The Remarkable Credit Union

"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 ban...

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 questio...

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...

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 tr...

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 pa...

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 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. 

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 mark...

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 say...

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 innov...

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.