The CUllaborative
The CUllaborative is for young professionals working in Michigan’s credit unions. It’s a space where emerging leaders come together to have real conversations to share ideas, experiences, and inspiration — all with the goal of shaping the future of the credit union movement.
Each Episode is
- A platform for peer-to-peer inspiration.
- A space to explore career growth, leadership, and innovation.
- A celebration of the diverse voices shaping the future of Michigan’s credit unions.
Whether you're just starting out or you've been in the industry for years, The CUllaborative is FUELing the future of Michigan's credit unions, one voice at a time.
The CUllaborative
The Heart of the Movement: Education & Empowerment with Taylor Neeley
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In this episode of The CUllaborative, we sit down with Taylor Neely from MCUF to dive into the power of financial education and the vital role credit unions play in strengthening communities. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Taylor shares her perspective on why accessible, relatable financial education matters now more than ever—and how credit unions are uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact. From empowering individuals to building financial confidence, this conversation highlights the mission-driven work happening across the credit union movement and why it continues to be so important.
Welcome back to the Collaborative, the podcast for young professionals in Michigan's credit union world who are out here trying to connect, grow, and basically take over the cooperative finance universe one episode at a time. As always, we're powered by Fuel Michigan because even podcasts need a hype squad. Whether you're tuning in on your commute at your desk pretending to look very productive or with a cup of coffee that may or may not be your second or your third, I'm just really glad you're here. I'm your host, Camille, and let's get into it before your coffee gets cold. Today we're joined by Taylor Neely from Michigan Credit Union Foundation. With over 10 years in the industry, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep passion for financial education, helping individuals build confidence and make informed decisions about their financial futures. She's here to share her journey and the impact she's making in the credit union space. All right, welcome, Miss Taylor. Hi. Hi, Camille. How are you? I am amazing. How are you on this wonderful Thursday? Doing well and super excited for this podcast episode. Yay! I am so excited when Aria mentioned you. Um, I know that you are new to the MCOF, so I'm super excited to hear more about it. Um, she told me that you've been in the industry for a while. So what drew you into the industry? What's kept you here?
SPEAKER_00What are what about it? So I got started uh in the credit union industry about 10 years ago, but that's not where I started for the financial industry as a whole. I actually used to work for the big blue bank uh starting in about I know in about yes, 2013, kind of got my feet wet into the banking and finance industry. Through networking, I ended up getting connected to Elga Credit Union. And from there, it's been just a love story for the credit union movement ever since. It started for me at Elga about 2017. I started there as a teller. Um, and just through my time in the industry and um in the uh environment, I was able to learn more and more about the people helping people, mission, and what the credit union stood for. Uh and it helped me with my own journey. So I just love it, never leaving. I'm an advocate now, so I'm always telling people be a member of our credit union. We really do care. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01The first question when people say, Hey, I'm looking for what? Credit union. So I'm known for the front in my friends' group of like, if you have a question about a bank or interest, like go ask me all. And I'm like, telling you, just go to a credit union. Just go, it's it's the best. And I I forgot actually, we were talking earlier about being from Flint and that area. I forgot how many credit unions are in that area because I moved away when I was 17 and I came back and I was like, oh my God, we have so many.
SPEAKER_00Yes, there are many credit unions across Michigan, many in my area. I am from the Flint area in Genesee County. So there's been a lot of credit union growth from the time that I've even started in the industry. So I'm just excited to see and help people get transitioned over. Come on down because we want to save you some money, help you out.
SPEAKER_01Um, looking back at your career so far, what's been a defining moment that really shaped your perspective or your path in this world?
SPEAKER_00So there's been so many different um little moments that have impacted my perspective just as a whole. Credit unions really do focus on people helping people. And even with my own journey, I realized that this is a place that really does care. I ended up entering the industry and having my credit report read to me for the very first time when I started. I was probably about 18 when I started in the industry, transitioned over to the credit union. I was about maybe 20 years old, but that was the very first time. I hadn't had any credit established before that. And that was the very first time that someone sat down with me and took the time out to make sure that I really understood the impact of what, you know, financial access would have in my life. So it helped me attain my college degree. It helped me establish credit. It changed, it changed my life. And um, it's been so many moments where I've had members come to me and ask me just simple questions, but you would think that those little simple questions don't make a huge difference, and it does as far as how they navigate, uh, how they're gonna, you know, how they navigate, how they're going to manage their finances.
