In today's "new normal," what should credit unions be doing differently?  

Gigi Hyland, Executive Director of the National Credit Union Foundation, joins us to share stories about putting empathy into action, explain how new member habits are changing the credit union business model, and what she would do if she was chartering a new credit union today.

Innovation is often born out of crisis. After all, when everything is running smoothly, there isn't much need to think differently. But are credit unions only reacting to the crisis at hand, or are they taking the opportunity to step back and "dream bigger?"

Jon Jeffreys, President and CEO of Callahan & Associates, joins us to talk about why it's more important than ever to try new things, why helping our members isn’t enough, what three questions every credit union should be asking itself, and what learned from Mr. Rogers.

In the coming months, as we shift from crisis mode to our "new normal," companies will no doubt be hungry to start selling again. But what about our appetite as consumers?

Becky Smith, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer of State Employees' Credit Union (SECU), joins us to talk about how her team is focusing its marketing efforts during this time of need. She shares what they are doing to help members, employees, and their broader community; why it's important to pay attention to members’ evolving emotional states; and how focusing on impact and doing the right thing can become the new competitive advantage is for credit unions.

During times of crisis, credit unions must walk together with their members. But how?

Jim Morrell, CEO of Peninsula Community FCU, joins us to talk about how to go to your core by putting your mission statement front and center, how to care for the short- and long-term financial health of your members, and how to reach members who won’t reach out to you for help.

Credit unions, like many businesses, are currently facing a lot of unknowns. It's not always clear what to do, or how to go about doing it. Luckily, George Hofheimer, Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Filene, is here to help.

He joins our podcast to talk about the number one thing that credit unions should be focused on right now, innovation opportunities in the current environment, and post-pandemic member service strategies.

We are living in fast-changing and uncertain times. Right now, more than ever, your members are seeking support and reassurance. So, how should credit unions proceed?

Casey Boggs, President of ReputationUS, shares his experiences on how to manage a Black Swan crisis, why consumers are even more scared about their finances than their health, and the worst thing an organization can do in a crisis.

We think of finance as a science, not an art. But the truth is, when it comes to our personal finances, money is about so much more than numbers.
National financial wellness expert Manisha Thakor joins us to talk about how our emotions affect our financial decisions, what we can learn about finance from Weight Watchers, and how credit unions can leverage our emotional connection to money to build more authentic relationships with their members.

Why is it important for credit unions to adopt a multicultural marketing strategy? Perhaps more importantly, what does that even mean? Edgar Hernandez, Senior Multicultural Strategy Manager at CUNA Mutual Group, is well equipped to answer these questions.

He joins the podcast to talk about what credit unions are doing well when it comes to multicultural marketing; how to use data to better serve diverse audiences; and the ways in which an effective multicultural marketing is strategy, just like any marketing strategy, hinges on listening to your members' needs, rather than assuming one-size-fits-all solutions. 

It it time for us to open our eyes to a credit union? Turns out, our eyes may already be open, but we're not seeing the full picture. 

Teresa Freeborn, CEO and President of Xceed Financial Credit Union and a Board Member of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), joins us to talk about CUNA's Open Your Eyes campaign, including what it hopes to accomplish and why the campaign can’t be a “hit and run” effort. Oh, and also how pizza has ruined college students' FICO scores.

"Values-based banking" is becoming a popular concept, but what does it actually mean? Simeon Chapin, Community Impact Officer at Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU), joins our Remarkable Credit Union podcast to explain.

VSECU is a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV), a network of banking leaders from around the world committed to advancing positive change in the banking sector. Simeon talks about what VSECU does to engage its community through outside-in listening, what VSECU has learned from the Global Alliance about measuring what really matters, and what a newcomer to the credit union movement sees as its heart and soul.

What's one thing you've always dreamed of doing but aren't doing right now because you don't have the resources to do it? That's the central question that Sean Keener, CEO and co-founder of the BootsnAll Travel Network wants people, and companies, to ask themselves. Sean is on a mission to help people find the right question to ask, rather than search for the right answer to the wrong question.

In this episode, we discuss the ways that Sean is redefining the boundaries of what is possible, in life and in business.

