Banking on Digital Growth

Hosted by Derik Krauss

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487

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Jul 2026

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About the show

If you’re part of a financial brand marketing, sales, or leadership team, you know the entire industry is in the midst of exponential change fueled by new technologies. Consumers now make purchase decisions long before they walk into a physical branch location, if they walk into a branch at all, while mobile banks, digital lenders, and fintechs have transformed traditional growth models rooted in legacy broadcast marketing and branch sales strategies.Get ready to gain practical insights, proven ideas, and empowering inspiration as financial brand marketing and sales leaders, along with the leading digital marketing and sales technology firms, share their stories to help you maximize your digital growth potential here on Banking on Digital Growth. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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July 16, 202654 min

Why measurement is the key to (deposit) growth

Growing deposits has become one of the biggest challenges facing banks and credit unions today. But what if the answer isn't better rates or new products? In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, I sit down with Bill Bloom, founder of Diane Money, to discuss why helping members become better savers may be one of the most overlooked growth strategies in financial services. They explore how spending habits impact long-term financial health, why measurement is the foundation of behavior change, and how financial institutions can shift from simply selling products to helping people build better financial habits. Along the way, Derik shares personal stories about health, analytics, and why measuring the right things has transformed both his personal life and his business. If you're interested in deposit growth, financial wellness, consumer behavior, or building stronger member relationships, this conversation is full of practical ideas. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Why measurement changes behavior (personal story) 04:23 How better analytics changed Derik's health decisions 05:04 Why website analytics inspired the creation of Metrify 07:42 Meet Bill Bloom and the story behind Diane Money 10:41 What Diane Money actually does 11:26 Growing up with 45 credit cards in the house 12:44 Why Bill chose a career in financial planning 14:00 Savers vs. spenders: the two financial personalities 15:05 Helping spenders become better savers 15:37 The pilot program inside a bank that changed employee finances 17:00 How one banker saved over $3,000 in two months 18:00 Why financial institutions should start with their own employees 19:00 The problem with selling instead of serving customers 22:00 Why awareness is the first step toward saving more money 23:54 The surprising spending habits hurting consumers most 25:07 Automating savings after identifying spending opportunities 26:01 Moving from product-focused banking to savings-focused banking 29:19 Why helping people save creates a competitive advantage 30:20 Why deposits are often spread across multiple institutions 31:00 Competing on service instead of rates 33:00 How financially stressed employees impact member experience 35:20 Helping members eliminate debt instead of creating more of it 38:18 Why previous budgeting tools failed to gain traction 39:00 The cultural shift banks need to embrace 41:08 Technology isn't the solution—leadership is 43:27 Creating a culture focused on financial wellness 44:05 Finding $400 of savings for every member 45:07 Why institutions must be willing to change 46:03 Measurement drives better financial decisions 49:00 Envelope budgeting and building better financial habits 50:40 Analytics only matter if people take action 51:17 The connection between personal finance and website analytics 53:00 The universal principle of measurement and improvement 53:53 Final thoughts Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

