Cameron chats with Steve Pagenstecher and Mary Vasquez of Point West Credit Union about what they've learned at the conference of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (CDCU). 

In this episode we discuss the 3-year journey from concept to launch of the Clean Energy Credit Union, a credit union entirely focused on clean energy loans. Blake Jones, the founding board chair, discusses their innovative strategy for growth despite being unable to raise capital, their unique partnership with a national non-profit, and how they are focusing on consumer passions and an unmet market need to build a different kind of credit union.

Kirk Drake, author of the new book CU 2.0: A Guide for Credit Unions Competing in the Digital Age, joins Cameron on the podcast to talk about what assumptions credit unions need to leave behind, what members are really looking for, and why "failure" is a key part of success in the digital world. 

Change management expert Kimberly Kosmenko joins us to talk about what it means to be a purpose-driven organization, her work with the United Nations Credit Union, and her process for integrating purpose into what an organization does as it makes the journey from intention to action.

Part Two of our interview with customer loyalty expert Lara Ponomareff, who joins us to talk about how you can measure effort and why it is the biggest source of disloyalty in your credit union today, even greater than Net Promoter Score. Lara offers practical tips to make it easier for your members to do business with you, how to connect innovation and effort, and what Disney taught her about saying “no.”

Customer loyalty expert Lara Ponomareff joins us to talk about how you can measure effort and why it is the biggest source of disloyalty in your credit union today, even greater than Net Promoter Score. Lara offers practical tips to make it easier for your members to do business with you, how to connect innovation and effort, and what Disney taught her about saying “no.”

Kevin Wilhelm, renowned sustainability expert and author of 3 books on the topic, joins us to talk about why sustainability makes sense for the bottom line, how it relates to the 7 Cooperative Principles, how to begin your sustainability journey (hint: it’s not fire, ready, aim), and why you need to listen to your members to get the best results.

Katharine Nester, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Ruby Receptionists, one of the 10 most admired companies in Oregon, joins us to talk about how businesses can turn simple transactions — digital and in person — into moments of magic that delight their customers, build loyalty, and increase profitability.

Jack Baker, director of the mortgage center at the CDCU, joins us to talk about the opportunity to do well by doing good when you provide mortgages to the over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. He shares how you can eliminate the risk to your credit union while providing great rates, the impact the new administration’s actions will have on this population, and the other types of innovative mortgages you can offer that will be a competitive differentiator and a force for good in your community.

Jim Morrell, CEO of Peninsula Credit Union in Washington State, talks about what he learned by being a Division 1 basketball referee, how he drives innovation at his credit union, and how working with a credit union in Zimbabwe informed his business and impact strategy.

Ben Morales, CEO of QCash, joins us to talk about what it means to offer an alternative to payday lending. On this podcast, he shares his unique perspective on why members need these sorts of loans, how a credit union can think about payday lending from a strategy, branding, and financial wellness standpoint, and why a 60-second approval process was the bar QCash had to meet to make their product effective.

Mark Lewman, Executive Creative Director of a design agency that works with brands like Nike, joins us to talk about the 3 things that millennials want from brands they work with (hint: it’s not better prices, though that doesn’t hurt), why authenticity is so important, and what you can learn from skateboard marketing.

Jeff York, CEO of $940M CoastHills Credit Union, joins us to talk about what he learned working at Walt Disney Company Credit Union about delighting members, how he thinks about community impact (hint: it’s not just about writing checks), how he connects the heart and mind to create engagement, and how the low income designation is key to their strategy.

Jenelle Isaacson, CEO of Living Room Realty, one of the fastest growing real estate companies on the West Coast, joins us to share what she learned about marketing from being a punk rocker, how she gave up control to her agents to find the stories that resonated in her community, and why it’s better to own a niche than nothing at all.

Conversion rate optimization expert Jon Macdonald, founder of The Good, joins us to talk about the 3 biggest killers of website sales, how to let your members tell you how to sell them more online, and why he thinks we are in the first inning of making your website an effective sales channel for your credit union.

Laura Woods is such a fount of exciting ideas that we created two podcasts so we could capture everything. In part 2, she shares more about reaching people where they are by marketing with empathy and vulnerability. 

Laura shares her lessons from her innovative "Dreams" marketing campaign that gave the members who bank at 1st Financial a voice, how her credit union has become more profitable by avoiding A credit rated loans, and why empathy, vulnerability, and a distaste for the word "no" fuel her marketing philosophy.

Tansley Stearns, Chief Impact Officer at Filene, joins us to share what Filene has learned in over 25 years of researching credit unions. Tansley talks about how you can create a culture of innovation, why attracting younger members is hard (and what to do about it), why “customer effort score” may be the most important number in your credit union, and what the greatest gift of the digital age is to credit unions (hint: it’s not Twitter).

Jonathon Hensley, a well-known expert on the implications of accessibility for the handicapped in the digital world joins us to share best practices and opportunities from the coming legislation for the web. In this podcast you'll learn about why designing your online properties to be accessible is both the right thing do and smart business, what technology debt is and how you can avoid it, and what standards to follow to avoid risking a lawsuit against your credit union.

Shawn Gilfedder, the CEO of McGraw Hill FCU and a national expert on creating financial wellness programs, shares his experience changing his credit union's value proposition from products to financial wellness, how to create innovation in a credit union, and how Zappos inspired their transformation.

Randy Thompson, CEO of TCT Risk Solutions (and one of the nicest guys in the biz), talks about his passion for the core mission of credit unions—serving the underserved. He explains how proper management can reduce charge offs and help members improve their credit score, and how to effectively outsource compliance so you can focus on the good stuff.  

Melina Young, Director of Marketing and Brand at Verity Credit Union and one of CUES’ 15 Top Next Credit Union Execs, discusses their exciting new concept for engaging their members by being hyper local. She presents a positive way to view large competitors, and reminds us that we can avoid the day-to-day doldrums and make more authentic connections by focusing on the “why.”

Economist Mike Wilkerson joins us to talk about the economic forecast for 2016 and what it means for you, his exclusive research on the economic impact credit unions have in their communities, and how the shrinking middle class and sharing economy are reshaping the future of credit unions.

Eric Gregg, a leading expert on NPS, discusses his insights on how credit unions can succeed with a Net Promoter Score® program — and how they can fail. Eric explains how to implement a service recovery program to delight unhappy members, his firm’s 2-1-1 process for making NPS drive results in your credit union, and how to connect loyalty drivers to make your results more actionable.