This is sort of a part 2 to the last time we had Eric on discussing collaboration. As you can tell, I love talking to Eric and his insights from his career are always insightful and inspiring to me as I hope they are to you. I love this idea of accountability. It takes a lot of work and a lot of pride swallowing sometimes but that's the point in a way. Asking yourself do you believe enough in yourself, your team, the mission to own a mistake. It's easy to own the wins...there's no shortage of people claiming a piece of a win but it gets awfully quiet when numbers or results don't quite hit the target. Be sure to check out Eric on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-alexander-58b3005a/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Whenever there's economic news that matters to community banks, why not turn to the experts. Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, is on today to summarize and contextualize today's economic news. To learn more about the Balance Sheet Academy referenced in the show, check out https://www.icba.org/events/details/2024/10/28/icba-securities/balance-sheet-academy

Eric Alexander with Six Arrows Consulting is back to talk about collaboration in banking. This will be, likely, a two-part series on tearing down those infernal silos we have in banking. Long time listeners will know that the "silo-ing" in banking is one of my biggest pet peeves and Eric's approach to team building, collaboration, and culture from within the financial area of the bank (not often associated with such terms!!!) is why I really value his input. You maaaaaay also notice a little different intro on this episode! Eric is another musical banker and he had previously recorded his arrangement of the old hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus". So, in the interest of collaborating with fellow musical bankers, I thought I would share his work. Finally, in the episode, Eric issues a challenge to you...first, you have to listen for it, but email your responses to me at [email protected] and let's see what happens when we ask those question! Be sure to follow Eric on LinkedIn and check out his site at https://sixarrowsconsulting.com/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

You go to a convention or you see a brand new shiny product on LinkedIn and it sounds great. But do you need it? Truth is...I can't really answer that for you. You make that call. But the question DOES arise...how do you know if you need it? How do you even know what data can do to figure out if it's even something that strategically works for you. It's a question that Tim Dively with CliftonLarsonAllen and I have batted around several times over the past few weeks and I wanted to get him on the podcast and help us wade through those waters. Be sure you check out their digital services at https://godigital.claconnect.com/ And don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're continuing our theme around banking with a purpose...what does community involvement really look like? What are some cool stories from community banks that are affecting real change in their local communities? Danny Kelly is the CEO of Hometown Bank in Oneonta, AL. You may remember him from a previous Main Street Banking episode and their really cool use of YouTube. Well, being a subscriber, I came across a video about their community partnerships and the projects that they are working on. It's really powerful stuff. You can watch the video here https://youtu.be/74wWWFsQxXA?si=aHMfReSVZHYz7XAD And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securites, which you can learn more about here https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Sharon Anderson is the CEO/President of Williamstown Bank in Williamstown WV. In February of 2020, they implemented a community-driven coffee business similar to what you have seen on this podcast before and, to date, have nearly raised $50,000 that goes directly to charities in the local community. As someone who has watched this from Memphis, it is truly one of those "feel good" stories...but more than that (and to borrow Williamstown Bank's marketing) it's what banking can be. If you'd like to read more about The Giving Cup, check out https://www.williamstownbank.com/services/the-giving-cup/ And always, thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Well...it's been an interesting couple of weeks in the markets and in the interest rate world. We've just gotten some job data and whenever there is news in these arenas...we bring in Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, to shed some light on the confusion and explain what's going on. Be sure to check out https://www.icba.org/icba-securities to learn more about their Virtual Bond School that Jim mentions in the show.

BSA and AML...often the least engaging material in banking education but it doesn't always need to be nor should it be ignored. Justin Fischer is the CEO of RiskScout and doing some amazing work in the BSA/AML field with new and innovative ways to make this important area approachable and useful. Check them out at https://www.riskscout.com/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, which you can find athttps://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Shamim Okolloh is the VP for Community Outreach or Encore Bank in Little Rock...a second year student at the Barret Graduate School of Banking...and now a co-writer of an extremely important book in our industry. And it's a book she's co-written with her favorite co-writer...her son! It's a book inspiring kids (and particularly girls of color) to become commercial bankers! And it has opened up some amazing opportunities for discussions about banking, financial literacy, banking as a career...it's just awesome! Go check out the book at https://www.ellathebanker.com/ And, as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for helping us present this type of content! Check them out at...https://icba.org/icba-securities

Does leading meetings or meeting with clients or writing reports/memos fill you with anxiety or has it ever done so? I'll admit it...it does me! You can't help how things like that bother you BUT you can change how you deal with it. And to have someone with Justin's resume and experience sharing some of his "tips and tricks" that he teaches at the Barret Graduate School of Banking...well...it let's us know that we're not alone. Be sure to follow Justin on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-muscolino/ JTM Compliance Training at: https://jtmcompliancetraining.com/ And many thanks to our sponsors, ICBA Securities! Check them out at https://icbasecurities.com/

I'm always been fascinated with how banks manage through core conversions. Having lived through 2 myself...I get the frustrations. I've LIVED the frustrations! However, there's a good bit of talk around the differing communication requirements needed for each generation...and today's workforce has 4 generations intermingled together. All with different communication needs...all with different points of views...and if we were to throw a core conversion on top of that?!?!?! Siobhan Byron is EVP of Universal Banking at Finastra and she has seen the good, the bad, and ugly in this area over the years. She made some great points in our conversation that speak directly to the core conversion but, really, apply to so. much. more. in banking regarding ANY big decision we make. To learn more about Finastra, check out https://www.finastra.com/ And don't forget about our sponsors, ICBA Securities, at https://icbasecurities.com/

When the numbers come out, we bring on Jim Reber (CEO of ICBA Securities) to explain them and put them in context. With the new CPI number out today...we did just that. Apologies for sounding like a chain smoking toad...sinus season in Memphis! And be sure to check out ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Our final annual tradition is the "Very Barret New Year" episode where we get together and talk about the past year and what's on the horizon for the following year. Of course, when you get the three of us together...who knows what'll turn up. That's why we love working together! So...Happy Holidays to you and yours from all of us at the Barret School of Banking and ICBA Securities

In part 2, we pick up with part 7 in our conversation with Jimmy. One of the longest running traditions on the podcast is our year in review with Jimmy Sawyers of Sawyers and Jacobs. Jimmy is an industry leader in cybersecurity and banking technology and each year he puts out a Top 10 Trends around this time of the year. So, what we like to do here is take his 2023 list and look backwards and see how the trends developed over the year. Check out Sawyers and Jacobs at https://sawyersjacobs.com/ And thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

One of the longest running traditions on the podcast is our year in review with Jimmy Sawyers of Sawyers and Jacobs. Jimmy is an industry leader in cybersecurity and banking technology and each year he puts out a Top 10 Trends around this time of the year. So, what we like to do here is take his 2023 list and look backwards and see how the trends developed over the year. Check out Sawyers and Jacobs at https://sawyersjacobs.com/ And thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Walk off those extra turkey calories with Chris and Byron talking about music and food. It may surprise you that we don't spend every waking minute talking about banking. I know...shocking. But, we thought you'd like to hear what a typical Chris and Byron conversation sounds like...on two of our favorite topics. Just sit back and laugh along with us...enjoy our hot takes...criticize our opinions...we're ok with all of that! Don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, and thank them for letting us put out even this kind of content for the community banking industry. https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Banks need deposits...banks raise deposit prices...or banks go to capital markets...bank down the street does the same thing...margins get thinner and thinner... Sound familiar? So, let's break out of that rut and rethink this idea of marginal cost of funds as well as the value of our franchises and incorporating an idea called "lifetime value of accounts". Honestly, it's the best long-term option community banks have in an environment like this. Neil Stanley is the CEO and Founder of The CorePoint. Check them out at https://thecorepoint.com/ And many thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship and support. Check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We have several end of the year traditions at Main Street Banking and taking a look back at the year with Gerrish Smith Tuck, PLC is one of them. Greyson Tuck is President of Gerrish Smith Tuck PLC and Gerrish Smith Tuck Consultants LLC located here in Memphis. They do extensive traveling, consulting, and teaching with community banks all over the country and have their fingers firmly implanted on the pulse of the industry. To get in touch with Greyson and/or to register for the publications mentioned on the podcast (and you should if you're not!) email him at [email protected] To learn more about the Board Chair Forum, visit https://barretbanking.org/landings/community-banking-board-chair-forum/ Finally, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their support of our mission here! Visit them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

When there's economic news you can use for community banks, we bring Jim Reber to help explain. Jim is the CEO of ICBA Securities here in Memphis and one of the top subject matter experts in this area for community banks. Many thanks to him and ICBA Securities for the sponsorship of the show and willingness to help the community banking industry! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

For about 20 years, we have done a GAP Assessment where students are surveying the communication (by extension, then, the bank's culture). It's a look at the communication culture of the entire bank from multiple different angles and perspectives. It's always a fascinating look at banks to see where these gaps exist. And that's what led us to this. Over these nearly 20 years, we've had great insights into a good sample of community banks' cultures. We thought it was a good idea to share what we're seeing from this perspective with you all in hopes that you'll find some benefit. To read the white paper, https://barretbanking.ac-page.com/gaps-in-communication-whitepaper-2023 And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Continuing yesterday's conversation around stewardship and banking. If you haven't heard part 1, be sure to go check that out.

Stewardship is a word that we don't use often in the banking world...and that's a shame. While many of us come from a faith tradition that brings a particular set of ideas along with the word, there are some very pertinent points that apply so specifically to banking that I think it wise to discuss them here. For me, this conversation (and those leading up to recording) really sharpened the focus of what it is we do. Eric Alexander has a long career in banking and recently started Six Arrows Consulting. You'll be hearing and seeing more from Eric over the coming months in our programming and I thought this was also a good place to introduce him to the Barret family. To learn more about Eric and Six Arrows, check out https://sixarrowsconsulting.com/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities for their continued support! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

So, the bank president gets hit by a bus...what happens? What about the CFO? Or the Compliance Officer? Is that a different story? With apologies to our friends in executive management (I swear, we're not trying to bump you off!), a large part of culture and engagement that we are missing is succession planning...and by that I mean more than what the regulators make us do. Stephen Ingalls is the Pres/CEO of Team Catalyzer that specializes in these types of discussions with community banks and has worked with community banks across the country. He brings a perspective to this conversation that I had not considered before and I hope you feel the same. Check out Team Catalyzer at https://teamcatalyzer.com/ and you can email Stephen at [email protected] As always, many thanks to our sponsors at ICBA Securities and be sure to check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Thanks for coming back for part 2. If you missed part 1, please go back and listen so you'll be caught up! We talk a lot about engagement and culture and things like that. For some, it's an odd concept to get our minds around. Numbers people like...numbers. So, let's look at some. Each year, Cross Financial has done an engagement survey that specifically targets community bank employees and finds out where the needs are. Check out the results on the show page check out Cross Financial at www.crossfinancial.com/ Finally, may thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship. Check them out at www.icba.org/icba-securities

We talk a lot about engagement and culture and things like that. For some, it's an odd concept to get our minds around. Numbers people like...numbers. So, let's look at some. Each year, Cross Financial has done an engagement survey that specifically targets community bank employees and finds out where the needs are. Check out the results on the show page check out Cross Financial at https://www.crossfinancial.com/ Finally, may thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship. Check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Whenever there's news community bankers can use regarding the goings-on in the markets...Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities is who you need to know. We bring him on the show to fill us in on what is going on regarding our investment portfolios and offer insights into how community banks are effected. Be sure to check out ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're continuing yesterday's conversation with Shamim Okolloh, VP Community Outreach Officer for Central Arkansas at Encore Bank. If you haven't heard yesterday's episode, go back and listen because you are, literally, jumping into the middle of a great conversation. Finding a place to split this up was tough. What I found so interesting about today's piece was Shamim's bringing back the community needs to the bank. Armed with the banking knowledge, she goes out into the world to reach those that many of us can't reach as easily and helps them get "lender ready". I love that phrase! I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed recording. If you'd like to reach out to Shamim at [email protected] And a special thanks to ICBA Securities for the sponsorship. Be sure to check them out at www.icba.org/icba-securities

Shamim Okolloh is VP Community Outreach Officer for Central Arkansas at Encore Bank. She is also a first year graduate school student here at Barret. During grad week, she and I had an awesome conversation about her role in bridging the gap between minorities/underbanked/unbanked communities. It was one of those conversations that you kick yourself for not having a mic ready to roll. So...I brought her back for the podcast so that we could all benefit from her perspective. If you'd like to reach out to Shamim at [email protected] And a special thanks to ICBA Securities for the sponsorship. Be sure to check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Jack Hubbard is, in my opinion, one of the reasons to be on LinkedIn. His content is one of the best I know in the industry and he's one of my go-to's in terms of banking content I need for my job. He also just schooled me on what I'm doing wrong on LinkedIn in this episode...LOL! And I think he'll do the same for you. Using LinkedIn as part of your sales process is a concept that, I think, we don't think about near enough. Today, Jack shows us the 8 mistakes he sees bankers make with LinkedIn...and how to fix them. Make sure you follow Jack and the Modern Banker on LinkedIn and many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities for their support.

