The CUInsight Experience

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238

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Jul 2026

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The CUInsight Experience podcast is hosted by Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com , and Jill Nowacki, founder and president/CEO of Zealyst . In each episode, they explore leadership, life, and the credit union movement through candid conversations with industry leaders and changemakers. Together, they uncover lessons, insights, and experiences that help listeners become better leaders and strengthen the movement we all serve. The CUInsight Experience is produced by John Pettit, Managing Editor of CUInsight.com .

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August 14, 2026Episode 23943 min

Energized with Deonne Christensen (#239)

“The culture isn’t just a sidecar to the credit union motorcycle. It has to be the fuel that runs what we do.” — Deonne Christensen Welcome to episode 239 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight , and Jill Nowacki, co-founder, president and CEO of Zealyst . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this 2026 season, Jill and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. For this episode, we are so excited to bring Deonne Christensen to the show! Deonne is the President and CEO of Mazuma Credit Union , and she joins us to discuss what it means to be energized and why it matters. We explore what it really takes to create a workplace where people feel connected, supported, challenged, and excited to contribute, and Deonne shares how Mazuma’s culture evolved from a well-intentioned but sometimes awkward collection of ideas into something much more sincere and woven into the way the organization operates. We talk about why culture requires more than pizza parties, perks, or carefully crafted slogans, with Deonne explaining the importance of building the infrastructure that allows culture to thrive, giving teams ownership of it, and learning to recognize when an organization’s attempts at creating energy are actually missing the mark. She shares some wonderfully candid stories along the way—including mandatory member high-fives, branch dance parties, and a particularly memorable chocolate-fountain-filled commercial! The three of us also explore the connection between culture and purpose, including Mazuma’s emphasis on helping employees identify their own purpose and understand how it connects to the organization. Deonne talks about belonging, particularly for people who don’t fit the stereotypical image of an energetic or outgoing workplace culture, and why healthy cultures need both positivity and accountability. Deonne also reflects on her own evolution as a leader and the realization that being kind and caring doesn’t mean sacrificing effectiveness, and we discuss how leaders can care deeply about their people while still holding them accountable. Deonne offers some practical advice for anyone who feels that their career has become too closely tied to titles or positions, encouraging listeners to separate their identities from the corporate ladder and reconnect with their own purpose. This is truly a conversation about culture, purpose, belonging, leadership, burnout, humor and the energy we create for the people around us, and we hope that you enjoy our conversation with Deonne Christensen! Connect with Deonne: Deonne Christensen, President and CEO of Mazuma Credit Union mazuma.org Deonne: LinkedIn Mazuma Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List Show notes from this episode: Sponsor: Trellance Shout-out: Mazumans Film mentioned: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Shout-out: Chick-fil-a Character mentioned: Michael Scott TV series mentioned: The Office Shout-out: Deonne’s four teenagers Shout-out: CUES Symposium Shout-out: Claude Shout-out: Zoom Shout-out: Mazuma’s Chief Risk Officer Shout-out: Mazuma’s Chief Information Officer Previous guests mentioned in this episode: George Hofheimer ( #33 ); Kelly Botti ( #238 ) In This Episode: [2:02] - Deonne believes that a strong culture requires leadership investment, infrastructure, and space for people to take ownership. [4:49] - Early culture efforts can easily miss the mark when they don’t reflect employees’ and members’ real experiences. [6:10] - Deonne asserts that culture should fuel meaningful work without creating forced or disconnected experiences for employees and members. [9:07] - Hear how Deonne's employees have refined the culture by integrating its values naturally into their everyday work. [10:43] - Personal purpose helps employees align their work with something deeper than just compensation or status. [13:08] - Deonne and Jill discuss how work is a type of a relationship. [15:31] - Hear how a healthy culture makes everyone feel they belong and can contribute, regardless of personality type. [18:05] - Deonne reflects on how, after years of leadership effort, employees eventually took ownership of the culture before pandemic fatigue dimmed its spark. [19:48] - Rebuilding culture requires addressing struggles directly rather than allowing conflict or burnout to go unresolve [22:19] - Jill and Deonne talk about how core values define how teams handle conflict, accountability, and challenges while supporting a healthy workplace culture. [25:24] - Deonne argues that effective leadership combines kindness and empathy with accountability and high expectations. [28:14] - A strong workplace balances caring for individuals with serving a purpose larger than themselves. [31:27] - Sharing cultural leadership empowers teams while allowing leaders to recharge and maintain energy. [34:39] - Hear how, even though she loves people, Deonne is an introvert and sometimes needs time to recharge her social battery. [36:26] - Deonne advises how discovering personal purpose can free people from defining success through titles, positions, or advancement. [38:52] - Deonne offers an example of how embracing humor can make stressful work more manageable and memorable. Send us Fan Mail

