In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, Derik sits down with Kelly Hellickson of EmpowerFi to explore the future of AI-native websites, the agentic web, and why traditional content management systems may not be the best way to build digital experiences moving forward.

During the conversation, Derik demonstrates a real-world prototype where AI designs, builds, and deploys a fully functional credit union website, including creating an entirely new youth checking page live during the episode.

The implications for financial institutions are massive: faster development, lower costs, better user experiences, and a future where AI becomes the content management system itself.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and the future of AI-built websites

01:12 Meet Kelly Hellickson and EmpowerFi

03:00 Building modern MarTech stacks for financial institutions

06:00 Why many financial institutions still restrict AI tools

09:28 The conversation that sparked this episode

10:53 Could AI replace traditional CMS platforms?

12:13 Derik's AI workflow and being a top 1% ChatGPT user

16:21 Building AI-powered tools and website experiences

18:00 The concept of an AI-native website

22:25 Why AI can finally build complete websites

24:20 Live demo: an AI-generated credit union website prototype

25:25 How 140 A/B tests influence website design decisions

30:13 Introducing Claude Design and AI-first website creation

33:07 Using A/B testing data to guide AI-generated pages

35:15 How conversion optimization and A/B testing work

41:00 Training AI with proven website performance data

43:00 AI generates a youth checking page in real time

45:04 Why AI-generated design rationale is a game changer

47:04 Updating website experiences on demand with AI

49:31 When could AI-native websites become mainstream?

50:27 The vision for a fully agentic website platform

52:23 Claude Design → Claude Code workflow explained

54:09 How AI could make websites 10x faster and cheaper

56:01 Viewing the completed AI-generated page

57:44 Deploying the page live with Vercel

59:13 From AI design to a live website in minutes

01:00:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-native websites

If you're interested in AI, digital marketing, website strategy, or the future of financial institution websites, this episode offers a firsthand look at what's possible today and where things are headed next.

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In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, Derik sits down with Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Nymbus, to explore the future of AI-powered banking. The conversation starts with a simple question: Why can’t AI help manage personal finances yet?

From there, Derik and Jeffrey unpack how AI agents can transform customer support inside financial institutions and help users analyze spending, automate financial workflows, and even conduct financial transactions.

They also explore the bigger picture: Will banks embed AI into their own apps, or will customers increasingly interact with banks through ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms? If you’re thinking about AI, banking, digital transformation, or what the future of customer experience looks like, this episode is packed with insights.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and why Derik started looking for AI banking tools
02:00 What an MCP server is (and why it matters)
05:30 APIs vs. MCP servers explained
08:00 Why current banking apps frustrate AI workflows
11:00 Could ChatGPT become your next banking app?
15:00 Why AI-powered banking experiences are inevitable
18:00 Power users vs. mainstream AI adoption
21:00 Why many financial institutions are falling behind on AI
25:00 Vendor lock-in and the AI challenge for banks
29:00 How AI is transforming software development
33:00 Why technology alone isn’t a differentiator anymore
36:00 Internal AI use cases at Nymbus (call centers, support, operations)
42:00 The future of AI-powered customer banking experiences
46:00 Open banking, AI, and what regulation could look like
50:00 Embedded AI vs. ChatGPT as the banking interface
55:00 Where Nymbus is taking MCP next
58:00 Why differentiation matters more than technology
01:03:00 Community banking, niches, and competitive advantage
01:09:00 Jeffrey’s advice for bank and credit union leaders on AI
01:12:00 Final thoughts and wrap-up

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Why do so many banks and credit unions struggle to execute strategy- even when leadership agrees on the vision?

In this episode, Derek sits down with Shawnette Rochelle, founder of Excellence Unbounded, to unpack the “messy middle”, the gap between strategic alignment and successful execution. Drawing from her military leadership experience, Shawnette shares why unclear decision ownership, unresolved trade-offs, and slow decision-making often become the real bottlenecks to progress.

Listen to learn how financial institutions can move faster, create better alignment, and turn strategy into action.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and why strategy often breaks down

03:00 Shawnette’s background and lessons from travel & leadership

09:00 Strategy problem vs. execution problem in banking

12:30 What the “messy middle” really means

16:00 The decision layer: where execution succeeds or fails

21:00 Metabolizing trade-offs and avoiding stalled initiatives

28:00 Why decision ownership matters

35:00 Military leadership lessons on execution and autonomy

43:00 How unclear decisions slow organizations down

49:00 Strategy, speed, and AI-driven change in banking

56:00 Real-world examples of fixing execution bottlenecks

01:05:00 The three questions leaders should ask

01:10:00 Final thoughts and key takeaways

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n this episode, I sit down with my co-founder Ryan Harmon to break down the results of our latest AI traffic study and what it reveals about how the internet is fundamentally changing.

For years, banks and credit unions have focused on driving human traffic to their websites. But what happens when AI agents become the primary way people find information? Ryan and I dig into what we discovered after tracking millions of AI bot visits across financial institution websites, and why traditional analytics tools like Google Analytics are missing most of the picture.