July 6, 202641 min

The credit union membership crisis no one wants to talk about

In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, I sit down with Mike Lawson of CU Broadcast to discuss what Mike calls the industry's "member succession plan", the urgent need for credit unions to replace an aging membership base by winning over younger generations. Together, we explore why fintechs like Chime, SoFi, and Ally have become so appealing, the role digital experiences play in attracting new customers, and why simply having great rates is no longer enough. We also discuss the Innovator's Dilemma, the challenge of balancing branch investments with digital transformation, and how AI could fundamentally change the future of banking experiences. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and episode introduction 00:40 Why credit unions need a "member succession plan" 02:24 Meet Mike Lawson and the story of the rescued pigeon 08:03 Why attracting younger members has become critical 10:25 What's causing credit unions to lose younger generations? 11:06 Does the term "credit union" create a marketing challenge? 12:52 What Chime and SoFi get right about marketing 14:07 Digital experience vs. traditional banking experiences 15:00 Why Derik switched from Wells Fargo to Ally Bank 18:00 The digital experience gap facing financial institutions 19:07 Can community involvement actually drive growth? 22:25 What website heat maps reveal about member behavior 24:17 The Patagonia effect: purpose as a brand differentiator 28:00 Why fintechs continue to outperform traditional institutions 30:02 The Innovator's Dilemma: branches vs. digital investment 31:18 Why branches aren't disappearing—they're evolving 32:34 How AI could reshape banking experiences 34:00 The future of AI agents and banking interfaces 35:00 MCP servers and AI-powered banking transactions 37:15 Will AI eventually complete loan applications? 38:30 AI's growing role across financial services 39:00 How AI can actually make banking more human 40:04 Can AI help credit unions better fulfill their mission? 40:45 Final thoughts and wrap-up Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

June 15, 20261 hr 0 min

Is marketing dead? Why creativity and data need each other.

In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, Derik sits down with Melanie Draheim to explore one of the most important conversations happening in marketing today: the relationship between creativity and performance. The discussion starts with a surprising lesson from a backpacking trip through Death Valley and quickly evolves into a deeper conversation about why marketers are so quick to declare things "dead" whenever technology changes. Together, Derik and Melanie unpack the tension between art and science, brand and performance, creativity and analytics. They discuss why marketing fundamentals still matter in an AI-driven world, how data can strengthen creativity rather than limit it, and why understanding real human behavior remains one of the most powerful competitive advantages available to marketers. Whether you're focused on branding, digital marketing, AI, website optimization, or member growth, this episode offers practical insights on balancing creativity with measurable results. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and a surprising lesson from Death Valley 01:00 Melanie's backpacking adventure and the value of disconnecting 05:30 Why everyone keeps declaring marketing channels "dead" 07:00 Is SEO dead? Is brand dead? The danger of marketing eulogies 08:00 Technology as a delivery mechanism, not the destination 10:00 How AI is changing the way people experience brands 12:00 Influencing people vs. influencing what influences people 13:00 Fear vs. opportunity in times of technological change 15:00 SEO, GEO, and what marketers are really talking about 17:00 Creativity and performance: a false choice 18:00 Why great marketing requires both art and science 20:00 Purpose, performance, and measuring success 22:00 The importance of starting with "why" 23:00 What usability testing reveals that analytics can't 25:00 The biggest website optimization mistake credit unions make 27:00 Why A/B testing requires humility 29:00 Intuition, creativity, and validating ideas with data 30:00 A real marketing test: rates vs. monthly savings messaging 32:00 Why customers care about outcomes, not calculations 32:45 The story of selling $9,000 worth of bacon 36:00 Why creativity becomes more meaningful when tied to results 37:00 A broken pen, social media, and unexpected marketing success 39:00 Using member research to improve digital experiences 41:00 What members really want from mobile banking experiences 42:00 Talking to people vs. relying solely on dashboards 43:00 ChatGPT, Claude, and the evolution of AI tools 44:00 AI browsers and expanding AI capabilities 47:00 AI personalities, digital assistants, and the future of interaction 48:00 OpenClaw and what comes next for AI agents 49:00 The future of AI operating systems and digital experiences 01:00:00 Final thoughts and key takeaways If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe for more discussions on banking, credit unions, AI, marketing, digital growth, and the future of financial services. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

June 9, 20261 hr 0 min

I used AI to build an entire credit union website in hours (and it's incredible)