SPEAKER_01I knew what a credit score was. I had no idea the building blocks of it until I started eight years ago almost at Harbor Late. And I was like, this is way more in-depth than I thought.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes. I mean, you would even simple questions that even like what is interest? You know, I've had people come in and they've acquired loans, they sign their loan documents, and then they come back in and they say, What does this be? And you're like, oh my gosh, uh, you know, let me help you understand, you know, what interest is and how you can manage it uh and how it can work for you in the future. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I there are a lot of people, especially where I come from, I came from like no financial education background. Like I had had nothing. And I go and I don't help members as often anymore because I'm not member facing them in compliance. But there are times where I am talking to a member and I think like this should be common knowledge. And then I have to remember, like, girl, you didn't know this a decade ago. Don't even sit here judging people.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I started, like I said, I started as a teller and I um got into uh membership service roles. So I was kind of like a banker. Uh, and in those offices, I would open accounts for people, but it would be so many different types of accounts. It would be somebody maybe starting an account for the very first time, maybe for their child, maybe they are planning for the future. And so they do something for like an estate account, or maybe they're thinking about IRA, just anything that you could think of, any financial service or product that people wouldn't just commonly know. It wasn't things that I commonly knew before. I started working in the environment and started offering these products and services and having to explain them uh in depth for people to make an informed decision. So from there, I got into the financial education space. My prior role was a financial education coordinator. So I also am CCUFC certified. I'm a certified credit union financial counselor. I earned that uh certification a few years ago, but it was just inspired by the questions that I would get in my office because people, when you're sitting in an office, they think you know everything, even if you don't. So the questions that you get, you come in, you know. So I would make it my business to, you know, be an informed person to make sure that I'm telling my members and serving my members the best that I could. Um, and you know, just making sure that the people have what they need.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I am I'm actually going through with the MCUF, the CCUFC. I'm doing that this year. So that's been fun.
SPEAKER_00And thank you, Machine and Credit Union Foundation, for all that you do. Yes, that is something that we do. We help with financial education initiatives. We also help with financial education training for credit union employees at the over at the foundation. So just all overall support and supporting our credit union industry and serving their communities better or as best as they can. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And it's I I love it. When I found out about at least going through the way the MCUF for the FISAP, I was like, this is actually genius. I love it. I've done multiple certifications, but I feel this one is just it's different, and I I love it. And I told Andrea at State GAC, this is amazing, whoever decided to do this. Thank you. It's not me just watching a webinar going falling asleep.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it's it's interactive. And what I really like about it is it's actually people focused. It's actually um I would say not so much about well, it is talk talk to you about the methods, but also the connection that you can have with the member in front of you in order to kind of shift behaviors towards a positive trajectory of financial well-being.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think a big thing with people is, and I know for me as well, when I've had issues, is shame of it all. There's there's a lot of shame in general, especially when you come to like poverty shaming and why didn't you know better? And learning how to adjust how you talk to them and like how to relate to them and move it. Like I think that's insanely important. So I think that's amazing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, at the end of the day, these people are your neighbors. They come from the same community that you come from. Oh, they're your friends, they're your family members. And we can't be an expert in everything, right? And that financial education wasn't something that was like a readily offered course in school, something that you would, you know, something that you would use for the rest of your life and need, you would think, maybe. No, but I know algebra that I'm never gonna use. The Pythagorean theorem, right? We all need to know that for sure. Yes. But not how to balance the checkbook.
SPEAKER_01So I can ba I can't do the like the backbalancing when you get the statement and you go back. I cannot do that to save. I've had like three different coworkers who are all good at it sit down and do it with me. And I'm like, I I can do it as I go.
SPEAKER_00I mean, but now we have all of this technology and all of it. Yeah, now you make it easy for yourself. You can set up alerts on your phone. I have an alert set up. Anytime where my cart hits a certain balance, it's like, whoa, Taylor, you need to stop spending right next time.
