It’s really weird to introduce yourself to a new company, new people and a whole new world when you’ve done the same thing for so long.  Some may say it’s even a little scary.   I wouldn’t disagree with that statement, but sometimes excitement and adrenaline take over.  It’s like the uphill ride on a roller coaster when you keep thinking, “oh, no why am I doing this?” But once you go down that first hill, the rest is a “hands in the air” kind of ride.   Besides, you know the old saying “change is inevitable, especially if you pay with a dollar when it only costs 72 cents”.   Just kidding, that is not an old saying, but it could be.

I wanted to say it was never an easy decision for me to leave Pioneer WV FCU.  That place was like home to me.  Everything from the smell of the buildings to the paint on the walls reminded me of growing up.  You see, gira{ph}, I began working there at fifteen years old.  At the time I was hired to do office work, but I enjoyed it very much.  So much that I returned for work every summer afterwards.

After high school I began college and continued my employment at Pioneer and became a full time employee and student.  I remember times not leaving work until midnight or later just so I could get my hours in as a full time employee.  Don’t worry, I won’t do that to you…I graduated several years ago.

I made the best of friends during my time at Pioneer, and for that will always be so grateful.  They are an amazing bunch of people whom I will miss very much.  But perhaps, I am most grateful for the opportunity to find myself professionally.  I worked in almost every area of the credit union and finally found a “home” in marketing.   After we re-branded last year I found my passion.  {Alongside Kelley, I wanted to help other credit unions tap into their full potential.} 

So gira{ph}, I want to thank you for already making me feel welcome and part of this amazing company that has so much heart.  You must be grateful to Ms. Kelley Parks for creating you.  I’m serious, gira{ph}, if you haven’t thanked her then you should because {she brought you to life through dreams and determination,} and you don’t want to be rude.  I could go on and on about how wonderful Kelley is but I think you already know.

Here’s to the first week of many more to come!  Again, I thank you, gira{ph} and I will talk to you again soon. By the way, I hope all of our future conversations aren’t just one-sided. 

-Lisa

I met Lisa two years ago, just as I was leaving my job at Call.  She was looking for help with marketing and branding.  Perhaps it was serendipity, fate or a higher power, but she  became my first official client when I went on my own.  We had instant chemistry and over the last two years, I’ve witnessed Lisa’s thumbprint on an incredible transformation of her credit union from the inside out. It’s a story every credit union marketer should hear.

I am excited beyond words to announce that Lisa will be joining gira{ph} to share her experience and help credit unions grow and prosper. Lisa brings with her a unique perspective, hundreds of side-splitting stories and unending passion to lead credit unions into a new era.

Here’s why I’m excited to have Lisa on my team:

Lisa gets {results} She went through a rebranding last year that helped grow her credit union to be #6 in the country for Loan Growth and #15 in Visa Credit Card Growth (according to the nice folks at Callahan), not to mention record net income levels and new membership growth numbers in one of the most difficult economic times in our history. Armfuls of awards can’t match the sheer magnitude of how much Lisa’s leadership has helped turn her credit union around.

Lisa is an {idea machine} Just pose a question and for your own safety, stand out of the way.  Lisa is truly one of the most creative, clever and witty people I’ve ever met.

Lisa is an {entrepreneur}  I believe this gift started at the ripe age of 8 when she started a business selling miracle water (aka dirty water from a mud puddle) door to door.  Ever since, she’s used that kind of creative thinking to create marketing magic. Give her a small budget and she still makes miracles. Luckily credit unions have more merit than dirty water.

Lisa has a {unique perspective}  She started in credit unions at the age of 15 as a teller and has experience in lending, operations, member service and finally marketing.  She even has experience in janitorial services – although that was short-lived, since she almost blew up the building.  She was young, and it’s a long story.  Don’t hold it against her.

Lisa is a {story teller}  Her secret ambition is stand up comedy, and I honestly think she missed her calling.  She just needs a stage. Though I’m pretty sure most of her stories are enhanced for dramatic effect, they are always entertaining.

Lisa is a {gifted writer} Lisa has a unique blend of wit, warmth and wisdom in her writing style. I’m sure you’ll be hearing lots of Lisa’s stories soon on this blog. Stay tuned.

Lisa is {passionate} Topping her list is credit union marketing, college football and deep fried pickles.  When Lisa commits to doing something – it’s a homerun.