In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, Derik sits down with Kelly Hellickson of EmpowerFi to explore the future of AI-native websites, the agentic web, and why traditional content management systems may not be the best way to build digital experiences moving forward. During the conversation, Derik demonstrates a real-world prototype where AI designs, builds, and deploys a fully functional credit union website, including creating an entirely new youth checking page live during the episode. The implications for financial institutions are massive: faster development, lower costs, better user experiences, and a future where AI becomes the content management system itself. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and the future of AI-built websites 01:12 Meet Kelly Hellickson and EmpowerFi 03:00 Building modern MarTech stacks for financial institutions 06:00 Why many financial institutions still restrict AI tools 09:28 The conversation that sparked this episode 10:53 Could AI replace traditional CMS platforms? 12:13 Derik's AI workflow and being a top 1% ChatGPT user 16:21 Building AI-powered tools and website experiences 18:00 The concept of an AI-native website 22:25 Why AI can finally build complete websites 24:20 Live demo: an AI-generated credit union website prototype 25:25 How 140 A/B tests influence website design decisions 30:13 Introducing Claude Design and AI-first website creation 33:07 Using A/B testing data to guide AI-generated pages 35:15 How conversion optimization and A/B testing work 41:00 Training AI with proven website performance data 43:00 AI generates a youth checking page in real time 45:04 Why AI-generated design rationale is a game changer 47:04 Updating website experiences on demand with AI 49:31 When could AI-native websites become mainstream? 50:27 The vision for a fully agentic website platform 52:23 Claude Design → Claude Code workflow explained 54:09 How AI could make websites 10x faster and cheaper 56:01 Viewing the completed AI-generated page 57:44 Deploying the page live with Vercel 59:13 From AI design to a live website in minutes 01:00:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-native websites If you're interested in AI, digital marketing, website strategy, or the future of financial institution websites, this episode offers a firsthand look at what's possible today and where things are headed next. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

May 26, 202652 min

Will AI replace banking apps? The future of AI powered banking

In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, Derik sits down with Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Nymbus, to explore the future of AI-powered banking. The conversation starts with a simple question: Why can’t AI help manage personal finances yet? From there, Derik and Jeffrey unpack how AI agents can transform customer support inside financial institutions and help users analyze spending, automate financial workflows, and even conduct financial transactions. They also explore the bigger picture: Will banks embed AI into their own apps, or will customers increasingly interact with banks through ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms? If you’re thinking about AI, banking, digital transformation, or what the future of customer experience looks like, this episode is packed with insights. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and why Derik started looking for AI banking tools 02:00 What an MCP server is (and why it matters) 05:30 APIs vs. MCP servers explained 08:00 Why current banking apps frustrate AI workflows 11:00 Could ChatGPT become your next banking app? 15:00 Why AI-powered banking experiences are inevitable 18:00 Power users vs. mainstream AI adoption 21:00 Why many financial institutions are falling behind on AI 25:00 Vendor lock-in and the AI challenge for banks 29:00 How AI is transforming software development 33:00 Why technology alone isn’t a differentiator anymore 36:00 Internal AI use cases at Nymbus (call centers, support, operations) 42:00 The future of AI-powered customer banking experiences 46:00 Open banking, AI, and what regulation could look like 50:00 Embedded AI vs. ChatGPT as the banking interface 55:00 Where Nymbus is taking MCP next 58:00 Why differentiation matters more than technology 01:03:00 Community banking, niches, and competitive advantage 01:09:00 Jeffrey’s advice for bank and credit union leaders on AI 01:12:00 Final thoughts and wrap-up Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

May 15, 20261 hr 7 min

Why Financial Institutions Struggle to Execute Strategy (The “Messy Middle” Explained)

Why do so many banks and credit unions struggle to execute strategy- even when leadership agrees on the vision? In this episode, Derek sits down with Shawnette Rochelle, founder of Excellence Unbounded, to unpack the “messy middle”, the gap between strategic alignment and successful execution. Drawing from her military leadership experience, Shawnette shares why unclear decision ownership, unresolved trade-offs, and slow decision-making often become the real bottlenecks to progress. Listen to learn how financial institutions can move faster, create better alignment, and turn strategy into action. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and why strategy often breaks down 03:00 Shawnette’s background and lessons from travel & leadership 09:00 Strategy problem vs. execution problem in banking 12:30 What the “messy middle” really means 16:00 The decision layer: where execution succeeds or fails 21:00 Metabolizing trade-offs and avoiding stalled initiatives 28:00 Why decision ownership matters 35:00 Military leadership lessons on execution and autonomy 43:00 How unclear decisions slow organizations down 49:00 Strategy, speed, and AI-driven change in banking 56:00 Real-world examples of fixing execution bottlenecks 01:05:00 The three questions leaders should ask 01:10:00 Final thoughts and key takeaways Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

