They’re back. Al and Steve kick off the year by discussing the biggest forces shaping banking right now, including something particularly challenging: growth.

From how banks are allocating capital to how leaders ought to measure results, they unpack what’s working, what isn’t, and preview themes from Ron Shevlin’s upcoming 2026 What’s Going On In Banking report.

Subscribe to the Plugged In podcast here:
https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in


Chapters:
[00:00] Welcome to 2026 & “I’m Still Standing”
[01:15] Why Bank Size Doesn’t Equal Ambition
[02:30] Growth Is Harder Than It Looks
[03:35] “Grow or Go” Is Too Simple
[04:40] Capital Allocation is more important than Asset Growth
[06:05] Discipline Beats Scale
[07:40] Making Technology Pay for Itself
[09:45] When to Kill a Tech Investment
[11:05] “Running Up That Hill” & Tech Roadmaps
[15:55] What Banks Must Get Right Next

What inspires a seasoned bank CEO to come out of retirement? As Jim Reuter, CEO and president of First Interstate Bank, tells Al and Steve on the show: “There’s a saying . …that musicians don’t retire until there’s no music left in them. There was still some music left in me.”

They discuss his career, succession best practices and some of the biggest forces reshaping regional banking. Plus, they offer up their 2026 predictions.

Subscribe to the Plugged In podcast here:
https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in 

Chapters: 
[00:00] Jim Rueter Returns to Plugged In
[01:00] From FirstBank to First Interstate
[02:10] Vinyl Vault & Music Themes
[03:00] Why Jim Came Out of Retirement
[05:00] Leadership Lessons & Succession
[06:40] Growth Barriers & Competition
[08:20] Brand Density and Digital Strategy
[11:30] Deposit Displacement Reality Check
[16:00] The Scale Debate in Banking
[19:15] The ROI of Technology
[23:50] 2026 Banking Predictions
[26:40] Closing Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Regional banks don’t often get compared to pop music, but maybe they should.

On the show today, First Financial Bank President and CEO Archie Brown explains why great banks survive turbulence by evolving with the times, just like great pop artists. He talks with Al and Steve about what credit risk actually looks like today and how midsize banks can hold their own against the industry’s giants. Plus, they explore the value of only focusing on what you can control. As Archie puts it:  “There’s nothing else you can do.”

Subscribe to the Plugged In podcast here:
https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in 

Chapters:
[00:00] Intro – Welcoming Archie Brown 
[00:54] Optimism, Adversity & “Better Days” 
[02:00] Why High-Performing Banks Don’t Get Respect 
[04:45] Credit Risk: The Market Gets It Wrong 
[08:22] Competing With the Big Banks: Talent & Tech 
[11:29] Tech Investment & AI: Moving Faster Than Goliath 
[14:06] Knowing When to Double Down vs. Walk Away 
[17:17] Pop Music, Banking & Evolving Without Losing Identity 
[20:36] Leadership in a Digital-First World 
[23:42] Closing Thoughts & What’s Next

Today on the show, Al and Steve reunite in the Arizona desert to unpack the themes they have been hearing at banking conferences and boardroom meetings nationwide. Two big standouts: the practical use cases of A.I. (yes, there are some) and the surge in M&A activity. Plus, they dig into the generational shift in banking where younger consumers play the field in which financial providers they use.

Chapters:
[00:00] Back in the Desert — Kicking Off Plugged In
[00:41] Coast to Coast: Travels and Boardroom Insights
[03:09] The AI Hype Curve — Entering the Trough of Disillusionment
[05:22] Real AI Wins: Chatbots, Fraud Detection & Efficiency Gains
[07:24] The CFO Reality Check — Why AI Might Cost More
[08:50] Finding Your Voice with ChatGPT
[10:16] The Next Generation of Banking: Gen Z & Liquidity Shifts
[12:54] Creating Capacity and Strengthening Franchise Value
[14:08] The M&A Wave: Big Brands, Big Bets, and Faster Deals
[18:15] Speed, Purpose, and the Future of Banking

Subscribe to the Plugged In podcast here:
https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in 

Deal-making is heating up.

On the show today: Al and Steve sit down with Mike Maddox, CEO and president of the newly expanded $20B-asset Busey Bank, which merged with CrossFirst Bank earlier this year. They dig into scale, succession and strategy.

They also discuss what stablecoins mean for banking, Busey’s $14B wealth management platform and why Mike thinks that regional banks should act more like professional services firms to serve their markets best.

Chapters:

[00:00] Welcome & Ozzy-Inspired Kickoff

[00:41] Meet Mike Maddox: Regional Banking Veteran

[01:12] The State of Bank M&A: Scale and Strategy

[04:04] Solving for Succession: Leadership Transition

[06:13] Market Expansion: From Midwest Roots to Sunbelt Growth

[07:32] Preserving Regional Culture in a Growing Bank

[10:58] The $14 Billion Wealth Platform Advantage

[14:17] Banking Innovation: Tech, Payments & FirstTech

[18:50] Looking Ahead: Post-Merger Integration & Opportunity

[19:48] Wrap-Up: Culture, Metrics & Modern Banking Vision

Subscribe to the Plugged In podcast here: 

https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in 

Banking is only getting hotter. On the show today, Al and Steve break down midyear trends, from GenAI's impact on creativity (it isn’t good) to stablecoins and a potential surprising M&A rebound. Plus, they explore one of the biggest industry questions right now: In a deregulatory environment, where can banks win and lose? TBD. But as Al says: “Fundamentals never go out of style.”

Subscribe to the Plugged In podcast here: 

https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in 

Today on the show, Al and Steve catch up with Chip Reeves, CEO of MidWestOne Bank, to get the inside story into how the Midwestern bank managed to not lose a single top client when it overhauled its balance sheet in a short amount of time.

 Chip also shares how the institution recruits top talent and its approach to competing with the likes of Chase, the banking giant that’s been plopping down branches in MidWestOne's turf (otherwise known as the land of star basketball player, Caitlin Clark). 

 And yes, there’s some singing by Al to an 80’s banger.

🎧📺 https://www.crnrstone.com/gritty-insights/podcasts/plugged-in

On the show today: Al and Steve speak with Brad Elliott, founder, chairman and CEO of Equity Bank, about building a $5.5 billion institution through an aggressive M&A strategy.

Brad shares how the bank attracts and develops talent as well as offers his take on GenAI and how to cultivate trust in digital and physical channels.

Generative A.I. is an intervention moment for the financial services industry.

Today on the show, Al and Steve chat about A.I. playbooks and what banks are doing with GenAI right now (namely tepid things, like testing Microsoft Copilot with their employees). They present a bigger question: should banks pursue A.I. strategies right now? 

Al and Steve also explore the other timely hot word in financial services: uncertainty. What happens next with the economy remains to be seen, but Al and Steve offer up reasons why the C-suite ought to cultivate creativity whichever direction the market moves.

Show notes

• Why most Companies Shouldn’t Have an AI Strategy (WSJ article; subscription required)

Malcolm Holland, Chariman of the Board, CEO and President of Veritex Community Bank, sees himself as a banker who embraces opportunities.

On today's show, Al and Steve chat with Malcolm about how he started a bank as a 25-year-old in the 1980s – a turbulent period for banking – and how his experience of bad times helped shape his career in making big leaps; arguably, none bigger than founding his current bank at age 49 by using the inheritance money left to his wife... with her blessing.

Malcolm chats with the guys about the importance of using data to make decisions, the art of nurturing or replacing talent and what's next for the bank. Malcolm also talks about the bank's women in small business initiative. As he says: "I love it."