You can read more about Lisa’s story here and here.

Join me in welcoming Lisa on a new adventure to help credit unions create chemistry with consumers and stand taller to seize this unique moment in history. 

It’s an oldie, but a goodie.  Sir Ken Robinson talks about the power of creativity in his TED presentation.  Go grab some coffee and shut your door. It’s worth the 20 minutes. Trust me.

Here are my three favorite points and the implications for credit unions:

1. {Think like a child}: Children are natural innovators. Every kid is creative, yet as adults the barriers of society and corporate culture suck it out of us.  Humanity is inherently creative.  We need good ideas to propel us forward, yet where does creativity sit on our org chart? Is it practiced? Is it rewarded? Or are ideas largely admonished?

2. {We need to rethink the richness of human capacity} It’s nearly impossible for humans to make truly logical decisions. As Simon Sinek points out in his book, Start With Why, we make decisions in our lymbic brain, the part of our brain responsible for emotion.  This is why brands have such a large influence on our purchasing decisions and why companies like Apple make record profits. What if Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg or Larry Page started a bank? Do you think they’d continue to market on rate, price and dinosaur products? No. They’d inspire us with creativity and imagination. And we’d pay a premium.

3. {If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original} We stigmatize mistakes. Think about the last meeting you went to where a mistake was made.  Mistakes have a powerful control over our ability to be creative. Yet, history is full of monumental come-backs. Did the innovative “New Coke” wipe Coca-Cola out of business? No. In fact, Coca-Cola learned from its mistakes, drew closer to its customers, came back stronger and is still the #1 soft drink in the world.  Let’s be wrong, try new creative things, and bounce back higher.

After all, human imagination can only be a gift if it is actually given. 

My father grew up in a poor, rural town in Southern Virginia. He was stricken with polio at the age of 3 leaving him paralyzed in one leg and partially in the other. As the only handicapped kid in his small town, he didn’t let it stop him from being the first in our family to go to college, then on to graduate school.  He became a popular research analyst for the furniture industry, and traveled the world speaking and inspiring the industry he loved so dearly.

A few years ago, after several falls, he lost the ability to walk and travel. Bed-ridden for weeks at a time, he ran his small business from the side of his bed. He did whatever it took to provide a good life for his family, share the unending passion he had for business, and inspire the industry he cared about.

Dad taught me a lot of things in life, but here are a few of my favorites:

{Be humble} Dad won every award possible, was on the Today Show, MSNBC, quoted in many publications like the Wall Street Journal, but you’d never know it by his modest nature.  He would often say that he was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, simply making the most of life’s circumstances and opportunities.

{Be Generous With Your Time} Dad would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need, both in business and in his personal life.  He has unending compassion for the human spirit. When people come to him for advice, he stops everything he is doing to be an ear to listen.

{Anything is possible with hard work} Dad traveled and worked constantly.  It was exhausting to see how it would wear on his crippled body, but he’d push through to do whatever it took to be successful. Despite overwhelming odds and physical challenges, his determination and optimism led him through the kind of life books are made of.

{Have a Sense of Humor} Dad is one of the funniest people I know. There is nothing too stressful that a little self-depricating humor can’t alleviate. His weight, his bald head, his physical handicap’s – nothing is off limits.

{Challenge The Status Quo} Dad is one of the most creative people I know.  When I am at a loss for ideas, he is one person I call.  Maybe its the entrepreneurial spirit, but Dad constantly challenges ideas and pushes his conservative industry to be more innovative.

{The Best Part of Going Away is Coming Home} Dad would often say that he worked hard because he wanted my brother and I to have everything in life we ever needed.  Although he was often away for business, when he came home his attention was on us.  He made sure we knew we were what was most important in his life.

Cheers to you Dad, 20 years in business and all you taught me through it all.  Thanks for living a life by example.  My greatest wish is that in 19 years, my daughter will be able to say the same.

Friday night I had the pleasure to cheer on my friends and watch my first client’s eyes light up as they won their first diamond awards. As I sat and watched them, I reflected on what has been perhaps the most challenging and rewarding year of my life – the high’s, the low’s, the successes, and the failures. I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. Amy McGraw summed  it up so eloquently in her acceptance speech for Marketer of the Year, {If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.} No truer words have been spoken.

