Beyond Fulfillment Podcast guest Richard Blank Costa Ricas Call Center

Richard Blank

The Beyond Fulfillment Podcast, with Dave Gulas of EZDC 3PL, is your weekly dose of real talk with the people actually building successful businesses. We bring you unfiltered conversations with the founders, the dreamers, and the doers who are truly making things happen. We're cutting through the noise to show you what it really takes for business growth.. Think of it as a backstage pass to the entrepreneurial journey —from overcoming tough challenges to celebrating big victories, and every important lesson along the way. Why listen? Because we're exploring various industries, pulling back the curtain on how entrepreneurs like David Meltzer, Brian Esposito, Susan Sly, Darren Jacklin, and Susan Bratton have powered through obstacles, grabbed opportunities, and truly scaled their visions. You'll hear authentic stories that resonate, gain practical advice you can put into action today, and find the motivation to fuel your own growth.  In this episode, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center. Richard reveals how he went from a Spanish major in Philadelphia to building a thriving business in Central America’s vibrant BPO industry.  Richard shares honest insights on overcoming early career uncertainty, breaking free from societal expectations, and capitalizing on his passion for language and culture. Listen as he discusses practical strategies for scaling a business sustainably, building a reliable team, and adapting to seismic changes—such as transitioning from a brick-and-mortar call center to a 100% virtual operation post-pandemic.  You’ll hear real-world advice about hiring, retention, and creating a company culture that values both professional growth and personal well-being. Richard also touches on leveraging AI in customer support without losing the human touch—a must-hear for founders balancing technology and service.  If you’re searching for proven business growth strategies, leadership lessons, and unfiltered stories about entrepreneurship, hit play and let Richard’s journey inspire you to carve your path. Perfect for anyone interested in call centers, cost-effective scaling, or building a business with heart.  In this notable episode of The Beyond Fulfillment Podcast, titled "Mastering the Pivot: Richard Blank’s Path to Building a Call-Center Empire," host Dave Gulas (founder of EZDC 3PL) sits down with Richard Blank, the CEO and founder of Costa Rica's Call Center. The episode pulls back the curtain on the grit, strict financial planning, and unique organizational philosophy required to bootstrap a massive nearshore business processing outsourcing (BPO) operation.    https://youtu.be/y0eFQzwD8as?si=JQk3WEk4j6ftMDbx

Transcript

00:05Inside of me, I knew that I was going to be successful in whatever I use this extra benefit

00:12in whatever career I chose, you know. Today, we sit down with Richard Blank,

00:17the CEO of Costa Rica's call center. With over 18 years of leadership, Richard took a leap of faith

00:25that started in Northeast Philadelphia and blossomed into a thriving international business.

00:31He's a master of language, a champion of bilingual communication, and an expert in building high

00:37performing teams from the ground up. In this episode, Richard opens up about how he navigated

00:43career uncertainty, built his business from scratch, and grew to hundreds of seats without

00:48overextending himself. We dive into the art and science of call centers, surviving

00:54industry shakeups, and adapting to a virtual workforce. Plus, how he's embracing AI as both

01:01a challenge and an opportunity. If you've ever wondered what it's really like to scale a business

01:06internationally, face the realities of remote work, or stick to your values as a leader,

01:12this episode is packed with hard-won wisdom and inspiration. As always, if you found value

01:19from this content, please like and subscribe. All right, Richard Blank, welcome to Beyond Fulfillment.

01:26Dave, so happy to be with you and your audience today. Really excited to share ideas with you.

01:30Yes, sir. We're glad you're here. So, Richard, you are the CEO of Costa Rica's call center,

01:37and you've had that company for the past 18 years. And it started in a very interesting way.

01:44Can you just give us that story? It almost started when I was in Northeast Philadelphia,

01:50graduating the proud Abington High School. All my friends had a plan, Dave. They were going to be

01:55doctors, attorneys, engineers. I didn't know what to do. So, I decided to double down. I was a Spanish

02:01major at the University of Arizona. And then post-grad, when I was 27 years old, I was in between

02:08jobs,

02:08sending out my resume via fax machine. It shows how old I am. And I had this one in a

02:14million

02:14million opportunity to move to Costa Rica for just a couple months and work at my friend's center

02:19and teach some English. I got past parents' guilt, shed some skin, and I stayed for four years and

02:25learned the business from the inside out, not at sea level. And then, as you mentioned, 18 years ago,

02:31I threw my hat in the ring and started my company. And here we are today.

02:36Okay, wow. And we'll get into how the company's grown and the success you've had.

