By Frank J. Diekmann
As I was saying…
That “something cool” is finally here. And we think we’ve delivered.
Welcome to CUToday.info. Our tagline is “For Better Credit Unions Tomorrow,” and everything about CUToday.info is about helping you in your job, about helping credit unions to grow, and about better serving members. Not just today, but tomorrow, and the year after that, and the years after that, and well into the future.
But how? Anyone can make claims, and there are plenty of other content providers out there—believe me, I’m partly to blame, having started two (and now three) of them. Unlike some other publications, you’ll find no ties to the banking industry here. Instead, we begin with a firm foundation, and I don’t just mean 25 years of experience reporting on, writing about, interacting with and traveling around the world to be involved in the credit union community. No, I mean a deep, core faith in the credit union cooperative model itself. I’m proud, for instance, to have graduated from the National CU Foundation’s CU Development Education program, and to have more recently have earned an International CUDE designation.
But while credit unions have a right to be proud, they do not have a right to rest. That kumbaya stuff and a superior business model in and of themselves are not enough. CUs need to grow. Organizations need to evolve with the times. And leadership needs resources. That’s where CUToday.info fits in. Our goal is to become the finest and most indispensable resource to CU decision-makers everywhere. We think we’re well on our way.
You may have already clicked around CUToday.info, but here’s what you’ll find:
- Fresh Today. That’s our daily reporting, with short, tight news items delivered to e-mail inboxes every morning. If you’re not already on the list, make sure you sign up.
- The Feature. This is where we’ll highlight more in-depth reporting.
- The Vault. We’ve begun compiling white papers, research and more from across the CU community and elsewhere. This is one of the most collaborative features of CUToday.info, so make sure you don’t just take from the vault, but contribute, as well. Just drop me a note.
- The Vids. These are videos and commercials by credit unions and others that deserve a view.
- The Mulch. Growth strategies are a core focus of CUToday.info, and this is where we will feature ongoing coverage of just that.
- The Credit Union Mall. Looking for a product or service provider? Shop the Mall. Looking to be included? Just drop us an e-mail.
- The Buzz. Here’s a constantly updated feed on what’s buzzing.
- The Globe. CU news from around the world.
- The ’Tude. Check it out for provocative opinion and analysis.
- The Corner. CEOs and other leaders share their thoughts on management, leadership and more.
- The Spin. Well, you’ll just have to give it one.
CUToday.info will continue to grow and evolve—and we’ll do it with your input. That’s how collaborations work. And speaking of which, I also want to make sure to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to CUToday.info so far—it’s been humbling and exciting that so many have been willing to contribute before they’ve even seen the site!
I want to thank the hundreds and hundreds of people who signed up at SomethingCoolisComing.com in order to be a part of CUToday.info. And I especially want to thank Samantha Strickland and her team at the Pod Advertising in Tallahassee, Fla. for all of their creativity and hard work assisting in the building of CUToday.info and in creating the video that had so many of you buzzing, which can be found at https://vimeo.com/106432311.
We’ve got a lot more planned. But I’d also like to get your thoughts. As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Frank J. Diekmann is co-founder and cooperator-in-chief of CUToday.info. He can be reached at Frank@CUToday.info.