“Time, experience, and a willingness to learn, that’s the bridge from here to where you’re trying to go.” - James Wileman

Thank you for tuning in to episode 79 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by our friends at PSCU. As the nation’s premier payments CUSO, PSCU proudly supports the success of more than 1,500 credit unions.

Credit unions across the country have been extremely agile over the last few months in responding to various service challenges and a whole host of other difficulties. In chatting with James Wileman, President and CEO of Credit Union 1 in Alaska and this week’s podcast guest, I’ve gained some perspective into how he and his team have fast-tracked essential projects that typically would have taken them 6 months in 6 days. We also discuss the work they’re doing to better serve their members and the state of Alaska now and going forward. 

In expanding services to meet members' needs, James and I discuss the partnerships their credit union has formed with state-led agencies to provide relief to small businesses in the communities they serve. James also shares his belief that credit unions must be proactive in finding new opportunities to serve their members, as well as discusses pivoting their long-term service strategy to better accommodate members in this new normal. 

During the episode, we also discuss how James came to lead the team at Credit Union 1, what he's learned from hardship in his career, and why you shouldn't “carry the boat anchor for longer than you need to”. James also tells us about the amazing team he has at Credit Union 1, as well as the network of peers and mentors who have helped guide him over the years. 

While James admits that he sucks at work-life balance, we learn that he loves to go camping with his family to recharge. He also shares that he’s always wanted to go to space, loves the L.A. Lakers, and encourages everyone to read books by professional athletes and coaches to learn more about teamwork. I hope you find some life lessons that resonate with you in this episode. Enjoy!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com

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Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List 

How to find James:
James Wileman
www.cu1.org
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