02:40But let's just go back to that beginning of your career, right? Because we know there's so much

02:46pressure on kids to pick a career, go to college, what's your major, what are you going to do?

02:53And you didn't know what you were going to do. You didn't have a plan. And maybe by societal

02:59standards, you could have even been looked at as, like, what's this guy? He doesn't know what he's going

03:04to do, right? Almost like kind of failing, right? Would you agree with that? That's kind of how

03:09society views that if you're not kind of set in what you're doing and your career and whatnot?

03:14Tons of expectations. And also think about it like this. Maturity. You're talking long-term

03:22investment. And I've known a lot of people that went to college and studied something,

03:26and now they're just selling real estate, which is fine, but you understand my point.

03:29This is what I do know, Dave. If you go above and beyond anything in life, we call it dedicated

03:35practice, kind of like Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san in The Karate Kid. Man, you got to go above and

03:42beyond classroom and dojo. You have to live it and love it. And if you do this and make it

03:49a part of

03:49your life, the odds are in your favor, like a boxer, any sort of competitor. And so, no, most of

03:55my

03:55friends are not language majors, but I did know this. Every time that I would speak with someone

04:01outside of my bubble, someone in the Latino community, I just met around the way around

04:06Philadelphia and in Tucson, I got such positive reinforcement. It was an incredible first

04:12impression. I got that sort of respect. And it's almost like when you're a child going to a birthday

04:17party, I always got a goodie bag. They would always give me more vocabulary and straighten out my

04:22grammar a little bit more. So I got stronger along the way. And so if you get that sort of

04:27reception

04:28from people and that sort of positive energy, my man, you're doing something right. You're not being

04:32a joker and acting the fool. You're really showing good intentions. And so inside, I know that I was

04:40going to, and it's especially fulfillment, I felt full. I felt accomplished. And even though it took a

04:48long time to learn a second language, I was building on that on a daily basis. So inside of me,

04:54I knew

04:54that I was going to be successful in whatever I use, this extra benefit in whatever career I chose.

05:01Yeah. Okay. And so you're in between jobs, you're trying to find a position and you get this

05:08opportunity to move to Costa Rica, right? So what was, and like, clearly, like you just mentioned,

05:14there's signs along the way with the language and the type of fulfillment you get, and you're going

05:21with that innate feeling of like, there's something here and you're following that. And you get, then

05:27you get this opportunity to move to Costa Rica. So what was that like? You're letting go of some

05:34weight. I was able to shed some skin when I came here. The moment I walked off the plane, I

05:39knew I

05:39wanted to stay here. And at 27 years old, you're at a good stage of life. You're not a little

05:45boy,

05:45nor too much of a man. So you're really at the perfect time to try something new with a good

05:51foundation. And so I jumped into it. When I walked into a call center, and you're talking about August

05:57of 2000, it's a little bit different today. They had the big monitors and people were working off of

06:02sheets and making phone calls, but what a beautiful environment. I saw the art of speech,

06:07especially people that were bilingual, which to me bears the mark of higher education. The average

06:11age was 24. I was 27. That was great. So I'm watching these amazing young men and women converse

06:20on the phone and convert. And then I, it's not like Hollywood. It's a little bit different because not

06:24everyone's slings stuck. And so I got to see such talent and skill. And so, as I mentioned before,

06:30when I got there, I was given the opportunity to stay because a buddy of mine owned the call center.

06:35Thank you, Joey. And I was having a great time. I was his eyes and ears, but also I knew

06:40it was my

06:41graduate school. But I tell you what, the smartest thing ever is learning things from the inside out

06:45where you sit with the people. You hear the good and the bad and the happy and the sad. Anyone

06:49can

06:49write checks and build a business on a certain side, but unless you can really connect with the

06:55people where it's your own wheelhouse, where you are a scratch golfer and you can teach someone this.

07:00Um, it was, it was a very nice transition for me because I think when someone puts a lot of

07:08attention into listening and they take copious notes and they do study semantics and rhetoric

07:14and adjust their tones in a positive way, extend empathy and confidence when they're speaking with

07:20people, turn taking, tie down questions. It's amazing what people can do if they have that sort of

07:27structure when they're making or receiving phone calls. And so I got a chance to master this industry

07:33in a sense. And it's been once again, very fulfilling for me in regards to an artist.

07:38Okay. So like you mentioned, you, you got to learn the business from the inside out and all these

07:44various aspects of, of, of a phone call and the, the, the mechanics of it.

