Brother's Keeper - with Special Guest Jeff Kanger

Jeff Kanger is the President of First State Bank Nebraska.  He shares his story of his rise at the bank at a relatively young age.  He describes his philosophy and management style of employees and a billion dollars of assets. 

Jeff also is the Founder of Brothers Keepers (https://www.brotherskeepermideast.com/) a 501(c)(3) non profit organization designed to be a continuing message to the Christian people in Gaza that they are not forgotten and never alone.   He tells the story of how he came to identify a problem, and then sprung into action with a solution.

Finally, he tells some maybe not so flattering stories of being managed by Sam at the beginning of his career. 

Transcript

Jeff Kanger Podcast
Mon, 6/20 1:28PM • 33:20
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, jeff, bank, millennial, business, shorts, employees, big, work, manage, important, omaha, gaza, sam, listeners, cowboys, hired, banking, keeper, nebraska
SPEAKERS
Intro, Sam Fischer, Jeff Kanger

Intro  00:00
Welcome to cowboys, not Eggheads home of the brave, not home of the fearful. The world needs more cowboys and fewer eggheads. We're everywhere podcasts are found. So tell your fellow cowboys, and let's keep the conversation alive on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Remember to subscribe, rate, review, and share. And now, cowboys, not eggheads with Sam Fisher

Sam Fischer  00:32
life brings you many rewards. And one of the rewards I have in many years of business is having worked with the young man that we're having on today. Although he's not young anymore. I do remember him when he was 19 or 20. But my friend Jeff Kangaroo is joining us today. Jeff, how are you today?

Jeff Kanger  00:52
I'm doing good, Sam. Appreciate you having me.

Sam Fischer  00:54
Yeah, I really appreciate you having having you on. The reason I asked Jeff on the podcast today is because Jeff is a comes from a long line of very successful brothers. One of his brothers was retired as the chief of the Omaha fire department and another brother is Deputy Chief right of the Omaha Police Department. And our friend Jeff at age 35. All right, are you age 35?

Jeff Kanger  01:24
Let's go with 35,36 36.

Sam Fischer  01:27
Our friend Jeff at age 36 is risen. Well, I believe we very quickly to be president of First State Bank, Nebraska, which is a pretty lofty responsibility. They just don't hand that out. So I wanted to visit with Jeff a little bit today about how in the heck did he rise so fast? And and some of the lessons that that he learned along the way? And and maybe you can you know, I think it'll be an inspiration to some of my younger viewers since we're trying to get some younger listeners, not viewers, listeners, no one's watching this younger listeners inspired in their career path. So as president of the First State Bank of Nebraska, what are your duties? What do you what does that mean? I mean, it's more than a title. I know you're a millennial and all but that's that's an important title. What what does that mean? What do you do on a day to day basis? Sure. Well,

Jeff Kanger  02:27
people people joke that they just hand out titles and banking, like candy. So go general.

Sam Fischer  02:33
I don't think your handout President my friend. I don't think the handed out that one.

02:37
No, I so what is it a day to day just some quick background on our shop? We're $880 million asset bank with 150 employees throughout southeast Nebraska about 60% agriculture 20% commercial and then 20% consumer and our current ownership groups only about 20 years old. And so your question, how does that happen? I got presented with opportunity in a progressive open minded ownership group. I went to after I worked with you Sam. took the LSAT went to law school down in Lincoln. And I

Sam Fischer  03:16
forgot that until you sent me your resume. Honestly, I forgot. I forgot that you went to law school?

03:20
Yeah. So it was kind of fate. I got tied into them with a classmate. They were hiring for summer interns. And the same day the bank offered me the job. The Douglas County Attorney up in Omaha offered me a job. I just happened to accept the bank deal first. But you know, I know you'll probably get to unpackaging some of the details later. But the short of it is this was a group of Nebraska based business people that wanted to grow a community bank, and they were hiring up as they were growing. So when I started, we're about 250 million in assets in the last decade, we've grown to just under a billion. And how have we done that? i Our boss, our Chairman, Tom Damkroger shares the growth, he gives people an opportunity to become owners set their own schedule. And the thing he did with me that mattered most in terms of success is he asked me what's important to you. And he tried to blend his vision for the company what with what my goals were. And he's done that throughout the business over the last, you know, 20 years and the 12 years that I've been there. So I think that's a huge piece of success. He he had his vision, but he also tried to align it with what his employees were saying their personal visions were as well. And that was huge for me.

