“You have people that listen, then you have people that are waiting to talk.” – Fred Robinson

Welcome to episode 224 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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 season finale, we welcome Fred Robinson, President/CEO at Tennessee Credit Union League. Fred has spent 42 years in the credit union business, and so many of his stories return to the simple idea that people remember people, not titles, not logos, and not institutions. Fred traces it through the mentors who shaped him, reminding us why it matters now more than it ever has.

We dig into the real substance behind connection—the lived version built via trust, consistency, and showing up long enough for people to recognize that you actually mean what you say. Fred discusses the leaders who taught him that this work can become a calling and that your reputation can be shaped via one conversation, one promise kept, and one honest phone call at a time. He also shares the advice he gives younger professionals today, reminding us that growth isn’t always about chasing the next big thing but is sometimes about sticking with the work long enough to develop roots.

Jill also brings in her perspective on our industry and how moving on isn’t the problem but that torching relationships on the way out definitely is. We share stories about how those long-term bonds are important even decades later and why someone new to the movement might feel overwhelmed walking into a room where everyone seems to know everyone. Fred makes a strong case that it’s our responsibility to bring newcomers in and show them connection.

We also get into how connection works in a world that’s both very digital and still deeply human. We discuss why a phone call can have a bigger impact than an email, why physical presence still matters, and how meeting people at their own comfort level (whether that be face-to-face or via a screen) keeps relationships real and grounded. Enjoy our conversation with Fred Robinson!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Connect with Fred:
Fred Robinson, President/CEO at Tennessee Credit Union League
yourleague.org
Fred: LinkedIn
Tennessee Credit Union League: LinkedIn | 

“Leaders who intentionally practice gratitude create strong cultures, deeper connections, and more resilient teams.” – Randy Smith

Welcome to episode 223 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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 discussing the power of gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful leadership strategy that can have a huge impact on company culture, employee engagement, and team resilience, and we explore why gratitude matters so much for leaders as well as how to effectively foster it.

Gratitude tends to fuel positive culture, strengthen relationships, and encourage people to bring their best selves to work. When challenges come up, gratitude helps teams bounce back better by making people feel seen, valued, and appreciated for their contributions, and it also builds trust and a sense of meaning, showing employees that they are not just "cogs in the wheel" but part of something more important.

Expressing gratitude should be tied to specific impacts and outcomes, not just broad acknowledgments, and we caution against waiting for big events or milestones to show appreciation. We talk about some of the common barriers that prevent leaders from practicing gratitude more consistently, such as feeling like you are too busy or feeling worried that it will make the team complacent. We recommend building gratitude into daily routines and rituals such as starting meetings with a round of appreciation or having a weekly "gratitude moment" on team chats!

We share some personal stories of how gratitude has shaped our own leadership journeys, helping us stay grounded and focused on what really matters in the end. Leaders at the top may receive less day-to-day gratitude, making it even more important for them to model the behavior. Gratitude is a simple but profound leadership practice. When used intentionally, it can transform company culture, deepen connections, and empower teams to achieve truly remarkable things together! We hope that you enjoy our conversation!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

“Alignment doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through clarity.” – Jill Nowacki

Welcome to episode 222 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we are talking all about the importance of alignment, the connection between what an organization claims that it values and what it actually does. We discuss how alignment shows up most clearly in leadership and how, when leaders' words and actions are misaligned, it can create confusion, distrust, and a lack of energy on a team.

Jill notes that true alignment is when "what we say and what we do match up” and gives examples of how misalignment can manifest in an organization. We examine what can cause leaders and organizations to fall out of alignment in the first place, identifying as a key factor. When leaders get excited about new opportunities, they can move too quickly without bringing the team along. Leaders under distress might also make hasty decisions aimed at pleasing rather than staying true to their values.

We also discuss how restoring alignment requires self-reflection—to understand how the misalignment occurred to begin with. Jill highlights the importance of being transparent and admitting mistakes—and recommitting to the organization's core purpose and values. We also stress the importance of defining and reinforcing the "why" behind your organization's goals. We advise leaders to trust their gut when something feels off and to dig deeper to uncover the root cause.

Ultimately, our discussion emphasizes the fact that alignment is not something that happens by accident—but is something that requires ongoing effort, self-awareness, and a persistent focus on ensuring that words and actions are in sync at both the individual and organizational level. Enjoy our conversation on alignment!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

“Failure’s mistakes teach us so much more than our successes ever do.” – Caroline Willard

Welcome to episode 221 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we have Caroline Willard returning to the podcast. Caroline is the President and CEO of Cornerstone League, and she joins us for this episode to discuss the importance of embracing curiosity as a leader. Curiosity is an essential leadership trait that pushes us out of familiar thinking and opens new worlds of possibility, but it also goes hand-in-hand with vulnerability, showing that leaders don't have all the answers and are open to and welcoming of new ideas.

