Awsomology: Recent Episodes
Exclamation Services
Hello and welcome, fellow Awsomologists, to Awsomology, the show where Ben and Sue find awesome things and dish them up just for you.
Ben and Sue talk about their top three predictions for 2024!
Tune in to see if you have the same predictions! Will ChatGPT become the new Myspace? Only time will tell…
Once again, thank you clients and friends for a GREAT 2023!
Our awesome recommendations:
Apes remember friends
Why re-watching your favorite TV show is good for you
In this episode Ben and Sue share their top three moments from this series and begin to tie a bow on 2023!
Ben and Sue talk to special guest, Sedric Brinson, on his new role at CUNA. Ben and Sue are inspired by his advocacy for Credit Unions and how he helps others discover their value.
You don’t want to miss his story!
We appreciate you Sedric.
Our awesome recommendations:
The Secret Millionaire
The Vibe Controller
Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose
In this episode Ben and Sue get real on navigating change when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
It's important to remember that we are human! We sometimes feel overwhelmed, which doesn’t mean failure. Being overwhelmed is a normal part of the growth process.
Ben and Sue discuss the importance of full transparency and tell us how to bounce back!
Ben and Sue talk to special guest, Nanci Wilson, on how she became such a big Credit Union advocate!
Sue was specifically inspired by an article Nanci contributed to CU Insight last year called “Did You Know Chunky People Buy Cars?”. In the article Nanci talks about a table discussion at a conference that inspired her.
You don’t want to miss this inspiring story!!
We appreciate you Nanci.
Our awesome recommendations:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutant Mayhem
Lies My Teacher Told Me – Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen
https://www.cuinsight.com/did-you-know-chunky-people-buy-cars/
Nanci - Department 701 (amazon wishlists)
Ben and Sue discuss the meta... takeaways from their team's takeaways! They had their team come up with personal and team goals from the book "Revolutionize Teamwork."
Main topics of discussion include:
-Speaking for themselves (using I instead of We)
-Making statements instead of asking questions
-Refer back to the decision matix
-Breaking social contracts
What are the next steps? Tune in!
Ben and Sue are calling out all the very smart, very innovative people out there starting new business.
How do solopreneurs connect to their audience and grow a business when it’s just them and maybe a friend who works in Marketing somewhere and giving them advice?
Ben and Sue give you important details on steps to take to get you started. Also just remember you can’t skip steps and results may vary!
Our awesome recommendations:
American Prometheus
Strike Force Five
Ben and Sue decided on monthly updates, so they're keeping their word. In this episode they are honest about what the team is working on/working towards, interview talks, and owning up to issues made on the team.
The best way to get through these issues? Recognize them and figure out a plan to move forward. You can't ignore your way through issues!
Ben and Sue go live at the Wisconsin Credit Union League’s 2023 Marketing and Public Relations Workshop!
What would make this podcast more electric? If it was done in front of a live audience?
Join Ben, Sue, and special guest, Denise Wymore, as they talk about humanizing your brand in front of a live audience!
Oh, and they also do a fun true/false segment and Denise explains what G.S.D. actually means!
Our awesome recommendations:
Bay Beach
Barbie Movie
Giving up control over something can be a very hard thing to do, but luckily for you there are a lot of variables that Ben and Sue cover in this episode.
Ben and Sue talk about surrendering control and how it can help to build teams and move them closer toward their shared fate, grow as individuals for future roles, and to be able to see their vision.
Ben and Sue share their opinions on the new text-based social media platform Threads.
They also discuss the business strategy of Threads and how it might help us understand the “Fediverse”. Also...What is the fediverse?! And don't worry, they will explain what that is too.
They will finish off with explaining how joining a new social media platform can affect your current strategy. What's the best option? Tune in and find out!
Our awesome recommendations:
‘Oppenheimer’ Composer
Old World Wisconsin
Have you had an issue with one of your teammate's work? How do you handle the situation?
In this episode Ben and Sue talk about the social contract that prevents us from helping each other grow and how to handle them in an appropriate way. Spoiler: Your boss doesn't need to fix everything.
From strategy to budgeting to who they'd play in a fantasy biopic, we covered a lot of ground to cap the year off right.
What questions would you have asked if you had the chance?
Extra Awesome for you to check out:
Charlie sees his new Spiderman kicks for the first time
Learn about this breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy
Watch Wednesday on Netflix
Quick! Get over to Eastbay.com and get some deals before they're gone!!
Ben and Sue are tackling some of the mysteries of ideation, talking about their process, and bringing a little science along to make it all make sense.
Check out some of the places we found good ideas:
Adam Grant: The surprising habits of original thinkers
Find a Little Free Library here
Rich, our VP of IT, joins Ben and Sue for an enlightening conversation about keeping your data secure and keeping the bad guys out of your business.
For more info on what you can do to protect yourself and your organization check out our blog post here.
How about some great resources to help people?
