Episode 55: Pocket Change Podcast
Summary
Key Takeaways
- Around 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
- The Member Solutions team at Leaders strives to help members when they face financial uncertainty.
- Being involved in the local community benefits others and allows you to see their needs.
- The best financial advice Rogers' has received was to save for a rainy day.
The Pocket Change Podcast is presented by Leaders Credit Union. To learn more about Leaders, visit leaderscu.com.
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Full Transcript
Shea:
Hey, this is Shea.
Carrie:
And this is Carrie.
Shea:
Welcome to the Pocket Change Podcast.
Carrie:
Where you learn better ways to spend, save, and invest, and take control of your financial journey.
Shea:
You know, Carrie, in America, in the United States, there's a lot of people that face financial uncertainties. Something like 80 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and that's regardless of income level. You may make $150,000 or $40,000 and still could be facing that cycle, and so we're going to talk to someone today who's really an expert really helps our members when they do face uncertainty, because it's going to happen to all of us at some point.
Carrie:
That's right. She is pivotal here at Leader. She's been here for 30 years, so she's seen a lot of change, and she's also very plugged into our community, so I'm excited to talk to her today. We're excited to welcome our guest today, Vanessa Rogers, member solutions representative here at Leaders. Welcome to Pocket Change.
Vanessa Rogers:
Thank you for having me, Carrie. How are you and Shea doing today?
Carrie:
We're good. We know you're celebrating a big year here with us. You've been here for 30 years. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey here at Leaders?
Vanessa Rogers:
Absolutely. I started here in 1995. Todd Swims and Dolores Valentine hired me, and it's just been a journey, and I'm so excited to still be here after 30 years.
Carrie:
Yeah, you've seen a lot of change, and we can't wait to talk about all that today.
Vanessa Rogers:
Absolutely.
Shea:
Where did you start at Leaders when you started 30 years ago? When you were 11?
Vanessa Rogers:
I was 11 years old. I came in and I saw Todd, and it was pretty amazing. Our interview was pretty amazing. Todd is a wonderful person. He made me feel at home instantly. So I was very excited about that.
Shea:
What other departments have you worked in? Because you've been all over the place.
Vanessa Rogers:
Well, yes. So, of course, like I said, I started as a teller. In '95, we opened our new branch on North Highland in '97. And I went there as head teller and just had various positions here at Leaders over the years.
Shea:
Yeah, and so now you're in our Member Solutions Department, like Carrie said, and so you're helping our members there. So, how does that department really help our members with what they're facing?
Vanessa Rogers:
Great question. So we actually help our members find solutions to various issues that they may be having. One of the main concentrations, of course, is loan payments, but we also find solutions for them with their checking accounts.
Shea:
I love the name, Members Solutions. We try to focus on the solutions for our members, especially if they're dealing with any financial hardship. They can have a resource in someone and a team to call to say, "Hey, I may be struggling or I need to work this out some way, or I just have a question," and they can reach out to our Members Solutions team, and you all can help them.
Vanessa Rogers:
That's great. We have a great team there. They look for any solutions that they possibly can to help the members. Of course, sometimes that may not be the case, but we will try our best to find any solution. Jay is a great mentor. He really tries to allow us that room to help the members out. I really appreciate him.
Shea:
That's great, a lot of a long-time experience over there with people who are able to help.
Vanessa Rogers:
That's great. Yeah, it is.
Carrie:
It sounds like you're able to really provide solutions and help our members during some hard times. Why do you feel that that's so important for us to be able to offer?
Vanessa Rogers:
I think as a credit union, people look to us to help. Kind of different from other financial institutions. A credit union was based on people helping people.
Carrie:
That's right.
Vanessa Rogers:
So I think that it's very important for us to help our members as much as we can.
Carrie:
To continue that.
Shea:
Yeah. They are our member owners of the credit union.
Vanessa Rogers:
That's right.
Shea:
They are part owners of the credit union, so it's their best interest that we're trying to support and help them.
Vanessa Rogers:
I think we should show ourselves as being different, unique.
Shea:
That's the way we can do that through the Member Solutions Department. That's great. So Vanessa, over the years, we know you've met a lot of members, helped lots of members, built relationships. And so we'd love to hear more about that, maybe some stories or something you have of members you remember over the years.
Vanessa Rogers:
So I have so many stories. It would take three, four days.
Shea:
Lots of episodes.
Vanessa Rogers:
Lots of episodes. I do have several different members that I've assisted down through the years, and they still come to me. They find me wherever I go.
Shea:
Where's Vanessa?
