“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.
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!
Connect with Kelly:
Kelly Botti, President and CEO of TruMark Credit Union
trumark.com
Kelly: LinkedIn
TruMark Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List
Show notes from this episode:
Sponsor: Trellance
Place mentioned: Europe
Shout-out: Montana Credit Union
Place mentioned: Montana
Shout-out: Kelly’s sister
Shout-out: Kelly’s team
Place mentioned: Philadelphia, PA
Shout-out: Orange Theory Fitness
Shout-out: Kelly’s son
Shout-out: Kelly’s coach
Shout-out: Lokai
Place mentioned: Dead Sea
Place mentioned: Mount Everest
Shout-out: Harrison Assessments
Podcast episode mentioned: Despite Impossible - “Season 4 Episode 26: Jill Nowacki”Shout-out:
Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Faye Nabhani (#233); Tansley Stearns (#228)
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.
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