Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone

I'm from north-central Pennsylvania. Bradford County to be exact. 

What are folks like from my stomping grounds?

A lot like you. We're patriotic. We love our families. We enjoy fireworks on the 4th of July. 

But there's a good chance that we're not exactly like you. Hunting and fishing are big where I grew up. High school wrestling and football are the big sports. Big cities? We didn't have any anywhere near us. Open fields and farms are the norms. Beautiful vistas surround you in my hometown. 

We're a lot like the rest of you, but we have our own characteristics. We sort of form our own tribe. And I love that tribe. It raised me and made me who I am.

The Black Knights take on Wellsboro. Friday Night Lights are important to my hometown.

Your credit union has a field of membership. Maybe it is a single employer. Maybe it is a geographical area. 

The folks within your FOM are probably a lot like the rest of America. But in some ways, they'll be unique.

I have the luxury of visiting with hundreds of credit unions each year. The ones that really, really do well focus on their credit union's "tribe." They know their community. They understand its uniqueness and they celebrate it. 

So, here's a little test this morning. In 100 words or less, describe your credit union's tribe. What makes your members unique?

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Shameless plug: Do you love tinkering and making things better at your credit union? Then check out NAFCU's 2018 Strategic Growth Conference that takes place in Nashville, Tennessee in March. My colleague Devon did a great job putting the agenda together. It is worth a peek or two.