Banking on Digital Growth

Hosted by Derik Krauss

BusinessExplicit

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485

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Jun 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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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.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Introduction and a surprising lesson from Death Valley01:00 Melanie's backpacking adventure and the value of disconnecting05:30 Why everyone keeps declaring marketing channels "dead"07:00 Is SEO dead? Is brand dead? The danger of marketing eulogies08:00 Technology as a delivery mechanism, not the destination10:00 How AI is changing the way people experience brands12:00 Influencing people vs. influencing what influences people13:00 Fear vs. opportunity in times of technological change15:00 SEO, GEO, and what marketers are really talking about17:00 Creativity and performance: a false choice18:00 Why great marketing requires both art and science20:00 Purpose, performance, and measuring success22:00 The importance of starting with "why"23:00 What usability testing reveals that analytics can't25:00 The biggest website optimization mistake credit unions make27:00 Why A/B testing requires humility29:00 Intuition, creativity, and validating ideas with data30:00 A real marketing test: rates vs. monthly savings messaging32:00 Why customers care about outcomes, not calculations32:45 The story of selling $9,000 worth of bacon36:00 Why creativity becomes more meaningful when tied to results37:00 A broken pen, social media, and unexpected marketing success39:00 Using member research to improve digital experiences41:00 What members really want from mobile banking experiences42:00 Talking to people vs. relying solely on dashboards43:00 ChatGPT, Claude, and the evolution of AI tools44:00 AI browsers and expanding AI capabilities47:00 AI personalities, digital assistants, and the future of interaction48:00 OpenClaw and what comes next for AI agents49:00 The future of AI operating systems and digital experiences01:00:00 Final thoughts and key takeawaysIf 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.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Introduction and the future of AI-built websites01:12 Meet Kelly Hellickson and EmpowerFi03:00 Building modern MarTech stacks for financial institutions06:00 Why many financial institutions still restrict AI tools09:28 The conversation that sparked this episode10:53 Could AI replace traditional CMS platforms?12:13 Derik's AI workflow and being a top 1% ChatGPT user16:21 Building AI-powered tools and website experiences18:00 The concept of an AI-native website22:25 Why AI can finally build complete websites24:20 Live demo: an AI-generated credit union website prototype25:25 How 140 A/B tests influence website design decisions30:13 Introducing Claude Design and AI-first website creation33:07 Using A/B testing data to guide AI-generated pages35:15 How conversion optimization and A/B testing work41:00 Training AI with proven website performance data43:00 AI generates a youth checking page in real time45:04 Why AI-generated design rationale is a game changer47:04 Updating website experiences on demand with AI49:31 When could AI-native websites become mainstream?50:27 The vision for a fully agentic website platform52:23 Claude Design → Claude Code workflow explained54:09 How AI could make websites 10x faster and cheaper56:01 Viewing the completed AI-generated page57:44 Deploying the page live with Vercel59:13 From AI design to a live website in minutes01:00:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-native websitesIf 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 workflows11:00 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 development33:00 Why technology alone isn’t a differentiator anymore36:00 Internal AI use cases at Nymbus (call centers, support, operations)42:00 The future of AI-powered customer banking experiences46:00 Open banking, AI, and what regulation could look like50:00 Embedded AI vs. ChatGPT as the banking interface55:00 Where Nymbus is taking MCP next58:00 Why differentiation matters more than technology01:03:00 Community banking, niches, and competitive advantage01:09:00 Jeffrey’s advice for bank and credit union leaders on AI01:12:00 Final thoughts and wrap-upHosted 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. ⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Introduction and why strategy often breaks down03:00 Shawnette’s background and lessons from travel & leadership09:00 Strategy problem vs. execution problem in banking12:30 What the “messy middle” really means16:00 The decision layer: where execution succeeds or fails21:00 Metabolizing trade-offs and avoiding stalled initiatives28:00 Why decision ownership matters35:00 Military leadership lessons on execution and autonomy43:00 How unclear decisions slow organizations down49:00 Strategy, speed, and AI-driven change in banking56:00 Real-world examples of fixing execution bottlenecks01:05:00 The three questions leaders should ask01:10:00 Final thoughts and key takeawaysHosted 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.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Welcome back and introduction to the AI traffic study01:00 How AI changed the way people search (basketball shoe example)04:30 The shift from human browsing to AI agents as intermediaries06:00 What “AI visibility” means and why it matters07:30 Case study: going from 0% to 100% visibility with targeted content09:00 The big question: does AI visibility actually drive traffic?10:00 Why Google Analytics can’t see most AI traffic12:00 Tracking AI referrals vs. actual AI bot activity14:00 Why AI referral traffic appears so small (and misleading)17:00 Discovering AI bots in server logs18:00 Building tools to track AI traffic (WordPress plugin + Cloudflare)20:00 Why pixel tracking doesn’t work for AI bots23:00 How the AI traffic study was conducted (40+ institutions)25:00 Millions of AI bot visits: what the data revealed26:30 The three types of AI bots: user, search, and training29:00 What user bots tell us about real human intent30:30 How AI search bots index and retrieve content34:00 How AI agents actually search (Bing queries + deep crawling)41:30 What training bots are and why they matter44:00 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 bots50:00 Why AI citations don’t always result in bot visits52:00 The connection between AI visibility and AI traffic53:00 Real example: content driving top AI traffic pages54:30 Why AI traffic is the new form of website engagement55:30 What kind of content performs best for AI vs. humans57:00 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 Intro01:11 Why Innovation Matters Now04:12 Innovators Dilemma Framework06:11 Fox Three Growth Bets09:27 Designing for Flexibility11:55 Why Credit Unions Need Growth15:47 Grow or Die Mindset22:35 Reinvesting Surplus for Stakeholders29:26 Commercial Banking Differentiation35:56 Fair Pricing Edge36:38 Proving Commercial Expertise37:15 Cost Barrier for CUs38:05 Why Relationships Win39:56 Commercial as Development43:24 Branches Dead or Alive49:29 Branches as Service Hubs53:25 Planning for Uncertainty58:59 Standalone Growth Channels01:03:26 Funding Digital vs Branches01:09:23 Flexibility as Strategy01:11:21 Closing ThoughtsHosted 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 overview01:00 Why AI traffic matters for banks and credit unions02:30 The difference between AI visibility and AI traffic04:00 How AI answers questions vs. how Google search works06:30 Why visibility doesn’t equal traffic08:30 Why financial institutions started asking for AI traffic data10:00 What it means when AI agents visit your website11:30 The three types of AI bots (user, indexer, training)14:00 Seeing AI agents visit your site in real time16:30 Why Google Analytics can’t measure AI traffic18:00 Clicks vs. “intent hits” in the AI era20:00 Why most AI interactions don’t result in website visits22:00 How AI agents use content differently than humans24:00 Long-form content vs. modular content for AI27:00 The tradeoffs of content structure for AI agents29:30 What this research study aims to uncover31:00 How to participate in the AI traffic research study33:00 Final thoughts and next stepsHosted 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 banking01:00 Setting up a banking prototype inside ChatGPT02:30 Viewing accounts and balances inside the chat interface04:00 Opening a new savings account with natural language06:00 Confirmations, approvals, and human-in-the-loop controls08:00 Why minimal UI works better with AI agents10:30 Envelope budgeting and real-world banking pain points13:00 Why traditional banking apps fall short15:00 Executing multiple transfers with a single command18:00 AI vs. UI-based banking experiences21:00 Analyzing transactions and spending behavior24:00 Why most people don’t budget and how AI changes that27:00 AI agents as proactive financial assistants31:00 Finding savings opportunities automatically35:00 Subscription management, negotiation, and optimization38:00 The future of AI agents managing money41:00 Real examples already appearing in ChatGPT (Ramp, Stripe)45:00 Why banking apps are coming to ChatGPT48:00 What needs to happen for this to become real52:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-first bankingHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