Curious leaders are constantly learning, reading across diverse genres, and are fascinated by the creative processes of others—whether business leaders or rock stars. However, as we discuss, it does not always come naturally. After all, doing things by rote is easier, and leaders may fear failure.

We also talk about the tendency to get comfortable with the status quo, even if new tools or technologies could drive greater efficiency, and we discuss how curiosity requires vulnerability, resilience in the face of challenges and setbacks, and a willingness to pause and reflect to truly understand the root causes behind said challenges.

Curiosity is ultimately a choice and a practice and is truly one of the simplest ways for leaders to model openness, adaptability, and creative problem-solving for their teams. By remaining curious, leaders can uncover new possibilities, make better-informed decisions, and lead their teams to greater success! We hope that you enjoy our conversation with Caroline Willard! 

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Caroline:
Caroline Willard, President & CEO of Cornerstone League
cornerstoneleague.coop
Caroline: LinkedIn | CUNA
Cornerstone League: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Want to hear more from Caroline? Click here.

“If you have a fear of failure, you won't launch.” - Brad Bergmooser

Welcome to episode 220 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we welcome Brad Bergmooser, CEO of Financial Plus Credit Union in Michigan. He joins us to discuss one of the most important aspects of being an effective leader—adaptability. Adaptability is shown to be crucial not just for leaders, but for entire organizations, and we explore how credit unions need to be "fast followers" to keep up with demands for instant, personalized service. Clinging to the "way we've always done it" is a recipe for getting left behind!

Listen as Brad shares how he has embraced change and disruption to create an exciting, fast-paced environment that attracts top talent to the credit union industry. We dig into the difference between reacting to change vs. proactively adapting to it, and Brad provides examples of how he has developed adaptable leaders on his team by giving them assignments outside of their comfort zones, ultimately building their "muscle memory" for taking on uncertainty.

We also discuss the challenges of leading teams through rapid change and how some leaders struggle with the loss of control that can sometimes come with the territory of being adaptable, and Brad highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with experts who can fill the gaps in your own knowledge, rather than trying to be the all-knowing CEO.

We ultimately offer some insights for aspiring leaders into how to foster adaptability in themselves and in their teams, with key traits including embracing failure as a learning opportunity, maintaining confidence while also being vulnerable, and constantly putting yourself in uncomfortable situations to build that crucial adaptability muscle! Enjoy our conversation with Brad Bergmooser! 

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Connect with Brad:
Brad Bergmooser, CEO of Financial Plus Credit Union - Michigan
myfpcu.com
Brad: LinkedIn
Financial Plus Credit Union: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

“The Type 2 Fun is where all the stories come from.” – Randy Smith

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group, a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we are talking about Type 2 Fun—experiences which feel miserable in the moment but become cherished memories later on—and we share some personal stories that, while difficult at the time, ultimately led to growth and incredibly meaningful connections!

We explore why discomfort is necessary for personal and professional development—without facing challenges and pushing past our comfort zones, we can't build the necessary resilience to take on challenges in the future. We highlight the importance of leaders normalizing discomfort in the workplace and celebrating the accomplishments that come from it, ultimately supporting their teams through the difficult moments.

Our conversation also touches upon building a culture that embraces growth via challenges. We discuss strategies for hiring and retaining team members who are willing to step outside their comfort zones, as well as the pitfalls of trying to create an environment of constant "Type 1 Fun." We ultimately come to the conclusion that the stories and memories we cherish most often come from those Type 2 Fun experiences—the ones that push us to our limits but leave us stronger and more connected on the other side.

We encourage you to reflect on your own Type 2 Fun moments, recognize the value in the discomfort, and build teams and organizations that can navigate those growth-inducing challenges together. We hope that you enjoy our conversation!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List
Previous guest mentioned in this episode: Mike Valentine (episodes 128 & 204)

“People feel like they belong when they know their contribution matters.” – Jill Nowacki

Welcome to episode 218 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we are talking about belonging! Belonging is more than just inclusion; it's the culture that allows people to show up fully, share ideas without hesitation, and thrive as themselves, and in this conversation, we discuss why belonging is so important for teams and organizations and the barriers that can get in the way

We look at how leaders can spot the signs that someone on their team isn't feeling a sense of belonging, and how subtle things can inadvertently make people feel excluded. We also highlight the value of listening to understand, not just to respond, and revisiting ideas that may have been overlooked in the moment. Admitting mistakes and making efforts to make things right can strengthen a sense of belonging!

