Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone

Back on September 3, I asked for your help.

I wanted to spread this video. 

So many of you responded. It was humbling. When I sent the email, the video had 11,137 views.  Today, it has 12,551.

That's an increase of 12.7 percent.

So, did it go viral? I don't know - and I don't care. 

A bunch of us huddled together, and sent some emails. We posted some Facebook messages. And more than 1,000 people new people watched that video. I hope some of them pulled the trigger and joined a credit union. It might make all the difference.

But this message isn't a one time thing. This won't happen overnight. We have to work hard at this. We have to be relentless. 

We have to find out how to unlock this message and let it spread. And it doesn't have to be this video. This message is our story. Our mission. What we do. How we help.

We have to take new employees and mold them into credit union zealots.

We have to unlock the power of our colleagues in spreading this message.

We need to ask our barbers, mechanics, waiters, preachers, spouses, in-laws, out-laws, neighbors, paper boys, dog groomers, coaches, teachers and anyone else we come across...we need to ask them why they aren't members of a credit union. 

There's no short-cut for this work. Every kid who opens a high-cost credit card with a big bank should be seen as us as a failure. Our failure. 

Every service-member who gets fleeced by a crook near his or her base is a failure. Our failure. 

Every elderly person who is pressured into a high-priced financial product that they don't need is a failure. Our failure. 

We have a beautiful, empowering message. People working together to share capital and improve their financial lives. Neighbors helping neighbors. Communities rising up together. 

We have to unlock that message.  If all of us made this a priority...oh the lives that we could change.

For the better.

***

If you like the video I asked you to share, thank the folks of Central 1 credit union up in Canada. The produced it. They were tickled to learn that we Yankees were using their video. They'd love to see it spread. Just think...drive-ins, movie theaters.  Where couldn't you show this? For more information on using the video, reach out to Melissa Harder. She is championing the initiative for Central 1. She'd love to hear from you.

Melissa Harder
Marketing & Communications Specialist
604.714.6578
mharder@central1.com