May 5, 202658 min

AI traffic is already here: What FI's are missing about the agentic web

n this episode, I sit down with my co-founder Ryan Harmon to break down the results of our latest AI traffic study and what it reveals about how the internet is fundamentally changing. For years, banks and credit unions have focused on driving human traffic to their websites. But what happens when AI agents become the primary way people find information? Ryan and I dig into what we discovered after tracking millions of AI bot visits across financial institution websites, and why traditional analytics tools like Google Analytics are missing most of the picture. We walk through how AI bots actually interact with websites, the difference between user bots, search bots, and training bots, and why “visibility” inside tools like ChatGPT may matter more than clicks. We also share real data showing that AI bot traffic is already rivaling human traffic—and what that means for your digital strategy. Listen to learn how AI is reshaping search, why content strategy needs to evolve, and what financial institutions should do right now to stay visible in an AI-driven world. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome back and introduction to the AI traffic study 01:00 How AI changed the way people search (basketball shoe example) 04:30 The shift from human browsing to AI agents as intermediaries 06:00 What “AI visibility” means and why it matters 07:30 Case study: going from 0% to 100% visibility with targeted content 09:00 The big question: does AI visibility actually drive traffic? 10:00 Why Google Analytics can’t see most AI traffic 12:00 Tracking AI referrals vs. actual AI bot activity 14:00 Why AI referral traffic appears so small (and misleading) 17:00 Discovering AI bots in server logs 18:00 Building tools to track AI traffic (WordPress plugin + Cloudflare) 20:00 Why pixel tracking doesn’t work for AI bots 23:00 How the AI traffic study was conducted (40+ institutions) 25:00 Millions of AI bot visits: what the data revealed 26:30 The three types of AI bots: user, search, and training 29:00 What user bots tell us about real human intent 30:30 How AI search bots index and retrieve content 34:00 How AI agents actually search (Bing queries + deep crawling) 41:30 What training bots are and why they matter 44:00 Do you actually want training bots on your site? 46:00 Benchmark data: AI bot traffic vs. human traffic (almost equal) 48:30 Breakdown: 88% training, 7% search, 4% user bots 50:00 Why AI citations don’t always result in bot visits 52:00 The connection between AI visibility and AI traffic 53:00 Real example: content driving top AI traffic pages 54:30 Why AI traffic is the new form of website engagement 55:30 What kind of content performs best for AI vs. humans 57:00 Final thoughts and what to watch next (AI optimizing for AI) Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

April 16, 20261 hr 11 min

How can FIs survive the next 5 years of banking disruption?

In this episode, I interview Chris Allen, CEO of Fox Communities Credit Union, about how credit unions and banks can stay flexible amid disruption. He explains Fox’s strategy of building three growth engines: retail branches, commercial lending, and virtual banking, each designed to adapt as market conditions change. Allen discusses why steady growth is essential for credit unions to remain sustainable, how commercial lending creates differentiation and supports local economic development, and why branches are evolving into service and marketing centers as digital banking adoption grows. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:11 Why Innovation Matters Now 04:12 Innovators Dilemma Framework 06:11 Fox Three Growth Bets 09:27 Designing for Flexibility 11:55 Why Credit Unions Need Growth 15:47 Grow or Die Mindset 22:35 Reinvesting Surplus for Stakeholders 29:26 Commercial Banking Differentiation 35:56 Fair Pricing Edge 36:38 Proving Commercial Expertise 37:15 Cost Barrier for CUs 38:05 Why Relationships Win 39:56 Commercial as Development 43:24 Branches Dead or Alive 49:29 Branches as Service Hubs 53:25 Planning for Uncertainty 58:59 Standalone Growth Channels 01:03:26 Funding Digital vs Branches 01:09:23 Flexibility as Strategy 01:11:21 Closing Thoughts Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

January 28, 202633 min

476) How much AI traffic are FI websites getting, and is it worth optimizing for yet?