We suggest that belonging is essential for unlocking the full potential of teams and driving better business results! We hope that you enjoy our conversation on belonging!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

“When we have presence, it creates space for trust, clarity, and a real, true connection.” - Jill Nowacki

Welcome to episode 217 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we discuss all things presence and the importance of being present as a leader. Presence is the ability to truly show up mentally, emotionally, and energetically for your team and organization, and it’s something that all leaders struggle with at one point in time or another, ourselves included. We discuss how a leader’s presence shapes the team—without it, distractions, rushed decisions, and confusion take hold, but with it, trust, clarity, and connection flourish.

We also highlight the need for leaders to be intentional about creating space in their schedules, setting boundaries, and resisting the impulse to jump between tasks or immediately respond to messages. Listen as we share some personal stories and insights around the struggle to disconnect, stay focused, and resist the urge to constantly check devices.

We ultimately conclude that while presence may be one of the most overlooked leadership skills, it is also one of the most impactful, and by committing to regular practice and creating the conditions to truly show up and be present, leaders can unlock new levels of focus, connection, and effectiveness for themselves, their teams, and their organizations! We hope that you enjoy our conversation on presence!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Audiobook mentioned: An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization by Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow, et al.

Previous guests mentioned: Leo Ardine (episodes 21 & 150)

“Sometimes there are monumental changes, but other times it’s what can you do today to get one step closer?" - Randy Smith

Welcome to episode 216 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, Jill and I talk about all things pivoting - when you realize the path that you're on isn't the one you need to stay on. It can be a strategic shift, a leadership adjustment, or even a whole new direction. The need to pivot can come from burnout, boredom, or external factors such as failing to meet success metrics. We discuss how internal signs such as lack of creativity or excitement for the work can also indicate that it's time for a change.

Pivoting can be really difficult, as it requires overcoming our natural human desire for stability, and Jill and I discuss how leaders have the added challenge of bringing their teams along through the transition. We remind you that being transparent about the reasons behind the pivot, the expected outcomes and potential challenges, and inviting input from your team can all help ease the process for everyone. Celebrating milestones and small wins along the way is also important to maintain morale.

We also highlight how pivots don't have to be monumental shifts; sometimes, it's the "two degree" changes that open up new opportunities. The key, though, is being attuned to all of the signals that are trying to tell you that it's time to make a move, so whether in your career, your organization, or your personal life, the ability to recognize when it's time to pivot can be one of the healthiest and most impactful decisions that you make. The path forward may not be certain, but the alternative of staying stuck is often so much worse!

We hope that this episode offers you some great insight! As always, feel free to reach out to us and share your thoughts! We would love to hear from you!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List

“No matter how much success you achieve, you won’t feel like you’re enough if you aren’t fulfilled in the success you have.” – Jill Nowacki

Welcome to episode 215 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com, and Jill Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.

This episode is sponsored by The Sheeter Group - a leading executive benefits firm that meets your retention and succession needs. This includes non-qualified benefit plans, short and long-term incentive plans, compensation studies, scorecard design, performance evaluation, and more. Learn more at sheetergroup.com.

In this season, Jill 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.

In this episode, we are doing something a little bit out of the ordinary because we don’t have a guest - it’s just the two of us, but this is an incredibly important topic that will probably ring familiar to many of you. What does it mean to redefine success on our own terms and be enough? We discuss how our definitions of success have changed over time, moving away from external measures like titles, growth, and numbers and instead focusing on internal fulfillment and joy.

We share how comparison can be the "thief of joy” and highlight the importance of self-reflection to truly understand what success means to you as an individual. We provide some insights into tools such as the "Wheel of Life" which can help leaders assess different areas of their lives and identify where they may feel a sense of imbalance or lack of fulfillment.

Beyond the resume, we also highlight unique "off the resume" wins that speak to our values and the way we choose to lead our lives, discussing what it looks like to lead from a place of "enough" - recognizing that there actually is no one-size-fits-all definition of success and that true resilience and growth come from a place of self-acceptance as well as self-improvement!

We hope that this episode offers you some practical tips, such as identifying personal rituals that help ground and center you when you're feeling off-balance. As always, feel free to reach out to us and share your thoughts! We would love to hear from you!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List
Previous episode mentioned: #4