24:48I know some other Vivians.
24:49You are the coolest I know, but I know other Vivians too.
24:52And so even if you know a Vivian, you're like, hey, Vivian, just pretend it's like your best friend that
24:57you met before.
24:58And so what happens is it's not like Vivian.
25:01I mean, that's weird.
25:02You could use anonymity in the beginning.
25:05Like if you pick up the phone, you're like, hello, hey, Vivian.
25:07You're like, hey, where's your blank?
25:09It's a great way to start.
25:10What I used to do, I would always do a company name spike clarity mandate.
25:16How are you today?
25:17And I'd say better than the person answering the phone.
25:20What does that do?
25:21And let's just use 30 seconds.
25:22That's all I'm going to give you.
25:23The rest is up to you.
25:25You do a company name spike with anonymity.
25:28So it almost sounds like you've been there before.
25:30And the way you say the name is so good, at least you got it out.
25:33It's almost like a speaking part in a movie.
25:34At least you had one line.
25:35You better say good.
25:37And you did it.
25:38And what happens, my friend, is that gatekeeper that is in that trance, black and blue from all the calls
25:45coming in, realizes this is a little bit different.
25:47It could be a family member, best client, or somebody.
25:51So what it is, is it's a positive reinforcement.
25:54Instead of saying, is this a sales call?
25:55Why are you calling?
25:56Take me off your list.
25:57And my favorite one, F you.
26:01They usually say, who is this?
26:04And then I buffer that a little bit.
26:06I'm so glad that you asked, Judy.
26:07My name is Richard Blank.
26:09But I got a double dip because you're going to say, oh, Richard Blank, which company are you with?
26:14He didn't say, take me off your list.
26:15Who are you calling?
26:16No, I'm still in the comfort zone.
26:18Those four back and forth is 30 seconds of pauses, company name spike, introductions, who I am, asking once again
26:26who I am, because you like how I sound, Judy.
26:30And then I'm going to let you know, hey, Judy, when you transfer me to Vivian, I'm going to let
26:35her know how amazing you are.
26:36Oh, that's so nice, Richard.
26:37And then I get transferred.
26:38Hi, this is Dr. Vivian.
26:39I'm too.
26:40Doctor, I just got to let you know, Judy's the greatest.
26:43You don't even know who I am yet.
26:44And you go, I know she is.
26:45I know she is, too.
26:47And then we go over again.
26:48It's not the company name spike.
26:49It's the gatekeeper name spike.
26:50And you go, who is this?
26:51Richard Blank.
26:52Well, Richard Blank, who are you with?
26:53Come on, I got a doctor for two minutes now.
26:55I'm definitely going to pitch my stuff.
26:57How do you like that?
26:58Let's just start, instead of a 10 defense, let's drop it to a six.
27:02And I'll take the four that you gave me and move that mass into a forward motion.
27:09And if you do that 150 times a day, you might catch someone at a good day.
27:14You might do the right thing.
27:16Your metrics will be better.
27:17You'll enjoy your day.
27:18You jump clouds.
27:20At least you did a company name spike, a positive escalation to the secretary, and you introduced yourself.
27:25Well, if you get killed after that, that's a great phone call, and your boss will be proud of you.
27:30Wow, that's amazing, Richard.
27:32Thank you for sharing those really amazing insights and methodology that you use.
27:39It looks to me, it just sounds like a scientific methodology that really works, and the metrics, like you put
27:46it, can speak that it works.
27:49So, everyone, let's talk about this.
27:52Everyone predicts AI will replace the call center.
27:56And you've spent 19 years building one based on human connections, and you're still growing.
28:07So, I want you to structure what you are looking at as AI is going to handle, not going to.
28:20It's already handling lots of the routine.
28:24So, it's looking at lots of the things, I'm sure, in the industry, you're already doing that.
28:31So, what specifically becomes more valuable, not less, when we look at the future of the call center business?
