In this episode of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast, Derik sits down with Jeffrey Kendall, CEO of Nymbus, to explore the future of AI-powered banking. The conversation starts with a simple question: Why can’t AI help manage personal finances yet? From there, Derik and Jeffrey unpack how AI agents can transform customer support inside financial institutions and help users analyze spending, automate financial workflows, and even conduct financial transactions. They also explore the bigger picture: Will banks embed AI into their own apps, or will customers increasingly interact with banks through ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI platforms? If you’re thinking about AI, banking, digital transformation, or what the future of customer experience looks like, this episode is packed with insights. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and why Derik started looking for AI banking tools 02:00 What an MCP server is (and why it matters) 05:30 APIs vs. MCP servers explained 08:00 Why current banking apps frustrate AI workflows 11:00 Could ChatGPT become your next banking app? 15:00 Why AI-powered banking experiences are inevitable 18:00 Power users vs. mainstream AI adoption 21:00 Why many financial institutions are falling behind on AI 25:00 Vendor lock-in and the AI challenge for banks 29:00 How AI is transforming software development 33:00 Why technology alone isn’t a differentiator anymore 36:00 Internal AI use cases at Nymbus (call centers, support, operations) 42:00 The future of AI-powered customer banking experiences 46:00 Open banking, AI, and what regulation could look like 50:00 Embedded AI vs. ChatGPT as the banking interface 55:00 Where Nymbus is taking MCP next 58:00 Why differentiation matters more than technology 01:03:00 Community banking, niches, and competitive advantage 01:09:00 Jeffrey’s advice for bank and credit union leaders on AI 01:12:00 Final thoughts and wrap-up Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Why do so many banks and credit unions struggle to execute strategy- even when leadership agrees on the vision? In this episode, Derek sits down with Shawnette Rochelle, founder of Excellence Unbounded, to unpack the “messy middle”, the gap between strategic alignment and successful execution. Drawing from her military leadership experience, Shawnette shares why unclear decision ownership, unresolved trade-offs, and slow decision-making often become the real bottlenecks to progress. Listen to learn how financial institutions can move faster, create better alignment, and turn strategy into action. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and why strategy often breaks down 03:00 Shawnette’s background and lessons from travel & leadership 09:00 Strategy problem vs. execution problem in banking 12:30 What the “messy middle” really means 16:00 The decision layer: where execution succeeds or fails 21:00 Metabolizing trade-offs and avoiding stalled initiatives 28:00 Why decision ownership matters 35:00 Military leadership lessons on execution and autonomy 43:00 How unclear decisions slow organizations down 49:00 Strategy, speed, and AI-driven change in banking 56:00 Real-world examples of fixing execution bottlenecks 01:05:00 The three questions leaders should ask 01:10:00 Final thoughts and key takeaways Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

n this episode, I sit down with my co-founder Ryan Harmon to break down the results of our latest AI traffic study and what it reveals about how the internet is fundamentally changing. For years, banks and credit unions have focused on driving human traffic to their websites. But what happens when AI agents become the primary way people find information? Ryan and I dig into what we discovered after tracking millions of AI bot visits across financial institution websites, and why traditional analytics tools like Google Analytics are missing most of the picture. We walk through how AI bots actually interact with websites, the difference between user bots, search bots, and training bots, and why “visibility” inside tools like ChatGPT may matter more than clicks. We also share real data showing that AI bot traffic is already rivaling human traffic—and what that means for your digital strategy. Listen to learn how AI is reshaping search, why content strategy needs to evolve, and what financial institutions should do right now to stay visible in an AI-driven world. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome back and introduction to the AI traffic study 01:00 How AI changed the way people search (basketball shoe example) 04:30 The shift from human browsing to AI agents as intermediaries 06:00 What “AI visibility” means and why it matters 07:30 Case study: going from 0% to 100% visibility with targeted content 09:00 The big question: does AI visibility actually drive traffic? 