07:51Correct. Onboarding, the training, retention, customer support, sales, back office support,

07:58non-voice support, even search engine optimization. So in a sense, I learned what a call center was

08:03and how people handled certain departments.

08:06Hmm. Okay. And so you did that for four years at your friend's company and really mastered this

08:12industry. And what, what, was there an aha moment where then you, you realized like, Hey,

08:17I've got to build something of my own. What a great question, Dave. Well,

08:22it was when I was 35 years old, time was a ticket and I was losing my hair. And I

08:26knew if I didn't do

08:27it now, it was never going to be done. And I would regret it for the rest of my days.

08:32And so a friend

08:33of mine said, Hey, Ricardo, why don't you just start a call center? I'm like, come on, Dave,

08:37how are we going to do this? I mean, think about the money and the people and this stuff, but

08:42when you take big piles and you make them into smaller piles, it becomes easier to carry. So

08:48I needed to calm down. Number one, I'm a guest in this country. So I needed a home court advantage.

08:54Why don't we hire CTOs, accountants, attorneys, and human resources directors that know the local

09:01labor laws. I don't have time to put into that. That's number one. I built the team around me.

09:06And secondly, you're thinking call centers. Yes. Today I'm sitting on a building that can house

09:10300 seats. But when I first started, what I did was I never overextended myself, Dave.

09:16I was renting a turnkey station at a blended call center, which is like a glorified internet cafe.

09:24I don't own the plane. I'm just renting out seats. And so I could get the seat with the computer

09:29and all the stuff, some coffee, the bathroom, and they pay for the internet. But that's fine

09:35because I could pay that station, pay the benefits, the salary, and make my margin.

09:40And I scaled accordingly. Did that for two years. Then when I had the capital and the clientels that

09:47were stable, I rented space. Now in my industry, there's an attrition and a turnover. You can buy

09:54certain things used. I bought used cars. I also buy used Dell computers and chairs that are

09:59about a month old. So instead of paying import taxes, I'm paying top dollar. I'm getting things

10:05for pennies on the dollar. And just like Monopoly, I'm scaling it out one seat in one row at a

10:11time.

10:11I could scale accordingly. I did that for six years and I was building out the server room and I

10:17was

10:17getting my clients. And then finally, I had enough to be able to purchase property, put on the third

10:23floor, art deco it out, pinball machines, air hockey tables, you name it. But if your audience

10:28thinks that this thing was done like this and over a long weekend, you're out of your mind. I'm the

10:33tortoise. I'm not the hare. But I also paced myself where Dave, I acted my wage. I never had to

10:41take on

10:41a shady partner or take out a loan or do something that made me question my ethics. I realized that

10:50I

10:50could hold my own and I could weather storms because I saved money for certain COVID periods

10:57or if I lost a certain account. And so this is the way that I was raised by my family.

11:02So I could

11:03have been footloose and fancy free, but in my mind, I'd rather sleep at night and know that I'm

11:11responsible to my clients and doing the right things. And I hope that makes any sort of sense.

11:17Oh, absolutely. Makes sense. So much to unpack in that last little bit there. So

11:23let's start in the beginning too, right? Like you want to start this company, but you're like,

11:30you're, it looks daunting, right? And you talked about breaking this down into small piles,

11:36right? And just sounds like just doing the next logical step. Is that a fair way to say it?

11:43Well, it actually started with a day that I was playing with plasticine clay. I had to think of

11:48what my logo was going to be. You can't start anything until you have the, the Genesis. And so

11:54I created my CCC. I did it in Broadway font from there. The website went up and October 4th of

12:002007.

12:02And I landed my first account, February 6th of 2008, one seat for one week. But I put my knowledge

12:08on the website. It was really somebody that was so raring to go. I was a stallion. I just didn't

12:16ever

12:16ran the track once. I could compete with Secretariat, I felt. But it was the thing where

12:23when people spoke with me, I was able to share such information in regards to quality assurance

12:29and onboarding and script writing, because I've done it. That a lot of people, not these extremely

12:34large companies, but entrepreneurs, mid-sized companies that kind of understood the long shot,

12:40the Philly kid that moved to Costa Rica, started his company. You, you relate to that. That's how I was

12:44able to get on the podcast today, Dave. And so when I would speak with these potential clients,

12:49I would break down with them how much leads we would need on a monthly basis, which is about 4

12:55,000

12:56per person on a five-minute talk time. I use a predictive dialer, which is better than manual

13:01dialing or smart dialing. I have supervisors that analyze your phone calls to make sure that they're