How has the credit union evolved in the last 30 years? We talked to Marc Schaefer, CEO of Truliant FCU, who run multiple credit unions for over three decades. According to Marc, the credit union movement has evolved from "sleepy" to "energized," with a noticeable shifts away from "traditional" banks toward more innovative, socially conscious financial institutions.

Having observed and experienced the evolution of credit unions from the 1980s to present, Marc joins us to discuss how policy, purpose, and poverty intersect when it comes to defining the next-generation credit union. 

Everyone loves talking about the importance of innovation, including the credit union industry. But what does innovation really mean in an industry that is heavily regulated and often struggling to keep up with the latest digital trends? Ryan Foss, Senior Director of Incubation at Filene, joins us to discuss.

While credit unions have undoubtedly been affected by the rise of fintech startups, the concept of a "credit union startup" in this day and age is almost unheard of. If anything, the industry is trending in the opposite direction -- toward the consolidation of existing credit unions rather than the creation of new ones.

But Civic FCU, a startup credit union that launched in 2019, is bucking the trend. Bijal Gami, VP of Operations; Lamar Heyward - SVP of Marketing at Civic FCU; and Michael Spink, SVP of R&D join us for an animated discussion of how they are executing on Civic FCU's core strategy, why they started a credit union instead of a fintech company, and what we can learn by marrying a startup culture with the cooperative principles.

For many Americans, a few hundred dollars can mean the difference between financial stability and distress. Financial distress is not an isolated problem; rather, it has ripple effects that extend not just to a person's family, but also his or her employer. Ted and Ned Castle of Rhino Foods understand that financially stable employees are healthier, happier, and more reliable.

Can credit unions partner with for-profit businesses to help their employees be more financially secure, and in so doing, increase profitability for both the business and the credit union? Ted and Ned would answer this question with a resounding yes. They joined our podcast to share how they have leveraged small dollar loans to benefit their employees, their credit union partner, and their own bottom line.

Ty Robbins, CIO of People’s Trust FCU, joins us to talk about his passion for using the cooperative principles and technology to bring the credit union of tomorrow to life today.

Ashley Kohlrus, COO of Allegacy FCU, and Karen Sigmon-Smith, Managing Director of WellQ, join us to talk about their audacious plan to transform community health outcomes through an integrated membership model for health and financial wellness, along with the lessons learned along the way.

Ken Tomita, co-founder and CEO of Grovemade, joins the podcast to talk about how they bring humanity to product by understanding their customers on a personal level; how they leverage the four levels of customer engagement; and how he thinks financial institutions can expand beyond the commodity market.

John Lanza, financial education expert and Chief Mammal at MoneyMammals.com, joins the podcast to talk about why financial education should start early, finding ways to make it fun and experiential, and in what sense money might actually be able to buy happiness. 

John Cournoyer, VP of Marketing at Webster First in Massachusetts, joins us to talk about their digital transformation over the last two years. He shares his learnings about how to use failure as a competitive advantage, how to speak the same language as your CEO to drive marketing success, and why they think of themselves as an “Experience Department” and not a “Marketing Department.”

Adam Schwartz, owner of The Cooperative Way, joins us to talk about why he thinks cooperatives are the best business model on the planet, what their competitive advantages are, and how to use the 7 cooperatives principles in your credit union.

Jill Castilla, the 2017 ABA Community Banker of the Year, joins us to talk about how she turned around a struggling bank through creating goodness in her community, how to implement innovative social media practices, why your ego is not your amigo, and how she is positioning her institution to be relevant for its next 110 years.

Cat Fitzgerald from Filene’s Digital Strategies group joins us to discuss what she has learned from observing hundreds of tests of credit union members trying to sign up for products. Here’s a hint: like any good relationship, it should have the right amount of give and take.

Lois Kitsch, National Program Director at the National Credit Union Foundation, joins us for a spirited conversation about the role of the 7 Cooperative Principles in credit unions today, how democracy and capitalism can overlap, and how to make your WHY your strategic differentiator.

Cameron Madill interviews Ben Stangland and Charlotte Boutz-Connell of Weber Marketing about how credit unions can define their target markets to stay relevant, competitive, and differentiated after a century of mergers and growth.