Keynote Speaker – Shawna Suckow
Shawna Suckow — Consumer Behavior, Sales, & Marketing Speaker, Author, and Exceptional Parallel Parker
Shawna Suckow, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), CVP (Certified Virtual Presenter), is a speaker with some serious knowledge of the customer mindset. She spent 20 years as a corporate buyer in hospitality and tourism, observing marketing departments and their target customers.
Along the way, Shawna became intrigued with how customers of all kinds were evolving and responding to (or ignoring!) marketing efforts. She began sharing this insider information to audiences to pull back the curtain. She realized that when professionals had an up–to–the–minute understanding of their customers’ mindsets, they could break through the noise more effectively.
Her research and insights have never been more timely or necessary than today. The pandemic has changed consumers more deeply and quickly than at any other time in history.
Shawna has shared her research on five continents in 17 countries, using real case studies and data interpreted with candor and humor. She’s especially proud that her fifth book, The Roaring 20s, was featured in Forbes as a top marketing book of 2022.
Three memorable things about Shawna
1. She played in the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2015.
2. She once ran face–first into a plate glass window in front of three tour buses full of people.
3. She is not afraid to break out into an MC Hammer dance on stage.
You can connect with Shawna at www.shawnasuckow.com
The Roaring Twenties: Marketing & Selling Better in the Post-Pandemic Decade
Thursday, May 18, 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Based on the book Forbes recommended as a top-six marketing book of 2022, this session shines a new light on where we’re headed next. In fact, Shawna regularly updates this session to reflect current market changes and cultural influences on consumers.
The pandemic threw the entire world into a tailspin, and just when we think we’ve emerged…hello, recession. This decade can still be remarkable and roaring for your business…if you understand and adopt new strategies to meet customers where they’re at now. How can you rise above the noise? How will you shift your strategy, your tools, and your processes to meet the quickly evolving demands of this unpredictable marketplace? How will you position yourself for the transformational Roaring Twenties?
It all requires a keen understanding of your customers and how they’re making purchasing decisions now. Whether it’s B2B or B2C, brick and mortar or e-commerce, the people we’re trying to reach have never changed so much in such a condensed period of time. How can you break through and stand out to them going forward?
One thing is certain: new messaging and tools are key.
Join Shawna as she shares her latest findings on where we are and what’s next. It’s not just data though; she’ll share case studies and tools to give you the relevant and actionable steps you can take NOW.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Learn how your customers have evolved as a result of the pandemic and the new recession, and what businesses need to do to adapt.
- Gain up-to-the-minute insight into the best ways to connect with buyers of all kinds.
- Time is of the essence! Discover what tools are working right now to break through the noise and capture your share of the Roaring Twenties, regardless of market conditions.
General Session Speaker – Steve Rick
Steven Rick, Director, Chief Economist at CUNA Mutual Group
Steven Rick is a director and the chief economist for CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wisconsin. His primary responsibilities include conducting strategic research, analysis, and forecasting of the financial services industry with special emphasis on the consumer and credit union markets.
Rick’s forecasts serve as a starting point for the strategic planning process and help to create a clear understanding of the underlying trends and links between the general economy, the financial services industry, and CUNA Mutual Group’s policy owners.
Rick publishes the Credit Union Trends Report, a monthly “pulse check” on the economic state of the credit union movement. He has authored a textbook on asset-liability management for credit union executives.
Before joining CUNA Mutual Group, Rick was the senior economist for CUNA & Affiliate’s Economics & Statistics Department for 22 years. Rick also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University of Wisconsin Credit Union, a $5 billion financial institution.
Rick holds a senior lecturer position with the Economics Department at the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he teaches Money & Banking and Macroeconomics courses. He is also the facilitator and instructor for CUNA Management School’s Stanford Bank Game, a computerized bank simulation, and has 2 years’ experience as a bank simulation advisor for the Prochnow Graduate School of Banking.
Rick has a B.A. in Economics from Moorhead State University; a B.S. in Finance from Moorhead University; and a M.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has also obtained a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Economic Update
Thursday, May 18, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Steve will discuss the latest economic trends and issues affecting the credit union industry.
Breakout Session Speaker – Jeff Rendel
Jeff Rendel, Certified Speaking Professional, President at Rising Above Enterprises

Jeff knows the financial services marketplace. With experience as a federal banking regulator, financial services executive, and Congressional lobbyist; he understands the balancing act of safety, soundness, sales, and strategy.
As president of Rising Above Enterprises, Jeff works with financial services providers that want elite and entrepreneurial results in sales, service, and strategy. Each year, he addresses and facilitates for nearly 100 financial institutions and their business partners.
CEO Success Planning
Thursday, May 18, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Planning for CEO success “today” is just as important as CEO succession planning for “tomorrow.” For your CEO to be effective, successful, and fulfilled, future-focused boards work with their CEOs to ensure the correct mix of: compensation; incentive; retention; professional development; and personal accomplishment. Move beyond the annual evaluation and embrace a CEO success plan that evolves in real time with your credit union, developing a CEO who delivers results that matter most for members, employees, and your credit union.
Breakout Session Speaker – Conor Smith
Conor Smith, President/CEO at First Call Computer Solutions

A fourth-generation Montanan, Conor is a veteran of the high-tech sector in Montana and beyond. His team of over 30 IT professionals helps small and medium sized organitzations implement practical yet transformative IT, voice, and web solutions.
S.H.I.T. Hit the Fan – Cybersecurity Workshop
Thursday, May 18, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
The you know what has hit the fa. Your imaginary Independent Credit Union (ICU) is experiencing a cybersecurity incident. Join First Call Computer Solution’s CEO, Conor Smith on a choose your own adventure cyber security exercise. Form teams and get put through the paces of the twists and turns that happen when a cybersecurity event becomes reality. Test your preparedness, find weakness (and hopefully some strengths) before an actual incident occurs. Will ICU survive, dive, or thrive? Join in and find out!
Closing Keynote Speaker – Sam Glenn
Sam Glenn, Best-Selling Author, Performance Artist, and Award-Winning Speaker
For three decades, Sam Glenn’s inspirational and artistic speeches have impacted audiences of all sizes — some as large as 75,000 people at stadium events. Sam has spoken for just about every industry you can imagine. When it comes to attitude — nobody is excluded. Organizations get better when their people get better, and it all starts with attitude. Attitude is the driver of everything, and Sam knows exactly how to recharge and rekindle the positive spark that empowers leaders to give, do, and be their best.
Things weren’t always so picture-perfect for Sam. At one time he was homeless, depressed, defeated, and negative. A chance encounter with legendary Zig Ziglar changed that, and Sam got his life pointed in a better direction with Zig’s encouragement.
Today Sam is one of the most recognized and trusted keynote motivational speakers in the speaking industry. He is most notably sought after for his captivating kickoff and wrap-up general session speeches, which get audiences engaged and ready to learn, grow and have fun. Audiences gravitate to his humor, relate to his stories, and embrace his ideas for improving their personal and professional life.
Sam has authored more than 30 books based on his research. He has been named speaker of the year and won national awards for his training videos. Hundreds of organizations use Sam’s videos weekly to kick off their staff meetings and cultivate positivity in the workplace. Sam’s Motivated by Art © Training has become the new buzz in creating engagement in the workplace. His Motivated by Art training fosters energy and engagement in the workplace to enrich the quality of personal and professional performance.
Sam works hard to deliver not only a great talk, but something unforgettable that sticks and groups retain for a very long time. Sam is an expert at igniting personal and professional positivity as he weaves his uplifting story into such topics as attitude, empowerment, leadership, peak performance, employee engagement, transformation, customer service, and teamwork.
Attitude Changes Everything
Thursday, May 18, 3:45 – 4:30 p.m.
We’ve all heard speeches on the topic of attitude, but we have a feeling this one is going to be a little different. Sam’s inspiring and artistic approach to educating and empowering will have you looking at your attitude in a whole new way.
If there is one thing for certain in life, it is that our attitude plays an incredible role in everything — both personally and professionally. This session will offer an enlightening, entertaining, and educational exploration into how our attitude works, what creates and feeds it, how to keep it healthy, and how to use your attitude to author positive experiences.
Sam’s speech will recharge your attitude like jumper cables to a car battery. This keynote breaks attitude down into 4 primary components:
- Adjustment — how to adjust our attitude, keep it headed in the right direction, and fuel it with positive momentum.
- Instillation — what makes our attitude function so it works for us and rewards us.
- Application — how to partner your attitude with your skills and efforts to achieve the best results.
- Impact — how to measure the impact of your attitude – what’s working and what is not.
Sam will highlight some of the following learning points:
- How to strengthen your attitude with resilience in times of change, challenge, and uncertainty.
- How to manage negative thoughts and encounters with others.
- The number one source for infusing your attitude with positivity
- How to author unforgettable stories and experiences for yourself and others with your attitude
- How to reduce stress, fatigue, and the blahs with one simple 30-second trick.
Power Up Entertainment
Tracie Kenyon Retirement Celebration Dinner Entertainment
Thursday, May 18, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Back by popular demand…Ten Years Gone
Ten Years Gone is a classic rock, alternative, and pop dance band. Winners of the Best Of Helena! Ten Years Gone is all about putting out great, dance-able music for all ages.