The Remarkable Credit Union Podcast PixelSpoke

A shared commitment to serving the financial needs of the underserved has long distinguished credit unions from other financial institutions. In this episode, we talk to Jules Epstein-Hebert, the Director of Membership, Growth, and Partnership at Inclusiv, a nonprofit that has been championing the cause of financial inclusion for 50 years. 
We reflect on the movement over the past five decades and tackle this month’s BIG question:
How has our economy become more or less inclusive in the 50 years since Inclusiv’s founding, and how has the strategy for closing gaps and removing financial barriers evolved accordingly?
 

This is both an exciting and bittersweet episode. After recording 97 episodes of The Remarkable Credit Union, longtime host and PixelSpoke's founder and former CEO, Cameron Madill, joins as a guest to share his top takeaways from his 20 years leading an impact-focused marketing agency for credit unions. Accompanying him is PixelSpoke's new CEO, Katie Stone, who further expounds on leadership lessons she's learned since joining PixelSpoke and how she hopes to carry them forward in her new role.
They also address this month's BIG question:
What should credit union leaders focus on to best equip their teams for success, maximize impact, and ensure the longevity of their credit union?
Next month, Katie will be begin co-hosting the podcast along with current co-host and PixelSpoke co-owner Kerala Taylor. Stay tuned!

In a movement where large asset sizes have become a badge of honor, Express Credit Union is proud to be small. They believe that their intimate size affords them the opportunity to truly know their members and to pivot quickly when faced with unexpected challenges.
This month, we’re excited to welcome Express Credit Union’s Chief Business Officer, Elizabeth Escobar, to talk about how to meet members where they’re at, what Express has to teach the country’s fourth largest credit union, and how to stay engaged with your members in the long-term.
She also addresses this month’s BIG question:
How can credit unions retain their people-to-people focus in a post-Covid era that relies on digital more than ever?

Most credit unions have a set of brand guidelines that include dos and don’ts for their color palettes, logos, images, graphics, and copy. But do guidelines like these truly capture the essence of your brand? Allison Netzer, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Nymbus and co-author of Think Like a Brand, Not a Bank, would answer that question with a resounding NO.
Allison joins us on this month’s episode of The Remarkable Credit Union podcast to talk about who credit unions should be tapping into to help shape and promote their brand, why “member-first” isn’t really a brand differentiator, and what problem-solving has to do with brand identity.
She also addresses this month’s BIG question:
How can credit unions unlock the true power of brand, and how can a more brand-focused mindset help take the credit union movement to the next level?

Credit unions across the country are searching for ways to offer their underserved members pathways to homeownership. But when it comes to affordable housing, it’s clear that bolder action is needed to meaningfully move the needle.
The affordable housing crisis is particularly acute in Seattle, Washington, where home prices increased by over 80% between 2010 and 2020. This month we’re excited to welcome Uche Okezie, Real Estate Development Director at HomeSight, a Seattle-based nonprofit, and Tina Narron, Chief Lending Officer at Verity Credit Union, also based in Seattle, to talk about how they are cross-pollinating, collaborating, and breaking convention to reimagine solutions to this thorny and seemingly intractable social issue.
We also address this month’s BIG question:
How can credit unions “dream more boldly” when it comes to community development and what kinds of innovative partnerships can they forge to drive this work forward?

Is “ownership and economic opportunity for all” an idealistic pipe dream, or is it an achievable goal? Self-Help Credit Union would like to think the latter. Its mission statement embodies the credit union’s penchant for thinking big and pushing the boundaries of what credit unions can do and be. 
This month, we’re thrilled to be joined by Randy Chambers, President of Self-Help Credit Union, to talk about what ownership actually means, how credit unions can advance economic opportunity one neighborhood at a time, and the ways in which a credit union’s WHY should inform all marketing efforts. 
We'll also be addressing this month's BIG question:
What are the biggest challenges we currently face when it comes to the health and vitality of our neighborhoods, and how can credit unions meaningfully address these challenges?