What keeps you coming back to the same career for 35 years? President and CEO of Leaders Credit Union, Todd Swims, joins us on the Pocket Change Podcast to reflect on his time at Leaders, the differences between credit unions and banks, and what he’s looking forward to in 2026.
"Part of the fun of coming to work every day is really understanding, 'How do we truly, truly have an impact on...that member of tomorrow,' right?" said Swims.
What's the difference between a credit union and a bank?
How has Leaders Credit Union grown over the years?
The Pocket Change Podcast is presented by Leaders Credit Union. To learn more about Leaders, visit leaderscu.com.
Shea:
Hey, this is Shea!
Carrie:
And this is Carrie!
Shea:
Welcome to the Pocket Change Podcast.
Carrie:
Where you'll learn better ways to spend, save, and invest, and take control of your financial journey.
Shea:
So, 2025 was a great year for Leaders. But 1990 was also a great year.
Carrie:
It was. I was riding my bike and playing the Oregon Trail. What were you doing?
Shea:
I mean, I played that great game, but I was not born yet.
Carrie:
Okay. Sorry you weren't there.
Shea:
Our CEO, Todd Swims, started at Leaders. And so, he's been with us 35 years. We’re going to talk about his journey, but also a lot of the big things we accomplished in 2025.
Carrie:
It's been a busy year, and we're looking forward to next year.
Shea:
Yeah.
Carrie:
We're excited to welcome our guest, Todd Swims, president and CEO here at Leaders. Welcome to Pocket Change, Todd.
Todd Swims:
Well, glad to be back. I missed you guys. It's been a little while.
Carrie:
A familiar seat there, right? Okay, so first I want to dive into the fact that this is your 35th year here at Leaders, correct?
Todd:
Why did you have to mention that?
Carrie:
So, you started when you were five…
Todd Swims:
Absolutely. 35 years.
Carrie:
So, what has what has that been like, and what keeps you coming back?
Todd Swims:
Oh wow. Listen, I still wake up every single morning so energized about coming to work. I think that what I have loved and enjoyed about 35 years here at Leaders is, it's really been one of those opportunities in life to really do what you love and serve other people and help people along the way. And the advantage of being here 35 years, quite honestly, is really seeing people over their financial journey. Right? Over a lifetime. And so, that's been pretty exciting and pretty fun to do. And, I’ve just loved every minute of it.
Carrie:
All right. Well, we're thankful that you are our leader. And I think that your mission heart trickles down to all of us who work here. So, it's great.
Todd Swims:
Well, I tell you what, it's our team's heart that really does that job, you know? And they do it well every single day, that's for sure.
Shea:
So I grew up, I worked at a credit union starting in high school. And you've been working for credit unions for three decades. So, you know, for those who…
Todd Swims:
Yeah, that makes me really good, Shea.
Shea:
For those who, you know, still don't know what credit unions are, what's the difference? What do you say to those who are hesitant to leave the four letter B word and come over to a credit union?
Todd Swims:
Well, you know, we've got a lot of great banker friends in every community that we serve in. I think that one of the biggest advantages is that we're member-owned, and quite honestly, I think it allows us to really, know and reflect on what our members needs are in a more personalized manner. I think that's part of it. I think also, I think that our full mission is about service and not really profit, you know, and so that matters. Yeah, I think people sometimes walk into our facilities and they feel like an owner because they are an owner, you know. And so hopefully that experience is one that they value. And, that makes a difference when they're choosing a financial institution for life.
Shea:
I think that's why we do thank them for choosing Leaders, because they chose us and we're choosing them. And so, I think that's important to remember, too.
Todd:
Absolutely.
Carrie:
Yes. So, we know that you've worked with many members and that you have lots of stories. Are there any that stick out to you that were extra special?
