I attended the American Bankers Association’s Annual Conference in October in New York City. One of the sessions on the opening night was a vendor showcase, where seven presenters were each given five minutes to present their solution. There was an open bar and the session was standing room only. Now, as a professional speaker, […]
Category Archives: Grounded
Our Future is in Good Hands
As a frequent speaker to financial services audiences, I talk often about the future customers of financial institutions, including Gen Z, the youngest generation, who are mostly still in some form of school as I write this. So when I have a chance to interact with an actual Gen Z member, I generally ask a […]
Can We Really Trust Our Memory?
Current events have placed old memories into our watercooler conversations, and it just so happens that I have been binge listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast series called Revisionist History. In season 3, he provides a series of episodes on memory. In these, he documents, in his unique professorial style, every detail fully researched yet with […]
It Was My Fault and I Quit AVIS Anyway
As a frequent traveler, I get the opportunity to accumulate travel award points. This summer, while in Colorado to teach at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado, I rented a car so I could travel up to the mountains to fish and visit with friends. Since I had many American […]
What True Leadership Looks Like
On a hot and humid Saturday in Houston, Texas, I was honored to facilitate offsite strategic planning for Cy Fair Federal Credit Union. Cy Fair is a former education-based credit union, transformed into a community CU charter, but the board substantively consists of current and former educators and administrators. The CEO is Cameron Dickey, and […]
Making a List, Checking it Twice
As a speaking coach, I consistently remind my students that their performance from the platform is only a small part of what it takes to be a great professional speaker. One of the elements I stress is a checklist of details they must carefully address right before their talk. These include checking in with the […]
Distracted Driving? How about Distracted Stopping?
I was speaking at a conference in Orlando, Florida, and while there, I set up a meeting with a young millennial with whom I am consulting on a new startup idea. He flew down to Orlando so we could use the time around when I would be speaking to collaborate on his startup. After I […]
If You Are Going to Provide Digital Service, You Better Take it All the Way
As a speaker, consultant and strategic facilitator, I fly a lot. Advancements, such as mobile apps, allow quick and decisive decisions and have certainly improved this experience. There are even options where I can self-select to generate alerts to let me know about key events such as “my flight is boarding.” These alerts can be […]
Be Value Added: Going the Extra Mile to Serve a Client
As a professional speaker, I get to work with meeting planners. As someone who has created and executed many conferences myself, I have a great deal of respect for these unsung heroes from companies and associations. So, I try to go out of my way to assist them in any way possible. I am always […]
Creating New Tricks Using Traditional ‘Old Dog’ Marketing Concepts
In my search for transformational growth in the financial services industry, I am constantly on the lookout for innovative activities. The majority of my keynote speeches still revolve around some type of branch transformation. And one of the biggest elements of the transformation needed in the branch is the transformation of the people working there. […]