July 31, 2026Episode 23845 min

Transitions with Kelly Botti (#238)

“You get this feeling that your job as a leader is to sink the long putt. But your job is to caddy.” – Kelly Botti Welcome to episode 238 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com , and Jilly Nowacki, co-founder, president and CEO of Zealyst . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. For this episode, we are so thrilled to welcome Kelly Botti - President and CEO of Trumark Credit Union ! She joins us to talk about how leadership transitions rarely happen as cleanly as a new title or promotion suggests. We discuss the personal side of change—the uncomfortable stretch of time and growth between who we were and who we're becoming, and we unpack why the biggest leadership shifts often happen internally long before anyone else even notices them! Listen in as Kelly reflects on stepping into executive leadership at a young age, the pressure to prove herself, and how chasing credibility sometimes pulled her away from authenticity. We talk about why experience and not just intelligence often shapes stronger leaders, how mentorship can fill the gaps that life hasn't yet provided, and why trying to have all the answers often acts as an obstacle to actual influence. The three of us share our own stories of early-career missteps, the lessons that we wish we had learned sooner, and how our perspectives have changed over time. Our discussion also examines what leadership looks like once success is no longer measured by personal output, and we talk about creating the conditions for others to succeed, resisting the urge to solve every problem yourself, and continually bringing teams back to a shared mission instead of micromanaging. Kelly offers practical insights into creating a sense of alignment, leading experienced teams, and communicating a vision without controlling every decision. We also spend some time on something leaders don't discuss nearly enough: the emotional work behind major transitions. From burnout and self-awareness to having trusted people in our life who are candid and honest, we explore what it really takes to stay grounded while carrying a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. We close by discussing why the best leaders aren't driven by ego but rather by purpose. If you're working through a major career change, growing into a new leadership role, or simply trying to become a more authentic leader, we think you'll find plenty to reflect on in this conversation with Kelly Botti! Connect with Kelly: Kelly Botti, President and CEO of TruMark Credit Union trumark.com Kelly: LinkedIn TruMark Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List Show notes from this episode: Sponsor: Trellance Place mentioned: Europe Shout-out: Montana Credit Union Place mentioned: Montana Shout-out: Kelly’s sister Shout-out: Kelly’s team Place mentioned: Philadelphia , PA Shout-out: Orange Theory Fitness Shout-out: Kelly’s son Shout-out: Kelly’s coach Shout-out: Lokai Place mentioned: Dead Sea Place mentioned: Mount Everest Shout-out: Harrison Assessments Podcast episode mentioned: Despite Impossible - “Season 4 Episode 26: Jill Nowacki” Shout-out: Peloton Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Faye Nabhani ( #233 ); Tansley Stearns ( #228 ) In This Episode: [2:27] - How would Kelly define transition? [4:13] - Authentic leadership requires inner peace rather than adapting to please others. [7:29] - Kelly reflects on how building credibility as C.E.O. required patience, relationships, and less focus on proving herself. [10:24] Hear how experienced mentors compensated for Kelly's limited life experience as a new C.E.O. [12:05] - Jill illustrates how experience teaches leaders to prioritize meaningful issues over perfection. [15:01] - Authentic leaders create conditions for others to solve problems instead of solving them personally. [18:23] - Kelly reflects on her leadership which centers on aligning executives around mission, resources, and collaboration. [21:28] - We joke about the nuances between being “real life” funny and “business” funny. [22:42] - Role transitions often prioritize work over well-being until the personal cost is later realized. [24:09] - Hear how burnout taught Kelly that emotional growth requires vulnerability, support, and self-reflection. [27:35] - Others tend to notice burnout via changed behavior, even when leaders believe they conceal it. [30:30] - It's very important for leaders to manage their energy because it shapes everyone around them. [33:49] - Kelly's coach uses Lokai bracelets to illustrate balancing humility during success with hope during hardship. [35:48] - Releasing past pain as motivation helped create steadier leadership and calmer team dynamics for Kelly. [37:18] - Consistently being transparent and having a shared purpose build trust through major transitions. [41:06] - Kelly and Jill talk about how leadership is a lifelong journey, not a destination requiring constant urgency or achievement. [43:31] - Kelly believes that the best leaders are not egotistical. Send us Fan Mail

