Wrestling Payments
Wrestling Payments is a podcast for professionals working at banks, credit unions, and FinTechs who are responsible for managing ACH and payment operations. In each episode, members of NEACH guide conversations to help professionals examine the challenges of modernizing payment operations. Ultimately, the stories uncovered through guest interviews and solo episodes will highlight industry trends and identify how organizations can build their payment operations for the future.
Wrestling Payments
Breaking the Silo Surface: Uncovering the People-Powered Currents of FinTech Strategy
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Episode Summary Mid-market banks and credit unions are trapped between agile FinTechs and mega banks, held back by internal silos. On Wrestling Payments, host Elyssa Morgan explores how these institutions can break barriers and leverage their unique strengths.
Randy San Nicolas (Braid CEO) and Daryn Barney (Role FinTech Partners founder) reveal how to overcome self-imposed limitations. "To break through silos, you must step outside to see the world differently," Randy explains. They discuss Stripe's stablecoin move and its impact on traditional banking.
The conversation shows how mid-market size becomes an advantage, not a limitation. Guests share practical steps: inventory existing capabilities, foster innovation leadership, and recognize you already have the charter and foundation to compete.
Host-at-a-Glance
Elyssa Morgan - VP of Membership at NEACH
Guides payment professionals through modernization challenges
Find her on LinkedIn
Guests-at-a-Glance
💡 Randy San Nicolas - Co-founder/CEO, Braid
💡 25 years in payments, empowering smaller institutions to compete
💡 Find him on LinkedIn
💡 Daryn Barney - Founder, Role FinTech Partners
💡 25 years in payments/banking, builds FinTech strategies for mid-market banks 💡 Find him on LinkedIn
Key Insights
Self-Imposed Silos Are the Real Enemy Banks create barriers by over-depending on core vendors. Most obstacles are mental, not technical. Banks have the infrastructure—they need perspective shifts and smart risk-taking leadership.
Community Banks Hold Undervalued Advantages Mid-market institutions possess what FinTechs can't copy: banking charters, community trust, regulatory frameworks. Even Stripe needs this infrastructure. Decades of relationships position banks as essential infrastructure providers.
Innovation Is Closer Than Perceived Banks underestimate existing capabilities. ACH operators have technical knowledge matching startups—the difference is presentation. Small partnership steps, not complete overhauls, create momentum for bigger transformation.