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“Moving forward, moving ahead, it doesn't diminish what came before. It honors it.” - Jilly Nowacki
Welcome to episode 236 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight, and Jilly Nowacki, co-founder, president and CEO of Zealyst.
This episode is sponsored by Trellance. Trellance is a leading technology partner for credit unions, delivering innovative technology solutions to help credit unions achieve more. With a comprehensive suite of analytics, cloud and talent solutions, the Trellance team ensures credit unions increase efficiency, manage risk, and improve member experience. Learn more here!
In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too.
For this episode, we talk about how, at some point, every leader faces a question that can be surprisingly difficult to answer: Is it time to move forward? This episode comes at such a perfect time, too, due to Jilly's recent launch of Zealyst, and we explore what happens when success, stability, and familiarity no longer feel fully aligned with who we've become. We also talk candidly about the signals that often appear long before a major change takes place such as loss of energy, impatience, growing friction, and the quiet realization that something new is calling us forward.
During our conversation, we are challenging the idea that moving on means that something failed; sometimes, a chapter ends because it accomplished exactly what it was meant to accomplish. We discuss why leaders often stay longer than they should, how fear of disappointing others can cloud decision-making, and why timing never seems quite right when you're standing on the edge of a meaningful change.
We also reflect on some stories from years of working with leaders who wrestled with questions about succession, retirement, career moves, and personal growth, and, together, we unpack the difference between pushing through a temporary rough patch and recognizing when you've outgrown a role or a version of yourself.
Perhaps most importantly, though, we talk about what becomes possible when you finally make the decision to move forward. From renewed energy and creativity to a deeper sense of purpose, some of the most meaningful opportunities only appear once you're willing to take the first step! Enjoy our conversation!
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Books mentioned on The CUInsight Experience podcast: Book List
Show notes from this episode:
Sponsor: Trellance
Shout-out: Humanidei
Shout-out: Zealyst
Film mentioned: Jerry Maguire
Shout-out: Jill’s son Crosby
Book mentioned: The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin
Article mentioned: “Leaning into liminality” by Tracie Kenyon
Previous guests mentioned in this episode: Tracie Kenyon (#12, CUInsight Network episode #64, & #209) & Tansley Stearns (#36, #146, & #228)
In This Episode:
[1:44] - Jill announces her recent transition to Zealyst!
[4:19] - Hear how misalignment drains energy and makes even minor frustrations feel even more overwhelming.
[6:11] - Success sometimes makes it harder to recognize a need for change.
[9:13] - Growth sometimes requires difficult changes despite fears or past commitments.
[11:23] - Jill points out how leaders often move on after recognizing growth points beyond current roles.
[13:58] - Purpose remains constant, but ever changing circumstances may require a new path.
[17:31] - It's important for leaders to discern temporary challenges from dead ends to keep evolving.
[20:40] - Meaningful decisions often happen before clarity arrives, so trust yourself and move forward step by step.
[21:25] - Leaving liminal space enables presence, creativity, and momentum after uncertainty resolves.
[24:10] - When work no longer energizes you, change restores energy, enthusiasm, and contagious engagement!
[25:21] - Jill touches upon curiosity and how it can shift from what will happen to you toward what you will create.
[26:40] - We play a quick round of rapidfire questions.
[28:29] - We discuss how leadership honors the past by embracing growth and moving into new seasons.
