The Call Center Rebel with Richard Blank
The RebelRebel Podcast
““You shouldn’t use words to burn. They should be for light and for warmth.” Richard has spent the last 19 years running a near-shore bilingual contact center that thrives on empathy, communication, and human connection in an era dominated by automation. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Richard Blank, CEO of Costa Rica’s Call Center. Richard has spent the last 19 years running a near-shore bilingual contact center that thrives on empathy, communication, and human...
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From Teeth to Tech with Brandon Sherwood
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Entrepreneurship is the craziest, scariest roller coaster ever.” What happens when selling RVs leads to buying dental scrap, melting it down for precious metals, and then launching a startup with a mission to bless lives? In this episode, I talk with Brandon Sherwood about entrepreneurship, family, and why it’s just not that serious. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with Brandon Sherwood, an entrepreneur from Heber City, Utah, whose path has been anything but...
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The Sound of Success with Jodi Krangle
The RebelRebel Podcast
In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Jodi Krangle, a professional voice actor, singer, and host of the Audio Branding podcast. Based just north of Toronto, Jodi has been a full-time voice actor for nearly two decades, lending her voice to clients around the world while exploring the psychology and power of sound . Jodi shares how her journey started in the mid-90s when she volunteered at CNIB, recording articles to reel-to-reel tape for the visually impaired. Years later, after burning out in SEO and internet marketing, she returned to the idea of voice acting and built a thriving...
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Speed Learning for Rebels with Howard Berg
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Speed reading doesn’t work. Speed learning works.” What happens when a kid from Brooklyn grows up to become the world’s fastest reader and teaches others to learn 100% faster in just four hours? In this episode, I talk with Howard Berg about speed learning, knowledge, and why smarter decisions could change the world. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Howard Berg, officially recognized as the world’s fastest reader by the Guinness Book of Records. Howard reads at a...
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RebelRebel Takeover Episode: BrandJitsu Uncovered
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Your value proposition is the reason people choose you.” What happens when Michael Dargie hands over the mic to branding legend JP Lacroix? In this takeover episode, they unpack the lessons behind BrandJitsu and why truth and clarity are the foundation of every brand story. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this special takeover episode, Michael Dargie flips the script and lets branding veteran Jean Pierre Lacroix take the host’s chair. The focus is Michael’s book BrandJitsu, which JP describes as one of the...
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Lead It Like Lasso with Marnie Stockman & Nick Coniglio
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Question everything and see it from every perspective.” What happens when a high school math teacher and a computer programmer leave the corporate grind, write books inspired by Ted Lasso, and create a personal leadership app? In this episode, I talk with Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio about building businesses, books, and better leaders. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie welcomes co-authors, entrepreneurs, and leadership coaches Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio....
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Rebels, Rogues, and Role Playing with Jim Zub
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Sometimes you just have to create your own creative circle.” What happens when a kid from Oshawa who loved Dungeons & Dragons grows up to write the Avengers, Conan the Barbarian, and create new canon for D&D itself? In this episode, I catch up with my longtime friend Jim Zub, a comic writer, teacher, and storyteller who proves that staying in the game is the game. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, comic writer, teacher, and storyteller Jim Zub joins Michael Dargie to talk about a creative...
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Bold Moves Only with Dr. Apollo Emeka
The RebelRebel Podcast
“So many people are waiting for permission. A decision is the permission.” In this episode, Dr. Apollo Emeka joins the conversation from Panama City, Panama, where he and his family relocated after wildfires forced them from their home in California. What began as an evacuation turned into a bold life decision—one that exemplifies the very work Apollo now does with leaders and entrepreneurs: helping them make decisions so bold that the path forward becomes obvious. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode...
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From Sea Kings to Stout with Rob Truscott
The RebelRebel Podcast
“You don’t know what you don’t know—until you travel.” Today’s guest is Rob Truscott—retired Canadian Forces navigator, brewer, and motorcycle enthusiast. From flying in Sea Kings and responding to Swissair 111 to surviving cancer and brewing in Nova Scotia, he’s living proof that memento mori is less about dying—and more about living. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie welcomes Rob Truscott—retired military navigator, brewer at Great Roads Brewing,...
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Ignite Your Neurons with Utkarsh Narang
The RebelRebel Podcast
“I’m someone who’s building life one day at a time—and loving it.” In this episode, coach, facilitator, TEDx speaker, and podcast host Utkarsh Narang checks in from Melbourne—“in the future,” as he jokes—and lays out a life stitched together by courage, curiosity, and conscious impact. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode Raised in a family of doctors, he followed a straight path into physiotherapy, running three clinics in Delhi. But a restless question kept tugging: what’s my larger...
info_outline“There’s never going to be the perfect time to take a leap.”
AI strategist and global HR leader Dan Friker shares how curiosity, culture, and tech are reshaping the world of work—and why small businesses can now play big.
This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.
In This Episode
In this episode, Michael chats with Dan Friker, a global HR strategist and AI consultant with decades of experience helping organisations—from Fortune 100s to small businesses—navigate the evolving world of talent management. From his early career in accounting to leading global workforce strategies at Manpower Group, Dan’s path has been shaped by curiosity, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives.
Dan shares how AI in HR has evolved from buzzword to practical game-changer, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses. He recounts real-world examples—from regional plumbing companies to Airbnb hosts—leveraging AI tools that were once reserved for massive corporations. He also addresses the gap between the rapid development of AI capabilities and the slower pace of human adoption and understanding.
The conversation travels back to formative experiences, including Dan’s study abroad in Germany, visits to global institutions like NATO and the European Commission, and the cultural lessons he absorbed from living and working internationally. These experiences underpin his belief that a global perspective is essential for competitiveness, whether in business or life.
Dan also opens up about the importance of embracing failure, recounting the risks and rewards of leaving a secure corporate role for the uncertainty of new challenges. His advice for “rebels in waiting” is practical and profound: take quiet time to reflect, start small, map your goals, and accept setbacks as part of the journey.
From cat film festivals to electric Mustangs, from the intricacies of hospital staffing to the joy of live music, Dan’s stories remind us that curiosity is a powerful driver—not just of career success, but of a rich and connected life.
Quotable Quotes
“Curiosity gives some people anxiety, right? Like going outside of the norm… gives them a certain amount of fear of failure.” – Daniel Paul Friker
“Agentic workflows are so rad. It’s such a game changer.” – Michael Dargie
“What used to be out of reach or just cost prohibitive for a lot of companies is now accessible for free or a fraction of the cost.” – Daniel Paul Friker
“There’s never going to be the perfect time to take a leap.” – Daniel Paul Friker
“I would not be where I am today personally or professionally had it not been for a litany of failure.” – Daniel Paul Friker
Episode Highlights
AI in HR | Dan’s work helping companies—from Fortune 100s to $25M firms—understand and apply AI tools in staffing and recruitment.
HR Analytics Origins | How Dan’s early focus on data science in HR set the stage for his career.
The Bar Conversation | How a casual chat led to a side hustle in AI case studies.
Levelling the Field | Small businesses using AI to compete with large corporations.
Global Perspective | The role of travel and cultural exposure in shaping Dan’s worldview.
Top Three Cities | Geneva, Singapore, and Tokyo, and what each taught him.
Life at Home | Cooking, family, and why he leaves insect cuisine to others.
Transportation Choices | From motorcycles to his Ford Mustang Mach-E EV.
Bucket List | Returning to “his” Germany with his family.
Rebel Advice | Take quiet time, make a plan, start small, embrace failure.
LINKS FROM EPISODE
Dan on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-friker/)
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