The CUInsight Network

“As a credit union, you can compete on an incredibly, if not the most influential video medium that’s out there, in television.” - James Karanasios

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is James Karanasios, National Account Manager at TriAD CTV®. James shares his unique journey into the credit union industry, starting out with a passion for music and eventually finding his way into the world of data, identity resolution, and connected TV advertising. Hear how Triad CTV®'s mission is to be "audience first" - helping credit unions leverage the power of connected TV and streaming advertising to reach and engage their target communities.

In our conversation, we discuss the educational aspect of Triad's work—helping credit union marketers understand how streaming TV is changing and how to maximize its impact. James highlights the importance of keeping the creative personal and authentic to truly connect with the intended audience.

James also looks ahead and shares Triad CTV®'s focus on continuing to provide credit unions with a roadmap for implementing successful CTV programs, as well as creating more opportunities for credit unions to share best practices with one another. The goal is to empower credit unions of all sizes to take advantage of this powerful medium and effectively tell their community-focused stories.

As we wrap up, James talks about his love of buying guitars and pedals, his desire to travel to Rome, and lists some albums everyone should listen to. Enjoy my conversation with James Karanasios!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with James:
James Karanasios, National Account Manager at TriAD CTV®
triadctv.com
James: LinkedIn
TriAD CTV®: LinkedIn

Want to hear more from James and TriAD? Click here.

Article mentioned: “Trust, TV, and Gen Z: The new rules of credit union marketing”

“My best hack is always keeping my why in focus. Work is part of my why, but also my kids are my why too." – Linda Lafortune

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Linda Lafortune, Director of Learning and Client Support here at CUInsight! She joins me in this episode to share her winding story, not having set out to land in credit unions at all. In fact, her early passions were teaching and horses, and she spent her teen years working at a horse farm, teaching lessons, and absorbing the strong sense of community of that world. After trying her hand at journalism and realizing that it wasn’t the right fit, it was a conversation at the farm that steered her toward her very first credit union job—from there she built a 25-year career across multiple CUs before joining our team at CUInsight five years ago.

In our conversation, Linda shares how those varied experiences—from the teller line to leadership development—have shaped the way she approaches her role today. She talks about CUInsight as a “centralized hub” for credit union professionals and why she’s passionate about making learning accessible and meaningful across the industry.

As we wrap up, we also get into the mentors who helped Linda grow, why she’d rather splurge on experiences than things, what book she believes everyone should read, and the important role that her kids play in keeping her grounded when it comes to maintaining a work-life balance. I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Linda Lafortune!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Linda:
Linda Lafortune, Director of Learning and Client Support at CUInsight
cuinsight.com
Linda: LinkedIn
CUInsight: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | X

“We want to meet people where they are, in an approachable way.” – Ben Brooks

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Ben Brooks, President at Zogo, Inc., a financial education app. He joins me to discuss his background and how he ended up working in the credit union industry, despite not originally envisioning that career path.

In our conversation, Ben explains Zogo's mission is to "empower everyone to take control of their financial future, one lesson at a time,” which Zogo achieves via a mobile app that gamifies complex financial concepts, making them engaging and digestible for users of all ages and experience levels. The app covers topics from basic budgeting to advanced investing, and a key focus for Zogo is partnering with credit unions to help them better connect with younger members around financial education.

Ben looks ahead and shares how Zogo is focused on continually enhancing the app experience, possibly even adding features like paper trading. He also highlights Zogo's "user-obsessed, partner-focused" approach, aiming to be a trusted resource for credit unions to rebuild relevance and trust with members. 

As we wrap up, Ben shouts-out the moms in his life, shares his love for Upstate New York, and tells us why he loves James Clear's book Atomic Habits. Enjoy my conversation with Ben Brooks!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Ben:
Ben Brooks, President at Zogo
zogo.com
Ben: LinkedIn
Zogo: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X

Book mentioned: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

“The warm and fuzzy stuff actually creates a lot more value than a slight discount on a rate percentage.” - Josh DeTar

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Josh DeTar, Executive Vice President of Evangelism at Tyfone, Inc., a digital banking provider for credit unions. Josh shares his personal journey of how a credit union saved him as a young adult, sparking his passion for the industry.

