Banking on Digital Growth

Since our pilot episode two years ago, the world has undergone incredible changes. Yet, we at the Digital Growth Institute remain invested in educating and empowering people burdened by financial stress. We have had the privilege of gathering positive deposits from the most brilliant minds in our industry. More importantly, our guests share our vision of helping first and selling second - because healthy communities reflect financial institutions that put service above selfishness. Please join me, James Robert Lay, as I reflect on our transformation journey by revisiting eight memorable exchanges with people using their gifts to help elevate their peers by building personal brands in the banking space. As always, I encourage you to connect with these remarkable men and women as you continue your digital growth journey. As always, I encourage you to connect with these remarkable men and women as you continue your digital growth journey. Only together can we bank on a future worth living in. Join us as we discuss: Taking a proactive stance in relationship building while continuing to market [9:40] What we can learn from Gary Vaynerchuk in creating our own personal brands — even when working in a regulated industry [17:05] How to start building your personal brand even when the listeners and viewers aren’t showing up. [20:08]    Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Paul Long paultlong.com/ Natalie Bartholomew Thegirlbanker.com Greg Martin Theentrepreneursbanker.com Jennifer Beeston Jennifer Beeston (Youtube) Doug Wilber Jay Palter Kerry-Ann Betton Stimpson The Internal Marketing Podcast Eric Cook   You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

We grow personally and professionally through learning, and what better way to self-educate than through books. In the first episode of our Behind the Cover series, I’m joined by my friend and colleague Audrey Cannata, Operations Lead at the Digital Growth Institute, to talk about The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier. We break down this masterwork that guides leaders in helping their constituents reach the next level so they can embolden others through their transformation journey. Join us as we discuss: - (3:11) Some of the common misconceptions about professional coaching - (7:55) Challenges to building a culture around coaching - (14:53) Seven questions everyone should ask during the coaching process Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Audrey Cannata - The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever - Michael Bungay Stanier You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What makes your financial institution special? Simply adopting digital concepts in an analog world isn’t enough to stand out in the FinTech crowd. You have to blaze new trails to be unique in the digital world. My guest, Jason Henrichs, CEO at Alloy Labs Alliance, shares why he believes many banks aren’t doing enough to differentiate themselves in their pursuit of banking as a service - and gives some examples of a few who are! Jason also elaborates on the experience he and his team had innovating their new digital banking platform - CHUCK. Join us as we discuss: - Why FIs need to separate themselves from the pack with their digital offerings [4:15] - How human connectivity ties into digital growth [9:16] - The significance of fundamental partnerships with account holders [20:15] Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Alloylabs.com - @jasonhenrichs - Breaking Banks You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

A strong financial institution is reflected by a healthy community. By investing in their constituents, FIs can reap sustainable, exponential growth. But as digital banking evolves, so has the definition of ‘community.’ My guest, Jeff Marisco, president of The Kafafian Group, Inc., elaborates on several points from his latest book, Squared Away, in breaking down why he thinks communities as an entity are one of the most important stakeholders in banks. We also cover some of the challenges to grooming success in a remotely digital world. Join us as we discuss: - Community banks embracing niche branding to empower their consumers [6:00] - How FIs balance the needs of ‘the four stakeholders’ [8:59] - The challenge of building a strong culture in the remote workplace and why accountability has been misappropriated as a negative asset [28:06] Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - The Kafafian Group - Personal Blog at jeff4banks.com - Author Website at jeffmarsico.com You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Who do you see when you look in the mirror? Does the world see that same person? Your peers’ perception of you is everything. So, why do some people drag their feet in building their personal brands? In this episode, I sit down with Kyle Lacy, SVP of Marketing at Seismic, to talk about the perks of crafting a positive persona for the masses. A co-author of the book Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself, Kyle lays the groundwork for you to trademark your winning brand. Join us as we discuss: - How personal branding is different from self-promotion [3:18] - Some potential roadblocks, such as compliance and content creation [11:10] - How you can start building your brand and reaping the benefits [17:35] Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn - Email Kyle at kylelacy@gmail.com - Follow Kyle on Twitter You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Great institutions are constantly chasing the ultimate customer service experience. Once they’ve reached a threshold of excellence, how do they retain it? That’s one of the great questions that Todd Treadway, Digital Channels Director and Senior Vice President at Provident Bank, had for me in this episode. Todd and I had a wonderful conversation when we met at the Total Expert event Accelerate in Arizona last fall. We took this opportunity to continue the dialogue and catch up on his experience with his firm’s digital growth journey. Join us as we also discuss: The evolution of personalization in customer service [8:00] Defining the customer service experience [11:15] The importance of building trust in approaching referrals [19:30]   Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: Email Todd at todd.treadway@provident.bank Todd Treadway Text questions to James Robert Lay at 415-579-3004   You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Growth, whether it be personal or professional, is a journey. Sometimes, we need to take time to reflect on where we’ve come from to grasp where we’re going. We can’t be afraid to fail. Our failures are the flames that forge us. Do you use them as an opportunity to gripe - or to grow? I had a second round of back-and-forth with Audrey Cannata, the Operations Lead here at the Digital Growth Institute to talk about her transformational journey over the last ten years. Join us as we discuss: - How she rolled over her teaching experience into the digital growth space - The divide between personal growth and the personal ‘gap’ and what she’s learned in her role from observing human behavior - Why individuals, teams, and organizations should transform from the inside out Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - Audrey Cannata You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

50% of consumers have shared that the pandemic made them reconsider their life’s purpose. Let that sink in. As a society, we value purpose-driven ideas - and brands - more than any other time in recent memory. In this episode, I chatted with Jay Baer, founder of Convince & Convert. As a leading customer service expert and 6-time author, Jay talks about the evolution of companies taking a stand on issues over the last few decades. We also discuss expectations in customer service and how businesses can improve upon those experiences, the impact of negative reviews on customer retention, and why leveraging your personal brand for professional networking is a good thing. Join us as we dive into the pool of ratings, referrals, and reviews. Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - jaybaer.com  You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Financial institutions have only scratched the surface of possibility in their shift from analog to digital services. What’s holding them back? My guest, David Brear, believes that financial services have grasped a mere 1% of their digital growth potential. The CEO and Founder of 11:FS, Dave believes resistance to fundamental change is the culprit. But he is excited about what the future holds once that change has been realized. Join us as we discuss: - How the melding of ‘digital’ versus ‘digitized’ has compounded the 1% problem - Roadblocks to innovation, including culture and misalignment of purpose - The relationship between personal and professional failure Today, we progress past the 1% barrier in digital growth - together. Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - David Brear - 11FS.com You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Social media has come a long way since Myspace, but a lot of banking institutions are still fumbling the ball with implementing it in their marketing strategy. I’m joined by Liz McIntyre, director of Social Media and PR at Renasant, to talk about the transformation of social media in fintech. Join us as we discuss why ‘engagement’ dominates social media and what holds firms back from establishing an online presence with their creative content. We’ll also chat about how that content can be used to empower women and others in financial brands and fintechs. And finally, we’ll take a look toward the future of positive social media content - gone are the days of negativity online, because nothing can damage your brand more and break down how we can harness the power of social media to bolster digital growth. Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: - LinkedIn at Liz McIntyre - Instagram at Liz McIntyre You can find this interview and many more by subscribing to Banking on Digital Growth on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Banking on Digital Growth in your favorite podcast player.Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.