I know it's been a minute since I followed up with the ChatGPT episode but I still wanted to talk about it since more news and insights have come out around AI. Needless to say too...it's been an interesting month around banking and it's time we have a serious chat about that. Don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We'll get back to the ChatGPT pt 2 episode...but...because we are in the middle of our Commercial Lending Academy this week, I wanted to bring on Michael Fielding again from Husch Blackwell. Michael's been a frequent guest on the show and always has some really cool takes on distressed loans in ways that you may not have considered. I always enjoy having him on. Well, today, he's put together a quiz of some commercial lending situations that you may/may not have encountered...but good nonetheless. Test your knowledge!! Have to admit...I would've failed miserably! Be sure to check out Husch Blackwell at https://www.huschblackwell.com/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

So, I decided to unleash Skynet and have AI write a podcast script. Here's the prompt I used to generate the script entirely as it is presented in the show: "Write a 2000 word podcast script about the importance of community banks emphasizing the benefits banks provide to low to moderate income communities. Begin the podcast with "Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Main Street Banking podcast" and end the podcast with a disclaimer that this has been written by AI. The target audience is bankers in these communities." 30 seconds later I had the script you hear on this episode. Now...was it good? Was it bad? Did it sound like a normal MSB podcast? That's what we'll talk about next week on the show as well as on the show's LinkedIn page during the next several days. Whether we like it or not...scared of it or not...embrace it or not...this tech is here and I don't think it's going anywhere. So, let's talk about it. Please make sure to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

I know...that title is just jumping off the phone/tablet begging you to listen...because ratio analysis is just what you want to hear on a podcast. But...there are some trends in the $300MM to $1B group of banks that I think are interesting and probably worth discussing. Also, we're talking about trends...there's very few numbers here. I promise. If you do want to look at some numbers, go to the showpage and you can pull the "Average Bank"'s ratio chart. https://barretbanking.org/msbpodcasts/looking-at-some-5-year-ratio-trends-for-community-banks-and-not-put-you-to-sleep-in-the-process/

When the Fed meets, we bring the best in the business to break it down for us. Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, is not only the sponsor of the podcast but the best when it comes to helping community banks understand this type of information. Be sure to check out ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Bringing "old school" lending into the digital world is pretty tricky. I sat down with Ken Summar (Director of Advisory Services with Jack Henry's Lending and Deposits Group) and Mark Messick (Director of Products with Jack Henry's Lending and Deposit Group) to talk about some of the uses for data in credit analysis that you might not have thought about. I hadn't, to be honest. But the big thing here is the last question. No matter how many times I've had the discussion around adding new technology to an existing core, the grumbling begins and more bourbon usually gets ordered. So, I asked Ken and Mark...why? So, the last several minutes are 2 executives from Jack Henry™, a major technology provider, answering the question we've all asked ourselves about the core. Hope you enjoyed it. I learned a ton. Jack Henry is a well-rounded financial technology company that strengthens the connections between people and their financial institutions through technology and services that reduce the barriers to financial health – with the purpose of empowering people and communities to gain the financial freedom to move forward. Visit jackhenry.com to learn more. Contact Mark Messick at [email protected].

That time of year again...days are getting shorter, nights are longer, there's a chill in the air, children are playing with new toys are dreaming of Christmas' magic. And also time for Chris, Ashley, and Byron to sit down and record our end of the year chat! We love these! It's so much fun for us to share with you what we're thinking but also let you see why we love our jobs so much! Many thanks to ICBA Securities for sponsoring this show and allowing us to be authentic in our content! http://icbasecurities.com/

When the Fed talks, we ask Jim Reber on with ICBA Securities to give the community banking industry the news. Always good information to have. Be sure you check out Jim at http://icbasecurities.com/

Part of what has become our traditional end of the year content on Main Street Banking has been to have Jimmy Sawyers from Sawyers and Jacobs on to check his annual tech predictions he makes each year. It's a twist on the "end of year" content and Jimmy is a long time faculty member, friend of the school, and all-around great guy! Part 2 includes his 2022 Tech predictions numbers 6-10 and we covered numbers 1-5 last week so be sure to check those out if you're lost. To read more about his Tech Predictions, check out the 2022 list at sawyersjacobs.com/wp-content/uploa…-Predictions.pdf And don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at www.icba.org/icba-securities

Part of what has become our traditional end of the year content on Main Street Banking has been to have Jimmy Sawyers from Sawyers and Jacobs on to check his annual tech predictions he makes each year. It's a twist on the "end of year" content and Jimmy is a long time faculty member, friend of the school, and all-around great guy! Part 1 includes his 2022 Tech predictions numbers 1-5 and we'll come back to 6-10 next week. To read more about his Tech Predictions, check out the 2022 list at https://sawyersjacobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2022-Top-Ten-Predictions.pdf And don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's that time of year when we start with our annual "End of the Year" episodes and I love doing them! It's a great time to pull over and assess where things are in the industry and where we are heading. Nobody is better at that then the guys at Gerrish Smith Tuck. Phillip Smith and Greyson Tuck, both alums of the grad school, join Chris and I in discussing what they've seen across the industry and where it looks like we are heading next year. To learn more about Gerrish Smith Tuck, visit them at https://gerrish.com/ And please don't forget to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Turkey time and gratitude...plus some updates on the podcast and some things Barret's cooking up in 2023. Many thanks goes to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their continued sponsorship! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Wrapping our distressed loans series, Michael gives the Main St Banking audience some advice about avoiding those dreaded clawbacks! Thanks to Husch Blackwell for working with us on this series. Check them out at https://www.huschblackwell.com/offices/KansasCity_MO And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their support. https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Not talking about cheese dip...we're talking debtor-in-possession financing. Interesting idea in the right circumstance. Check out Michael and Husch Blackwell at https://www.huschblackwell.com/offices/KansasCity_MO And thanks to our sponsors, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

New rules around small business bankruptcies could impact your bank. Michael Fielding breaks those down for us today. Check out Husch Blackwell at https://www.huschblackwell.com/offices/KansasCity_MO And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Continuing with our distressed loans series, Michael Fielding is here to teach us about receiverships and their role in the process. Be sure to check out Husch Blackwell at https://www.huschblackwell.com/offices/KansasCity_MO And don't forget our sponsors, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Starting a 5 part series on Distressed Loans and Best Practices. We've brought back Michael Fielding to discuss several best practices for the next 5 weeks. Hope you enjoy it. Check out Husch Blackwell at https://www.huschblackwell.com/offices/KansasCity_MO And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities. https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Faith Weekly is a community development advisor at the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. She talks with us about her experience working with banks, nonprofit organizations and government agencies to develop programs that promote affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization across the Eighth Federal Reserve District. She also discusses the Institute for Economic Equity’s annual State of Economic Equity series, which examines the challenges facing vulnerable workers and possible ways to improve their economic security. She also answers the hard question: Why does the Federal Reserve study economic equity? She also discussed her recently-published research on small-dollar mortgages and affordable housing, as well as her work on community land trusts and Black homeownership. Special thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities.

Going back to one of our favorite episodes, I wanted to make certain that it got repeated. Brad spoke at Lead FWD and some of his material can be heard in this episode. Also, his book is a must-read. If you don't have it, you need to go get it... and many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for all they have done.

Is 75 the new 25? Possibly! The Fed just wrapped up its meeting and continued to raise rates another 75 bps. As usual, whenever there's action by the Fed that impacts community banks, we have Jim Reber come on to break it all down for us. Be sure to check out ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities And to register for their Balance Sheet Academy, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5HKLXPM

Many community banks serve in low-to-moderate income areas and on September 9, Citi announced their new "HomeRun" program targeting mortgages in these areas. They don't pull any punches about coming after lenders in those areas as well as realtors and other community leaders that you, hopefully, work with. The traditional argument that these mortgages, too, are too risky also doesn't have to be that way and we'll take a look at why this really isn't the risky move it appears to be. Here's the article from CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/09/citi-expands-program-to-increase-homeownership-in-diverse-communities.html Be sure to check our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Why do a podcast episode on the template from the FDIC for consumer compliance exam? Well, for one...they give you the answer to the exam. They, literally, put out what the form looks like and what they're looking for. In my college classes, I'm not the most difficult professor on earth...but even I don't go that far. The main reason is that the old cliche is true...compliance is everyone's responsibility. Just because you are not a compliance officer, doesn't mean you don't have some role to play here. If you know what the examiners are going to ask your management, then you're going to know what management is going to be asking of you...in about 2 seconds after they are asked themselves. And the best part is...this is all publicly available information. I didn't sneak into the FDIC archives Tom Cruise-style and steal these. They emailed these out to the email list. I'll attach the files on the show page. Don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

I think, without fail, our small business customers want us to know something about them and at the same time, there are things that we wish we could get small business customers to understand about our side of things. Jay Toups, Pres/CEO of High Performance Teams has a long resume of working both with banks and small businesses. He is a long time faculty member at the Grad School here and consistently rated one of the highest faculty member. He also has a banking podcast that is fantastic called The Bankercast. You need to go check it out. Really good stuff. So, Jay and I got together and thought about things both sides of the table need to know about the other. It was an interesting conversation. Check out the Bankercast podcast on all of the podcast applications. And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're wrapping up this series today in asking the question..."what happens when a banker becomes the customer?" It's been eye-opening, to say the least. Basic question...do your accounts match what's listed on the website? Be sure to check out ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We finally closed!! It's been a journey but thankfully it's down to unpacking boxes. Today, we're looking at the importance of a good staff and loan closings. I've never understood why some bankers never go to any of their loan closings. That's odd to me...it's a perfect opportunity to build your relationships and set yourself apart from the pack. Be sure to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Well, like any real estate transaction...there's been some curveballs. And honestly, they didn't have to be. In today's look at what happens when a banker becomes the customer, we see some of the issues that continue to plague our industry. We have a lot of work to do...and, I'm sorry to admit, that not all lenders are superheroes. We have to outshine them...and we can! Be sure to check out our sponsors, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're continuing our series on looking at the question "What happens when a banker becomes the customer?" Today, we're looking at the process of selecting a new bank. As discussed in the episode, I am NOT saying that my thought process is the ONLY process...or even the right one. It's just mine and my family's. But, we're a dual income family, 2 kids, a dog, and a mortgage moving into a new community where our current bank does not have a presence. That's not all that unusual. So, let's walk through that through the eyes of a customer. Be sure to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Big news this week coming from the Fed and other reports coming out as well. Lots of things to keep an eye on for community bankers and when it comes to these things, Jim Reber is the best in the business. Be sure you're following him on social media and be sure to check out their page at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Going to do be doing something a little different the next few weeks...my family and I are in the middle of buying/selling/moving. I know...we're crazy. But this whole process has made me look at being a banking customer differently. What happens when a banker is the customer? So, I thought we'd spend some time documenting this process but from that angle...when we are the customer, what can we learn about the banking business? Many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for helping us put this podcast on! Check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's not every day that you get to sit down and chat with the musicians you hear on a podcast...it's also not every day some of those musicians happen to be in banking! Today, we interview Porter "Doc" Robinson and Aubrey Earnheart...2 long time former bankers and get their advice from careers long devoted to the banking industry. These types of podcasts offer some extraordinary perspectives on the industry particularly to our younger audience. It's more than just career advice...it is reflections on what motivated individuals and hear their wisdom. That they just happen to be the drummer and guitar player in the intro music just happens to make it extra cool. If you're interested, you can check out our band's page at https://www.deltaheartmusic.com/ And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities. Be sure to visit them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

