I didn’t plan to build contact centers from scratch across seven countries.
I just kept saying yes to the jobs nobody else wanted.
Frontline Agent
– Started on the phones straight out of college
– Applied for team supervisor twice, didn’t get it twice
– Tried interviewing for a corporate support role, didn’t get that either
Early Management
– Applied for the roles I wanted, got handed the ones nobody else would take
– 24/7 responsibility, small accounts, a city nobody wanted to relocate to
– But each one taught me something my first-pick role wouldn’t have
Account Manager → Site Director
– Got the “difficult” client nobody wanted to take on, and made them happy
– That one decision led to a major retail account landing in my lap without an interview
– Grew it to 4 sites, 800+ agents, and became site director for a multi-billion dollar tech client
International Operations
– Got passed over for account VP, said yes to running the international operation instead
– Built seven international sites from scratch: facilities, technology, legal, all of it
– Learned more about contact centers than I could have in any US-based role
When my boss eventually left, I inherited the full account and grew it:
10,000+ agents and 1,200+ support staff across multiple countries
Every stage followed the same pattern:
– The role I wanted, I didn’t get.
– The role nobody else wanted, I took.
Those jobs weren’t glamorous
But they were where I learned the most
And where I built the credibility that eventually led to bigger things.
Taking the tough stuff nobody else wants is where you can learn the most.
I’m Mark Danielson, and I help healthcare leaders reduce support costs while improving patient satisfaction.
Follow me for practical insights on cutting contact center costs, improving service quality, and modernizing operations without the tradeoffs.