Vanessa Rogers:
Right. Where's Vanessa? I had a very recent experience where a member called in. She was surprised about some money that was deposited to her account. While we were talking, I explained that that was indeed her money, she said, "Now, what was your name again?" I said, "Vanessa," and she goes, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Dolphins." I said, "Yes, ma'am. I remember you." So it was a time that she was going on her first cruise, and she was afraid of dolphins. So I talked to her about that and shared that moment with her, and she remembered me. Also, during COVID, when everything was shutting down, I had a member that called in, and I talked to him all the time about a checking account. Every time I would see him, he had just a savings with us, and I would talk to him about a checking account.
Vanessa Rogers:
So he finally opened the checking account, right? I said, "Okay, so now we need to take another step," and I said, "Well, how's your credit?" He said, "I can't even purchase a pack of hot dogs on credit." I said, "Well, how about we do a Share Secure Visa for you? During COVID, he did the Share Secure Visa. So this was in April. We continued having discussions and I found out that he was a retired veteran. I said, "So, have you ever thought about applying for a VA loan?" Long story short, this member ended up closing on a home in October of that same year.
Carrie:
Oh wow. That's great.
Vanessa Rogers:
This was a person that never even thought he was creditworthy. So I love... I have several stories like that, but that was one that really stands out to me, because when I see him now, he'll say, "This is the lady that helped me get my house."
Carrie:
I love that story.
Shea:
That's a great story.
Carrie:
Well, speaking of you being everywhere and recognizable, we know you're very involved in the community. So why do you feel it's important to give back?
Vanessa Rogers:
I think it's very important to give back because it allows us to have a sense of self-awareness of the community that we serve, that we live in. You can uncover issues within your community when you give back. Back during the tornadoes that wiped out the downtown area, we were able to get in the community and give care packages and things like that. You just saw that need that people had, and it just makes you feel good to know that you took the time thinking of yourself, but thinking of others. I think it's very important.
Carrie:
It gives so much more back to yourself when you help others, too.
Vanessa Rogers:
Yes, it does.
Carrie:
Well, you're very good at that.
Vanessa Rogers:
It interconnects you with the people in the community that you may not otherwise know or ever meet.
Carrie:
You can understand their struggles, and it also helps you in your role as well.
Shea:
Really, a lot of those people at a community event or in the community are our members. So we're serving them in another way, being involved in the community. It goes back to, like you said, people helping people. We're here to get back to our members for their financial needs, but also to support the area in which we live so we can all thrive and grow together.
Vanessa Rogers:
That's exactly right.
Shea:
It's important. Vanessa, you've experienced a lot of changes at Leaders over the years. So tell us about some of the firsts that you've experienced at Leaders.
Vanessa Rogers:
So I remember when we first got debit cards. I was part of the crew that started the call center. I think it was four of us. It was just several firsts. I'm blown away by the growth, and I'm proud of myself for being a part of the growth of Leaders Credit Union. I mean, 30 years, that's a long time.
Shea:
You've had a big hand in there, for sure.
Carrie:
That's right. So being that you have worked with us for 30 years, what are some of your favorite things about Leaders?
Shea:
I'm glad the cards can just tap now instead of how you first saw them.
Vanessa Rogers:
Yes, absolutely. I think home banking, mobile banking, all of these things that we did not have access to. We were answering the phones and trying to give people balances and all of their transactions and things by phone. We didn't have that. So just watching the growth, that has been amazing. Like I said, the debit cards, that's been amazing, too. A lot of trouble, but as far as people getting in trouble, me getting in trouble, but you know. Yeah before, members had to come in and make withdrawals and just watching that growth and just watching the industry down through the years, everything. Todd has done a wonderful job keeping us up on the in thing. Also the family feel here at Leaders Credit Union. I love that family feel. I look forward every year to the Champions Summit so that we're able to all come together as one and meet new faces, meet new people. So I look forward to the Champions Summit. I wish we had more than one each year.
Carrie:
It is so much fun getting to interact with employees we don't get to see on a daily basis.
Vanessa Rogers:
That's right.
Shea:
All right. So since this is a financial podcast, what is some of the best financial advice you've ever been given?
Vanessa Rogers:
So I would say that it would be to save and to put back, always put back for a rainy day. Investing in yourself.
Shea:
Paying yourself first.
Vanessa Rogers:
Paying yourself first, right.
Carrie:
That's very true. So we have one last question for you. If you were to find some extra change in your pocket, what would you spend it on?
Vanessa Rogers:
I would definitely spend it on sushi. That's my favorite.
Carrie:
With me, right?
Vanessa Rogers:
Absolutely. Let's go.
Carrie:
All right. We'll see everybody later.
Shea:
Alright, bring me back some.
Vanessa Rogers:
Absolutely Shea, but just not in my pocket.
Shea:
Yeah, that's good.
Carrie:
Well, thanks so much for being with us today, Vanessa.
Vanessa Rogers:
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.
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