- 7/10/2025
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
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
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
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
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PeopleTranscript
00:00:00Hello, I'm Paul Briley, and you're listening to Off the Comma.
00:00:05I'm a human who cares about supporting other humans.
00:00:08On this podcast, we explore all facets of what it means to feel stuck in life.
00:00:12We talk with people just like us, who found themselves sitting on a comma and not knowing
00:00:17where to go next.
00:00:18We'll unpack the experience with them, where they've been stuck, what it feels like, what
00:00:23they experienced, and what they learned.
00:00:26My goal is to inspire you by seeing yourself in others.
00:00:29I believe that when we feel more connected and seen, magic can happen.
00:00:34And remember, if you find yourself sitting on a comma in your life, you can also talk to
00:00:38me without a microphone.
00:00:39To explore coaching with me and getting Off the Comma in your own life, check out my information
00:00:44and book a call with me at offthecomma.com.
00:00:47And I'm also doing something different.
00:00:49I'm curating my own sponsor community, local businesses and professionals who I handpick
00:00:55and who align with our vision here.
00:00:56Be sure to check them out, learn more about them on my website and my YouTube channel.
00:01:01In the meantime, let's get into this week's conversation.
00:01:12And we are back for another exciting episode of Off the Comma and another amazing story told
00:01:18by people like ourselves, full of experience and vulnerability and also inherent wisdom
00:01:27as well.
00:01:27So I'm looking forward to bringing this week's story to life, or rather helping our guest
00:01:32bring his story to life.
00:01:34And also, I'm particularly excited about this week because not only do I get to meet someone
00:01:39new and Richard and I haven't really met before.
00:01:42We're going to get to know each other through the telling of his story today.
00:01:44I'm excited about that.
00:01:46But also, because I really, as this podcast continues to grow, I want this podcast to
00:01:51represent voices around the world.
00:01:54And while Richard is here speaking with us in English, he's actually coming from another
00:01:58country, which always makes me very excited.
00:02:01So I'll let him tell you about that.
00:02:02But let's jump in.
00:02:04I'll quit rambling.
00:02:05We're talking this week with Richard Blank.
00:02:07And Richard, I'm going to hand it over to you.
00:02:09But before we get into your story, let's do introductions.
00:02:13And I'd love it if you could start by telling us, how would you like to be known?
00:02:18And then what would you like us to know about you?
00:02:21Well, first of all, I can't thank you enough.
00:02:24About me, I'm a very proud guest of the Off the Comma podcast.
00:02:28Besides that, how do you describe myself?
00:02:32Well, empathetic, confident, and old school grit.
00:02:36Plus, I'm the largest collector of antique pinball machines in Costa Rica.
00:02:41So I'm extremely proud of my retro game.
00:02:44Well, Costa Rica, so you gave that away, finally, which I wasn't.
00:02:48And our guests can't see you, but I get to see two of these pinball machines behind you.
00:02:54We're sitting here talking on Zoom.
00:02:55So I get to see just a slight glimpse into your collection.
00:03:00Actually, behind me is not a pinball machine.
00:03:02This is a 1961 Ricola Regis, because I also collect jukeboxes.
00:03:07And on the left side is a private candy stash.
00:03:11Oh, OK.
00:03:12Well, my bad.
00:03:13I say I'm corrected, but they're beautiful pieces of machinery.
00:03:16So a jukebox and a candy machine.
00:03:19You know, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
00:03:21Paul and I grew up in the 70s and 80s, and arcades are going out of business.
00:03:25And people just don't want to collect 45s anymore.
00:03:28And so, you know, grab some cash and a couple of buddies in a truck.
00:03:32I'll drive four hours to some guy's bodega to pick up classic pinball machines for a fraction
00:03:37of the cost.
00:03:38And I tell you what, if you really know what you love truly, and it brings you joy, by all
00:03:46means, I think you should do it.
00:03:47As long as it doesn't hurt anybody else and you're responsible, you should fulfill your
00:03:52passions.
00:03:52And for me, mine was, you know, these retro games from the 70s and 80s.
00:03:58As a child, $5 had to last a weekend.
00:04:01Pinball was way out of reach.
00:04:04It was too complicated.
00:04:05Money went too fast.
00:04:06And so for me, it's a great balancing.
00:04:09Sunday pinball marathons are fun.
00:04:12It gives me a chance to bond with the agents from different departments.
00:04:15Let them let off steam and meet people.
00:04:17And I always believe that a gamification culture is the greatest thing you could do in a work
00:04:22environment.
00:04:23In addition to that, recess was the best class.
00:04:26That's when you made all your friends.
00:04:27Paul, you know that.
00:04:28And I am able to reduce the nutrition rate in any sort of vertical, any sort of industry
00:04:34when you have a really nice game room or a neutral environment where people can meet
00:04:39each other and have fun and get off of that phone, smoke less cigarettes, and it's less
00:04:45isolation.
00:04:46It's really the sort of soft skills that people feel that they don't need to do because they're
00:04:53in a work environment.
00:04:54I say quite the contrary.
00:04:55You spend more time at work than you do with your own family.
00:05:00So you might as well make it the best that you can.
00:05:02So I'm definitely hearing, you know, obviously, these elements of and by all means, correct
00:05:09me where I mistake because I do a lot of reflecting.
00:05:12But I'm definitely hearing, you know, this importance of connection and relationships and
00:05:18and also sort of this the theme of nostalgia, fun and kind of good times.
00:05:25It seems like I just want to be happy and I don't want you to quit.
00:05:30And if I try to compare myself to the Titans here, Amazon, HP, Intel and Oracle, they're
00:05:36going to crush me.
00:05:37It's like a senior football player going against me.
00:05:40You got to be kidding.
00:05:42But what can I do?
00:05:43I can be extremely selective.
00:05:44Those that come into the center.
00:05:46And as I say, when they see this environment, it maybe shed some light and break some barriers
00:05:52instead of being a non-approachable CEO or someone that never talks to them and is intimidating.
00:05:58They see me as someone that's very inviting.
00:06:02And I've had people tell me that the reason that they stayed was how they feel, not what
00:06:07the words that I say to them.
00:06:11And so but yes, my friend, I mean, I I have the leverage and the luxury to do whatever I'd
00:06:17like to do in this environment.
00:06:18And I know that some people like to have very uncomfortable furniture, bad lighting, and
00:06:25they think that fear is what gets people motivated.
00:06:28I can make arguments for all of those because I've been in those cubicles.
00:06:32I've made those phone calls.
00:06:33I've had long days.
00:06:34And I do know that if you give someone the proper nurture, you'll get the best out of them.
00:06:41You might even crack some codes.
00:06:42You, oh, you might be the coach that they never had, the teacher that didn't inspire
00:06:46them, or even the best friends that called the balls and the strikes.
00:06:49So if I can do all of those things, I might be able to make somebody more self-confident,
00:06:54self-reliant, and get them to master this level so they can go on to other levels.
00:07:01And it's just paying it forward, my friend.
00:07:03I realized some of the best advice I got along my way.
00:07:07And it wasn't the school of hard knocks.
00:07:09Sometimes it was just go, Richard, go.
00:07:11And that's all I needed that day to be the best.
00:07:14I'm really looking forward to seeing how this continues to show up and repeat itself in
00:07:18your story here in a moment.
00:07:20But I also...
00:07:21We're starting strong, right?
00:07:22Yeah, yeah.
00:07:22No, because what I also want to acknowledge is that the focus of your descriptions so far
00:07:29have really been on others and, you know, possibility for others, empowering others,
00:07:34lifting others up.
00:07:35So it sounds like there's definitely, you know, a theme in there of being focused on what
00:07:42you can do for other people as well.
00:07:43Of course.
