Make Minutes Matter

About Make Minutes Matter

Welcome to the Make Minutes Matter podcast, hosted by Karen Gilhooly, where each episode is dedicated to igniting passion and purpose in the workplace. Are you a senior leader striving to reignite enthusiasm among your team? Perhaps you're a manager seeking to unify and empower your staff. Or maybe you're an individual craving a renewed sense of fulfillment in your career. Join me as we delve into insightful conversations and practical strategies that will empower you to make every minute count. Together, we'll uncover the keys to fostering a dynamic and engaged work environment where everyone thrives. Don't miss out on the inspiration and tools you need to reignite your professional fire. Subscribe to Make Minutes Matter on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform today, and let's make every moment in your career truly matter.

Publisher

Karen Gilhooly

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jun 2024

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

34 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   How a Disney Credit Union Went From Bottom 10% to Top 10% | John Janclaes

   For 16 years, John Janclaes led Partners Federal Credit Union, built to serve The Walt Disney Company's cast members and employees. He took it from the bottom decile of industry performance to the top, where it stayed for a decade. In Part 1 of this three-part conversation on Make Minutes Matter, host Karen Gilhooly and Janclaes discuss how deep listening shaped Partners' mission, why he built a leadership university for all 800 employees, and his philosophy: "All must lead and a few will manage." After moving from consulting into credit union leadership, Janclaes oversaw the merger of Disney's two credit unions, one serving Walt Disney World and the other Disneyland. The mission, "Make All Financial Dreams Come True," was born at Disney's Orlando laundry. More than 10,000 people worked there, many of them Haitian immigrants who had never had a bank account. When Disney leaders named transportation as employees' biggest challenge, Janclaes's team staged a sale of 500 used cars, lined up by weekly payment, with a return option. It was banking expertise used to solve a human problem, not to push a product. Janclaes argues that leadership belongs to everyone, not just people with titles. After the Center for Creative Leadership's "Leadership at the Peak" program, he built in-house leadership and lending universities. He separates the management sciences banking runs on from the leadership sciences of self-awareness and influence. Engaged leaders drove better performance, and better performance kept people engaged. On feedback, Gilhooly practiced giving it in grocery stores until it came naturally. She calls it a gift, even when it's the ugly Christmas sweater you'd rather hide. Janclaes recommends rehearsing hard conversations with a colleague first: "Work harder on yourself than you do on other people." Gilhooly shares lessons from HSBC, where she built one global client experience and encouraged employees in Asian markets to speak up. Her guiding phrase: "Say what you mean, but don't say it mean." They close on partnership. Members could feel the culture of Partners' 30 to 40 strategic partners, so Janclaes met key partners every quarter to work through "the uglies." "We can out-partner the competition." Part 2 continues the conversation. Key Takeaways All must lead and a few will manage. Every employee can lead from where they stand. Listening beats market research. Time at the Orlando laundry revealed the real problem, and it wasn't a banking product. Leadership development is a flywheel. Developing all 800 employees kept Partners in the top decile for ten years. Rehearse hard conversations. Practicing when the stakes are low makes the high-stakes version feel natural. Feedback is a gift. People feel your intention, so be genuine, not perfect. Move from vendors to partners. Your partners' culture shows up in your product. Guest Bio John Janclaes is the former President and CEO of Partners Federal Credit Union, which serves The Walt Disney Company's cast members and employees. Over 16 years he took it from the bottom to the top decile of industry performance. His 35+ year career includes executive roles at some of the nation's largest credit unions and credit union service organizations (CUSOs). In 2014 he founded CEO's Corner, which offers executive coaching, advisory work and keynote speaking. His guiding philosophy is "all must lead and a few will manage." Timestamps 0:00 — "All must lead and a few will manage" 0:33 — Welcome and introducing John Janclaes 1:52 — From consultant to credit union CEO 2:28 — Merging Disney's two credit unions 5:00 — "Make All Financial Dreams Come True": listening at the Orlando laundry 6:25 — The 500-car sale 7:13 — Building a leadership university for 800 people 8:19 — Bottom decile to top decile 9:30 — Self-leadership and "Leadership at the Peak" 11:50 — Karen's leadership journey at Citi 12:15 — How to get good at giving feedback 13:15 — The ugly Christmas sweater 14:15 — Rehearsing difficult conversations 14:50 — Leadership at home and across cultures 15:30 — Getting people to speak up at HSBC in Asia 16:45 — "Say what you mean, but don't say it mean" 17:00 — From vendor to partner 19:50 — Building one global client experience at HSBC 22:10 — The three buckets: all in, limbo, hopeless 24:50 — Coming up in Part 2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   The "Digital Sunset" Trick That Actually Stops Burnout

