Banking on Digital Growth

Banks have a branding problem. Too often, their offerings aren’t in line with customer expectations.  It’s time for financial institutions to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the tension that comes with positive change.  Allison Netzer ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-netzer-1b98335/ ), Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at NYMBUS ( https://www.nymbus.com/ ) and coauthor of Think...

Many financial institutions have lost the emotional connection with their clients, so some of the brightest minds in the industry have started keeping score. Marc Whitehead ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-whitehead-9a37246/ ) and Nick Bond ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bond-9236953/ ), co-founders of Emotive Technologies and The Apex Scoring System ( https://www.apexscore.ai/ ), spoke with...

Traditional budget failure is a familiar symptom of the financial stress that burdens 85 percent of Americans.  But why do so many people struggle with this everyday household income practice?  John Crane ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrane/ ), Founder of Crane Financial LLC ( https://www.cranefinancial.com/ ) and author of The One-Number Budget ( https://www.onenumberbudget.com/ ), joins us t...

Even in this exciting new digital age of AI, ancient truths can speak to human behavior and mindset. Audrey Cannata , Operations Lead at the Digital Growth Institute , joins me for another episode of our Behind the Cover series as we talk about Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements . Settle in as we take a moment to disconnect from technology and reconnect with the natural patterns that dictate ou...

As ease of access to big data becomes widespread, open finance is taking over the industry.  But what exactly is open finance? And what does its implementation mean for banks, credit unions, fintech, and consumers?  Jane Barratt ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebarratt/ ), Chief Advocacy Officer at MX, and Anne Legg ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-legg/ ), Founder of THRIVE Strategic Services,...

With so much exponential change in finance today, having a strong coaching culture is critical to sustainable success. But unfortunately, coaching is also usually one of the first casualties of fiscal cuts. Nick Kennedy , Founder of Nick Kennedy Coaching and author of The Good Entrepreneur , spoke with us about coaching in leadership and why even the best talent needs it. Join us as we discuss: -...

As financial services decentralize, loyalty from young account holders continues to wane. So, what can banks and credit unions do to fix the disconnect in the generation gap and attract Gen Z and Gen Alpha members? Mart Vos , Founder and CEO of Eko Investments , tells us why he thinks young account holders are breaking away from traditional financial services and how FIs can bring them back. Join...

What does digital transformation look like for you personally? Everyone’s journey is unique, but we can’t do it alone. Through shared vision and perspective, we can master exponential growth together. Devin Lyon ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/devon-lyon/ ), President and CEO at Central One Federal Credit Union ( https://www.centralfcu.com/ ), tells us how his path of transformation has led him to a...

The concept of applying behavioral science in marketing may sound sinister to the uninitiated. But, like any other marketing strategy, it can be used as a force for good. It’s human nature to make emotional decisions. With behavioral science, we can guide consumers into making choices that are right for them.  Nancy Harhut ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyharhut/ ), Co-founder and Chief Creative...

Over the last decade, we’ve seen a disturbing case of credit union entropy. Nearly 8,000 credit unions operated in the U.S. in 2010. Today, that number has been cut almost by half. Are credit unions becoming an endangered species in the financial space? Ancin Cooley , Principal at Synergy Credit Union Consulting, Inc. , told us why he thinks credit unions have been on the decline and what they can...

Financial brands know there is a pressing need for digital customer service to change. We are steadily evolving into a digital society, yet nearly 80 percent of customer service issues are still handled over the phone. Dan Michaeli , CEO and Co-Founder of Glia , shared why multiple modes of communication - messaging, audio, and video - will soon become one seamless channel in the digital customer...

Practical AI application will be the future of financial brands and fintech. By automating the mundane, sales teams will be able to give clients the human element they deserve. Evan Ryan , founder and CEO of Teammate AI , joins the show to talk about his book AI as Your Teammate and the potential for AI as an assistant. AI application can do wonders for your company’s bottom line - and the barrier...