00:07:44Richard, before we get into the five questions here in a minute and we start to unpack your
00:07:49story, one of the things I like to do with every guest is, as you think ahead to the next
00:07:5340 minutes or so that we'll be talking and the story that you're going to be sharing with
00:07:57us, what would be your intention for yourself for our time together?
00:08:02No, that you and I become better friends, that I'm entertaining and I can crack that 30
00:08:07minute mark where I'm interesting enough that you want to keep talking with me.
00:08:11That's my goal.
00:08:13I said this prior to the podcast going live.
00:08:15I don't have a book nor a seminar and most people don't like telemarketers.
00:08:20So what I'm trying to do today is just, as I say, I love your podcast.
00:08:25The fact that I'm a guest is awesome.
00:08:27I'm having a great time.
00:08:29So, I mean, this is pretty much my goal at the end of my business day.
00:08:33Nice.
00:08:33Well, my intention is to support you and your intention, which, you know, we're going to
00:08:37be doing that by creating a space for you to share your story with us today.
00:08:41And, and my intention also is that as it is with every guest in every episode is that
00:08:46there will be people out there who hear your story and they'll see a little bit of
00:08:49themselves in you and what you're sharing and it'll help them feel a little bit more
00:08:53connected, maybe a little less alone.
00:08:55And in the best of cases, feel inspired and even empowered to go out and do something that
00:09:00they've been wanting to do.
00:09:02So.
00:09:02Well, I hope so.
00:09:03I like fighters that go into the ring wanting to go the distance.
00:09:07It's not like Mike Tyson, one round knockouts.
00:09:09Most fighters have to go into the bell.
00:09:11And so I just want someone to have endurance.
00:09:14I want longevity.
00:09:16They need to be able to keep moving forward.
00:09:20And that's what I've seen through these years.
00:09:24Setbacks are kind of funny to me now that I'm more mature and have impulse control.
00:09:28It's not like I want my house to burn down, but if there's a day where there's not a single
00:09:32problem, it's not a good day.
00:09:33You need to find things to fix or to improve.
00:09:39And if you're really attentive and in the now and seeing what's going on around you,
00:09:43you might even have some preventative measures.
00:09:45And so it's kind of a game.
00:09:48You know, I don't laugh at life, but I don't take it so seriously either.
00:09:52And I don't want to be so hard on myself.
00:09:54I've been very fortunate to where I am today.
00:09:56The stars were aligned.
00:09:58In fact, when I get into my story, and this is what's going to relate to the majority of
00:10:02your audience, it's getting past parents' guilt.
00:10:06It's sometimes making selfish decisions.
00:10:10It's doing things where you can live with yourself and knowing that you are going to be the best
00:10:16that you can be.
00:10:17And so a lot of people are forced into a box, either through religious practices, traditions,
00:10:24cultures, who they marry, what they study, what they do with their lives.
00:10:28And it's comfortable for some, but forced for others.
00:10:32And so for me, I always tried to make the best argument for my case.
00:10:35But listen, Paul, there's a lot of negative Nancys, Debbie Downers, and pessimistic people
00:10:41out there that are fearful or envious or just don't want you to succeed.
00:10:46And so what do you do in your life?
00:10:48You get rid of toxic people.
00:10:50You gravitate towards those that are positive.
00:10:52But the main thing, my brother, sometimes you got to walk alone.
00:10:59You got to do that force march by yourself, because no one's going to do it with you.
00:11:04And if you do this sort of dedicated practice and preparation prior to it, chances are you'll
00:11:10have your momentum.
00:11:11The odds will be in your favor.
00:11:13And I'll get to that as well, because this just wasn't on a spur of the moment.
00:11:17And this was the kind of thing that I was leading up to my entire life.
00:11:20And once I was given that one in a million opportunity, my goodness gracious, I just held
00:11:25on for the ride.
00:11:26And this is why we're here today.
00:11:28It's a great setup.
00:11:29I mean, let's jump into it.
00:11:31Let's start with the first question.
00:11:33And the first question, Richard, is where in your life have you found yourself sitting
00:11:37on a comma?
00:11:39Easily.
00:11:39When I was in private school, right before middle school, I went to a place called Germantown
00:11:45Academy in Fort Washington, a very beautiful, elite private school that my father and brother
00:11:51graduated.
00:11:52And I was expected to graduate there, go to Washington and Lee University, and then maybe
00:11:57either Columbia Business or Harvard Law, like my family.
00:12:00And I didn't like that school very much.
00:12:04I mean, it was a beautiful education.
00:12:05But, you know, the classes were small, it was about 60 students.
00:12:09Everyone lived yonder, so it's not everyone in your neighborhood.
00:12:13And I did not fit in at all.
00:12:17It's not like I was a dreamer, but I just didn't go into lockstep.
00:12:23And I also didn't get the support that I wanted from certain directors and principals of the
00:12:28school that at such a delicate age, when you're 13 years old, you can make or break a child.
00:12:35And now that I'm 52 years old, looking back at some of the comments that were made, or
00:12:42the fact that people gave up on me very quickly during my seventh grade year, because I was
00:12:47parents were getting divorced, having a weird year chasing girls.
00:12:50I mean, you know, you're distracted, but it's not the point.
00:12:53Someone needs to get you refocused and balanced.
00:12:55And they did not do that.
00:12:57And so guess what?
00:12:58Almost like a wolf that needs to gnaw off his arm to get out of that trap.
00:13:06I had to fail out of there in order to get out of that school.
00:13:09If not, my parents would have never let me go.
00:13:11So I had to take the hit, have that reputation where people didn't want me to play with their
00:13:15kids anymore because I was a quote unquote bad kid.
00:13:18Okay, so be it.
00:13:19So then how do you see yourself?
00:13:20You see yourself as being the example of what not to be.
00:13:25So I'm on this comma.
00:13:27Now I could have taken the easy route and done some serious drugs and broke more windows
00:13:32and gotten to fist fights and failed out of more schools, right?
00:13:35And be that bad kid in boys town, you know, biting on a, you know, toothpick and trying
00:13:43to find fights.
00:13:44And I just didn't want to do that.
00:13:46So I turned it around.
00:13:47And when I went to Abington High School, I went from 60 kids to 500 kids in my class.
00:13:53Everyone grew up together.
00:13:54They're all in the neighborhood.
00:13:55And so I finally got my act together and I saw people that I admired that were my age
00:14:01because I had to size myself up in athletics and academics and socially.
00:14:07And not only did I gravitate towards that, but obviously the soil and the sun helped me
00:14:13grow.
00:14:14I mean, you become a tri-letterman.
00:14:15You're active in outside classroom activities.
00:14:19In fact, my dedicated Spanish teacher was so interested in me, Dona Esperanza Galchat, that
00:14:27she said, hey, hey, Richie, why don't you be a Spanish major in college?
00:14:31I mean, you're doing great in my class.
00:14:32You're really the only one that's studying.
00:14:34And I see that you really love this.
00:14:36I'll write you a college recommendation letter.
00:14:39I said, you've got to be kidding.
00:14:41And I also got one from the late principal, Norman Schmidt.
00:14:43And I was not a good student.
00:14:45It was just I was so loyal to my school.
00:14:47And I really tried to raise money and do things.
00:14:50And so they got me into the University of Arizona so I could be a Spanish major.
00:14:55Now, I had to convince my family this.
00:14:57This was a huge comma for me.
00:14:59They said, Richard, you need to do this.
00:15:01And I said, wait a second.
00:15:03My great grandparents came from Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th.
00:15:06Great grandpa couldn't even speak English.
00:15:08We made our money during the Depression.
00:15:10Just skipped two generations.
00:15:12Why would you take a fire out of somebody?
00:15:14You see that I'm doing above and beyond school.
00:15:17Just because you can't speak Spanish doesn't mean that I can't earn a living from it.
