The CUInsight Experience podcast: Sundie Seefried – Trust yourself (#104)

Thank you for tuning in to episode 104 of The CUInsight Experience podcast, with your host, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight.com. This episode is brought to you by our friends at PSCU. As the nation’s premier payments CUSO, PSCU proudly supports the success of more than 1,500 credit unions.

My guest today is Sundie Seefried, the President & CEO of Partner Colorado Credit Union. We discuss leadership and her process to innovation and taking risks, and she talks about getting buy-in for big ideas from her board that I think we can all learn from. 

We also speak about cannabis banking as more and more credit unions explore that space, and as always, we wrap up the show with some rapid-fire questions that will leave you wanting more. 

Sundie talks about the culture of hiring, promoting, and grooming from within Partner Colorado Credit Union and their program that helps young professionals think strategically. Sundie speaks about starting Safe Harbor Private Banking and the compliance regulations and resolutions they address with cannabis baking.

Sundie shares how she started in credit unions, even though she always wanted to be an ice cream lady. She also talks about her inspiration for taking the position as CEO and how that inspiration has changed over time. If Sundie needs to recharge, she loves to draw, oil paint, listen to audiobooks or just sit in a quiet place.

We learn Sundie liked to skip classes in high school while still maintaining straight A’s. Her favorite album of all time is Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the moon, and when she hears the word success, the first person who comes to mind is her father. She believes her father knew he had a strong, performed it well, and fulfilled his life’s mission.

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Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List 

How to find Sundie:
Sundie Seefried, President & CEO of Partner Colorado Credit Union
Sundie@partnercoloradocu.org
Partner Colorado Credit Union
LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Show notes from this episode:
A big shout-out to our friends at PSCU, an amazing sponsor of The CUInsight Experience podcast. Thank you! Take a look at the great things Sundie and her team are doing over at Safe Harbor Private Banking.
Shout out: To Sundie’s husband
Shout out: Sundie’s father
Shout out: Jill Nowacki
Book mentioned: A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Book mentioned: The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout
Album mentioned: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Jill Nowacki (episodes 4, 18, 37, 64, 82 & 101) 

In This Episode:
[02:05] – Welcome to the show, Sundie!
[03:30] – Sundie says she thinks credit unions need to quit thinking about going back to what was and move forward with technology.
[05:41] – What are you doing to create the bandwidth for creative thinking?
[07:32] – Sundie speaks about hiring, promoting, and grooming from within and training the younger generation to think strategically.
[09:21] – Sundie discusses how long it took to implement the training.
[10:21] – Sundie shares who she surrounds herself with and the fact that she is an extreme introvert.
[12:17] – Sundie speaks about safe harbor private banking and what it is about.
[14:17] – Listen as Sundie discusses the compliance issues of dealing with cannabis banking.
[16:50] – What do you think credit unions need to change to stay relevant in financial services?
[19:36] – Sundie talks about her board and if they are a risk-taking board and whether she had to educate them before they would take the risk.
[22:07] – Sundie always wanted to be an ice cream lady, but she settled into a credit union’s IT department in Germany.
[23:32] – Sundie shares the inspiration for taking the CEO position and how that inspiration has changed over the years on the job.
[26:03] – She discusses how she handles each day with purpose and tries always to do the right thing.
[28:54] – Good guys finish last is something that Sundie hates to hear.
[30:12] – When she has a day off to recharge, Sundie oil paints, draws, and listens to audiobooks.
[31:11] – Sundie shares something she said no to that she is happy she did.
[32:24] – What were you like in high school and did you get into any memorable trouble?
[33:15] – Is there a book you think everyone should read?
[35:08] – Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon is the best album of all time.
[35:37] – Sundie’s father is the first person who comes to mind when she hears the word success.
[36:39] – Sundie shares some final thoughts for the listeners.
[37:28] – Thank you for listening to the show!