The CUInsight Experience

“Be aware of the impact your actions have and be intentional about making those a positive impact.” - Jill Nowacki

Thank you for tuning in to episode 148 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by Elan Credit Card. Elan partners with more than 250 credit unions to provide an outsourced credit card program, and offers merchant and mortgage services for credit union members and business owners.

My guest on today's show is Jill Nowacki, the President & CEO of Humanidei + O’Rourke, who also happens to be my human. In this episode, Jill and I reflect on our trip to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro for Climb Africa to benefit The ACCOSCA Academy and dive deep into DEI. We discuss the connections made on this trip and the insightful conversations we had. One of the main takeaways from the journey that Jill mentions is how interconnected we all are. She emphasizes the significance of mindfulness and being intentional in our actions because of how it truly impacts the world.

During our conversation, Jill discusses social context for the development of DEI in several systems in recent years. She explains how credit unions can better understand DEI to be a more inclusive system in society where every individual's strengths are valued, seen, and heard. Jill then dives into the strategic benefits of DEI for credit unions and their communities. She prompts teams to look at how they design an experience or a product offering and see who might be left out in order to reshape how we can reach more people.

Jill and I chat about the economic wellbeing of consumers and financial services. We talk about all things credit union when it comes to building a career including the current workforce, environment, and taking the next steps. Jill discusses the effectiveness of DEI programs and shares the value in assessing and measuring current systems beforehand. Listen to take the first step towards improved experiences that resonate and connect with more people.

As we wrap up the show, listen in as Jill mentions a quirky, yet insightful habit, who plays her in a biopic and why, along with some of the books she is currently reading. Enjoy my conversation with Jill Nowacki!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

How to find Jill:
Jill Nowacki, President & CEO of Humanidei + O’Rourke
jill@humanidei.com
www.humanidei.com
Jill: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Medium
Humanidei: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

“You can’t just build diversity, you have to bring in the equity to create an inclusive environment.” - Jill Nowacki

Thank you for tuning in to episode 138 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by Allied Solutions. Allied Solutions is focused on helping clients grow their bottom line, protect their business and members, and evolve to stay ahead of the competition.

My guest on today's show is Jill Nowacki, the President & CEO of Humanidei + O’Rourke, who also happens to be my human. In this episode, we chat about intentional living from two different angles with Jill being more of a “YES” person while I am more of a “NO” person. Jill reveals how she leads an intentional life and structures it to allow her to say, “yes” more often. She discusses the importance of creating work-life integration, and we share our different views of taking space and rest. During our conversation, Jill provides her thoughts on effective leadership and highlights the significance of feedback and collaboration when making decisions.

Throughout the episode, Jill shares the impact credit unions can have in reducing the racial wealth gap and putting an end to long-term systemic inequality. Jill encourages credit union leaders to have conversations about racial inequity and be more involved in their communities to better understand the issues people are facing. She also recommends credit unions design products and services to solve these economic issues.

The conversation comes full circle as we chat about intentionality in building diverse leadership teams and boards. Jill shares the importance of creating an inclusive environment and asking “the equity question” to structure systems in a way that doesn’t favor or leave out specific groups of people. Tune in to hear Jill’s advice on positively impacting our communities, diversity, equity and inclusion, and finding a seat at the right table.

As we wrap up the show, listen in as Jill and I share our laughter, stories, and curiosities. Enjoy my conversation with Jill Nowacki!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher

Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

How to find Jill:
Jill Nowacki, President & CEO of Humanidei + O’Rourke
jill@humanidei.com
www.humanidei.com
Jill: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Medium
Humanidei: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

“Everyone should be focused on a digital experience.” - Joan Opp

Thank you for tuning in to episode 140 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by Elan Credit Card. Elan partners with more than 250 credit unions to provide an outsourced credit card program, and offers merchant and mortgage services for credit union members and business owners.

My guest on today's show is Joan Opp, President & CEO of Stanford Federal Credit Union. Joan started her career as a CPA, and gradually started working in the credit union industry. After years in this space, Joan is leading her team through the rapid changes happening in technology and member expectations. In this episode we chat about the future of the movement, including the one thing that all credit unions should be thinking about. She shares her thoughts on digital transformation and simplifying processes to attract members and better compete with fintechs in the market.

During our conversation, we discuss how credit unions can take traditional services and remove the “speed bumps” disrupting the member experience. Joan expresses the power of networking and the value it brings amongst the many opportunities in the industry. She also shares key characteristics that are critical when building a leadership team and how she gives feedback.