January 20, 20261 hr 9 min

474) CUs and banks, your problem is strategy, not technology

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Colca, founder of Forge Clarity, to talk about a challenge credit unions and banks keep running into as they try to compete with digital-first players. Most people frame this as a technology problem. Joe and I don’t see it that way.With more than 26 years of experience at organizations like Vanguard, Citi, and VyStar Credit Union, Joe shares why the real issue isn’t a lack of technology, it’s a lack of strategic clarity. We dig into why many financial institutions struggle to deliver strong digital experiences, how the Innovator’s Dilemma applies to banking today, and what leaders should be thinking about as AI, fintech partnerships, and new operating models reshape the industry. Listen to learn why strategy, not technology, is the real bottleneck for digital transformation, and what banks and credit unions can do to position themselves for the future.00:00 Welcome back and episode introduction01:00 Introducing Joe Colca and his background in financial services05:00 Joe’s career journey from Vanguard to Citi to VyStar10:30 The Innovator’s Dilemma and its relevance to banking today14:30 Branch-based vs. branchless banking models18:00 Why digital transformation feels so hard for credit unions22:30 Technology upgrades vs. meeting member expectations27:30 Fintech partnerships and the build vs. buy decision33:00 Can banks successfully be both branch-based and digital-first?38:00 Strategy problems vs. technology problems43:30 Spinoff digital banks as a potential solution50:00 Real-world examples of credit union digital spinoffs56:00 The impact of AI on the future of banking experiences01:01:30 What Forge Clarity does and who it helps01:06:30 One action leaders should take right now: strategic clarity01:09:00 Final thoughts and wrap-upHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

December 4, 20251 hr 7 min

473) Can credit unions and banks leapfrog fintech? AI-first is their best shot.

AI is going to revolutionize banking. Credit unions and banks are already being disrupted by fintechs, now AI is either going to accelerate their demise or give them a chance to leapfrog their disruptors. The choice is theirs.In this episode, I (Derik Krauss) am joined by my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, to unpack how AI could disrupt UI-based fintechs and open up new opportunities for community banks and credit unions. We discuss The Innovator's Dilemma, the benefits of launching AI-first spinoffs, and how future financial institutions might operate without traditional mobile apps or online banking. 00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Episode 01:11 AI's Potential in Banking and Financial Institutions 03:53 The Innovator's Dilemma in Banking 05:59 The Shift from Physical Branches to Digital Banking 11:37 AI as the Next Disruptive Innovation 17:02 The Future of AI-Driven Financial Services 23:04 AI Integration in Everyday Life 29:50 The Role of AI in Financial Decision Making 31:35 Blockchain and AI: Revolutionizing Banking 33:25 AI-First Experience: The Future of User Interfaces 35:48 Cost Efficiency in AI-Driven Banking 39:08 OpenAI's App Store: A New Frontier 40:31 Challenges and Opportunities for Credit Unions 42:58 The Innovator's Dilemma: Embracing Disruptive Innovation 46:49 Launching Spinoffs: A Strategy for Transformation 49:00 The Future of Banking: AI-First Spinoffs 50:03 Legacy Institutions and Modern Challenges 01:00:35 The Role of Marketing in Credit Union Transformation 01:03:01 AI's Impact on the Banking Industry 01:05:47 Conclusion: Embracing AI for Future SuccessHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.