13:07following the quality and asking all the questions. And so just by shaving and polishing, the metrics

13:15go up because you're putting it into an environment that just knows what they're doing. And I tell you

13:20what, my man, when you put Dave and Richard in there and we use our own style, you know, I

13:24give some

13:25Philly guilt. I teach them what to say. So they have self-confidence and self-reliance. You really see

13:31someone have breakthroughs and grow. So it's a great way as a boss for me to pay it forward as

13:37well. And, and that's why I can maintain good talent and I've been in business for so long because

13:42of that, I guess that authenticity as an owner, the people that work with me see that I'm really,

13:48you know, I got their back. Yeah. And I think that's a testament to how you came up in terms

13:54of

13:54you always knew that something with language was there. You had the bilingual skillset,

14:02then you worked in the industry and really mastered it as an employee over four years,

14:08every aspect of the business. And then when you are on your own, right, you know how to wear all

14:13the hats you can. And so often too, right. I find you have to speak different languages in business,

14:20whether you're speaking to a CEO or a vendor or someone in the warehouse or whatever level,

14:28right. You have to be able to communicate appropriately in that, in that context. And

14:32it sounds like you really mastered that. And that way you could get your reps to buy in. You could

14:38get

14:38a prospective customer to, to buy in and give you a shot because you knew the industry. And I mean,

14:45we didn't get into this, but then how, how were the results just starting out in terms of

14:50the system you built and then what that translated forward to, to your initial clients?

14:56That's a great question. Well, it's, it's someone that has the size, strength and strategy. They just

15:03don't have the structure yet. It's that athlete that goes to Lute Olson with the wildcats and then

15:10goes into the NBA, you know, you, you need that final coach and mentor. And so for me in the

15:15beginning, I needed that 10,000 phone calls to analyze, to see the patterns for me then to add

15:21my sauce, to make it right. So it was a learning curve. And I got disappointed more than I did

15:27angry

15:27because yes, the call center industry does have a very large attrition. So you could spend an enormous

15:33amount of time training someone. And then all of a sudden they quit next payroll and go to Amazon

15:38because his girlfriend works there. And so, um, I had to realize to be a little bit more selective

15:44of the agents that come in mercenaries, perfect English. They'll sell you to death, but they'll

15:51also leave you immediately if they can make another dollar somewhere else. I don't blame them, but I

15:56also learned in time that the shiny objects you might not want, I'd rather have the diamond that you

16:01and I need to polish and mold. So they don't have bad habits and they're not a cancer. And so

16:08I've

16:09learned that in time too, of the people that were hiring here that I could see could be a better

16:13bet.

16:14Or how about this right bus, right seat. I've brought people in that were not the best left

16:20winger, but they're better at goalie. So you got to move them. And so, uh, I've seen that as well,

16:25but it's trial and error. But I tell you what, if you have good faith and good intentions,

16:31regardless of the outcome of your day, you can at least look at yourself in the mirror and you know,

16:36you gave it your best shot, but there are some surprises and I've realized to have character

16:41during chaos. And I tell you what, I will never keep you waiting as a client, good, better, ugly.

16:48I will let you know what's going on and I'll have an action plan because the moment that you duck

16:52or try to avoid it, then the confidence is lost. And so some of the best relationships I've had is

16:59when we've had to go through tough times together or the ramp up stages of the projects.

17:05Okay. And glad you mentioned that too, because earlier you, you detailed your road to scaling

17:11where you didn't get overextended. You were very, uh, measured in terms of just renting out what you

17:18could afford. And you really built that and scaled it over time. And it's so contrary to really

17:23the messaging that we get, especially now in today's age with the social media and so much

17:29instant gratification. But, but, you know, over that, I believe it was eight years or so before

17:34you purchased property or something like that, where you're scaling very slowly over that time,

17:41over that eight year period. And you detailed some of the challenges with your attrition,

17:44but was there ever a moment where things were so tough that you considered giving up?

17:52Yeah. Three times. The first time is the first place I was renting out of guy that was strong

17:57arming me because he didn't want me to go because he knew he was making a lot of money each

18:01month.

18:02And there's a certain point when you pay a la carte, come on, man, I can buy my own plane

18:06now. I mean,

18:06we've already filled 75 seats. I mean, it's, it's, you're paying more than what you're getting.

18:11And so I, I outgrew that first area. So I had to leave, but it was very uncomfortable

18:17at one time and, you know, without getting into too many details. So I didn't like that

18:22thought strong arming me. That's number one. And the second thing is when I lost my largest client

18:28back in 2010, I was working with a dead settlement company, a wonderful company, amazing people.