Todd Swims:
Oh goodness. There’s several. There’s several. I would like to tell you stories with names and give you a real blow by blow of what happened in their financial journey. But, to be honest with you, I've just really loved the opportunity to see people who have, you know, bought their first car, who bought their first home, and starting a family and, and being able to see really their financial lives really evolve around taking care of their family and being an active part of this community. I do remember one young fellow who - this was back in the day when we had, like, one branch and we, you know, and I was I still roamed the lobby occasionally and helped people and waited on them individually. But this one young man came in and, he was trying to actually buy his second vehicle. And, fairly young, like 22 years old or so, and had a little issue with paying a bill on his credit report. And we had a long discussion about how important it was, you know, really to keep that score high, so he didn't overpay, really, for borrowing. And, you know, at the end of the day, he looked at me and he said, “You know, I guess it'll make the difference between having to borrow money to bury my loved ones or to be able to leave something behind for someone else.” And so I thought that was pretty powerful. And, so, you know, helping people understand the real difference money can make in their life and really transitioning families to being very successful, is just a joy to be a part of.
Shea:
Yeah. I think our Financial Champions are able to do that every day with members and the different life stages that they're in, be able to help them, like you said, purchase their first house or, you know, buy their first car, get set up their kids for college or whatever the case is. So that's great. So, another great year at Leaders, you know. We've been involved serving our community and growing our members and our big Technology Upgrade we had. So, what would you like to say to our members and Financial Champions about our upgrade this past year?
Todd Swims:
Well, you know, I am really thankful to get it behind us, right, number one. But the Technology Upgrade has been a big endeavor. And I'm so thankful that our members were so patient with us along the way. It’s so important. It's important to them. It's important to us. And also, I'm really thankful for all the hard work that our team put in for this upgrade. It's going to have a big impact. I think that it will create more convenience, more confidence, and really more control over our members’ financial lives. And so, it's been a journey, but we're glad it's behind us. And we're also looking forward to the many, many new things will bring to the table as far as being able to provide richer financial services to our members.
Shea:
What do you want to say to our members and our Financial Champions about, you know, what's next for Leaders?
Todd Swims:
Well, I'll tell you what. The thing that I'm most excited about is growth and the opportunity to really grow our business. That means a lot. We have been extremely successful in growing our business over the past 35 years, honestly. And I think that with the Technology Upgrade that we just went through, it's going to be it's going to give us so much power to be able to provide more convenience and more relevance, and to be able to bring more modern financial solutions to the table that, when I think about, what I'm really proud of as far as where we are today in this whole Leaders journey that I've been on throughout my career, I think that I've loved the fact that we've all focused on growing: growing our membership, growing our impact on others. And so for me, it's, I'm proud of our people who've really helped us do that and accomplish that mission.
Carrie:
Yeah. Because when you grow in numbers, you spread awareness, right? Yeah. So, boots on the ground.
Todd Swims:
Yeah, if you're not growing, you're not relevant. And that's just a fact.
Carrie:
So, you mentioned growth. So, can you tell us a little bit about the difference in the growth between now and back in 19 – well, I said back in 1990? I’m sorry.
Todd Swims:
Back in 1909, or something like that.
Carrie:
From 1990 till today, branches, employees - I mean we have grown, we've grown a lot. So, tell us about that.
Todd Swims:
Yeah. You know, I started in 1990 and we had one office, over on Directors Row. We had about 2500 members and had a great team. We had, 8 or 12 or so employees total. And, you know, honestly, each and every person had such a vital role in helping us to grow this credit union and to really grow our influence in this community. But I'm really, really proud of the growth that we've experienced. We today have over 85,000 members. We have branches all over West Tennessee. And we have products and services that I think are second to none in the marketplace. And I think our technology stack has been something that has really been valued by our membership and used along the way. I think sometimes the success that we have achieved, we can never, ever rest, right? Part of the fun of coming to work every day is really understanding, “How do we truly, truly have an impact on really that member of tomorrow,” right? It's going to be a different world tomorrow. And so, when we wake up each day, we're looking at how can we be more relevant today, but how can we also make sure that the impact that we have on those that are coming alongside us and folks who are growing up financially have a great place to bank.
Shea:
You talked a little bit about impact, and we just wrapped up our Leaders with Love project that we do every holiday season. And, tell our listeners more about why it's so important for us to give back to the community.