28:40Where is the human premium going to lie, and where are you worried about the role of AI and your
28:51industry, if at all?
28:53Well, I'll give it a football term.
28:56I think AI can bring the ball down to the 10-yard line, and then it takes a human to
29:01put it into the end zone.
29:03Empathy is very important for final stages of relationships or onboarding.
29:07But in regards to gathering information, I think AI is fantastic.
29:12They haven't mastered yet the IVR, integrated voice response.
29:16Sometimes, they don't hear you correctly, or they ask you to repeat it.
29:21And then there's also the uncanny valley, where people get a little freaked out when robots and things like that
29:29act too human-like.
29:31We feel threatened.
29:35But there was a movie back in the day with Anthony Kling called Zorba the Greek.
29:39I mean, while his ship was going down, his whole town was looking at him.
29:42What did he do?
29:43He just put his arms out and started dancing on the beach.
29:46I'm not Nero.
29:46I'm not playing my fiddle.
29:49Zoram is burning.
29:50But I'm also realistic.
29:52And I realize things have certain times in life.
29:56And my run in my business happened at a beautiful time.
30:00And we created such synergy in people.
30:03It was an incredible linguistic environment.
30:06People were just sharing.
30:07And then when COVID hit, I was fortunate to stay in business doctor by having things done virtual.
30:12And as much as I was proud of that, it eliminated my personal essence.
30:21My essence, my friend, was walking in the rows and giving you five and being so proud of you.
30:26That's right.
30:27And saying, good morning, Dr. Vivian.
30:29It's great to see you today.
30:31And have a wonderful evening.
30:32I'll see you tomorrow.
30:33And not do I only miss that.
30:36You literally took away me.
30:41And I'm just now an administrator that writes checks.
30:46What a shame.
30:48And so once that happened, it wasn't a cold turkey like a smoker.
30:53But I saw the gradual.
30:55And so I can accept it slowly.
30:59I don't have to pull it off slowly.
31:01You know, the wound.
31:04But I feel for the new generation coming in.
31:11It's not like they're going to be missing out on a job a lot of people don't like working at
31:15call centers.
31:16But what I did see, especially for myself, I just chose to make it a career.
31:21But anybody that's entered this sort of environment and then left, as much as they hated it and they just
31:28didn't enjoy it.
31:29But each one said that it definitely built their soft skills and their interpersonal communication skills.
31:38And today, if things are omni-channel, non-voice, like text, email, chat, what's happening is there's not that stimulation.
31:48There's not that face-to-face eye contact, body language, reading, and just electromagnetic energy transfers that people can connect.
31:58And so I feel for this generation.
32:01Their simulation is likes and clicks and subscribers.
32:05And that's all great and fun and dandy.
32:07But I'd rather be playing Capture the Flag with you and five of my friends than a summer afternoon.
32:12That's 10 times more fun.
32:14So that's where I see it, Doc.
32:16And how about this?
32:18And let me leave it like this as well.
32:19Where do I see it going?
32:21When I interview people, besides looking at their credentials, the one question I ask is, what is your coming-of
32:26-age moment?
32:27What was the time you were mentioning me?
32:29And coming-of-age can happen at any stage in life.
32:31You mentioned 27.
32:33Perfect.
32:34And you're right.
32:35I shed skin and I was born again like a phoenix.
32:38And so I wanted to know, when did you change?
32:41You asked the most brilliant question.
32:43When was your crossroads and you chose the right path?
32:47And some of the answers I get are generic.
32:49And you're like, really?
32:51But some are creative.
32:53And then I start making nicknames for you.
32:55And then when you're having a terrible Wednesday, I'll walk by a doctor and I'll go, remember you saved that
33:00kitten out of the tree?
33:01Come on, kitten saver.
33:02Come on, Doc.
33:03And you know it's going to pick you up.
33:05And you know we connected.
33:06And so those were the little things that reduced my attrition.
33:10And I had people show more fidelity because they really saw the depth of my interest in their careers and
33:17their development.