As frequent listeners know, financial literacy is a big topic with me because I've seen it work in the lives of my customers. In addition, another big topic is bringing the power of fintech and "the big banks" into the hands of community bankers...particularly when you can integrate that into your bank's customer experience. I sat down today with Jacob Bouer, Director of Strategic Partnerships with Array to talk about these two issues. Their product tackles both of these big issues. These are ideas that helps banks be good by doing good. Check out Array at https://www.array.com/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

The whole "crypto" thing is something that community banks are going to have to figure out sooner rather than later. There is a TON of questions around it and, right now, we don't have a lot of answers. I sat down with Chris Doner, CEO of Access Softek, to discuss this and his company's approach to this and robo-investing. Check out their site at https://www.accesssoftek.com/ And don't forget our sponsors, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Wrapping up our graduate school week, I had an interesting experience that taught me a good bit about what is old...may not be dead. Just because loud voices like to announce the death of something, does not mean that the sky is necessarily falling. It's not really a binary paradigm in community banking. Said another way...it's not either/or. It's both/and. See, we have to be good at all aspects of human interaction and human relationships today. If you'll go back and listen to our episode with the Arkansas State students...you'll see that half of them never wanted to set foot in a branch and the other half did. These were well informed students of banking and finance too, mind you. So, with apologies to the Greyjoys of the Iron Islands...what is "dead" may truly never die. Be sure to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

You may have noticed that there's been some news lately about the Federal Reserve's meeting this week. It was announced that the Fed has increased rates by .75% which is the largest rate increase since 1994. And when things like this happen...we turn to Jim Reber at ICBA Securities to bring you the latest insights. Be sure to check out their website at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

One of the great things about this podcast is the really cool people we get to meet. Collateral Edge's CEO, Joe Beard is definitely one of those people. First, Collateral Edge is a really interesting idea that has the potential to do what we at the podcast strive to accomplish...change the world through community banking. Using the knowledge that he and his team have in investment banking, Collateral Edge is partnering with banks to better address credit needs in their community by reimaging middle market efficiencies. The implications here are HUGE for low-to-moderate income communities and fostering entrepreneurial development there. He also has written a good bit about leadership and culture...two other huge topics here at the podcast. Leveraging his career in the military (He's a West Point grad and held leadership positions in the military) he has some great points around this crucial topic. I wanted to pick his brain on these two areas and not leave out anything...thus...we had Joe for 2 weeks. I hope you enjoyed part 1 (and if you haven't listened to it...do so now!) Check out Collateral Edge at www.collateraledge.com/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for ensuring this type of content reaches the community banking industry. Be sure to visit them at www.icba.org/icba-securities

One of the great things about this podcast is the really cool people we get to meet. Collateral Edge's CEO, Joe Beard is definitely one of those people. First, Collateral Edge is a really interesting idea that has the potential to do what we at the podcast strive to accomplish...change the world through community banking. Using the knowledge that he and his team have in investment banking, Collateral Edge is partnering with banks to better address credit needs in their community by reimaging middle market efficiencies. The implications here are HUGE for low-to-moderate income communities and fostering entrepreneurial development there. He also has written a good bit about leadership and culture...two other huge topics here at the podcast. Leveraging his career in the military (He's a West Point grad and held leadership positions in the military) he has some great points around this crucial topic. I wanted to pick his brain on these two areas and not leave out anything...thus...we have Joe for 2 weeks. I hope you enjoy part 1 and stay tuned for part 2 next week. Check out Collateral Edge at https://www.collateraledge.com/ And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for ensuring this type of content reaches the community banking industry. Be sure to visit them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

If there's anything we like more than banking around here...it's good food. Recently, I came across Hometown Bank of Alabama's website and, more particularly, their blog. It is definitely worth checking out. In addition to very timely and well designed financial information for customers (funding staycations, questions to ask when getting married, etc.) they have incorporated recipes from their employees and even highlighted their "kitchen" in video content. It's really cool stuff. It is a master class in targeted content marketing and providing a space for community around the bank. But even more than that...I think it's a great example of a bank being a part of a community that they know so very well. Check out their website at https://hometownbankal.com/ and their blog at https://hometownbankal.com/blog/ . I would like to give a special nod to Rose's Pecan Pie as it is the closest recipe I have found to my grandmother's pecan pie...and there is no higher compliment a southerner can bestow upon food!!! You'll also want to check out their YouTube channel for more long form videos. https://www.youtube.com/c/HomeTownBankofAlabama Finally, many thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship. Be sure to check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

I am a strong believer in the teaching of banking principles in academia. That's a soapbox for another day...but I had crazy idea earlier in the semester that I wanted to try. Dr. David Kern, a long time member of our faculty, also teaches Advanced Banking 1 and 2 at Arkansas State University. At the beginning of the semester, I asked him if, at the end of the semester, we could get his students on the podcast and fire questions at us about the banking industry. In addition, let's pick their brains about what they see from their perspective. What turned out was, in my opinion, a fascinating look at our industry from the banking leaders of tomorrow. To the students who participated...thank you! Best of luck to you as you start this exciting time in your life and please don't hesitate to reach out to us if there is anything we can do to help you in your banking adventure! Thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their support...even when we do something "off the beaten path" like this! Check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Continuing last week's conversation, Joe and I delve into one of my favorite topics to discuss with fintechs...looking ahead. What do you see? Where are the blindspots? I think this is important for us to ask ourselves as well as our fintech partners. Any relationship has to see a future and know where that future is. Certainly things change...but if we're in sync with each other, then adjustments can always be made. To learn more about Teslar Software, check them out at https://www.teslarsoftware.com/home?hsLang=en And be sure to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Teslar Software was one of the first cohort members of the ICBA ThinkTECH and, since then, has grown to great heights. It's awesome to watch this company grow and never losing their focus on the community banking industry...or their founding mission to simplify workflows for banks. And it's just grown from there. Today's part 1 of our conversation, Joe and I discuss Teslar's founding and 2020 when a software company in NW Arkansas ended up processing 20% of all the PPP forgiveness requests. To learn more about Teslar, check out their website at https://www.teslarsoftware.com/home?hsLang=en And thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their support! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's been a busy week with news impacting the markets and, therefore, community banks. ICBA Securities CEO Jim Reber is our go-to to keep us updated on this information and, as a result, we didn't want to wait until our regular drop day to bring you this update.

If there's one thing banking does...it's come up with acronyms! DDA, MOU, CRA, DEI, OREO (my favorite)...and recently BaaS. So, what is "banking as a service"? What does it really mean? What does it do for us? Why is it something that we need to pay attention to in the community banking industry? Angus Ross, Chief Growth and Revenue Officer for BaaS at Finastra stopped by to have this conversation with us. We reference the whitepaper that Finastra commissioned several times on the show and you can find that here: https://www.finastra.com/viewpoints/white-paper/baas-global-outlook-2022 You can learn more about Finastra at https://www.finastra.com/ And finally, don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities and the good work they do. Learn more about them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We've all heard the adage "know thyself". As in life, it is very true in the community banking world. There's just so much data...so much to know about different things. Today, David Ruffin from IntelliCredit is on the podcast to talk about how data can help in so many different areas of the bank...credit risk, financial performance, peer comparison, individual production...the list goes on and on. Check out IntelliCredit at https://intellicredit.com/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

A lot to unpack today in just one 20 minute episode. Jeff Keltner, SVP of Business Development with Upstart, came by initially to talk about embedded finance and how it is used with community banks...especially in the auto lending field. As often happens on Main Street Banking, the conversation went several different places and we talked about big data's impact on credit risk and how using AI/Machine Learning can benefit the underrepresented communities across the country. Fascinating conversation. To learn more about Upstart, check them out at https://www.upstart.com/ And as always, thank you to ICBA Securities for sponsoring the show! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

I thought that we should try something a little different. For awhile now, we've been talking about trying to get some kind of book club together and it hit me that doing this through the podcast might work. It might not...but we'll see. If you don't already, follow the podcast's LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/main-street-banking-a-podcast-for-community-bankers and post a book suggestion. I'll put some posts out there too to remind you. Also, follow the hashtag #MainStreetBankingBookClub on LinkedIn. We'll announce the book and then just commit to read it together and talk about it. Let's see what happens. As always, thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities for their support! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

In honor of National Women's History Month, we are going to have a conversation that is long overdue. We have today Alice Frazier (CEO of Charles Town Bank in Charles Town, WVa) and Kathy Underwood (CEO of Ledyard National Bank in Hanover, NH) to discuss their careers, leadership lessons, their advice to female bankers, and much more. These are two outstanding leaders in the community banking industry and have had an amazing career thus far with much more ahead. It turned out to be one of, I think, the best episodes we've done. Many thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship and check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

As most of us know, the Federal Reserve last week upped their rate by 25 bps. This is the 3rd time in the 21st century that this has happened and this is likely to have an impact on your bank's balance sheets. Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, is on today to give us his market update for community banks. To learn more about ICBA Securities and to learn more about the class referenced in the episode, check out https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's not often that you can have a 20 or so minute conversation with a large software company about corporate culture, the cloud, and community banking. I really enjoyed getting to know Will Cameron (SVP of Community and Regional Banking) with nCino. Their partnerships with community banks is an approach that listeners of the show will know is the way forward for the industry and Will is a fellow true believer when it comes to having the software tools and the culture in line in order to thrive. Check out nCino at https://www.ncino.com/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It is safe to say that the world has changed. Outside of that being the most obvious statement that you've read on the show notes, the important questions are...how do we maintain it and why is it important. Any long time listener to the podcast knows this is a huge topic with us, but that doesn't mean we won't visit this often particularly when we can have Brad Federman on to discuss this! Brad is the founder/CEO of PerformancePoint LLC here in Memphis and one of our highest rated faculty members at the graduate school. A member of the Forbes Coaches Council, he is one of the leading voices in corporate culture and its impact on performance. He also has new book out that entitled Cultivating Culture that you can find at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637740638?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp I'm going to embed a preview of the book on the Barret site so be sure to check that out. Also, be sure to check out PerformancePoint at https://performancepointllc.com/ and finally, many thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship of the podcast which allows us to have this type of content that we feel is VERY necessary for the community banking industry. Find out more about them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Today we are wrapping up the ICBA Live event! Hope you have enjoyed getting back together with your family of bankers and just reconnected. I've been wanting to bring back the guys from Botdoc for awhile and we finally were able to coordinate schedules to make it happen. Botdoc is an alum of the ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator Powered by the Venture Center. We have a really fun conversation with Kevin Falk and Tracy Fox from Botdoc about innovation and the human experience and how to think about innovation in your bank...and then...things go off the rails, but we had a ton of fun talking about things we are passionate about around community banking. It's about as authentic of a podcast episode as I know how to make. Go check out Botdoc at https://botdoc.io/ Also, don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