As Google’s Universal Analytics (UA) rides into the sunset, a lot of questions are swirling around the future of data and analytics. With Google Analytics 4, several features from UA will be going away. Jeff Sauer , Founder of Data Driven U , argues that marketing teams should look at this conversion as a fresh start for measuring their KPIs. Join us as we discuss: - Where financial brands fall sh...

Purpose-driven digital transformation allows us to bring lessons from our past into the future. With a clear vision, banks and fintechs can confidently move forward and bring their communities and customers along. From navigating conflict to managing exponential change, purpose gives us perspective and frees us from the fear of the unknown. In this episode, Rilla Delorier , Board Director of Atlan...

The foundation for every relationship is trust. But it’s hard to gauge people’s authenticity in a digital space dominated by communication through text media. That’s why Ethan Beute , Chief Evangelist at BombBomb and author of Human-Centered Communication , believes in the power of video communication in a post-COVID world. By personalizing our interactions and messages through video, we can pull...

Finances for freelancers and self-employed business owners are a whole different can of worms compared to the traditional American employee. Keeping track of tax payments and other financial obligations can be overwhelming. Oona Rokyta saw a need for a bank that catered to the independent workforce. As CEO and co-founder of Lance.app , Oona and her team built a niche neo-banking platform that focu...

When you’re presented with B2C legal documents on your phone, how often do you find yourself hitting that “Accept” button without reading a word? Customers are often bombarded by terms and conditions when opening new financial accounts. Yet, compliance documentation delivery through mobile apps can be incredibly clunky. Jordan Ennest , Product Specialist and Counsel for Compliance Systems LLC , sh...

Every journey begins with a simple step. Oftentimes, that step is as simple as finding clarity amidst the chaos. In this episode of our Inside Digital Growth series, one of our dear listeners asks “How can we best plan for future growth in a world that is unpredictable and full of change?” July is the perfect time to assess how 2022 is going for your brand and whether the rest of the year is going...

What has digital growth meant to you, personally and professionally? Everyone’s story is unique, but each lesson learned is an opportunity to help others along the way. I had the pleasure of talking with Cathy Graham , Executive Vice President of Desert Financial Credit Union , about her personal transformation as a financial leader. Together, we celebrated a journey driven by a purpose: to give a...

Our daily routines are formed through a marriage of habit and behavior. How you choose to develop those patterns can result in a happy union or a rocky relationship. I’m joined once again by my colleague, Audrey Cannata , Operations Lead at DGI, to review Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B.J. Fogg . In this installment of our Behind the Cover series, we dive into the elemen...

By bringing value through the right technological channels, banks can generate a clear vision for their customer service goals - that’s digital transformation. I talked with John Dangoia , Vice President Head of Product Management US and Europe at Infosys Finacle , about the present and future of banking as a service. Whether through investments in omnichannel platforms or focus on differentiation...

Digital transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It can be a long journey fraught with conflict and fear of the unknown. But strong leadership and purpose can bring people along through exponential change. Frank Chisholm , Director of Brand and Marketing at Kindred Credit Union , joins me to talk about the digital growth that he and his team have achieved through purpose-driven values. By openly a...

Technology is changing so rapidly that it can be difficult to find time to pause and catch a breath. The fast-paced world of marketing and sales can be especially vulnerable to roadblocks and challenges that come with the evolution of digital. As a former customer relationship manager, Jelaire Grillo has been at the frontline of marketing and sales for a decade. Now the Brand Ambassador for Prospe...

With the rise of mobile banking, voice banking has taken a backseat. Many banks still use an outdated touch-tone model for their customers’ voice banking needs. Yet, I believe voice banking is primed to take a great leap forward in optimizing customer engagement. We’ve seen tremendous strides in AI voice recognition technology over the last decade. Soon, your voice banking experience may be no dif...

Audrey Cannata joins me once again to continue our Behind the Cover series. In this episode, we discuss Joey Coleman’s book Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days . So many financial brands are built around customer acquisition that they end up neglecting the experience of their legacy clients. But by taking a proactive approach, banks and credit unions can ma...