00:15:21I can be versatile.
00:15:22None of my friends can do it.
00:15:24I can read contracts, speak to a doctor, an attorney, and get out of a burning building if
00:15:28I can read the instructions.
00:15:30And so to me, I felt the butterflies.
00:15:34You know, it's like a Christmas Eve feeling.
00:15:37You know, anticipation is the greatest drug.
00:15:40I'll stare at my hamburger a minute before taking a bite.
00:15:43And so at 18 years old, I knew that this sort of dedicated decision that I was making
00:15:48was going to be a gift that kept on giving the rest of my life.
00:15:51And I had to fight for it.
00:15:53And I did.
00:15:54But not only that, I was also financially responsible.
00:15:57Arizona in-state tuition was nothing compared to other schools.
00:16:01And so, you know, once again.
00:16:03And so that was a huge comma for me, because when I was 13 years old at Germantown Academy,
00:16:09I'm like, oh, my God, where am I going with my life?
00:16:12And then all of a sudden, when I got kicked out and went to Abington, I said, wait a second,
00:16:15I just shed some skin.
00:16:17I, you know, it's sunny today.
00:16:19I think I have a future.
00:16:20And it opened my eyes to not making selfish decisions, but I think decisions that were
00:16:28the best for me long term, where Richard would be the happiest, where I would shine.
00:16:35And I know that at the end of the day, Paul could look at myself in the mirror, because
00:16:39that's one of the worst things you could do, is to not respect yourself enough to make a bed,
00:16:44hit the gym, eat well, or even look at yourself and love yourself.
00:16:47And it's not that I didn't love myself during that year.
00:16:52I was told not to love myself.
00:16:54And I'm not going to use profanity, but you know what I was going to say to those people
00:16:58now?
00:16:59Not cool.
00:17:00Not cool at all.
00:17:02And so thinking that way, at such a young age, looking back at it now, I'm exceptionally
00:17:08proud of myself for being bold and brave and putting my foot down and having, you know,
00:17:14a strong back because I knew I was going to be carrying.
00:17:17A lot of weight.
00:17:19And so that, my friend, was undoubtedly one of the biggest crossroads of my entire life.
00:17:27And when I was feeling the lowest and the most vulnerable is when I felt incredibly powerful
00:17:34because I know, listen, it can't get any worse.
00:17:38I'm already in big trouble.
00:17:39I might as well lay it out there and see what happens.
00:17:41And thankfully, I did the right things and made the right decisions.
00:17:46But it took a while.
00:17:47It wasn't like a light switch where it just flicks.
00:17:50You have to get out of bed.
00:17:52You've got to start having first downs compared to touchdowns.
00:17:56You need to move slowly again after you've been beat up so you can not fall into the same
00:18:02traps a second time.
00:18:03I'd love to jump in on this for a moment, if I may, and just kind of reflect some things
00:18:07back to you.
00:18:08Again, correct me where I'm off base on any of these things.
00:18:10But I and we're going to continue with the second question, which is going to give you
00:18:13a chance to go even deeper for us.
00:18:15But I just have to acknowledge, like, we get a lot of stories on here about folks.
00:18:21What I'm kind of hearing is this whole, like, defying others' expectations in order to find
00:18:27what's true and right for oneself, right?
00:18:30And so this, on the one hand, it's like, oh, this kind of fits in that category.
00:18:32But there's no such thing as categories when it comes to all of these really personal stories.
00:18:36But I'm getting something myself from your story that's even your own unique, you know,
00:18:45experience with this, which is, you know, growing up in the expectations of a family.
00:18:50This is how we do things.
00:18:51This is how you'll do things.
00:18:53Being able to recognize that it doesn't fit for you, even though you kind of had to wear
00:18:59it uncomfortably for a while.
00:19:01And then, and then eventually finding your own way, as you described, finding the place
00:19:08that fits so much that you feel it within your body, you felt giddy and excited.
00:19:12But I've never had anybody describe failing their way to fail out to get out or failing
00:19:19their way to freedom was kind of the words that came up in my mind.
00:19:23There was some intentionality in that, it seems.
00:19:27It's equivalent to a burn in the gym.
00:19:29You got to do those extra three or four reps to get the burn.
00:19:33That's where you grow the muscle.
00:19:36You're tired at the end of the day because you put in a full day.
00:19:41So I don't know.
00:19:43It's the kind of thing, you know, when it really hit me, when I started improving in my
00:19:48grammar and advancing my vocabulary, because Spanish is, is all the world's a stage.
00:19:55It's a luxury that I have.
00:19:56It's not just, I can go grab an instrument, I need wifi, electricity, and have to go somewhere
00:20:02for a seminar.
00:20:03No, all day, every day.
00:20:05And so when I was with my parents and we were at a Mexican restaurant or on vacation and
00:20:11they saw me speak Spanish.
00:20:12And it's not what they saw because they thought it was a cute parlor trick and would tap me
00:20:16on the head and think it was cute.
00:20:18But now when I was speaking to the Latinos and they gave me such incredible, positive
00:20:26reinforcement that was outside of my family's bubble.
00:20:32So that was a huge reality check to me that it's like the game Marco Polo.
00:20:38I was getting warmer.
00:20:39I'm getting closer to the goal.
00:20:41And I could say, listen, man, every time I could speak a little longer, my vocabulary
00:20:45is expansive.
00:20:46They would give me additional vocabulary, adjust my grammar, but then just look at me
00:20:50and say, Richard Blank, good for you.
00:20:52Good boy.
00:20:54And to get that sort of feeling constantly, I said, this is the greatest in the world.
00:21:00I don't want it to stop.
00:21:01And so they didn't realize what they were about to experience with me.
00:21:09They should have seen the signs, but they didn't.
00:21:12They just thought it was like a passing phase, like an earring or if you wore, you know, like
00:21:16Rush t-shirt.
00:21:19I'd love to self-reference for just a moment because you're really striking something that
00:21:24resonates with me, which is the whole, when you find the thing, you might have a tendency,
00:21:29even though it doesn't feel like it, you might be a little bit more patient with yourself
00:21:32while you learn the thing, right?
00:21:33Because so much of, so many of us, and you've alluded to this already, right?
00:21:37So often we find a thing that we want, we visualize it, we manifest it, whatever, but
00:21:41we're really, really eager to have it real fast and learning a new language or developing
00:21:46a new workout routine or trying to get a new body or whatever the case may be is no
00:21:49exception.
00:21:51But generally the folks who realize that it's a long-term play will be able to find patience
00:21:58still wanting the thing.
00:22:00And so, for example, I'm, estoy aprendiendo a español ahora, pero no es bueno, but I'm
00:22:08learning Spanish right now.
00:22:09And it was like, I was so eager to learn and so in a hurry that the most important thing
00:22:16that finally happened was I got so frustrated that I realized it's like, I'm not trying to
00:22:20learn Spanish to go on vacation at the end of the year.
00:22:22Like I literally want to learn Spanish.
00:22:24That means now I'm going to have to think about this very long-term and very slow and
00:22:30steady wins the race and consistency.
00:22:32And I think that's what I'm hearing you describe is you found this thing that you love.
00:22:37There's something much deeper there.
00:22:39And you were already sharing with us.
00:22:42There's this like a different way you go about it than just jumping in and trying to grab
00:22:47as much as you can all at once.
00:22:49It's impossible.
00:22:52It's impossible.
00:22:53And that's why, if I may make a suggestion, and your Spanish is excellent, by the way.
00:23:00If I sat down and studied grammar, that would drive me crazy.
00:23:04But I needed to do it for six months to at least have a foundation of grammar.
00:23:08But it's boring.
00:23:09So what did Richard do?
00:23:12Richard loved watching movies in Spanish with the Spanish underneath it.
