Kaeshier Fernandez, Community Manager at Filene Research Institute (and new leader of the Crashers), stopped by the Studio Lounge to discuss his presentation at the conference's WYCUP & COBA Emerging Leaders Summit.

Kaeshier shared insights on setting specific, purposeful goals to drive success -- especially early in your career. He also highlighted the importance of authenticity and professional development for emerging leaders. Be yourself and take advantage of all the leadership programs that are offered out there -- and there are plenty of them like The Cooperative Trust's Crasher program.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And be sure to visit our 2026 WCUC interview archive page for more episodes from the conference -- as well as supporting our hosts and sponsors: WOCCU, Visa, Backbone, and Despite Impossible podcast.

#CreditUnions
#ProfessionalDevelopment
#GoalSetting
#Leadership

Miranda V. Flury, President at Hawkeye Strategies, stopped by the Studio Lounge to share highlights from her WYCUP & COBA Emerging Leaders Summit presentation, as well as a preview of her WCUC mainstage session on "Getting Out of the Weeds: How to Ask Powerful Strategic Questions."

Specifically, Miranda talked about the 'leadership ladder,' interview skills, and the importance of self-awareness and personal values with nearly 200 emerging leaders on the global stage. She emphasized understanding your "why" and developing essential leadership competencies for career advancement.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And be sure to visit our 2026 WCUC interview archive page for more episodes from the conference -- as well as supporting our hosts and sponsors: WOCCU, Visa, Backbone, and Despite Impossible podcast.

#CreditUnions #FinancialCooperative #FinancialInclusion #Fintech #leadership

Paul Treinen, President & CEO of World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), joined us in the Studio Lounge to share highlights and insights from his WCUC opening presentation, where the main theme was keeping credit unions relevant on the global stage. In addition, Paul talked about how WOCCU is built for what's next in the international credit union movement.

In addition, Paul announced the record-breaking attendance (2,600+ attendees) and the strategic focus on advocacy. He highlighted the importance of credit union relevance in a rapidly evolving financial landscape, addressing challenges like digital currencies and lending -- also touching on global expansion and upcoming regional WOCCU meetings for greater clarity in the organization's mission.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And be sure to visit our 2026 WCUC interview archive page for more episodes from the conference -- as well as supporting our hosts and sponsors: WOCCU, Visa, Backbone, and Despite Impossible podcast.

#CreditUnion #FinancialCooperative #FinancialInclusion #Fintech

Red Rocks Credit Union President/CEO Darius Wise stopped by the show to share insights from the credit union's "Summer Squeeze" survey on why Coloradans are rewriting their summer vacation plans as travel costs continue to climb.

Darius discussed how their "Summer Squeeze" survey revealed how rising costs are driving more Coloradans to trade flights for road trips, mountain towns, campgrounds, and other close-to-home summer travel. He added that “Coloradans aren't giving up on summer. They're getting resourceful.”

Some of the survey's findings included:

• Gas is the breaking point: 78% call it the top barrier to summer travel
• Nearly 3 in 5 are traveling less than last summer
  
• 1 in 4 aren't traveling at all
• Millennials are the most likely to sit summer travel vacations out

Despite these challenges, Darius explained that Coloradans are staying closer to home and taking advantage of local activities, while the credit union is helping members navigate financial pressures through programs like Skip-a-Pay, direct member support from frontline staff, and employee assistance initiatives including gas and grocery cards.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And be sure to watch the entire episode below for all the details.

Alletta Emeno, Senior Vice President - Chief Marketing Officer at Ardent Credit Union, joined us on the show to share how Ardent is going to celebrate "I Love My Credit Union" day (July 31) -- all month.

Alletta discussed how Ardent is framing the event as the "World Cup of member appreciation," tying it into current events and emphasizing member growth and word-of-mouth referrals. She described two contests: a social media campaign encouraging members to tag others and a referral program with cash prizes to boost participation.

She compared this year's strategy to last year's campaign, which involved a viral video highlighting public confusion about credit unions, and explained how this year's efforts aim to raise awareness of both credit unions in general and Ardent specifically.

Alletta also covered Ardent's focus on attracting younger members through educational content and partnerships, such as the Ardent Money Ninja microsite and collaborations with student athletes (NIL). She emphasized the importance of making financial education fun and relatable for younger audiences, using themes like "financial fouls" to engage them. The overall goal of the campaign is to increase awareness, encourage member referrals, and celebrate the credit union movement.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And be sure to watch the entire episode below for all the details. Tons of takeaways.