July 3, 2026Episode 23737 min

Collaboration with April Clobes (#237)

“My biggest goal is that the industry wins, thrives, and survives. You don't do that alone. That's a whole movement.” – April Clobes Welcome to episode 237 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com , and Jilly Nowacki, co-founder, president and CEO of Zealyst . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more at Trellance.com ! In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. For this episode, we welcome back April Clobes who was a previous guest in episode #73 . April is the President and CEO of MSU Federal Credit Union , and she joins us today to talk about the importance of collaboration in the credit union space. Listen in as we discuss how she has grown the credit union from 100 to over 1,200 employees while keeping a strong focus on inclusion, shared ownership, and creating space for every team member to contribute. April shares how curiosity and “what if” thinking have affected everything from new member experiences to experimental concepts such as her organization’s kid-focused Money Lab. We also explore what it takes to build trust across a fast-moving organization (and across an entire industry). April explains why showing up consistently, listening intently, and co-creating solutions can help speed up innovation far beyond what any single organization can achieve alone. April also opens up about the reality of leadership being imperfect—including missed blind spots, the importance of feedback, and learning to slow down and bring others in earlier. We discuss shifting workplace expectations, where employees are increasingly comfortable asking “why” and challenging decisions and how that shift is reshaping leadership styles. Finally, we talk about a more personal side of leadership and how networks of peers, mentors, and board relationships help counteract the loneliness that can sometimes come with executive roles. April leaves us with a clear invitation: collaboration isn’t just a strategy for growth, it’s a commitment to showing up for each other so the whole industry can do better together. We hope that you enjoy this insightful conversation with April Clobes! Connect with April: April Clobes, President and CEO of Michigan State University Federal Credit Union msufcu.org April: LinkedIn | april.clobes@msufcu.org MSU Federal Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List Show notes from this episode: Sponsor: Trellance Shout-out: CUES Directors Conference Shout-out: Jack Henry Shout-out: Scimitar Shout-out: the lab at MSUFCU Place mentioned: Lansing , Michigan Shout-out: CUDX Shout-out: Chase Shout-out: Scott Simpson Shout-out: Bank of America Shout-out: Jilly's friend Brent Book mentioned: Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges by Otto Scharmer Shout-out: Jilly's son Crosby Previous guests mentioned in this episode: April Clobes ( #73 ); Mark Zook ( #230 ); Patty Corkery ( #112 & #213 ); Tracie Kenyon ( #12 , CUInsight Network episode #64 , & #209 ); Steph Sherrodd ( #46 ); Linda Armyn ( #178 ) In This Episode: [2:24] - April argues that collaboration strengthens outcomes by combining different perspectives and skills. [3:32] - Hear how, as April's organization grew, intentional communication kept employees engaged and up to date. [6:03] - A culture focused on mission helps inspire employees to improve members' lives while supporting one another's success. [8:54] - Great leaders embrace feedback, admit imperfections, and continually course-correct alongside their teams. [10:43] - Jilly asserts that employee resistance often reveals overlooked opportunities that strengthen ideas via collaboration. [12:08] - Resetting with fresh perspectives can help uncover blind spots and turn setbacks into good outcomes. [14:25] - Hear how industry trust grew via consistent contributions and a strong commitment to collective success. [17:31] - April explains how strong vendor partnerships can lead to faster innovation as well as better collaboration and outcomes for members. [20:20] - Curiosity sparks ideas, but collaborative teams then transform them into impactful innovations. [21:48] - April asserts that greater industry collaboration and shared data could strengthen AI and better serve members collectively. [24:49] - April believes that anonymous data sharing could strengthen industry success. [27:31] - Hear how meaningful relationships and peer networks make collaboration, learning, and leadership more effective. [30:17] - April believes that it's important for today's leaders to embrace inclusion, transparency, and employees who confidently ask "why." [33:56] - Hear how AI reduces routine work, freeing employees to focus on higher-value thinking and innovation. [36:06] - In closing, April adds that collaboration thrives when leaders openly share knowledge, resources, and support across the industry! Send us Fan Mail