Sam Fischer  04:38
Well, what is important to Jeff Kanger Yeah,

04:41
so first and foremost, given back and we'll get to what that looks like later, but as you mentioned, my family I don't come from like a blue blood pedigree. We come from a blue collar work hard pedigree. And so when Tom asked me what was important, I said ownership I Want to have skin in the game, I want to have a piece of what I'm pulling the sled on. And thank God that just aligned with his vision. He is. He's a guy that shares the pie. And he always says I'd rather have a smaller piece of a bigger pie than the whole pie for myself. And I love

Sam Fischer  05:17
that's I always said that there was there's always plenty of pieces of for pie for everybody. And because the pie will get bigger, I 100% subscribe to that. Yep. What are what are some principles that you know you have you come from a strong Catholic faith. And I know that your faith is very important to you. What are some of the principles from from that faith that you apply to your business life?

05:42
Sure. Lots, but I think the most onpoint is the dignity of work. Work is a blessing work is a gift, treated that way, you're not entitled or given anything, we are fortunate to have the ability to work. And so I view that as a blessing. And the way in which you do that is the way you give thanks for that blessing. Jobs are different, I get it. It's a free market, we're all called to different things. But I I John Paul, the second was a big believer in the dignity of work. And I feel that slipping away in this day and age, we want more and more while putting out less and less. And I think that's that concept is self defeating over time, and leads to some of the anger and frustrations we have. So, you know, really not getting into the social aspect or the you know, the moral aspects of the faith. I just think being raised in that family. The dignity of work was something and then my parents, both of them were working all the time. Whether it was my mom's small business or my dad in his trucking background. They were always working. They had five kids, we ate a lot.

Sam Fischer  06:55
Absolutely. Love, I love I love your answer. I love your attitude. How was the workshop? You know, the workforce has changed since you and I first you know, work professionally together, which I guess goes back? I don't know. 15 years since

Jeff Kanger  07:12
the turn of the century.

Sam Fischer  07:14
Yeah. That's true. So the workforce is is I mean I you're a millennial, right? You're in the millennial class. And i i Actually, before I retired, took classes on how to manage millennials, because you're you're all our different lot things are important to you. And and big surprise, folks, there are plenty of millennials that think like Jeff does, in the sense of they want to work they want to a lot of millennials, actually one of their biggest problems is that they want to give back too fast or expectations are so high so quick, that they were raised in a in a background that the rewards came quicker than than our than reality. But there's tons of millennials out there that are they're very hard working, but they have to be managed differently. The expectations are different. As a millennial, I assume you you manage other millennials, and you manage old people like me, and tell me about your management style for different types of people.

08:22
This isn't because you had me on but I've emulated a part of the a lot of the ways you managed me whether that was through condition or natural. But in what does that mean to somebody listening to this, you were just, you are always straight and honest, whether it was positive reinforcement or negative criticism that and it was also from a millennial standpoint, to your question, Sam. It was frequent feedback. Now, that was work environment, we're 15 feet away. But in a text messaging generation, it was very quick for me to know if I was hot or cold in terms of your expectations. And then you also didn't sugarcoat it. When it was great. It was great when it needed work, it needed work. And I don't think that principle has been lost. You might keep things probably need to be softened up a bit more than when I was working with you. But constant feedback was really important. And I've tried to model and emulate that. And I think that was a key thing. And that's something I use it the bank today. It I always tell the folks I'm working with if you're not getting engagement from me, I'm probably pissed and that I need time to cool down. And that's I'm working through that myself. But people want constant feedback and I think active managers need to provide that. Okay,

Sam Fischer  09:51
you said something interesting there that you know, and I agree with you that that how you manage things probably need to be softened up from The way I manage give me an example of maybe something that I would have done as a manager 15 years ago that that you don't do just because you can't or because things have changed.

10:12
Okay, I'll give you a story that has two angles on this one. When I started working with you, you would come to the shop in shorts. I don't know if you remember this, and your your wife, probably

Sam Fischer  10:26
Oh, Hawaii shirts, too.