If you follow any of the community banking lists on Twitter, it won't take you long before you come across Pres Kennedy. He is one of the leading voices in the community banking industry. He is not shy to talk about his feelings on advocacy...at all! However, what I found interesting was his thoughts on the succession planning his bank recently undertook as well as his advice to bankers. Listeners and readers of Barret's content will know that I try and ask bankers that are moving into that post-daily banking phase...what will you miss? I have yet to be disappointed in the answer and always find I have learned something new. I hope you feel the same here. To follow Pres on Twitter (and you really should) search for @BankPres And don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Vanessa Hanson is the Digital and Social Engagement Director for the ICBA. Her passion for engagement via social media is palpable and I know you'll see that in the podcast. In addition, we both are attending ICBA Live in San Antonio this year and have some really cool ideas for that as well! All in all, it was a great conversation about community banks' approach to social engagement, what works, and why it works. As always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities! Be sure you check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We've all dealt with it. KYC...Know Your Customer. I am definitely not downplaying it's role in compliance and the safety of the bank, but let's be honest...we believe we already "know our customers", right? Let's set aside how we really don't know every single one of our customers and the implications there around money-laundering and the like and ask a different question...what about in new markets? Do you know Joe the grocer or Bill the plumber or Susie the lawyer there? Jamie Ramirez is the CEO of Preventor, a next-gen ID verification and financial crime risk management firm. In talking with him leading into the show, he talked about this idea of KYC expanding into new markets. I'd never considered that before. If I'm being honest...KYC was something I made sure our CSR's were doing, I'd tow the company line because I understood why (although it was a pain), and the loan ops department would occasionally have to remind me to get ID's on customers. But approaching KYC as a crucial part of the marketing strategy?! Never thought of that...so, we talked about that in today's podcast. Check out Preventor at https://preventor.com/ And as always, be sure to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

The Fed had their quarterly meetings last week. Here today to give us an update on this and what it means for community banks is Jim Reber, Pres/CEO of ICBA Securities. We thank Jim for his sponsorship as well as coming on to give us updates in this area for us. Be sure to check out their site at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

How are we going to leave this thing we call community banking to the next generation? That's the question I struggled with as a judged a district competition for young business leaders. The talent level of these students is off the charts. Our industry, if we engage in ways that are meaningful and consistent, will be in good hands. BUT...we have to engage in ways that are meaningful and consistent. The old playbook needs to be thrown out the window. It's time to get in the classrooms and get involved! I mentioned the Barret Roundtable in this. Here's the site if you'd like more information about it https://barretbanking.org/landings/roundtable-series/ Also, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities. https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Sharon Anderson, President and CEO of Williamstown Bank in West Virginia faced the same problems most community banks face...intense competition, decline of lobby traffic, etc. To boot, she took over the week before the pandemic really took off in March 2020. But that didn't stop her...the bank started a donation based coffee shop and decided to undertake renovating the branches. This brings us to David Welsh with the La Macchia Group. La Macchia has a very interesting approach in working with banks and other financial institutions to change their engagements with the community and one of the main areas here is rethinking the branch design. I'm betting that most of us could get around in most community bank branches fairly easily. The layout hasn't changed much. But...what if it did? What if we approached this like the title of the show says (a direct quote from Sharon in the episode)...we created a branch experience that goes hand-in-hand with our digital one? Check out La Macchia here: https://www.lamacchiagroup.com/ Learn more about Williamstown Bank and The Giving Cup here: https://www.williamstownbank.com/ And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

As you may have noticed on the show over the last few months, we've been featuring more fintech than normal. The reason, as I described in this episode, is that we are continuing to see a more relationship-driven approach to the fintech in regards to community banks. Today's episode with Carey Ransom, Managing Director of BankTech Ventures, takes a little different perspective on this...from the venture capital side. I thought that was a different angle to view this relationship than many of you had ever thought about before (I had not!) Check out BankTech Ventures at https://banktechventures.com/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Community bankers deal with risk everyday. We know this...but we also know that the sheer breadth of al things deemed "risk" or "compliance" grows every day and the size of your team does not. It is imperative that we know what we are looking at, but more importantly, begin to think about what we need to be looking at and thinking through that process. Amanda Cohen, Director of Product at Resolver, has some outstanding insights into guiding community banks looking to reevaluate their process here. To learn more about Resolver, find them at https://www.resolver.com/ Also, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

The ICBA has done some amazing work over the past few years with the ThinkTECH Accelerator partnering with The Venture Center. I know we talk about them a good bit...but that's how impressive the whole operation is. Charles Potts, Chief Innovation Officer with the ICBA, is back again to give us his look back on 2021, his look forward to 2022, and his "wish list" of areas community banks and fintechs still need to work on. To learn more about the ThinkTECH Accelerator, check out the page at: https://www.icba.org/solutions/innovation/accelerator As always, many thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Literally my favorite episode each year. In keeping with what has become a traditional line-up at the end of the year, and like all traditions during the holiday season...it's time to get the family today and laugh. That's what this episode is for us as the Barret staff...a look into who we are and what we do. We take a look back at 2021, a look ahead at 2022, and discuss some things we're hoping to work on personally. We love this time...and we are grateful to share this with you. Merry Christmas! Please don't forget our sponsor ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Continuing our conversation with Jimmy Sawyers about his 2021 Predictions and how they came to pan out during the year. Sawyers and Jacobs is a phenomenal firm and we're very lucky to partner with them for grad school and in their events. They've got some great programs coming up that you can check out and register for here: https://sawyersjacobs.com/events/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

One of the traditions of Main Street Banking has been having Jimmy Sawyers, long time faculty member and friend to Barret, on to review his annual predictions he makes at the beginning of each year. It's a little different twist on the average "end of the year" content and Jimmy's a good sport about it. Honestly though, he gets it spot-on a vast majority of the time! Sawyers and Jacobs has some great programs coming up that you can check out here: https://sawyersjacobs.com/events/ And as always, we are grateful to our sponsor ICBA Securities:https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's getting to be that time of year when we start doing the "year in review" and "looking ahead" podcast episodes. I really enjoy these as they gives banks a good place to pause, reflect, and change course if needed. Today's episode with Philip and Greyson is a good look at this from the perspective of the board of directors. What does the M&A market look like? What does DEI and ESG look like for 2022? These are questions we all need to consider heading into the new year. Check out Gerrish Smith Tuck at http://gerrish.com/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Each year, at this time, I think most of us take the time to reflect on the things we are thankful for in life. We did this last year on the podcast and I'd like to do it again. Here's my list of things that I am thankful for in the community banking industry in 2021. Thanks to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship and be sure to check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We love to tell the stories of community banks that are doing things...differently. They embody the term "community banking". First International Bank and Trust in North Dakota fits this mold perfectly. 4th generation bank...owned by the same family...fantastic growth...led the way in reviving their hometown...and opened up a steak house and a brewery. If you know Chris and I, then you know this is our kind of bank!! Check out First International Bank and Trust at https://www.fibt.com/ And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

As most of you are aware, there is a great deal of discussion in the national arena around the proposed IRS Reporting Guidelines. Given it's potential impact to the community banking industry and the community's we serve, it's important that we educate ourselves as to what is going on and what we can do to help. Paul Merski is the EVP for Congressional Relations at the ICBA and he (along with the rest of the ICBA's leadership) has been at the head of the industry's efforts to combat this proposal. To get involved, go to https://www.icba.org/bank-locally/consumer-alert-from-icba and share that site with your community so that your congressional representatives know your position. As always, many thanks as well to our sponsor ICBA Securities. Check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

DEI...ESG...just two more abbreviations in the alphabet soup of banking? Hardly. Recently, Miguel Lopez was highlighted on the ICBA's blog for his efforts in reaching out to the underserved Hispanic market in Encore Bank's ever-expanding footprint. I asked him to come on and talk about the article and relay some insights to the community banking industry at large. What followed was, in my opinion, one of the most impactful conversations we've had on the podcast. It is a very open and honest conversation around diversity and inclusion in the community banking industry and Miguel's own experiences as a member of the Hispanic community. The most impactful statement (and the origin of the episode's title) was "Banking is either good enough for everyone...or it's not good enough for anyone". I challenge our listeners to think about that statement...and regardless of your politics...think about what that could mean to your employees and your communities that you serve. If you'd like to talk to Miguel more, email him at [email protected] And many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

If you've attended the Barret Graduate School of Banking (and you really should!), you will have had Brad Federman with PerformancePoint LLC. A member of the Forbes Coaches Council and featured speaker/author all over the country, Brad is a true thought leader (and I don't use that term everyday) in the realm of HR issues, emotional intelligence, culture, and employee engagement. Recently, he wrote an article HR Professionals Magazine about Using Benefits to Trim Work Life Tension. The article is linked below and (after you listen to the episode!) you need to read this article. He has talks about some very harsh truths in the workforce today and has some very cool ideas that banks can use to remedy this tension. It's great stuff...and can, literally, change the way your employees feel and therefore perform. Here's the article that you need to read: https://hrprofessionalsmagazine.com/2021/10/05/using-benefits-to-trim-work-life-tension/ Find out more about PerformancePoint at https://performancepointllc.com/ And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities: https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Due to a unavoidable scheduling situation, we aren't able to bring you the episode we had planned...but no worries...we're bringing out another "Greatest Hit"..."Mission Driven Innovation" with Charles Potts from the ICBA. Charles Potts is the SVP and Chief Innovation Officer for the Independent Community Bankers of America. "Innovation" and "community bankers" don't often go together you might say...but...Charles (and Barret frankly) say otherwise. Charles lays out his vision for the ICBA's role in bringing innovation to the community banking space and shares how they've already been doing that. There really is no excuse for community banks to lag in this area any more thanks to the ICBA and the ThinkTECH accelerator which you've heard some about on this podcast in the past. To find out more about the ThinkTECH accelerator, check out www.icba.org/solutions/thinktech As always, check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

It's pretty easy to say "there's a new paradigm shift" or "the world is changing so how will you adapt?!". You can be asked that question anywhere. However, with today's episode with Jay Toups, we are going to go deeper. From a sales perspective, what are some practical things banks can do in this new world. Jay is a long time faculty member at the Barret Graduate School as well as one of our first webinar creators on the ALP (Advanced Learning Platform). I think you'll like hearing from him as much as our grad school students always enjoy him as well. Check out his business (and fellow banking podcast!!!) at https://highperformanceteams.net/ And as always, many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Besides being the sponsor of our podcast, ICBA Securities does an outstanding job in working with banks in their investments. Whenever there is economic news (like we've had over the last week or so), we like to bring on Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, to talk to community bankers about what he is seeing in the industry. To register for the 4Q Economic Update Jim mentioned, you can do so here...https://globalmeetwebinar.webcasts.com/viewer/event.jsp?ei=1495614&tp_key=55f8589c6e To register for their Balance Sheet Academy, you can do so here...https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1496487&tp_key=786aa6de88

We all have a story and the great thing about those stories is that it makes us who we are. Your bank has a story. Do you tell it? Do you use it to show how you are a part of your community? It's not about bragging...it's about relating to your markets! Barret has a story too and it's unique and as someone who has been around that story for quite a while, I wanted to share it with you. I wanted you to see how proud we are of our brand...but also to see how we fit into the community banking industry. As always, check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're pretty big college sports fans around Barret and it's getting to be the high holy time of year in the South we know as "college football"! Kidding aside, the NCAA (governing body of college athletics here in the US) has relaxed their NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules for student-athletes. We're seeing HUGE deals for college athletes to endorse things like cars, sports drinks, etc. But, what if a bank leveraged this new opportunity to promote the community banking industry, the benefits of having a relationship with your local bank, and the BankOn initiative for financial literacy? It benefits everyone and makes the world a slightly better place. Scott McComb, with Heartland Bank in central Ohio, did just that recently in landing several endorsements from local Ohio State Buckeyes. It's a very fascinating study in how community banks can leverage new opportunities to improve their communities around them as well as promote the benefits of the industry as a whole. They also have a PODCAST!!! And it is a really good one. Check that out at https://www.heartland.bank/drivingCbus To learn more about Heartland Bank (and you need to...this is a really forward-thinking bank) go to: https://www.heartland.bank/ Finally, thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their continued support. Be sure to check them out at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

