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02/22/2008

Podcast 04: CU Skeptic

By Tim McAlpine

Welcome to episode 4 of Credit Union Innovators. My guest is the infamous CU Skeptic. I don't know who he is, but this is what he states on his blog.

He's a sub-30-year-old male that has spent the last few years working in and around the banking and credit union industry. He has heard the tales of credit union greats and seen what some would call the bottom of the barrel. He's seen the efforts of small town banks and has all of his personal accounts with one of the big banks.

His take on banks and credit unions? At their current state, credit unions as a whole are no different than banks to the end user. Each have their share of sellouts and standouts, but in his eyes, that’s the bottom line.

You can listen by streaming audio here or you can subscribe to it in iTunes and listen on your iPod.

Some links to get to know the CU Skeptic even better

+ His blog

Fast facts about The CU Skeptic

• What's your real name? Not telling
• Where do you work? In an office
• How tall are you? 6'1"
• Do you have a mustache? No
• Do you wear glasses? Onyl when its sunny
• Do you drink coffee? Yes
• Do you love your Mom? Of course
• Married? Yes
• Do you like bacon and eggs? Yes, but prefer breakfast sausage
• Favorite band? None, but enjoys Pandora
• Last vacation? Doesn't know
• Peanut butter or chocolate? Peanut butter

Production notes

+ Interview recorded with Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack and Skype
+ Intro recorded with a M-Audio Microtrack II mobile digital recorder
+ Edited in Audacity
+ Hosted on Evoca
+ Podcast RSS Feed through Feedburner
+ Music is A Song for Jake by Oregon Chad licensed through Creative Commons

NOTE: If you are listening on this page and want to post a comment, there is a good chance the CAPTCHA will time out. Make sure to hit the 'Post Comment' button twice. Copy your comment to your clipboard just to be safe. Thanks!

Comments

1) Morriss Partee @ Feb 22, 2008
http://everythingcu.wordpress.com

@Tim - That intro is too funny. Great job with that.

Best quote from interview: "The CU movement needs more Gene Blishens and more Ginny Bradys" That's awesome. Nice, skeptic, nice. (Thrilled that both of them will be at BarCampBank NewEngland btw.)

2) Trey Reeme @ Feb 22, 2008
http://www.treyreeme.com

He said "angsty." I like that.

A couple of notes: CPCU's Hoopty campaign doesn't fit the Skeptic's own definition of "innovative" - it was an unsecured loan marketed as "hoopty." (This is the skeptic in me coming out. I loved that campaign, BTW.)

Don't ever unveil yourself, Skeptic. Keep us guessing.

3) CU Skeptic @ Feb 22, 2008
http://cuskeptic.wordpress.com

Point taken. Unsecured loans aren't innovative. The way that particular unsecured loan was presented and marketed was innovative, especially in the context of that specific community.

Innovation does not always mean "new product or service"

Thanks for listening!

4) Ginny Brady @ Feb 22, 2008
http://www.theboardcast.net

I have to be honest - I often feel uncomfortable and a little defensive around people who express skepticism about a position or belief that I feel has merit like the credit union difference. But, in listening to Tim's conversation with CU Skeptic I found myself embracing what he said rather than pushing it away. What I heard loud and clear is that CU Skeptic sees himself very much a part of the credit union community. His challenges to that community are necessary and actually vital for the future of credit unions. CU Skeptic's message to credit unions seems to be to really know their membership and serve and challenge that particular membership.

Thanks Skeptic, for helping me to take a critical look at my credit union - that's a challenge that all board members need.

5) Doug True @ Feb 22, 2008
http://www.dougtrue.net

Hey CU Skeptic... Cancun we are not, but we do have a fun time here in Indy at our symposium. Are you serious, you haven't heard of KISS or at least the unmasking of KISS? I am fairly certain you are aware of Guitar Hero which played a role in last year's symposium. Anyway, if you want to come to Indy for an unveiling at symposium I am sure we can work something out to make it worth your while.

6) William Azaroff @ Feb 25, 2008
http://www.azaroff.com/blog

Thanks for this. Finally listened to it. Some great thoughts in there, but I think the anonymity thing is actually becoming a distraction.

7) Kent Sugg @ Mar 12, 2008
http://www.implementationsabbatical.blogspot.com

Excellent Podcast. I think that listening to what Skeptic had to say had me agreeing on several points, but it also has me thinking that he is someone who hopes to see the CU Movement move forward, he just wants CU to get out of the shell and the comfort levels of the past that they are stuck in.

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