00:23:16So I could read along.
00:23:19And also phonetically, I had to work my ear because most of the time it's not silence.
00:23:23There's noise in the background where you don't understand the pronunciation or certain
00:23:26accents.
00:23:27Secondly, I chose an intercambio.
00:23:29I went on a ton of dates in Spanish.
00:23:32You know how smooth you are in Spanish?
00:23:35No matter what you talk about it.
00:23:37And so I was getting, in a sense, a beautiful evening, but also three, four, five hours worth
00:23:43of Spanish.
00:23:45And so there's a certain point where your mind gets used to it.
00:23:50After a glass of wine or in a certain mood, you speak better.
00:23:53But then again, you really like in the gym with muscles and learning art, you do see improvements.
00:24:00And it's not a one and a done.
00:24:02These are things that if you have it, you store it and you can continue to use it like
00:24:06that is in a jar.
00:24:07And even though my grammar was not perfect, I could still do about 70%.
00:24:12I knew enough vocabulary where I could speak like a caveman and make my point.
00:24:16Or you're so lucid in the moment that you're watching illustrators and nonverbal communication.
00:24:23Or if you don't get it, you put four and four together.
00:24:26And the thing that they're talking about on the table is the word you didn't know.
00:24:28And so what a way to be engaged.
00:24:31What a way to listen.
00:24:32And so most people are physically there, but mentally somewhere else.
00:24:37But when you are translating, you are forcing yourself to be in the now.
00:24:42And it was renaissance for me.
00:24:46I mean, I love art and I love passion.
00:24:49And the fact that Spanish is a romantic language because it's one of the few that talk about
00:24:54desire and doubt with the subjunctive tense.
00:24:57And so when people were talking, it was so expressive.
00:24:59It's, I don't know.
00:25:02I was caught up in it.
00:25:04I thought it was amazing.
00:25:05Most of my friends hated taking languages, which if you think about it like this, that's the road less traveled.
00:25:12That's the cave that's got all the gold.
00:25:15And I don't like chum in the water.
00:25:17I don't like everyone competing for things.
00:25:19Let me be unique in a certain way.
00:25:21But how about this?
00:25:22When you meet someone that speaks Spanish and I start like you do speaking Spanish, look at that first impression.
00:25:29You know the dedication and the structure and the cognitive skills.
00:25:32Plus, you're showing such respect to somebody else.
00:25:34I'm crushing it, crushing it when it comes to first impressions, especially post-grad.
00:25:41When I was getting jobs, A, I could put Seabla Espanol on my business card.
00:25:45But in regards to sales, I was going to Southwest Phoenix and just crushing the sales and people were competing in Scottsdale.
00:25:51And they weren't able to get the domestic market.
00:25:53And so, as to me, it just was natural.
00:25:59It's will weigh, Paul.
00:26:02There's no resistance.
00:26:04It's wind, it's current, and it's gravity.
00:26:08I don't have to pedal bikes or row.
00:26:10It's doing it for me.
00:26:11And so, to me, I didn't say life was easy.
00:26:14But my goodness gracious, I gave myself more than enough velocity and momentum to give myself distance.
00:26:20Yeah, I was going to say, and your experience with Spanish and this thing that lit you up and that you then immersed yourself in and pursued, and as you said, got really, really present with, can also be a metaphor, right?
00:26:36Like, for folks who are listening, it doesn't just have to be Spanish and working out, right?
00:26:41It's when you bring the thing that you want into your every day.
00:26:46So, whether that's I really want to start a new business or whether I really want to, you know, learn a new craft or a hobby or, you know, an art or relationships or it's kind of anything.
00:27:01Like, if you have a vision for it, like, if you have a passion for it, all of these things that you're describing about your experience with Spanish and the Spanish language, those same principles can apply.
00:27:14Bringing it into your every day, doing it a little bit every day, finding different ways to incorporate it, you know, changing your view and your relationship with it.
00:27:22And then you just suddenly discover one day, oh, my gosh, all the work and all the investment, it's actually here now.
00:27:31Like, I've been so focused on when am I gonna that I actually am now.
00:27:36Is that a fair?
00:27:38Yes, but remember, tomorrow we shall die.
00:27:40So, if today you only know five vocabulary words, let's raise our drinks and dance to that.
00:27:46I'm at this sort of point, I don't like, as you say, waiting for what's to happen.
00:27:50I'm very content with today.
00:27:52And now I did mention working out and exercise.
00:27:55Well, that's just who I am.
00:27:56I grew up hitting the gym and I like being in shape, but I also need a release.
00:28:01Damn it.
00:28:02I just can't wash cars and play pinball.
00:28:03I need that sort of thing to get, let's just say, stress out and bring in power and confidence.
00:28:12And something that challenges you, I believe I'm hearing you say, right?
00:28:15Something that's a challenge.
00:28:16Individual challenges, yes, of course.
00:28:18And a lot of the stuff I'm mentioning are individual efforts.
00:28:21It's, you know, if you and I got to play rock and roll together, the band's got a show.
00:28:25But mostly what I am mentioning are things you do not need somebody, so you do not need an excuse.
00:28:31And also remove the weight of the naysayer.
00:28:34Because just because Billy's not going to them doesn't mean you can't.
00:28:38Just because none of my friends speak Spanish.
00:28:40None of them.
00:28:41None of them.
00:28:43That doesn't mean that I can't.
00:28:44They're all attorneys and doctors and finance on Wall Street.
00:28:48And I'm so exceptionally proud of them.
00:28:49So, you know, but I can talk to Ricardo Montalban, you know, and they can't.
00:28:54And so, at the end of the day, gold and jewels lose its luster and money is great.
00:28:59But anybody can get money.
00:29:01It's just when somebody does something above and beyond in regard.
00:29:05And I love musicians because you might see the concert.
00:29:09But, Paul, what about the hundred hours that they put in prior to that?
00:29:13I think of I think of the Wizard of Oz, what's behind the curtain, what's in the kitchen.
00:29:20I want to know what got you there on those rainy Wednesday mornings.
00:29:25You don't want to get out of bed or it's the late night or the client that yells at you or nice.
00:29:31It's you know what it is to me, too.
00:29:33I always believe that when there's no surprises, Paul, good, bad or ugly, I will call you.
00:29:40I'll let you know Joey quit.
00:29:41But I also have a solution.
00:29:43OK, I'm in a call center industry.
00:29:44There's attrition.
00:29:45And in the beginning, I was a little hesitant for it.
00:29:48I always did it.
00:29:49But you got certain flinching reactions.
00:29:53Now, I almost I don't want it to happen.
00:29:56But if I have a solution, I love making that call.
00:29:59Why?
00:29:59They can judge me during chaos, which I show strong character.
00:30:04I got a solution.
00:30:05And if you can build a foundation during tough times, man, look what happens during good times.
00:30:10And most clients would say, I love how you handled this, Richard.
00:30:13I feel more comfortable with you.
00:30:14Thank you for being a straight shooter.
00:30:16It's the only way to play.
00:30:18And I mentioned the word maturity or earlier.
00:30:21That's that's what you learn when you get older.
00:30:23You if you're going to be CEO of a company or a leader, you will have to make that call that no one else wants to make or have that conversation.
00:30:31Or just be that first individual to stand up and do.
00:30:36Because, as I say, you get 99 years here.
00:30:39What do you want to do with that time?
00:30:43And when you look back at it, the worst thing to do is to regret not doing something.
00:30:47I'd rather have someone turn me down for a dance than me never asking someone to dance.
00:30:52What a waste.
00:30:53What a waste of life.
00:30:54I love this.
00:30:55Let me let me ask you the second question, because I think it's going to give you an opportunity to kind of take us in another place, too.