June 19, 2026Episode 23630 min

Future (#236)

“Moving forward, moving ahead, it doesn't diminish what came before. It honors it.” - Jilly Nowacki Welcome to episode 236 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight , and Jilly Nowacki, co-founder, president and CEO of Zealyst . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. For this episode, we talk about how, at some point, every leader faces a question that can be surprisingly difficult to answer: Is it time to move forward? This episode comes at such a perfect time, too, due to Jilly's recent launch of Zealyst, and we explore what happens when success, stability, and familiarity no longer feel fully aligned with who we've become. We also talk candidly about the signals that often appear long before a major change takes place such as loss of energy, impatience, growing friction, and the quiet realization that something new is calling us forward. During our conversation, we are challenging the idea that moving on means that something failed; sometimes, a chapter ends because it accomplished exactly what it was meant to accomplish. We discuss why leaders often stay longer than they should, how fear of disappointing others can cloud decision-making, and why timing never seems quite right when you're standing on the edge of a meaningful change. We also reflect on some stories from years of working with leaders who wrestled with questions about succession, retirement, career moves, and personal growth, and, together, we unpack the difference between pushing through a temporary rough patch and recognizing when you've outgrown a role or a version of yourself. Perhaps most importantly, though, we talk about what becomes possible when you finally make the decision to move forward. From renewed energy and creativity to a deeper sense of purpose, some of the most meaningful opportunities only appear once you're willing to take the first step! Enjoy our conversation! Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List Show notes from this episode: Sponsor: Trellance Shout-out: Humanidei Shout-out: Zealyst Film mentioned: Jerry Maguire Shout-out: Jill’s son Crosby Book mentioned: The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin Article mentioned: “Leaning into liminality” by Tracie Kenyon Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Tracie Kenyon ( #12 , CUInsight Network episode #64 , & #209 ) & Tansley Stearns ( #36 , #146 , & #228 ) In This Episode: [1:44] - Jill announces her recent transition to Zealyst! [4:19] - Hear how misalignment drains energy and makes even minor frustrations feel even more overwhelming. [6:11] - Success sometimes makes it harder to recognize a need for change. [9:13] - Growth sometimes requires difficult changes despite fears or past commitments. [11:23] - Jill points out how leaders often move on after recognizing growth points beyond current roles. [13:58] - Purpose remains constant, but ever changing circumstances may require a new path. [17:31] - It's important for leaders to discern temporary challenges from dead ends to keep evolving. [20:40] - Meaningful decisions often happen before clarity arrives, so trust yourself and move forward step by step. [21:25] - Leaving liminal space enables presence, creativity, and momentum after uncertainty resolves. [24:10] - When work no longer energizes you, change restores energy, enthusiasm, and contagious engagement! [25:21] - Jill touches upon curiosity and how it can shift from what will happen to you toward what you will create. [26:40] - We play a quick round of rapidfire questions. [28:29] - We discuss how leadership honors the past by embracing growth and moving into new seasons. Send us Fan Mail

June 5, 2026Episode 23544 min

Harmony with Samantha Beeler (#235)