SPEAKER_01Um I'm on my grandma's account at Huntington and she's 90. She doesn't do online shopping, she hardly does anything, but she's so paranoid about being hacked. She doesn't even have her own online banking portal. Like it's all me. And she's so granted, I probably have instilled some of that fear in her, but you know, I'd rather her be cautious. I I literally have it set to anything over $10. Just tell me because I know she's gonna ask me. And sometimes it's like, oh, grandma went to the nail salon today. Oh, grandma went grocery shopping because we have that. And then and she loves it because now she doesn't have to sit and balance her checkbook anymore. She just Camille takes care of it. Camille does take care of it, yes, grandma.
SPEAKER_00Yes, and good on you for talking to her about scams and fraud and being aware and being alert about those things because it's a a valid concern now with all the people.
SPEAKER_01And I've I've always told her, like, hang up and call back. Like if they say they're from your place, hang up and call them back. Oh, you probably have the best tips for her since you have a compliance background. I her and my mom both my mom will forward me emails of that she thinks, and I'll just see it pop up on my phone, and then I get a call a few seconds later. Is this a scam? I'm like, I love you. And I don't mind the pet as much as it's like, oh, I don't mind it because it is educating them to like nah, don't put your things in, be a little bit more cautious, don't link anything. And yeah, my grandma, she got a text one time. She goes, It says my bank at this place is negative, and I don't know. And I said, Well, do you have an account at that bank? Because she says, No. And I said, Then your account's probably not negative. Okay, just pause a little bit and think for a moment. So you built your career about being in that space of all people. You help with the education on it, you remember services. How do you approach building those meaningful connections, especially when you were, you know, back member facing all of the time? How do you work on building those?
SPEAKER_00What are tips, tricks? Start with being authentic. I think that the only way that you can have a genuine trust is that you build a connect, a genuine connection based on just commonalities that you might have with the person, or just listening to the person and understanding their needs truly, especially with our we have a common goal to help, you know, people helping people. So I think that it's always great to lead with kindness, authenticity, and being genuine. Even when you're having a bad day. Even when you're having but sometimes when I was having a bad day, my members would come in and it would actually brighten up my day. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01They I mine is also I'll take my time. I understand that we're all busy. And that was when I was on the line, we had one teller who used to be a server, and so she'd see a line of people and go go go out and be like, no, no, no, take your time. You're gonna build that connection. It's better. They're they're in a financial institution in the middle of the day, they have nowhere to go. It's fine. Take your time. I like that as a good tip as well. What is something you wish more young professionals in this space understood earlier in their careers?
SPEAKER_00This is a great question because I'm gonna give the advice that I wish I will I still give to myself to this day is use your voice, speak up. You have uh a very unique perspective, even being at the age that you are or not having as much of uh maybe career experience that you're still building right now, but you do bring value to the space, you add value to the space. So, you know, I I suffer with imposter syndrome. Girl, same every day. Every day. And it's like, um is this a good enough idea? Say it, share it. Um, ask questions. That's always been um a a great way for me to build is just to make sure that I'm taking those calculated risks, um, thinking about, you know, I might not know everything, but I can add value in some things and I can also learn from this environment too. So I think even just speaking up, asking good questions, being present and not talking yourself out of opportunities. Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01I like the you have the unique perspective. Even if it doesn't, even if it's not gonna work out, you're still giving an idea of like, and then they can morph it into something else if needed.
SPEAKER_00Sometimes, sometimes those ideas springboard to better ideas or springboard into workarounds that, oh, okay, actually, maybe this doesn't exactly work, but we can incorporate this piece of it and it's very cool. So just I've spoken up and I've been able to be fortunate enough to be in a place where I see where my ideas actually come to life. And it wouldn't have if I just, you know, sat back and cowered or felt too, you know, too timid to share. And that has been me sometimes, but the times that I have taken the risk, it has always paid off.
SPEAKER_01High risk, high reward, usually. And don't let that imposter syndrome voice tell you otherwise.
SPEAKER_00Cause I have like the imposter syndrome voice and then the Lulu voice that's like, you can do anything. Anything is possible, go for it. I mean, I've I've even jumped out of a plane before, I've been skydiving. It's like, yeah, just do the thing that scares you, just get it out of the way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And if that is talking in front of a room full of people, then talk. Say the idea. Do the yeah, all the time. Do it. I love it. Always, always speak up. I think that's something at Harbor Light we've really tried to nurture in a way of always like anybody in our exact team, their doors are open and give them an idea and they'll say, Well, we haven't thought of it that way yet, but maybe we can do it this way. Or that's not possible, but what about this? And there have been a handful of times that I've walked into our COO's office and I'm like, hey, why do we do it this way? And her response is like, Because we do. Cool. Can I, if I come up with an idea, like a way to change it, can can we look at that? And that's where growth happens.
SPEAKER_00The fresh eyes, the fresh perspective, that youthfulness that you bring is that superpower. So why might as well use it? It's like we've done it because we've always done it this way. Well, times are changing. I hate that state. I hate it.
SPEAKER_01And I've had to use it before, and I've said I hate to say it this way, but it's just how we've always done it. I don't I don't like that. What is a challenge you faced and how you navigated and what did you learn? Because you've got you've got a lot of experience in in these years. Like, what is a challenge you can think of that was kind of hard to overcome? How did you navigate it? Give us give us youngins some advice.
SPEAKER_00I still feel like a youngin', and I guess maybe that's the biggest challenge, probably. It's um now stepping, like I said before, the imposter syndrome thing, coming from a space where I've what was in for 10 years, plus, and then transitioning to a statewide role and thinking, you know, I'm new to the space and what can I bring? But also realizing that piece of advice that I gave here, I give to myself, and it's like Taylor, you add value to the space. You have a perspective that nobody has. These people maybe have, you know, certain expertise, but you're brought in be for your unique value. So just positive self-talk and uh and just make you know, not being afraid to speak out, pushing myself to be uncomfortable, which is very, very hard. So still currently navigating, still getting better, still, you know, pushing myself to do things that challenge me to grow personally and professionally and seeking mentors, man, seeking out good advice, um, it's been helpful for me as well, just trying to navigate new terrain.
SPEAKER_01Right? How do you go about finding a mentor? Because like everybody says, oh, finding a mentor, get a mentor. What the heck am I supposed to do? Do I just do I just message people? Do I email them? I don't I'm not good with that, to be honest.
SPEAKER_00Help me help a sister out, please. Okay. Really what I do is I look for people that I would be in alignment with. What um are these people, you know, where I want to be in the future? Um, I look at people, people that I admire. And then I mean, not to be creepy or anything, but if I if I know you're gonna be at a fundraising event, if I know that you're gonna be at a conference that I'm gonna be at, I might just go ahead and make that introduction myself and say, hey, I know that you do this work. I really admire it. Can we connect? Can I buy you a cup of coffee? Or, you know, do you mind if we chat for a few? Um, and usually it works out well, especially I feel like people want to help, you know, people wanna pour into the next, the next generation. So I I just ask a little research in, a little background, and then do some uh LinkedIn stalking on them and yeah, you know, I'm good at that part.
SPEAKER_01So going up and being no, but yeah, that's a a good way of doing it. How are you liking going to the the state level? How was that change going for you?
SPEAKER_00It seems I love it because um I'm just getting to meet so many people, so many great experts, so many people that I can learn from. Um in different, we're all in the same industry, but they cut everybody does a little bit, something different. So I have, you know, I meet people that are in advocacy. They're working with our state and federal legislators. Um, I'm meeting people in our foundation space. I'm also meeting people that are um that do like our systems and do um yeah, yeah. So it's just so cool. I get to meet people in compliance and and legal, and I get to figure out, yeah, like, oh my gosh, this is a thing. So just soaking up all of the knowledge, like like I can't, like a sponge. And it's just been so exciting so far being at this at this level.
SPEAKER_01That's amazing. I hadn't I yeah, I have no words because that's I love that for you.
SPEAKER_00It's fun. I mean, and it I I kind of before in my former role, um, I would travel too. I would go to different conferences and I would meet people from you know from all over. One of uh the conferences I went to was for QFIN. QFIN is the financial education network conference that they have. Okay. And it brings people together from all over the US. So I was kind of familiar with with meeting people on the uh from different states and working on that, you know, networking on that level. But yeah, super exciting that I get to see what credit unions are doing across Michigan and being able to support on a a grander scale.
SPEAKER_01Bigger. Yeah, so I always I kind of forget that the league has so many employees to it. Like it's not like a huge, but you usually see like a hand for full of y'all. You see Andrea, you, you see the event coordinators, Deshaun Kieran, and Patty, and then like there's a total backside to it too that you're like, oh yeah, you guys exist. Yeah. And I I think that's for every every credit union world. Like I had no idea what compliance was until I looked into it. Started and I went, wait, we have somebody that goes over all of this every day.
SPEAKER_00Well when uh I was I had the opportunity to create a financial education program for my community in Genesee County. So we have in other counties, it was a tri-county area that our programs were able to have a uh reach within. When we were building those programs, I had the opportunity to figure out, you know, what would work in different communities and being able to serve in that capacity really built my, I guess my love for financial education space.
SPEAKER_01I think that area, Genesee County in general, is a really, a really good place for financial education. I think it could benefit greatly from it in the Tri-County area. As somebody who who was there right before it flin down, but then still has ties to it. I've watched it change over the years. And I think it's I think financial education is important all over. I think it's very important in those kind of those kind of areas that do have a lower financial education.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. For sure. Uh financial education could impact or, you know, can impact anyone at any age, at any stage, wherever you're at, but especially those underserved and underbanked communities stand to have the almost benefit from having access to financial services that would change their life, change what they're able to do on a day-to-day basis. In my area, there are 12 consecutive banking deserts, neighborhoods that are banking deserts. That means that they do not have a financial institution within walking distance of a two-mile radius. So what you see in those areas are check cashing places, you see the payday cash advance type of places where that's where they're getting their financial services from, which is not, it's not ideal. So you're right. I'm sure my old neighborhood is one of those. You're right. Uh, but then you also have very rural communities that also might have those same um barriers to access, right? Because they might not have a financial institution anywhere around them for, you know, whatever, five miles, ten miles. Um, just meeting people where where they're at um and being able to support them, uh giving them access is just it is truly life-changing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we hear all the time about generational wealth, but it also goes the other way. There's generational poverty. And with credit unions being people helping people, I think it's our duty to try to help break that generation of poverty for them and kind of just help them succeed.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it's just a matter of knowing your resources and being able to access them truly, you know. If we because we could help you, you know, you can you can improve your credit score over time. You could save money, you could build the savings, you could do all of these things that will put you in a better financial situation for yourself and for your future, for your children, for your grandchildren. You could do those things. It's just a matter of knowing and just a matter of being able to get there and being able to trust those uh financial systems or financial institutions to say, this is a great place for me to invest my money. Usually with credit unions, you do see those generational members, right? So grandpa had an account, dad had an account, now little, you know, little Jimmy is now coming in and opening his very first account. And uh, it's because that we've established trust with our communities, because when you went to, you know, a place where you're trying to start or maybe build your credit union, probably was the the institution or the organization that said, hey, yeah, we can help you out with that. Here's step one, here's step two. You know, even if we're I also used to say, like, the credit union isn't the place that tells you no, they might say not yet to get you ready because we want to make sure you're in the best position possible to to succeed. Um, you know, it's all important.
SPEAKER_01It a hundred percent it is. What excites you about the future of credit unions?
SPEAKER_00I get so excited about the impact that credit unions are having in their communities in real time, but the things that we stand to do even more in the future. I'm excited to see what our young professionals do to take it up the next notch in the future because our YPs right now are rocking. They're coming out with great ideas. I don't know if you've ever been to our CU Spark Tank competitions, but so you know there are young people in the credit union industry and the credit union movement that are coming up with bomb ideas, great things that are going to transform in the way that we're gonna go next. So I mean, now we're all talking about AI. We're talking about how we're gonna use leverage technology into our banking systems to make things better. So I'm excited just to see what we do. It's me and you and our, you know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I'm so excited to see Spark Tank, the semifinals in a couple weeks. I participated in it last year for my chapter and then lost, which I was more than happy to because I thought the idea that one was great. Um and I I didn't get to go to the moon chapter this year. And so I'm excited to see the semifinals and see what their ideas were because I just I geek out on that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_00I love it, especially when it's like that you hear of things that maybe you would have thought of but didn't know how to make it work, or things that you would have never thought of in a million years, and it's just completely transformative. It's like I am very just um I'm just honored to be uh, you know, in the room with these individuals and being, you know, peers with these individuals that do such great things in our industry.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there are some amazing ideas, and you see people, and I'm I'm in awe of them every day.
SPEAKER_00It's like, oh, you came up with that idea and like you seriously, and then they and then they sit there and they present it in front of everybody, and that just that's another level of awe for me because I could never, I mean, I would, but like Yeah, and it shows you also the different perspectives of each maybe career within the credit union industry, because you have people from marketing that have a really great idea, you have people from financial education, or you have people from compliance, you have people, so you're thinking like, oh my gosh, like you're right. This could be, this could be a really great idea. And I wouldn't have thought thought of it through a lens or seen it through a perspective of like marketing, or I wouldn't have seen it through this lens um because I'm on a different side of things. Yeah, it's yeah, that's where I have, that's where my brain is today.
SPEAKER_01Just yeah, no, I agree a hundred percent. What is a piece of advice that you would give somebody just starting out in the industry? What would it, what would it be?
SPEAKER_00Piece of advice for somebody just starting out, I would say don't be afraid to take initiative for things. Don't wait to be told what to do. Don't you know, don't ask for permission. If you see something that needs to get done, just do it. A lot of um, a lot I was able to do was because I took initiative on things. I ended up having a role created for me just because I asked. So you just take those risks. Again, like just be a risk taker and ask those those questions, take the initiative and don't be afraid.
SPEAKER_01Don't always ask for permission, but if it might have to do with compliance, you might want to ask. But also, I'm a hundred I'm not a hundred percent that person where I'll ask for forgiveness that for permission is me. And so when I got my role on compliance, my boss was like, Camille, you can't do that. You can't. Okay.
SPEAKER_00My personal power, ask compliance.
SPEAKER_01But I do agree. Like sometimes just ask. Ask for for hey, I did this. As long as you know the compliance in me says, as long as you know that it's not gonna be an issue with compliance, like you're just changing a simple process, ask for forgiveness. That's fine.
SPEAKER_00But if you're bringing a whole new thing, please talk to compliance. Make sure. Yeah, there were some definite checks and balances. When I was creating our financial education program, I did have to get with our compliance team for the disclosures that had to go on our yeah, on our displays and things like that. So I had to say, you know, is this verbiage okay? You know? Um, so yes, definitely for those things, but to create a concept and say, hey, this is what I was thinking about. And they could just do it. Just present, okay. You know, you could present to say, hey, what do you think about this? Compliance will tell you, hey, that's not just change the word. You know, don't say free, say at no cost to you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. A little, I I always think of when I have those ideas or like the worst thing they can do is say no. That's what I have to tell myself. That's like, I think that's my piece of advice adding on to yours is like, do it, take initiative. The worst thing that they can do is say no. We don't then okay, so what can I do to make it a yes? Yeah. Best case scenario, it is a yes. So yeah, like you have two scenarios. It could go really great or not so great, but you can probably make it so it goes great. That's you miss a solid advice. Yes, Michael Scott, whoever, I can't even remember it today, but I know that one. I used to have it hanging up in my office. That is all the questions I had for you. I have loved talking to you and learning about your journey and meeting you officially. Thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for having me, Camille. This has been such a pleasure. Anytime, run me back. Bring me back on the pod. Well, I'd plan to. Maybe we could do a check-in after I've been in the role for uh for a few months. We might be able to do that.
SPEAKER_01We can make that happen. I'll also be at Ace around talking to people with mini microphones. So maybe I'll come find you and do a little mini microphone sesh.
SPEAKER_00We have to. We're both flintstones. You have to link up.
SPEAKER_01Yes, a hundred percent. Thank you again.
SPEAKER_00Thanks, Camille.