18:35And unfortunately, when the laws changed and certain things hampered the industry, I lost like 87

18:42seats like that. And so I had to ask myself, do I just pack up and take what you made

18:50and start

18:51something new? Or do you reinvest your money and give it one more go? And, and I did. So everything

18:57that we earned, I reinvested to build back my seats that I had lost and was growing from there

19:03because I was still midsize. And then when COVID hit, what an interesting time. I saw people that I

19:13really depend on run and hide were yellow with fear. And then I had the freshmen, the kid that was

19:23wet

19:23behind his ears, completely step up to the plate, like a champion when things were the toughest and

19:29renewed my faith. And so what it was is my industry, which is very, or it was very brick and

19:36mortar.

19:37Now it's virtual, which I'm very fortunate. And I was able to survive and still thrive.

19:43But the majority of the people today want to be virtual. So the labor pool. Now I consider the

19:49agents now 85% proficient, not saying they're not doing a great job, but let's make some arguments.

19:56My main man, when somebody is on site, okay, there's internet redundancy, backup electricity,

20:03immediate it support. That's a couple of percentage points. Come on. Now we're at 90%.

20:08What about me and Dave sitting next to you? High five and having pizza at lunch. You're not feeding

20:12off of that energy. When Dave's crushing deals, that's my main man. Come on, at least give us a

20:18couple of points on that too. And then what about the relationship between the owner and the people?

20:26I love walking the roads and seeing them and being there to congratulate you and meeting your

20:33parents or significant other outside and letting your family know how amazing Dave is. I also collect

20:38pinball machines and air hockey tables. And so you don't think that's another percentage point and just

20:43recess. So I believe that synergy was removed. And the thing that made me shine the brightest

20:52was taken away. Still have my industry, but what about my live show? You know, that's,

20:58that's what made the magic happen. So now it almost feels more like a print than it does when I

21:04made it

21:04a painting. Does that make any sort of sense? My man.

21:09So now have you transitioned to like majority virtual rather than in-house in your business?

21:16I'm a hundred percent virtual right now. Okay.

21:19They all wanted to go home. Okay.

21:21So I afforded them that luxury and they've earned it too. I just miss them. I really do. But I

21:28understand the time and the money and I know they're comfortable at home, but you and I are talking

21:32as business owners and professionals, I'm letting you know, they're losing 15% and I gave you my

21:37arguments on it. And I think they could be that much stronger. It could be a serious A plus player.

21:46I think that the industry now virtually is a B plus. That's all. I think it dropped a grade.

21:53Okay. And, you know, talk about such a mammoth shift, right? When you think about prior to COVID,

22:03the environment and the workplace, right? And then transitioning to a hundred percent virtual. I

22:09mean, what, what type of mindset did you need to really make that shift and still succeed as a

22:15company? It's almost like a parent letting their child go off to college. You have to let them leave

22:21the nest. But then also if you leave the cage door open and the bird comes back, you've done well.

22:26There is a trust factor there. I have to make sure. I mean, of course we can monitor the work

22:30they're doing and making sure they log in, but there is a trust factor there. I got to make sure

22:35they're not drunk or high watching things, distracted, not paying attention. I mean,

22:41it's just, you got to make sure they're professionals still. And there was a much

22:46more controlled environment on site. That's just number one. But we used to have, I mean,

22:52when you have meetings virtually, it's a lot different than when people are sitting in the

22:57training room or in the break room. I mean, everyone's there, but as I mentioned before,

23:02you don't feel this electromagnetic transfer of energy, but AI will be enhancing my industry by

23:12gathering and assisting along the way. They'll take us to about the 10 yard line, but they'll still be

23:19a press zero or a customer support agent to put that ball in the end zone. And I experienced something

23:26yesterday when I was speaking to a telecom provider, the IVR, the integrative voice response.

23:31It was good, but it was annoying and it still wasn't there yet. So there's something called

23:36the uncanny valley. The moment that these robots and the AI sound too human-like, it's going to drop

23:44into a valley. We're going to get freaked out a little bit because, you know, it's the kind of thing

23:50where you still want to have that human interaction with somebody if you're sharing information

23:55or you want to feel less intimidated. So as I say, I still believe that industries and certain

24:03companies will want our services to speak with their clients to make sure that they're getting

24:08some of the best experiences possible. So I kind of see that shift in the industry as well, Dave.

