The Hard Truth_ It's Not Easy But It's Worth It

Richard Blank

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.  https://youtu.be/jyfEmDsHRlc?si=qb_K77XnGGUIn1xz https://youtu.be/GfP6-EFLoV0 https://youtube.com/shorts/dXWRNGRlMv0 https://youtube.com/shorts/MIYRJYs8j6A https://youtube.com/shorts/q3jQzk78cT0 https://youtube.com/shorts/trP8vocbD1I https://youtu.be/tHgH3bMF3Vs https://youtu.be/CnHUq1Wi9eA https://youtu.be/k9Q6PUMHyvA  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

Transcript

00:00I think it's so important for people to hear us talking about the difficult times, right?

00:08Like a lot of people get on and like, oh yeah, you know, done this, you know, moved to Dubai

00:11and, you know, did this and, you know, 10,000 weeks.

00:14Okay, okay, okay.

00:15But what did it take?

00:18Like, what did it cost?

00:20How did that feel?

00:21How many times did you have to get back up?

00:24Because I never want anyone to listen to me or read a book or anything and say, oh, it's easy.

00:32If anything, I'm telling you, it's not easy.

00:35I'm telling you, it's not easy.

00:37I'm telling you, it's worth it.

00:38But I'm telling you, it's not easy.

00:40And you're saying it's not easy, but it's worth it.

00:42And I think, you know, what you're saying, I mean, what really resonates with me is this

00:46idea of the journey and how it makes you and how that's what life is.

00:52Like, we're not, I mean, yeah, we like yachts, right?

00:55Okay, we like champagne, but we're, that's not, we're not doing it just for that.

01:00We're doing it because it is the exercise.

01:02It's the routine.

01:04And that's where you build yourself.

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Transcript

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