An ideal story for Halloween, I'd say. This one is a real treat for you -- not a trick. It deals with a semi-recent industrial accident in Charleston, West Virginia. A chemical company that produces a, well, chemical that cleans coal had a bit of a mishap when one of its massive storage tanks sprung a leak, allowing thousands of gallons of this toxic chemical to spill into the adjacent river that flowed toward downtown Charleston. The result: undrinkable, unbathable, unwashable, and unfriendly water conditions for the entire area -- not for a few days but weeks!

So you're probably wondering where Element Federal Credit Union steps in. No, the credit union didn't swoop in with its super powers and magically clean up the spill. That task was dealt to other larger, over-regulated, government entities. What Element did, however, was quite heroic. I will let Element's Chief Innovator Linda Bodie provide the sordid details of what was dubbed "Aquapocalypse" or "Watergeddon" -- along with how the credit union helped temper the fallout with its volunteer duties to the surrounding communities. Truly a great story of how credit unions, once again, step up in times of crises.

Enjoy this Halloween treat and have a safe, fun, and frightful evening! And thank you to Linda and her credit union staff for being mighty fine representatives of our incredibly giving industry.

Visit:
elementfcu.org


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In part 4 of our Vendor Feature Series with GrooveCar's President David Jacobson, we discover solutions to keeping your members on your credit union's website for all their automobile buying needs. No more being led down the wrong path on national auto buying websites and no more getting lost amongst the car shopping promotions on your own website. Jacobson advises a one-click-button method of leading your members to all their car shopping needs -- while keeping them on your credit union's website. This one button to all-things-car-buying positions your credit union as a primary resource for this necessary purchase, loan, or lease.

Check it out and let us know what you think or -- better yet -- let us know some of your strategies that are proving successful today.

Visit:
www.groovecar.com

Many companies today consistently look beyond their industries' borders to adopt and adapt new ideas that will help them succeed well into the future. Well, this transference of ideas is true for the credit union industry, as well. Not only are credit unions looking outside the industry for fresh ideas, they are discovering some pretty potent ones from their peers, too.

To dive into this important subject of "stealing" ideas from others for your own benefit, we invited Callahan and Associates' COO Alix Patterson on the program. Alix recently presented this topic at the CU Water Cooler Symposium entitled: "Use Your Re-imagination", discussing how borrowing ideas can help shift your organization's culture and set it on a course for increased success.

In this talk, Alix provides numerous credit union examples (like Wright-Patt's "The Savings Race") along with a few others from outside the industry such as Apple's University. This school within the tech company educates new employees on the "Apple" way, which creates a culture of collaboration and innovation that ultimately fosters its continued success. Reading about it in the New York Times, Alix thought this was an excellent endeavor for credit unions to further their missions, as well.

So sit back and enjoy this episode with Callahan's Alix Patterson, as she provides example after example of re-imagined ideas from others to exceed all expectations.

Visit:
Callahan & Associates

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Ok, here we are for part 2 of our thought-provoking discussion with Vancity's William Azaroff, focusing on discovering those hidden markets within your credit unions' communities for enhanced success today and down the road. Why is it so important for CUs to discover these cooperative markets for immediate involvement and future investment? About $1.6 trillion worth, that's why. Find out plenty more in this episode with William.

In the meantime, get out there for a tighter connection with your community to be that primary financial resource. Check it out -- and let us know what your credit union is doing to connect.

Visit:
www.vancity.com

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Most Americans are members of cooperatives, which contributes $1.6 trillion to today's economy. So where do credit unions fit in this big picture? Find out in this two-part episode with Vancity's Director of Business & Community Development and Board Member at Modo Co-op William Azaroff, where we discuss such items as how shareable lawn mowers affect a capitalistic economy, how to find hidden markets within your credit union's community, and how cooperatives saved us from the Industrial Revolution's pink slime.

Join us for a mighty compelling chat, as William totally delivers and more in this episode on cooperatives and where your credit union can play an integral part. You might approach business a bit differently after listening -- and visit Vancity's website to see how they walk their talk with ultra-heavy community involvement/investment. Enjoy!

If you want to know more on this topic, check out William's 2014 CU Water Cooler Symposium presentation here:
CUWCS Talk: Sawdust, Empty Bottles and Moustaches

Visit:
vancity.com

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