10:31
And your wife, Heather was working there. And I said, Hey, is that alright to come in shorts? And she said, yeah, no problem. The next day I show up in shorts, and my ass no sooner hits the chair. And I'm in your office. And you go, Dude, we got congressmen walking in, what are you wearing shorts for?

Sam Fischer  10:52
Will maybe I should have shared the schedule of the day. And

11:01
my my point is your directness. You know, today, I probably couldn't get away with that I'd have to find some other way of easing into it. Or I'd probably let it go three or four times before I addressed it. So that would be one thing that's changed in this workplace. But the second angle I was going to take on that story is, if you recall, I didn't argue with you about it. I didn't give you like, oh, well, Heather said. I said okay, thanks. And can it make excuses? Yeah. And so to me, that might be the other thing that's changed in the workplace. There's Yeah, I would say this day and age, I very likely, you know, millennial negotiate. Well, Heather told me I could wear shorts and you're wearing

Sam Fischer  11:43
Sure. Well, I mean, honestly, it's that's fair. And I wasn't a very good leader for doing that. Obviously. Shot. Well, I don't know. I mean, I certainly should have. Let's, it's pretty hypocritical on my part. So I think that's probably you can call a spade a spade. But on the other hand, there is something about sometimes just accepting things that and see. And you said I was just I'm not so sure. I was just having a conversation with you. That's a funny story, my friend. I don't remember it. But I'm sure I mean, I started laughing when you started going down that road, because like, oh, here we go. Here we go. But, yeah, you? Well, that's good. Maybe, you know, maybe you would manage it differently. Because you didn't, you know, that's not the way you, ultimately, you wanted to be, you treat people differently, because you're on the short end of that stick. But it is very true. You never made any excuses ever. And I I like people like that. I just, you know, let's get the job done. And let's, let's get it done. Right. And let's do it with integrity. And and you know, and we can play later. But gosh, that makes me want to go back into management again. Very good job on that one.

13:05
No, but I would offer it worked out just fine. Because it's been it was a thoughtful story to me. Because you were direct. Hey, not what I want. You didn't yell didn't chew my head and say, What the heck are you doing? You made it clear. I didn't fight back. It's a fun story. And we moved on. Had we entered into an exchange, then it would have been a thing. And we would have lost two hours. And like, I mean, there's no cheating auditive experience.

Sam Fischer  13:30
Yeah. And negotiating the dress code for three hours. Yeah, come on you for not doing it. Let's get back to work. Yeah, yeah. Awesome, great story. So you have almost a billion dollar of assets, you're you're responsible to manage other people's money. does that weigh heavily on you? I mean, that's a pretty big responsibility.

13:55
It does. The thing that weighs heavier on me being straight with you are the 150 people I work with to manage that money. If I'm taking care of those people, they will also then take care of your money. And so the if the burden I feel is on the 150 souls, families and individuals that also have a responsibility to our customer, and communities. And so, if I sometimes I get caught in the trap, if I focus on the money, I lose sight of the people, and that's where I've gotten burned in the business. If I stay on the people, they help take care of the money and we're just fine.

Sam Fischer  14:37
So what percentage of your day is spent working with other people? All of it

14:45
at I do have a loan portfolio about 20 million and I manage a couple of loan departments and some core customers but 80% of my day is working with other members of the team or external business relationships.

Sam Fischer  14:58
Yeah. And so you have I'm sorry, you said earlier, you have how many branches right now? I mean, you've got employees and how many different locations 75 717 Good grief. Maybe it used to be 517 locations. So that's hard to do. I mean, when I was a manager in Nevada on a presidential campaign, I had employees and like five or six different locations around Las Vegas. And that was challenging. That was before the days of zoom. And I was always, gosh, I always tried to be on the ground with them at some point or another, if not, during the day, at least during the week. So how do you? How do you do that? Did you use? You know, obviously, since the pandemic Zoom is seems to be a good management tool. But do you? Do you go on the road and talk to folks in person? Or how do you do that? I mean, that's, that's a, that's a big task. 17 different locations, you've got employees. So you're going to they're going to be times where you don't see a certain employee face to face for probably months. Yep. Right, right. I don't know. Right? So how's that as a challenge? And how do you get through it? Pre

16:09
COVID. I did. So in 2019, I did 20,000 miles on my car, get into our branches. And so in person in I've learned zoom was, I would maybe challenge you a little bit on a good management tool.

