LISBON, Portugal–Credit unions like to talk about their “story, but how does one story-telling expert who only recently came into contact with CUs view the tale that should be told? From their fresh-eyed perspective, they say CUs have something unique to offer to an uncertain world, and the story begins not with the marketing department, but loan officers.
Tara Todras-Whitehill, the founder of TW Storytelling Agency, is a former photojournalist who has had 20 photos appear on the front page of the New York Times. She also spent a decade running creative agencies and does training with social impact organizations. In July, she shared her perspective with attendees of the Global Women’s Leadershiip Network event in Stockholm, as the CU Daily reported here, and then later with attendees at the World Credit Union Conference.
Since that time, Todras-Whitehill has continued to work with credit unions, and she has come away with an interesting perspective and some advice for credit unions as someone who has worked with numerous companies and brands.
Below, Todras-Whitehill shares her insights with the CU Daily.
The CU Daily: Had you any exposure to credit unions prior to the appearance speaking to the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) event in Stockholm?
Todras-Whitehill: Last year we did an online workshop with GWLN. I was aware of the credit union movement —its values and community-centered approach, and we had been studying the sector to determine the best way we could contribute. (GWLN Director) Lena Giakoumopoulos also drew me in. She spoke so highly of the Network and the people attending the Stockholm event, and I trust her perspective. That alone made me feel it was going to be a meaningful experience, which it was.
The CU Daily: What was your impression of credit unions, if you had one at all?
Todras-Whitehill It was awesome to get a fuller understanding of the extent to which credit unions are community-focused, which aligns with my company’s values. After meeting several people, I was taken by how deeply everyone cared about their credit unions, and by the way the GWLN was supporting women in this space.
The CU Daily: It was obvious from your presentation you did some research/contacted some people prior to speaking to the group: who did you decide to reach out to, and did you do any other research?
Todras-Whitehill: Our team spent time doing deep dives into the materials and communications of different credit unions to understand their stories and what resonates most for their communities. Lena was incredibly helpful in preparing for the talk. She shared a range of stories and examples from women across the GWLN network— including from the U.S., Kenya, and Australia — and made sure I had material that reflected the diversity of the community.
The CU Daily: Having now interacted with at least some credit unions/credit union professionals, what is your perception?
Todras-Whitehill: I understand how credit unions would find it difficult to find good visual stories to connect emotionally with their communities. It’s the same reason why other sectors have reached out to my organization for help. What surprised me at the conference was how many amazing personal stories I heard from the people I met. Typically, when I go to a conference, I don’t usually find stories that are so perfectly primed and ready to be told.
The CU Daily: In your remarks what were you hoping to primarily convey to this new audience?
Todras-Whitehill: Our team can easily incorporate storytelling into credit union work because the stories are so impactful. With all the uncertainty in the world, people are looking for a sense of community, and that is something credit unions have. But more people need to know about it. And the way to get people to pay attention is through good storytelling.
But it is a muscle that needs to be strengthened — I want to encourage people to be bolder and more human in how they talk about their work.
And, also that the stories don’t have to say everything, because then it ends up saying nothing. We just need to give audiences moments of connection, and then they will seek you out for the rest.
The CU Daily: You also spoke later to a session at the World Council of Credit Unions’ World CU Conference. From those two presentations, how would you describe the feedback?
Todras-Whitehill: I was moved by how engaged the participants were. People from Sicredi, Summit, and CCCU, among others, shared their own stories and why my talks resonated with them. I enjoyed talking to people like Denise Garfield who told me about CCCU’s growth. That’s the kind of authentic leadership story that resonates with both members and potential partners. Those immediate connections are why I love doing this work.
The CU Daily: You spoke about storytelling, something that is often discussed within the CU community. With your still relatively fresh eyes, what do you see as the credit union story, and how do you view credit unions’ ability to tell that story?
Todras-Whitehill: The credit union story is about community and creating financial solutions.
Credit unions do incredible work – supporting small businesses, providing financial education, offering disaster relief – but these transformative moments often get presented as service features rather than human stories. For example, instead of just promoting ‘small business loans, imagine starting with the story of Maria opening her bakery after years of dreaming about it.
The CU Daily: How can credit unions improve their ability to tell that story, and why should they?
Todras-Whitehill: Here’s an idea we had: train loan officers to spend five minutes after approvals asking about the member’s plans and what this moment means to them. Create simple systems for capturing these moments (with permission of course), like brief video testimonials. Build story banks organized by theme – first-time homebuyers, business launches, financial recovery.
The goal is making every team member aware of the stories happening around them, and then finding ways to use those moments to attract new members and garner attention for the work.
The CU Daily: What are you doing with a credit union or credit unions now, and what do you and they hope to accomplish?
Todras-Whitehill We’ve had several follow-up conversations since Stockholm about helping teams identify and capture meaningful member stories, and we’re scheduled to do another keynote. It’s exciting because the potential is so clear – credit unions have authentic stories happening every day.
The goal is helping teams recognize these moments and share them in ways that connect with both current and prospective members.