In our conversation, Josh highlights the importance of credit unions balancing digital self-service with meaningful human connections. His passion for the credit union industry is shaped by his own experience and the inspiring leadership of Tyfone's CEO, Siva G. Narendra. Josh advocates for credit unions to embrace their unique strengths - community ties, member-centric culture, and the "warm and fuzzy" aspects that larger banks can't usually replicate.

As wrap up, Josh talks about the great leaders in his life, recommends the book Hiring for Attitude, and shares that one big goal of his is to take his kids to Disneyland! Enjoy my conversation with Josh DeTar! 

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Josh:
Josh DeTar, Executive Vice President of Evangelism at Tyfone
tyfone.com
Josh: Linkedin
Tyfone: Linkedin | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify (Digital Banking Podcast) | X

Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Siva G. Narendra (episode 100)

"We’re looking for ways to make an impact for credit unions of all sizes.” - Nick Brown

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Nick Brown, Senior Trainer & President/CEO at SalesCU, which has the honorable distinction of being named the Top Sales Training Company for two years in a row! Nick joins me to share his journey into the credit union industry and how he found his passion for sales and coaching, explaining how SalesCU helps credit unions move from a reactive, order-taking service approach to a proactive sales culture that adds real value for members.

In our conversation, Nick covers the four essential elements SalesCU focuses on to build an effective sales culture and highlights the importance of leaders becoming effective coaches who observe, plan, develop, and hold their teams accountable in a positive way. He also shares his vision for the future, focusing on making SalesCU's programs accessible to credit unions of all sizes to help them deliver the value their members deserve.

Nick reflects on his own life-saving experience at a Children's Miracle Network hospital as a child, sharing how SalesCU is donating a portion of its earnings to support Credit Unions for Kids.

As we wrap up the episode, Nick reveals what about his childhood soccer coach inspired him, what cities he would most like to visit, and what book he believes everyone should read. Enjoy my conversation with Nick Brown!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Nick:
Nick Brown, Senior Trainer & President/C.E.O. at SalesCU
salescu.com
Nick: LinkedIn
SalesCU: LinkedIn

Book mentioned: The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy

“Be nimble and fearless when it comes to failure. Do it fast and move on.” – Chris Felton

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Chris Felton, President and CEO of Corporate Central Credit Union. Chris joins me to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the credit union industry. He reflects on his own journey into the credit union space, starting out with ambitions of a high-stakes finance career before discovering his passion for the credit union movement and its focus on serving members.

In our conversation, Chris highlights how credit unions can take advantage of emerging technologies to improve member satisfaction, and he discusses Corporate Central's own technology platform, Bistro, which was built to allow for seamless integration with fintech partners. We explore the importance of credit unions embracing a "technology-first" mindset and the need for credit unions to form strategic partnerships with fintechs to deliver the frictionless experiences that members have come to expect.

As we wrap up the episode, Chris talks about his love of the 1965 Ford Mustang and how he could definitely live in Colorado Springs. He also recommends the book “Kill the Company” by Lisa Bodell. Enjoy my conversation with Chris Felton!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Chris:
Chris Felton, President and C.E.O. of Corporate Central Credit Union
corpcu.com
Chris: LinkedIn
Corporate Central Credit Union: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | X

Book mentioned: Kill the Company by Lisa Bodell
Short story mentioned: “Attitude Is Everything” by Francie Baltazar-Schwartz

“Credit unions are so critical in helping their members and communities.” - Robin Kolvek

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Robin Kolvek, CEO of VisiFI. She joins me to share her compelling story of career pivots, personal values, and staying human in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Robin reflects on how she went from chasing dreams of being a teacher, coach, or even a detective to leading a major fintech company focused on credit unions—and how none of it was part of the plan.

In our conversation, we discuss the often overlooked but incredibly important role that credit unions play in community development and why they deserve more attention in conversations around innovation. Robin offers an insider look at how VisiFI supports small and midsize credit unions by delivering the kinds of digital tools and enhancements that help them not just keep up but also genuinely compete with bigger players. She stresses that their clients’ voices aren’t just “heard” but are integral.