00:31:03But also, you can go back and forth, obviously, as you continue to flesh out your story.
00:31:06But the second question is, as you as you look back at the comma that you were sitting on, what did this create for you?
00:31:13Feels like you've already kind of shared some of that.
00:31:15But what would you add?
00:31:16What did sitting on this comma create for you?
00:31:19I'm going to give you Spanish.
00:31:20Basta.
00:31:21Yeah.
00:31:22Enough already.
00:31:23Enough already.
00:31:26I don't like this anymore.
00:31:28I was being pulled in so many directions and it just didn't feel good.
00:31:33And so, as I mentioned before, I'm not going to be such a rebel maverick where I'm going to quit school and try to do something.
00:31:37No, I didn't do that.
00:31:39And I know that when you're young, your parents give you certain directions because you're young.
00:31:42You don't know any better.
00:31:43But there needed to be a blending.
00:31:46There needed to be something where, you know, children should be seen and not heard.
00:31:50I say quite the contrary.
00:31:51These are very intelligent children and maybe sometimes you should speak to them as an adult so they can learn and grow faster.
00:31:58Don't put me in a bubble.
00:31:59Don't protect me so much because then someone is not prepared for life.
00:32:04And so I had to make some very, very big decisions at such a young age.
00:32:10Was I afraid?
00:32:10No, as I told you before, it's Papillon getting off at Devil's Island.
00:32:14It was liberating.
00:32:16I realized I was going to die with my boots on.
00:32:19And I knew I was going to do that for the rest of my life.
00:32:21And as long as I wasn't offending somebody and I was trying to be the best that I could be, hopefully people would understand my mission.
00:32:29But it was weird, man.
00:32:32I mean, I would see my friends that had certain directions and better grades and certain sort of structure.
00:32:38And OK, sure.
00:32:39Maybe they're beating me a little bit in the race.
00:32:41But eventually, like the tortoise and the hare, I caught up.
00:32:45Not only did I catch up, but I was consistent.
00:32:47And I was very methodical because I didn't want to fall into any more traps.
00:32:53So obviously, you know, the greatest thing ever, it's almost like a telemarketer.
00:32:56They say you always get that one person that says F you.
00:32:58I hope it's the first call.
00:33:00Because then it's not anymore.
00:33:01I'd rather have the tough part early on so I can get it over with.
00:33:09Because like public speaking, be the first speaker.
00:33:11Don't wait until the end because you're freaking out all day.
00:33:13And so for me, having to go through certain things at such a young age, it made me resilient.
00:33:19It really did.
00:33:20It gave me backbone.
00:33:21And I had to make that choice of either believing myself or hating myself.
00:33:26And I decided to love myself and to be very, very true to myself, regardless of the outcome.
00:33:36And, you know, when you look at that ocean and you don't see land, you get scared.
00:33:40But if you get your boat and you go there, then you become, you know, Marco Polo or Christopher Columbus.
00:33:45And you're in the history books.
00:33:47And you're there.
00:33:49And so I don't know, my man.
00:33:51I always wanted to leave a castle to slay a dragon.
00:33:54I really, really wanted a fun, adventurous life.
00:33:57And I know that by speaking second languages, it would make it much easier for me.
00:34:01Like James Bond, where I could go to another country and fit in quickly.
00:34:05Or if someone was talking bad about me, I would know what they say.
00:34:08And so I always felt that these things would just enrich my life and make it easier.
00:34:14And it also sounds like as you continue to tell your story and expand on it, like I continue
00:34:20to hear these themes, you really are going your own way.
00:34:24Because like, for example, you said something earlier, you were talking about your friends
00:34:28who had all gone a certain way and so forth.
00:34:30And a lot of people talk about the experience.
00:34:32I've certainly had it.
00:34:33The comparison trap where it's like, ah, you know, how do I measure up against them?
00:34:37And yet the same example, the same situation, you're seeing it, you're kind of asking yourself,
00:34:41but you're kind of okay with it, because you're definitely like charting your own course,
00:34:47you're going your own direction, you, it seems like, obviously, in the telling of the story,
00:34:53you're simplifying it.
00:34:54But I'm sure in the living of the experience, there were a lot of challenges.
00:34:59And so it sounds like despite those challenges, there was always a pull, there was always a
00:35:03pull in a different direction, your own direction.
00:35:07Absolutely.
00:35:08All my friends have a lot more money than me, but they're miserable.
00:35:11That Saturday golf game, they just hate, they hate that Lexus.
00:35:18They hate the private stuff.
00:35:20You know what they say to me privately?
00:35:22It's not like they don't want to do my exact adventure, but they all tell me at the reunions
00:35:27or when we speak, Richard, I wish that I did, or I wish that I tried.
00:35:33You know, I got a great life, everything's in place.
00:35:35But once again, it was a, you know what it was?
00:35:39A plug and play.
00:35:41Yeah.
00:35:42Plug and play life.
00:35:43It's great in the beginning.
00:35:44I mean, it's comfy.
00:35:45But then after a while, you start looking out the window and you, and you see other people
00:35:49doing things and it concerns you because you not like, you feel like you're missing out,
00:35:56just that you, um, you might be wasting time.
00:36:00Yeah.
00:36:00Well, that's a great springboard into the second or the third question, I should say, actually.
00:36:06And that is, you know, what did you learn about yourself as a result of sitting on this
00:36:11comma or what are you learning?
00:36:14Well, a lot of it was my own mistakes.
00:36:16I did not, I was, I really didn't have the structure in regards to academics.
00:36:21And at that year I did, I fell out because I wanted to get out, but I also fell out because
00:36:26I just did not study that year at all.
00:36:28And so when I was sitting there knowing that I was going to be leaving the school and seeing
00:36:32the big stack of books on my dining room table that Sunday when the clock was running
00:36:37faster than I could imagine before my exams on Monday, I knew I was over my head.
00:36:42And this was maybe the first time in my life I realized I'm going to be in a lot of trouble.
00:36:46And this is not funny or cute.
00:36:47And I can't talk my way out of this.
00:36:49This is serious.
00:36:50You know, when you get into certain years of school, it becomes a lot more difficult,
00:36:54a lot more challenging.
00:36:55And when you leave lower school and go into middle school, you got to start reading more,
00:36:59you know, and so I used to just get by on the fly.
00:37:03And so I did not like how I felt about myself.
00:37:06I was extremely disappointed that day.
00:37:09And so I said, listen, if I'm going to fail at something, at least let me not give it the
00:37:14college try, but if that's the best I can do, that's the best thing I can do.
00:37:18I was not doing the best I could do that.
00:37:20And I, and I, and I vowed to myself to, to not ever put myself in that sort of situation
00:37:27again.
00:37:28Um, it was weird.
00:37:30It was long days and you didn't know how to handle it.
00:37:33Cause you're so young and you don't have a husband or a wife to assist you.
00:37:37A lot of your friends are worrying about their own stuff and your parents are yelling at you.
00:37:41What do you do in 1985?
00:37:44You don't have the internet to go look up things and, you know, you're kind of stuck.
00:37:49Uh, so being, being on that comma, let's say the comma was a hot plate and it was starting
00:37:55to burn the butt.
00:37:56So I just wanted to get up and do something with my life.
00:37:59I just don't want to burn like the frog in the hot water sort of thing.
00:38:03And it's just, um, but as I mentioned before, I grew up really, really fast during those years.
00:38:08I think I lost a portion of my innocence, but then again, what I lost, I also gained because
00:38:14I grew up and I realized what I wanted to do in life.
00:38:17And I'm also hearing this clear sense, like you said, you didn't know what you wanted,
00:38:22but you had a pretty clear sense of what you didn't want.
00:38:25And sometimes that's where it starts.
00:38:27Yeah.
00:38:27How do you know what you want when you're 12?