Sam Fischer  16:26
It was a very management tool, it was a resource

16:28
to get us through the environment we were in. But I'm noticing now, engagement plummets on meetings, sidebar, text messages are out of control the power to mute or turn off a mic or text or email on the side. Engagement really plummets in terms of a quality meeting. And so I you know, Syedna are a side note, fewer better meetings is just a life philosophy of mine. Not not big on meetings, so have fewer of them, but make them higher quality. But one thing in our business that I have am learning, you know, as you highlighted earlier, I'm from Omaha. I'm literally born in the largest city of any employee in our bank. What the heck do I know about Philly, Nebraska? Because I went to school, I have a degree, I think I understand. No, I have got to be in that community to just listen. And part of my management leadership style I'm learning as I get older, is less mouth more ear, and then reflect and make decisions from there. So those miles weren't just, you know, keeping staff engaged in cheerleading, a lot of it was just listening. So I understand our market. Because we're doing a small business loan on main street of a town of 150. Folks, we're also involved in $100 million commercial project in Omaha. That's quite the bookend for our shop. And I like however,

Sam Fischer  17:56
the both of the projects are equally as important. I mean, you bet, you know, you bet.

18:03
And it's easy. So if I'm just focused on the money, why am I talking about that Main Street business loan? Right? It goes back to people in that community, that Main Street, so that's why I make a big point of getting out of the bank. And getting into branches, not to deliver a message but to receive

Sam Fischer  18:23
Gotcha. good listener, good manager. So I'm curious Have you I've talked to other friends of mine that talked to a friend in Dallas he's in a big ad agency and they haven't they haven't been back to work in two years and he sincerely doubts that they ever will. A lot a lot of their folks you know, younger folks live out in the suburbs, they don't want to drive into the downtown so their their use of this thing. And so I asked him I said have you I think it was him. Have you hired anyone? How does that work? When you because you have to hire someone since the pandemic Have you hired I guess I'm good to Jeff hangers Have you have you hired anybody that you haven't met face to face yet? If you had to if you've been put in that situation

19:14
now we've maybe done a first or second round on zoom but nobody without an in person meeting at some point

Sam Fischer  19:23
yeah yeah old school like me you got it there's something about sizing somebody up in person there's just something there and unfortunately most people sizing up with me is not very good on the first impression but your person I don't have to worry about anymore but man, what's what's the biggest? What do you think the biggest challenge is? I mean, forget COVID Forget all this stuff. And just let's just, this is talk about now could be A finance, you know, could be have to do the financial part of your business could be the management part of the business. What are some of the challenges that that you face? In 2022?

20:13
I would answer that, you know, from our side is banking. There's not a lot of sex appeal in that industry. folks go to Amazon or spree tail or I mean, you name it, there's a lot of trendy even FinTech names, where people want to work. And they look at banking and view that as a very traditional kind of stagnant industry. So I think we have industry perception headwinds. And that might sound like a strange thing. Ultimately, what I'm getting at is Talent Recruitment, right? It's about people and high quality people are whether you have a biology, background, political science, business, or agribusiness, the fun what I love about banking, is there's a home for all of those people in our industry, in various forms, but there's a home for them.

Sam Fischer  21:02
It makes it easier for you to hire for the pools that you know, you're able to go to a wider pool it is.

21:07
But the perception that pool is why would I ever look at a bank? I'm not an accountant. Right? I mean, that generally, the analysis stops really quick there. And we're fighting that all the time. We're getting a lot better at it. But and I was one of them. I had a political science, and then a law degree, why was I working at a bank, but then I saw the business avenues and the way a growing bank gives back to the community, and it's very attractive for me. But our I think our big challenge, rather than just seeing people is letting the market know, a growing community bank could be a place for them, regardless of their, you know, professional or academic background.

Sam Fischer  21:51
How, how have you used your law degree? Or have you used your law degree in what you do?

21:57
I use it all the time. I don't practice I'm not licensed, never wanted to be. I went to law school for the policy and the formal education of it. I use it every day, because law school doesn't really teach you stuff. It teaches you a different way of thinking. And applying that to problems in the bank. Is, is where I use most of it. The other things, you know, I studied mediation, arbitration negotiate, those are great classes, some of the more practical classes a law school, bringing that we use it all the time. Yeah, I can read a statute. Yeah, I can read a bill, I can generally apply it. But if I wanted to do that all day, I would have gone into practice. But I use the different way of thinking that law school formed me formed in me everyday in banking, in the analysis and the problem solving I do.

