The Jamilia Grier Show. Richard Blank: Building a Business Abroad & Leading with Empathy
In this powerful episode of The Jamilia Grier Show, I sit down with Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica's Call Center, to explore how he turned leading with empathy into building a business abroad. We unpack the real journey behind building a business overseas, overcoming self-doubt, leading with empathy, and mastering human connection in an AI-driven world.
00:00 – Intro: Meet Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center 01:30 – Why he left the U.S. to start over at 27 03:00 – Teaching English abroad: the unexpected door to entrepreneurship 05:10 – Overcoming pushback: Why the boldest choices are often misunderstood 07:00 – Breaking language barriers: From Philly to fluent Spanish 09:30 – Learning by immersion: How Richard mastered the call center world 11:45 – Building with empathy: Why dignity is your best employee retention strategy 13:10 – What we’ve lost in a post-COVID, remote-first world 15:00 – The power of vulnerability and showing up with heart 16:30 – How to lead 10,000+ people without losing the personal touch 19:15 – Sales redefined: Why it's really about relationship building 21:45 – Human connection vs automation: Will AI replace real empathy? 23:15 – Communicating with intention, even over text 25:10 – Entrepreneurs + sales = the mindset shift you need 28:10 – Building communication confidence (even if you're shy) 30:00 – Real leadership is hands-on (and sometimes includes pinball) 32:45 – The hiring secret: Why your coming-of-age story matters more than your résumé 34:10 – Culture building through authenticity and connection 36:00 – Why teens can be your best team members 37:45 – Surviving the hard days: Entrepreneurship isn’t glamorous, it’s earned 40:00 – The mindset to keep going when you want to quit 42:50 – Social media vs real life: Stop comparing, start building 44:50 – What real success looks like (hint: it’s not just Lamborghinis) 47:30 – A message to those stuck in unfulfilling jobs 49:12 – Final thoughts + Connect with Richard
00:00Richard, I have a tough question for you now. Now that we've talked about the journey, now here comes the tough stuff. One thing you and I both know is that entrepreneurship is really tough. I can tell you, being just totally honest, just yesterday, two days ago, wasn't a good day. Wasn't a good day.
00:22And we go through these cycles of mountains and lows and mountains and lows, and it changes you. I mean, I can't say that today I'm the same person that I was four years ago. I'm definitely not. What happened in your journey? Was there any sort of pivotal moment where it really shook you to your core and really changed you?
00:47Disappointment over anger. I had certain expectations, individuals that did not follow through. And so they might not have been as committed as I was, or things happen in life that are outside the office that I can't control. But the fact that I thought that my first employer would be with me for 20 years to get the watch and grow with the company, I'm foolish.