Todd Swims:
Yeah, this annual event that we've been a part of for many, many years has had such a tremendous impact on each and every community that we serve. I think that it does represent the heart of Leaders. But I think more than that, it's not really about something that we do. It's really about something about who we are. Honestly, it's not about the doing. It's really about the hearts of the Financial Champions that we have in every location that we serve. I have been just so impressed with the projects that we've been a part of. And really, these ideas kind of bubble up from our own team members, right? And in their own communities. And when you think of the impact they've had on nonprofits or a church or maybe a school or just an individual who's really experiencing life, and life has been a challenge recently, you know, and being able to help that individual up or that family up is always just a joy to be a part of. And I just love this experience. I love this time of year. So, it's always good to be able to really, almost receive that blessing back, right? Being a part of giving forward.
Shea:
Yeah.
Carrie:
Yeah. I would agree with that. It's definitely one of the perks of being an employee at Leaders.
Todd Swims:
Yeah.
Carrie:
So, as we wrap up 2025 and look into next year, what are you most looking forward to in 2026?
Todd Swims:
Oh, I am super excited about the growth we're going to experience. And really, about the digital first initiatives that we're going to put forward as far as technology and convenience. I think that everybody has a lot of life to live during those 24 hours that we're given every single day, and most people really don't want to go to the bank. They don't want to go to the credit union. They don't want to stand in line. They want convenience, and they also want to make sure their time is valued. I love the fact that we're going to be able to give back to our members more time for their families, right? And to be a part of things that really, really matter, and providing first class digital services is really going to be top on the list. I'm excited about the impact that's going to make, and really the convenience that's going to provide so many of our members today.
Shea:
I think it's good that we try to, we've mentioned it before in other episodes, we try to meet our members where they are. You know, if that's in a digital format or if that's in person or, you know, whatever the case is, we want to have a solution for them wherever they come, however they come to us.
Todd Swims:
Yeah. And, you know, with that thought, Shea, I think the other important thing to consider is that while we do kind of live in a digital age, right, everybody likes to know someone, right? They really do want a financial partner. They want somebody that they can call. They want to know a person, right? And be able to pick up the phone or maybe to text someone, for that advice. And, I think as long as we make sure that along the way that our digital journeys are personalized and that they have the heart and the brand of Leaders behind it, and that they can use any channel they prefer, right? And so many times as you all know, most of our members use multiple channels. They start off in one channel and end up in another. To your point, Shea.
Shea:
That's true. So, you've shared some helpful tips with us already, but what is some of the best financial advice you've ever been given?
Todd Swims:
Well, there's the, you know, the age-old advice of, “Work hard, save a little, and it'll grow.” I think that's extremely important. Sometimes early in our careers, you know, we fail to kind of put back anything. But starting somewhere matters, and the earlier the better, right? I also think when it comes to investing, I think sometimes people try to complicate it a little bit, but invest in things that you know and that you understand. I think that's really important as well. So, there's been a lot of financial guys that have come along down the way and have given a lot of great advice and really, this age-old wisdom regarding achieving financial independence and financial wealth, is something that good old tried, true, advice that has been out there, you know, in the universe forever really is the solution there, It really is great advice for everyone.
Carrie:
That's great. So, you've done this a time or two, so you know my last question. But if you were to find some extra change in your pocket, what would you spend it on?
Todd Swims:
Coffee?
Carrie:
Coffee. Sounds good.
Todd Swims:
Probably a cup of coffee. You know, I'm a coffee drinker.
Carrie:
Warm you up, right?
Todd Swims:
Yeah. I don't know how many cups I drink a day, but we won't go there. But, that would probably be the first thing, but honestly, I think it's really about, I probably would even just give it away. You know, I think at the end of the day, it's really about giving back to others and helping others along the way. And, so throwing a little extra change to someone who, just to make their day would probably be what I'd like to do.
Carrie:
It in return makes your day.
Todd Swims:
It does., it fills your heart full, that’s for sure.
Carrie:
So, can I be behind you when you're in the Starbucks line?
Todd Swims:
Absolutely!
Carrie:
I'm just kidding. All right, well, thanks, Todd, for joining us today. And we're excited about next year and all that it has to bring.
Todd Swims:
Well, thank you very much. Enjoyed it. Great conversation today. Thank you guys.
Shea:
We'll see you next year.
Todd Swims:
All right. Yeah. Absolutely.