2013

After joining Heartland as the Senior Director of Sales Communications (a department that didn't exist before I was hired), I quickly began attacking some of the meaningful gaps in marketing, communications, and employee experience that existed in this rapidly growing company. First, I produced - over the span of 60 days - a full video library called the Heartland Leadership Academy, featuring in-person interviews of the organization's thought leaders, top performers, and executives. Additionally, I oversaw the addition of a new product (Payroll) and re-vamped the advertising that our hundreds of Division Managers were using to recruit new talent.

2014

After the success of the Heartland Leadership Academy and "edgy" recruiting ads, two new challenges were placed in my hands - re-vamping the antiquated sales incentive program being used by 1,500+ sales professionals across the country. The resulting solution - the award-winning Diamond Program - ultimately led to Heartland's first of two consecutive years on top of the "Best Company to Sell For" list and built the foundation still currently used internationally across multiple product lines. 

2015

As the Diamond Program grew, the need for additional formats of internal communication and external marketing continued to evolve. This year saw the launch of three new channels: The Pulse, a weekly internal podcast telling the story of emerging products and growing culture within the organization; The Horizon, a monthly internal video series highlighting key messages from leadership; and The Portfolio Architect, a quarterly magazine highlighting emerging technology and longer-form storytelling. Each won multiple awards and Heartland took home almost a dozen ADDYs for internal and external assets. Selling Power - after awarding Heartland the "Best Company to Sell For" for the second consecutive year - invited me to author an entire special issue on the organization's culture and program (a first for the publication). Additionally, the team took on the task of planning and marketing the annual sales incentive trip.

2016

A promotion to Vice President of Marketing (and an acquisition by Global Payments) created an even larger opportunity - putting on the first national sales event with 1,000+ attendees, nationally renowned speakers, and a massive production scale. The first annual Diamond Conference, held in San Antonio, featured keynote speeches from Tony Robbins and Greg McKeown while the second event featured Magic Johnson and Mel Robbins. The event not only became the highlight of the annual calendar, but it also generated such a lift for the Diamond Program that an additional tier (which was unimaginable when it started) had to be created.

2018

A transition to MidFirst Bank - one of the largest privately-held banks in the nation - led to a new challenge...ownership of the development of digital products and "from scratch" brand building. Growing a team of 3 to more than 20 - while also designing the new "innovation lab" that would house this new group - was an exercise in change management, product marketing, leadership, and iterative evolution. The first brand this team built - VIO Bank - generated more than $1B in deposits during its first year; the second brand - Monifi - featured an entirely new digital platform and digital experience.

I also created my own consulting firm (Journey Media, LLC) and began creating #StorytellingSoundbites - a series of short videos on LinkedIn that have now been viewed over 150,000 times!

2019

A move from community banking to credit unions led to a new role - Vice President of Marketing and Community Development at True Sky Credit Union. This new department - which grew from one to six in a matter of a few months - took over after a recent rebrand and focused on building a robust community involvement strategy. Additionally, an impending core conversion offered the opportunity for a fun (and pun-filled) internal campaign..."Back True the Future".

2020

The new year started with the largest annual meeting in company history...before quickly devolving into the chaos of the global pandemic. The Sky Crew - True Sky's community involvement team and the alter-ego of every True Sky employee - ramped up it's efforts under our "Stand True" umbrella. We helped create a special graduation experience for seniors (complete with a custom graduation song), issued more PPP loans than any other credit union in the state, and generated earned media for our handling of members and introduction of new cleaning technology.

On a personal note, I received a cancer diagnosis a few weeks after we started working from home (a malignant tumor removed from my lower leg) - the OKC Chamber interview below was conducted a few days after my last surgery. (This spring, I will be cancer free for 3 years!)

2021

The Sky Crew growth continued as the world settled back into a new normal - one of our early 2021 Sky Crew "missions" was featured in the CU Times and retweeted by former President Barack Obama! We introduced campaigns that were postponed in 2020, setting records for both new member growth and overall loan growth while also welcoming a new animated spokesperson (and winning the organization's first Diamond Award in the process). Additionally, we completed the credit union award trifecta by winning the Dora Maxwell Award, the Louise Herring Award, and the Desjardins Awards (in early 2022). In the summer of 2021, we opened two new branches over a span of three weeks with more than 6,000 people in attendance between the two events (and ended with a private event at the Oklahoma City Zoo!) 

I also took the opportunity to modify the Diamond Program sales incentive (created at Heartland) to work at True Sky (or anywhere else in retail banking). The Wings Program became an immediate hit and was credited for much of the branch recruiting that happened post-Covid.

2022

A move to Vice President of Marketing at MECU (Metropolitan Employees Credit Union) was an opportunity to prove that the same blend of storytelling, community involvement, and credit union principles could be effective with a smaller team and a more resource-constrained budget. I was able to generate record-breaking member and loan growth numbers for MECU while celebrating the legacy of the founding membership groups and expanding the reach of community activities into underserved communities.

2023

You've made it this far so let's just chat for a minute. Changing jobs, especially unexpectedly, isn't easy, and the process requires a level of patience, grit, and vulnerability that can be hard. But if I'm being honest, this is my favorite season of life (so far)! I am blessed with a beautiful wife and four amazing kids, I'm more involved than ever in their activities and our church, and I've found such fulfillment in leading teams of incredible people. I'm equally anxious and eager to find out what doors will open next, and I'm excited to pour the energy, emotion, and empathy I have into whatever is on the other side!