One of the main drivers of the future...and one of the biggest shifts I've seen in the last 2 years...has been the development of the symbiotic and non-adversarial relationship between community banks and fintech. It makes sense, honestly. Community banks have the relationships and there are more of them! No need to reinvent the wheel PROVIDED that the banks are willing to adapt to the change. Nathaniel Harley with MANTL stopped by the podcast to discuss his company and the growing relationships between fintechs and banks. Check out MANTL at https://www.mantl.com/ And don't forget about our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We talk a good deal on the show about community development and the important role bankers have in their communities. We also talk a lot about digital adoption and fintech's partnership with community banking. They're not mutually exclusive conversations. "Doing well by doing good" is an important concept for banks and fintechs to understand and Finastra (the 3rd largest fintech in the world) gets it and sees community banking's role as vital to their success. I think you'll find this episode interesting...because, as we learn it's not the "big banks" that are the most adaptable to digital change. Who do you think it is?! If you'd like to learn more about Finastra, check out their site at https://www.finastra.com/ And thank you to our sponsor, ICBA Securities for their support. Learn more about them at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Well, we’ve come to the end of our Superhero community banking series. As I said last week, the last two chapters of The Art of War are about spying and using firebombs. Good material…hard to find a parallel in community banking that is legal! So, let’s wrap up the series here! Many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities! https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We are nearing the end of our journey through The Art of War! I've really enjoyed this series and I hope you have to. Chapter 11 goes further into our discussion on moving around in different markets...but how do we get the team to move? How will we know what the move is? Thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, which you can learn more about here at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities You can get a transcript of this episode here: https://barretbanking.org/msbpodcasts/superhero-community-banking-princes-kept-their-view/

Getting back to our SuperHero Community Banking series...we talk about moving around in our markets. But how does that interact with emotional intelligence? How are they related? Why are they related? Many thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, https://www.icba.org/icba-securities Also, be sure to check out the episode page https://barretbanking.org/msbpodcasts/superhero-community-banking-all-along-the-watchtower/ and for more information on Roundtable: https://barretbanking.org/landings/roundtable-series/

We're at the end of our "Greatest Hits" series and we're wrapping up our 2 parter with Brad Federman. I hope you've enjoyed going back and hearing these tracks. It's good to go back and listen to older episodes and remember those takeaways we got back then. I've enjoyed it...and thanks for hanging in there with me. Don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Track 3 of our Greatest Hits is part 1 of a 2-parter we did with Brad Federman on anxiety and coping with stresses in a crisis. The context of these two episodes is 2020 and right at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Remember that time!? There's still outstanding information here that we all need that's applicable to life separate from COVID...or pandemics. It's just good information we all need! Part 2 will be next week...so, don't worry! Also, don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Moving down the track list for the Main Street Banking Greatest Hits...we come to Eric Cook and Emily Mays talking about banks' use of social media. If you've spent any time in banking social media, you'll see these two names come up quite often and with good reason. Plus, as you'll see...they're just awesome to talk with and learn from! Don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

We're kicking off a "Greatest Hits" series this week...some of my favorite episodes from the past 3 years of the podcast! Track 1 is our 2nd most downloaded episode and one that we hear the most about and refer to the most in our content...the coffee shop episode. Richwood Bank's Chad Hoffman and I discuss his bank's coffee shop initiative and how it has grown, how it has benefited their community, and, most importantly, how it has benefited their bank. Check out Richwood Bank at https://richwoodbank.com/ Also, don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

Time for an industry pulse check with ICBA Securities' own Jim Reber. As we start the back half of 2021, we had some interesting markets in the first half of the year that had direct impact on bank profitability. Also, I think it's important to take some of the anecdotal things we hear and put them in a larger context of what the markets are actually doing. I have to admit, that Jim gave me some additional insights that I had not thought of before today. Be sure to check out ICBA Securities at https://www.icba.org/icba-securities

In my early credit training days, an instructor told me “we lend cash, we expect to be paid in cash. We do not lend income and ‘income’ doesn’t pay me back.” Wise words. Anyone that has done any amount of lending knows the importance of cash...but have you ever thought “does my customer know how important that is?” Of course, we can try and explain that to them, but as soon as we mention DSC and DTI, likely, their eyes glaze over. So, let’s talk about that! Let’s have that conversation about working with our customers to understand that all-important financial concept...cash flow! Michael Synk is the founder and dean of the School of Rock & Sand, an executive coaching system he developed that “serves as ‘The Bridge Between Strategy and Action’ for an organization.” Michael will be serving as our guest during the month of June during our Graduate School of Banking program and you won’t want to miss any of the episodes we have in store for you this month. To find out more about Michael and his practice, check out his website at https://rocknsand.com/ and to learn more about the school, check out https://classes.schoolrocknsand.com/

Many banks are experiencing the same problem that many of our customers experience...brain drain. What happens when your local community does not have the deep talent pool other communities have? How do we develop the talent we already have? What does that process look like for banks? Michael Synk is the founder and dean of the School of Rock & Sand, an executive coaching system he developed that “serves as ‘The Bridge Between Strategy and Action’ for an organization.” Michael will be serving as our guest during the month of June during our Graduate School of Banking program and you won’t want to miss any of the episodes we have in store for you this month. To find out more about Michael and his practice, check out his website at https://rocknsand.com/ and to learn more about the school, check out https://classes.schoolrocknsand.com/

Every business, bank or otherwise, can be thought of as the sum of its systems. Systems are not bad, in and of themselves. However, they can impede progress if we are not careful. Community banks can be notorious for creating these “silos” and we miss the whole point of the organization. How can we address that? Michael Synk is the founder and dean of the School of Rock & Sand, an executive coaching system he developed that “serves as ‘The Bridge Between Strategy and Action’ for an organization.” Michael will be serving as our guest during the month of June during our Graduate School of Banking program and you won’t want to miss any of the episodes we have in store for you this month. To find out more about Michael and his practice, check out his website at https://rocknsand.com/ and to learn more about the school, check out https://classes.schoolrocknsand.com/

“Strategy” is a term that we hear a good deal about but, let’s be honest, we don’t often have a good working definition for. When we really sit down to think about it, there’s so much more to strategy than running a SWOT. We have to think about other areas...so, let’s talk about those “others”. Michael Synk is the founder and dean of the School of Rock & Sand, an executive coaching system he developed that “serves as ‘The Bridge Between Strategy and Action’ for an organization.” Michael will be serving as our guest during the month of June during our Graduate School of Banking program and you won’t want to miss any of the episodes we have in store for you this month. To find out more about Michael and his practice, check out his website at https://rocknsand.com/ and to learn more about the school, check out https://classes.schoolrocknsand.com/

Michael Fielding is back to take his "Hinge Points" concept and applying it to ag lending. Great insights! We have the materials he references on the episode page at https://barretbanking.org/msbpodcasts/hinge-points-and-ag-loans-distressed-ag-loans-with-michael-fielding-from-husch-blackwell/ If you'd like to learn more about Husch Blackwell, check them out at https://www.huschblackwell.com/ and don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Michael Fielding, with Husch Blackwell, is a returning guest to Main Street Banking. He's developed a really nice rubric for thinking about distressed loans that might help to clarify some of the "what do we do next?" aspect of this part of banking. You'll want to check out the episode page to get the materials he references. You can find a digital eBook to read and/or download at https://barretbanking.org/msbpodcasts/hinge-points-distressed-loan-management-with-michael-fielding-with-husch-blackwell/ To learn more about Husch Blackwell, check out their website at https://www.huschblackwell.com/ and don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

I think it is probably time we admit that Zoom (or WebEx, Microsoft Teams, etc.) isn't going anywhere any time soon...like it or not. So...what do we do with that? What does that mean for the local community banker? How can we adapt those changes we implemented in 2020 into our "forever normal" (we are NOT saying "new normal" here! HA!)? Jack Hubbard, with St. Meyer and Hubbard, comes on to Main Street Banking today to give us some insight into how we can adapt what we've learned in the last 14 months into new and productive habits. To learn more about Jack, check out https://www.smandh.com/ And don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Any type of lending is risky...and so much more with ag loans. However, for many of our communities, ag lending is a HUGE part of the local economy. How can we mitigate that risk? How can we partner with our farming customers to help them manage their risk, manage our risk as the lender, and everyone still profit? It might take a change in how we look at ag loans. Joe Jennings is the founding partner of Jordan River Advisors and one of Barret's main ag partners for our ag programming. His passion for the ag economy is unrivaled. He sat down with me to discuss this very topic of ag loan risk management. To learn more about Jordan River Advisors, check them out at https://jordanriveradvisors.com/ And don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

It's one thing to say "we're in a relationship business" and it's a whole other to actually live it. If there's one thing that we do as community bankers...we live that statement! There's been no greater example of that than 2020 and PPP. Yes, it was tough...but community banks saved the economy and there's really no other way to say it. We wrap up our conversation with former ICBA chairman, Noah Wilcox and current ICBA chairman, Bob Fisher, by talking about relationships and how they have made our industry what it is today. To learn more about ICBA, don't forget to check out their website at https://www.icba.org/ And don't forget to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

We sit down with with former chairman of ICBA, Noah Wilcox and current ICBA chairman, Bob Fisher for a two part series on community banking. Today's part is a fascinating conversation on advocacy. Advocacy is an enormously crucial part of community banks and, recently, we have seen incredible progress in community banks being "at the table". So...how can we get involved? What can we do at the local level to keep the ball rolling forward? Check out ICBA's webpage at https://www.icba.org/ and get signed up for their newsletter as well as find out about the 2021 Capital Summit. And as always, check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at their website at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Much like community banking, agriculture is being impacted by the fintech space. If we think about it, it really is a positive for both farmers and lenders...but...we have to know how and why it generates efficiencies. Scott Sartor and Allen Lyon, from CropLine Financial return to the podcast to give us an update on FinTech in the agricultural and ag lending spaces. To learn more, check out their website at https://www.croplinefinancial.com/ Also, don't forget to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

We at Barret have a passion for ag lending and have partnered up with 2 of the top minds in the industry, Dr. David Kohl and Tim Ohlde. Tim teaches our Ag Lending 101 and 201 classes and is the CEO of Country Banker. Today, we sit down to discuss the outlook for 2021 in the ag sector. To find out more about Country Banker, check out their website at https://www.countrybanker.com/ And don't forget to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

As bankers, we HAVE to deal with cyber risks. Sadly, it's a fact of life and will continue to be so. But there has to be a better way to train on the risk than we're doing. Beauceron Security, one of the ICBA/Venture Center ThinkTECH Cohorts in 2021 concentrates on telling that cyber story to bank employees. It's a fascinating concept that can really shape the way we think about improving the cyber risk to our bank. Check them out at https://www.beauceronsecurity.com/ and thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities. Check them out at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

In order for both community banking and fintechs to succeed, we are all going to need to work together in mutually beneficial relationships. Today, we are continuing our look at the ICBA/Venture Center's ThinkTECH Accelerator cohorts and how they bring efficiencies to the community banking industry. In addition, we have fintech executives and a banker on to give their perspectives on this topic as well as discuss how fintech lending, in particular, and community banks can coexist. We have Barclay Keith and Chris Johnson from Artis and Matt Gallman from Drummonds Bank in Florida. To learn more about Artis, check out their website at https://heyartis.com/ For more on Drummonds Bank, check out https://www.drummondbank.com/ And, as always, we thank ICBA Securities for their sponsorship and be sure to check them out at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Today we are kicking off a series focusing on the cohorts of the ICBA/Venture Center ThinkTECH Accelerator. We'll be not only highlighting the companies but striving to understand the value and efficiencies these companies bring to the community banking industry. In addition, I hope you hear how these companies "get" community banking. It's impressive to hear. AgentIQ kicks this off and their system, in many ways, duplicates the branch experience in your app while maintaining every aspect of the personal relationships we value. It's impressive. To learn more about them, check out their website at https://agentiq.com/ or email Soren at [email protected] Don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