00:38:29Yeah.
00:38:30I think I wanted to be a fireman like a year before that.
00:38:33And after that, I wanted to be the face man from the A team.
00:38:36I mean, what do you want to be?
00:38:37Um, you don't know, but what I don't like is being forced to do something that, I mean,
00:38:43you know, if your parents say you got to clean the house or go somewhere, do it.
00:38:47But I didn't want the long-term forcing.
00:38:49It seemed like not a forced march.
00:38:51It seemed like a death march.
00:38:54I just saw myself in the future sitting in some cubicle somewhere.
00:38:58And it's, it's almost like the talking head song.
00:39:01Once in a lifetime, you just ask yourself, how in God's name did I get here?
00:39:05How did I get here?
00:39:07And I almost saw the future and it didn't look bright.
00:39:12And so, um, as I say, you just don't know what to do with that age, except sometimes
00:39:19you go on your intuition or maybe my past life was assisting me in this life and telling
00:39:25you what to do.
00:39:26But I tell you what, I definitely didn't want to be a CEO of a call center at those
00:39:31years.
00:39:31I had no idea what a call center was even, even existed.
00:39:34There was no blueprint to it.
00:39:36And so, as I say, during certain stages of your life in your twenties or thirties, you
00:39:41are given opportunities and you might see things differently, or it might be, it might be the
00:39:46right time.
00:39:47You know, it's interesting, Paul.
00:39:49So I started my business in my mid thirties, I wasn't a young whippersnapper, early twenties.
00:39:54And even in my late twenties, when I came to Costa Rica, I wasn't still prepared.
00:40:00You know, I'm still immature.
00:40:02I just got lucky.
00:40:04But, um, what happens is that when you get to certain stages, you do compare yourself.
00:40:10And when I was in college, I sized myself up with individuals that knew how to cook, knew
00:40:15how to do their laundry and iron, knew how to keep a bathroom clean.
00:40:19And so I said, wait a second, these people got their game going.
00:40:21I don't even know how to cook yet.
00:40:23And so when I see the peers that I love doing certain things, and if they can do it, I can
00:40:30do it.
00:40:30And I can't put the blame on my parents or anybody else for not teaching that to me.
00:40:34You need to teach these things yourself.
00:40:38And it comes back to accountability at the end.
00:40:43And for me, I always wanted to be responsible financially, right?
00:40:48Health-wise.
00:40:49But, um, mentally, Paul, I wanted to be exceptionally responsible because if you start getting into
00:40:58a depression, then it's like a spider's web.
00:41:02You get wrapped up and you can't get out of it.
00:41:04And, um, that's one of the worst things that somebody can do for themselves.
00:41:09It makes you extremely clouded.
00:41:10You make terrible decisions.
00:41:13Your timing is off.
00:41:14And then people start hating you because you're miserable all the time.
00:41:17And so, um, I was really trying to avoid those sort of things as well, because I'd be a shell
00:41:25of myself.
00:41:26I wouldn't be on your podcast.
00:41:28I wouldn't be in a suit smiling and telling fun stories.
00:41:31I would no more be on your podcast to tell you about working in my family's business and
00:41:36being miserable in Philadelphia.
00:41:38You wouldn't even want me on your shell because guess what, buddy?
00:41:42I'm still on the comma.
00:41:43Maybe it's a semicolon because you got a dot on top of it.
00:41:46Even worse.
00:41:48And so, uh, you know, that's where I'm at, buddy.
00:41:50And so, um, what an interesting show you have.
00:41:55You get, you get people to disclose something that either a, they're embarrassed about.
00:42:01They're not willing to admit.
00:42:03I'm willing to admit anything because it's healthy for you.
00:42:08You get it out.
00:42:09And Paul, you're a good dude.
00:42:11I mean, it's very easy to speak with you because you're empathetic towards this, but you know,
00:42:16there are some people that will use this to their advantage to hurt you or to twist the
00:42:24knife on a bad day.
00:42:26And so I have to be, even though your audience is thousands, I got to be exceptionally selective,
00:42:32let's say locally with whom I discuss things, but I don't mind sharing this with your audience.
00:42:38I'm a true cat.
00:42:39And hopefully, even though I'm a telemarketer and run a call center, maybe some of my earlier
00:42:44years of development is something that people can relate to in a sense.
00:42:49Well, and that's the whole thing, right?
00:42:51I mean, the whole point of having these conversations is, is, is very much what you said, right?
00:42:56Like, first of all, there's the unburdening aspect of it for the storyteller themselves,
00:43:01you today.
00:43:02And then there's the normalizing of being able to talk about what it's like to feel stuck
00:43:07and, and to get unstuck.
00:43:09And, and then we're also, you know, hoping, I'm hoping that we're modeling what it's like to
00:43:15listen to people and let people have their story without needing to do something about it or
00:43:20fix it for them.
00:43:21I mean, all these things are important.
00:43:23So I appreciate you acknowledging that.
00:43:26And I want to ask this fourth question, because I think you seem like, in everything that you've
00:43:34shared, very optimistic and aspirational person.
00:43:38And so the fourth question is, what has changed for you as a result of sitting on this comma?
00:43:43Because I'm really curious to see, and what, what was the outcome of all of these things
00:43:48that you've so bravely shared with us?
00:43:51I guess my destiny.
00:43:52There's no way I would have gotten here if I didn't start what I did back in the day.
00:43:55Not a chance.
00:43:57Married the girl of my dreams, even the company.
00:43:59And so this seed that I had planted back in 85, look at it now.
00:44:05And also, when certain opportunities were given to me, I was ready.
00:44:10My goodness.
00:44:11Postgrad, my job's in Spanish.
00:44:13I worked for the importers of Corona.
00:44:14That was, I got that job in a heartbeat.
00:44:16And then at 27 years old, a buddy of mine said, Richie, come to Costa Rica for a couple
00:44:20months and teach English in my calls.
00:44:22Well, I came down.
00:44:24Two months turned into four years.
00:44:26I wanted to stay.
00:44:27I learned the business from the inside out.
00:44:28Put all of my stuff in storage, just sent it down a couple of years ago, but I saw it
00:44:35and I got excited for it.
00:44:37And I saw individuals in Costa Rica making these bilingual phone calls, converting calls.
00:44:44You know, they were upselling and it was amazing.
00:44:48And it was young.
00:44:51Everyone was in their mid twenties.
00:44:52You know, it was like college.
00:44:54Everyone was fun.
00:44:55And, um, I also knew this, that at 27, you know, you got Janice and Jimmy and Jim and
00:45:06Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.
00:45:08That's an interesting year, 27 years old.
00:45:11And so for me, it was the same thing.
00:45:13It's, you know, live or die.
00:45:15And when I was there, I said, Richard Blank, if you do not take advantage of this, you will
00:45:21regret this for the rest of your life.
00:45:22Yeah.
00:45:23But your parents want you to come back, start working in the real estate company.
00:45:26Okay.
00:45:26Well, guess what?
00:45:27I'm already here.
00:45:28I'm not leaving.
00:45:29And my friend wanted me to stay and I was making enough money to live very well here.
00:45:34Why would I let it go?
00:45:36Yeah.
00:45:37And as I mentioned, that was like my graduate school.
00:45:39I learned a call center industry, minus C level.
00:45:42I learned retention, onboarding, customer support and sales, human resources and training.
00:45:49I would have never gotten that anywhere if my buddy didn't give me that experience.
00:45:54And then I parlayed that into finally starting my company back in 2008.
00:46:01And so my good friends listening to this podcast, please, if you see a job that might pay you
00:46:08a dollar less, but you get tons of experience in the future, you're going to make that money
00:46:13back tenfold.
00:46:15That was the greatest investment I ever made was working at my friend's call center.
00:46:19And I think there's also something else to acknowledge here.
00:46:21And you tell me if I'm wrong, Richard, but like I'm sitting here kind of I'm constantly
00:46:26mentally looking at the arc of your story.
00:46:28And I'm like, I think what it feels like for me, or at least what I'm going to take from
00:46:34it is there's also this element of trusting your gut, because all the way back at 12, 13,
00:46:39you know, in your school years and beyond when you were like, I don't want this, but I am
00:46:44interested in that.
00:46:46And the more I walked into that, the more excited I got, like there was this gut thing guiding
00:46:50you and you trusted that and you couldn't have predicted then you said it yourself.
00:46:56You couldn't have predicted you'd end up owning a call center in Costa Rica, but you
00:47:00trusted your gut and in trusting your gut that ultimately led you along the path.
00:47:06Like it probably did feel like surprises along the way, right?
00:47:10Like, oh, I get this call out of the blue, come down and help me teach English and so
00:47:13forth.
00:47:14But that wouldn't have happened had you not trusted your gut in the beginning.
00:47:18And then you were trusting your gut all along the way.
00:47:20So not to go out there and say that everybody's intuitive and everybody should always listen to
00:47:24their gut.
00:47:25Like if you get a gut feeling, I definitely believe in listening to that.
00:47:30But I mean, is that, is that a fair summarizing of your arc?
00:47:35Let me combo the gut with the sign.
00:47:38I also got signs.
00:47:41Like, as I mentioned, the positive reinforcement or the fact that Spanish became easier for me,
00:47:46the job opportunities, the fact that none of my friends could do it, which made me unique.
00:47:50Um, looking back at it, oh, there were crystal clear signs that were right in front of me,
00:47:57like a neon light, like an old school marquee.
00:48:02And did I see it then?
00:48:05No, but it's almost like the bat that can fly without sight.
00:48:10Just because I couldn't see my other senses kicked in big time.
00:48:17And so everything, as I mentioned before, it's almost like Popeye's spinach.
00:48:22Every time I was speaking Spanish, met a Latino, tried to interact the sort of euphoria.
00:48:29So I said, dude, you need to continue doing this.
00:48:33It's not like painting seashells by the seashore or the super, super, super long shot.
00:48:39I didn't say that, but I do know that learning a second language, it works.
00:48:44Yes. And there's a ton of people around that can do it too.
00:48:47And so, um, and also it was going to get my parents off my back in case I needed to get a job or, or something, but, um, no.
00:48:56Well, there's a lot of things you could have done though.
00:48:58I mean, you're just continuing to reinforce the point for me, right?
00:49:01There's a lot of things you could have done to keep your parents off your back,
00:49:03but you were going with the thing that you saw the signs.
00:49:06Man, you should have seen these job interviews.
00:49:07Cause I was going in post grad, I was getting offers on each one, but then I didn't want to work there because the office looked miserable.
00:49:14But I remember this.
00:49:16Okay. So it's what the fall of 96.
00:49:19And I'm going into these job interviews in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
00:49:22And this is before people had their cell phones.
00:49:24So most of these businessmen in their suits would be reading the wall street genre, just sitting there doing something.
00:49:29Well, I was sitting, looking around and then I would go into my interview and they'd ask me to sit down.
00:49:35And then I'd say, okay. And then after a minute, I go, Hey, Paul, do you mind if I stand for a minute?
00:49:39They're like, stand. Yeah. Cause I want to move around a little bit.
00:49:41Why am I moving around? Because if I'm looking at you, I'm not looking what's behind me.
00:49:46What do you mean? Just like you said earlier, I would stand up. I'd walk around the room.
00:49:50Yeah. I'd see the golf trophy. I'd see you and your kids in Mexico.
00:49:54I know that you love your cat, but most people, if they're back to that, they'd never see it.
00:49:58And so it was a great chance for me to anchor with the people were laughing, having a great time.
00:50:02And then I would walk out of the room, these six guys sitting in the, in the reception or I'd look at each one of them, do the wink and the fake gunshot.
00:50:10I go, good luck, boys. Try to beat that. Really ice them out.
00:50:14Cause there's no way they're going to have that sort of meeting with these people.
00:50:17And, and I would always get these job offers and in a good way, I would say it wasn't the right environment for me.
00:50:25You know, I would definitely get back in touch. Why? Because I need that synergy.
00:50:31I just can't be the only candle in the darkness. I mean, I, I'd like to be productive, but if I look around a room and I see people miserable, or you could feel it in the air, you know, that would suck the life out of you.
00:50:44And, you know, of course they want a division one starting quarterback, but man, I can't hit the ball and carry your office.
00:50:50It just doesn't work that way. I could see that it wasn't the right fit. And then when I found an environment where I saw people chipper and spring in their step and, and proactive, then I realized that I'm meeting people equal or even better than me, which is going to get me to a different level.
00:51:08And so that's, that's why I chose certain jobs as well, not through desperation. I had the leverage. They definitely wanted to hire me. And so I walked in with that.
00:51:20Knowing that I could contribute, that I would be an asset to this environment. And I'm not going to kiss anyone's butt. That's the worst thing to ever do. And it doesn't last. And you lose the respect of your coworkers on things like that.
00:51:31I always believed in merit. It might take me a little bit longer to get my metrics where they need to be. But once I catch my groove, I'm going to probably be one of the top salespeople in your office.
00:51:41Not because I'm bilingual, because of the consistency. I'm the golden boy. I'm guaranteed. I will show up at the office early. I'm not going to necessarily stay late unless I'm on a phone call or closing a deal.
00:51:52But I tell you what, being an owner of a company, and when I show up sometimes early in the morning for certain meetings, and I see a kid that's a half an hour before his shift, or the ones, that's Mr. Reliable. That's my boy.
00:52:05And he didn't know I was showing up today. But this is a soldier that showed up at the ready, at the ready. And so when it comes to me to have to choose a supervisor or promotion, I'm not doing on someone that's been with me for 10 years, or I go on the one that the other individuals will respect. Not me. Them. That's the most important.
00:52:29And I'll ask around what they think about the top dog. And listen, remember Dennis Rodman? I have some people here that can rip it up, but they're not the best leaders. Not saying Dennis wasn't. He was the rebound king and the man.
00:52:40But sometimes there are people that shake things up a little bit on a team. Or how about this? Right bus, right seat. The last thing I want to do is pull someone off the phone to manage people, make them miserable with coffee breath, compared to having them on the phone, ripping it, making money, and sitting people next to them for shadowing and for onboard.
00:52:59And so I know what to do. I know I don't want to squeeze somebody out. And I always ask people's opinions before making a final decision, because I might be off. And so those are the sort of things that have assisted me in making some of the best decisions at the company.
00:53:16So much more, I'm sure we could learn and take from you. I want to kind of start to bring us to a close. And the fifth question is, Richard, what does getting off the comma look like for you?
00:53:29I'm going to give you a visual. Sunshine on my face smile. Or like when grandma's making cookies. Or when you walk into a house in the East Coast, and it's freezing outside. But when you walk in, you see the fireplace going.
00:53:46A shiny car after you've washed it. You tell me. Each person needs to, as I mentioned before, release that weight. And thankfully, I did it at a very, very young age.
00:54:02You'll know it when it happens. Oh, and if you're capable of, it's like the image streaming theory that once you're past 20 minutes of decompressed stimulation, your mind can wander long walks, long showers, plane, car rides.
00:54:23And so for me, it's extremely important to put the phone away and to do something so we're in about a half an hour, things become crystal clear.
00:54:33And I know where my priorities are. And I know when I've overextended myself, or I haven't done enough.
00:54:39And so I think this comma is a very, very personal thing for somebody. Do not sell your soul for golden fiddle. It's just not worth it.
