A Restaurant Booth Whose Time Has Passed

I was driving through rural Nebraska recently with my wife Samantha on our way back to Oklahoma City. We were looking for a place to have dinner and saw a sign for an Indian restaurant at the next exit. Indian food perfectly met our dietary and hunger needs, so we exited and looked for the […]

Remediating a Problem or Crisis, it’s Really Simple

Every July, I get the honor to teach at the Graduate School of Banking held at the University of Colorado in Boulder. If you are in financial services and want to position yourself as a future CSuite executive, this is the school you should attend. Check it out here. During my technology class in a […]

What’s In a Name?

While vacationing on the island of Antigua, I could not help but notice a particular restaurant we passed by every day. Here is the restaurant: So my question is, would you eat at Good Luck Restaurant? Now, if you took “good luck” to mean that if you eat there, you will receive good luck, then […]

Being Strategic by Reducing Operating Costs

What are the activities that a typical business customer of yours engages in that mostly manually and cost-intensive? Don’t know? It’s likely that, as bankers, we don’t spend much time thinking about the internal cost of our business customers. But there are areas in which an FI has a direct opportunity to reduce costs for […]

Being Strategic by Increasing Revenue / Customers

Let’s say you were interested in assisting your business customers in getting more clients, more sales, how would you go about achieving that? Consider that you have a significant online community, individuals and businesses that are connecting to your online banking platforms. While they are online, there are opportunities to make an appeal to them […]

Don’t Ruin a Great Experience!

Don’t you hate when you’re having an amazing digital experience with a vendor, and they ruin it? Here’s the story. After a successful series of meetings in Atlanta, I returned my Hertz rental car and headed for the terminal. I really love the convenience of the email receipt—no waiting around for an associate with 20 […]

Why Banking is Failing at Cross-Selling Fee Services

I recently read an article from The Financial Brand outlining the problems financial institutions have in cross-selling services with associated fees. The article compares data from Amazon Prime sales to the lack of success FIs have had in selling fee-based services. They found, even when Amazon raised the price for the Prime service, subscribership increased. […]

Innovation in Charitable Giving

Charities are finding it increasingly difficult to raise the money they need. Changes in tax laws certainly have had an effect, but the biggest adjustment is merely the march of time. Think about it: how do most nonprofits raise money? They have an annual fundraiser—some big event where well-heeled, high-networth individuals are wined, dined, or […]

Best Bank in Valdosta … and Not Just Cause I’m Sayin’ It

I referenced my bank, Citizens Community Bank (CCB) in a recent blog post discussing how difficult it is to be a bank. Many non-banks wanting to offer financial services find that existing rules and regulations make it difficult to do so. However, CCB performs a wide variety of banking services with a perfect blend of […]

Gift Wrapped “Thrills and Delights”

The minute December comes around the corner, schedules undoubtedly fill up with holiday parties. At U.S. Dataworks, it’s no exception. We planned our small holiday party for a Friday afternoon in mid-December. We would have snacks and adult beverages—but most importantly, a white elephant gift exchange. For those unfamiliar with the concept, in a white […]