Unlock the Blueprint for Data Excellence — Deep Dive Data Governance: Ready to take control of your credit union’s data? Join Anne Legg from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on April 1 for a virtual workshop that equips you with the tools to launch or strengthen your data governance program. Spaces are limited for this 3-hour intensive session. Register now to secure your spot! Contact Anne Legg for more details.

Credit Union Sales Training: In partnership with SalesCU, we’re offering virtual sales training and coaching designed to help your team better understand and serve your members’ needs. The Credit Union Sales Intensive builds the mindset, processes, and skills frontline staff and leaders need to create stronger member relationships and drive results. Choose the two-day Frontline Workshop or the three-day Leadership Workshop. The next session runs April 14–16, and registration closes March 30. Learn more and register today.

Webinars for Everyone on your Team: Learn from the comfort of your own office from these webinar partners. Click on each to view a list of upcoming webinars.

Spring Breaks and Storytelling

By Michelle Skinner, Communications Director (not Gerry)

Gerry is on spring break this week, so I get to do whatever I want. Just don’t tell him I said that.

Let’s talk about spring breaks. As the name implies, it’s a seasonal pause, a breather, a chance to try something new, and a disruption of the normal routines, the patterns we don't notice we're falling into. On spring break, the only reason you turn on a screen is to shop at Banana Republic, find out where your pizza is, or check on your bracket. It’s a rejuvenation of your mind, body, and soul. We're all glad Gerry is leading by example to show the power that comes from a seasonal reset.

I’d also like to point out it’s also the perfect opportunity for storytelling, and isn’t that just the “word du jour”? Upon your return from any break, whether it’s a weekend, PTO, spring break, or a girls’ trip to London, questions immediately follow. “How was it?” What did you do?” “Is that tequila on your breath?” Okay, maybe not the last question. When you answer — and ask — these questions, you’re driving human connection through your storytelling, whether you think you’re good at it or not.

Storytelling is how we make sense of our world and the people who fill it. It's been that way literally since the beginning of time, when oral storytelling was the only way to preserve history. But I digress. The good news for introverts like me is that it doesn't take a grand adventure or boisterous hand gestures to make a good story. Often, the most impactful stories come from ordinary experiences and interactions. They come from the “ah ha!” moment you gave a younger member or the heartfelt “thank you” an older member gave you when you double-checked their withdrawal to prevent fraud. Sharing those everyday experiences with others is storytelling at its core.

For you, they’re ordinary. For others, and especially collectively, they’re magical. They also require neither a beach hut nor a cabana boy.

Whether you’re taking a spring break or just committing to enjoying longer, sunnier days at home, I encourage you to notice the everyday stories happening at your credit union just waiting to be told — and then tell them. You never know what connections you’ll build and whose life you might impact.

Enjoy your weekend, and your stories; tequila is optional. In fact, it's discouraged.

Cooperatively,

Michelle