Banking on Digital Growth

People are searching for 3 things from financial brands: clarity, help, & hope. Through the power of storytelling, brands can move from a place of scarcity into a place of abundance—finally helping to alleviate the financial stress most people deal with. Justin Breen , Founder & CEO of BrEpic Communications LLC , joins the show to discuss tactics to help people better understand how storyt...

With all the emerging FinTech, it’s important to reflect on what is currently working in the industry to predict where the space is headed next. Only then can an organization restructure itself to welcome the new technologies. Alex Sion , Managing Director, Head of Venture Incubation, Global Consumer, Citi Ventures at Citi , joins the show to discuss his experience with the finance industry and pr...

Empathy, diversity, & valuing the consumer are all at the core of why many big banks are losing out to smaller financial institutions. For too long, banking staples have put profit over the consumer experience and people are taking notice. Bradley Leimer , Founder of Unconventional Ventures , joins the show to discuss pain points for traditional banks and strategies to adopt a new empathetic a...

When business feels “good enough,” it can lead to a decline in customer experience. Providing new ways to educate customers and make the banking process easier should not only be looked at as advantageous to the success of the bank, but as a reminder that helping the customer is the first priority. Paul Long , Senior Vice President - Business Banking & SBA Lending at Timberland Bank , joins th...

Ratings & reviews of a business can make all the difference in the business’ success. But with so many options for rating systems, where should a business focus their attention? Yelp or Google My Business or a combination of the two? James Robert Lay , Host of the Banking of Digital Growth Podcast, discusses his take on best strategies for navigating rating systems. What we talked about: The I...

Content creation will be the number one most in-demand skill over the next decade. If you want to maximize your digital growth potential, you need to master creating killer content. But where do you start? To answer that, I turn to someone who has built an incredible brand YouTube with phenomenal content: Jennifer Beeston , SVP of Mortgage Lending at Guaranteed Rate . She joins the show to share t...

When it comes to financial content, there is a myth that everything needs to be formal and traditional. So many financial brands are limiting their reach by not producing conversational content. Just ask today’s guest Madeline Anderson-Balme , Marketing Manager at MIT Federal Credit Union , where she exploded the brand’s audience by connecting in a conversational way. In this episode, we discuss:...

The rumors of SEO’s death have been greatly exaggerated… Probably by people who aren’t doing it right. Today’s guest understands better than most the right way to approach SEO. Scott Gardner , Founder at New Media Advisors , joins the show to teach you how to nail that approach. We discuss: - Why all SEO is local - The advantages smaller institutions have over their large national competitors - Wh...

Small business banking is 20% of global banking revenue, which means if you are a bank or credit union… You can’t afford not to do it. When you want to figure out the best SMB lending model, you turn to today’s guest, Gord Baizley , CEO at JUDI.AI . He joins the show to discuss: - The 5 biggest opportunities in small business lending - The culture required to thrive in small business lending - The...

While the COVID-19 Pandemic has encouraged the transition to digital, many still struggle to fully comprehend its importance and how to integrate it. Oversight can lead to employees unsure of how to use new technologies, resulting in a poor customer experience. John Findlay , CEO of LemonadeLXP , joins the show to discuss the digital transformation and how companies can embrace the change and bene...

The last year wasn’t what anyone expected, but plenty of good things came out of the chaos of the pandemic. Here at Banking on Digital Growth, the silver lining comes in the form of 100 episodes. And it wouldn’t be possible without you. To celebrate, I’ve curated the key insights from the top 10 episodes — picked by you, the dear listener. So, I’d love for you to join this very special episode you...

How critical are chatbots for our website? Today, as part of the Digital Growth Series, I’m answering that question from Frank, a marketing director for a financial brand on the east coast. Chatbots can make or break a digital experience. So, before you dive in, you need to consider a few things. In this episode, I explain: - The 3 considerations you need to address before implementing a chatbot -...