   Mike Terzian, CEO of Foothill Federal Credit Union, joins host Karen Gilhooly on Make Minutes Matter for a candid take on burnout, boundaries, and where AI fits into a healthy workplace. From the "digital sunset" to treating office days like a business trip, Terzian shares hard-won lessons on hybrid work, delegation, and responsible AI adoption. Gilhooly opens with her "digital sunset" framework, a graduated wind-down instead of an unrealistic hard stop at 5:00. Terzian models this himself, scheduling emails for later and being explicit about when he's truly off. Both agree burnout is less an individual failing than a byproduct of always-on culture, and that leaders set the tone whether they mean to or not. The conversation turns to hybrid work: Gilhooly recalls managing global teams through COVID, while Terzian offers his go-to analogy: treat in-office days like a business trip, with a clear agenda, rather than commuting in just to sit on Zoom. He also shares his "rubber band principle" for stretching people's responsibilities without breaking them, and a mentor's lesson that life isn't a dress rehearsal. The centerpiece is AI at work. Terzian describes Foothill's AI agent Hal, which handles routine loan paperwork so employees can focus on higher-value work, and points to JPMorgan's gains as proof AI augments rather than replaces people. Still, both caution against polished AI output standing in for real understanding, a "Hollywood set" with nothing behind it. Their takeaway: AI is a powerful thought partner, never a substitute for human judgment. Key Takeaways The "digital sunset" works because it's realistic, not rigid a wind-down window, then a firm cutoff. In the absence of data, people assume the worst, set clear expectations around availability. Treat office days like a business trip: come in with purpose, not just to log Zoom hours. AI should enhance jobs, not eliminate them, Foothill hasn't cut headcount because of it. Is there any there there? Validate understanding behind AI-polished work rather than trusting it blindly. Life isn't a dress rehearsal,a principle for squeezing real value from every workday. Guest Bio Mike Terzian is CEO of Foothill Federal Credit Union, with a career spanning marketing, lending, and executive leadership, including a long tenure at Disney's Partners Federal Credit Union. He's a vocal advocate for AI that enhances, rather than replaces, human contribution. Chapters 0:00 — Introducing the "digital sunset" concept 0:30 — Being intentional about boundaries and reflection 10:25 — Pivoting to workplace dynamics and hybrid work 12:12 — Remote work history, effectiveness over location, and hybrid office design 23:10 — "Life isn't a dress rehearsal" and making every moment count 23:22 — AI's role in the workplace, automation, and maintaining human judgment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   From Disney Magic to Credit Union Leadership | CEO Mike Terzian on Building Teams That Win

   Before he became CEO of Foothill Credit Union, Mike Terzian helped run one of the most unusual financial institutions in the country: Partners Federal Credit Union, built exclusively to serve Disney's cast members, Imagineers, and employees worldwide. In this episode of Make Minutes Matter, host Karen Gilhooly sits down with Terzian to unpack how a marketing career led him into credit unions, what he learned building culture inside "the happiest place on earth," and why the best leaders ask more questions than they answer. Terzian traces his path into financial services: an MBA in marketing, consulting stints at AC Nielsen and Mercer, and client relationships that pulled him into credit unions full time. That path led to Partners Federal, serving roughly 120,000 Disney cast members and employees globally. He and Gilhooly demystify credit unions themselves — nonprofit, member-owned institutions that reinvest profits into lower fees and better rates instead of shareholder returns — then dig into what made Disney's ecosystem so distinct. Terzian describes a company as varied as "50 states," where park cast members, Imagineers, and corporate teams each needed different messaging and support. Storytelling runs through the episode as a leadership discipline, not just a marketing tactic. Terzian argues Disney's real edge was narrative craft, and that authentic, transparent stories that build trust are what made his marketing team indispensable internally. He ties this to a leadership philosophy shaped by Simon Sinek's "Power of Why": the best leaders lead with curiosity rather than answers. He compares his role to a conductor who trusts specialists to play their instruments instead of trying to be the smartest person in the room. The episode's centerpiece is culture — what Terzian calls "how you get stuff done." He walks through a multi-year culture initiative at Foothill: an "iceberg exercise" that surfaced 139 distinct cultural traits, later distilled into eight core pillars, plus a three-tier leadership academy that's already graduated multiple cohorts. He and Gilhooly reach for sports and music metaphors: an orchestra needs one of each instrument, and a baseball team needs trust and tough feedback. Leaders should treat individual differences as a force multiplier, they argue, rather than sanding everyone down to sameness. They close on culture's fragility — it takes years of intentional work to build, but can collapse far faster than it took to create if leaders coast after early wins. Key Takeaways Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Even the best strategy fails without an intentional culture behind it. Hire for fit, not just skill. Foothill's interview panels include people from unrelated departments to test cultural fit — a "superstar" who doesn't fit can unravel a healthy culture fast. The best leaders ask more than they answer. Curiosity and listening beat being the smartest person in the room. Culture is a North Star, not a finish line. Teams that think they've "arrived" and stop investing are the ones most likely to lose it. Repetition and personality make messages stick. People need to hear something five to seven times — humor and authenticity beat polish. Differences are a force multiplier. Designing around different life stages, styles, and working preferences turns individuals into a team. Guest Bio Mike Terzian is CEO of Foothill Credit Union, leading organizational strategy, culture, and growth. He previously spent years at Partners Federal Credit Union, serving The Walt Disney Company's cast members and employees exclusively, holding EVP and VP roles over marketing, member services, lending, and analytics for an organization of roughly 425 team members and 120,000 members. Terzian holds an MBA in marketing and began his career in consulting at AC Nielsen and Mercer. He played college football at UC Davis and leans often on sports and music analogies to explain leadership and teamwork. Chapters 0:00 — Opening 0:30 — Meet Mike Terzian, EVP at Partners Federal Credit Union, now CEO of Foothill Federal Credit Union 2:52 — What is a credit union? Nonprofit banking, members vs. customers 3:43 — Inside Disney's diverse culture: parks, Imagineers, corporate teams 6:39 — Storytelling as Disney's secret sauce 7:37 — Leading with authenticity; asking questions instead of giving answers 10:32 — Building culture at scale across hundreds of employees 15:08 — The conductor analogy: building a team from scratch at Foothill 16:46 — Sports, teamwork, and leadership lessons from baseball 21:31 — Hybrid work and intentional culture building post-2020 22:42 — Hiring for cultural fit: Foothill's interview process 24:01 — Culture eats strategy for breakfast: the iceberg exercise and leadership academy 27:03 — Building a following: authentic loyalty vs. influencer culture 29:10 — Culture as a North Star and the fragility of hard-won progress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

19,852

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

22

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

32

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