“Remember to give your team time to shine.” – Samantha Beeler Welcome to episode 235 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight , and Jilly Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. This week on the podcast, we welcome back Samantha Beeler , President of The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates . She returns to the podcast to discuss what it looks like to live and lead well at the same time. We talk about how success on paper can still feel hollow when it comes at the expense of presence, health, or the people we care about and how many leaders learn that achievement alone doesn’t hold up as a definition of a good life. Listen in as we share how those lessons rarely arrive in one dramatic moment but instead build through seasons, habits, missteps, and small course corrections. From missed boundaries to rules about disconnecting, we reflect on what it means to step back from making efforts to be constantly available and challenge the idea that being always-on is a requirement for being effective. Listen as Samantha opens up about the real tradeoffs behind leadership decisions—including times when she pushed too hard, learned from it, and began relying more intentionally on boundaries and the people around her to keep her grounded. Throughout our conversation, we return to the idea that leadership is shaped just as much by who surrounds us as by anything we accomplish on our own. Mentors, peers, teams, and even family members all play big roles in helping us see ourselves more clearly and adjust when we drift off course. We also discuss the pressure leaders often feel to be everywhere, know everything, and never miss an opportunity and how that mindset can quietly pull life out of alignment. We hope that you enjoy our insightful conversation with Samantha Beeler! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com . Connect with Samantha: Samantha Beeler, President of The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates the-league.coop Samantha: LinkedIn The League of Credit Unions & Affiliates: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List Show notes from this episode: Sponsor: Trellance Shout-out: Jilly's son Crosby Shout-out: Paul Mercer Shout-out: Troy Stang Shout-out: Samantha’s father Shout-out: Montana Credit Union Shout-out: Samantha’s husband Shout-out: Samantha’s kids Shout-out: Samantha’s board member Chris Shout-out: GAC Place mentioned: Alabama Place mentioned: Georgia Place mentioned: Hartford , CT Place mentioned: Las Vegas , NV Shout-out: Alyssa Horwitz Shout-out: Humanidei Shout-out: Adam Grant Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Samantha Beeler ( #196 ); Caroline Willard ( #20 , #147 , & #221 ); Patty Corkery ( #112 & #213 ); Tracie Kenyon ( #12 , CUInsight Network episode #64 , & #209 ); Robbie Young ( #193 & CUInsight Network episode ); & Greg Michlig ( #156 ) In This Episode: [2:32] - Samantha touches upon what living well means to her at this stage of her life. [5:48] - Jilly points out that meaningful change develops gradually via habits that improve presence and reduce work attachment. [7:29] - Samantha argues that mentors and lived experiences help shape leadership growth more than titles or roles do. [10:12] - Hear how past imbalance taught Samantha that success requires boundaries, rest, and sustainable work habits. [13:00] - Samantha points out how modern work culture normalizes unsustainable pace, prompting her to question its necessity. [16:07] - External accountability helps Samantha recognize when she is overworking and maintain healthier boundaries. [19:38] - Samantha believes that leadership requires creating space for others. [22:01] - Jilly and Randy talk about how frequent conferences shape credit union culture, sometimes limiting time for meaningful local collaboration. [23:38] - Jilly points out how reframing leadership as creating opportunities for others helps transform FOMO into more purposeful delegation. [25:26] - Hear how life is seasonal integration rather than a fragile balance, and stepping back rarely causes disaster. [28:36] - Samantha agrees that viewing life in seasons can reveal shifting priorities where being present is more important than constant work urgency. [31:01] - Jilly and Samantha agree upon the importance of radical transparency. [33:53] - Team support helps Samantha protect boundaries and reminds her that leadership is a long-term commitment. [36:05] - Samantha asserts that authentic leadership requires vulnerability, shared leadership, and leaders who help develop other leaders. [37:26] - Jilly and Samantha discuss how emerging leaders show strong potent Send us Fan Mail

May 22, 2026Episode 23444 min

Values with Brent Rempe (#234)