In this episode, Ryan Harmon and I dig into a question we’re hearing more and more from banks and credit unions: how much AI traffic are financial institution websites actually getting and is it worth optimizing for yet? AI search is projected to overtake Google search within the next few years, and that shift comes with a major implication: the primary users of FI websites won’t just be humans anymore, they’ll be AI agents. The problem is, popular analytics tools like Google Analytics aren’t built to measure this kind of traffic. They’re designed to filter bots out, not help you understand what AI agents are doing on your site. In this conversation, we break down the difference between AI visibility and AI traffic, explain the three types of AI bots interacting with websites today, and share what we’re learning as we launch a new research study to measure real AI traffic across credit union and bank websites. If you want to understand how the Agentic Web is changing analytics, SEO, and digital strategy for financial institutions, this episode is for you. 00:00 Welcome back and episode overview 01:00 Why AI traffic matters for banks and credit unions 02:30 The difference between AI visibility and AI traffic 04:00 How AI answers questions vs. how Google search works 06:30 Why visibility doesn’t equal traffic 08:30 Why financial institutions started asking for AI traffic data 10:00 What it means when AI agents visit your website 11:30 The three types of AI bots (user, indexer, training) 14:00 Seeing AI agents visit your site in real time 16:30 Why Google Analytics can’t measure AI traffic 18:00 Clicks vs. “intent hits” in the AI era 20:00 Why most AI interactions don’t result in website visits 22:00 How AI agents use content differently than humans 24:00 Long-form content vs. modular content for AI 27:00 The tradeoffs of content structure for AI agents 29:30 What this research study aims to uncover 31:00 How to participate in the AI traffic research study 33:00 Final thoughts and next steps Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

January 26, 20261 hr 2 min

475) Your next banking app is ChatGPT

In this episode, I walk through a prototype that explores what I believe is the next major shift in banking: AI-first banking experiences built directly inside tools like ChatGPT. Instead of navigating complex apps and menus, you simply tell an AI what you want to do and it handles the work for you. Joined by my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, I demonstrate how a ChatGPT-based banking app could open accounts, move money between accounts, analyze transactions, and provide personalized financial insights all through natural language and lightweight UI components. We also discuss why AI-first banking is fundamentally different from traditional UI-based apps, what this means for user experience design, and why this shift is closer than most people realize. If you want to understand how AI agents could transform personal finance, budgeting, and everyday banking tasks, this episode is one you’ll want to watch- especially the demo. 00:00 Introduction and overview of AI-first banking 01:00 Setting up a banking prototype inside ChatGPT 02:30 Viewing accounts and balances inside the chat interface 04:00 Opening a new savings account with natural language 06:00 Confirmations, approvals, and human-in-the-loop controls 08:00 Why minimal UI works better with AI agents 10:30 Envelope budgeting and real-world banking pain points 13:00 Why traditional banking apps fall short 15:00 Executing multiple transfers with a single command 18:00 AI vs. UI-based banking experiences 21:00 Analyzing transactions and spending behavior 24:00 Why most people don’t budget and how AI changes that 27:00 AI agents as proactive financial assistants 31:00 Finding savings opportunities automatically 35:00 Subscription management, negotiation, and optimization 38:00 The future of AI agents managing money 41:00 Real examples already appearing in ChatGPT (Ramp, Stripe) 45:00 Why banking apps are coming to ChatGPT 48:00 What needs to happen for this to become real 52:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-first banking Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.