We walk through how AI bots actually interact with websites, the difference between user bots, search bots, and training bots, and why “visibility” inside tools like ChatGPT may matter more than clicks. We also share real data showing that AI bot traffic is already rivaling human traffic—and what that means for your digital strategy. Listen to learn how AI is reshaping search, why content strategy needs to evolve, and what financial institutions should do right now to stay visible in an AI-driven world.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Welcome back and introduction to the AI traffic study
01:00 How AI changed the way people search (basketball shoe example)
04:30 The shift from human browsing to AI agents as intermediaries
06:00 What “AI visibility” means and why it matters
07:30 Case study: going from 0% to 100% visibility with targeted content
09:00 The big question: does AI visibility actually drive traffic?
10:00 Why Google Analytics can’t see most AI traffic
12:00 Tracking AI referrals vs. actual AI bot activity
14:00 Why AI referral traffic appears so small (and misleading)
17:00 Discovering AI bots in server logs
18:00 Building tools to track AI traffic (WordPress plugin + Cloudflare)
20:00 Why pixel tracking doesn’t work for AI bots
23:00 How the AI traffic study was conducted (40+ institutions)
25:00 Millions of AI bot visits: what the data revealed
26:30 The three types of AI bots: user, search, and training
29:00 What user bots tell us about real human intent
30:30 How AI search bots index and retrieve content
34:00 How AI agents actually search (Bing queries + deep crawling)
41:30 What training bots are and why they matter
44:00 Do you actually want training bots on your site?
46:00 Benchmark data: AI bot traffic vs. human traffic (almost equal)
48:30 Breakdown: 88% training, 7% search, 4% user bots
50:00 Why AI citations don’t always result in bot visits
52:00 The connection between AI visibility and AI traffic
53:00 Real example: content driving top AI traffic pages
54:30 Why AI traffic is the new form of website engagement
55:30 What kind of content performs best for AI vs. humans
57:00 Final thoughts and what to watch next (AI optimizing for AI)

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In this episode, I interview Chris Allen, CEO of Fox Communities Credit Union, about how credit unions and banks can stay flexible amid disruption. He explains Fox’s strategy of building three growth engines: retail branches, commercial lending, and virtual banking, each designed to adapt as market conditions change. Allen discusses why steady growth is essential for credit unions to remain sustainable, how commercial lending creates differentiation and supports local economic development, and why branches are evolving into service and marketing centers as digital banking adoption grows.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

01:11 Why Innovation Matters Now

04:12 Innovators Dilemma Framework

06:11 Fox Three Growth Bets

09:27 Designing for Flexibility

11:55 Why Credit Unions Need Growth

15:47 Grow or Die Mindset

22:35 Reinvesting Surplus for Stakeholders

29:26 Commercial Banking Differentiation

35:56 Fair Pricing Edge

36:38 Proving Commercial Expertise

37:15 Cost Barrier for CUs

38:05 Why Relationships Win

39:56 Commercial as Development

43:24 Branches Dead or Alive

49:29 Branches as Service Hubs

53:25 Planning for Uncertainty

58:59 Standalone Growth Channels

01:03:26 Funding Digital vs Branches

01:09:23 Flexibility as Strategy

01:11:21 Closing Thoughts

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In this episode, Ryan Harmon and I dig into a question we’re hearing more and more from banks and credit unions: how much AI traffic are financial institution websites actually getting and is it worth optimizing for yet?

AI search is projected to overtake Google search within the next few years, and that shift comes with a major implication: the primary users of FI websites won’t just be humans anymore, they’ll be AI agents. The problem is, popular analytics tools like Google Analytics aren’t built to measure this kind of traffic. They’re designed to filter bots out, not help you understand what AI agents are doing on your site.

In this conversation, we break down the difference between AI visibility and AI traffic, explain the three types of AI bots interacting with websites today, and share what we’re learning as we launch a new research study to measure real AI traffic across credit union and bank websites. If you want to understand how the Agentic Web is changing analytics, SEO, and digital strategy for financial institutions, this episode is for you.

00:00 Welcome back and episode overview
01:00 Why AI traffic matters for banks and credit unions
02:30 The difference between AI visibility and AI traffic
04:00 How AI answers questions vs. how Google search works
06:30 Why visibility doesn’t equal traffic
08:30 Why financial institutions started asking for AI traffic data
10:00 What it means when AI agents visit your website
11:30 The three types of AI bots (user, indexer, training)
14:00 Seeing AI agents visit your site in real time
16:30 Why Google Analytics can’t measure AI traffic
18:00 Clicks vs. “intent hits” in the AI era
20:00 Why most AI interactions don’t result in website visits
22:00 How AI agents use content differently than humans
24:00 Long-form content vs. modular content for AI
27:00 The tradeoffs of content structure for AI agents
29:30 What this research study aims to uncover
31:00 How to participate in the AI traffic research study
33:00 Final thoughts and next steps

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In this episode, I walk through a prototype that explores what I believe is the next major shift in banking: AI-first banking experiences built directly inside tools like ChatGPT. Instead of navigating complex apps and menus, you simply tell an AI what you want to do and it handles the work for you.