Home Delivered Meals in Marshfield
Meals on Wheels in Stevens Point
Meals on Wheels in Neenah-Menasha
Support Humanitarian efforts in Ukraine through Rotary International
Vet where your charitable donations go with charitynavigator.org
Whether you're a credit union professional or want to learn about how thousands of diverse credit union people are working together to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the movement, this episode is a great place to start.
When you're done listening, check out more from these organizations:
The African American Credit Union Coalition
The National Association of Latino Credit Union Professionals
Inclusiv
In your free time, check out these recommendations too:
Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice
Olympic Mixed Team Aerials
Offline with Jon Favreau
In this episode, Ben and Sue take us all the way back to where it started, explain what's unique about Exclamation Services (spoilers: it's a CUSO), and highlight why it's so awesome that they get to help credit unions, small businesses, and non-profits on the regular.
The links we shared:
Ready to amp up your DEI journey? Check out these Inclusive Language Guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association.
Want to take a break and reconnect with your partner? Try one of these Date Night boxes (just in time for Valentine's Day).
If you've listened before, you know we like to end each episode by sharing something awesome for you to check out. This time it's NOTHING BUT awesome recommendations from our team and a special guest from episodes past.
Join us as we shout out some cool things you can get into while you relax over the holidays.
Here's the awesomeness, in order of appearance:
Black Oxygen Podcast - Live in Amherst, WI
Sunsets
Cosmo Sheldrake on Spotify
The Marketplace Podcast from NPR
Make Me Smart Podcast
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World (This is the Amazon link, but buy it from your local bookseller if you can.)
Colin in Black & White on Netflix
The Book of Awesome (Amazon link again, but local bookshops are cool.)
The Book of (Even More) Awesome (Have we mentioned local bookstores lately?)
How to Help The Victims of the Tornadoes (NYT Article)
Ghostbusters Afterlife
Ben took a little break while Sue chatted with Lynn Meinders, a social work professional who works with the Employee Assistance Program at Ascension Healthcare.
Listen as they discuss shared trauma from the pandemic, processing grief, and how to tell if your holidays are helping or hurting your mental health this year.
Our Something(s) Awesome to Share:
Marty Rogers has handed out Free Thanksgiving Dinners for 44 Years
The Mental Illness Happy Hour Podcast
Has this year been as unpredictable as we think?
As 2021 is wrapping up, Ben and Sue are looking back at this blog post from February of 2021 to see if they and their Exclamation teammates accurately predicted what 2021 had in store.
Awesome things to check out:
Be an amateur stargazer like Ben with the SkyView app.
Get your history fix with The Dollop Podcast (NSFW, but awesome).
Ben and Sue answer questions about their career journey, giving philosophies, what makes them hit their heads against a desk, and more. Tune in and we're sure you'll find a little something you can use.
Awesome Things We're Watching Right Now:
Secrets of the Whales on Disney+
Only Murders in the Building on Netflix
Another of our smart friends, Josh Roberts from The Wisconsin Credit Union League, joins Ben and Sue to talk about the power of planning, no matter how large or small your organization is.
They dissect the process from start to finish, share tips, and demonstrate that they're exactly the kind of people that get really jazzed about strategic planning.
Awesome things to Share:
Josh's Recommendations-
(Book links to Amazon but also please consider supporting your local bookseller..) -
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City - Matthew Desmond
Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance - Edgar Villanueva -
The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power - Deirdre Mask
The Hidden Brain Podcast
Bagman: The Podcast
Sue's Recommendation (she used to be a trainer, did she mention that? ;) )
CUNA: Creating Member Loyalty
In this episode, Ben and Sure dive deep into where to start, what to strive toward, and how you support your core values well into the future. And they do it all with integrity, which means something.
Awesome things we wanted to share:
Loved Before has a unique mission built on recycling the cutest, fluffiest friends.
Looking for something fun to do or see? Check out Only In Your State.
How do we keep that rosy outlook? By focusing on purpose, both project-by-project and as a guiding principle for what we do.
In this episode, Ben and Sue drive home the importance of purpose and, probably, achieve Ultimate Podcast Inception.
Ben's inspiration recommendations:
Design Week
Identity Designed
Masterpicks
Sue's book recommendation:
He Saw That It Was Good - Sho Baraka
Join Ben and Sue as they learn about the very different lived experiences of two AAPI credit union professionals, Mark and David, and the reality of the world today.
Ben and Sue are joined by Rich, Exclamation's VP of IT, to take a quick jog through the last 200+ years of Tech history, try their hand at computer trivia, and talk about what Rich sees in the future.
Besides being a dynamic presence in any Zoom meeting (from our personal experience), Kathy is an expert on leading people through change, and she's made it her life's mission to be an agent of positive change wherever her career has led her.
Along with this awesome conversation, we all had some awesome reads to recommend:
(We're including links to find these great books on Amazon, because that's easy, but we always encourage you to find them at your favorite local book store!!)
Out of the Silence: After the Crash
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
The Good Lord Bird
Learn more about the I3 program from Filene
An article about Samira Salem
The African American Credit Union Coalition's Hall of Fame
Ted Lasso, Josh's recommendation