“Our values are also meant to be adjectives.” – Brent Rempe Welcome to episode 234 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight , and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this new 2026 season, Jill and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. This week on the podcast, we are happy to welcome back Brent W. Rempe , President and CEO of First Alliance Credit Union . He joins us to discuss the importance of having and modeling values as a leader. Together, we talk about how values are often easy to name but much harder to put into operation, especially when leaders are faced with difficult decisions such as having to have accountability conversations, enact organizational change, and/or balance mission with financial realities. Listen in as Brent shares how his own values were shaped through early life experiences, Catholic social teaching, and years in the credit union movement, and how those influences continue to guide his leadership today as something that must be actively put into practice rather than just documented and/or stated. We also reflect on how values show up in real organizational work—how they are tested in moments of conflict, how they can be clarified via simple grounding questions, and how important it is to separate technical mistakes from deeper values misalignment. Throughout our conversation, we also challenge the idea that values belong solely on a wall or in a strategic plan and instead explore how they become real via consistent behavior, honest reflection, and accountability at every level of leadership—with Brent also walking us through how First Alliance redefined its mission, vision, and values via a collaborative, employee-driven process. Later, we talk about the very real tension between mission and margin, the importance of keeping things simple enough to remember, and why service must be more than a slogan if it’s going to be at all meaningful. By the end of our conversation, we land on a shared truth: values are not what an organization claims but are what it does when no one is watching and when decisions get hard. Enjoy our conversation with Brent Rempe! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com . Connect with Brent: Brent W. Rempe, C.E.O. & President of First Alliance Credit Union firstalliancecu.com Brent: LinkedIn First Alliance Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List Show notes from this episode: Sponsor: Trellance TV series mentioned: The Lion Guard Article mentioned: Harvard Business Review - “Building Your Company’s Vision” Book mentioned: Good to Great by Jim Collins Shout-out: Jerry I. Porras Shout-out: Sam Plester Shout-out: Mission Brands Consulting Shout-out: Kristina Kovacevic Shout-out: Callahan & Associates Book mentioned: CEO Excellence by Carolyn Dewar , Scott Keller , & Vikram Malhotra Shout-out: McKinsey & Company Shout-out: WEOKIE Federal Credit Union Book mentioned: Callahan’s Strategic Growth Framework by Jon Jeffreys Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Brent Rempe ( #182 ); Oscar Porras ( #23 & CUInsight Network episode ) In This Episode: [2:30] - Brent reflects on how his values have been shaped by his mother’s servant leadership, resilience, and community commitment. [4:32] - Formative experiences in Catholic social teaching and cooperative principles also guide how Brent applies his values as C.E.O. [6:46] - Brent believes that difficult offboarding decisions require balancing values and accountability despite personal emotional strain. [8:07] - Hear how, when challenges arise, Brent focuses on collective outcomes and addressing problems directly. [9:32] - Jill argues that alignment creates clarity, peace, and better self-awareness. [12:57] - Brent asserts that leadership is action demonstrated via accountability, humility, and choosing others’ interests over your own. [16:28] - Jill argues that values only count when actually put into action and not just on paper. [18:16] - Collaborative, staff-driven renewal of values strengthens alignment with purpose and direction. [21:16] - Simple, employee-created values can build ownership, alignment, and stronger organizational performance. [23:25] - Hear how having too many values can actually do more harm than good. [25:07] - Brent agrees and adds that values must be few, memorable, and clearly structured so that employees can consistently recall and apply them. [27:04] - Brent treats people with grace and multiple chances but also has to make hard decisions when growth stops. [31:04] - It's important for community service to prioritize underserved members and not just meet basic expectations or performance metrics. [34:52] - Hear how Brent has aligned leadership evaluation with mission-driven excellence. [37:56] - Discover how Jill models consistency. [40:01] - Brent regards C.E.O. leadership as constantly reinforcing values while encouraging progress and connection and avoiding complacency. [41:47] - Brent and Jill believe that authenticity, consistency, and passion are components of great leadership. [42:19] - Brent reveals that routinely spending time with his son helps him stay grounded. Send us Fan Mail

May 8, 2026Episode 23343 min

Shine with Faye Nabhani (#233)