10:00 Why Google Analytics can’t see most AI traffic 12:00 Tracking AI referrals vs. actual AI bot activity 14:00 Why AI referral traffic appears so small (and misleading) 17:00 Discovering AI bots in server logs 18:00 Building tools to track AI traffic (WordPress plugin + Cloudflare) 20:00 Why pixel tracking doesn’t work for AI bots 23:00 How the AI traffic study was conducted (40+ institutions) 25:00 Millions of AI bot visits: what the data revealed 26:30 The three types of AI bots: user, search, and training 29:00 What user bots tell us about real human intent 30:30 How AI search bots index and retrieve content 34:00 How AI agents actually search (Bing queries + deep crawling) 41:30 What training bots are and why they matter 44:00 Do you actually want training bots on your site? 46:00 Benchmark data: AI bot traffic vs. human traffic (almost equal) 48:30 Breakdown: 88% training, 7% search, 4% user bots 50:00 Why AI citations don’t always result in bot visits 52:00 The connection between AI visibility and AI traffic 53:00 Real example: content driving top AI traffic pages 54:30 Why AI traffic is the new form of website engagement 55:30 What kind of content performs best for AI vs. humans 57:00 Final thoughts and what to watch next (AI optimizing for AI) Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, I interview Chris Allen, CEO of Fox Communities Credit Union, about how credit unions and banks can stay flexible amid disruption. He explains Fox’s strategy of building three growth engines: retail branches, commercial lending, and virtual banking, each designed to adapt as market conditions change. Allen discusses why steady growth is essential for credit unions to remain sustainable, how commercial lending creates differentiation and supports local economic development, and why branches are evolving into service and marketing centers as digital banking adoption grows. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:11 Why Innovation Matters Now 04:12 Innovators Dilemma Framework 06:11 Fox Three Growth Bets 09:27 Designing for Flexibility 11:55 Why Credit Unions Need Growth 15:47 Grow or Die Mindset 22:35 Reinvesting Surplus for Stakeholders 29:26 Commercial Banking Differentiation 35:56 Fair Pricing Edge 36:38 Proving Commercial Expertise 37:15 Cost Barrier for CUs 38:05 Why Relationships Win 39:56 Commercial as Development 43:24 Branches Dead or Alive 49:29 Branches as Service Hubs 53:25 Planning for Uncertainty 58:59 Standalone Growth Channels 01:03:26 Funding Digital vs Branches 01:09:23 Flexibility as Strategy 01:11:21 Closing Thoughts Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, Ryan Harmon and I dig into a question we’re hearing more and more from banks and credit unions: how much AI traffic are financial institution websites actually getting and is it worth optimizing for yet? AI search is projected to overtake Google search within the next few years, and that shift comes with a major implication: the primary users of FI websites won’t just be humans anymore, they’ll be AI agents. The problem is, popular analytics tools like Google Analytics aren’t built to measure this kind of traffic. They’re designed to filter bots out, not help you understand what AI agents are doing on your site. In this conversation, we break down the difference between AI visibility and AI traffic, explain the three types of AI bots interacting with websites today, and share what we’re learning as we launch a new research study to measure real AI traffic across credit union and bank websites. If you want to understand how the Agentic Web is changing analytics, SEO, and digital strategy for financial institutions, this episode is for you. 00:00 Welcome back and episode overview 01:00 Why AI traffic matters for banks and credit unions 02:30 The difference between AI visibility and AI traffic 04:00 How AI answers questions vs. how Google search works 06:30 Why visibility doesn’t equal traffic 08:30 Why financial institutions started asking for AI traffic data 10:00 What it means when AI agents visit your website 11:30 The three types of AI bots (user, indexer, training) 14:00 Seeing AI agents visit your site in real time 16:30 Why Google Analytics can’t measure AI traffic 18:00 Clicks vs. “intent hits” in the AI era 20:00 Why most AI interactions don’t result in website visits 22:00 How AI agents use content differently than humans 24:00 Long-form content vs. modular content for AI 27:00 The tradeoffs of content structure for AI agents 29:30 What this research study aims to uncover 31:00 How to participate in the AI traffic research study 33:00 Final thoughts and next steps Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, I walk through a prototype that explores what I believe is the next major shift in banking: AI-first banking experiences built directly inside tools like ChatGPT. Instead of navigating complex apps and menus, you simply tell an AI what you want to do and it handles the work for you. Joined by my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, I demonstrate how a ChatGPT-based banking app could open accounts, move money between accounts, analyze transactions, and provide personalized financial insights all through natural language and lightweight UI components. We also discuss why AI-first banking is fundamentally different from traditional UI-based apps, what this means for user experience design, and why this shift is closer than most people realize. If you want to understand how AI agents could transform personal finance, budgeting, and everyday banking tasks, this episode is one you’ll want to watch- especially the demo. 00:00 Introduction and overview of AI-first banking 01:00 Setting up a banking prototype inside ChatGPT 02:30 Viewing accounts and balances inside the chat interface 04:00 Opening a new savings account with natural language 06:00 Confirmations, approvals, and human-in-the-loop controls 08:00 Why minimal UI works better with AI agents 10:30 Envelope budgeting and real-world banking pain points 13:00 Why traditional banking apps fall short 15:00 Executing multiple transfers with a single command 18:00 AI vs. UI-based banking experiences 21:00 Analyzing transactions and spending