Sam Fischer  22:53
Awesome. I know. So this this for this for a minute, let's talk about kind of get off the bank. Giving back to the community is a big passion of yours. And one of the things that you've done is that you're the founder and chairperson for a 501 C three called Brother's Keeper, and the mission is to assist Christians in the Middle East. Yep, tell my listeners, tell them tell my listeners about your passion for that how it came about and what you do. Sure.

23:27
I go back to a moment of silence, which happens rarely in this world. But if you roll the clock back, ISIS was expanding in the Middle East, through Syria, through Iraq, there were persecutions all over the place. And one day, I remember opening up the Wall Street Journal, and I was drinking my coffee. And Sam, I didn't have Netflix on I wasn't streaming anything on YouTube, there was no music on the phone, like the house was just in silence. And I remember looking at this picture, and there's a picture of a Christian man crying, looking right into the camera. And I remember thinking, God, what are we doing about this? And when I say we, I meant Congress, or the US government, or everybody else, somebody else? Yeah. And what I was really saying is, what are they doing about it? And I it was literally, like, 510 second deal. And then I turned the page. And I immediately in my mind here, what are you doing about it? And it kind of hit me. And I thought, well, I'm reading about it. I'm educating myself. That's something and it just nagged on me. And so why don't we

Sam Fischer  24:41
sit around and educate yourself about it? I read it I went to election yet I went

24:45
to a coffee shop with my friends and chatted. And so, long story short, I just start firing off emails to Christian groups in the Middle East. I sent about a dozen nothing happened. I thought okay, well Nothing there. And then suddenly, one of the groups I contacted was in the United Kingdom got me in touch with the A nun from Jerusalem, who got me in touch with the priest in the Gaza Strip. And he runs a small parish there. Of the 2 million people in Gaza. There's 1000 Christians 100 Catholics, just rough math. And this priest is like, who are you? What do you want, I was like, Hey, I'm Jeff. I have a degree in political science and a law degree, which means I have no tangible skills. And I'd like to come over and help in the Middle East. And at first he said, No. And then after I would come to find out after working with the Israeli government, the church in Jerusalem, Hamas, and Palestinian Authority, I was given a permit to enter and exit the Gaza Strip. And so it was in that experience, going over there seeing the poverty seeing the Christian community. Nobody ever asked me for anything, Sam. In that trip. Nobody asked for money. It was nothing. But I saw the need. And I thought I need to do something to kind of help this group going forward. And so we started Brother's Keeper. And so we find jobs for the jobs and scholarships for the Christian community in the Gaza Strip. But my first night and Gaza, you'll appreciate this. We're driving around, so go back to 2016. And we go down the street, and this guy's shimmying up this light pole. And he drops this black flag was the Black Flag of ISIS. And I'm about a block away from him. And your viewers can't see me but I'm a heavyset, balding, middle aged white guy. So I stick out in the

Sam Fischer  26:49
Oh, you're not that heavy set just because I gave I gave him a little creek listeners haven't seen him for a while and told him man, he gained a little weight. You're looking good. Look Good. Thank you. So I look over.

27:00
And here's this guy waving the ISIS flag, right my face and I'm thinking what the hell have I gotten into? And I looked at father Mario, and I was like, he said ISIS. And he said, Don't worry about it. What do you mean, don't worry about it. Keep in mind, I

Sam Fischer  27:16
know you're not afraid. I

27:17
know. I don't father Mario, my best friend and Gaza for six hours. And he like how can you say no problem? He said, I met with them. I told him you were coming. And they said we wouldn't have any problems. And I go and you believe him? He said what choice do we have? Jeff? Let's keep moving. And yeah, that's that's a I caution everyone. Careful what you hear in a moment of silence. You don't know where it's gonna take you?

Sam Fischer  27:45
No kidding. Wow. So if people wanted to learn more about brother's keeper or do you have a website or Facebook page or you don't do social media, but how? How would they learn more about Brother's Keeper?