“Investment in people is literally a business strategy. We win when our people win.” – Faye Nabhani Welcome to episode 233 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com , and Jilly Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. This week on the podcast, we return to a simple but far too often overlooked truth: leadership is not about staying in the spotlight but is rather about building space so that other people can step forward and shine. We explore how legacy isn’t really what we accomplish alone, but who we help develop along the way, and joining us to help us tackle this discussion is Faye Nabhani , CEO of SAFE Credit Union , whose work is often defined by a culture rooted in trust, growth, and people-first leadership! We talk with Faye about what it actually feels like to develop people in practice, and she shares the joy of watching someone realize that they are capable of more than they believed—those moments when confidence finally clicks because someone took a chance on them! We also discuss the distinction between mentorship and sponsorship, and how powerful it is when someone opens doors for you before you even know you’re ready to walk through them. Faye reflects on opportunities that place leaders into unfamiliar, high-responsibility roles and how those experiences can truly help reshape confidence and capability. We also talk about how to recognize emerging leaders without trying to force development. Listen in as we also explore what it means when the people in whom you invest eventually move on and how strong leadership cultures create alumni who carry that experience forward and reflect it back into the world! We open up about the shift into senior leadership: learning to let go of control, focus on fewer priorities, and accept that authority doesn’t translate into day-to-day execution, and Faye shares how unlearning the urge to do everything has been just as important as learning how to lead. We finally close on what it feels like to see someone you’ve supported succeed and offer up the reminder that helping others shine often means stepping back just enough to let them. Enjoy our conversation with Faye Nabhani! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com . Connect with Faye: Faye Nabhani, CEO & President of SAFE Credit Union safecu.org Faye: LinkedIn SAFE Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok Send us Fan Mail

April 24, 2026Episode 23238 min

Rhythm with Ken Cahoon (#232)

“You have to lead through your people.” – Ken Cahoon Welcome to episode 232 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight , and Jilly Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei . This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here ! In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. Listen in as we talk all about having a daily rhythm with Kenyahda Cahoon , CEO of Signal Financial Federal Credit Union . We reflect on how our own days are structured around intention rather than reaction, from early morning routines and workouts to time specifically set aside for coaching, strategy, and reflection, and we talk about how those choices shape the way we show up for our teams. Ken walks us through how his week at Signal Financial is carefully crafted, with Mondays centered on one-on-ones with his team (which is non-negotiable for him), midweek focused on execution and external relationships, and Fridays reserved for stepping back into visionary thinking and reviewing the week with a “watch the tape” mindset. We also openly discuss what tends to pull leaders out of rhythm in the first place—getting buried in emails, mistaking busyness for impact, or slipping into the comfort of doing work that feels more immediately gratifying. All three of us challenge that instinct and explore what it looks like to consistently operate at your highest value instead of defaulting to what feels urgent or familiar. Ken shares how he had to reset his approach when moving into a new organization, learning to protect time for strategy and leadership rather than letting the calendar run the show. Throughout our conversation, we ultimately land on the fact that leadership rhythm is not something that you perfect once and keep forever. It’s something you constantly notice, adjust, and recommit to by getting clear on your role, protecting the work only you can do, and staying honest about what’s moving the organization forward. We hope that you enjoy our conversation with Ken Cahoon! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com . Connect with Ken: Kenyahda Cahoon, CEO of Signal Financial Federal Credit Union signalfinancialfcu.org Ken: LinkedIn Signal Financial Federal Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok Sponsor: Trellance Send us Fan Mail

April 10, 2026Episode 23142 min

Anchored with Liz Ponder (#231)

