Before he became CEO of Foothill Credit Union, Mike Terzian helped run one of the most unusual financial institutions in the country: Partners Federal Credit Union, built exclusively to serve Disney's cast members, Imagineers, and employees worldwide. In this episode of Make Minutes Matter, host Karen Gilhooly sits down with Terzian to unpack how a marketing career led him into credit unions, what he learned building culture inside "the happiest place on earth," and why the best leaders ask more questions than they answer. Terzian traces his path into financial services: an MBA in marketing, consulting stints at AC Nielsen and Mercer, and client relationships that pulled him into credit unions full time. That path led to Partners Federal, serving roughly 120,000 Disney cast members and employees globally. He and Gilhooly demystify credit unions themselves — nonprofit, member-owned institutions that reinvest profits into lower fees and better rates instead of shareholder returns — then dig into what made Disney's ecosystem so distinct. Terzian describes a company as varied as "50 states," where park cast members, Imagineers, and corporate teams each needed different messaging and support. Storytelling runs through the episode as a leadership discipline, not just a marketing tactic. Terzian argues Disney's real edge was narrative craft, and that authentic, transparent stories that build trust are what made his marketing team indispensable internally. He ties this to a leadership philosophy shaped by Simon Sinek's "Power of Why": the best leaders lead with curiosity rather than answers. He compares his role to a conductor who trusts specialists to play their instruments instead of trying to be the smartest person in the room. The episode's centerpiece is culture — what Terzian calls "how you get stuff done." He walks through a multi-year culture initiative at Foothill: an "iceberg exercise" that surfaced 139 distinct cultural traits, later distilled into eight core pillars, plus a three-tier leadership academy that's already graduated multiple cohorts. He and Gilhooly reach for sports and music metaphors: an orchestra needs one of each instrument, and a baseball team needs trust and tough feedback. Leaders should treat individual differences as a force multiplier, they argue, rather than sanding everyone down to sameness. They close on culture's fragility — it takes years of intentional work to build, but can collapse far faster than it took to create if leaders coast after early wins. Key Takeaways Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Even the best strategy fails without an intentional culture behind it. Hire for fit, not just skill. Foothill's interview panels include people from unrelated departments to test cultural fit — a "superstar" who doesn't fit can unravel a healthy culture fast. The best leaders ask more than they answer. Curiosity and listening beat being the smartest person in the room. Culture is a North Star, not a finish line. Teams that think they've "arrived" and stop investing are the ones most likely to lose it. Repetition and personality make messages stick. People need to hear something five to seven times — humor and authenticity beat polish. Differences are a force multiplier. Designing around different life stages, styles, and working preferences turns individuals into a team. Guest Bio Mike Terzian is CEO of Foothill Credit Union, leading organizational strategy, culture, and growth. He previously spent years at Partners Federal Credit Union, serving The Walt Disney Company's cast members and employees exclusively, holding EVP and VP roles over marketing, member services, lending, and analytics for an organization of roughly 425 team members and 120,000 members. Terzian holds an MBA in marketing and began his career in consulting at AC Nielsen and Mercer. He played college football at UC Davis and leans often on sports and music analogies to explain leadership and teamwork. Chapters 0:00 — Opening 0:30 — Meet Mike Terzian, EVP at Partners Federal Credit Union, now CEO of Foothill Federal Credit Union 2:52 — What is a credit union? Nonprofit banking, members vs. customers 3:43 — Inside Disney's diverse culture: parks, Imagineers, corporate teams 6:39 — Storytelling as Disney's secret sauce 7:37 — Leading with authenticity; asking questions instead of giving answers 10:32 — Building culture at scale across hundreds of employees 15:08 — The conductor analogy: building a team from scratch at Foothill 16:46 — Sports, teamwork, and leadership lessons from baseball 21:31 — Hybrid work and intentional culture building post-2020 22:42 — Hiring for cultural fit: Foothill's interview process 24:01 — Culture eats strategy for breakfast: the iceberg exercise and leadership academy 27:03 — Building a following: authentic loyalty vs. influencer culture 29:10 — Culture as a North Star and the fragility of hard-won progress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