33:18And that's something you can't fake.
33:21Sincerity, you have to be consistent.
33:23And the fact that I'm 3,000 miles away from my mama and I moved abroad and I invested my
33:29life to assist this culture in my own way.
33:35Hey, look and don't get it now.
33:37That's how I did it.
33:38AI, like Richard Potts, it's no AI can bring the human connection, the empathy, the things.
33:45You know, it's interesting.
33:47I mean, last month we had the CEO of Entropic and the CEO of OpenAI out there in New York.
33:55And there was this conference where they invited the faith community, where I was talking about pastors, rabbis, and all
34:04the faith community.
34:05And they were asking them questions to help them in the next, call it the phase of looking at faith,
34:15things like empathy.
34:16They specifically asked them questions around things like funerals and pain and death and things.
34:26How does, because this is a community that have been out there doing funerals, doing things like this.
34:33And you want to bring this into AI and I'm still watching to see how this comes.
34:38But that just tells us that there are certain industries, there are certain aspects of human life and connections, the
34:44hawks, the embrace we get like at funerals and AI speech or whatever.
34:50It's not going to help us with that because those kind of things, we still need the humans.
34:56So like you put it, I think every industry would be enhanced and not really replace the human aspect is
35:04still always going to be important.
35:05You actually have a scholarship at your old high school out there in Philadelphia for kids who want to study
35:15a word language.
35:18And for me, and that for you, it's part of the things that really, it's the decision for you to
35:26live abroad and speak multiple languages or bilingual.
35:32And now you are able to build an industry out there just because of knowing more than one language.
35:39And you've also built something for me with an intergenerational dimension to it.
35:47So as we begin to close this episode, I want you to talk to us about your thinking about the
35:58endowment scholarship
36:00and where you see the future of this generation and languages and the role that learning about different colleges, because
36:11it's interesting.
36:12I want you to speak to what really guided your decisions to do what you're actually doing.
36:18And thank you in your community and your former high school there in Philadelphia.
36:23Of course, well, a lot of the times advice that was given to me might not be the best advice
36:30for some other people.
36:32And so maybe just by setting the example, that second language scholarship was interesting for me.
36:40If I may disclose something to you, doctor, my grades in high school were terrible.
36:43I was immature, I wasn't focused, and my dedicated Spanish teacher, Dona Esperanza-Galchak, wrote me a college recommendation letter.
36:53And that sparked something in me that could potentially be my major in college.
36:57And then the late principal, Norman Schmidt, without his college recommendation letter, there's absolutely no way I was going to
37:06get into the University of Arizona.
37:08No chance.
37:09And so my main man hooked me up, and he knew it too.
37:13And so what happens?
37:16Destiny happened.
37:17If it wasn't for that, Arizona, Costa Rica, my beautiful wife and my beautiful life.
37:25What do you do?
37:26You pay it forward.
37:27And so I also realized something else, doctor, that you can put your phone down and still speak a second
37:33language.
37:33I don't need technology.
37:35I don't need to bring it with me, and I don't need Google to look it up real quick.
37:38Anybody that learns a second language, that's dedicated practice.
37:41That's above and beyond the classroom.
37:43That's someone that really loves it.
37:45And so someone like me that did it, I go, man, oh, man.
37:48It's like the gym.
37:48You see the muscles.
37:49Yeah.
37:50And it's just a simple way for me, my friend, just to say thank you, Abington Senior High School, for
37:59believing in me when I was a dumb 18-year-old kid that had no idea what I was going
38:04to do with my life.
38:06And at least you gave me a little bit of a push in the right direction and wind in my
38:13sails.
38:14And I don't forget those things, doctor.
38:17I don't forget this time that we're spending together.
38:21And so any time that there have been people that have entered my life that are just amazing people, that
38:27shine, that are just beautiful people, it's my pleasure to speak so well of them behind your back.
38:33Wait till I talk about you to everybody, doctor.