24:13Yeah. And I'm glad you brought up AI because that's another major disruptor, let's call it,

24:20within business in all sorts of levels and particularly the rise of AI agents. And I'm

24:26sure you've, you've seen them, you're in the industry. I mean, I see them as in my logistics

24:31industry where there's all these robo callers that sound so real and you can train them up to have

24:36conversations and whatnot. But like you said, it's different than a real person, but how have you

24:44managed to, you know, navigate those waters given it's all so new and, and the, the value prop for

24:52business owners is, ah, just cut costs and you can outsource to robots and then that sort of thing.

24:57Like, how is that, how have you been able to navigate that as, as a call center owner?

25:02Well, for an example, let's just say somebody fills out a form online, instead of me being on the phone

25:06with you for 25 minutes, asking you every single question. And then it's better off that if somebody

25:12shows that interest, it's like double opted in data. So a, it's an extremely qualified lead.

25:17They give you all this stuff. You can do some due diligence prior to the phone call. You can prepare

25:21it. And so when I do call you, Dave, I am more than prepared to follow up on that. And

25:27it could

25:27save me time depending on the volume, because let's say you have three to five people making the outbound

25:32calls. You could have the omni-channel non-voice of the, of the, of the filling out the forms of

25:39the

25:39chat or the email support as, you know, automated just to tee it up for you. And so is it

25:49replacing

25:49jobs? Sure it is, but I tell you what, let's call, let's call it straight. There is fatigue.

25:54And sometimes when it comes to finding an address or last name spelled correctly, people have a

26:03difficult time with that too. And the amount of speed it takes to be able to convert these leads.

26:10And so I see the good and the bad of it, depending on how long it needs to be an

26:14intricate. But when

26:15we do get these filled out forms and then we make that outbound call within a certain period of time,

26:20it's phenomenal for us. But what else has AI done for us? Well, now that people are, are only

26:26expecting emails. Okay. Or let's just say they don't pick up and you have to leave a voicemail.

26:33Fortunately for us with AI, you can get some goodies in regards to the client. They might give you a

26:39quick summary of how long Dave has been in business, beyond fulfillment podcast, how many episodes,

26:44people that he's interviewed, what's my man up to? And so they can give you that cliff note summary.

26:49So if I have to send a custom made email or leave you a specific type of voicemail,

26:57that will save you time. That's like skip tracing for you. In a sense, could be looking up that

27:03information. And so I'd see that as, as extremely valuable. It's like those fishermen with the huge

27:08nets that they throw out and just pull it right back. I mean, I, I love that sort of stuff.

27:12It's

27:12great working smart, but it's also very intimidating. People kind of see the writing on the wall in some

27:17sets, but how about this, my ma'am? If you have skills and you're marketable, you'll always get a

27:25job and get hired. It's those that just coast and do the maximum of minimum and try to just blend

27:33in

27:33with the rest. Of course you're going to be replaced. There could be a computer that can do it better

27:38than you. And if it saves my client money and makes them more money, it's as flavor Flav says, that's

27:43just the way the ball bounces G. So, I mean, there's really nothing more I could say about that.

27:48Well, and I love your perspective towards it in terms of particularly being in your industry

27:53where AI in some respects can be like a competitor, but you're looking at all the positive aspects.

28:00And I love that mindset to where if you're just doing the maximum of minimum, of course you're at

28:07risk, but quality people always are going to be attractive to business owners because we all need

28:15people. That's right. Definitely. Love that. Okay. All right. So, Richard, with everything you've

28:22built and what you've scaled out to now here in 2025, what's next for Costa Rica's call center?

28:30Well, we're going to continue to grow, stay in this business, hope to promote more from within

28:34so I can take some more time off. Just on a quick note, I've done some local arts projects. I

28:41produced a song here called shine like the sun with a band called Igni Farocchi. And I was fortunate

28:46enough to hire Gary, Gary beers, the basis of in excess to lay the bass track down on it. So

28:52if you

28:52check out that video, it's pretty cool. And I also did a local rap break dancing video with the call

28:58center with a couple of the agents that work with me. And so, yeah, I try to support the local

29:03arts and

29:03have some fun. And if you guys want to check out some of the cool things we do here, you'll

29:07see some of the

29:07video games in the building and just what it's like to be CEO of a call center for a day.

29:13But Dave,

29:13I can't thank you enough, man. I had a great time with you today. Yeah, absolutely. We appreciate

29:17you being here, Richard, sharing all this valuable wisdom from your journey with our audience. So we

29:23greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much. My pleasure.

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