behavior 24:00 Why most people don’t budget and how AI changes that 27:00 AI agents as proactive financial assistants 31:00 Finding savings opportunities automatically 35:00 Subscription management, negotiation, and optimization 38:00 The future of AI agents managing money 41:00 Real examples already appearing in ChatGPT (Ramp, Stripe) 45:00 Why banking apps are coming to ChatGPT 48:00 What needs to happen for this to become real 52:00 Final thoughts on the future of AI-first banking Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Colca, founder of Forge Clarity, to talk about a challenge credit unions and banks keep running into as they try to compete with digital-first players. Most people frame this as a technology problem. Joe and I don’t see it that way. With more than 26 years of experience at organizations like Vanguard, Citi, and VyStar Credit Union, Joe shares why the real issue isn’t a lack of technology, it’s a lack of strategic clarity. We dig into why many financial institutions struggle to deliver strong digital experiences, how the Innovator’s Dilemma applies to banking today, and what leaders should be thinking about as AI, fintech partnerships, and new operating models reshape the industry. Listen to learn why strategy, not technology, is the real bottleneck for digital transformation, and what banks and credit unions can do to position themselves for the future. 00:00 Welcome back and episode introduction 01:00 Introducing Joe Colca and his background in financial services 05:00 Joe’s career journey from Vanguard to Citi to VyStar 10:30 The Innovator’s Dilemma and its relevance to banking today 14:30 Branch-based vs. branchless banking models 18:00 Why digital transformation feels so hard for credit unions 22:30 Technology upgrades vs. meeting member expectations 27:30 Fintech partnerships and the build vs. buy decision 33:00 Can banks successfully be both branch-based and digital-first? 38:00 Strategy problems vs. technology problems 43:30 Spinoff digital banks as a potential solution 50:00 Real-world examples of credit union digital spinoffs 56:00 The impact of AI on the future of banking experiences 01:01:30 What Forge Clarity does and who it helps 01:06:30 One action leaders should take right now: strategic clarity 01:09:00 Final thoughts and wrap-up Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

AI is going to revolutionize banking. Credit unions and banks are already being disrupted by fintechs, now AI is either going to accelerate their demise or give them a chance to leapfrog their disruptors. The choice is theirs. In this episode, I (Derik Krauss) am joined by my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, to unpack how AI could disrupt UI-based fintechs and open up new opportunities for community banks and credit unions. We discuss The Innovator's Dilemma, the benefits of launching AI-first spinoffs, and how future financial institutions might operate without traditional mobile apps or online banking. 00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Episode 01:11 AI's Potential in Banking and Financial Institutions 03:53 The Innovator's Dilemma in Banking 05:59 The Shift from Physical Branches to Digital Banking 11:37 AI as the Next Disruptive Innovation 17:02 The Future of AI-Driven Financial Services 23:04 AI Integration in Everyday Life 29:50 The Role of AI in Financial Decision Making 31:35 Blockchain and AI: Revolutionizing Banking 33:25 AI-First Experience: The Future of User Interfaces 35:48 Cost Efficiency in AI-Driven Banking 39:08 OpenAI's App Store: A New Frontier 40:31 Challenges and Opportunities for Credit Unions 42:58 The Innovator's Dilemma: Embracing Disruptive Innovation 46:49 Launching Spinoffs: A Strategy for Transformation 49:00 The Future of Banking: AI-First Spinoffs 50:03 Legacy Institutions and Modern Challenges 01:00:35 The Role of Marketing in Credit Union Transformation 01:03:01 AI's Impact on the Banking Industry 01:05:47 Conclusion: Embracing AI for Future Success Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Hey, this is Derik. I recently tried using ChatGPT's Agent Mode to make transfers between my personal bank accounts. I didn't get the outcome I was hoping for, but that's not because AI isn't capable of doing it. In fact, it's more than capable of doing that and other banking tasks, especially if there is a human in the loop. In this episode, my co-founder, Ryan Harmon, and I show and tell what agentic AI is capable of doing and how it's going to transform the banking user experience. Listen to learn how AI is reshaping the future of banking and what opportunities lie ahead for individuals and financial institutions. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

For the first time, JR is a guest on the podcast he started. Join me, Derik Krauss, as I debut as the new host of the Banking on Digital Growth Podcast. In this episode, I interview JR and we talk about challenges he has overcome, including facing an autoimmune condition, as well as his plans for the next decade. What we unpacked in this conversation is truly thought-provoking. It has led me to reflect on what has happened in my life over the last decade and what I want for the next 10 years. Not only is this type of reflection valuable personally, but it can also lead to true transformation for your credit union or bank. As JR says, all change starts with learning truth and seeing things differently. What "truth gaps" are holding back your financial institution? Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.