38:36I'm going to talk about you to everyone.
38:38That is what you want.
38:39You want people to speak about you behind your back in such a way that when they meet you, they
38:43say your reputation preceded you.
38:46And that's my goal.
38:48And, you know, unfortunately, Norman Schmidt is not with us anymore.
38:52But the beautiful thing is I'm still speaking about this man.
38:55It's not my family, but he kind of was.
38:58He did something great for me.
38:59And so always remember those along your path.
39:02Wow.
39:04Wow.
39:04God bless the family of Principal Norman Schmidt, who is not here, but his family and all of you who
39:12were students in the high school during his reign.
39:16That's just amazing.
39:17And guess what?
39:18You're sowing the same seeds that he sowed in your life and you're doing even more to the students.
39:24And guess what?
39:25I can only imagine how many students out there are saying, God bless Richard Blank for giving me this opportunity.
39:34To learn this.
39:35And thank you.
39:36I think everyone that is of good heart out there listening to this kind of story and just reaching out
39:43and helping students get a chance.
39:46Like the principal gave you a chance.
39:49Your Spanish teacher gave you the recommendations and all that.
39:53And that's amazing.
39:55So what's next for you as we begin to close?
39:58And how can people find you so that we'll put all that in the show notes, but just say it
40:04so that we people hear it.
40:06I don't know about you, but I love cameo videos and I always get them from my favorite people.
40:11I just treated myself to a cameo from Mr. T, one of my favorite actors of all time.
40:16And Mr. T gave me some beautiful advice.
40:19He says, Richard, I want you to stop and smell the roses.
40:24You've worked so hard.
40:26Enjoy your life.
40:28And so looking back at it, I could have taken more time to do more things, but I was too
40:34focused on growing the business.
40:36But doctor, not now.
40:38I want to slow down.
40:40I want to enjoy.
40:43And so that's next for me.
40:44But if someone wants to reach out, you can shoot me an email at CEO at CostaRica's call center dot
40:49com.
40:50And listen, no obligation.
40:53But if anybody in your audience wants to run by a script by me or some rebuttals and say, hey,
40:58Richie, what do you think of this?
40:59Just say, you know, Dr. Vivian Atunton, don't worry.
41:02I will take care of it for you and give you my best advice.
41:06And doctor, I can't thank you enough.
41:08Buff, you bring the best out of your guests.
41:11I had a wonderful time with you this morning and I'm a super fan.
41:14Thank you, Richard.
41:16I am having fun.
41:17I don't know, but the word that came to my mind when I was replying to your last email, I
41:22was like, Richard, if you are still available, let's have a conversation.
41:26Let's have fun.
41:27And I think I have I've had really more than I asked for.
41:31And I'm truly grateful.
41:32Richard Blank, a communicator who turned a one way trip into a life's work and a call center into really
41:42a human communication warmth kind of environment.
41:47And he has given us today his playbook, his his tactics, his mechanics, his philosophy.
41:54And it is clear he's talked about discipline, his emphasize human connection, his emphasize empathy and his emphasize really valuing
42:06human human beings.
42:08And he turned his workplace into really a fun place.
42:11You go to his business.
42:12I think one day when I'm in Costa Rica, I want to visit and play some games with Richard.
42:18But everyone out there, you want to find Richard.
42:22We're going to put on the links and his email and everything.
42:26What's next for Richard?
42:27Slowing down.
42:28And that's just amazing.
42:30Slowing down, having some fun with his family and doing the things that he really wanted to do.
42:36And the world doesn't need more information.
42:38We need more clarity.
42:39We need more thinking.
42:41And the mandate from Richard is clear.
42:44Now it's yours to go and make use of some of the things that he has shared.
42:49This is Dr. Vivian Atwood.
42:50And always my pleasure to have you on the Clarity Mandate.
42:54And we will see you in the next episode.
42:57Thanks, Richard.
42:58Thanks, Richard.
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