"The Potency of the Possible..." When Fed Gov Miki Bowman said that during Regulator Day at the ICBA/Venture Center ThinkTECH, I floored because, to me, that encapsulates the relationship between fintech and community banks. It's scary (in a good way) to think about that potency of what's possible when banks and fintech work together and leverage the best of both parties. Wayne is the Executive Director of the Venture Center and is a leading voice in the fintech space. We're kicking off a series highlighting some of the 2021 Cohorts for the ICBA/Venture Center ThinkTECH Accelerator program and how they bring efficiencies to banks. I hope you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed recording it. Check out the Venture Center at https://www.venturecenter.co/ and thanks to our sponsor, ICBA Securities, for their support! Check them out at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Lending, no matter what the environment we are in, is always going to be crucial to the bank's success. At some point, even with technology, we are going to have to determine cash flow or understand how the spreading software arrived at its conclusions. Some things are just that fundamental. Richard Hamm has been a long time instructor for Barret in credit as well as several state associations, the RMA, the ABA, etc. When it comes to credit and credit education, he's one of the best there is. We catch up with him today to talk about what's going on in community banks in terms of their lending. To register for our Commercial Lending Academy led by Richard, check out https://barretbanking.org/landings/cla/ Also, don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, and we thank them for their support of the podcast. https://www.icbasecurities.com/

If you've been in any level of retail banking, switching customer accounts can be one of the most frustrating parts of the job...for banker and customer alike. ClickSWITCH has a solution for that that not only makes it easier but delivers some tangible efficiencies to the bank's bottom line...and that is where we want to see the magic happen. Be sure to check out ClickSWITCH at https://www.clickswitch.com/ and check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities, at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Don't know about anyone else, but part of my early training involved Mystery Shopping. I learned more about product and brand differentiation doing that than anything else. Sadly, I haven't heard that much about it in a few years until Paul Nunn brought it up in some conversations we had for our previous episode. I had to bring him back on and go into mystery shopping a little bit more. Check out Paul out at https://www.pinnaclefinancialstrategies.com/ and don't forget our sponsor, ICBA Securities, athttps://www.icbasecurities.com/

For the past several years, Barret has been sponsoring the Chairmen's Forum along with Gerrish Smith Tuck in Naples, Florida every year. On today's episode, we have Phillip Smith and Greyson Tuck from the firm to recap some of the takeaways from this year's Forum. It's a great insight into what is on the minds of banking executives as they approach 2021. Be sure to check out Gerrish Smith Tuck at http://gerrish.com/ as well as our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, is back today to give us his industry update. Check out https://www.icbasecurities.com/ for more information

Today we're taking a look another look at technology and efficiencies in the high-risk business markets. It's a fact that many community banks have to deal with the economic realities of their local communities and, in many communities, that means MRB's, MSB's, and other traditionally high risk customers. Join us today as we talk with Justin Fischer of RiskScout about a wide range of topics from cannabis production and what the farmers are having to deal with to finding efficiencies in handling compliance intensive customers. Check out RiskScout at: https://www.riskscout.com/ And don't forget to visit our sponsor, ICBA Securities at: https://www.icbasecurities.com/

We are in a brave new world and training our bankers is becoming an ever increasing challenge. Yet, at the same time, it is becoming more of a requirement in order to build culture and retention. Paul Nunn, with Pinnacle Financial Strategies is our guest today and he's got some great insights on this topic that I think you'll enjoy. Check Pinnacle out at https://www.pinnaclefinancialstrategies.com/ Also, don't forget to check out our sponsor, ICBA Securities at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Welcome back to the Superhero Community Banking series! It’s been a minute since we last dove into Sun Tzu and The Art of War and how it applies to community banking. There’s so much really cool stuff in the book that we can all learn and apply...particularly in this new environment where we find ourselves. If 2020 had a silver lining, it’s that banks were forced to adapt and change...and that’s a good thing. Bankers had to seriously consider the innovations that maybe had been pushed to the back burner in 2019. We had to grow up (so to speak) very fast. Undoubtedly, there are and will continue to be growing pains...but that’s ok too! To register for our Understanding Bank Profitability program: https://barretbanking.org/landings/understanding-bank-profitability-2/

We're wrapping up our series we've been doing on technology and innovation with Ray Chandonnet from Neocova. Technology really does not have to be the scary thing we sometimes make it out to be. In a world with razor-thin margins and still needing to maintain those customer relationships...technology and humanity have to be seen as extensions of each other. To find out more about Neocova, check out their website at https://neocova.com/ As always, thanks again to ICBA Securities for their sponsorship!

My favorite episode every year...the Barret team year in review. And what a year it's been. But on flip side of that...what a year 2021 is going to be. We have a very special team at Barret and, each year on the podcast, we let you all take a look "behind the curtain" and get to know us a little better. Also, we have a new sponsor! Go check out ICBA Securities at their website, https://www.icbasecurities.com/ Have a great new year!!!

Charles Potts is the SVP and Chief Innovation Officer for the Independent Community Bankers of America. "Innovation" and "community bankers" don't often go together you might say...but...Charles (and Barret frankly) say otherwise. Charles lays out his vision for the ICBA's role in bringing innovation to the community banking space and shares how they've already been doing that. There really is no excuse for community banks to lag in this area any more thanks to the ICBA and the ThinkTECH accelerator which you've heard some about on this podcast in the past. To find out more about the ThinkTECH accelerator, check out https://www.icba.org/solutions/thinktech

Jimmy Sawyers needs very little introduction to students and alumni of Barret, but for our new listeners, Jimmy Sawyers is CEO/Chairman of Sawyers and Jacobs in Memphis, TN. They are a consulting firm specializing in technology, security, and many other areas for community banks. He has been one of our highest rated faculty members year-in, year-out for over 23 years. Each year, Jimmy does his predictions for the coming year and it's become a sort of tradition here on the podcast to take a look at those predictions at the end of the year to see how he did. For more about Sawyers and Jacobs, check out their website at https://sawyersjacobs.com/

It's one thing to say "go make ag loans" but as anyone who has ever tried to do that...it's a little more difficult than that. What makes a good ag lender? How can banks find and/or develop that talent within? If you're a college student or looking to move into agri-banking...what should you be looking for? We'll talk about those today with the guys from Ag Head Hunters. Find out more from them at their website...https://www.agheadhunters.com/

Agriculture is facing many of the same problems community banks are facing today...reaching that next generation of producers through technology while still retaining the relationships necessary to be successful. Scott Sartor, with CropLine Financial, is our guest today and addresses the concerns both banks and farmers have in leveraging fintech to meet farmers' needs. To read more about CropLine Financial: https://www.croplinefinancial.com/ To check out Barret's Ag Lending Summit on-demand register and we'll send you the links: https://barretbanking.org/landings/ag-lending-summit/

Who needs a breather? I do...so, I thought I'd write down and share with you my community banking gratitude list. These are the things that I am thankful for in our industry that have arisen out of this "one of a kind" year. We have a tremendous amount to be thankful for in our industry as we each do in our lives. Hope this helps you be proud of all the hard work you have done this year!

We welcome Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, back to the podcast to give us an update as to what is going on with bank's balance sheets. We have election season behind us, good news with the vaccines, earnings appear to be strong...what does all of this mean for your bank?

Why fix it if it ain't broken? Well, the answer is simple...you're looking at two different problems. No two situations are ever identical and while there may be many similarities, it still requires us to approach each situation differently. Hope you're enjoying the series and if you're interested in our Ag Lending Summit, here's the website.: https://barretbanking.org/landings/ag-lending-summit/

It's easy to get ahead of ourselves some times....but that can kill strategy. This is particularly true when all the pieces of the puzzle are not together. We in banking are notorious for building up "silos" in the bank and that can be dangerous. It's why culture is so. very. important. to talk about and fix in our banks before we even try and execute a strategy.

Today we go deeper into the idea of "controlled chaos" to understand how and, more importantly, why we need to engage with our competition in this manner. But, it is also important to remember the great amount of emotional intelligence this whole superhero community banking thing requires. It's the difference and "good" and "great". It's the difference in "doing things the same old way" and really engaging your competition in a way that nearly guarantees victory and leaves them on their heels.

Why is culture so important to the Superhero Community Bank? It's like the energy stored in a bow and arrow when you pull back on the string. Knowing when to release is important...but it's the work beforehand that makes the impact. And how is victory won before the battle is even fought? That's what we'll discuss today.

Once again taking a break from the Superhero Community Banking series, we're talking with Darrin Williams, CEO of Southern Bancorp out of Little Rock, AR. Southern Bancorp has an amazing story in serving the underbanked, unbanked, and low-income communities in its footprint. They are also a leading CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution)of which there are over 1100 in the US to date. That alone is worth hearing about, but recently Darrin was invited to serve on the White House Task Force for Economic Revival alongside some of the CEO's of America's largest banks...and he did not shy away in speaking up for the community banking industry! Many of our listeners know how well our industry did during the PPP launch and it was community banks that really led the way in getting those funds out there to our small businesses. To read the referenced Bloomberg article on Darrin, click here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-09-21/southern-bancorp-is-bringing-equality-to-banking-with-loans-for-the-underserved To read more about Southern Bancorp, click here: https://banksouthern.com/

Returning to our Outside the Vault series, we welcome Coach Orlando McKay. Orlando is a football and track coach, economics, psychology, and public speaking teacher at the Memphis University School. He is also a passionate advocate for sound financial literacy in the schools. If we want to change the conversation in our communities around money, it is up to those who understand money (bankers fit this bill!!) to lead the way. It's about more than just completing CRA requirements. It's about serving our communities and teaching kids how to be successful participants in our local economies. To read more about Orlando, check out this link. https://dailymemphian.com/article/16828/mus-grad-helping-high-school-students-learn-about

It's easy to get caught up in the offense part of strategy...how to go after the competition, how to win those big victories, etc. But what do we do in the meantime? Play defense...and what does that look like? That's what we'll talk about today. As always, feel free to email me at [email protected] at any time to let me know how you're enjoying the series or if you have any suggestions for future episodes.

Ag Lending is a HUGE part of many community banks credit services. It requires, however, a different set of credit skills and know-how and we are seeing an experience gap in ag lending that needs to be addressed. It's a specialized type of credit, to be sure, but it is one that has the potential to lead to generational and profitable relationships for you and the bank. The demand is high...the supply of ag lenders is getting low. We have today two of the leading voices in ag lending and ag economics, Dr. David Kohl and Tim Ohlde. Tim will be facilitating our Ag Lending 101 course coming up on October 6-9 (Register here: https://barretbanking.org/landings/ag-lending-101/) and Dr. Kohl is a nationally renowned speaker and Professor Emeritus of Ag Economics at Virginia Tech. They have some excellent advice today for both experienced and new ag lenders that is well worth your time today. Let me know what you think about this topic and where you would like to see us go further with Ag. Email me at [email protected]

The difficult thing about this series is that I can't say "x + y = z" for you in your markets. I can't give you a formula for guaranteed success no matter the market. But...what I can do is help to create the framework and help you see what victory would look like so that when you identify where you want to go, you'll know you're on the right track. Today, we'll talk about victory looks like...no matter the battlefield. Again, thanks for tuning in! Feel free to email me just to say hi or swap ideas! [email protected]

Earlier this year, the #TaxTwitter community discussed some of the craziest things bankers have asked CPAs. It got me to thinking that there is probably room for both parties to sit down and talk about our similarities and differences and see how we can work together. In many communities, we serve the same people and even have similar approaches to our roles...but do we really know how to work with each other? Fortunately, my best friend, Nick Meals, is an active poster on #TaxTwitter and I asked him to come on the podcast for us to have that very conversation. Of the 50+ episodes we've done, this has been one of my favorite ones...and I hope you enjoy it too. Be sure to check out Whitlock and Comany at https://www.whitlockcpa.com/ and email Nick at [email protected]

The hardest part of any project is getting started. We've spent the last few weeks learning how to think about strategy as superheroes but what do we do first? What's the first step? The shortest answer is...get the easiest win! No doubt you've seen a long "to-do" list start to develop. What's the easiest win? That's where you need to start! Don't forget you can reach out to me on social media or by email at [email protected]

It's easy to get caught up in the "fun" stuff of strategy...but we have to remember that effective strategy embraces a mathematical approach as well. Sun Tzu uses the word "calculations" when discussing what we need to do before we strike. Also, we have to realize where we can be most effective and that...put simply...is being where they ain't. (Pardon the English here!) It's ok to come up with "crazy" ideas...provided that we've done the calculations ahead of time to know that they'll work! Surprise the competition! Be where they ain't! Do what they're not doing!! I hope you're enjoying this series. Keep those emails coming in and letting me know what you're learning. Feel free to email me at [email protected]

Today, we'll talk about how to use those 5 Constant Factors (Culture, the Economy, the Market, Leadership, and Operations) to find our starting place...find where we need to start off the adventure in becoming a superhero banker! 1) Between you and your competitors (whomever they might be), who has the stronger culture? 2) Which has the strongest executive leadership? 3) Who has the advantages with the Macro-economy and Market conditions? 4) Who has the better internal communication? 5) Which is the stronger bank or company? 6) Who are you really up against? 7) Which bank is the more “go-getter”? Next week, we’ll wrap up Chapter 1. We won’t take as much time in each chapter as we did with Chapter 1. There is just SO MUCH good stuff in here for community bankers to learn and implement and it forms the foundation for successful strategy. Also, don’t forget to email me at [email protected] or hit me up on social media. I’d love to hear from more of you about how you’re liking the series and if you are beginning to implement these in your bank strategy or in your own professional development.

