3 big money questions from a new father

2024 has already been a crazy year, or maybe that’s just because I’ve spent most of it as a brand-new, first-time-ever Dad. Yes, parenthood is wonderful, watching my daughter grow and change is breathtaking, and I really, REALLY miss getting a full night of sleep. But this article isn’t about that. Instead of talking about…

Read More
Your biggest assets are in the heads of the people who work there

Turn your staff into an Idea Factory.

Your credit union’s biggest assets are not on the books, but in the heads of the people who work there. Their experience has given them very specific insights, that when combined with some creative thinking become invaluable to your credit union’s future. So how do you turn those assets into something tangible? Turn your staff…

Read More
Where will the future take you?

Move with the future or get left behind

My job has had a learning curve since Day 1, and I hope it continues. Because I’d rather move with the future than get left behind. It has been a powerful evolution I’ve been a graphic designer for over 40 years. My profession has transformed from markers, drafting tables and T-squares all the way up…

Read More
So how DO you avoid CommitteeThink?

5 short, sweet ways to avoid CommitteeThink

The rationale for allowing committees to make big decisions sounds good – a small group of stakeholders with diverse backgrounds combine their experiences to solve a problem as a team, efficiently and quickly, in order to benefit the most people. So why doesn’t it seem to work that way? Why do some people see committees…

Read More
Appeal to their desire to drive and influence change

How to make your credit union’s Board of Directors cool

We’ve seen a lot of conversation in the past few years about the member aging problem and its impact on the future of the credit union movement. Yes, it’s undeniably an obstacle, but more than a few credit unions could benefit from examining themselves, particularly the Board of Directors, along with their membership.  To put…

Read More
First you need to create an on-ramp.

Why are our Board Members so Old?

Now that I’m on two Boards, I finally understand why there is so much gray hair on so many Board Member’s heads. They’re old. Like me. Not that gray hair is a negative. Because of my Dad’s mostly shiny dome, I’m just happy to have some hair up there, regardless of color. And there are…

Read More
What's on the minds of CU leaders right now?

Candid Conference Conversations

In the last month, I’ve been to two state credit union league conferences (the Virginia CU League‘s Growth Conference, and the Indiana CU League‘s Convention right here in Indianapolis). Wondering what’s on the minds of CU leaders right now? Fresh from the schmooze-a-thons, here’s a quick recap of some of the problems and solutions we…

Read More
This should be on everyone's radar

How credit unions fit into the digital marketplace

Most credit unions have a heartwarming story about putting cash into the communal cigar box. That mental image is great, and it resonates with people who want to be community-focused. But how many people under the age of 35 remember the last time they paid for something with cash? We’re living in a world where finance…

Read More
If we want to still be around in the future, we need to let younger members shape that future.

Why you need fewer members who look like me

The median age in the US is 38.5. The average age of a credit union member is 53. That’s already a big gap. But when you realize that 68% of their “most loyal” CU members are older than 65, suddenly that age gap feels even bigger. (No wonder so many credit unions are beginning to…

Read More
Meatspace Feature

“Meatspace” is a CU superpower

Over the last few months, I’ve been to several in-person events, both professionally and personally. There really is nothing like being in real live “meatspace” with other real live humans when you want to connect, learn, innovate, and just plain have fun. Of course, you can also form real connections and have real, human-to-human experiences…

Read More