NAFCU is hosting 13 conferences this year, ranging from their 52nd Annual Conference in New Orleans and Congressional Caucus in D.C. to their Strategic Growth Conference in South Carolina and Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee Conference in Savannah -- and many more.

To get an overview of conference subject matter, benefits, and goals, NAFCU's SVP/COO Anthony Demangone joined us on the program to provide a rundown on the association's 2019 conference offerings that are designed to help credit staffers and board members grow professionally that, in turn, will take credit unions to the next level and grow the industry.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts.

When it comes to talking to fintech, the conversation can go in a myriad of directions -- which can be a little scary. But we were up to the task with Cornerstone Advisors Senior Director Sam Kilmer (no relation to Billy or Val).

Sam came on the show to discuss "What's Going On In Fintech" based on an upcoming webinar (March 5) the folks at Cornerstone are hosting: "Fintech Relationships: Both Sides of the Table."

Here are some of the items we talked about:

• Why is everybody talking about fintech today ?
• Fiserv/First Data deal in payments -- what’s going on there that affects CUs?
• Flurry of fintech mergers/acquisitions happening -- why is it important to keep up on these deals?
• Digital has been hot, too -- what’s going on out there?
• Lots of activity around lending -- what’s the story there?
• What can credit unions do to stay up on fintech and the pace of change?

It's a very full discussion, so enjoy and let us know your thoughts -- and don't forget to check out their webinar for more details.

On the Mark Strategies Founder/CEO Mark Arnold joined us on the program to discuss a few timely marketing topics:

• 4 Trends in Credit Union Marketing from 2018 Marketing Audits
• 3 Steps to Prep Your Credit Union for the Looming Recession
• Wells Fargo Missed It: Your Logo is Not Your Brand (based on Mark's recent blog post)

There are so many takeaways in this talk we should've split it up into three parts. But we kept it all in one. So check it out, take notes, and let us know your thoughts. Great stuff here, once again, from Mark.

Protecting your organization's brand is so important in today's "always on" social media world. And for a financial institution, it can be a make or break situation -- especially if there's a breach, natural disaster, or some other negative event.

I first heard about this "protecting your brand" concept in-depth at last year's CUNA Lending Council Conference from one of the keynote presenters who happened to be a Disney executive with 30 years Disney experience. A very compelling talk, indeed.

Ever since then, I've been fascinated by the topic and always welcome the opportunity to see how others protect their brand. So I invited public relations expert Sherry Goldman from Goldman Communications Group on the program for some practical advice and tips on how credit unions can do the same in our volatile world today.

Sherry, with all her wisdom, delivered plenty of takeaways for you to apply right away. So check it out and let us know your thoughts.

It's no secret artificial intelligence is taking over -- mostly in a good way. Most of the time AI is in the background doing its thing making life better for most of us dealing with data. For the most part, you can't really see this technology unless you're watching a science fiction movie like iRobot or something along those lines. But this will change -- and it's happening now.

Today, a company called FaceMe is providing a "step up" AI product using digital human technology to interact with customers -- especially in a customer service environment. FaceMe's digital human technology is called Mia (My Interactive Agent), and it's pretty impressive.

Naturally, this type of interactive AI can be used in many industries worldwide -- including banking. So we invited FaceMe's Founder/CEO Danny Tomsett on the program for a more in-depth look at how Mia, a loan advisor, will change the way lending may be conducted from now on.

Amazing stuff here for sure. Check it out and let us know your thoughts and the potential of having Mia becoming an integral part of your credit union's lending process.

NOTE: We were first introduced to FaceMe's digital human technology at last year's Money 20/20 Conference in Las Vegas. Here's our interview: "FaceMe’s Nick Sokolich Introduces ‘Sophie’ Your Digital Human Teller."