Joan offers team management insights from her time in leadership positions and as a CEO. She shares her thoughts on competing for talent; not between other credit unions in the industry, but competing with organizations in Silicon Valley. Joan emphasizes the value of the credit union mission and how it resonates with those who fit this financial space. Joan and I chat about getting past the, “This is how we’ve always done things,” mentality and discuss tips for showing people a fresh perspective to move the organization forward. Tune in to hear Joan discuss digital transformation, diversification, and team expectations.

As we wrap up the show, listen in while Joan shares which books she likes reading lately, why “Work hard. Play hard.” describes her approach to life, and which political figure she thinks is a successful person. Enjoy my conversation with Joan Opp!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher

Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

How to find Joan:
Joan Opp, President & CEO of Stanford Federal Credit Union
joan@sfcu.org
https://www.sfcu.org/
Joan: LinkedIn
Stanford FCU: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter

“Think, be relevant, redefine your credit union.” - Bo McDonald

Thank you for tuning in to episode 149 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by Elan Credit Card. Elan partners with more than 250 credit unions to provide an outsourced credit card program, and offers merchant and mortgage services for credit union members and business owners.

My guest on today's show is Bo McDonald, Founder, President, and CEO at Your Marketing Co. Bo shares how his passion for credit unions evolved through his career journey from radio to marketing, and his newest venture, hosting a podcast. He gives powerful advice to encourage credit unions to redefine marketing and focus on relevancy and authenticity to stay ahead in this ever-changing industry.

During our conversation, Bo shares the one concept that is both a challenge for credit unions and one that he is most excited about seeing in the future of the movement. Bo tells us about his new podcast called, The Accidental Leader where he shares insights based on his experiences to help others grow in their leadership role and build a positive culture. He discusses the key to being a good leader is having a vision, looking forward, and being able to communicate the vision effectively to your team.

Bo and I chat about building and growing a team. He emphasizes the importance of empathy and maintaining the culture, especially when adding new members to the team. We discuss the future of work and the best ways to maintain a team’s culture in a hybrid or fully remote work environment. He shares the greatest investment made in his career and advises listeners who are working towards becoming a CEO to, “Invest in yourself.”

As we wrap up the show, Bo talks about an emotional yet uniting moment within a business setting. He shares how he accidentally got into real estate, the leadership books he enjoys most, and advises listeners to, “go to the concert.” Enjoy my conversation with Bo McDonald!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher

Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

How to find Bo:
Bo McDonald, Founder, President, & CEO at Your Marketing Co.
bo@yourmarketingco.comhttps://yourmarketing.co/
Bo: LinkedIn | Twitter
Your Marketing Co.: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | InstagramPodcast: The Accidental Leader

“You have to be willing to get out there, go forward, and not worry about yesterday’s mistakes.” - Ricky Otey

Thank you for tuning in to episode 139 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by Elan Credit Card. Elan partners with more than 250 credit unions to provide an outsourced credit card program, and offers merchant and mortgage services for credit union members and business owners.

My guest on today's show is Ricky Otey, President & CEO of Partners Federal Credit Union. Ricky has worked in the financial services industry as an executive for 30 years. In this episode, we chat about the professional and personal connections that can strengthen your career trajectory. He expresses excitement for the future of credit unions and shares insights on staying relevant and focused on growth. He also discusses the value of having a mentor (and also being a mentor) to receive guidance and gain greater opportunities throughout your career.

During our conversation, Ricky dives into the greatest investment he made in his career that shaped his thought process. Ricky also shares two critical questions he asks himself when building a leadership team. We discuss the importance of establishing expectations and behaviors through a feedback model; situation, behavior and impact. Ricky discusses the importance of connecting with employees and sharing strategic plans to provide clarity about the organization’s objectives.

Ricky and I chat about taking on new risks and innovating for the future. We also talk about accountability and knowing when to pull the plug on an idea. Ricky chats about the benefits of remote work; specifically, the larger talent pool and increased opportunities that credit unions can now offer future employees. Tune in to hear Ricky discuss team expectations, strategic planning, and storytelling.

As we wrap up the show, listen in as Ricky shares how he finds balance in life, his favorite album of all time, and the countless lessons learned from his father. Enjoy my conversation with Ricky Otey!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher

Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

How to find Ricky:
Ricky Otey, President & CEO of Partners Federal Credit Union
theofficeoftheceo@partnersfcu.org
www.partnersfcu.org
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