“Our primary avenue of communication is creating moments.” – Liz Ponder Welcome to episode 231 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei. This episode is sponsored by Trellance Cooperative Holdings, Inc. Trellance is the parent company behind some of the most trusted credit union tech providers, such as Rise Analytics, ProBridge and Optiri. By providing tech to credit unions and investing in new solutions, Trellance aims to create growth opportunities for the entire industry and to empower credit unions to embrace innovative new technology. Learn more at Trellance.com In this new 2026 season, Jill and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. This week on the show, we welcome Liz Ponder, CEO of SRP Federal Credit Union. Liz is here to help us explore a concept which we firmly believe that every leader needs: a personal leadership compass. Listen in as Liz walks us through how she’s defined her own guiding principles and how those values shape the way she leads. She highlights why things like clarity, purpose, and empathy are not just meaningless buzzwords but tools to help her team understand their roles, see the impact of their work, and feel truly connected to the credit union’s mission. We dig into how leadership isn’t about moving fast or accumulating accolades but is about bringing people along, with Liz reflecting on how her listening skills, shaped early by her mother’s hearing impairment, helped her evolve into a leader who communicates intentionality and empathetically. We also get into how Liz works to intentionally build psychological safety, encouraging her team to speak up and share ideas without consequence. She also fosters a culture where transparency and collaboration drive real impact, not just numbers on a report. We also talk about the powerful role of language, mentorship, and modeling values in leadership, with Liz reflecting on lessons learned from her early career and how she has empowered others to find their voice. She also advises on how to guide people toward roles that align with their strengths and purpose and stresses the fact that leadership is ultimately not about a title. Liz firmly believes that anyone can lead from the position that they are in, even if it's a more junior position. Toward the end of the episode, we get a little more personal as we hear more about how Liz’s childhood shaped her leadership style, and she shares her next steps for the future, including an ambitious program to build up the next generation of female leaders! Liz truly blends humility with vision, staying grounded while building an organization that thrives because people feel valued, heard, and empowered. This episode is packed with practical insights and stories from the front lines of leadership and it's truly one you are going to love! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com . Connect with Liz: Liz Ponder, CEO of SRP Federal Credit Union srpfcu.org SRP Federal Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Send us Fan Mail

March 27, 2026Episode 23043 min

Upward with Mark Zook (#230)

“Getting it right means getting the right people, balance, structure, and authority—and everyone loving what they’re doing.” – Mark Zook Welcome to episode 230 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight , and Jilly Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei . This episode is sponsored by Alacriti , a leading payments fintech helping credit unions modernize money movement. Alacriti enables real-time money movement experiences for loan payments, A2A transfers, digital disbursements, and bill pay. Through a single cloud-native platform that connects to RTP, FedNow, Fedwire, ACH, Visa Direct, and Zelle, credit unions can progressively modernize without overhauling legacy systems. Learn more at alacriti.com ! In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too. Join us for this episode as we welcome Mark Zook , President and CEO of Maps Credit Union . He joins us to discuss something that many leaders experience but rarely say out loud: the fact that real growth often begins after you become the CEO. Mark stepped into the CEO role internally and has continued to evolve as a leader via years of work both inside his organization and across the credit union movement! Listen in as Mark shares what it was like moving into the CEO seat after seventeen years at Maps, believing himself to be prepared only to quickly realize how wrong that he had been. His first months in the role happened during the chaos of the Great Recession, which forced him and his newly assembled executive team to come together quickly, make difficult decisions, and build resilience in real time—all early challenges which shaped how he approaches leadership today! We also spend some time talking about one of the biggest transitions leaders face: shifting from being the person who gets things done to the person who empowers others to do the work. Mark reflects on how his “builder” mindset had to evolve once he became CEO. Instead of being the one executing, he instead had to learn how to listen, support, and guide the people around him. Throughout our conversation, we also touch upon the role that mentors play in leadership growth, with Mark reflecting on the major influence that former Maps CEO Dan Penn had on him, having pushed him into opportunities long before he felt ready. That spirit of curiosity and experimentation has shaped a lot of Maps' culture—from launching organizations that benefit the industry and even to entering newly emerging areas such as cannabis banking. We also talk about the value of iteration in leadership and how ideas rarely start fully formed. Hear how many of the initiatives that began as small experiments at Maps have grown into major organizations serving credit unions nationwide. Along the way, Mark shares lessons about risk, resilience, and the importance of building strong teams. If you have ever wondered what leadership growth looks like after the promotion, our conversation with Mark Zook offers an honest and thoughtful perspective! Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com . Connect with Mark: Mark Zook, President/CEO of Maps Credit Union Send us Fan Mail