Joined by my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, I demonstrate how a ChatGPT-based banking app could open accounts, move money between accounts, analyze transactions, and provide personalized financial insights all through natural language and lightweight UI components.

We also discuss why AI-first banking is fundamentally different from traditional UI-based apps, what this means for user experience design, and why this shift is closer than most people realize. If you want to understand how AI agents could transform personal finance, budgeting, and everyday banking tasks, this episode is one you’ll want to watch- especially the demo.

00:00 Introduction and overview of AI-first banking

01:00 Setting up a banking prototype inside ChatGPT

02:30 Viewing accounts and balances inside the chat interface

04:00 Opening a new savings account with natural language

06:00 Confirmations, approvals, and human-in-the-loop controls

08:00 Why minimal UI works better with AI agents

10:30 Envelope budgeting and real-world banking pain points

13:00 Why traditional banking apps fall short

15:00 Executing multiple transfers with a single command

18:00 AI vs. UI-based banking experiences

21:00 Analyzing transactions and spending behavior

24:00 Why most people don’t budget and how AI changes that

27:00 AI agents as proactive financial assistants

31:00 Finding savings opportunities automatically

35:00 Subscription management, negotiation, and optimization

38:00 The future of AI agents managing money

41:00 Real examples already appearing in ChatGPT (Ramp, Stripe)

45:00 Why banking apps are coming to ChatGPT

48:00 What needs to happen for this to become real

52:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-first banking

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In this episode, I sit down with Joe Colca, founder of Forge Clarity, to talk about a challenge credit unions and banks keep running into as they try to compete with digital-first players. Most people frame this as a technology problem. Joe and I don’t see it that way.

With more than 26 years of experience at organizations like Vanguard, Citi, and VyStar Credit Union, Joe shares why the real issue isn’t a lack of technology, it’s a lack of strategic clarity. We dig into why many financial institutions struggle to deliver strong digital experiences, how the Innovator’s Dilemma applies to banking today, and what leaders should be thinking about as AI, fintech partnerships, and new operating models reshape the industry.

Listen to learn why strategy, not technology, is the real bottleneck for digital transformation, and what banks and credit unions can do to position themselves for the future.

00:00 Welcome back and episode introduction
01:00 Introducing Joe Colca and his background in financial services
05:00 Joe’s career journey from Vanguard to Citi to VyStar
10:30 The Innovator’s Dilemma and its relevance to banking today
14:30 Branch-based vs. branchless banking models
18:00 Why digital transformation feels so hard for credit unions
22:30 Technology upgrades vs. meeting member expectations
27:30 Fintech partnerships and the build vs. buy decision
33:00 Can banks successfully be both branch-based and digital-first?
38:00 Strategy problems vs. technology problems
43:30 Spinoff digital banks as a potential solution
50:00 Real-world examples of credit union digital spinoffs
56:00 The impact of AI on the future of banking experiences
01:01:30 What Forge Clarity does and who it helps
01:06:30 One action leaders should take right now: strategic clarity
01:09:00 Final thoughts and wrap-up

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AI is going to revolutionize banking. Credit unions and banks are already being disrupted by fintechs, now AI is either going to accelerate their demise or give them a chance to leapfrog their disruptors. The choice is theirs.

In this episode, I (Derik Krauss) am joined by my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, to unpack how AI could disrupt UI-based fintechs and open up new opportunities for community banks and credit unions. We discuss The Innovator's Dilemma, the benefits of launching AI-first spinoffs, and how future financial institutions might operate without traditional mobile apps or online banking.

00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Episode

01:11 AI's Potential in Banking and Financial Institutions

03:53 The Innovator's Dilemma in Banking

05:59 The Shift from Physical Branches to Digital Banking

11:37 AI as the Next Disruptive Innovation

17:02 The Future of AI-Driven Financial Services

23:04 AI Integration in Everyday Life

29:50 The Role of AI in Financial Decision Making

31:35 Blockchain and AI: Revolutionizing Banking

33:25 AI-First Experience: The Future of User Interfaces

35:48 Cost Efficiency in AI-Driven Banking

39:08 OpenAI's App Store: A New Frontier

40:31 Challenges and Opportunities for Credit Unions

42:58 The Innovator's Dilemma: Embracing Disruptive Innovation

46:49 Launching Spinoffs: A Strategy for Transformation

49:00 The Future of Banking: AI-First Spinoffs

50:03 Legacy Institutions and Modern Challenges

01:00:35 The Role of Marketing in Credit Union Transformation

01:03:01 AI's Impact on the Banking Industry

01:05:47 Conclusion: Embracing AI for Future Success

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Hey, this is Derik. I recently tried using ChatGPT's Agent Mode to make transfers between my personal bank accounts. I didn't get the outcome I was hoping for, but that's not because AI isn't capable of doing it. In fact, it's more than capable of doing that and other banking tasks, especially if there is a human in the loop.

In this episode, my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, and I show and tell what agentic AI is capable of doing and how it's going to transform the banking user experience. Listen to learn how AI is reshaping the future of banking and what opportunities lie ahead for individuals and financial institutions.

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