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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“Be willing to fail, own it, pivot, and try the next thing. Because you’re going to win more than you fail.” – Michael Wilson
Welcome to episode 241 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 at Trellence.com!
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 happy to be joined by Michael Wilson, President & CEO of Members 1st Federal Credit Union in Pennsylvania. He joins us for this episode to help us take on what it means to “see around corners” as a leader. After all, none of us can predict the future, but some leaders really seem to have a knack for recognizing when something is changing, separating meaningful signals from noise, and getting their organizations ready before everyone else catches up, and Michael brings a truly fascinating perspective to the conversation.
Coming from a marketing background and now leading a large credit union, Mike has embraced technology, AI, and new approaches to growth while remaining focused on something that he personally considers non-negotiable: bringing people along for the ride. We talk about how he filters through all those “squirrels” running around in the industry, determines which emerging trends deserve attention, and creates a safe environment for experimentation.
The three of us also get into the very real friction that can build up inside an organization. Mike shares how Members 1st went from having 479 systems to identifying and automating more than 500 processes that associates themselves said were slowing them down. For Michael, making work easier isn't simply an exercise of efficiency; it gives people more time to do the work that matters.
Then, we get into why Mike believes that AI governance needs to be an enterprise responsibility rather than something handed off to the CIO. He discusses how his credit union built an AI sandbox and even how AI avatars became part of a board strategic planning retreat. More importantly, we explore why “just because you can doesn't mean you should” is such an important principle when experimenting with new technology.
Finally, we discuss curiosity, the importance of being willing to say, “I was wrong,” and what leaders can do to leave their credit unions stronger than they found them. This is truly a conversation about looking forward without losing sight of the people and purpose that make the journey worthwhile, so we hope that you enjoy our conversation with Michael Wilson!
In This Episode: [2:50] - Mike believes that disciplined leaders need to separate meaningful innovation from hype while bringing their workforce along safely. [5:08] - Hear how Mike balances outside perspectives with industry experience, using governance and security to encourage experimentation. [7:17] - Members 1st builds culture collaboratively, using input from employees to automate more than 500 tedious processes. [9:50] - Reducing workplace friction is important because, like consumers, employees have little tolerance for unnecessarily difficult systems. [11:13] - Mike reflects on Members 1st having replaced fragmented systems and poor governance to create greater efficiency and better data. [14:55] - Mike reveals how shared goals have changed leadership incentives, fostering collaboration and helping the credit union accomplish more quickly. [18:30] - Mike encourages disciplined AI adoption that prioritizes governance, ROI, and regulatory considerations over hype. [20:02] - Hear about how a governance framework and AI officer enable Members 1st to experiment safely prior to deployment. [22:08] - AI avatars have enhanced strategic planning, but Mike highlights disciplined use cases over technology for technology’s sake. [24:32] - Beginning with governance enabled Members 1st to quantify AI’s benefits while freeing underwriters for deeper analysis. [26:15] - Associate-driven ideas guide technology decisions, whereas critical thinking remains essential with AI’s growing influence. [29:27] - Mike demonstrates AI’s inability to replace critical thinking, accurate analysis, and responsible governance. [32:24] - Transparency about goals, results, and setbacks builds trust and makes organizational change easier! [34:10] - Mike advocates for restoring industry-wide collaboration while urging CEOs to understand AI, regulation, and vendor risks. [34:10] - Mike believes that vendor transparency should be mandatory, with shared frameworks helping credit unions adopt AI responsibly and efficiently. [37:49] - Hear how a strong leadership team balances calculated risk with entrepreneurship while staying curious and challenging complacency. [40:02] - Mike believes that stablecoins are underestimated, prompting his credit union to develop a responsible strategy. [43:45] - New leaders need to embrace transparency and calculated risks, while experienced leaders must invest in developing successors.
“Constantly proving yourself is a privilege.” – Danielle Milner
Welcome to episode 240 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, 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 thrilled to bring on Danielle Milner, CEO of First Responders Credit Union in Boston, to help us discuss the concept of opportunity. Listen in as Danielle reflects on her first year as CEO, including the unexpected lessons that came from moving across the country and stepping into a leadership role at an organization with such a strong history and identity. She shares how her team and board welcomed her almost immediately and how a family emergency shortly after her arrival showed her just how much care and connection existed within the organization even after just a small amount of time.
