Main Street Banking: A Podcast for Community Bankers

DEI...ESG...just two more abbreviations in the alphabet soup of banking? Hardly.

Recently, Miguel Lopez was highlighted on the ICBA's blog for his efforts in reaching out to the underserved Hispanic market in Encore Bank's ever-expanding footprint. I asked him to come on and talk about the article and relay some insights to the community banking industry at large.

What followed was, in my opinion, one of the most impactful conversations we've had on the podcast. It is a very open and honest conversation around diversity and inclusion in the community banking industry and Miguel's own experiences as a member of the Hispanic community.

The most impactful statement (and the origin of the episode's title) was "Banking is either good enough for everyone...or it's not good enough for anyone". I challenge our listeners to think about that statement...and regardless of your politics...think about what that could mean to your employees and your communities that you serve.

If you'd like to talk to Miguel more, email him at [email protected]

And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

If you've attended the Barret Graduate School of Banking (and you really should!), you will have had Brad Federman with PerformancePoint LLC. A member of the Forbes Coaches Council and featured speaker/author all over the country, Brad is a true thought leader (and I don't use that term everyday) in the realm of HR issues, emotional intelligence, culture, and employee engagement.

Recently, he wrote an article HR Professionals Magazine about Using Benefits to Trim Work Life Tension. The article is linked below and (after you listen to the episode!) you need to read this article. He has talks about some very harsh truths in the workforce today and has some very cool ideas that banks can use to remedy this tension. It's great stuff...and can, literally, change the way your employees feel and therefore perform.

Here's the article that you need to read: https://hrprofessionalsmagazine.com/2021/10/05/using-benefits-to-trim-work-life-tension/

Find out more about PerformancePoint at https://performancepointllc.com/

And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Due to a unavoidable scheduling situation, we aren't able to bring you the episode we had planned...but no worries...we're bringing out another "Greatest Hit"..."Mission Driven Innovation" with Charles Potts from the ICBA.

Charles Potts is the SVP and Chief Innovation Officer for the Independent Community Bankers of America. "Innovation" and "community bankers" don't often go together you might say...but...Charles (and Barret frankly) say otherwise.

Charles lays out his vision for the ICBA's role in bringing innovation to the community banking space and shares how they've already been doing that. There really is no excuse for community banks to lag in this area any more thanks to the ICBA and the ThinkTECH accelerator which you've heard some about on this podcast in the past.

To find out more about the ThinkTECH accelerator, check out www.icba.org/solutions/thinktech

As always, check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's pretty easy to say "there's a new paradigm shift" or "the world is changing so how will you adapt?!". You can be asked that question anywhere. However, with today's episode with Jay Toups, we are going to go deeper. From a sales perspective, what are some practical things banks can do in this new world.

Jay is a long time faculty member at the Barret Graduate School as well as one of our first webinar creators on the ALP (Advanced Learning Platform). I think you'll like hearing from him as much as our grad school students always enjoy him as well.

Check out his business (and fellow banking podcast!!!) at https://highperformanceteams.net/

And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Besides being the sponsor of our podcast, ICBA Securities does an outstanding job in working with banks in their investments. Whenever there is economic news (like we've had over the last week or so), we like to bring on Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, to talk to community bankers about what he is seeing in the industry.

To register for the 4Q Economic Update Jim mentioned, you can do so here...https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1495614&tp_key=55f8589c6e

To register for their Balance Sheet Academy, you can do so here...https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1496487&tp_key=786aa6de88

We all have a story and the great thing about those stories is that it makes us who we are. Your bank has a story. Do you tell it? Do you use it to show how you are a part of your community? It's not about bragging...it's about relating to your markets!

Barret has a story too and it's unique and as someone who has been around that story for quite a while, I wanted to share it with you. I wanted you to see how proud we are of our brand...but also to see how we fit into the community banking industry.

As always, check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're pretty big college sports fans around Barret and it's getting to be the high holy time of year in the South we know as "college football"! Kidding aside, the NCAA (governing body of college athletics here in the US) has relaxed their NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules for student-athletes. We're seeing HUGE deals for college athletes to endorse things like cars, sports drinks, etc.

But, what if a bank leveraged this new opportunity to promote the community banking industry, the benefits of having a relationship with your local bank, and the BankOn initiative for financial literacy? It benefits everyone and makes the world a slightly better place.

Scott McComb, with Heartland Bank in central Ohio, did just that recently in landing several endorsements from local Ohio State Buckeyes. It's a very fascinating study in how community banks can leverage new opportunities to improve their communities around them as well as promote the benefits of the industry as a whole.

They also have a PODCAST!!! And it is a really good one. Check that out at https://www.heartland.bank/drivingCbus

To learn more about Heartland Bank (and you need to...this is a really forward-thinking bank) go to: https://www.heartland.bank/

Finally, thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their continued support. Be sure to check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

One of the main drivers of the future...and one of the biggest shifts I've seen in the last 2 years...has been the development of the symbiotic and non-adversarial relationship between community banks and fintech. It makes sense, honestly. Community banks have the relationships and there are more of them! No need to reinvent the wheel PROVIDED that the banks are willing to adapt to the change.

Nathaniel Harley with MANTL stopped by the podcast to discuss his company and the growing relationships between fintechs and banks.

Check out MANTL at https://www.mantl.com/

And don't forget about our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We talk a good deal on the show about community development and the important role bankers have in their communities. We also talk a lot about digital adoption and fintech's partnership with community banking.

They're not mutually exclusive conversations.

"Doing well by doing good" is an important concept for banks and fintechs to understand and Finastra (the 3rd largest fintech in the world) gets it and sees community banking's role as vital to their success.

I think you'll find this episode interesting...because, as we learn it's not the "big banks" that are the most adaptable to digital change. Who do you think it is?!

If you'd like to learn more about Finastra, check out their site at https://www.finastra.com/

And thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities for their support. Learn more about them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Well, we’ve come to the end of our Superhero community banking series. As I said last week, the last two chapters of The Art of War are about spying and using firebombs. Good material…hard to find a parallel in community banking that is legal! So, let’s wrap up the series here!

Many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities