From Spark to Strategy with Alexa Irvine

In this episode of The CUllaborative, Alexa Irvine, Marketing Strategist at True Community Credit Union, joins the conversation to share her evolving journey in the credit union industry. We dive into her Spark Tank idea, Compass, and the inspiration behind it, along with what she loves most about working in marketing. Alexa also reflects on how her role has grown over time and the perspective she’s gained along the way. Offering insight into creativity, adaptability, and finding your direction in this space.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Welcome back to the Collaborative, the podcast for young professionals in Michigan's credit inner world who are out here trying to connect to the growth 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, but 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. Let's get into it before your coffee gets cold. This episode, I'm joined by Alexa Irvine, marketing strategist at True Community Credit Union. Alexa shares her journey through the credit union world, the intentional steps she's taken to become debt-free, and the creative idea that landed her on the 2026 marketing stage at MCUL's Ace, which she won, by the way. It's a real and inspiring conversation about growth mindset and what can happen when you bet on yourself. So let's get into it. Hi, Alexa. Thank you for coming and joining me today. Yeah, absolutely. Talk to me about your journey from like today when in the credit union industry to today.

SPEAKER_01 1:15

I started at the credit union. It was a full-time role that I applied for. Um, but I actually started before I even graduated from college uh two months before. And I was there like a couple hours a day at first in our lead brand and graphic designer role. And there was, you know, a lot of anxious people waiting for me to start full-time because the former designer had moved into a different role at the organization and is still there today. And so started full-time the Monday after my college graduation. And so I was in that role for four years, um, really focusing a lot on like anything that was designed and branded across the organization. Uh, but then uh four years after that, really that role evolved into a more of a creative brand manager role. And so in that, I uh got to kind of expand my responsibilities into things like leading from within our marketing team. Um we'd had a lot of like, you know, changeover and just growth in our team. And so being able to kind of be the longest standing member and lead there, and then also helping like facilitate projects and make sure we met deadlines and all of those types of things, keep things, you know, on schedule. And so that was really exciting to evolve my role in that space at that time. And then more recently, I in the last year or 18 months, uh, my role changed to marketing strategist. And so the work that I'm doing today looks very, very different from what I had previously been doing. I had been doing a lot of, you know, the branding graphic design and now being able to really uh completely pivot and focus on things like um, you know, activating our data, really doing targeted marketing and personalization and all those types of things with HubSpot, since that was kind of what kicked off um that new role being created. So I uh my degree is actually in marketing. So I get to uh be a little bit closer to what I had been trained to do and and really love the work that I'm getting to do today, being strategic and having really awesome conversations and and building some really incredible work with other people. And so everything I build and everything I do is a problem solving and and opportunities to learn as we're going. Um, because it's definitely a space that we're like just now building in. Um, but it's been really exciting and it's really energizing to me.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

It was like, we need you now. Come on, graduate. I also love that I am not the only one who started out part-time and I was just like, sure, I'll just okay, and then here we are later. So that's amazing. What is marketing strategy? Like, what does that kind of look like?

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Yeah, and so that largely again entails um we're really standing up our our HubSpot efforts and um using that as a CRM. And so um I right now my role is largely comprised of building marketing, marketing campaigns and really expanding the work that we're doing there, being able to add all of this incredible data that I think you know we all have about our members and being able to look at that and really you know send highly personalized communications. That was just something that we couldn't do before. And so that's a large portion of what my work looks like right now, but also things like competitor research, really understanding what our members need and want so that we can um, you know, put forward products and services that meet them in the right place at the right time.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

I love that. It's amazing. With that, because you've seen it through true community. I know some of their history. So I know that they've gone through a lot of changes. And you had said you have been through a lot of digital conversions, mergers, all of that stuff, rebrand. How do you navigate those in in the marketing world and all of that? Because that's that's a lot. A rebrand alone. Like we changed our logo last year and it was like full, a whole entire rebrand and all of that. What was that like? And how do you navigate that?

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Well, I think the honest answer is that in many, many ways it stretched me and personally and professionally. You know, a lot of those changes were kind of a few years removed from the majority of those now. Some of them have been a bit more recent. But a lot of those, like I was still like super fresh in my career, like still, you know, figuring out the ropes, new in the industry, certainly. And so I think in a lot of ways, I was really like building my confidence and just navigating like all of the new pieces of um, you know, being in the marketing world, in the credit union world. So I think there was a lot of like, from a personal perspective, a lot of like imposter syndrome and like a lot of confidence building that I had to do through those changes. You know, I look back and think like my very first week that I started at the credit union. So again, my my degree is in marketing. And so I like was like, I got hired in as a branding graphic designer. And I was like, like, am I like the right person for this role? Like I remember sitting at my, I was still living at home at the time with my parents while I was in college. And I was like, is this like, you know, is this a good fit? Like, I don't know. I just feel like I don't know. I'm so nervous. And um, you know, they reassured me, like, you were hired for a reason. Like, obviously, they're they trust, you know, what you what you've designed and what you do and see my portfolio and all these things, but there was a lot of confidence I had to build in that, in that time through some of those really big changes. And so I think beyond even just, you know, the the growth and the confidence building, like there was an element of I really just leaned into a posture of learning through all of those things. Some of them happened simultaneously, some of them were, and it was a lot at times, right? Especially like the brand, the rebrand. Like that was very, very largely like my role that was responsible for like doing the like the heavy lifting of that work. I mean, we did not outsource any of that at all, which when I look back is crazy to me. Um, and so you know outsource. Yeah, so that was that was a lot of work, but it was really like really great. And I think I just learned so much through that, you know, asking questions. Um, you know, one of our values um at the Credit Union is relentless curiosity. And so that's something that I, you know, I'm always being challenged to lean into. And I think especially through those big changes, like really understanding like what are the impacts, you know, for our team, what are the impacts for our members? And so that's been, you know, really important and a big piece of growth through all of those changes. But yeah, I think ultimately it just helped me grow like so much more quickly than I like would have otherwise. Like it's it's crazy when I, you know, look at the big list of all those massive changes. And I often like kind of joke that like it's like the majority of large things that can happen uh in the credit union world that I've been part of, um, which is really exciting because in a lot of ways, like I have all of that knowledge now that I can bring to the table for the next changes that are on the horizon. And so that's been been really fun to be part of such impactful projects.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

I love I wrote it down on my sticky note because I always I have to doodle because ADHD. Um, but I wrote down relentless curiosity. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Yeah, yeah. When I was in my interview, I had my interview um with Chrissy Siders, our CEO, and um Sarah Earthinger. Chrissy walked through in my interview those those values and the you know, purpose, mission, vision, values, all those things. And so um, you know, that stuck out to me, right? There was some that that really stood out, and that was definitely one of them that I, you know, try to lean into and uh in every opportunity that I can because it really does help you learn so much more quickly when you're not afraid to ask those questions.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

We did a card conversion four years ago now. No, I was on the taller line still five or six years ago, and that and that we're we're small compared to true. We have like two little branches at all of that, and we are smaller than I can't even imagine going through all of that in a bigger one because it was that was stressful.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Yeah, that was the that was one of the more recent um of those big those big projects, and um it was it was a lot of communication, a lot of getting ahead of questions and all the all the fun things.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

And having yeah, I remember at one point we had both cards active for like a month or two just to like get them used to it. And we put signs everywhere, we were blasting it everywhere, we were telling people on the line, and the day that we shut off the old cards, a guy came in demanding to speak to our CEO, said his name, said he had an appointment, so we're like, okay, and he comes out and he goes, Why did you shut my car up? And he like posed to ball his hands, and I was like, Oh my god, there's gonna be a fight in our lobby today. Yeah, yeah. God bless Justin. He took up to an office and calmed him down, and the guy's yelling, You didn't say anything. And he's like, Do you see all these sets?

SPEAKER_01 8:59

Yeah, you know, you can put all the, you know, like being in the marketing world, yeah, we can put out all of the communications in the world, and you know, people still don't read. We we've learned it, we know it through all of these changes, especially like it has been proven time and time again. There are still members that have no idea what's happening.

SPEAKER_00 9:15

The small sign print one, it's like you didn't read the sign, did you? Let alone the little print at the bottom of the sign. Like you can yeah, right, but at least do that. It's a lot. And then when you when you have to change them all at one time, I so we uh did you went through the rebrand, you did mergers. What about the members? Like, how did that work? Because there's you know, we have our strategy side and our business side and how it's gonna work for us. But the human side of it is we're here for our members. Credit unions are known for that. What how what did you learn about your members going through it? What do they fear? What how do you I don't know, just how does it how does it work? What does that human side look like?

SPEAKER_01 9:54

Yeah, I mean, I think the first thing that comes to mind is just like very few humans like enjoy change, right? Like there's some that do, it's not me, but uh so there's that piece that I think, you know, especially when you talk about it, like change being related to something that can be as emotional and is as personal and important as their money, right? Like that's that's a really important thing to people, obviously. And like it needs to be functioning and you know, they need to know what to expect. Again, like, do they read the signs? Do they know, you know, do they know what's happening and what's changing? And so, you know, there's there's certainly, like you said, like a sense of like some fear depending on what the change is that comes along with that of, you know, are things gonna work the same? I don't like change, you know, all of those pieces. And so I think through if I'm just summing up a lot of those changes that we had, I think really the biggest thing is, you know, we really had to be intentional about reassuring our members, especially through like the name change and the mergers, like that it's the same credit union, it's the same people uh that are that they know and trust that are gonna be serving them when they step foot and walk into one of our branches. That was a really big piece that we had to communicate. And, you know, beyond that, some of the ones that were more of like an enhancement and like when it came to like our digital conversion and our card conversion and things like that. So just reiterating that like, you know, we're doing these things because it's enabling us to bring better, a better experience to you as a member. Um, you know, we're not just doing them to do them, like we were bringing incredible new, you know, like the tap for our cards was a new feature that came along with that. And I mean, certainly the digital conversion, like we were, you know, night and day difference um in our in our digital experience there and the and the different vendors that we had. And so really just reiterating that and reassuring members through through some of those concerns and like fears was a really big piece of a lot of those changes. If I had to like sum them all up in that question. And then when it came to our rebrand, I think really just looking, you know, from CP Federal to true community credit union. And so really approaching those conversations with like our name, while we certainly want to honor our history, right? Like is is in all honesty, like you said, so much more reflective of the very reason that we exist. You know, people helping people, serving our members, helping cultivate legacy-defining moments. Like we have a part of our brand that we created at that time is our true commitment. It was like the a new piece that we added to our like purpose, mission, vision, and values, which certainly didn't change. And that is um, we will be true to our members, we will be true to our communities, we will be true to our team. And so uh that's a new piece that we were able to, you know, put out there and and just reiterate in, you know, in branch signage and our communications and our ads, all of those types of things. And so, you know, really getting to the heart of what we're, you know, what we're here for and and who we're serving. That was really a big piece that we focused on as well, especially when it came to the rebrand um itself and the merger that was along with that at the time.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Yeah, I feel like it would be kind of nerve-wracking if we were just to walk into your credit union one day and it's totally different. And yeah. I would I would be a little scared too that my people were leaving. Like we're attacking for regular people and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

And again, we talk about cards and like, you know, like my card still says CP Federal, like is it gonna work? You know, all those different, like, just you know, all those things. Are my checks still gonna work? Like, you know, yes, yes, all the things are still gonna work. But like it's very valid questions for somebody who doesn't know the ins and outs like we do. You know, so getting ahead of a lot of those types of things too was, you know, is and was really important throughout some of those changes.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

It's it's funny. So we changed to Harbor Light in 2009, I think it was. I can't remember. It's I think it was 2009. But every so often we get some checks that come through that still say how met. Like it's been almost 20 years, you guys. And I I love seeing the younger tellers who didn't have are more new and they don't understand like the how we used to be in the check or not.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

I wrote a check this just this morning. It's sitting back here behind me. I wrote a check of mine that still says CP Federal Credit Union and it still has my maiden name. But they still work, but like I just haven't gotten new ones. Because how often do I write checks? Not often, and they've been fine every time. But so funny, like, yeah, and you know, I still have I still have my old checks.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

At least you have them for when you need them.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

Right. And I think I could get free ones too. Like, I'm pretty sure I could get a free, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

I went to Huntington last week. I had to get a cashier's check because I have I'm on my grandma's account there, and I went to get a cashier's check, and I'm so used to one, I get cashier's checks free at my work because it's there. And also it's only two dollars, and she says it's gonna be six dollars. And I was like, for a cashier's check? Really? And then I'm just either like, wow, I really am spoiled. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Absolutely. So back to your role with the marketing strategist, connecting the data to marketing, right tools, right members. What data points do you what are the ones that matter most to your world? Like, I I am so not a marketing person. I like data, but I like data on the compliance side of things. So what what are the data points that you really look at and that are more important or take precedent over the others?

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Yeah, well, I think that this is something that just has, I mean, with as we're talking about all these changes and all this growth, like something that has like drastically changed. Like when I look back at when I started seven years ago, I mean, the data points that were important to us were so different at that time, right? Than the ones that we're looking at today. And so there's been a lot of evolution of, you know, how we approach data and the things that we're doing. Um, I mean, you know, back in the day we, you know, created like a promotion for like, you know, a loan, a loan promo, and we would, you know, like broadcast it on all of our telermats and billboards and like all the things. I mean, that was just seven years ago, right? And yeah, like radio and like nowadays it looks so, so different. You know, a lot of those things we, you know, some of those we're not doing anymore because we're, you know, really moving into, again, like with my role, this highly targeted, like intelligence, like strategic, like all of those pieces of using and harnessing data. And so that's something that we really have had a team in two areas, both our data science team and then our um tech innovation team have really evolved in in the recent couple of years and really propelled us forward in this way, um, and and really enabled us to really start tracking our marketing more effectively. And so changing the things that are important to us again. Like we have tons of new opportunities with uh with the CRM that we're using and in the ways that we're activating data. And so, yeah, it's moving from, you know, the simple surface metrics like, you know, email open rates and, you know, ad clicks and things like that. Those are important. It's important to understand that. But like looking so much deeper at, you know, certainly ROI, but you know, I mean, looking at, you know, member behavior and looking at like what their transactions are, like we're having really awesome conversations about how we can actually interpret and activate that data to truly put the right products and services in front of the right members at the right time. And so it's really exciting work that we're building. It's certainly a journey, and we are still, I think, very early in that journey. There's like so much to build and so many great ideas that we have, but it's really exciting the the steps that we're taking toward that and the things that are becoming more important, right? That we are just unlocking like really awesome opportunities to harness data.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

Yeah, I'm so not that person because I never even would have thought of like ad clicks and all of that would be something, but it it makes sense. You want to measure who are getting what information from where and all of that.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Yeah, absolutely. And so, I mean, again, those are important, but like, you know, you can have all the ad clicks in the world, but like, are they, you know, are those people becoming members? Are they opening whatever you know product it is that you're promoting? Like, you know, and so there's lots of things that we've, you know, we've stopped doing. Again, I I listed a few, you know, billboards we've really scaled back and some different things like that, because you just can't, you can't track those in the same way that you can track other things, you know, and being really intentional about tracking ROI and and putting our time and efforts and money um behind things that, you know, are actually showing a return has become increasingly important um and and has to be, right, in the world that we live in today. Like, you know, more competitive than ever, um, competing with things like fintech. Like we have to step up our game. And though um we've been, yeah, we've been on a fast journey that way.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

I actually I've been going to physical therapy and I was talking to my physical therapist last week about like my whole entire session was credit union talk. And he felt bad. And I was like, no, I can nerd out on this like all day. I'll tell you everything. But his big thing was like, well, what do you have to compete with? Fit tax with the bigger banks. He goes, Well, what about with each other? And I was like, Well, yeah, we compete for our members, but also we're really collaborative. Like, we're not just gonna I literally emailed a policy of ours yesterday to somebody just to be like, this is what we have. Because at the end of the day, we want what's fast.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

So yeah, each other is the least of our concerns, right? Like we are, yeah, highly collaborative industry, which is super, super cool. But yeah, it's I mean, more so than ever before. I mean, it is just crazy.

unknown 18:20

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 18:21

We were at our yeah, we were at our like day of training that we have twice a year in I think February of this year, and uh our chief strategy officer got me with like a he was on up on stage and he, you know, said, like, well, how how many of you would say like you, you know, you bank with like one place? Like you, you know, you have one primary FI and like that's you know, and I was like, Okay, yeah, like I yeah, I feel like that's me. Like I, yep, all my stuff is with, you know. I mean, I've been a credit union member with us since I was like, I worked at the student run credit union when I was like in fifth grade. So like I've been a member for you know my parents have been members for years. I was like, yeah, yeah. And he's like, all of you are wrong. Like, do any of you have Venmo? Do any of you have like this amount? And I was like, You're so right. Like, I'm not using it as like or thinking of it as like one of my FIs, right? But like I'm regularly transacting with it. Like I'm moving money through that. And so I was like, Oh, you got me. Like, I was like, you know, I'm like, I'm never gonna raise my hand again.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

That's got me too. I didn't even think about it. Cause like I don't think I keep anything in my Venmo. I just if something's in my Venmo, it's because somebody's paid me and I just Right.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Yep. So yeah. What a thought about that. I was like, well man, all right. And I wasn't the only one he got, but I was like, ah, yeah, nope, I I definitely use other ones. You're totally right, and that's our competition, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:31

So it really is, especially especially the Venmo and the Cash App and how easy it is to move things, and that is definite. When we we talked a little bit, you had to mention Gallup Clips and strengths, um, and that has like shaped how you lead and collaborate. What's a strength of yours? Because you've you've also mentioned you've had to grow so much and learn. What's a strength that you had to learn to trust? And you know, one that you had to learn to manage a little bit more so it doesn't run the show. Like mine's anxiety, that cannot run the show. I have to manage that strength or that talent.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Yeah. So so Clifton Strength really focuses on, I mean, we we often are focusing on our top five strengths. So you know, my top five are um maximizer, arranger, strategic, significance, and I'm gonna forget the fifth, context. Those are my top five. And so it might be a little bit out of out of order on those, but still nonetheless, top five. And um, so the one that like I really have had to learn to trust, especially in the work that I'm doing now, is strategic. Like that one is, you know, in so many ways, I'm like, oh, it's very fitting of my role. Like I, you know, I'm marketing strategist, like it's, you know, but I mean, I have had to learn to trust it because it's so, it's so easy to like shy away from bringing some of those strategic insights to the table. Because I think sometimes I've even me, myself, and I, but also other people that I work closely with, like, I have to be careful that it doesn't like bringing that strategy and the questions that come along with that, that are very healthy questions to ask, can sometimes come across as like pessimism or like playing devil's advocate in the in the context, you know, in what I've in the conversations I've had. And so I have to be really mindful of how I bring that to the table. But nonetheless, it's one that I think, you know, looking back to our com our conversation about confidence and really just continuing to like grow and lean into to experiences that are gonna challenge me. Like, I think I have to not be afraid to bring that to the table. And like there's times that you bring like a strategic question or thought, and like it doesn't like land in the way that you hoped or it doesn't get heard in the way that you hoped, but that doesn't make it any less valuable. And so I'm really having to, that's where that confidence piece comes in of like, don't shy away from saying it next time, though, right? Like, like there's there's a lot of value in bringing that. And and in my role, that's what I'm being asked to bring, right? Like in my former role, yes, I was being strategic in, you know, my design work and and even just being part of conversations and things and projects, but but it showed up very differently. Then obviously now that's like what I'm, you know, being asked to bring to the table. Like that is a large part of my role. And so, and asking those questions and and you know, having the sharing the thoughts and things like that. So Really, just having to trust that, like, again, I'm being asked to bring that here. So that's the one for learning to trust it. But um, as far as learning to manage it, um, I would say of those top five, uh, maximizer is number one. And that is the one that I have to be really careful of. And that one took me some time to really kind of like some of them are very self-explanatory, like strategic, you hear it, you know exactly what it means. Yeah. Maximizer, I had to do a little more like digging to like really understand where that shows up and what it looks like. And I've really kind of come to like self-define it as like the element of my personality that is perfectionism, which um I have long known is me. And so that is something that I struggle with. And so I with that being said, again, especially in the work that I'm doing today with like building these campaigns and things, like, you know, comparing it to my design work, I would design something, it was beautiful, we wanted to get it as perfect as possible before we like sent it to print, right? And it was like done. Where now I'm building these campaigns that, like, if we're being really honest, like they're not gonna be perfect. You could think they're perfect when you launch them, but like you're gonna have to iterate, you're gonna have to create other versions. And so stepping back and really acknowledging that is something that I've been working really, really hard on as of very recently because it it can like hold me back from making progress in some of those spaces when I'm really trying to perfect something before launching it, instead of just saying, like, this is, you know, this is good enough for today. And like my personality hates saying that. Like, this is good enough for right now. And we can work, you know, we can iterate, we can make adjustments, like we're going to. Like we're gonna, you know, we're gonna have to look at the data and see how it's something's performing, or you know, we're gonna be building new things in the future that are gonna impact what this looks like and we're gonna have to change it. Like, uh, it's it's challenging for me. So that's the one that I really have to. It certainly is a strength, and it shows up in a beautiful way a lot of times, but it can also be like a pitfall if I don't um, you know, kind of keep it in check and really work past it in some of those situations.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

I feel like it's a very fine line too, when it comes to it being good enough and perfect, because sometimes it's never gonna be perfect, no matter how much you try, there's gonna be an issue with it. I've learned that in like I'm an artist, I paint a lot and I want this painting to be perfect. And it's okay if it's not. Yeah. Even when you're running a big company and it's not like if there's not a period in one sentence, like it doesn't suck. Yeah. You know what? It's not the end of the world. Yeah, absolutely. Switching gears again because we you you gave me so much information when you got the team, and I was so happy about that.

SPEAKER_01 24:31

Um, I'm glad my direction was helpful. I was like, I'm just gonna like word vomit and like you can go do it do with what you want.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Um I very much write emails like I talk, which is like that. And I sent an email last year after the MC Well D A C to our CEO, and I started it. He wanted he asked us the YPs was right, he asked us to like email him what we thought of it, what we learned from it, what we think we could gain from it, any questions we had or something to that extent. And I started off the email saying, I apologize for the length of his email, but please remember you asked for this. And then and it was like 10 paragraphs long, and I was like, Yeah. So switching gears with all the information, you mentioned that you and your husband paid off $95,000 in debt in under three years, which is mind-boggling, um, and absolutely iconic. I could never die. I could never what did you learn about that when it when it comes to your money and behaviors and even communication? And how did that look? How did you do it? Help help a lady out.

SPEAKER_01 25:40

Yeah, absolutely. No, I can give a little bit of the story. I could talk about this. One thing I could talk about for a very long time. Uh uh, no, so I um I'll like I'm a very long storyteller, so I'll try to like super high level it since that's not exactly the question. Um, but no, so I had um taken uh Dave Ramsay's uh course in high school, my my senior year of high school. Um, and you know, he's talking about, you know, being debt free, you know, not paying, you know, paying cash for college for cars. I'm like, I'm a senior in high school, like I'm going to college next year. So like there were certainly some things I was like, yeah, for sure, like I'll, you know, take that away. But there was others that I was like, that's kind of impossible at this point. Like I have like, you know, nine months until I go to go to college. And so then my hus my now husband, he had he has a lawn and landscape company. And so he listens to music, podcasts, like has to listen to all kinds of things to keep himself like interested because he like listen is on the Melworth for so much time. Um and so one of his clients recommended this was, you know, we hadn't talked about Dave Ramsey and any of the stuff that I learned previously, but he one of his clients recommended that he listen to to Dave Ramsey's podcast. And so he started listening. And long story short, like we talked, obviously talked about it and and aligned on it. And so this was at the time that we uh got engaged and he uh had been living on his own. Um, again, I was still living at home with my parents, but he was living on his own, and he actually like moved back home uh to live with his parents after many years of being out of the house. Um, this was again for the year that we were engaged, and he like worked his butt off. Door dashing was the primary, in addition to his, you know, his business, did door dashing like a madman. I don't remember what the amount was that he made through DoorDash, but it was like crazy. And uh he sold his truck, he like watched it drive away that he like had just bought that he like loved. Um, and and so I our stories looked very different. So it was kind of like a tandem debt payoff sort of it, but then you know, we got married, combined it all. And so he, you know, I had my college debt. I had a big chunk of like cash that I just saved that was just sitting there, and you know, he's like gung-ho about it at this point, while like listening to the podcast, like you need to pay it off. Um, you know, you had that money sitting there, like what are you doing with it? You're still living at home, like just get rid of it, you know? And so um, so I did that with a large chunk, and then um he again worked incredibly hard uh in to pay off, you know, he had some stuff for his business. He had, you know, his truck that he sold, obviously, took a took a huge chunk out of there. Um college, uh college, you know, student loans. And so anyway, between the two of us, yeah, like $95,000. Um, and we actually got to do our debt-free scream at Ramsey Solutions. I don't know how familiar you are with familiar you are with his whole, you know, baby steps and all the things. We got to do our debt-free scream okay, on the radio, uh, in front of, you know, millions of people, on our honeymoon, which was super, super cool. Again, like a lot of this happened while we were engaged. And so with that being said, like I think that, you know, the biggest thing, if I'm looking at how that now impacts my work and my approach to my, you know, my role, it's really that I think behavior when it comes to money, whether it be positive or negative, right, is so often correlated to our emotions, even if we don't realize it. Like there is an underlying emotion or something that, you know, from when we were growing up or from you know, something that that created fear around money, whatever it may be. And so, you know, for us and in our journey, that really looked like the positive side of that. And that is like we weren't, you know, becoming debt-free just to, just for the sake of it. Like we, you know, we wanted, we really defined our why. And that's a big piece of of the Ramsey stuff is, you know, defining your why. And for us, that was, you know, creating a legacy for our family. We wanted to walk into the marriage debt-free. And really, it was about the kind of life that we wanted to build, not only for ourselves, but for our children someday. And so the really exciting thing is like today we get to see all of that come to fruition. You know, we have a two-year-old and, you know, we get to do things with him that we maybe wouldn't get to do otherwise. And so that's so awesome. And we just bought our our house that we've been saving for ever since, you know, the honeymoon came home and, you know, combined our finances, we're saving for that. So now uh almost five years later, bought our house. And so um, it's really, really cool to see that. But it really came down to like defining that why and it being really, really emotional, right? Like painting that picture of the future. And so when it comes to my work, I think it's the flip side of that in a lot of times understanding the emotions behind why like what members are doing with their money. And so whether that be things like fear or uncertainty, or maybe they feel behind or they want to do better for their kids, maybe it is that positive, right? Or like the weight of money, um, you know, understanding that there are these underlying emotions under the behaviors that we see. And so that allows me to approach, you know, my my marketing strategy and my communications from a place of really thinking about that and that being at the forefront of everything that we create and that I do. Um, you know, always bringing that to the table from, you know, from that strategic strategic perspective and it being something I'm super passionate about. And so, you know, you know, what are they trying to build or avoid, right? And what are they feeling along the way uh really just helps me, you know, create communications that are relevant to that, or at least trying to be relevant, relevant to that. And so that's another piece of kind of looking back at the data, right? And like obviously we can't always see that in the numbers or see that in in transactions and things like that. But um, but yeah, it can be really helpful to to approach it from that angle.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

And thinking of what they might want in the future kind of learning ahead. And that's amazing. I know nothing about favorites. I know some of like I I know big computer, but I haven't read it. I probably should. I have so much going on that I won't read it anytime soon. But I like it.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

They got lots of podcasts and stuff. They got lots of, they got their the show. I mean, there's there's lots of cool, they've really, I mean, broadened beyond just I mean, the book was obviously like the you know, the kickoff piece, but there's there's so much, they put out so much great content. Um, and in so many ways. I mean, I'm very like dialed into what they do even today, right? Um we go back once a year to Ramsey Solutions. It's in um Franklin, Tennessee. My husband and I still go back and we you can go listen to the show live at their studio and things like that. And so we go back just to like reset, like remind ourselves why we're like why we're, you know, living differently. Like, you know, for years we were saving for our house and like could we have bought a house sooner? Yes, we could have, but we wanted to do it a very specific way. And so, you know, it was like, hey, we're gonna keep, you know, sacrificing in some ways and keep saving and you know, until then. So it's nice to go back and remind ourselves of that. But yeah, they have so much great stuff. And I really, I mean, I am always looking at them as like an example for how to obviously they're preaching a little bit different message than we are in some ways, but like their approach to to they are dialed into how people feel about their money. And so, you know, really looking at that as an example as we as we craft communications and and think through things. And that's an amazing way to start a marriage off too.

SPEAKER_00 32:05

Like, oh yeah, it was so awesome. And then you didn't have to worry about, you know, a wedding putting you into debt and and all that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:14

And that was the really cool thing was yeah, as we were engaged, we yeah, paid for our wedding in cash, we, you know, honeymoon in cash. Um, though again, it wasn't like a grand thing. It was we went to Tennessee and we went to a radio show. Um, no things. Um and we had just come off of again, like all of that time. I mean, we really like, you know, we didn't go on like date nights while like we were paying he was paying off debt, you know, like it was very like we were sacrificing those types of things too. So it still felt grand to us. But uh bought our furniture for our first apartment in cash. Like we were able to do all of those things as we were, you know, as he was paying off the end of his debt, and I I had my money a little bit more free because I'd paid off that chunk. So yeah, it was a super, it was I I am so so grateful for that, and it's something that's such a big part of who we are. And and I mean connects so much to, you know, ultimately the mission of credit unions, right? Like not the exact same thing. I know we're a little weird, but like, but ultimately, like financial wellness, right? Like is is a big focus of ours.

SPEAKER_00 33:07

So we want them to be financially sound. We want to have yeah, as true community says it, legacy-defining moments. I've seen Chrissy Snyder speak a few times and have talked to her a few times, and I've heard that so many times, and it's it's very true, and that's a way to approach it. And I I don't understand why so many things have to be so big and so crazy, and you know, five thousand dollars for a wedding dress kind of thing. Like that's never mine. And so, like at the end of the day, if you pay cash and you love it, great. That's the kind of thing. And also this country is beautiful, you don't have to leave the country to go. No, no. Yeah, the next question is definitely talking about you with uh Dave Ramsey and helping people find a little bit more confidence with money, and we talked about digital experience and if you could, you know, if you could redesign one part of the digital journey. Like me, I I want a different online. But I'm also very picky with my my apps on my phone, but like why if you could redesign it, why to give maybe more guidance? What would you change? How would you make it look a little different?

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Yeah, so I think probably the best place to start is just really like high level. I've been like spending a lot of time and effort kind of processing through like this framework for for banking, and it's kind of where the idea derives from it falls into this framework. And so really it is that I'm gonna use I'm gonna use the B word and say banking, but like I see banking in four layers that really build on each other. And so the first of those being like transactions, right? Like that is the foundation, like that's what we need to offer to our members. Like otherwise, why are they, you know, why why are they with us? We need to be able to complete their transactions. Um, and so that's you know, really all about capability. The second, you know, layer of that being convenience. And so this is really something that's become the expectation when we talk about like a digital experience, like, you know, our members are expecting. Again, we're competing with things like FinTech, like they are expecting that they are going to have a seamless experience when it comes to convenience and being able to access their accounts and do those transactions. And so that's a second one. The third being insight banking. And so this is really what the one that's kind of like I think carving out of space is like a differentiator in the industry, um, kind of like it's been for a little bit of time, but kind of still. And that is really, again, like the intelligence and like activating data and being able to like use the insights that we have in order to, you know, put forward things in front of the member that like are relevant to their needs. And then the fourth layer is guidance. And so, you know, I know that was kind of in your question. Like, I see guidance banking as really being the multiplier, right? Like all of these things build on each other. And so guidance is really, you know, all about direction. And this is the this is the space that my my Spark Tank idea lives in. It's called Compass. And so, uh, and it's something that's baked into digital banking and really focusing on that guidance layer of like this is really the place where, you know, if if convenience is where fin techs are like winning, then I really feel like guidance is where credients have the opportunity to shine. Like we've talked about it, like people helping people is our mission, right? Like as a as an industry. And so we have like a really unique opportunity to step into this space where other um, you know, banks and fin techs that we're competing with are are not maybe as strong. And so I think when it comes to the one thing that I would change about the digital experience, that is making it more relational and personalized. I think we know that digital transactions are like growing quicker than branch transactions, like obviously at this point. I mean, in the last year alone, uh at True, we had like over four times as many digital transactions as we did in our branches. And so we know that, right? Like that's no surprise to any of us. And then also, we think about personalization, that's incredibly important to the younger generations as we're looking to attract them and gain their trust. That's really important to them. And so the change I would make is really simple, but it's really significant. And that is just to like evolve our digital experience to feel more like it does when a member walks into our branch, because there's a lot of members that aren't walking into our branches. And so, how do we help transform that digital experience to be able to still serve our members in the same, maybe not the exact same way, right? But like model after the way that we've been able to serve them in person. And so that's really where my spark tank pitch um comes to life is through again, it's called compass, but like asking really like a really simple human question when our members log in that helps us understand like where they're trying to go. And so really transforming that experience from transactional to more relational. And again, getting at the emotions behind money, right? Like understanding what they're trying to build will allow us to not only align that digital experience possibly more to what they're trying to do, but also, you know, allow us to communicate with them in a highly relevant way. And so we talk about what data points are important, right? Like if we could understand that a member is trying to save for a house, like that changes how we show up for them. And so that's just one example. But I think really just trying to make that that digital experience, you know, more relational is really kind of to sum it all up, like what I would change first.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

Like it because a lot of online banking, you log in and it's just like, oh, welcome, Camille. And that's like all the personalization I get. And the rest of it, um, with some of the ones that I have or accounts that I have elsewhere, is like, oh hey, do you want to invest? And it's like, I've never invested. Can you have a conversation with me? Where I think that's a really good idea because it is an extension of our branches. Yeah. I like hearing people's passion and I like learning of their ideas and being like that's actually a really good idea because I never would have thought of something like that. Yeah, so cool. But again, going back to relentless curiosity, that to me I don't know. It's almost time for the end. The final question is the one that I asked everyone, and um I I love knowing if there was like a certain moment that stuck stuck out with you in your journey at true in in your wow. In your professional journey, there we go. Um is there a moment that sticks out why I'm here? This is why I do this. This is why I love it.

SPEAKER_01 39:08

Yeah, I I wouldn't say it's a specific moment for me. I was trying to, you know, kind of think about this. And I I I don't know that's a specific specific moment. It, you know, my my why and when I think about it is like really, really personal. That is, I mean, I think I've talked a lot about that here, right? Like my, you know, our debt-free journey, all of those types of things. But ultimately, you know, I was very fortunate to grow up in a family with an incredibly strong foundation when it came to money. Like I don't take that lightly. My parents were teaching me and instilling in me like really great financial practices, like really early on. Um, and so I'm really grateful for that. And it it gave me clarity and confidence really early in my life. But I think the key and the piece that really was like flipped the switch for me was I didn't realize how rare it was, right? Like I'm very grateful for it and I always have been. But like until I was in this industry and until I started, and I never worked on the front line, like I can't speak to it from that perspective. I think if I had, I'd be able to speak even more in this way. But no, even just hearing member stories and just being plugged into the people who are, you know, directly serving our members or, you know, hearing, you know, member testimonials or things like that, like understanding how rare it was, right? It really is is a piece for me. Again, of course, our debt-free journey like changed how I see money behavior and and the emotions behind money. But I think that really people aren't often lacking like options and information. I mean, we're inundated with those things, right? We we have plenty of that more than ever before when it comes to like all of the marketing that we hear from everybody. But I think in a lot a lot of times it's, you know, a lack of that clarity or context or a path forward for what they should do next. And so that's where that guidance banking really comes into play, right? With that being said, I think I view my work um as, you know, more than just promoting products. Like it's about creating those experiences that are giving people a sense of direction and helping them guide, helping guide them toward the next best step. And so I think that's really the thing that sticks out to me as like, this is why, this is why I'm here. This is what I want to do. I mean, I I align so closely with like the credit union mission. It it aligns with the things that I'm already passionate about. Again, I think I mentioned one of my strengths also is significance. And that one is really just like, I want to do work that matters. Like that's what I've self-defined that one as. And so it's and that is so true of me and my personality. And so I think, you know, doing work in the credit un credit union industry helps me find that sense of purpose. And so I I'm so grateful that I get to, you know, be even like a small sliver of helping, you know, guide people toward like next best steps, especially especially now, like in my role of like building emails. Like for a while I was just designing things. I'm not sure that like my designs were helping guide them at all, maybe, but um making them pretty. But uh, but now I really get to step into that space, which is really exciting and and again have a seat at the table to really bring that strategic perspective. And that's why I love being part of the crediting industry. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 41:49

Thank you so much for sharing. Thank you for for answering the call and talking to me and word bobbining as you said. Absolutely. I've learned a lot from you and I really appreciate that. Awesome. I'm glad. Thank you so much for having me. Of course.