From there, we talk about the importance of authenticity when deciding who we want to work with and how experience can make it easier to recognize when a relationship simply isn’t the right fit. We also explore the expectations leaders carry into new roles and the surprising ways that those expectations can change once we’re in the seat.
Energized with Deonne Christensen (#239)
Saison 8 · Épisode 239
vendredi 14 août 2026 • Durée 43:09
“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!
Transitions with Kelly Botti (#238)
Saison 8 · Épisode 238
vendredi 31 juillet 2026 • Durée 45:33
“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.
Collaboration with April Clobes (#237)
Saison 8 · Épisode 237
vendredi 3 juillet 2026 • Durée 37:47
“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.
Future (#236)
Épisode 236
vendredi 19 juin 2026 • Durée 30:43
“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: and Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Show notes from this episode:Sponsor: Shout-out: Shout-out: Film mentioned: Shout-out: Jill’s son CrosbyBook mentioned: by Article mentioned: by Previous guests mentioned in this episode: (, , & ) & (, , & )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.
Harmony with Samantha Beeler (#235)
Épisode 235
vendredi 5 juin 2026 • Durée 44:48
“Remember to give your team time to shine.” – Samantha Beeler
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.
Values with Brent Rempe (#234)
Épisode 234
vendredi 22 mai 2026 • Durée 44:21
“Our values are also meant to be adjectives.” – Brent Rempe
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.
Shine with Faye Nabhani (#233)
Saison 8 · Épisode 233
vendredi 8 mai 2026 • Durée 43:31
“Investment in people is literally a business strategy. We win when our people win.” – Faye Nabhani
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.
Rhythm with Ken Cahoon (#232)
Épisode 232
vendredi 24 avril 2026 • Durée 38:15
“You have to lead through your people.” – Ken Cahoon
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.
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A big part of our conversation is centered on Danielle’s “notebook” of ideas and the discipline required to decide which ones deserve action. We discuss why saying no can create opportunity, how leaders can communicate priorities more clearly, and why inviting people to challenge our ideas can create authentic ownership rather than just compliance.
Danielle enthusiastically explains why growing other leaders is her favorite part of leadership, while we talk about how curiosity, trust, and even a willingness to “poke holes” can help teams make better decisions. We also take a close look at developing talent via stretch assignments, recognizing strengths we may not initially see in people, and building leadership teams that complement our own weaknesses.
Finally, as we get close to the end of our conversation, we look ahead at the credit union movement and the need to focus less on tools like AI and more on the outcomes that such tools are supposed to create. For Danielle, relevance starts with understanding who we serve and why it matters, and we finally do wrap up with a thought for anyone pursuing a leadership role: sometimes, the right opportunity isn’t just about finding the right seat but is rather about finding the right home for that seat! Enjoy our conversation with Danielle Milner!
In This Episode: [2:05] - Hear how Danielle discovered that supportive relationships helped her overcome doubts about becoming a C.E.O. [5:37] - It's important for leaders to recognize when saying no creates better opportunities than automatically accepting them. [6:21] - Authenticity helps leaders determine which professional relationships are truly compatible and trustworthy. [9:45] - Stepping into a new leadership role requires authenticity while recognizing the need to also constantly prove yourself. [12:50] - Hear how ownership taught Jill to trust herself while embracing the responsibility of setting her own expectations. [15:55] - Danielle sees opportunity in prioritizing people over an endless workload. [18:46] - Effective leaders need to carefully prioritize ideas according to their available resources and timing. [19:33] - Danielle reflects on having learned that clearly communicating priorities helps her team distinguish future possibilities from immediate action. [22:04] - Danielle touches upon how she uses constructive feedback to make individual ideas stronger. [24:15] - We talk about how leaders can turn constructive criticism into stronger ideas by encouraging people to identify solutions rather than just problems. [26:11] - Great leaders create curiosity, develop others, and use honest conversations to help people grow. [28:51] - It's important for credit unions to embrace imagination to create change. [30:55] - Effective leaders recognize their weaknesses, build trust, and surround themselves with complementary strengths. [33:42] - Learn how giving people new opportunities can reveal untapped strengths and expand their potential. [36:20] - Hear how stretch assignments provide valuable development opportunities, especially within smaller credit unions. [37:28] - Credit unions need to prioritize member relevance over technology when shaping their strategies. [40:27] - AI should support member-focused strategies rather than becoming the strategy itself. [43:57] - Danielle offers invaluable advice: trust that the right professional “home” will find you rather than obsessing over a specific position.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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
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!
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.
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!
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!