In order to be a superhero, we need to learn how superheroes think and see the world. We need to start building our utility belts...sharpening our swords...getting our lightsabers together. We'll dive into what Sun Tzu calls the 5 Constant Factors and discuss what that means for community banks. Also, I'd love for you to email me at [email protected] with your thoughts as well as any of Barret's social media pages. Feel free to leave your comments about this series.

What does it take to be a Superhero Community Banker? It takes a new way of thinking and perceiving our environment. Today, we're going to start a series on learning how to think like a superhero and save the world!!

Our longtime listeners will remember Brian Bauer and he is back with his new venture, Abaca. They have put together a comprehensive cannabis banking and financial platform that is quite impressive and directly addresses the concerns many community banks have in this area. For more information: contact Brian at goabaca.com

Douglas Scarboro with the Memphis branch of the St. Louis Federal Reserve stops by to talk about the regional economic situation, actions the Fed has taken, and some of the great financial literacy content they put out.

Joe Ehrhardt, CEO of Teslar Software, came back on Main Street Banking to talk about Teslar the current community banking environment.

With the April payroll numbers just hitting the markets and Fed Funds Futures doing historic things...Jim Reber comes back to give us his community banking industry update. Whenever anything hits the markets during these times, we'll have Jim on to give us his insights.

Jim Reber, CEO of ICBA Securities, returns for his frequent Main Street Business Industry Update. As you know, we've gotten some economic numbers that hit the industry this week. Jim does his usual excellent job in showing our listeners how this impacts our industry. To learn more about Jim and ICBA Securites, check out their website: https://www.icbasecurities.com/

For some of us, we have been experiencing remote working, trying to maintain regular productivity, stay sane...all of it...for over a month now. Justin Muscolino with GRC Solutions, a good friend of Barret, is on today with some really good advice for those remote working blues in addition to some thoughts on compliance needs we need to discuss as an industry. Feel free to reach out to Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-muscolino/

We have been waiting for several weeks to talk about this...but now we can. While we did have to cancel the graduate school this May, we're going to be launching a new program called "Crisis Leadership". In addition, Chris and I discuss the different things Barret has coming out in the next few months.

As we stated a few weeks ago, as news comes out we'll have Jim Reber with ICBA Securities on to give us his insight into the news and its impact on community banks. With PPP having been exhausted, a possible second round coming soon, interest rates/markets reacting the way they are...it's important for community banks to stay abreast of the situation.

At the risk of dissecting a new index and boring our audience, let's talk about the workforce today...what they're feeling and who's feeling what. It's important to consider if we are going to serve our customers as well as our employees. Check out the report LinkedIn put out: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/workforce-confidence-index-introducing-biweekly-pulse-george-anders/?trackingId=

As many of our listeners know...PPP was not a smooth process for community banks despite what the news told us. Many of you worked tirelessly through the weekend and long into the night to help your customers during this time. Pres Kennedy, the former chairman of the ICBA, is one of the strongest proponents of community banks and expressed deep concerns about the implications of this botched rollout. But, like so many of you, he knows our strong our industry is and how well we serve our customers.

With things changing in the markets rapidly, we are going to bring on Jim Reber with ICBA Securities to update listeners with economic news...when economic news happens. As you know, Jim's done our quarterly Main Street Economic Update for awhile now...but we know that, these days, quarterly isn't timely enough for bankers. Today, we discuss the unemployment numbers and some ideas on the brand new PPP and other business loan initiatives that went live today, April 3. If you would like to talk to Jim more, please don't hesitate to contact me via email at [email protected]

We all know that one of the impacts we are going to face with this COVID-19 is the credit quality of our loans. Is it the most important thing facing our world today, clearly not. But it is coming...and it is something we need to have a game plan for as we continue on with 2020 and in to 2021.

We pick up where we left off yesterday with Jimmy and Joshua's conversation about the issues many community banks face with remote working. Now, more than ever, the ideas of contingency planning and technology is so important for us to grasp. For more information, please check out https://sawyersjacobs.com/

We are facing a new paradigm right now in community banking. Many of our notions on remote working, security, and technology in general is being challenged. And there are no better friends of community banking in this area than Jimmy Sawyers and Joshua Jacobs. For more information about Sawyers and Jacobs, check out their website: https://sawyersjacobs.com/

Thanks for coming back! If you haven't heard part 1 from yesterday's episode, take some time and listen to that as well. These are tough times for all of us...but there is still good in the world and you can do this!!

These are tough times for all of us in community banking. How do we handle the stresses we are currently facing? Whether we are working remotely or we are working in closed lobbies through drive-thru windows, the past few weeks have seen an enormous amount of changes and anxieties. Brad Federman spends two days with us talking about this very topic.

We know that things are crazy right now. I wish there was something that we could do to make it all go away and get back to the way things were a month ago. But...what we can do is get you content that meets you right where you are. I'm hoping that next week's schedule goes a long way to making this situation a little easier for you, your employees, your customers...everyone.

Taking a little detour from our normal posting schedule. People are trying to figure out their lives in this COVID-19 environment and community banks are no different. We've got communities to serve, stockholders to answer to, and most of us have never seen this type of environment before. What do we do? Today, Greyson Tuck and Ben Pankonin talk to us about how to be strategic and still tell that story that our communities need to hear right now.

ICBA Live 2020. Bold Vision/Clear Focus. From Orlando...the city where dreams come true. There really is no better setting for a collection of dreamers like community bankers. And that's what we are...dreamers...and there's nothing wrong with that. We have the strength and knowledge to say our banks can be better..our communities can be better...our nation can be better...and we go out and find a way to do that.

We've heard about it. We read about it on social media. We have some vague memory of it from our younger days...but what on Earth is this LIBOR transition and how is it going to impact your bank? Here is the website that Jim mentions about possible contract language you might want to consider for your loans impacted by the LIBOR transition. https://www.newyorkfed.org/arrc/fallbacks-contract-language

We all know that FinTech is going to (and already has) radically changed the way banks do business. But when community banks partner with venture capital to create relationships where both FinTech and community banks prosper, it's truly awesome what can happen. Here are two cohorts from ThinkTECH 2.0, Griffin Technologies and LendSMART. For more: ThinkTECH 2.0: https://www.venturecenter.co/icbathinktech Griffin Technologies: https://grffn.io/ LendSMART: https://www.lendsmart.ai/

There is a growing gap between what is being discussed online and what is actually threatening to banks. CECL is going to be a game-changer and the lack of conversation we are having about it is concerning. If you'd like to read more, take some time to read this article in American Banker. https://www.americanbanker.com/opinion/cecl-is-a-real-threat-to-the-financial-system

We start off the year with our Executive Director, Chris Kelley. Chris is a a long-time community banking advocate and proponent of training's role in the culture of a bank. When we think about training and all that's involved with that, there's really three different approaches that we need to take in our banks...onboarding, reboarding, and upboarding. We talk about that today, what those mean, and how community banks can go about implementing them in their corporate structure.

It's the end of one year...and the start of another. Rather than wrapping up our year with a "best of" or "mixed tape" episode, I thought it'd be fun for the Barret staff to sit down and talk about our 2019 and 2020. And as you can probably tell by this episode...we have a lot of fun together!! Happy New Year to you, your bank, and most importantly to your family and loved ones!

We're wrapping up an...interesting...year this year in economic news. Dare we say, it looks...calm for the foreseeable future?! We never know what's going to happen in the macroeconomic world but there are some strategies that you can do in your investment portfolio as we end the year. Now's a good time to talk to your investment experts! For more information, you can visit ICBA Securities page at https://www.icbasecurities.com/

Greyson Tuck is a consultant, attorney, and board member of Gerrish Smith Tuck, PC here in Memphis. He is also on our faculty of the Barret Graduate School of Banking and is a perennial favorite of our students. He travels all over the country talking with community banking executives and, as a result, has the pulse of what community banking directors and executives are thinking heading into 2020. Also, Gerrish Smith Tuck produces three newsletters that are "must reads" for the community banking industry. If you want to stay abreast of topics on the industry, I'd recommend signing up for them at http://gerrish.com/ and take some time to go back through the archives. It'll be worth your time. Finally, Barret is working with Gerrish Smith Tuck for their Chairman's Forum on January 16-17, 2020 in Naples, FL. This is the event we were discussing in the interview. If you're interested in signing up, you can register at https://barret.ws/programs/community-banking-chairmans-forum/ There's not many places better to be in the month of January than Naples, FL!

Jimmy Sawyers is a long time friend and supporter of Barret and he is also one of the premier voices in the community banking industry when it comes to tech and security for banks. Every year, he puts out a Top 10 predictions for the year and, in a twist on the top 10 trope, we decided we'd follow up with him at the end of the year to check in on those predictions and also, possibly, get a teaser on the upcoming list. Also, each year, their Bank Tech Summit, is an industry cornerstone. Here is the program information for the one they just had so that you can get a sense of the topics. https://sawyersjacobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BTS-2019-Brochure-Final.pdf?x85586 Also, here is his 2019 predictions so you can play along at home. https://sawyersjacobs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Sawyers-Top-10-Predictions-2019-Final.pdf?x85586

You may have heard about in-school branches in a local high school. We'd like to introduce you to one here in the Memphis area that is doing an outstanding job in teaching, not only banking, but the soft-skills we want professionals to have as well as financial literacy that is so desperately needed in the banking industry. There's lots of ways to implement a plan like this...but it's so important to see that this is needed and also we, as bankers, have the resources and expertise to help our local communities.

Stepping "outside the vault" again for an episode, we're going to talk about the Banker's Build that the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis has started on here in the local Memphis market. We're happy to be promoting this event...not only because of the AWESOME work Habitat does, but also as an example of the good that the community banking industry can do!! For more information, check out their website: https://www.memphishabitat.com

It's one thing to have an expert talk to us about ideas for digital marketing and a bank's social media presence. It's another to have one of the best practitioners of the social media arts tell us her views and some of her best practice. It's quite another when they both sit down and discuss the issue. To top it off...having Eric Cook and Emily Mays on the show, with their personalities, makes for a great conversation.

It's a wrap. Another successful ICBA LeadFWD conference in the books and I can't wait to see the fruits of this years event.

Day 1 is wrapped here in New Orleans! Good conversations with great banking leaders!