Congratulations to Lisa, Lori and Shannon, True CU Pioneers. It’s been an honor to witness your success and see you transform your credit union from the inside out. I feel fortunate that I was here.

Since I left my credit union in April, I’ve had the priviledge to play a new role with the Filene Research Institute in their innovation lab.  I’ve been able to observe projects come in and out of the lab and even help shape a couple.  It’s amazing to see how innovation comes alive through Filene.  While i3 is one piece, they are constantly scanning the landscape to seek out new ideas and products that can help the future of the credit union system. It’s fascinating to witness and learn from people like Denise Gabel who have a true passion for innovation. However, there’s special meaning when one of your original team projects gets a little space in the Filene Lab.

I’ve learned that it takes much more than a good idea.  It takes passion, ownership and sometimes a leap of faith to see it come together.  And while we all want to hit a home run with the big idea, sometimes its those small, incremental innovations that makes the biggest impact.  Ideas like Debt in Focus and the Savings Revolution do just that.  They build on existing ideas and make our movement stronger.

I’m excited to say that one little innovation made its way into the innovation lab and ironically by its namesake is taking “The Leap“.  It won’t revolutionize the credit union system, nor will it be a savior to this year’s business plan. But it solves a problem and enhances good business strategy.

When you get time, check out The Leap and the fun promotional video that goes with it. More importantly, keep pushing your credit union take its own {small leaps of innovation}.

The credit union lost their CEO the week prior to my arrival alongside the myriad of challenges that plagues our movement from consistency to culture. I remember the knot in my stomach as I stood before a packed room of uneasy Board members, scared staff, and these 3 resolute, bright-eyed visionaries who never blinked as I told my story.

This past Monday I teared up as I walked into this “little credit union that could” and stared at a large compass that had been painted on the ceiling of this unique circular building. Transformed completely from the inside out, the dream of these 3 young visionaries came alive.

It took nine months to rediscover their roots, build culture around them and choose the right CEO who would lead them there. They charted an innovative strategy bringing it all to life through a consistent and unique identity.

Perhaps its an omen that the name of this credit union is Pioneer and this soul-searching journey came to life on Martin Luther King Day because I believe it is the pioneering spirit of these passionate marketeers that fueled this amazing transformation.  As the great Dr. said himself, {Almost always the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better.} Note that these young women didn’t sit at the top of their organizational chart nor did they wait until new management told them what to do. Instead they dreamed big, made it happen, and doubled loan volume to boot.

Cheers to you Pioneer. Cheers to Lisa, Shannon and Lori for your vision and courage. Thanks for being my first credit union client, and thanks for reaffirming to me there is hope in spite of enormous challenges.  It was a privilege and an honor to ride alongside true pioneers at work.

Check out their launch video and their uber cool new website and identity (Brand built in partnership between gira{ph} and iDiz, Inc.).

As a marketer, I can’t help but think of the creative sponsorship possibility here. Hundreds of people pass by these houses each night. There’s a screaming opportunity for a glowing sign in the yard: Thank you to ABC Credit Union for making this possible by paying our electric bill. It would even make a fun contest where participants get their electric bill paid during the holidays.

Who gets the most traffic? It isn’t the house with the candles nestled safely in the windows or the grazing white reindeer. It’s the one that gets a cherry picker to put the Grinch at the top of the tree and find a way to spell Merry Christmas on their roof so airplanes flying overhead can enjoy the cheer. It’s the wackiest, the tasteless, and the ones that go to the edge that garner thousands of on-lookers over the holidays. Anything else seems ho hum after you’ve seen a home’s lights synchronized to music played on its own radio frequency.

As you move into 2011, how can you orchestrate something remarkable that {inspires people to talk}:

“The credit union movement. It is a great movement, worthy of great deeds, deserving of great loyalty” – Ed Filene

Last week’s CU WaterCooler Symposium in Indiana was proof that while the credit union system is experiencing epic challenges, the spirit of our founding fathers is still alive.

As I watched Matt Davis and Tim McAlpine, two passionate credit union leaders and friends lead two amazing days, I was reminded of another great Canadian / American duo:  Ed Filene and Alphonse Desjardins were progressive thought-leaders and friends who believed the credit union ideal was {worthy of a loyal push}.

They brought ideas from outside the American perspective that challenged the status quo and started a movement.

I believe they would be proud that for two days  we were a movement again, one that continues to challenge itself and is still deserving of great loyalty.