We live in a world where no one wants to be sold to. We have ad blockers. We pay subscription fees to Netflix to avoid commercials. You can’t buy a victory with advertising anymore. No, these days, the most human company wins. That wisdom comes from my latest guest, Mark Schaefer, Chief Operating Officer at B Squared Media and Author of Marketing Rebellion , in which he navigates the breakneck spe...

Today I’m answering a question from Sheila, a content and communication professional at an East-Coast financial brand: What’s the difference between content marketing and thought leadership? Well, the first thing you need to understand is that all thought leadership is content marketing, but not all content marketing is thought leadership. In this episode, I break down all you need to know about t...

If you want to build your organization's brand, it starts with building your employees’ personal brands. Just ask Natalie Bartholomew , Chief Administrative Officer at Grand Savings Bank . Her personal advocacy for women in financial services has put a small community bank on the national stage. She joins me to discuss: - Why personal branding matters to your organization - How to find your niche...

On the Apollo 13 mission, NASA only had one way to get its astronauts out alive: innovation . It’s something every financial brand should take to heart. Because you have a choice: Innovate, or die. So says JP Nichols , Co-Founder at FinTech Forge & Alloy Labs Alliance, whose wealth of experience has taught him that innovation is messy, but it’s the key to survival. He joins me in the latest ep...

Most people have probably heard of embedded finance by now, but how many have heard of embedded Fintech? My guest today, Derik Sutton , Vice President of Marketing at Autobooks.co , is one expert sounding the alarm to make sure more financial brands do. He joined the show to explain how embedded Fintech can help financial brands better serve SMBs. In this episode, we discuss: - Why banks should em...

If you’re a traditional banker worried about the digital age progressing much too fast, you can rest assured that it is. But it doesn’t matter, because it’s not stopping. These days, it’s digital or die. My guest today is Keren Moynihan , CEO & Co-Founder at Boss Insights , who joins me to discuss the rapidly shifting financial landscape and how your brand can best respond. We discuss: - Why f...

If you’ve listened to the show before, then you already know digital transformation and growth are about more than just technology, they’re about people. The people who are most successful are the ones guided by a purpose. My guest today is Alana Kelly , Marketing Manager at On Tap Credit Union , who joins me today to share some lessons from her digital growth journey, including why having a guidi...

The pandemic has proven the value of content marketing for financial brands — it’s how you educate and empower your account holders, and how you bring a sense of empathy to the digital channel. That’s why today’s guest on the show — Shondell Varcian , CEO & Founder at Varci Media , is an expert in using content to better serve customers and she shares her secrets in this episode. We discuss: -...

Content is the fuel in your digital growth engine. If you maximize your content, then you maximize your future digital growth potential. In this episode, I speak with Joe Pulizzi , Founder at The Tilt and Author of Content Inc. , and he shares his step-by-step approach to crafting the highest-octane content around. What we talked about: - Why it’s more important to build an audience than a product...

Many financial brands are aware of how valuable content can be. Sure, they’re producing and promoting it… But precious few are being strategic with their content. If you have questions, fears, or uncertainties about content strategy, then Garick Giroir , Content Strategist at Louisiana Federal Credit Union , has the answer. He joins me in this episode to share the secrets to elevating your content...

The end of the pandemic is in sight, but the changes it brought to our way of life will continue well into the future. Just look at the meteoric rise of Banking as a Service. My guest today, Christopher Danvers , Senior Product Manager at Q2 BaaS , knows a thing or two about BaaS’ rise, since he is responsible for the lifecycle of card and payment experiences that help define the future of payment...

Your conscious brain is ruled by your subconscious brain, which does between 95% and 99.999% of the work. How does this affect your decision making? In this Exponential Insights episode of Banking on Digital Growth, I interview Melina Palmer , Founder and CEO at The Brainy Business , about marketing and the human brain. What we talked about: - The conscious vs. the subconscious - The most influent...

How many times has your financial institution thanked you? They’ve probably just pushed messages without trying to create dialogue. Huge mistake. In this Exponential Insights episode of Banking on Digital Growth, I interview Paula Tompkins , CEO/Founder at ChannelNet , about creating relationships and expressing appreciation. What we talked about: - Actually thanking your customers and members - H...