We're circling back to CECL.  There's been some changes to the implementation of the standard that need discussing, but we also wanted to add a fresh perspective on the preparation.  One of the things that came out in this conversation is the quality of the data that will be needed.  Yes, that data may be more expensive, but there's a lot to be said for knowing your loan portfolio's data better than you currently do.  The silver lining to this cloud is that the data we will have to collect will also benefit our marketing efforts. From Raymond James, we have John Toohig.  John Toohig is a Managing Director at Raymond James, a Board Member and President of Raymond James Mortgage Company, Inc and Head of the Whole Loan Group.  John joined Raymond James (formerly Morgan Keegan) in September of 2006. As manager of the Whole Loan group, Mr. Toohig’s primary responsibilities include day-to-day trading of whole loan packages, portfolio analysis, transaction management and the structuring of whole loan, participation and various structured products. Mr. Toohig’s product focus encompasses both seasoned and new production: residential mortgages (both QM and Non-QM), commercial mortgages, consumer lending, scratch and dent loans, and non-performing assets. Prior to joining the Whole Loan group at Raymond James, Mr. Toohig was a part of the firm’s Taxable Banking platform where he was responsible for corporate debt transactions, trust preferred securities, sale leaseback transactions and ABS transactions. Mr. Toohig received his undergraduate degree from the Houghton College and his MBA from the University of Mississippi with a focus in finance and IT. Mr. Toohig has his Series 7, 24 and Series 63 licenses. His community involvement includes currently serving as Member of the Board of Trustees for St. Agnes Academy / St. Dominic School. He is also a former chairman for both the Lafayette and DeSoto county American Cancer Society Relay for Life events and the former president of the Ole Miss MBA Alumni Board. Mr. Toohig resides in Memphis, TN with his wife Sha, and his two daughters, Helen Grace and Cressey, while he works in Raymond James’ east Memphis branch. From Moody's Analytics, we have Robby Holditch with us again.  Robby is a Director in the Regulatory and Accounting Solutions team. He is responsible for providing accounting expertise across solutions, products, and services offered by Moody’s Analytics in the Americas. Robby has 15 years of experience in tax, financial reporting, and fair value measurement with regional banks and Big 4 audit firms. He has Bachelor of Accountancy and Master of Taxation degrees from Mississippi State University.  To hear more from Robby on Main Street Banking, check out our previous episode on CECL.

With all the questions on yields and yield curves and negative interest rates that we have heard, we decided to have an "early" Main Street Economic Update and bring in Jim Reber to talk to our listeners about what's been going on in the markets. If you're not familiar with ICBA Securites, you need to go to their website (https://www.icbasecurities.com/) and sign up for The Bond Academy and their webinar series, Community Banking Matters.

Kicking off our "Outside The Vault" series, Darin Hollingsworth of the Working Gratitude podcast and Odonata Consulting sits down with me to discuss gratitude and how it interacts with financial services.

Trying something a little different! We're starting a new series called "Outside the Vault"...a look at community banking in a different way. Part of that is going to be an episode with listener responses. We want you to answer the question "How has a community bank impacted you or your family positively?" Send in your audio or written responses to me at [email protected] and we'll be sure to include them on an upcoming episode.

There is some interesting data to show that de novo market has not been what it has been over the history of banking. It's a new world...but it doesn't mean that the market is dead. Like most everything in banking, it's simply shifted. Randy Dennis, president of DD&F Consulting, is a long time banking expert in this area and has been on our faculty for many years.

With so much attention given to the agricultural market due to trade, weather conditions, and the inherent risk in that market, it's important to stay abreast of the trends and listen to the experts. And there's not a better expert than Farmer Mac's Chief Lending Officer, Curt Covington. Curt is a long time veteran of the Ag Lending field and helps oversee the $20 billion Farmer Mac institution.

Compliance training does not have to be boring. As a matter of fact, in the many years that we have been evaluating our faculty and our curriculum, one of the highest rated classes is Compliance. The faculty members contribute a great deal to this, to be sure, but the topic is one that MUST be discussed. And if that's the case, then let's make it interesting and actually beneficial to the bank. Justin Muscolino with GRC Solutions has an extensive resume working with compliance training for both banks and regulatory agencies.

You may have noticed that the interest rate markets have been rather surprising over the past several quarters. It's been very interesting and has a good deal of impact on the financials of community banks. As always, ICBA Securities' Jim Reber is on top of things and here to give us some insight into the markets.

Trish Springfield is historically one of our most popular faculty members and podcast guests. If you've met her, you'll instantly know her passion for people and banking. We sit down and talk about growing your team and improving your bank.

Sometimes, the answers to the tricky problems we face in banking are not readily apparent. Sometimes, we get those answers and they don't make any sense. How do we stay relevant? How do we solve the problem of ***fill in the blank*** Chad Hoffman, CEO and President of Richwood Bank in Central Ohio, and his team of creative thinking bankers have come up with some amazing concepts that go beyond the traditional community banking model. https://richwoodbank.com/ https://richwoodcoffee.com/ https://richwoodmarketing.com/

Today is Thursday, May 23 2019 and this is your last daily podcast and announcements for the 2019 session. Graduation is tomorrow...speaker is tonight...and more importantly, free night is tonight as well. You all have done a great job this year. Enjoy Memphis responsibly.

Today is Wednesday, May 22. Things have been a little odd this year with a changing speaker...but we've got a great speaker lined up. Check out the music in the Barret Lounge tonight as well...chances are that you are listening to them as you read this!

Today is Tuesday, May 21 and you have completed your second day of Barret. Don't forget to check your text messages for your announcements. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask any of the staff.

Monday, May 20. You've survived the first day...and you're doing great! We've got today's announcements for you here and hope, if you're not here, you're enjoying this series and getting a taste of what Grad Week is really all about.

Welcome to Barret Grad School!!! It's going to be a great year this year as we try out some new things. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast, tell your friends to subscribe to the podcast, and enjoy yourself during the week.

The next several episodes are going to be a little different. We want to show you what our grad school really looks like but also provide our students with a new source for information and engagement. We're going to be using the podcast for something a little different than the traditional podcast use. We'll see if it works! Let us know what you think.

There is an elephant in the room for community banks and that is the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) that is within several years of implementation. Potentially, it could have an impact to banks' retained earnings but also has an impact on loan pricing and generally how banks view their credit exposure. It's a shift that is coming...that's not being discussed as it needs to be in the community banking world. Robby Holditch with Moody's Analytics stops by to discuss what CECL is and it's potential impact on the community bank.

Jim Reber of ICBA Securities is back for his quarterly economic update for community banks. The last 90 days have seen some interesting happenings in the interest rate environment. Quality advice from subject matter experts such as Jim is vital the long-term health of your community bank.

ICBA Live 2019 has been amazing and I don't know that a podcast episode (or two) can really capture the excitement and all of the information that community bankers experienced here in Nashville. The community banking industry is in amazing hands with the ICBA leadership, the bankers I met were amazing and genuinely love the industry, our fellow vendors, too, are deeply involved with making community banking (and therefore every local community) a better place to be. It's inspiring.

From Music City, we are at #ICBALIVE19!! It is an outstanding event for the community banking industry as the best and brightest get together to share ideas, see the latest trends, meet new friends, and celebrate old ones. Today, Monday, was the graduation of sorts for the ThinkTECH Finalists where they made their presentation to the banking industry. I continue to be impressed with each of the finalists and what they are delivering.

John Waupsh, Chief Innovation Officer at Kasasa, has written an outstanding book entitled "Bankruption" about how FinTech's impact on community banks and what our response should be. There is no sugar-coating in his words, but the insights are very rewarding. This is a must-read for community bankers...regardless of title. Check it out on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Bankruption-Community-Banking-Survive-Fintech/dp/1119273854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550861516&sr=8-1&keywords=bankruption

The ICBA ThinkTECH Accelerator powered by The Venture Center is a brand new initiative to bring community banks and fintech entrepreneurs together in a way that has not been done to this scale and with this much attention to shortening the "feedback loop" that banks and fintechs must face.

Our quarterly "Main Street Economic Update" for Q1 2019. We've seen a good bit of volatility in the markets over the past several months. Jim sits down and gives us some clarity into the markets.

We sit down with Sarah Bacehowski from Mills Marketing to talk about her thoughts on omni-digital banking. What I found so interesting about her presentation here and at Lead FWD, was her ability to communicate what this new method of banking will look and feel like to our customers.

2018 has been an amazing year. Main Street Banking started out as a wild idea about doing a podcast before I even really knew what a podcast was! However, we have covered some really interesting topics relevant to the community banking industry and next year is already shaping up to be even better. Here's our "mix tape" of 2018's "greatest hits". From all of us at Barret School of Banking, happy holidays to your family, customers, and your staff!!

Philip Smith of Gerrish Smith Tuck sits down with us and goes over some of the main points to consider when conducting your strategic planning sessions with your management and your board. Though important, "strategic planning" goes beyond SWOT and bank products as Philip explains.

Ag lending is a crucial part of many community banks. On December 7, Barret will be hosting our first annual Ag Lending Summit in Memphis. In advance of that, we sat down with Dr. Bert Greenwalt and Scott Stiles from Arkansas State...two of the most respected voices in agricultural economics to hear about the state of ag industry. To hear more from these two, come to our Ag Lending Summit on December. Registration is located on our website at https://barret.ws/programs/core/senior-lender-summit/

Jimmy Sawyers of Sawyers & Jacobs has been at the forefront of technology in community banking for a long time. Jimmy is also one of our most popular instructors here at the Barret School and when he put out a Top 10 Predictions for 2018, I thought it'd be a good idea to look back on those and do a "year in review" episode through the lens of those predictions. Hope you enjoy. https://sawyersjacobs.com/

Sitting down with Lindsay LaNore to talk about bank education and its importance. There is so much more to bank education than the standard compliance "have to do this because my boss says so" that we have done for so long. Education has cultural, personal, and financial benefits to the bank and grasping that can be the difference between a good bank...and a great bank.

We are starting a new series today..."Main Street Economic Update". Every quarter, I'll sit down with Jim Reber from ICBA Securities to talk about what's going on in the markets and how that impacts the community bank. Should be interesting! Please feel free to share, rate, and subscribe to Main Street Banking!

Wrapping up the 2018 ICBA Lead FWD conference. It's been an incredible and inspiring two days here in Louisville KY. The conversations...the networking...the ideas...it's just more evidence that community banking is in good hands.

Day 1 of ICBA's Lead FWD conference is in the books and it's been amazing! Check out some interviews and thoughts from this amazing event!

We sit down today with Blake Crow with Eide Bailley in Sioux City SD. Blake works with, among many other things, community banks and their taxes. With the recent tax law changes, Blake sits down with us to talk about those changes...and our shared love of good music! Hope you enjoy! Be sure to follow Blake on Twitter @BankTaxBlake

I sat down with Jim Reber of ICBA Securities to have a general conversation about what he does. We'll be having Jim on once a quarter or so to give our listeners and brief market report as well as anything else going on in the bond and investment world that he runs across. Please feel free to subscribe, share, and rate this episode and thanks for stopping by.

Taking a short break from our series on culture, I wanted to talk about my experience using some of the "new" digital outreach methods community banks have and are beginning to use. Even for someone like me...who hates change and is a grumpy "old" man...it felt great!

I'm really excited about this episode. I had the honor of interviewing Gabe Krajiccek of Kasasa on one of our mutual pet topics...culture. Here, he gives some very practical and pragmatic advice on how to change and implement the kind of culture you want in your bank. If there is a "must-listen" in our short lifespan here at the podcast...this is it!

Trish and I wrap up our conversation about culture and banking.

We sit down with Trish Springfield, EVP for Retail Banking at Southern First in South Carolina, to discuss culture in a bank. This is a passionate subject for both of us and I really enjoyed this episode and I think that it will help you in building/maintaining a successful culture within your bank. This is a two-parter so check back with us next week for the conclusion!

Dr. David Kern and I sit down for a candid discussion on the state of community banking today.

Growing professionally is as important as growing personally. It's a must. Banking school was, for me, the best time I had in growing as a banker.

We've all got them...including your customers.

"Universal banker" is gaining a lot of traction...but, it turns out, our customers have already been thinking of us like this!

2018 is going to be big!