I had a really good post in the works for this blog, but you’ll have to wait until a later date to read it. This week, my alien cranium opted to pivot to a new topic that presented itself right in front of my eyestalks. Considering what we’ve all been through over the past year and a half, I’m guessing you are all somewhat accustomed to pivoting as circumstances change.
So, what caused me to pivot? It was the keynote speaker for the upcoming 2021 myCUmortgage Partner Conference, Robyn Benincasa. I was fortunate enough to sit in on a call with Robyn and several members of the myCUmortgage team to discuss her upcoming keynote address, tell her a little about myCUmortgage and the conference, and answer any questions she may have. During and following this 45-minute conversation, not only did I realize myCUmortgage selected the PERFECT person to deliver the keynote address for The Amazing Mortgage Race, but I also had to take a moment and catch my breathable gasses!
Robyn was extremely energetic, engagingly optimistic and a fast learner. After the myCUmortgage team gave her the lay of the land on the conference, our business and our partner credit unions, she played it all back to us better than we could have said it ourselves! Plus, she put everything she learned on that short call (four pages worth of notes, she said!) into perfect context with her planned presentation. It all fit together like tentacles in custom-fabricated snorfles. (I believe you call these “gloves.”)
Of course, I don’t want to spoil her presentation by revealing too much and stealing her thunder—although I don’t think thunder, lightening or a meteor storm have a thing on her. But I do want to share a few things that attendees of this year’s Partner Conference will get to experience.
- The title of her session is Adapt, Overcome and Win as One. This captures the essence of Robyn’s message for us and reminds me of Gunny Highway in the movie Heartbreak Ridge (played to perfection by the great Clint Eastwood) who constantly emphasized to his team of reconnaissance Marines, “Improvise, adapt, overcome.” It is a spot-on reflection on the credit union mortgage industry and what we do day in and day out, as well as during a pandemic, to help members with home ownership.
- Robyn talked about the “We” factor and the importance of teamwork. We examined our own “team” at myCUmortgage on the call. It included our experts, partner credit unions, their members, vendor partners, and so forth.
- To conclude our conversation, Robyn reminded us that if you want to go fast, you go alone; but if you want to go far, you go together. With the new technologies being rolled out by myCUmortgage to its partner credit unions over the next couple of years, it was obvious that this isn’t a speed race; we need to work together as a team to not only complete the marathon but to succeed in doing so.
Why does Robyn know so much about teamwork? For starters, she is a two-time World Champion Adventure racer, San Diego Firefighter and CNN Hero. As such, she knows a thing or two about creating Human Synergy, or as she puts it, “That magic that allows ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things together.”
Through harrowing experiences in places like the jungles of Borneo and the Himalayan peaks, Robyn has studied the good, the bad and the not-so-pretty of Extreme Teamwork (a second Clint Eastwood reference—how exciting!). Her refreshing and unique techniques build and foster impactful, inspired teams that succeed against all odds and turn setbacks into comebacks.
If you’ve yet to register for the myCUmortgage Partner Conference, which is scheduled for October 19-21 at the Marriott at the University of Dayton, you still have time. The deadline to register is Tuesday, October 12, and you have two options available:
- Register for the in-person conference and enjoy everything this award-winning event has to offer our partner credit unions, or
- Register for the virtual portion of the event and watch select professional development sessions from the comfort of your own home, office or spaceship.
You can Click Here to register.
I am personally looking forward to running The Amazing Mortgage Race with Robyn. I may have to incorporate usage of my single passenger hover sled to keep up with her, but after hearing her energy and passion for working as a team, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!