Robin opens up about what it means to be a leader in the credit union space, especially when your organization is backed by a global tech powerhouse like Italy-based Dedagroup. We explore how that relationship gives VisiFI crucial access to next-level tools such as AI, cybersecurity, and analytics—while keeping them local enough to stay responsive to credit unions’ specific needs.

As we wrap up the episode, Robin also reflects on the impact her mother had on her as a child, her love of travel, and how she manages to maintain a work-life balance. She also offers a couple of great book recommendations. Enjoy my conversation with Robin Kolvek!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Robin:
Robin Kolvek, CEO of VisiFI
visifi.com
Robin: LinkedIn
VisiFI: LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

“The people helping people motto should be lived inside the walls of our organizations just as much as we live it outside with our members.” - Jaime Marks

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Jaime Marks, Director of Recruiting Services at Humanidei. Jamie and I dig into what actually matters when building strong leadership teams, and she shares the pivotal experiences that shaped her, from her first job at Ent Credit Union to taking on bold career shifts across states and institutions.

In our conversation, we get personal about the mentors who saw Jaime's potential, the environments that helped her grow, and the toxic cultures which she learned to spot from a mile away. Her insights are grounded within years of experience and a true passion for helping organizations lead with integrity and intention. We also touch upon what “values alignment” really looks like when hiring senior leaders, with Jamie explaining that she doesn’t just fill roles; she reads between the lines, listening for what a board or leadership team really needs, even if they don’t say it out loud.

As we wrap up the episode, Jaime talks about the mentors who have impacted her life, her love of Sur La Table and Santa Barbara, California, and has a book recommendation for everyone. Enjoy my conversation with Jaime Marks!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Jaime:
Jaime Marks, Director of Recruiting Services at Humanidei
humanidei.com
Humanidei: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X

Want to hear more from Jaime? Click here.

Book mentioned: Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself by Rich Roll

“Every time you tell a story, someone's gonna be inspired by what you're doing, and someone's going to believe in credit unions.” - John Pettit

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is our own John Pettit, Managing Editor at CUInsight. We talk about his journey from aspiring baseball player to storyteller in the credit union space, with his career path being anything but linear from working in a restaurant right after college to managing retail stores and even building houses. He eventually found his passion for sharing stories through CUInsight, where he’s been for over twelve years.

In our conversation, John opens up about what makes credit unions stand out: their genuine commitment to people over profit. He shares why he’s proud to be part of an organization that highlights stories of credit unions making a real impact, and we also talk about the role of storytelling in marketing credit unions and why sharing these success stories is more important now than ever.

As we wrap up the episode, John talks about his love for physical media such as vinyl records and blu-rays, how he uses automated lights to help with work-life balance, and a book you’d definitely find inspiration from. Enjoy my conversation with John Pettit!

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with John:
John Pettit, Managing Editor at CUInsight
cuinsight.com
John: LinkedIn
CUInsight: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | X

Want to hear more from John? Click here.

Book mentioned: Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes

“We exist (to help your credit union get to where you want to go) and we will deliver real results with a real heart.” – Shawn Melamed

Thank you for tuning in to The CUInsight Network, with your host, Robbie Young, Vice President of Strategic Growth at CUInsight. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together. 

My guest on today’s show is Shawn Melamed, CEO and co-founder of Spiral. Shawn tells us about his journey from a game-obsessed kid to a serial entrepreneur, managing director at Morgan Stanley, and now CEO of Spiral.

In our conversation, we talk about how Spiral is helping credit unions compete in a crowded market and build meaningful relationships with their members. It isn't only about financial wellness—it’s about creating a system that rewards people for being intentional with their money and gives them tools to do good without making it overly complicated.

As we wrap up the episode, Shawn talks about a former boss who led with empathy and confidence, his family’s love of traveling, the books he thinks everyone should read, and the importance of being disciplined when it comes to work-life balance. Enjoy my conversation with Shawn Melamed! 

Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.

Connect with Shawn:
Shawn Melamed, CEO and co-founder of Spiral
spiral.us
Shawn: LinkedIn
Spiral: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | X

Book mentioned: The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant
Book mentioned: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho