FIsionaries

State Bank of Texas Pursuit of Frictionless Banking

What does relationship banking really mean when the back office gets in the way? Live from Alkami Co:lab in San Diego, Jim Marous speaks with John Hutcherson, SVP and COO at State Bank of Texas, about how a highly focused community bank is using digital transformation to make service faster, simpler and more useful for the customers it knows best. Hutcherson explains why operations are central to the customer experience, especially for a bank serving hoteliers, money service businesses, and relationship-driven commercial clients. The discussion explores how State Bank of Texas is reducing friction, improving workflows, strengthening digital banking, and ensuring technology supports the bank’s culture rather than being layered on top of outdated processes. This episode is about more than buying better technology. It is about knowing who you are as an institution, listening before changing, choosing the right partners, and building a digital experience that helps employees spend less time processing transactions and more time building relationships. Sponsored by Alkami Technologies. #FIsionaries #Alkami #StateBankOfTexas #CommunityBanking #DigitalBanking #RelationshipBanking #BankingOperations #BankingInnovation #DigitalTransformation #CustomerExperience #CommercialBanking #BankingLeadership #FintechPartnerships

How an Unconventional CEO Is Rebuilding Red Rocks Credit Union

What happens when a credit union CEO comes from outside the industry and refuses to accept legacy thinking as the cost of doing business? Live from Alkami Co:lab in San Diego, Jim Marous speaks with Darius Wise, President and CEO of Red Rocks Credit Union, about how an unconventional leadership path shaped the transformation of a $360 million credit union in Colorado. Wise shares how his background as a pastor and nonprofit leader helped him focus Red Rocks on a clear “why”: enriching lives. From there, the credit union built a culture of change, modernized its tech stack, improved digital account opening, launched AI-powered member support and pushed the organization to move with more speed. This episode is not just about digital transformation. It is about leadership, purpose, culture and the courage to move faster without losing sight of the people you serve. Sponsored by Alkami Technologies. #FIsionaries #Alkami #RedRocksCreditUnion #CreditUnions #CommunityBanking #DigitalBanking #BankingLeadership #CultureChange #DigitalTransformation #AIinBanking #MemberExperience #CreditUnionGrowth #FintechPartnerships

Colony Bank’s Digital Communications Playbook

Community banking has always been built on relationships. But when customers no longer need to walk into a branch to make decisions, those relationships must start earlier, move faster and become more relevant across digital channels. Live from Alkami Co:lab in San Diego, Jim Marous speaks with Jeffrey Wright, Digital Communications Manager at Colony Bank, about how community banks can use data, timing and digital engagement to build trust before a customer ever talks to a banker. Wright shares how Colony Bank is using real-time insights, customer journeys, segmentation and automation to move beyond generic campaigns. The goal is not more communication. It is more relevant communication that helps customers take the next best step without feeling sold to. Sponsored by Alkami Technologies. #FIsionaries #Alkami #ColonyBank #CommunityBanking #DigitalBanking #CustomerEngagement #BankMarketing #DataDrivenBanking #BankingInnovation #FinancialServices #DigitalTransformation #BankingLeadership #Personalization

How First US Community Credit Union Is Driving Digital Growth

What does it take for a $500 million credit union to compete like a much larger institution? Live from Alkami Co:lab in San Diego, Jim Marous sits down with Shonna Shearson, President and CEO, and Diana La Point, Chief Growth Officer, of First US Community Credit Union. The conversation explores how the credit union is moving beyond being “the best kept secret” by prioritizing digital onboarding, member experience, data-driven engagement, stronger partnerships and internal culture. Shonna and Diana explain why digital transformation is not about buying more technology. It is about knowing who you are, understanding how your members are changing, reducing friction and making sure employees see themselves as the brand. For community banks and credit unions trying to grow with limited resources, this episode shows how smaller institutions can use focus, speed and the right partnerships to punch above their weight. Sponsored by Alkami Technologies. #FIsionaries #Alkami #CreditUnions #DigitalBanking #BankingTransformation #CommunityBanking #MemberExperience #BankingInnovation #FinancialServices #DigitalTransformation #CreditUnionGrowth #BankingLeadership #DataDrivenBanking

88% Digital with Zero Silos: Belco's Omnichannel Playbook

Most financial institutions talk about omnichannel. Belco Community Credit Union built it. With 88% of members active in digital banking and a 4.8-rated mobile app, Belco has achieved what many credit unions are still striving for: a seamless member experience where branch, contact center, and digital services function as one. But the real story isn’t the numbers. It’s the strategic alignment behind them. In this episode of FIsionaries™, Jim Marous talks with Brittany Bollinger, Digital Banking Analyst, and Heather Cluck, Director of Product Strategy and Development at Belco Community Credit Union, to explore how they eliminated channel silos, aligned their organization around a member-first vision, and created a digital experience that enhances the branch rather than replacing it. In this conversation: • The Strategic Alignment that reset Belco’s priorities • Why 88% digital adoption made their branches more relevant, not less • How web and mobile are designed as one unified experience • The data and feedback loops used to remove friction across every channel • Real examples of member input driving cross-channel change • What’s next on their 12 to 18-month roadmap If you lead retail banking, oversee digital, or are trying to make your branch and your app feel like the same institution, this conversation will reshape how you think about omnichannel.