We chose the THINK 19 theme “Opportunity never rests” because we believe that Digital Transformation creates amazing opportunities for credit unions to prosper now and in the future. Or, as Financial Brand states: Digital Banking creates ‘Amazon Prime’ opportunity: “Increasingly, consumers are making decisions regarding which financial institutions to partner with based on a broader perspective of experiences. The combination of data, advanced analytics and new digital technology provides an amazing opportunity to differentiate in the marketplace. (…)Now that several of the ingredients have been identified, how many organizations will take advantage of this recipe for success? How many will avoid the legacy strategy of providing value for free and appropriately price-superior digital solutions?” Inspiration from one THINK 19 speaker: No man is an island, but José Andrés helped feed one. “I think the biggest lesson is also the most simple one: When you find yourself up against a challenge, just start moving. Maybe it’s not profound; it’s not a lesson that will win a Nobel Prize, but it’s a lesson that will make an opportunity out of a problem. If you try to tackle everything all at once, you will stall, you will freeze, you will have a meeting to establish another meeting because you are trying to come up with ways to postpone action. We didn’t meet. We just began cooking. A thousand meals the first day, then doubled the number every day. Before we knew it we were at 150,000 meals a day! Break down big problems into smaller ones. You will be much more effective.” THINK 18 speaker Chris Skinners answers the question: What is Digital Transformation? “Most companies were born in the industrial age and are trying to evolve to be digital. However, the truly digital companies were born on the internet. For industrial-era companies to transform to be truly digital, they have to completely transform their business to have its core foundation built on the internet. Businesses cannot evolve to be digital, as such strategies leave the core foundations to be firmly industrial.” THINK 19 Speaker Seth Godin on Who are we seeking to become? "The difference between who you are now and who you were five years ago is largely due to how you've spent your time along the way. The habits we groove become who we are, one minute at a time. A small thing, repeated, is not a small thing.” Last but not least, change doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t need a breakthrough, you need a mindshift. “Making big, sweeping changes is not difficult because we’re flawed, incompetent beings. It’s difficult because we’re not meant to live outside our comfort zones. At our most instinctive, physiological level, “change” translates to something dangerous and potentially life-threatening. No wonder why we build our own cages and stay in them though there’s no lock on the door. Trying to shock yourself into a new life isn’t going to work, and that’s why it hasn’t yet. You don’t need to wait until you feel like changing to start changing. All you need is to make one microshift at a time, and then let the energy and momentum build. Don't forget: This year’s site for THINK 19 is the beautiful Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The full agenda is yet to be unveiled, but the core focus of the conference – bringing the credit union industry’s brightest thinkers and leaders together to learn, network and collaborate – is constant. Early-bird discounts apply through October 31. Interested attendees are encouraged to register now, while early-bird discount pricing is still in play. Rates go up on November 1 and will continue to increase in the months leading up to the conference. Special discounts are also currently available for groups of four or more attendees. Visit the THINK site to learn more. Or better: Register now!