00:54:55And so this, this comma for you should be the introduction of your story. It's not the body nor the conclusion, but it really should be that opening chapter, that opening line in a book to capture your attention.
00:55:14It shouldn't mislead. It shouldn't be deceitful. As I say before, my friend, if you're not honest with yourself, you'll never get off that comma.
00:55:25You might pretend like you are, but you know, you're not there. And so I just don't want your audience to be hard on themselves. There are some major financial responsibilities out there. You have your family, your certain expectations, you have limitations where you live. I don't know how this happened. Paul, this was a long shot.
00:55:43I'm a one in a million Northeast Philly boy that did this. I haven't met many people like myself here. I mean, come on. And so, as I say before, you can take certain paths if it's right for you.
00:55:55But me, I had to create my own. And that's okay. And I was prepared to lose. Because if I lost, guess what could happen? I could always go home. Mommy and daddy are always there. Working with my big brother, selling real estate. Comfy, comfy job, ready to go.
00:56:15And that's great. But that's not living. That's like a microwave meal. You know, you want something that's home cooked. You want a painting, not a print. You really want to live life.
00:56:29Because if you don't, you'll be a 52-year-old, bald, pissed-off dude. Me, I'm 52, bald and happy.
00:56:37Yeah.
00:56:37So there's a chance you got to take.
00:56:39Well, I just have to acknowledge, like, the zest and the enthusiasm. And then, of course, you know, you're continuing just to, like, go my own way, like, blaze my own path.
00:56:48Richard, so much more that folks could take from you. As we close this out, why don't you share with us, where can people find you?
00:56:57I'll put all your links in the show notes so people can go there and click on them. But where are you at in case somebody wanted to see what you're up to or maybe reach out to you?
00:57:06Well, first, I can't thank you enough. I had the best time being a guest on your podcast today.
00:57:12Paul, you did killer interviews. You're a really great guy.
00:57:14I suggest that your audience buy a ticket and come visit me in Central America.
00:57:19Real quick for your audience, we are north of Panama, south of Nicaragua.
00:57:23Well, Costa Rica is the only democratic society in Central America, so there's no standing army here.
00:57:29They put all that money into education, have a 95% literacy rate.
00:57:33I mentioned Amazon, HP, Intel, and Oracle are here.
00:57:36We're known for ecotourism, medical tourism, and it's just, it's a good life.
00:57:42But yeah, if they want to go to my website, costaricascallcenter.com, shoot me an email, CEO at costaricascallcenter.com.
00:57:49If they want to share with me a script, some rebuttals, bounce some ideas, I'm not going to cold call close you to work with me.
00:57:57That's all we do.
00:57:59But I'll definitely hook your audience up if they want to run some ideas by me.
00:58:02I'll work with them on some scripts and prospecting on how to get more business.
00:58:05But this was fun today.
00:58:08This is extremely therapeutic.
00:58:10I hope I, sorry about bitching about my childhood.
00:58:15You know, that's part of the story.
00:58:18That's part of the story.
00:58:20Well, your story's not over yet.
00:58:21So we do one other thing here, Richard, which, you know, obviously having all of you on here sharing about your experiences,
00:58:29you know, this is all about us respecting each other's story and kind of taking things that resonate from each other.
00:58:34And your story wouldn't be complete.
00:58:37And this podcast wouldn't be complete if we didn't also give you an opportunity to lift up others, because that's what this is all about.
00:58:43And so I call this section acknowledgements.
00:58:46And it's your opportunity to look into your circle and say, OK, well, who else can I give a voice to or boost or lift up?
00:58:53And often that would be causes or organizations or charities.
00:58:57And sometimes it's other creators or it's important people in your life.
00:59:01So as you look at your own circle today, who would you acknowledge?
00:59:05One of the things I'm most proud of is my second language scholarship that I do for Abington Senior High School.
00:59:13When my very good buddy, Angelo Berrios, the principal, was there before we got promoted to superintendent of Bucks County, we spoke about that.
00:59:25And I do a scholarship for a graduating senior that wants to study languages at the university level.
00:59:31I'll pay for their books freshman year.
00:59:32We're doing it for eight years already.
00:59:34And so I love it because the circle's complete.
00:59:38I'm paying it forward.
00:59:41And this is something that's selfless.
00:59:43I don't want anything from it.
00:59:45And I can afford to do it.
00:59:46And it's more than my pleasure.
00:59:50And so that to me is important, is to give it back to those that assisted along the way.
00:59:56Because, you know, success is built on a million thank yous.
01:00:00And one of the earliest thank yous is when I was a zero, I became a hero at Abington.
01:00:05I mean, G8 really did not like me.
01:00:07And so they embraced me, especially during the most vulnerable years.
01:00:11And so for me, I'm most appreciative for that.
01:00:15And a couple other things that we're working on here.
01:00:18You're not going to believe this.
01:00:19There's a rock star down here, Igney Farochi.
01:00:22It's one of the most famous ones in Costa Rica.
01:00:24He wrote a song from my call center called Shine Like the Sun, where they've watered Dorian, the lead singer, and Harold Salas, who is the, or Harold Webb, excuse me, who is the bass player.
01:00:36But check this out.
01:00:37I hired Gary Gary Beers, the bassist of In Excess, to play on this song with us.
01:00:45And so I did a collaboration with my favorite band.
01:00:48And so that was pretty cool.
01:00:50And then I'm finally working on a rap dance video here, where, you know, it's amazing, this freestyle dancing that they do, especially in the Olympics.
01:01:00And so a couple of my call center agents do that dancing.
01:01:03One of them is a rapper that moved from New York.
01:01:05And so we're just going to create something here as well.
01:01:08We're going to do like a call center rap, where it's going to give people almost a blueprint on how to make a good phone call.
01:01:13I guarantee this, not a single rapper has done that yet.
01:01:16It's always about like women, wine, and cars, not making telemarketing calls.
01:01:20So I think I might have something here.
01:01:22And so once again, go in your own way.
01:01:25Yeah.
01:01:26So I appreciate the arts.
01:01:27So if I can support local rock bands, dancers, rappers, anything here, it's my pleasure.
01:01:33And so, yeah, I try to get myself involved in certain things.
01:01:36Nice.
01:01:37Well, thank you for those acknowledgments and for lifting those voices up.
01:01:41And with that, we're going to bring it to a close.
01:01:43Richard, again, thank you so much for sharing your story.
01:01:46And your experience with us here this episode.
01:01:49And I wish you the best week ahead and a wonderful kind of end to the year down there in Costa Rica.
01:01:58Yeah.
01:01:58Have a good Halloween.
01:01:59They really don't celebrate it down here.
01:02:02Dia de los Muertos, no?
01:02:05More or less, yeah.
01:02:07All right.
01:02:08Well, have a great one.
01:02:09And we will follow your story with interest moving forward.
01:02:12Thank you, Paul.
01:02:13Que tenga buen día.
01:02:14And if you were moved by today's conversation,
01:02:42pass it along to someone you care about.
01:02:45Let's spread the word.
01:02:46Let's continue to build connection.
01:02:49And if you do discover something you'd like to unpack further,
01:02:51book a call with me and let's talk about it.
01:02:54My links are in the show notes.
01:02:55Be sure to like this episode,
01:02:57follow the podcast here on this platform
01:02:59and social media at Off The Comma.
01:03:02And feel free to comment and interact with these posts and episodes.
01:03:05Check out my website for workshops, events,
01:03:08of my sponsor community.
01:03:09I'm covering the costs of production
01:03:11by curating my own sponsors who align with our vision.
01:03:14Be sure to check them out.
01:03:15They're all powerful people and businesses.
01:03:18Thank you for listening to this episode of Off The Comma.
01:03:20As always, keep noticing and keep listening.
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