Podcasts
Credit Union Conversations
Welcome to Credit Union Conversations podcast with your host, Mark Ritter, a forward-thinking CEO, who excels in helping credit unions, small businesses, and real estate investors succeed.
Join Mark as he explores current trends, interview industry experts, and get fresh insights on optimizing your lending operations and delivering the best possible services to credit union members.
More About Your Host
Mark Ritter is the CEO of MBFS & Nu Direction Lending and an expert in credit unions and business lending. His primary role at MBFS is overseeing the strategy of helping credit unions assist members with business needs and consulting with credit unions on planning the delivery of services to their membership.
In 2002, Mark started a large central Pennsylvania credit union’s business lending program as “one person and a desk” with no policies, products, staff, systems, or business members. That program grew to be one of the top ten in the nation.
In 2012, he took on the challenge of being the CEO of a business lending CUSO. Mark was the fifth CEO in five years for the organization, which lost money every month of its existence. Since joining MBFS, Mark increased the number of credit unions the CUSO and revenue by over 10x and ensured positive cash flow every full year he’s been at the CUSO. More importantly, MBFS has helped countless credit union members gain the financing they need for business and investment needs.
Mark is a native of Berwick, PA in northeast Pennsylvania, where he was a member of his high school’s nationally ranked and state championship football team. After high school, Mark hung up his cleats to work for the Penn State Nittany Lions full-time as a student assistant while attending Penn State as an undergrad. During this time Penn State transitioned to the Big Ten and culminated in Penn State’s first Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Mark remains an avid Penn State supporter. Today Mark lives in Bucks County, PA outside of Doylestown with his wife and two teenagers.
Credit Union Conversations Episodes
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Relationship Building with Austin Wentzlaff
Guest: Austin Wentzlaff Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! Today, I’m joined by Austin Wentzlaff from Nook to discuss how credit unions can evolve beyond competitive rates and traditional relationships by using digital tools to deepen member engagement. We’ll explore how Nook takes a fresh approach—focusing on lifestyle topics like travel, health, and relationships—to build trust…
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Talking Corporates With Rodney May of Vizo
Guest: RODNEY MAY Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! In today’s episode, you’ll quickly find out Mark and Rodney go way back and talk about the old days. What is a corporate credit union these days, and how can it help credit unions in today’s marketplace? Rodney takes a deep dive into this topic today. IN…
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Looking At Efficiency & Effectiveness with Kyle Walbrun
Guest: KYLE WAlBRUN Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! In today’s episode, Mark and Kyle catch up on Mark’s flaws and frustrations of trying to do everything himself. Kyle talks about his career journey and life as an entrepreneur and how they assist business owners. IN THIS EPISODE: KEY TAKEAWAYS: RESOURCE LINKS: Mark Ritter WebsiteMark Ritter…
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Regulatory Crystal Ball with Mark Treichel
Guest: Mark Treichel Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! In today’s episode, host Mark Ritter is joined by the industry’s leading expert, Mark Treichel, to uncover the mysteries of the NCUA exam and guide you through its complexities. With insights on risk management, cybersecurity, and evolving regulations, Mark Treichel offers invaluable advice on navigating credit union…
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Hanging Out at the Jersey Shore With American Heritage
Guests: Ross Hammer and George Florence Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! In this episode, we wrap up our series on the powerful partnerships between credit unions and small business owners with an inspiring entrepreneurship and financial collaboration journey. Host Mark Ritter is joined by George Florence from American Heritage Credit Union and Ross Hammer from…
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Another Member Success Story with American Heritage FCU
Guests: Ted Van Beuren and Josh Green Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! This week, we continue our series exploring the impactful partnerships between credit unions and small business owners. Host Mark Ritter is joined by Josh Green from American Heritage Credit Union and Ted Van Beuren, the visionary behind United Sports in Pennsylvania. This episode…
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Member Success Story With Erie FCU
Guest: Nathan Crouch & Joseph Markiewicz Welcome to Credit Union Conversations! This week, we kick off an exciting new series focused on the relationship between credit unions and small business owners. Host Mark Ritter is joined by Nathan Crouch from Erie Federal Credit Union and one of their standout business members, Joseph Markiewicz. Together, they’ll…
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Building Your Business with Nicol Matthews
Guest: Nicol Matthews This week, Mark welcomes Nicol Matthews, the principal behind Harvest Coaching & Consulting, to discuss how credit unions can drive sustainable growth in a competitive financial landscape. Credit unions can strengthen their market position by building a strong sales culture, developing effective leadership, and expanding business services. Nicol shares insights on how…
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The World of Financing Outside CUs With Scott Jordan
Guest: Scott Jordan This week, Mark welcomes Scott Jordan from the Alternative Finance Network to explore the unique landscape of alternative lending in the cannabis industry. Scott shares insights from his career journey, breaking down who the key lenders are and what makes alternative financing work for this fast-growing sector. From discussing the legal challenges…
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Catching Up With Retirement Life of Mark Brennan
Guest: Mark Brennan This week, Mark Brennan joins Mark to discuss his incredible journey in the credit union industry, from the highs and lows to his experiences in leadership and the transition into retirement. Mark’s had a remarkable career, spending nearly 27 years with Clearview Federal Credit Union, including 17 years as CEO, where he…
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It’s A New World For Real Estate
Guest: Greg Schatzke and Ashley Rabamahefa This week, Mark is joined by Greg Schatzke of Servion to discuss the new real estate agency rules and how they impact credit unions. Greg also gives us a state of the world and discusses untapped options for credit unions. IN THIS EPISODE: KEY TAKEAWAYS: RESOURCE LINKS: Mark Ritter…
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One-On-One With Brian Waugaman of Erie FCU
Guest: Brian Waugaman Mark goes 1-on-1 with Erie FCU CEO Brian Waugaman on various topics in and out of the credit union space. What’s it like to live in Erie? How did he navigate becoming CEO after a long tenure at the credit union? What’s working and what needs work today? What is Brian’s crystal…
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Talking Marketing With Bill McKenna
Guest: Bill McKenna Welcome to this episode of Credit Union Conversations with Mark Ritter, where we delve into the strategies that set credit unions apart in a competitive financial landscape. Today, Mark is joined by Bill McKenna from McKenna Marketing, who brings a wealth of experience from the advertising industry to the credit union space.…
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Time To Organize Your Organization
Guest: Julie Markee How does Julie get one of the most laid-back CEOs to organize the company and get the team focused? Find out when Julie and one of her most difficult engagements discuss the EOS process and benefits. IN THIS EPISODE: KEY TAKEAWAYS: RESOURCE LINKS: Mark Ritter WebsiteMark Ritter – LinkedInJulie Markee – LinkedInJulie’s…
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State of Advocacy and Associations With Samantha Beeler
Guest: Samantha Beeler What type of impact does credit union advocacy make? How important is it to the success of credit unions? Mark and Samantha Beeler of LSCU talk about everything that goes on at our trade associations outside of the conferences we attend. Also, what is the future of trade associations for credit unions?…
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Checking In With Bryan Eichenbaum of American Heritage
Guest: Bryan Eichenbaum Bryan and Mark go round-robin on the state of the lending world and working with partners to build your lending program. What’s the state of the world like in 2024? Bryan looks into his crystal ball to discuss what volumes will be like in 2024 and 2025. What’s it like to get…