27:58
Yeah, we got a sweet video we just wrapped up it's a 12 minute documentary on our shop. A Brother's Keeper mid east.com is our website brother's keeper mideast.com

Sam Fischer  28:11
Nice and so it'd be a way to maybe financially support the organization and get some more information

28:17
about it. Yeah, man. Happy to do vid parish talks. Take the video circulated share our story. One of the cool things about us we're 100% volunteer base so every stinking penny that gets put in the pot goes straight over to Gaza volunteers helping on the website the video you name it everybody's chipping in which is a cool piece of art project.

Sam Fischer  28:39
Really is really is I'm very proud of you my friend very proud of you. Well to it's been kind of it's been kind of serious here Jeff. I want to give you another I want to give you another opportunity to take a whack at the old boss here. Do you have any other war stories from from working for your you know, yours truly that you'd like to share with our listeners? You can go ahead and crack me in the head if you want.

Jeff Kanger  29:07
Oh, your listeners will love this one. We know the same Sam

Sam Fischer  29:12
the power of editing

29:16
Well, first week on the job you know Hey Sam, this is fun. It's going well what do I need to do to be successful here? And you go you just remember one thing what's that? You know me boss you not?

Sam Fischer  29:33
I did not see that. Oh, my Lord said okay, go through that I go through the little MB thing like yeah, MDM, I had little I used to say that said a nd MB MB and my shirt me boss a boss. That's exactly right. Nice. Well, hopefully you employ you you know you incorporate that today with all your employees. Yeah.

29:56
Very well carried through as much as other than At I don't know what you read, but it was a good fit and your style was a good fit for me. So I do. Thank you for it.

Sam Fischer  30:08
Yeah, yeah. Well, it was. It's just it's very rewarding to be an old man now and the, you know, see some because I think I first knew you actually 99 or no 2006 So you were held in 2006 19 I don't know. Yeah. 2020 Okay. Yeah. And so to see you, you know, the last 15 years just do really great things. It's very rewarding. I mean, not that I had anything to do with it, but it's just it's you give me hope you give me hope because someday somebody from your generation is going to have to take care of me in the nursing home so I'm hoping there's somebody out there like you that I'll do that. So I don't have any kids and God Almighty that's a big ask. Because I'm not gonna lie to you buddy when I'm at I want to be honored son of a bitch I'm

Jeff Kanger  31:00
telling you right now you already are honoree?

Sam Fischer  31:03
I know it's gonna be brutal. All right. Well, to wrap it up. I've got five little rapid this season. I've been doing rapid fire questions with my guests. It's it's, it's just a fun little thing that we do. And it's it's interesting. We're what people come up with. So are you ready for rapid fire? He's roll Don't think too long. They'll be naked. You gotta you gotta. You have to see what comes to your mind. And this these are already g by the way. Okay.

31:29
Favorite ice cream? Chocolate favorite cowboy. John Wayne.

Sam Fischer  31:35
Far and away the favorite dish. Everybody just thinks a John Wayne mediately

31:39
said John Wayne. But my second thought was Eastwood. So I

Sam Fischer  31:42
no one has said Ronald Reagan. I can't believe no one has said Ronald Reagan. He's not really he's a cowboy. Really? Your favorite dog ever had the one right behind me? Sky? What's the sky? And I think you had sky when I when you work for me, right? Oh, yeah, you bet. I remember sky. Okay. The sky is no longer with us right now. All right. Good looking dog. Okay, favorite movie?

Jeff Kanger  32:14
What Dreams May Come?

Sam Fischer  32:17
I don't think I've seen it, Jeff.

Jeff Kanger  32:18
It's a thinker.

Sam Fischer  32:21
Okay, I will check it out. And then last but not least, my friend who is a copywriter who will be on the season sends me really good. He listens to the show. And so sometimes he'll send me questions and he's got some really good ones. And I this is the only one talked to a rabbi earlier today. And she will be upcoming this season as well. But this is sort of like the only one that stumped the rabbi. So here we go. So your cranium and you've got 10 minutes to leave your home. What are the five things you're going to take?

Jeff Kanger  32:52
Children, spouse, pet? checkbook.

Sam Fischer  33:02
Good banker would

33:03
passport. There you go. Excellent. There you go. Jeff Kanger Thanks, man. Thanks

Sam Fischer  33:10
so much. Thanks for being on. It is a real pleasure. Appreciate it.